THESE words closed a conversation between a servant of Christ and a young lady, in whose soul he was greatly interested. Whether they were the true expressions of her heart, or an excuse for not trusting Him there and then, I have never been able to decide. But I greatly suspect that love of the world and its pleasures was, alas! the great hindrance to her decision for Christ.
Sad and sorrowful is it to witness an immortal soul coolly and deliberately choosing the world before Christ, ―its pleasures and vanities before that “peace of God” which “passeth all,”―when they know that the awful end of such a course must be the “outer darkness” forever. For if people do not want Christ now, do not want to know Him, and walk with Him, and serve Him now, they will not enjoy His presence in eternity. They, like Judas, must go to their “own place.”
They have had their “own place” on the earth; they have refused the Saviour, refused Him a place in their hearts, gone on in their “own way,” thinking their “own thoughts” (Isa. 55:77Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)), doing their own will, closing every avenue to the soul against the light and word of God; and now, being removed by death, they go to their “own place.” Solemn reflection!
Now as to the words of this young lady. Let us look at them. “I will try and trust Him.”
I said to her, “If your mother told you something, would you say to her, ‘Mother, I will try and trust you’? No,” I said, “you would trust her; and that is the way to do with the Saviour, and with the blessed invitations of the gospel. Lord, I will trust Thee, is the only word that is proper when we think of Him.”
There are many things that should lead to a full, complete, and unreserved trust in the blessed Saviour. Let us name a few.
1st His worthiness. Who so worthy of our trust as He! God and man in one Person. The mighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and yet One who became a man, among men, in wondrous grace to us, and obedience to the Father’s will. Who would not trust him?
2nd Think of His life so holy, so perfect, so good; every act and word ministered blessing to those about Him “I came to do the will of him that sent me,” and that will was the blessing of His creatures. He went about doing good; it characterized Him. Never did a needy soul come to Him, that was turned empty away. Think of the women of John 4, and Luke 7, and John 8. Think of those three jewels for the Saviour’s crown, taken from the depths of sin and iniquity, and saved by His matchless grace.
3rd Let Gethsemane’s garden speak. Witness the groaning, praying, agonizing Sufferer there! Why those groans, those prayers, those agonies, those drops of bloody sweat? What is the meaning of it all? The dark shadow of the cross is passing across His soul. And, oh I my reader, if the shadow only caused such woe, what must the substance have been? And if anticipation of the cup was so deep and awful, what must have been the cup itself?
4th Look at Him in Pilate’s judgment hall. It was man’s verdict that He must die. And why? Let them answer. “Let him be crucified,” came from man’s heart; and poor man, led on by Satan, was not content until the deed was accomplished, The Saviour, in the majesty of His love, submitted. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth” (Isa. 53:77He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)).
5th On the cross behold Him. Man and devil have joined hands in insulting and murdering the Son of God. But, wonder of wonders, there upon that cross, in those hours of darkness and woe, He becomes the sinner’s Substitute; His soul is made an offering for sin; our sins were laid upon Him; the sword of eternal justice awoke against Him; God forsook Him; the deep and awful cup was drained of its dreadful contents; and ere He bowed His sacred head in death, He cried, “It is finished!”
“O groundless deep! O love beyond degree!
The Offended dies, to set the offender free!”
6th God raised Him up from the dead, and showed Him openly. Having glorified God about sin, having accomplished our redemption by the shedding of His blood, and made it possible for God, in righteousness, to justify the sinner who believes in Jesus (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)), He is raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. The angels said to the women, “He is risen; he is not here; behold the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:66And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. (Mark 16:6)).
7th But where is He today? and where has He been for nearly nineteen hundred years? Enthroned in majesty at the right hand of God. He, “when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high” (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)), The throne of heaven today is adorned with the man who bowed in Gethsemane, and expired on the cross. There He is crowned with glory and honor, with all power and judgment committed to His hands.
Beloved reader, now let me ask you, Is He not worthy of your most complete and unreserved trust? Shall it be said still, “I will try and trust Him?” Nay, the rather, let all that He is personally, and all that Ile has suffered and accomplished to save us, rebuke the thought, and lead, if you have never done so before, to a surrender of heart to Him, and the fullest confidence in Him as the Saviour of sinners. Is it possible to keep back any longer? Shall not the remembrance of who and what He is, and of that life of voluntary sorrow, and that death of infinite woe, endured for us, and of His present place of acceptance and glory at the right hand of God, serve to quicken our hearts, lead to the breaking through of all restraints, and to the fullest confidence of heart in Himself? And shall we not exclaim, “Lord, Thou art worthy, I will trust Thee!”
The blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:4-74And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. 5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. (John 6:4‑7)).
“Trust, O Saviour, Lord, I trust Thee,
Is the answering word of faith
Of my soul,—till now so weary,—
To Thy matchless perfect grace.
And thus trusting, simply trusting,
Joy and peace my heart possess;
Waiting now for Thine own coming,
Then to shine in endless bliss.”
E. A.