“I AM sorry to hear," said a preacher to a working, man in Yorkshire, "that you have lost your son.”
“Yes, indeed;" replied the old man, "it is quite true.”
The preacher went on to say, "I hope he made his peace with God,”
“None to make," replied the old man.
The preacher, thinking the old man did not understand him, repeated, "I hope he made his peace with God.”
“None to make," again the old man said.
“What do you say?" said the preacher.
“None to make," was again the old man's reply.
"What do you mean?" again the preacher asked.
“None to make," was all he could get from the old man.
This question was repeated is several times, and always brought from the aged man the same answer. So the preacher left him, no doubt thinking him a dark and ignorant person. However, the old man soon followed, and coming up with him said—
“What were you saying, sir, just now, about my son?”
“I was saying that I hope he made his peace with God.”
“Well, I say he'd none to make."
At last, the old man stretched out his arms, and said—
“What did Jesus Christ say upon the cross? Did He not say, ‘It is finished'?”
“Ah," said the preacher, “you are right; you are right. It is finished.' He had none to make.”
And surely nothing is more plainly set forth in scripture than the fact that Christ has "made peace by the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)), and accomplished such a work of eternal redemption, that whosoever believeth in Him now risen and ascended has peace with God. Yes has peace, has it now, not when he comes to die, but now, as the scripture says, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1).) That we were all enemies to God, and required to be reconciled to God is quite clear, or we should not have needed peace to be made. And how did He make peace? We are told, "By the blood of His cross." There He bare our sins, there He was made sin for us, there "God condemned sin in the flesh," "He spared not His own Son," and there He "put away,"—observe, that scripture says, "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb. 9:2626For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)), so that God can now say, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17).) Thus sin having been condemned and judicially put away by God in Christ, the Holy One, instead of being judged in us sinners, peace is made, and God is just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.
The cross of Christ is then the true and only ground of peace, and it tells us of peace made, as the resurrection and ascension of Christ bear witness. The enjoyment of this peace is connected with our simply taking this ground, in faith, before God. Satan will try to dislodge us from it, but faith ever relies on God's testimony, and resists the adversary with "It is written.”
“Though the restless foe accuses,
Sins recounting like a flood,
Every charge our God refuses,
Christ has answered with His blood.”
Dear reader, have you peace with God? Have you the comfort in your soul of every question about your sin having been righteously met by Christ on the cross to the entire satisfaction of divine justice and holiness? This is peace. It is the peace that Christ has made. Peace not dependent on our own feelings, or experiences, but entirely based on what Christ has done. You have not then to make your peace with God, as people call it, but receive Christ Jesus, the Son of God, as your Savior, and through Rita you have peace with God. Yes, you are justified by His blood, and you have peace at once; you have not to wait till you come to die for it, but you have it now; for Jesus did everything to satisfy divine justice and righteousness, and presented to God in His blood that which cleanseth from all sin.
“I wish," said a servant of Christ,” I could relate to you as it was told to me, an account of a lady in Scotland, and of the way in which her doubts and anguish were removed. It was during a time in which several known to this lady had been brought to Christ. Among the rest a particular friend of hers had been converted. Feeling some measure of concern herself, she, went to a servant of Christ who was laboring in the place, and told him she was unhappy. He replied that he was glad to hear it. Astonished at this, and somewhat offended also, she told the minister what efforts she had made to obtain salvation, how she had read and prayed, but still seemed as far from peace a, ever. He told her that it was not by anything she could do, but by what Christ had long since done and finished on the cross, that she was to be saved. All seemed dark and mysterious to her, and she left; resolving, however, to call on her friend, who had recently been converted. She did so, and asked her what she had done to obtain the peace of which she spoke. "Done! I have done nothing! It is by what Christ has done, that I have found peace with God." The lady replied that this was what the minister had just been telling her, but that she could not understand it. She went home with her distress greatly increased; and shutting herself up, in her room, she fell on her knees, resolving that she would never rise till her soul had found rest and peace. How long her agony continued I could not say; but nature became quite exhausted, and she sunk to slumber. While thus asleep she dreamed that she was falling over a frightful precipice, but caught hold of a small twig, which overhung the abyss beneath. By this she hung, crying aloud for help, when a voice from below, which she knew to be the voice of Jesus, bade her to let go the twig, and He would receive and save her. "Lord, save me!" she cried; but the voice, again answered, "Let go the twig." She felt as though she dare not leave hold, but continued crying, "Lord, save me!" At last, the One below, whose voice she heard, but whom she did not see, said in the most tender, solemn tones, "I cannot save you unless you let go the twig.”
Self-desperate, she let it go, fell into the arms of Jesus, and the joy of finding herself there awoke her. The lesson taught her by her dream was not lost upon her. She perceived that Semis was worthy of all her trust, and that not only did she need no twig of self-dependence, but that it was holding to the twig that kept her away from Christ. She let all go, and found Christ all-sufficient.
Now I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I 'II bid farewell to every fear,
And wipe my weeping eyes.
I long to go, I long to go
Where Jesus' face I'll see;
I soon shall go, where Jesus is,
And with Him ever be.
Should earth against my soul engage,
And hellish darts be hurl’d,
Yet I can smile at Satan's rage,
And face a frowning world.
Tho' cares, like a wild deluge, come,
And storms of sorrow fall;
Soon I shall safely reach my home,
My God, my heaven, My all.
There I shall bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast.
THE blood of Christ alone purges the conscience, delivers from every fetter, and gives the believer title to everlasting glory and rest in God's holy presence.