AND he meant whit he said, for he took his hat and left the hall.
It was during an after-meeting held for anxious inquirers, and the speaker, an old man of seventy-five, did not want to be spoken to personally, although it was the most important subject beneath the sun which he was being spoken to about, viz., the salvation of his never-dying soul.
The evangelist was having a cup of coffee before retiring to rest for the night. He looked weary, and I knew he felt weary, as he had been working hard in God’s service for a lengthened period. And as I looked at that calm face, I thought of the words of the prophet, “Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?” (Isa. 7:1313And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? (Isaiah 7:13).)
“Don’t you think we had a good meeting tonight, Mr. —?”
“Yes, it was a solemn time, but did you hear what that old man said to me? ‘I’ve had enough of you.’”
“Yes, it was sad, but then we must remember that this old man may get caught by a simple rod and line after you have passed on with the great gospel net.”
“Very well, let it be so. Let us pray about it.
“O God, we desire to commend these bodies of ours to Thy care through another night. Bless all those, who have been in that hall, and have heard, it may be for the last time, the story of Thy love, and how Thou art delighting to have fallen sinners back in Thy presence, justified from all things. Lead on all those who have believed with their hearts, and confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus; and, oh, we beseech Thee, our God, hear us on behalf of that old man of seventy-five summers; he is still in the dark, still in his sins. Trouble him, we pray Thee: may he have no peace until he finds it in coming to Jesus. Amen.”
“Well, good-night, now.”
“Good-night, Mr. —, and remember that Paul got a thorn in the flesh to keep him from thinking that he was doing all the work.”
It was Saturday afternoon, and I had to go into the township of E — four miles off. The weather was fine, and my wife came for the drive. As we returned we arranged to call on two aged Christians who lived not far distant from each other, and to save time, my wife suggested that she would call on one while I called on the other. My wife found both these old people at the house she called at, and my privilege was to find the old gentleman, who had spoken so defiantly to the evangelist, alone at the house where I called. I had met him on several occasions, but he always avoided what he termed “religious matters.” This time, however, he seemed different, and quietly listened while, as clearly and simply as possible, I tried to show him, from God’s Word, man’s ruin through sin, and God’s remedy through Jesus, and the importance of receiving God’s gift (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
He talked of doing for salvation.
I told him all was done when Jesus died on Calvary’s hill, and nothing could be added to what He had finished.
He talked of praying.
I told him it was no good praying for what God was offering, as it was only making God a liar (1 John 5:1010He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. (1 John 5:10)). This seemed a terrible blow, to dash to the ground the two things on which he was placing such dependence as means of salvation, and was something he was not prepared for; so for a few moments we sat in perfect silence, while secretly I used the prophet’s prayer for his servant, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see.”
“Mr. P —, would you not like to be sure about salvation, and have peace with God?”
“I would.”
“Well, how are you going to know it?”
“Can I know?”
“Now look, this is the order: — God has written to those that believe, that they may know that they have eternal life.
“Do you believe?”
“I hope I do.”
“Ah, you are, wrong there again, you are looking in to see if you can find some goodness in yourself, instead of looking up and seeing Jesus. Faith is believing God. Faith is trusting Jesus.
“Mr. P —, will you get down on your knees with me and thank God that He gave the Lord Jesus Christ to die for you, and will you trust Him now?”
A moment’s pause and then came a wretched “No. But I will get down on my knees with you if you will ask God to make me a better man.”
This seemed nice, and no doubt showed anxiety on Mr. P — ‘s part, but it is not God’s way. So I honestly told him I could not do what he asked, as God does not make a sinner better. He saves him outright and makes him a son, in new creation. He does not mend him. The Lord Jesus said, ‘No man putteth a piece of new cloth in an old garment.’”
“I don’t like that man who preached in the hall at R —,” my listener now said.
“Oh, Mr. P —, I am terribly anxious about you. I can clearly see the devil is doing his utmost to hold you in darkness, and you are running an awful risk. Suppose you were to die tonight, where would you be for eternity?”
“I don’t know.”
“Would you like to be sure?”
“Can I be sure?”
“You can. Look at the poor dying thief on the cross beside Jesus. He owned Jesus as his Lord, and Jesus told him He would take him to paradise that day (Luke 23:4343And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)). Again, Paul speaks of being present with the Lord when absent from the body (2 Cor. 5:88We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)); and again, in Philippians 1:23,23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23) says, ‘To depart and be with Christ is far better.’
“This is the blessed portion of the believer, but to depart out of time into eternity unsaved is to reach that place spoken of in Luke 16:23,23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23) ‘In hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment.’”
“I am a great sinner,” Mr. P — now said. “Christ is a great Saviour,” I replied.
“How can I be sure about salvation”
“Let me get my spectacles.”
“Very well. Now read it carefully, and remember it is Jesus who is speaking.” So he read:—
“‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death into life.’”
“Now, let us go over it again. ‘He that heareth my word’ — Christ’s word. You have heard it. Now because you were a sinner and needed salvation, God so loved you as to give His own Son to die in your stead. You have heard His word, now what comes next?”
“ ‘And believeth.’”
“This is our side of the matter, the hearing and the believing, and there is not a word said about praying or hoping, or trying to be better; and notice also that those words are positive, and all in the present tense — Heareth — Believeth — Hath — Is. Hence the awful danger of putting off the hearing and the believing, and thin missing salvation.”
“I don’t want to put it off.”
“Do you believe that God gave the Lord Jesus Christ to die for you, and that when He died He was bearing your sins?”
“I do.”
“Well now, let us finish that verse.”
“ ‘Hath everlasting life.’”
“Read that again.”
“ ‘Hath everlasting life.’ What does it mean?”
said Mr. P —.
“It means what it says, He that believeth hath everlasting life.’”
“Hath it now?”
“Yes, hath it now.”
“Thank God, I see it all. ‘Hath everlasting life,’
and hath it now.”
There was no need to refer to any more scriptures. The anxious look had passed away from the face of the man of seventy-five summers without Christ, and as he took off his spectacles and laid them down on the table, he said, “Thank God. ‘Hath everlasting life.’”
“Shall we get on our knees and thank Him now?” “Yes, we will,” and we did so.
This was a happy time for us all, for while we were on our knees pouring out our thanksgiving to God, my wife and the mistress of the house were standing outside, afraid to intrude on such a solemn scene, and when they came in we all rejoiced together, while our old friend told how he found peace through believing God’s Word.
And now, dear reader, I desire to commend to your careful consideration that word HATH. It was the means of my finding peace over twenty years ago. I had been for weeks very anxious about my soul’s salvation, and one night as I read John 3:36,36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) I saw like a firm foothold cut in a mighty rock, above all the doubts and fears of my heart, that precious word “hath.” “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”
If unsaved, come to Jesus just as you are, and come now. You are running an awful risk by delaying; time is short, and life uncertain.
May the Lord bless you is my earnest prayer. I feel constrained to add that our old friend confessed the Lord publicly in the ball where he had told the evangelist, “I’ve had enough of you,” and no wonder the evangelist was delighted. But when we speak of joy on earth, what is it compared to joy in heaven?
“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
May there be joy over you!
“Prodigal son, thy Father is waiting,
Anxious and longing for thy return;
He will forgive thee, welcome and bless thee,
Gladly embrace thee: then why not come?”
J. J. W.