ONE morning in a railway-carriage, I found myself sitting opposite to an African, who told me that he had traveled from Western Africa to see for himself what art and science and education had done for Europe. —how far they had raised it above his native Africa. He spoke with the animation natural to his race, and became quite eloquent.
After listening to his remarks, I said, “Well, all over Europe, wherever you go, notwithstanding all that art, science, and education have done—and they have done much to raise man in the social scale, and much to embellish, and adorn, and otherwise improve this world (from man's point of view) —you will find sin, and misery, and death in the land, even as in Africa. For, notwithstanding all the things which man has at his command, and all the many inventions' he can boast of, he is powerless to remedy any of these sore evils.”
“Oh yes," said he, "nothing but the blood,' nothing but the blood of Christ can do that.”
There we sat, the black man and the white, both by nature children of wrath, but both, through infinite grace, "washed," "cleansed"—made nigh by the precious blood of Christ, and both together enabled to rejoice in the love of God manifested in the gift of His Son.
I walked some little distance with my newly-found brother, and then we parted, perhaps never more to meet in this world; but surely we shall meet in that day when all the blood-bought people of God will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; no longer bearing distinctive marks of nationalities, but "like Him," for each and all of the redeemed will see Jesus as He is.
Upon reflection, I felt saddened at the thought that the African's experience of Europe could but send him home to his native land, it may be a "wiser," but at any rate, from the Christian standpoint, "a sadder man." For have not art and science and the improvements of the day, in the hands of the prince of this world, filled man with pride and boastfulness? and is not the religious thought of Christian Europe denying the need of the blood of God's Son, which proclaims not only the extent of human guilt and ruin, but also the way in which God is fitting sinners of all races for His glory?
Let me ask you, dear reader, are you boasting in this world, which lies in the "wicked one" (1 John 5: 19), and under the judgment of God? Or can you, with the African, "boast in that which honors God," the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ? Oh, to be enabled to say with the apostle, and with all true disciples of the Lord Jesus, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Gal. 6:1414But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)). R. W.