At the close of the preaching I stated that if any were anxious about their souls, I should be happy to speak with them in the adjoining room, while those who could remain, in the large room, would continue in prayer for the Lord’s blessing.
Scarcely had I entered the side room, when a young and well known friend came up to me in great earnestness of spirit, exclaiming, “Now I am free! Now I am free!” As I grasped her hand and looked at her, questions were unnecessary. The brightness, the decision of her countenance, and the fervency of her words, were enough to satisfy the most anxious or questioning mind. I could only look at her and say, “Is it you? Is it you? Bless the Lord—His name have all the glory!”
I had often talked with her about spiritual things; but her natural tendency was to reason and speculate. She was what would be called a reader, and I had been dreading the hurtful influence of the books she read. So that, putting all things together in my own mind, I was astonished as well as delighted.
After recovering from our happy surprise, and having indulged ourselves in a few exclamations of thankfulness, we began to realize our new position and relationship.
“And now, tell me,” I said, “has all this blessed work been done tonight?” “Yes, tonight, and I may say, in a moment. As you were repeating those words, ‘Christ gave Himself a ransom for all’—He put into God’s hands the ransom price of our redemption, and God having accepted that price, He now proclaims the good news; Deliver from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom—I have it in my hand. Then I said to myself, I must be free. —If Christ has paid the ransom, and if God has accepted the ransom, I am free; and from that moment I was perfectly happy, and could only praise the Lord.— I know I am saved!” And she looked ah she said. And much more she said, and much more I inquired; but I can only give in substance what will answer the end of publication. The reader will be satisfied to know that all proved a blessed reality. I have seldom seen the truth take a more thorough hold of a heart at the moment of conversion, or at any moment; and time has proved that it was not the shallow joy of the stony ground hearer, but the deep and permanent joy of God’s grace in the heart. Her joy soon became the joy of many; just as the joy of each in heaven will become the common joy of all throughout eternity.
Oh! that the same blessed truth, in God’s hands, may become the means of the happy deliverance of every soul that reads this brief record! And why not? we ask. Is it not as true now as then? —is it not as true to thee, dear reader, as to her?—is it not as true to all as to one? Most assuredly! Christ gave Himself a ransom for all—that is, He paid a price adequate to the redemption of all; and God accepted the price. Surely then, believing this, thou art free, and righteously free on God’s own ground. This is God’s grace to all who believe in Jesus. Hence we read, “Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.” God, foreseeing the work of Christ from the beginning, ever acted towards the believer according to its completeness. Job 33:2424Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. (Job 33:24); Romans 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25).
Could better news ever be made known to thee, my fellow sinner? —for sinner thou art, and the bond slave of thy sins. Chains stronger far than brass and iron bind thee to thy cunning but cruel master. Twenty millions of British gold struck from many a fettered limb the galling chain of slavery, about 30 years ago, and tided the British dominions with the song of Jubilee. But twenty thousand millions could not break the chains of unbelief that now bind thee to the love of sin, the pleasures of the world—the drudgery of Satan. The power of God alone can do this, and that without money and without price from thee. The price was paid on Calvary—the atonement was offered unto God—reconciliation is ours through faith in the atoning work. Heavy indeed was the ransom-price that Jesus paid, but redemption to us is as free as the air we breathe. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.” Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1).
Whether, then, wilt thou have thy freedom, or hug thy chain? This is the question. The perfect liberty of the children of God is set before them in the gospel. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed;” are the assuring words of Jesus Himself. But if He be rejected in unbelief, the chains of sin and slavery remain. Satan may succeed in concealing the chain from thy sight now; and he may allow thee to think, and even to boast, that none are so free or so independent as thou art; that outward profession is nothing, seeing thou art light in heart. Thus he deceives, and thus he strengthens the chains of thy slavery.
“Deliver him from going down to the pit,” is the cry of love, of divine, eternal love. Oh! that fearful word, “the pit”—“ going down to the pit.” The very thought of a pit, of being cast forsaken into a pit, is too awful to think of. The very thought of it makes the whole frame shudder, and the flesh creep on the bones: or, as the prophet says, “When I heard, my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my hones.” (Hab. 3:1616When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. (Habakkuk 3:16).) I know it may be said that the word “pit” in Job, means the grave. Be it so; but of what, I ask, is a Christless grave the emblem? Surely of a pit deeper far than the grave, and out of which no soul ever escaped. No chain can ever be broken there. Ο then, dear reader, in the name of all that is fearful to contemplate, and of all that is blessed to anticipate, look at once to Jesus, He only is the deliverer from the thralldom of Satan. He died to ransom thee from the power of the grave; He died to set thee free; He has in righteousness paid the adequate price of thy redemption; God has accepted the ransom and is satisfied; He asks no more; He asks no ransom from thee; He says, “I have found it.” Why then, Ο why, shouldest thou despise liberty—the glorious liberty of the children of God? Awake, awake, AWAKE, from the awful sleep of sin—the lullaby of hell! Arise, Ο arise, and shake from thy long-enslaved soul the captive’s chains! Another day and it may be too late; another hour and thy chain may be riveted in the depths of hell forever. The danger is great; it is imminent; it is irreparable; it is thy soul —thy immortal soul; no appeal can be too loud; too long; too earnest; eternal liberty or eternal slavery is the mighty issue.
But what can I say more? Christ has paid the ransom in His own precious blood. God has accepted the ransom; wilt thou be free? Free through faith in the great Redeemer; righteously, honorably, gloriously, happily, eternally free! The faith that looks in simplicity of heart to Jesus, can honestly say, “Now I am free! Now I am free!” “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7).
“Drawn by such cords we’ll onward move,
Till round the throne we meet,
And, captives in the chains of love,
Embrace our Savior’s feet.”