I HAD been laboring in the gospel at M—, near Linlithgow, and while I was preaching I noticed among the people an old man, over seventy years of age, who was evidently much interested in the good news of God's free grace. What I was seeking to enforce was the complete ruin of man, and his utter alienation from God according to Romans 3:9-19,9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:9‑19) where the unconverted are described by God Himself as—"ALL under sin"—"ALL gone out of the way"—"Unprofitable"— “Throat an open sepulcher"" Tongues using deceit "—" Poison of asps under lips"—" Mouth full of cursing and bitterness"—" Feet swift to shed blood"—" No fear of God before their eyes"—and all" GUILTY before God.”
At the same time, I did not neglect to point out God's love in sending His only begotten Son into the world, to die for the sins of others; and that all God's just claims had been fully met by Jesus, so that He could now come out to justify the ungodly in RIGHTEOUSNESS; and that WHOSOEVER accepted the character God gave him,—as above,—and the Saviour which He, in His love, had provided, had EVERLASTING LIFE.
Being deeply concerned about the soul of the old man, I called on him at his home, and found that, after more than seventy years of a life of sin, he was anxious to know about the "Salvation of God," for he was assured he needed it. In the course of our conversation I found he had been a noted sinner, indeed at one time a confirmed drunkard, and identified with a gang of smugglers.
I had prayed God to make me a "Messenger of Peace" to his precious soul, and knowing that He was much more interested in him than I could be, I began to speak with him.
“I have been a great sinner, sir, and would like to be saved; but I've been a great sinner—a great sinner," said the old man.
“And a lost sinner, Andrew?" I said.
“Yes, a lost sinner; and I deserve to be," he replied.
I pulled out my Bible, and said to him, "Do you believe this book to be GOD'S WORD?”
“Yes.”
“Well, listen to it," I said, as I turned to Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) and read, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Looking at the verse he said, "There it is, sure enough, I wish I could believe it.”
“But did you not say a minute ago that the Bible was God's word?”
"Yes, yes; I mean, I wish I could feel it.”
“That would not be faith, Andrew," I answered.
‘Christ died for sinners' (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)), and the chief of sinners, Paul himself (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)), has been in the Lord's presence for more than eighteen hundred years. Salvation now is just a question of giving and taking; giving on God's part, taking on man's. Hence it is Jesus says in Rev. 21:6,6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6) will GIVE unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY.' But in Rev. 22:17,17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17) the latest news from heaven, it is not give this time, but, `WHOSOEVER will, let him TAKE of the water of life freely.' Now your difficulty is feeling, and not taking. There need be no difficulty in taking a gift. ‘The gift of God is eternal life "(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)).
“And what have I to take?” the old man asked.
“You have to take God at his word; and the moment you do that, you have what God gives,— everlasting life.”
"But then I ought to feel it.”
“Yes, when you have taken, you will feel happy; but you want to feel happy before you have taken. Eternal life is not a thing, or an influence, but a PERSON— Christ Himself. I want to let you understand what believing is, Andrew," and with that I put my hand into my pocket, and pulling it out again closed, said, " Look here, I've got my pocket knife in my shut hand; do you believe it is there?”
“O yes.”
“But you have not seen it, Andrew." “No.
“Nor felt it." "No.”
“Then how do you know it is there?”
“Because you say it is there, and a preacher wouldn't tell a lie surely.”
The old man felt this rebuke, and it bowed his head in shame. The arrow, drawn at a venture, pierced his soul, as he said most feelingly, “And that's faith is it? O Mr. M—, you have made it clear.”
“God has, Andrew; God has. Faith is saying Amen to what God says; taking Him at his word, and asking no questions. And He says (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)), ( These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know (KNOW) that ye have eternal life.'”
“Well, then, I must have eternal life, for I believe on the Son. Yes, yes, I do believe; and I must, I must have eternal life, for God says it-God says it," was now the aged believer's response.
We praised God, and as we rose from our knees, his dear wife—a Christian woman—said, as the big tears stood in her eyes, " This is one of the happiest days in my life, for God has answered my forty years' prayers.”
I often used to visit old Andrew, and he never once lost confidence in the word of God. "I'm no scholar," he used to say," but I want to know more about Jesus.”
To talk of Him was his delight. "I've been a great sinner," he used to say, "but Jesus has saved me, and it's through the blood”
But old Andrew was daily becoming more frail, seventy-four years had passed over his head, he had led a fast life in his younger days, and now he was learning that "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:77Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)). He lived for eight months after his conversion, during which time he gave evident testimony of his having been born again.
I was preaching at B— when he died, but a brother in Christ visited him, and declared that his testimony to the end was beautiful, in the confession of what God's free grace had done. “I'll soon see Jesus—I want to get away—He is precious—very precious to me—I'm going home." Then a heavy fit of coughing.
A little before he fell asleep in Jesus, as some friends stood by his cot, he lifted up his eyes, as if looking at something above seen only by himself, his body at the same time shaking, as if his soul was anxious to escape from its tenement of clay, and with firm, though broken accents, he repeated the words of Simeon, "Lord, now latest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation" (Luke 2:29-3029Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, (Luke 2:29‑30)).
Reader, there is less sand in your glass to-day than yesterday. You are going to exist as long as God is, but where? In heaven, or in hell? Which?
You are going on, on, ON,—where to?
The precise moment will come, when you will have been three minutes—no more, no less—in ETERNITY. Will it be with Christ, or with the damned?
“What has the debtor-man to bring
As tribute to the Eternal King?
Nothing,
Still let him come to God, and trove
His riches, his abounding love.
What has the sinner-man to bring
As a sufficient offering?
Nothing!
Still let him come to God, whose grace
Has bruised a Saviour in his place.
Come then, poor sinner, come, and sing;
Come, in thy poverty, and bring—
Nothing!
God bids thee in His grace believe;
God bids thee from his grace receive—
Everything!”
D. M.
THERE are three parties to my justification: God, Christ, and myself. On God's part there is grace, -" Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)); on Christ's part there is His blood,—" being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:99Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)); on my part there is faith,—" 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)). Grace is the source, blood the basis, and faith the principle of my justification. This being so, what credit and glory God and His blessed Son get, and what full blessing is the portion of the wort-working but believing sinner!