IT was about 7:00 a.m. when a communication reached me on our telegraph line!
The words ran thus: ― “Good morning! It is settled now! I have got on the Rock!”
Although the message was specially for myself, another friend on our circuit, not far away, picked it up also, and he, too, rejoiced that morning, for he well knew what was meant by the young man who sent it.
Indeed, for fifty miles, those words which conveyed such good news to us might have been heard by others along our line. Some perhaps would wonder! Some probably would understand! Others would give no heed!
Often the writer had conversed with the sender regarding the important question of his eternal welfare, and I knew he was somewhat concerned as to the matter. He desired to discover the true and sure foundation of God, so that he might securely rest his soul upon it, and not upon some flimsy superstition, doctrine or dogma of man’s making.
During the night, before he called me up on the telegraph, he had happily founded his faith upon Christ, the Rock of Ages, and that explained his early morning message.
Even in ordinary matters, we must see that the foundation of a structure is right, as well as the building itself, if we are to expect the work to stand the inevitable tests of time. That is simply a question of proper precaution; and surely in the matter of our soul’s eternal well-being we do well, like our young friend, to make sure that we are resting on God’s secure foundation alone.
A few years ago, in the little town of W―, where I then lived, a contractor undertook to construct a sewer over the river, which was at that time little more than ankle deep. Nevertheless, some of the more thoughtful in the township warned the contractor that the structure would not stand the strain in a time of flood. The work itself was not imperfect, but they foresaw that the rushing waters would undermine the foundation and carry away the piers. The contractor heeded not, but only laughed! vet so it came to pass when the flood came the heavy piping, and that also upon which it rested, gave way before the resistless tide, which swept all before it.
A wise man and a foolish man are vividly portrayed in Matthew 7:24-2724Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24‑27). We are there told that the first is the one who hears the words of the Lord Jesus and doeth them, and the second is he who hears, but doeth them not. The wise is likened to him who built his house upon a rock, so that no wind or storm could overthrow it. On the other hand, the foolish is likened to him who built his house upon the sand, and when the storm came, and the floods arose, and the wind beat upon it, the building gave way and fell!
It is easily understood, therefore, why we rejoiced to receive the early morning message from our dear young friend G. B —.
He had attended a Gospel meeting the night before, and the preacher had shown the security of those who rested their faith on our Lord Jesus Christ alone. He pointed out that God’s holy claims against the sinner had all been righteously met by the work of Christ upon the cross, and that His blood, shed there, cleanseth us from every sin. Everyone, therefore, who believes on Him is saved with a present and everlasting salvation. G. B―. went home from the preaching that night still undecided, but before the light of another day broke over the earth he found peace for his precious soul by simply trusting the Son of God.
I thanked God when his welcome words came, ― “It is settled now! I have got on the Rock!” It was a “good morning” indeed!
Has the light of the eternal salvation of God broken in upon the soul of the reader yet? Can he say like Samuel Rutherford—
“On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand”?
R. STEWART.