“ANYTHING in my line, ma’am?” The speaker was an old woman with a hawker’s basket on her arm, who had crossed the road to ask me to buy.
“I have only taken twopence since I left home this morning,” she continued: “and that the Lord knows.”
Surprised I said, “You used the name of the Lord. What do you know of Him?”
With a very emphatic shake of her head, and in a decided tone of voice came the answer, “He’s my Saviour.”
“How do you know?”
Again came the decided answer, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth from all sin. God says it, and bless His name for His mercy to me, I believe it, and I’m saved.”
“You are quite right,” I replied, “it is the same precious blood that has cleansed away my sins, so you and I are fellow-believers. But how long have you known this?”
“I’m just six years old, ma’am, come Michaelmas. Please God, I live so long, I shall be sixty-four, but I’m only a babe for I’ve only lived six years. The fifty-eight years of my life before that I spent in serving Satan. I was dead in my sins, but, bless God, He showed me His blessed Son shedding His blood for sinners, and I knew I was a sinner, and I heard the message, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ... cleanseth... from all sin.’ Not a few sins, ma’am, but all. I believed it, and I know all my black history is wiped out, all covered by the blood of my precious Saviour. That’s just upon six years ago, so you see I’m only a babe.
“I often sit down to think, and it seems to me that spiritual things are very like natural things. At first when a babe is born, it can only cry. Well, I cried, and God heard me. Then the babe gets a little stronger, and begins to crawl, and that is where I am now. I’m very ignorant, but I know that God―the great God up there―is my Father, and His blessed Son up there in the glory is my Saviour.”
I replied, “You are thinking about the scripture in the First Epistle of John, where the apostle speaks of the babes, young men, and fathers.”
“No, ma’am, I never heard about that. What is it?”
“But, of course, you read your Bible?”
“Ah! I wish I could. I don’t even know my letters. I’ve tried to learn, but I’m too old, so I goes to the mission-room, and gets them to read it to me, and if you tell me where it is about the babes and young men, I’ll ask them to read it to me.”
The very next day, on the very same spot, I met a lady, who was most particular in reading a portion of Scripture each day with her household, and in private too. She was well acquainted with the letter of Scripture. She said to me, “I’m going to see Aunt L―. She’s a wonderful old woman―ninety-four years old, and still trots about. I hope I shall live as long, but Hear I shan’t. I don’t want to go to heaven. I’d like to stay here. Earth’s not such a bad place after all, and I’m quite happy here. I’m in no hurry to go to heaven.”
The above two accounts of conversations were sent me. They afford a striking contrast. Alas! with all her knowledge of Scripture this lady knew not the Saviour. With all her familiarity with the Bible, she had not believed its truths. She had a name to live but was dead. With a Bible every day in her hand she was blindly, religiously pursuing her way to hell What an awakening, alas, would be hers.
The old hawker could not read, yet she was a true child of God by faith in Christ Jesus. The lady who could read, and did read, had the advantage, but she did not profit by it. The old hawker was at a great disadvantage, but she overcame the disadvantage. Happy old woman! with all her poverty, she was truly rich. Are you?
How happy it is that “faith cometh by HEARING, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)). Reader, have you heard yet? Not merely heard with your outward ears, but with the ear of the heart. Have you heard to pay attention? Have you heard so as to receive the blessed message of salvation? Are you among those “who believe to the saving of the soul?” (Heb. 10:3939But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:39)).
The Jews were familiar with the Scriptures. Outward knowledge of the Scriptures they had, and—no life. Knowledge of the Word of God, and—refusing Him of whom it spoke.
On the same lines the Apostle Paul asks the question, “What advantage then hath the Jew?” He answers his own question, “Much every way: chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” In other words they had the Scriptures. But an advantage not profited by is worse than no advantage at all.
Imagine a heathen in a lost eternity., In life he has never seen a Bible, never heard of Jesus, never heard the gospel. Imagine yourself in a lost eternity.
What would be your feelings, if you reflected that hundreds of times you had held the Bible in your hand―the Bible telling so plainly of God’s judgment on sin, and of the gracious provision for the sinner’s blessing He has provided in the Saviour-the Bible warning you so plainly of hell, and inviting you so warmly to heaven. Far better be in the position of the poor heathen, if such should be your fate.
For you are running tremendous risks. Be wise, and let your advantages prove to be to your everlasting blessing, or else the neglect of them will be to your everlasting sorrow and shame. “Behold, NOW is the day of salvation; behold, NOW is the day of salvation”―just as you read these lines!
A. J. P.