WELL, friend, if it were raining showers of gold sovereigns, what would you do; would you go on with your work, or make sure of the gold?” said an evangelist to an old man by the roadside, who was busily gathering rubbish in a tin pail.
“Oh should stop and pick up the gold first,” he replied knowingly.
“To be sure you would. Now it has been raining gold this eighteen hundred years; do you know what I mean? "The old man looked up wonderingly.
“I mean," he continued, "all the unsearchable riches of Christ have been showering down on poor sinners all this time. Have you received them?”
“I'm afraid not.”
“It is high time that you had.”
“Yes, I know that; I'm eighty years of age.”
“There now, and yet you are busily engaged, but forgetting the gold showers”
“But it's right to do this," said he, turning back to his tin pail of rubbish, with apparently the greatest indifference.
“Surely; but you know men, as they say, generally look out for the main chance, and its all chance in man's world. But here is the main certainty; you had better look out for this. Make sure. If gold was falling, you would fill your pockets at once. Now, take your place as a guilty and lost sinner before God, and believe on His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will receive the remission of sins, and the gold showers, so to speak, will fill your heart. Accept this little book and read it. Good day.”
How many thousands are to be met with on the high road of the world in the same condition, striving for a large fortune or a little pittance, as the case may be, but deaf to God's offers of grace, blind to their own eternal interests, and no heart for the unsearchable riches of Christ; knowing about it, probably, but yet not knowing Him!
Passing along down the road, an elderly woman came out of a house to post a letter. Having remarked upon the weather, the evangelist repeated to her what had just passed, adding, " the old man did not at first quite understand what was meant.”
“Ah! he ought to have done," she replied earnestly, " if he had the grace of God in his heart. He used to pray. I know who he is.”
“Have you the grace of God?”
“Yes, I've had it this thirty years.”
“I am glad to hear that. Then let the living water flow out; tell all your neighbors, let them hear all you know about Jesus.”
Grace is what you need. Your best works are mixed with sin; the law condemns you, but grace will set you free, and teach you the way of holiness. What a contrast An old man of eighty without God, and an old woman knowing His grace for thirty years. A short period at most must decide the eternal destiny of both;—the former, if called away as he was, to find out his folly when it is too late; the latter, to reap forever the glory God gives with the grace.
A few hundred yards farther, a man sat in a cart drawn up at a cottage gate. “A little book about Jesus," said I, handing him one." Ah we little know," he replied, as his face lit up, and he readily took the book, “when we see a stranger go by that he is a Christian, till we speak together." A few words were exchanged about the Lord, when a blacksmith, who was standing at a little distance, listening to what passed, drew near. “And are you a Christian too?”
“I know whom I have believed, and when my sins were forgiven," was the reply.
A similar testimony followed from the wife of the man in the cart, who came up just after. All three appeared to be rejoicing in the Lord. "Well, friends," I continued," if you are Christians, everyone all round about where you live ought to know it. Your light should shine; and it will, if the lamp is well lit.”
“Yes, but we shall have trouble down here, but that's to purify us," said one of the three.
“Yes, it is cleaning the glasses for the light to shine out more clearly. Good day.”
Proceeding on his way, the preacher came upon a man resting upon his barrow by the roadside.
“The good old book says that ' the rest of the laboring man is sweet,'” was the present greeting.
‘I'm laboring now, and looking for eternal rest; are you?’
“I hope so.”
“I'm sure.”
“Sure?”
“Yes, sure. Jesus said, ' Come unto me, ... and I will give you rest,' and I came, and I have rest of conscience. Now, I'm taking His yoke and walking with Him, enjoying rest of heart by the way. And also waiting for His return, to see His face, and share eternal rest. And why not you?”
“I heard a preacher say that when we'd spent as many years in eternity as there are blades of grass in King's-mead, we should be no nearer the end.”
“Well, now is the time to make sure of eternal blessing, and the only alternative is eternal woe.”
“Ah! yes, there are only the two roads, the broad and the narrow," said the man on the barrow.
“Exactly. Then come as a poor sinner to Jesus, —that is entering the strait gate; and walk under His yoke,—that is treading the narrow way; and look for His coming, when you will have eternal rest. But you must come to Him first. I have the first, am enjoying the second, and looking for the third. Believe as a poor guilty lost one on Him, and the blessing is yours. Make sure. And read this little book.”
“Thank you, sir; I'd as soon have that book as my dinner.”
My reader, have you come to the Savior? Has He given you rest? Are you burdened and heavy laden with sin? He bids you come. All are invited.
“Come unto me, all,"—" all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It does not say, Come, and ye shall find it. It is better than that, "I will give you." You have not to search about for it, He gives it to every one that comes to Him. Will you come? Come now, and rest most surely shall be yours; present, lasting, permanent, eternal rest. Come.
Distributing books right and left, the evangelist presently came to a place where a group of men were working at a rick. A chimney sweep, black from head to foot, who stood by, greeted him jestingly as he approached. “You be'ent afraid to come by, sir, be you? “alluding to his own appearance, covered with soot.
“Oh no." And handing him a book containing the Gospel, added, “That will tell you how you can become whiter than the snow, through the precious blood of Christ.”
He was evidently taken aback at the unexpected response. The Lord grant that it may have impressed his soul. Dear reader, all in nature are blacker with sin than the blackest of chimney sweeps. Sin is blacker than soot. The latter is but outward; but sin has affected man's whole moral being, and he is utterly unfit for the presence of God. Nothing but the precious blood of Christ can cleanse him. Are you cleansed? “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)). None but those who are redeemed by blood will ever escape wrath or enter the glory of God. No other passport will avail there.
Passing along a field just beyond, as the traveler drew near to his destination, a young man crossed his path, carrying a large sack of sheep fodder.
“You have a heavy burden there upon your shoulders.”
“Yes.”
“Have you got rid of the burden of sin? You would find a great difference going up yonder hill if I took the burden off, would you not?”
“Yes.”
“If you get rid of the burden of sin, you will travel much lighter through this world.”
“I expect I should.”
“Well, who can take it off?”
“Jesus Christ, I expect.”
“Then believe on Him, and He will do it. If offer to take your burden, and you believe me, it is soon done. And if you believe on Him, He will take the burden of sin from your heart. Only trust Him.”
How blessedly simple the Gospel is! Men have many devices of their own to reach heaven, but God's way is Christ. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). As another has said, "The way to the Father, the truth of the whole thing, and the life to enjoy it." Christ is all. "If ye believe not that I am he," said Jesus," ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:2424I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24)). But “whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)). Reader, how is it with you?
E. H. C.