The Bad Half-Crown

 •  10 min. read  •  grade level: 6
A few months ago, while waiting for my ticket in a country railway office, I observed a half-crown nailed to the counter. The young man who was giving out the tickets, also attracted my attention. He seemed a sharp youth, and had an air of importance about him, becoming the responsibilities of his office. With his hand raised to the ticket department, and the finger ready to pounce upon the right one, he shouted, "First or second, sir?”
Being the last one that was then waiting, I thought I should like to have a. few words with our young friend about the half-crown, so I said to him as I was picking up my change, “What is this you have got nailed to the counter, my boy?”
“A half-crown, sir.”
“But why have you it nailed to the counter?”
“Because it is a bad one, sir.”
“So you were determined it should go no further. But now, tell me, does it remind you of anything very serious?”
“I don't know," (looking very straight at me and paying great attention).
“Well, I'll tell you, my boy, what it has brought to my mind: that will be the end of all hypocrites, they will at last be nailed clown under the awful judgment of God. And they will never be able to get away from it. Now, you look at that half-crown. A nail driven through it—fixed to the one spot, and exposed to public condemnation. Everyone sees that it is a detected hypocrite, and exhibited there as a warning to others.
“Now, mark, such will be the end of all who make a profession of religion, but who have not Christ in their hearts. Like that half-crown, they may deceive many for a time, but they cannot deceive God. Can they? Oh no! that half-crown may have passed through a good many hands before it was detected, but at last it fell into the hands of a judge who knew that it was not real, and so condemned it, and would let it go no further. And now, you remember this, God will, at last, ring, as it were, every professor on His counter, His judgment seat; and every one that is counterfeit, not real, will then be detected, condemned, and nailed to the place of judgment forever; so that every time y. on throw down a ticket, and look on this bad half-crown, you are reminded of the awful end of those who are not right in heart with God.”
This last sentence was evidently more than our young friend could comfortably bear, for he immediately exclaimed, with his usual sharpness, "I'LL HAVE IT TAKEN UP." After a few words as to the certainty of coming judgment, we parted.
Finding we had to wait a little for the train, a friend who was with me, and who had listened to the conversation, returned to the office for a platform ticket; and without saying a word to the lad, he merely gave him a playful look, pointing to the half-crown, when the youth again said in a very determined tone, "I’ll have it taken up.”
How like, thought I, to the natural heart. "I'll have it taken up." It had been nailed there for the purpose of warning others against passing bad money, lest they might be detected and brought to judgment. But as soon as it was made to bear as a warning for his own conscience before God, he immediately declared that he would have it removed. Rather than be reminded of the fearful end of those who have not Christ as their righteousness, he would silence the testimony by removing the witness. But ah! what a poor, self-deceiving way this is of getting rid of a present difficulty. The future trouble remains. Yet, alas! how constantly this is done, both by young and old.
The natural mind soon manifests its dislike to the most affectionate warnings of truest friendship. The witness, if not removed, will be unheeded or avoided. How often the lips of wisdom are silent, while the heart burns with the most yearning anxiety to say a faithful word in sweetest, tenderest love, to the object of its deep solicitude. But in vain. Guessing at what is coming, the warning voice is rudely hushed, by a heartless, "I have heard all that before, many a time; what's the good of always coming out with the same thing? I know it quite as well as you can tell me." Under such circumstances the heart must seek relief in pouring out its burning, pent-up love into the bosom of God. The icy indifference of the deceived, perishing sinner, forms a wonderful contrast to the genial sustaining presence of God.
Most in our days and perhaps all who read this paper, know, that no man can stand approved before God in his own righteousness.
He may have been, touching the outward letter of the law, blameless, but when tried by God's standard, he will surely be found deficient, disapproved, and rejected. “Enter not into judgment with Thy servant," said David," for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.”
These truths are absolute. We have not to wait till we reach the judgment-seat to know God's estimate of man's righteousness.
It is something peculiarly offensive to Him.
Not only is it as "rags," compared with a perfect garment, but as "filthy rags," compared with the robe of spotless white. Such a condition of soul is most loathsome to the holiness of God, and must be judged by His righteousness.
Woe, woe, eternal woe, must be the sinner's portion who appears before the judgment-seat in such a state.
Had the scripture said, “All our wickednesses are as filthy rags," there might have been some hope for the righteousnesses, but when it says, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," all hope is cut off. The best things we have, or can produce, are totally rejected as utterly unfit for God, and for the place of His holiness. Fair appearances there may be, and that which will pass among men as genuine enough for any one.
But God looks on the heart. He has but one standard. He looks for Christ. He tests the heart's estimate of Him. If that dear name be found graven on its tablets as its all in all, it will surely pass as the genuine, current coin of the realm of heaven.
But oh! where Christ is not the stamp of the heart, all is utterly worthless to God. Ii He fills it not it must be empty indeed, whatever else may be in it if there be no Christ in the heart, there can be no pardon, no peace, no salvation, no eternal life. Sin remains, and all its direful and never-ending consequences. What will, what can, God say to a Christless soul at the judgment-seat "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared (not for you, but) for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41).)
This must be the fearful and inevitable doom of all who live and die without a personal interest in Christ, whatever their appearances or professions may have been in this world. Nothing but the blood of Christ can save a soul from the lake of fire. Nothing but the preciousness of Christ can stamp a soul for the rank of heaven. His precious blood alone cleanseth from all sin, and He, is the righteousness of God to every one that believeth. (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7); Rom. 10:1-131Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:1‑13).)
I observed that the bad half-crown had a shining face like the good ones, and, outwardly, it had the same stamp upon it. But at heart it was bad, there was no silver there. Only base metal. It was a hypocrite, a mere professor. It pretended to be what it was not. It had a fair outward appearance, but no reality in heart. I observed, further, that the nail of judgment pierced both the head and the heart. Mournful illustration of the seat of the thoughts, the understanding, the will, the desires, the affections and passions, being penetrated with the iron rod of God's sore displeasure. Oh! is such, in very deed, the end of the mere formalist? Unquestionably; and of all Christless, graceless, souls. The righteousness of God must judge evil.
But I also further thought, will the wicked at last he fixed to one place? The doomed half-crown could not move a hair's breadth. How monotonous! how ignominious! Affixed to one spot, a public spectacle. Labeled, "A once shining professor, but now a detected, dishonored, doomed, deceiver." But oh! thought I, shall it be thus at last with all who have no true interest in Christ, professors or not professors? Most assuredly. The word of truth has gone forth from the lips of Him who cannot change: It stands recorded in the statute book of heaven. And thus it runs, and may my reader mark it well. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God 'abideth on him." (John 3:2626And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. (John 3:26).)
My mind now turned to a case in point, to one who made a great profession. I mean the man who had not on the wedding garment. (Matt. 22) It does not appear from the parable that any of the guests thought that he was different from themselves, so thoroughly had the reality been Imitated.
'And so it is now. Immense numbers in the present day make a profession of religion, of whom no man on earth could feel quite certain as to whether they were real or merely formal Christians. Their lives are strictly moral, they regularly attend some place of worship, they give of their money for church, mission, and benevolent purposes; they sink psalms and hymns as sweetly as any one.
They read the scriptures, pray and preach, it may be, in public, and yet when the unmistakable signs of divine life in the soul are looked for, the search is in vain. We have to leave such cases, thankful that we are not their judges, until: the Lord come.
Such seems to have been the case in the parable. He may have occupied a high place amongst professors. But there was no cleaving of the heart to Christ; and trusting in Rim alone. Oh, no! for the full promise of God is sure to all who trust in Jesus. "Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." (Psa. 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12).). He was a stranger to the love and grace of God in Christ Jesus. He was a rejecter of grace; and man is saved by grace alone, through faith, without works of law.
When the sinner draws near to God now, in the faith of his own worthlessness, and the worthiness of Christ, he is accepted. "Accepted in the beloved." (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6).) And Christ is ready to receive all that come to Him. He casts out none. Oh! then, unpardoned, unsaved sinners, whether you have made a profession or not, at once, with your whole heart, turn to Jesus, in the full assurance of His pardoning love. Be assured that He is waiting, ready to receive you. Oh! doubt Him not, believe Him, trust Him. He is able, He is willing, to save the chief of sinners. Oh! at once, without delay, flee to the arms of Jesus. Flee from your evil habits, and froth the awful doom of outer darkness. As a lost sinner, take refuge in Him who was nailed to the cross for sinners, for you, and yet, as another has said, "Sins they were, not nails, which held Him, Sinner, there He died for thee.”