A Gospel Address, delivered at the Victoria Hall, Exeter, by Heyman Wreford.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, Math shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ... For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal, flesh.”—2 Cor. 4:6, 11.
There is joy and sorrow in every heart; shadow and sunlight are woven into the web of every life. The bee sucks honey from the bitterest flowers, so God by afflictions teaches us the sweets of obedience to His will and way. Untold blessing comes to us oftentimes after seasons of suffering and trial, and the thorny pathways of affliction lead to “green pastures and still waters,” and the hush of God, from all the discord and tumult of a world that knows Him not.
In this beautiful chapter we get the gospel of the glory of Christ, and the wonderful effect, upon the daily life of a Christian, of occupation with Christ in glory. The transforming power of this attitude of soul gives a “light,” and a “knowledge,” and a “glory” to the life that makes practical Christianity not only a possibility, but a positive delight. It magnifies the grace of the eternal God on the one hand, and causes the chastened heart to say in the deepest experiences of trouble and sorrow, “Out of the depths will I praise Thee.” Saints now, by God’s calling, we shall be glorified as such by and bye; but the life that is ours between the calling and the glory, belongs to God, and along pathways of trouble and sorrow He leads us to the rest above, making nothing of the flesh, but judging it in us day by day, so that the earthen vessel that holds the treasure may be broken by the discipline of God, and the light of His divine purpose in our life shine out brightly to a world in darkness.
We shall see this tonight as we consider for a little the biography of Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle. We will look at his life in three aspects: —
—THE MAN AND HIS FAITH.
—THE MAN AND HIS LIFE.
—THE MAN AND HIS FUTURE.
1. The man and his faith. — The apostle Paul was a man with a striking personality, and a marked individuality. As a sinner, and as a saint he acted up to his belief, and was filled with a consuming zeal.
As a sinner “he was the chief of sinners”; as a saint “he was the chiefest of the apostles.” His striking figure looms largely in the New Testament. He had never seen or known the Lord on earth, but the marvelous experiences of his Christian life are recorded in his writings. He fathomed profound depths of sorrow, and he rose to great heights of love and faith and peace.
Listen to the grandeur of these words, like deep chords of Christian experience sounding out from a heart full of the music of heaven: “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
A man who had passed through such soul experiences as Saul of Tarsus did, was, trained in the school of God for work of the highest character. His faith was founded: upon—
(a) WHAT HE HAD SEEN.
(b) WHAT HE HAD HEARD.
(c) WHAT HE HAD KNOWN.
He could never preach himself, for he had seen Christ in the glory of God; he had heard His voice; and he had known His power and love. Out of the ashes of the dead past of Saul of Tarsus, arose in glorious life and liberty the man in Christ, Paul the apostle. Oh, this marvelous change that only the Spirit of God can bring about! God shining in the dark heart, and changing all the failure of a human nature into a monument for Himself for all eternity. Ah! if man would only learn that God will save him in his sins. It is the sinner God loves, not the religious ape decked out in his self-righteousness, who comes chanting to God in scriptural phrases of which he knows little and cares less. Think of the church and chapel parades before the majesty of heaven! What must the angels think, who veil their faces before the sanctity of God’s presence, of the awful mummeries of lost souls? The moral reformers of these days get hold of a sinner in his sins, and seek with human energy to ameliorate his condition. “Come with us,” they say, and “we will do thee good.” And they take him to church or chapel, and they tell him he must give up drink, and blasphemy, and immorality. And they tell him of the obligations of his life. He must be a good citizen, and husband, and father; he must turn over a new leaf, and must not scandalize them any more with his terrible sins. And the devil laughs, for he knows that vain is the help of man. Reformation of a human sort never saved a soul vet. Turning over a new leaf is simply walking to hell backwards. Satan will say “Amen” to your prayers unless you repent of your sins into the devil’s march is woven the music of a thousand litanies. You may carry the cross upon your bosom into the lake of fire with you. Man may write your philanthropies in marble, and God shall thunder in your unsaved ears, “Depart from, Me.”
As a sinner you are dead and afar from God. As a sinner you are going to hell, and nothing can save you from the everlasting woe but a complete surrender to your Saviour. No creed, or dogma, or sacrament can save you; no one but the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
I remember in the early days of my preaching how I tried to be a moral reformer to one of the worst drunkards I knew. He had so often ill-used his poor wife that in her despair she ran away from him. She came to me in her trouble and told me the wretched story of her life. He heard that I had seen his wife, and so he called to see me.
He demanded to know where his wife was. I refused to tell him; I spoke very plainly to him of his drunkenness, and how he had treated her. As I spoke he wept, and said he would never do it again. And he begged and implored me to tell him where his wife was. His grief seemed so real that I told him I would ask his wife to take him back again if he would promise to give up drink. He promised eagerly. I saw the poor wife, and she consented to come back again to her ruined home. I appointed a time for him to come to his home, and sent the wife upstairs while I met her husband. Before he saw her, I made him go on his knees with me and sign the most solemn pledge in the presence of God that he would never drink again. He signed it and I witnessed it. I then prayed with him, and the wife coming downstairs, I left them both together. Before three weeks had passed he was as bad a drunkard as ever. This, thank God! was the first and last time I tried to be a moral reformer. Only the power of the Spirit of God can cast the devil of drink or any other devil out of a man or woman. Nothing but complete salvation, through faith in the finished work of Christ, can bring blessing to the life. There will be plenty of man-reformed sinners in hell, but not one who has trusted in the power of Christ to save them.
How was Saul of Tarsus saved? — he who was the chief of sinners? His was a salvation of sight, and hearing, and knowledge. He saw the glory of God, he heard the Voice of Christ, he knew he was a sinner and that Christ had saved him. Let us see how these wonderful things came to him. For there is but one salvation for all the human race. What saved Saul will save you.
(To be continued)
Do Not Forget that you will be saved forever, if as a needy, guilty sinner, you receive Christ by faith as your personal Saviour. — John 3:16.