NEAR one of our country villages there lived some time ago an aged Christian, whose delight was to make known to those around the blessed news of the salvation of God, and often, after much prayer and faithful speaking, had he seen souls pass from the weariness of serving sin and Satan to the gladness and freedom of the service of God.
But there was one in the village (B―, the blacksmith) who had never been known to enter church, chapel, or meeting-room, and was to all appearance utterly unconcerned as to his condition before God. He was without Christ, and without God (Eph. 2:1212That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)), and had no desire to be otherwise. But God had a purpose of blessing in connection with the subject of this narrative, as we shall see.
When at prayer one night the aged believer had brought very powerfully before him the case of the blacksmith, and his awful state as a careless sinner on the way to hell. Remember, my reader, “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)), and “the way of the wicked” and “the thoughts of the wicked” are both “an abomination unto the Lord” (Prov. 15:9, 269The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. (Proverbs 15:9)
26The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words. (Proverbs 15:26)).
With these solemn thoughts before him the child of God went to prayer, and as the night far advanced the aged man was still upon his knees in agonizing prayer for the blacksmith. At last he could pray no longer, and as he rose from his knees a voice seemed to say, “You have been praying for the man; now go and see him.”
Early the next morning the messenger of God left his house, and made his way to the blacksmith’s shop. The latter was standing at the door, little thinking of what was in store for him, when the servant of God approached, and in a voice trembling with emotion, said, as he caught hold of the hands of the smith, “Oh, B —, I have come to tell you that I am deeply concerned as to your soul’s salvation.” Then releasing his hands, he remounted his pony, and returned home.
The blacksmith, astonished, could scarcely believe his ears. “Deeply concerned about my soul’s salvation! Whatever can it mean?” It was an arrow from God to the soul of this man. He was awakened to the fact that he had a soul, an immortal soul, and that he was not prepared to meet God.
Turning into his cottage close by, he said to his wife: “What do you think; there’s dear old Mr. A― come two miles this snowy morning to tell me he’s deeply concerned about my soul’s salvation? Whatever shall I do?”
“Well,” she replied, “the best thing you can do is to go and see him.”
Taking her advice, B — went off, there and then, to the house of the one who had brought him such a remarkable message, and on the way the Spirit of God had so wrought upon him that he had to exclaim directly he came to the Lord’s servant, “Mr. A —, I am indeed deeply concerned about my soul’s salvation.”
“Thank God for that!” was the reply; “it’s the very thing I have been praying for.”
Together they searched the Word of God, and the blacksmith saw that he was indeed a sinner, lost, undone, without strength (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)), and without excuse (Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20)), and that God had provided a Saviour that could meet, on the one hand, the claims of God, and, on the other, his own deep need as a sinner; that Christ Jesus at Calvary had borne in His own body the punishment that he deserved, and now he could sing―
“My happy soul is free,
For the Lord has pardoned me,
Hallelujah to Jesus’ name!”
B — was saved; a brand plucked from the burning. But, my reader, what about you? Have you never been stirred up to the fact that you have to meet God, that you have to face One who is acquainted with every detail of your life, every sin in thought, word, and deed? If you meet Him now as a Saviour-God, it will be for your everlasting blessing; but if you meet Him as a judge, it will be for your everlasting condemnation.
“Hark, sinner, while God from on high doth entreat thee, And warnings with accents of mercy doth blend,
Give ear to His voice, lest in judgment He meet thee,
Thy harvest is passing, thy summer will end.”
S. E. B.