When a school boy, thirteen years of age, I went, one splendid summer morning, to bathe. The sea was within five minutes’ walk from my house, and I selected a place called The Round of Beef, which is a pretty cove surrounded by rocks. A large round rock stands out at the seaward end, as if to keep watch and defend the bay from the rolling waves. From this huge sentinel rock the bay derives its name.
As I stood upon this rock, before diving into the water, I thought, “This is just the place for me. I can swim, in about a dozen strokes, to the top of the cove, and then I shall be in shallow water.” The sun was shining; the water clear as crystal. I could count the pebbles at the smooth bottom, which did not look more than three feet deep. So in I plunged, and swam up the creek, but felt very, very tired before I reached the end of the cove.
I cheered when reaching my goal, but my exultation was very brief, for on trying to get a footing I found that the clear, bright water had deceived me—I was still much out of my depth. I was in the very shallowest part of the cove, and behind me was still deeper water. My head reeled, my heart failed me, and I shouted “Help, help!” But there was no one near.
At length, quite exhausted, I sank. The water closed over my head. Lost, lost, I thought, “in a watery grave.” When sinking, I began to think of my dear old aunt, who had often told me of the Lord Jesus, who came into the world and died upon the cross to save sinners.
I had, though but a boy, often felt the power of the truth, but now I felt its value. Oh! That I had yielded to those fervent prayers and urgent entreaties; for my body sinking beneath the water, and I felt that my soul would soon be in hell. In an agony of soul, when under the water, I cried, “Great God, save me. Save me, O God, or I shall sink into hell!”
In the struggle, I had risen again to the surface. The tide had swept me close against the rocks. I saw that the one in front of me had a hole cleft in it. I could just reach it. Thrusting my hand as far as I could into the riven rock, I found I could keep my head above water. The strength of the rock upheld me. Then, looking above me, I saw that the huge rock was covered all over with similar indentations, and when regaining sufficient strength, I climbed to its summit, I was out of danger.
Then these words came into my mind—
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
I lay panting upon the top of the rock. What had saved me from death? The cleft in the rock. The rock without the cleft in its side would not have availed; as it was, it exactly met my need.
It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).) Death and judgment are the dark waters that are fast closing over the heads of all who are not believers in Christ. How awful; death first, then the judgment, then the place of torment, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Oh, look to the cleft rock, to Christ, who was once offered to bear the sins of many. (Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)). If your sins are upon you they will drag you down, and you will inevitably perish; but if you trust your soul to Jesus, who “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)), you will find healing in His stripes, pardon, peace, and salvation—through faith—in His blood. (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).)