"I wonder what time it is," I thought, as I was hurrying along the street near my home; and I glanced up at the large clock over the watchmaker's shop to seek an answer to my question.
The clock was there certainly, but it was of no use in telling me the time, for the hands were gone! There were the figures marked clearly enough, and there may have been works inside; the springs may have been rightly placed, and the wheels may have been going round; but, if so, it was no good to me. But, though it did not tell me the time, it gave me a subject for thought during the remainder of my journey homewards.
There are three kinds of clocks. The right kind must have good mechanism properly working inside, and hands to point the hours outside on the face.
Secondly, there are clocks with hands rightly enough, but with no proper machinery within. This is a very bad kind, for they profess to show the time, but are, in reality, deceiving those who look upon them.
Thirdly, there are clocks like the one I saw, with no hands.
Was the machinery good? I cannot tell. Only its owner knew about that; he could see the interior, and knew whether or not the works were sound. To him it may have been a very valuable clock. To others it was worthless. Among those who are called Christians there are three classes corresponding to these three kinds of clocks.
First, there are real Christians who know that they are washed in the blood of Christ. These can say that God is their Father. They seek (though perhaps in small measure) to bear a faithful testimony to the world around, pointing as the hours and days go by to the "Lamb of God," warning others that the time is short, and that "He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." It is not that the rightly pointed hands make the machinery good, but because the machinery is good the hands point aright.
Again, there are those who make a great profession and say they are followers of Christ; but there is no life in their souls. They have never known the grace and love of God nor the power and efficacy of the work of Christ. They are like clocks with hands, but with no machinery inside. In a day that is coming such people will say, "We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets." And the Lord will reply to them in those terrible words, "I never knew you."
There is yet a third class of people who have trusted Christ as their Savior, and who have tasted the grace and love of God. They have believed in the heart, but have never confessed with their lips. They bear no testimony to those around of what the Lord has done for them. They are like true clocks without hands. These cannot be distinguished from the "false clocks" by any but the Master Himself. He can read the hearts and knows when there is real faith in Himself; and to Him they even are precious.
My Christian friend, do not be like handless clocks. You can look up and say, "I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Then what testimony do you bear to those around? Can they, by looking at your life, say, "What great things God has wrought!" Remember, 22 ECHOES OF GRACE that "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10:1010For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10).