A LADY in feeble health, as to whom I had never been satisfied that she had received the Lord Jesus Christ as her own personal Saviour, much surprised me by the very great interest she evinced in the spiritual condition of one to whom she was related. Both one and the other had passed the ordinary limit of human life. He was by profession a judge, and had sat on the bench for many years. Naturally somewhat proud, yet withal kind of heart, he had lived an active, useful life, and was looked up to as one possessed of a fair, unbiassed mind, and whose judgment on most things was worth securing, and his advice was sought by many amongst his large circle of friends. He lived alone, never having married, and had enjoyed very good health, but at the time when the above-mentioned lady was so concerned about him his health had begun to break up. She pressed me very earnestly to go and see him, and speak to him about his eternal welfare.
From this I rather shrank, for I had always regarded him as somewhat formidable to approach; and being by many years his junior, and never having had any conversation with him upon such topics, I was much disinclined to face what, to me, appeared more or less of an ordeal. However, my friend was so importunate that, laying the matter before God, and pleading with Him to guide, I sallied forth one day to visit him. His sister received me kindly, and hearing what I had come about, told me, in a few moments’ anxious conversation, how serious his illness was, and how very unhappy she was about his state of soul and the opinions he expressed. She was a simple believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and knew Him as her Saviour. All her anxiety was about her brother, and as I left the room for another apartment where he was, she assured me of how earnestly she would pray that God would bless the conversation.
He was sitting in an arm-chair and greeted me in a friendly manner. As long as we talked on ordinary subjects he remained in a gracious mood. Presently, when, however, allusion was made to his state of health, and I remarked upon what a difference it made when one was ill, whether one was at peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death, and sure that all one’s sins were forgiven, or whether one was in doubt as to these things, immediately his tone changed, and he rather petulantly said: “It is all a puzzle to me. Why I was ever brought into this world I do not know; and why I should have been left in it for so many years I cannot tell; nor why I am now to be taken out of it.”
“Perhaps it might be difficult to solve those questions,” I replied. “But, after all, is not the important thing to be quite sure when one has to leave the world, that all one’s sins are forgiven by God, and to be certain of being saved forever through Christ?”
“To me,” replied the judge, “the whole thing is utter nonsense. I had no voice as to the question of my entrance into the world, or as to how long I was to remain in it; and now I am told that I shall go to heaven if I believe in a man that lived off in the East, some eighteen hundred years ago, in a land that I have never seen, and that I have no interest in, and who died on a cross. What possible connection can there be between me, a man in the British Isles, and a person who is said to have lived thousands of miles away, hundreds of years ago? It seems to me positive folly, and no one who uses his senses could accept it.”
How forcibly the words came home to me at that moment: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:1313Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:13)). And how helpless one felt, knowing that only God Himself could open the blind heart, and make clear what is hidden from the wise of this world (1 Cor. 1:1919For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (1 Corinthians 1:19))! As Nicodemus of old expressed his astonishment when the Lord insisted upon the necessity of being born again in these forcible words— “How can these things be?”
“But,” said I, replying to the judge, “suppose that the man that died in the East, as you say, were none less than the blessed Son of God, and suppose that it be true that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not pariah, but have everlasting life,’ would it not alter the case very much? And suppose that during this long life of yours, you have committed sins, and that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth from all sin,’ would it not be well that you knew this loving, giving God as your God, and knew His Son, whom He has given, as your substitute and Saviour, and knew the all-cleansing power of His precious blood to remove every stain of sin?”
Alas! my poor friend seemed to get angry as the simple, blessed truth was pressed upon him; and turning to me sharply he said with some vehemence, “I tell you what you say sounds as folly to me,” and he seemed to wish the interview was terminated.
I could only silently lift my heart to heaven, and with deep pity seek a word from God for his soul There was a moment of pause in the torrent of his invective, and seizing the opportunity I said to him solemnly: “Your remark reminds me of a striking passage of Scripture. It reads thus: ―
‘THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT PERISH FOOLISHNESS, BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.’
Do you observe,” said I, “that the Scripture states that it is ‘THEM THAT PERISH’ who regard the cross as ‘FOOLISHNESS’, which appears to be your estimate of it; but that on the other hand urrro IIS WHICH ARE SAVED it is THE POWER OF GOD’?”
The judge seemed ill at ease, and rose to his feet. Taking the hint I did the same. He made a few further unhappy remarks, which led me to say to him, after bidding him farewell (for I felt sure I should never see him again on earth), “There is one more passage in the Bible I should like to leave with you. The words are these: He that believeth on the SON hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the SON shall not see life, but the WRATH OF GOD ABIDETH ON HIM’” and with these solemn words ringing in the ears of the dying skeptic, I retired from his presence.
His sister awaited me at the foot of the stairs, and with eyes swimming with tears, inquired anxiously as to the result of the interview, and disappointed indeed was she to hear what had taken place. I left the house feeling sure that God’s voice had been heard, whether to be heeded or not, only He could tell.
Some weeks passed, when one day I was accosted by the daughter of the lady who had induced me to make the call. “Oh,” exclaimed she, “did you hear how furious Cousin—was at the talk you had with him? And the report of it has spread through his family, and they are very angry.”
I replied that I had not heard anything more about it, but that what she reported mattered little, provided God would use the plain speaking to the blessing of his soul.
“And,” she continued, “you will be glad to hear God has blessed your words to him. What you said seemed to alarm him, and he could not rest about the matter.” She went on to tell me that our mutual friend, the judge, had for some time after my interview fought hard against the simple truth, of the gospel, but that at length there were signs of breaking down. He seemed to feel the gravity of the question of his sins, and then began to appreciate the love of God in providing His own Son as a Saviour, and His death on the cross as the only possible ground upon which God could righteously forgive sins. And further, she told me of how, in the spirit of a little child, realizing that he was a lost sinner before God, he, marvelous to say, embraced the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and trusted only in His precious blood as an atonement for his sins. Glory be to God forever!
Soon after the judge passed away without fear of meeting the righteous JUDGE of all the earth, for he knew that that Judge had left the throne above, and, taking the culprit’s place, had Himself become the VICTIM, in order that He might be able, in all the love of His heart, as the risen and glorified One, to receive to Himself forever in the bright courts above all who truly repent and come to Him.
J. C. T.