JOHN BLANK, the saddler, was known in his village as a trustworthy workman, who took an honest pride in doing what he had to do well. But John was in trouble about his soul; he was not satisfied with himself he feared death, and, for the unsaved, that awful after death the judgment" (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). Yet John was a religious man, and one who outwardly stood better than many of his neighbors.
One Saturday evening, a friend of the saddler, who knew his anxiety of soul, called upon him. The week's work was just over, the last stroke had been given to the piece in hand, and John was putting down his tools, exclaiming, "That job's done," and as he set the harness upon the table, his friend observed that he eyed it with the satisfaction of one whose hard week's labor was ended.
Looking at the work, and then at the workman, his friend exclaimed, “Why, John, how is this? What! You fold your hands, and sit down! Do you mean to call this harness finished?”
“Sir," cried the saddler, with some little indignation, “when I say a job is done, it is done. It means done, and well, and properly.”
“How so, John? What, you call it finished, do you?”
“To be sure I do; I am not one of the scamping sort; and IT IS FINISHED," John warmly replied, viewing his work with greater satisfaction.
“Then I am to believe you, am I?”
John would never allow any one to question his word, and was not at all pleased at the insinuation cast upon himself and his work.
He considered his word true and honest; and his work, was it not the very best he could give his customers? "Ah 1 John," continued his friend, “so I am to believe you, am I?
And yet you won't believe the Lord Jesus.”
Here John was perplexed. "Believe Him,” replied his friend,” and yet doubt His work?
No, that will not do. He said upon the cross, It is finished; and I believe what Jesus said.
He came from heaven to finish the work which His Father gave Him to do. He came to work our salvation; neither did He rest till all was done. By faith I see Jesus seated upon the right hand of God's throne on high, in token that all is done. The scripture tells us, When He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)). I did not really doubt you when you said your work was done: your folded hands proved to me at once that your week's labor was over. And a pleasant thing it is, on a Saturday night, to sit clown and say, ' It is all done; to-morrow I can rest.' But strange it is that you, who speak so confidently upon your work being clone, cannot trust the Son of God.”
John would not allow that he did not trust the Lord; yet, when his friend added, "If you do then trust Him, how is it that you have not the peace of which God speaks? He was silenced.
Jesus said, “Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God "; and He came from heaven to earth, and died for us upon the cross; " by which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once"; and Jesus, after He had accomplished God's will, " after He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God " (Heb. 10.) All is finished, and now it is peace for all who believe.
The simple illustration was used by God to John's deliverance of soul: may it be to yours, dear reader. And instead of toiling, striving, laboring, day by clay, may you rest in. THE FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST.