(Read Luke 10:30-37.)
“A CERTAIN man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,” that is to say, his back was turned upon Jerusalem, God’s center, God’s dwelling-place on earth, and therefore the place of blessing; and his face was turned towards Jericho, the place of the curse (Josh. 6:26, 1 Kings 16:34.) He is thus a true type of every unconverted, unsaved man, woman, and child. Such are indeed traveling away from God; their backs are on heaven, and they are facing the lake of fire, and each step they take brings them nearer and nearer to that awful place of endless misery.
Reader, are you at this moment helping to swell the ranks of the giddy, thoughtless multitude, who are rushing headlong to destruction? In real love for your precious soul, and with deepest desires for your eternal welfare, I feel bound to tell you, that if you have not come to Christ, as a poor lost sinner, for salvation; if you have not yet trusted Him; if you are still unwashed in His blood, it matters not what else you may be,―the most religious, the most moral, the most amiable personage in your county,― you are indeed going straight to hell! May God use this paper to awaken you to a discovery of the awful fact; for to be alive to one’s danger, is to have taken the first step towards escaping it.
But further. He “fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.” Man has tried to do without God; but alas, turning his back on Him, it is but to fall into Satan’s grip! Who is it that has thus made man his captive, but the devil? and what is the treatment man receives at his hands? Stripped of his innocence, he is a naked sinner before God; wounded, in other words, covered with sins; half dead, for the wages of sin is death.
What a wretched, worthless, pitiable object! guilty, ruined, and ready to perish! Is there no eye to pity? None to have compassion? Must he indeed die in his sins, and be eternally lost? “By chance” a certain priest came that away, “likewise a Levite;”
but they had neither the will nor the power to render assistance in such a desperate case, for
“None but Jesus Can do helpless sinners good.”
But now came “a certain Samaritan.” Why a Samaritan? Ah, reader, that poor perishing Jew would doubtless remember how he had hated and despised the Samaritan! He would not have been seen in his company; he looked down upon him, despised and rejected him; he had therefore no claim upon him whatever; and had the Samaritan left him to perish, all we could have said was, he richly deserved it at his hands. But no. “A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed” (no chance here, mark, as with the priest and the Levite), “came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him.” Blessed grace! thrice blessed Saviour! Thou didst come where I lay, not by chance, but on purpose to save me! I had no claim on Thee. It was
“Love moved Thee to die, on this I rely;
My Saviour hath loved me, I cannot tell why!
But this I can tell, Thou hast loved me so well,
As to lay down Thy life to save me from hell!”
He did not come half-way, or three-fourths, or nine-tenths of the way; he came where he was, and, in a word, he saved him. He bound up his wounds; and Isaiah 53:5 tells me how He did this; for “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Yes, it was by actually taking my place on the cross, becoming my Substitute there, bearing my sins and all their judgment, that He is able to save me now; to pour in the oil and the wine of His salvation, and thus close my wounds forever; for who dare open what He has closed? “Your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more! “Blessed, perfect, eternal salvation! Say, my reader, will you accept it? It is “the gift of God sent free.” Any conditions? Yes; but oh, how simple! Only to take your place before God, a helpless, bankrupt, ruined sinner, and let Him save you. “Wilt thou be made whole?” is His question. He waits to save you the moment you will unreservedly trust Him.
One word more. Some soul says, “I would like to be saved now; but I am afraid I would not be able to keep on right.” Is that your thought? Then mark what follows in our chapter. Did the Good Samaritan leave the poor man to make the best of his way along afterward? Indeed no. He set him on his own beast, brought him (temporarily) to an inn, took care of him, promised to come again, and charged himself with providing for all his necessities during his absence. What more could he do? Blessed Jesus! Thou hast saved me, art caring for and keeping me, and wilt come again for me! Thou hast acted, art acting, and wilt act in a way altogether worthy of Thyself? True, he did not wish this object of his love to settle down in luxury during his absence, so he did not leave a large sum of money; but he left a sufficiency, two pence. But with the two pence he left the promise of coming again. Oh, how blessed to belong to Christ! Death and judgment are behind me; His coming, to take me to His home, before me; and by the way He cares for me, provides for all my need, and will never leave me nor forsake me. Come, poor sinner; do come.
“Come to Jesus
Just now!”
H. P. A. G.