“WHAT was it gave you peace with God?” said Lady B—, to a fragile, gentle looking person, whose olive complexion, dark eyes, and hair of raven hue, betokened her to be a daughter of the East, but through grace a child of God. When a girl — and indeed she seemed little more than this at the time I allude to, some twenty-two years ago — she had heard of Jesus and believed in His peerless name, at a mission school in Egypt, where afterwards as a teacher in the same school she was employed to convey to others the truth she had learned for herself.
While thus engaged she was seen by an Eastern Prince, who then took an interest in mission work, having professed himself to have believed in Jesus, and who happening to visit the school on his way to the Punjab, to perform the last rites as to the ashes of his mother, who died in this country, proposed for and eventually married her.
The time that I speak of the school girl had become a mother, and was then sorrowing for the loss of her first-born. Dressed in deep mourning, she was sitting with her lady attendant, who was also instructed in our tongue, when their hostess, Lady B—, put the question,
“What was it, Maharanee, gave you peace with God?”
Never have, can, or shall, I forget the reply in gentle but firm accents, in what we should call broken English, but in unmistakeable language, as to Him who had revealed Himself to her as her Saviour, in the far off land of the Pharaohs.
“When I saw in the Bible GOD’S LOVE—IN GIVING HIS SON—TO DIE—FOR SINNERS.”
The sentence seems disjointed as I have written it, but thus it was uttered; and oh! what links in that grand chain stretching down from the heart of God to such guilty ones as you and I are, my reader. “By nature and by practice vile,” as the hymn says.
Just lately, not many weeks since, this gentle creature, through her marriage a Princess, has been called home, and is “forever with the Lord”— with Him she learned to love, as a young girl, in that American Presbyterian mission school, and reunited to that babe she was sorrowing for at the time I recall, else perhaps I had not written these lines, though often have I recounted the circumstance and confession as one of the clearest, simplest, and most concise it has ever been my privilege to hear.
And now, my reader, can you make such a confession this very moment? For there was no hesitancy, no “hoping,” no “intending,” or “trying,” with her Highness, but at once was spoken out what I have written. Ah! “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
The question was simple yet pointed; it was not evaded, as alas! often it is; or some such reply as this given, “Oh! that is between my own soul and God;” or, “You are too personal;” or again, “I don’t believe anyone can know for certain about this peace with God you talk about.” No, indeed, but at once answered in the same spirit in which it was put, “God’s love — in giving His Son — to die — for sinners.”
The Maharanee had in this answer put forth the pith of the gospel, from source to object, from God’s heart of love to the sinner in his distance and alienation from God.
The source — “God’s love” — the starting point of all His dealings with His creature — man.
Then, what that love led Him to do. “GIVING HIS SON.” Yes, God both loves and gives, and gives because He loves, as that unfathomable verse, John 3:16,16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) puts it, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” No one asked Him. Who would have dreamt of such a thing as the Holy God giving His Son. No, indeed, but He has done it out of His own heart of love to man.
But ere this love could be righteously gratified, for God is just), as well as loving, and none of His attributes can clash, He, as He only could, and in that way alone by which He could do it, has been “just and Justifier” (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26)), by doing what is shadowed forth in the 85th Psalm, 10th verse, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other;” and carried out at Calvary when His Christ uttered that cry, “My God! My God! why hast Thou forsaken Me.” As the Maharanee said, “TO DIE.” Here was “the woman’s seed” bruising the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:1515And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)). Here was God being “just,” that He might be “the Justifier.”
The question was about “peace with God.” Have you ever noticed, clear friend, that this “peace with God” is always connected with the “righteousness,” the “justice,” of God, for they are one and the same word; not His love, compassion, grace, or mercy even, but His justice.
What a foundation for peace to rest upon!
“Peace with a HOLY God,
Sweet peace the fruit of faith.”
And how has this terrible (to the sinner), attribute of God, “justice,” been met? By Himself providing this Sacrifice and Substitute, as Romans 3 teaches. This believed in, God is able to become “the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus,” having been “just,” for He hath laid upon that same Jesus, iniquity, not, “I lay my sins on Jesus.” He, HE has done it, who knows them all, and it “has pleased Jehovah to bruise Him” (Isa. 53:1010Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)). Hence that cry of cries, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,” wrung from the Holy soul of Him, who though without sin was made “sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)), who do believe. How wonderful! “The righteousness of God,” and God righteous in doing it. Not what is called the “imputed righteousness of Christ,” but HIMSELF made so to the believer. “Wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)).
Well, we have had three links in that chain, as I call it, from the heart of God. God’s love in giving His Son — to die — but who for? What sort of people?
Ah! that is what comes home to my soul. I don’t know how it affects yours, my reader. “For SINNERS.” That is it, that is the class the work of Christ avails for. Are You one of that sort? for only for such the word declares did Jesus come “to die,” not for the good, if you could find them. “There is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)). For religious people, or for the elect, as such, no, but “for SINNERS,” aye, and for “YET SINNERS” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). For “just as I am” sinners, for “the ungodly” and “without strength” (verse 6), for “enemies” (verse 10). What a list, “UNGODLY,” “SINNERS,” “ENEMIES.” Are you not all these three combined in one person? Indeed you are. May God by His Spirit skew it to you, my friend as He did unto Agur in Proverbs 30:2, 3,2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. 3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. (Proverbs 30:2‑3) that you may say of yourself, “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy;” and like Asaph, in the 73rd Psalm, which one alluded to a little time back, “So foolish was I, and ignorant; I was as a beast before THEE.” When you have arrived at that, if you have not yet, you will rejoice. “It was for SINNERS Jesus died.”
I remember speaking to an old woman as to this, till stirred by her many. objections to receiving the truth then and there, I exclaimed, “Well, Mrs. B—, I am very glad it does not say in the Bible that Jesus died for S. V. H.”
“Indeed,” said she, “I wish I could see that Jesus died for Mrs. B —.”
“Then how would you know that it meant YOU?” I replied; “there may be fifty Mrs. B.’s in this very town, and ever so many in Australia, and a lot in America; how would you be sure that you were the Mrs. B—.”
“No, no, I read, He died for sinners; that hits me off; for the ‘ungodly — He came to seek and to save the LOST.’ There I am to a T—, and that is why I know He died for ME) and that I have been bought and saved.”
It is so simple, dear reader, the way has been made so plain, that the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. “Though a fool,” mark you; cannot you see it for yourself? I cannot see it for you.
Do take God at His word, be the little child, set to your seal that God is true, and then you will be able to say with that gentle lady, who is now with Christ, “ I have peace with God,” because I see from His word; not because I feel it, or hope about it, but because I read in the Bible, and believe it, GOD’S LOVE IN GIVING HIs SON TO DIE FOR SINNERS.
Why not? That chain starting from the heart of God is long enough, and strong enough, to reach you, if you are the sinner. Then not twenty-two years, or twenty-two millions of years, will efface from your memory that fact, GOD’S LOVE IN GIVING HIS SON TO DIE FOR SINNERS. May she, being dead, yet speak, and that to YOUR soul, and not rise up in judgment against you, for Christ’s sake. S. V. H.