A PREACHER of the Gospel was preaching at a certain place. What he was seeking to enforce from the Word of God, was man's utter ruin in the first Adam, his alienation from God by wicked works; that he was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2), lost (Luke 19:10), guilty (Rom. 3:19); and in contrast with all this, the finished work of Christ, the fullness of which is alone sufficient for the emptiness of every sinner, and is the only work which God could accept as the ground of the poor sinner's approach to Him in righteousness.
During the singing of the last hymn, a friend came up, and said to him, “Do you see that old man in the corner” “Yes." “Well, he is a miser, and a well-known one, and he has been induced to come to hear the Gospel; would you not speak to him personally?” “All right." So, as the people were going out the preacher went up to where the miser was, and seating himself alongside, began conversation as
follows: —
“Well, my old friend, I am glad to see you here to-night, and hope you are saved.”
“Can't say that, sir.”
“Well then, are you lost?”
“I hope not, sir.”
“But if you are not saved, you must be lost; ek?”
The miser made no reply.
“It is quite clear from scripture that you are either lost or saved; there is no intermediate state, you know, my friend. You are either inside or outside. You can't be inside and outside at the same time; and Jesus says, 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out.' So, if you have accepted the invitation, you must be in, for He says He won't cast out.'”
“Can't see it, sir," said the miser.
“Well, the words I have quoted are in John 6:37, and you can see them there. And if you look at verse 47 you will find it is written, ` He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.' So you can see, and believe for yourself. Look," said the preacher, putting his finger on the verse, "there it is.”
“O yes," said the miser, " it's there, sure enough, but I can't see it, sir.”
“You mean you can't understand it, eh?”
“Yes, I can't see it, sir.”
The preacher caught the situation at once, saw where the old miser was, and putting his hand into his pocket, and pulling out a piece of paper and pencil, wrote down the words "GOD IS LOVE.”
“My friend, do you see that?" pointing to the words.
“O yes," said the miser, reading the words, “God is love." The preacher again put his hand in his pocket, and pulling out half-a-crown, put it above the words "God is love." "Now," he said," do you see it?”
"No, of course not," said the miser.
“Why not?”
“Because the money, sir—the half-crown, hides it.”
“So, my friend, your money stands between you and God is love;' hides it, in short, to use your own words. Yes, your money is standing between you and God's free salvation, for it is evident you think you have something to give up. But, my friend, God is a giver; He takes nothing, but gives everything; and, in consequence, does not want you to give up anything, but to take His gift, ' Eternal life,' Christ Himself. Yes, my friend, when Christ gets in, self gets out. Oil and water won't mix; light and darkness can't stay in the same room at the same time. The best way to get the darkness out, is to let the light in. Christ is a light to them that sit in darkness. And is it not true in your case, that the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not?”
And, reader, is it not true as regards yourself, if you are still unsaved?
Do you think God wants anything from you, dear soul? “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever—[that means me or you, or anybody]—believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life " (John 3:16). When you have taken Christ as your Saviour, you will be able in some measure to value in His presence, as worthless, what you may now think you have to give up.
Dear soul, beware of "I can't see it, sir." Remember the poor old miser, whose God, whose salvation, was evidently his gold; like the rich man of Luke 12, who said, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?" And observe, dear reader, the Holy Ghost's answer to this question, and exposition of the passage, as given in Jer. 17:11, "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a FOOL.”
Dear soul, do you seek to be justified? If so, God is the author of justification; "the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26). Grace is the spring of justification; "being justified freely by his grace" (Rom. 3:24). Blood is the ground of justification; "much more then, being now justified by his blood" (Rom. 5:9). Resurrection is the acknowledgment of justification; "Delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:25). Faith is the principle of justification; "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1). And works the evidence of justification (after believing); "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24). “With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). “Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed.”
Dear reader, here is the truth. “Believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12).
D. N.