PASSING through a village a short time ago, my attention was taken by the following notice printed on one of the houses, "ALL PERSONS FOUND BEGGING IN THIS PARISH WILL BE PROSECUTED.”
While reading it, I thought of the wonderful contrast between God's ways and man's. This notice is tantamount to saying, —I will not give you anything, and if you ask you will be prosecuted. Doubtless it is addressed to the very poor, it applies to them—to those in need—beggars. In fact, it is man saying to his fellow, Go away, I have nothing for you.
Now listen to what God says. Does He tell you to go away? that He has nothing for you? that He will not be entreated of? No. The blessed Lord Jesus Christ when clown here on this earth said, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Blessed words! Very different to man's. Yes, from the depth and fullness of the love of God, He is now proclaiming those glorious words, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).
Instead of saying He has nothing to give, and telling you to go away, God is now inviting you to come to Him. He is sending forth in this the day of His grace, that blessed gospel concerning His Son; for, mind you, the gospel of God is " Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord " (Romans 1:33Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (Romans 1:3)). And what is it that God has to say concerning His Son? It is this, He has a gift to impart to you; “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). Eternal life is a gift,—the gift of God,—and it is through Jesus Christ His Son. Do not forget that it is a gift. You cannot merit it; you cannot earn it; it is a gift. However good, or however bad, in the eyes of men, your life has been, if you are to have eternal life, it is to be a gift. “Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)).
Now let us look at the grounds on which God in His grace gives this gift. On the ground of the person and work of His own beloved Son; on the ground of the work accomplished by Him on the cross; on the ground of His blood which cleanseth from all sin. This is the ground on which God and the sinner can meet. On the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary, not only have the sins of the believer been put away, but God has been glorified about them. “Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him." On that cross “Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other." Blessed facts Instead of driving you away, and threatening you with punishment for asking, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, is now inviting poor sinners to come to Him and be saved. His invitation is, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
Reader, have you got this rest? are you saved? The work necessary to be clone for your salvation, and for mine, has been done by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross will you now have a share in that work and be saved? God has had His share, and been glorified by it, and is now offering you a full and a free salvation on the ground of that work. The blood of the Saviour has been shed, and God offers to bless you. It was necessary that the blood should be shed,—
“Save by the blood He could not bless,
So great so pure His holiness;
But He it is who gave the Lamb,
And by His blood saved I am.”
Bless God for it! He provided the sacrifice. His own spotless Son He did not spare. "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 3:1616For 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)).
Just think, dear reader, of God giving His Son for you. Think of Him saying to a poor sinner, " I want you to be saved I want you to learn the value of the work accomplished by my Son on the cross.”
Come then, dear reader, accept God's offer of mercy, now before it be too late. Think of the long eternity that awaits you. Where will you spend it? Oh, think of it. Whatever your position in this world is, How do you stand before God? That is the solemn question, one which will have to be answered sooner or later.
Look at Philippians 2., verses 9 and 10, where it says, " God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus), and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." Do you bow at the name of Jesus? It does not mean to bow physically, but in heart. Has your heart yet bowed to His name, and owned His authority? In these verses it says every knee should bow; in Isaiah 45:2323I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. (Isaiah 45:23) it says, "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." That is to say the day is coming when every knee shall bow to Him.
Through grace some have learned to bow to Him now, in this the day of His rejection. God in His grace has opened the eyes of many to see beauty now in the once despised Nazarene. He who was once on this earth, the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; who looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but found none; He could say,—" I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat." But when He looked for pity for Himself, there was none; when He looked for comforters, He found none I And who was He all this time, as He trod this earth, seeking hearts to whom He might unfold the Father's love? He was the One of whom it was said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Yes, all the time He was in this world, even as now, He was the one of whom the 8th of Proverbs tells us, "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old: I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." The little babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and placed in a manger at Bethlehem because there was no room for Him in the inn, was the same who said, "When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled; before the hills was I brought forth.”
He it was of whom the angel said to Joseph, "She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Dear reader, once more I ask you,—How does this affect you? Has this blessed Jesus saved you from your sins? Can you say, "The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanseth me from all sin?" Have you accepted God's salvation? Is it a message of peace to your soul? Or have you never heard it before? Oh, thank God you hear it now. Then how do you receive it? "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Is it a great salvation to you? Is the work wrought out and accomplished by the blessed Son of God on the cross a great work to you? Has your soul ever grasped the magnitude of that work as He alone on that cross settled the question forever with His God and Father, of the sins of those who put their trust in Him? It is not only that the sins of the believer are put away,—great and glorious as that fact is,—but God is glorified too.
On the cross God has been glorified about sin, and is now saying, "And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." God says, "Come." What do you say?
H. M. S.