WHEN very young I often had serious thoughts about my soul and eternity, but they became fewer as I grew older and more careless. When about sixteen years old I began to run races for small sums of money, and this continued until I competed for large stakes of fifty pounds. I soon became regardless of everything except running and gambling. Growing discontented where I was, I went to England, where I took part in all the principal races. Yes: I was running away from a loving God all this time, living in all kinds of sin amongst the worst class of society, filling to the brim my cup of iniquity.
One day when out shooting I aimed at a bird, and pulled the trigger. The gun did not go off, so I reversed it and looked down the barrel. No sooner had I taken away my head than the gun went off. Had it been a few seconds earlier my brains would have been blown out, and I sent into eternity without God and without hope. Truly “the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Peter 3:1515And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (2 Peter 3:15)).
Tired of England, but still unchanged in heart, I returned to Scotland to be married. I tried to mend my ways a little and settle down, but my conscience troubled me, so I joined the Templars, thinking that would give me peace. Still dissatisfied, I started church-going as in my younger days, but in this forced religiousness found no rest for my wearied, sin-burdened soul.
My wife, whose health had been failing, became very ill, and also my child at the same time. All this made me feel very serious. A young Christian who worked with me spoke to me about salvation, and the texts he quoted often troubled me. Never shall I forget the sleepless nights I spent, haunted by the words, “In that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.” “Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (Luke 17:34, 3634I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. (Luke 17:34)
36Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Luke 17:36)). I feared I should die before morning and awake in hell, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” I determined on a complete reformation, and started to try and keep the law of God. This proved worst of all, because I found myself utterly unable to meet its demands, and only became more miserable, discovering that I was worse and worse, while the word rang in my ear, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:1010For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)).
Despair seized me. I knew not where to turn or what to do. My wife meantime becoming worse, some of God’s children came to see her, and they spoke also to me of Christ, but I could not get peace. One night after getting home I lifted a tract to read, and these words impressed me very much, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” Again, a few days after, a lad gave me another tract, in which the self-same words appeared, and they came home to my soul in convicting power. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:3636For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)).
One Lord’s Day night, when returning from an evangelistic meeting, where I heard little owing to being rather deaf, the truth came home with great power to my soul that I was a poor, lost, helpless sinner, utterly unable to save myself, without strength, and ungodly, as all my experience and efforts had only proved. But suddenly the blessed truth was revealed to me that Jesus Christ had done all by dying for me. Salvation was completely outside myself. Blessed moment! As the light broke in I was filled with joy and peace in believing. This was my turning point from death unto life. I had been running fast to death, but Jesus arrested my steps and gave me life. I fell on my knees and thanked God for His salvation.
Next morning when I awoke I was again puzzled about how I was to keep the law. I took the Word of God to see what it said, and my eye fell upon this verse, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 10:44For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Romans 10:4)). Oh, what a deliverance! I was not under the law but under grace. I could rest in His love who died for me. It is now many years since I came to Jesus and found sweet rest and peace in Him.
“To Him I look, while still I run,
My never-failing Friend;
Finish He will the work begun,
And grace in glory end.”
Dear unsaved reader, are you striving for pardon, peace, or life? Lay your deadly doings down. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:4, 54Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:4‑5)). The Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished the work of redemption. Hear His cry of triumph, “It is finished.” Look to Him and live. You may be a careless, wicked sinner, by nature and practice far from God, but God has a remedy. Look back at Calvary’s cross and see what God thinks of sin, when the spotless One beneath its judgment cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Ah! there hangs the Divine Substitute charged with a world’s guilt, bearing His heavy load alone. Christ has died: nay, rather is risen again. God now comes “to declare at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (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)).
I beseech you, despise this wondrous grace no longer. Say not with the king, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” but be a Christian by receiving God’s gift. Postpone not your decision to a more convenient season which may never be given, but accept Christ now―believe on His name. “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.” His loving voice cries, “Come unto me.” “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
J. P. M.