Soma twenty years ago I remember, when out riding near S—, seeing a little bird standing quite motionless in the middle of the road. It was a warm summer's day, and I was riding slowly; but it seemed quite heedless of my approach, and remained as if transfixed just before me. I must either ride over it or pull up ray horse. I did the latter, when about six feet from it; but still it retained its position. I could now examine it at my leisure. It was a little sparrow, and its bright sparkling eyes were intently fixed on some object in the grass by the side of the road. I followed the direction of its gaze, and saw shining in the long, thick grass the scales of a large snake that was intently watching its would-be prey. It had completely fascinated the poor little bird with its gaze, and had I not come by would most assuredly in a short time have buried its fangs in the heart of the helpless little sparrow; but seeing me watching it, it turned suddenly, and shot away through the grass with a loud hiss into the hedge adjoining, and the little bird, relieved of its anxiety, and taking notice of me for apparently the first time, lifted its wings and fluttered away through the pure summer air, chirping as it went.
I rode on my way, being quite a lad at that time, and soon forgot the circumstance, and never thought of it since till last Sunday evening as I was preaching the gospel; (for though a careless lad then, I am, through the grace of God, allowed now to testify for, Christ) when it suddenly occurred to me as an illustration of the way in which Satan apparently seems to fascinate poor souls until he wraps his fatal coils around them, and lures them to destruction, or would surely do so had not God in His rich mercy sent them a deliverer.
Let me ask you, dear grown people, or dear children, whichever you may be that read this, in all affection, whether you are quite sure at this moment that you are not in some way under the baneful fascination of "that old serpent which is the devil and Satan"? His arts are various, and his energy never seems to flag. His one thought is to drag souls down to the perdition that he knows must be his own doom; and he has thousands of pitfalls set, baited with thousands of tempting allurements.
Let us enumerate some of them. Religion is one. The little child, taught from its earliest infancy (and rightly so) to read the Bible and pray to God, by and by takes a pleasure in attending religious services and Sunday schools. It would not miss its chapter of the Bible or morning or evening prayer for anything,. Early and late it attends the services of the religions association it belongs to; and so diligent is it in its lessons that the Sunday-school teacher marks its entrance to the class on the Lord's-day with great delight, Presently, as years roll on, it becomes itself a teacher) and sees around it a group of smiling little ones, each with his text and lessons at his fingers' end. But ah! even here may not Satan be in the grass after all?' and may not all this religiousness be the result of sentimentalism, and not of Christ known to the soul? God forbid that I should say one word against the pious parent training up his little one for the Lord; God forbid I should depreciate in the slightest degree one of the most valuable of institutions—the Sunday-school; but I do feel there is a danger of the little one, or the child of riper years, being satisfied with religion apart from Christ, and keeping his conscience quiet by a round of services and a routine of duties, without 'ever having seen Jesus as his own Savior and deliverer.
How is it with you, dear reader? Are you consciously the possessor of eternal life in the Son of God? (1 John 5:11-13.)
Again, the world is another bait for the heedless little one, and a more attractive one as it grows in years. From childhood, a sash, a new frock, has been its delight; and the desire for the "soft raiment," the wearers of which live "in kings' houses" (Matt. 11:8), only deepens as childhood ripens into girlhood, and the little thing that cried for and got a bright ribbon may be presently seen decked for the children's party, the ball, or the concert, in the height of the present fashion.
Is not the snake in the grass here? Most assuredly he is, and knows full well how to tempt Eve with an apple, or the nursling of the present day with that which suits the desires he knows exist in the natural heart of the very youngest.
Let me ask you who know that the world, and the pleasures and gaieties of the world, are your whole desire how would you like the Lord to come in the Midst of it all and find you unprepared? He has written, "The day of the Lord so comer as a thief the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them.... and they shall not escape." (1 Thess. 5:2, 3.) Ah, little do you think, perhaps, that as you gaze in at a shop window, attracted by the bright colors displayed there, or peruse with delight an invitation to an evening party or a ball, that the snake is in the grass, and is using these things to draw your mind away from Him who loves you, and gave Himself for you!
Or perhaps ambition may so fascinate you as to ultimately be your ruin. Your big brother tells you of his success at school and college, and comes home laden with large volumes in gilded coverings, emblazoned with cods of arms, and the master's name written commendatorily within; and you begin to think, "When I am a man I will be a great scholar,, will make a fortune at the bar, or some day may o become archbishop of Canterbury." Or perhaps the fifes and drams of the neighboring barracks have given you military tastes, and your whole thought is, "When shall I be old enough to wear the gilded forage-cap and sword, and march with my regiment to the parade?”
May not this after all be but a subtle device of the Wily serpent to occupy your mind with other things, to the exclusion of the Lamb that was slain? Right, most surely right, that education should be carried to the highest point. Fitting too, and surely blessed for the country, that "rulers" should be "for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well." But let me warn you, that as to fifes and drams there will be none in the world to come; end forage-caps and swords will have to be laid aside on the dying bed.
Many a poor soul has found his splendid scholastic attainments and martial glory avail him nothing when it came to the last, and has found out then that the one thing needful had been omitted—the consciousness of sins forgiven through faith in a risen Savior. (Acts 13:38, 39.)
Well now, my dear reader, it becomes my unspeakable privilege to tell you of One that came by at the moment when man most needed Him, to deliver him from the thousand pitfalls with their lures that Satan only too successfully had placed in the way of us poor helpless ones.
Jesus, sent of God, came into this world when Satan was most busy; saw in all their hideous intensity the variety of his devices for the poor sinner's destruction; and determined, with a love peculiar to Himself, to deliver man from his impending ruin. He resisted, in all the perfection of His humanity, all that the serpent could do—for He "was in all points tempted like as we are" (Heb. 4:15)—to draw Him away from the pathway of perfect obedience to God—"the lust of the hash, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life," were put before Him in vain. (Luke 4:1-13.) He repulsed the arch enemy with the written Word, and thus proved His perfect fitness to be as man the sin-bearer or substitute for those whom He desired should be forever with Himself in the glory. At Gethsemane Satan returned to renew his attacks; but as in the one case obedience to the written word proved successful in resisting him, so in the other, prayer or dependence upon God was that which enabled the perfect One to come forth in triumph. But although Satan was repulsed, a righteous and holy God must have His just claims against sinful man satisfied by the blood of this sinless victim. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." (Heb. 9:22.) And therefore Jesus undergoes the penalty of separation from His God, that loved Him from everlasting, the agony of which separation is evidenced by the heart-rending cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psa. 22:1.) But the atonement accomplished "peace," made "through the blood of His cross." (Col. 1:20.) It was the Father's delight, and necessary to His glory (Rom. 6:4), to raise from the dead the One who had so perfectly glorified Him, and satisfied His claims against the sinner. On the third day He rises. Forty days after, He takes the place that was His by right as God, and which He had earned as man, at the right hand of the majesty on high, and thence proclaims (by the Holy Ghost) to you and me, dear reader, peace, perfect peace, the moment we believe on Him. (Rom. 4:23; 6) We had all "sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23); but He came in between, settled God's claims against us, tells us that peace is made, and the moment we believe on Him we have peace, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
How simple is this, and how blessed, that even the little children who need a Savior may learn from God's own book that He has provided one, and that the moment they rest their souls on Him they have no cause to fear, but on the contrary may rejoice in hope of the glory where both God and Jesus dwell,—they may long to see Him, and be with Him where He is, and behold His glory. (John 17:24.)
May not you, dear reader, now, like the little bird of which we spoke, flutter away, with outspread wings and cheerful note, in token of liberty and victory, towards the home you know through Jesus is your own, to meet Him who shortly will come Himself to bring you there? (John 14:3.) Surely you may; for "behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.”