WE were about to start from S— the other day by the Great Western, when the guard unlocked the door of the compartment in which I was seated, and let in four working men, with their wallets and tools, traveling by a railway pass to G— At one of the stations our tickets were demanded for inspection, and to be notched by the officials. The guard's whistle was then replied to by the engine-driver, and on the train went.
When we were outside the station, I moved nearer my companions and said, “You are traveling by a railway pass, are you not?”
“Yes," they answered.
I asked if the pass would carry them to the end of their journey.
“Yes”
Then I remarked on the value of another kind of pass, via the cross and the sepulcher of Christ, out of this world into another, out of time into eternity, a pass from here to yonder, where Christ is crowned with glory and honor, "at the right hand of God." Had either of them got this in their possession?
We had just come out of a long and dark tunnel, and not having any lights in our carriage, it seemed unusually dark and dreary.
This led me to comment on the further importance of such a pass, the purchase of Christ's atoning blood, and the free gift of God to a poor sinner, which would be acknowledged all the way along, and be found by the traveler of the greatest value when going through the dark tunnel of death and the grave, which was ahead of them. Could they look through, and see the bright light at the other end of such a tunnel as this? Did they know that line which is opened up beyond it by the, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, “a new and living way," which leads up into the glory and the Father's house? What a terminus!
One of the men said that he had “heard something of this sort," and another said he “must go and learn about it.”
I replied, " You did not tell the clerk when he wrote out your pass, and put it into your hand this morning, that you must first go and learn how to read before you used it. On the contrary, you are presenting it solely on the authority of the Great Western Company, with all the assurance that attaches to the pass, from the fact of your having had nothing to do with the filling of it up. It is to frank you to the end of your journey, and whether you can read it or not has nothing to do with the matter. You produce the pass when required, and go forward; the inspector reads it.”
“Quite true," said another of his companions; but he added, “We must go to a house of prayer, sir.”
I replied, “Yes, but what for? Not to get your pass to the glory, but to praise Him through whose death it has been obtained.
Upon this one of the men said, “I see what it means. 'Tis just like my wife, when she has put my supper upon the table against I come home; 'tis for me to eat it.”
Another, who had sat quietly in the corner, objected to this free grace of the gospel to the unconverted, and turned on me, saying “he liked people to be consistent," which led me to demand in what respect I had been inconsistent.
In a loud voice he answered, “A man must have life before he can believe. What is the use of speaking to dead men?”
I quoted to him, " God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 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)) JOH 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) Turning from him to the others, I continued, " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:1616Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:16)), 1TI 1:1616Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. (1 Timothy 1:16) pressing it upon their acceptance as a word for themselves, and for to-day.
Again the objector said, “A man must have life before he can believe. How can he act life? Can a dead man hear?
I reminded him I had not said to his companions that they were to act life, for the obvious reason there must be life before they could do so, and show it outwardly. Could he not distinguish between the Spirit working by the word in a sinner, in order to quicken to life, through faith in Christ, and the possession of life, that the actings proper to one who is "born of God" might be manifested?
Would he shake a man's confidence in the living God by throwing a doubt into his mind as to the finished work of Christ for the one who believes? In reply to his question whether a dead man can hear; this was no business of mine. Reasoning as a man I should say, No; but knowing the power of God in Christ my answer would be, Yes; for I believe in Him who "quickeneth the dead,'' and " calleth things that are not as though they were" (Rom. 4:1717(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)). ROM 4:1717(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)
In my turn I asked this man what were the glad tidings “he had to present to his fellows, seeing he objected to mine.
One of his companions took up the question, asking, “What harm has the gentleman done by telling us that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners?”
I encouraged this man to accept “the faithful saying," and put it to the proof, as he had done the company's pass to-day. What is the right use of these scriptures, if that which had been made was the wrong one? For whom were they intended, if not for sinners?
On leaving the carriage I shook them by the hand, telling the objector I had a word for him about the actings of this new life, as he professed to have it. Paul says, " Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death: for to me to live is Christ”
(Phil. 1:20, 2120According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20‑21)). PHI 1:20-2120According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20‑21) If he would take no less an example than Christ for the actings of life, he would find this to be a searching and humbling, though blessed occupation. And so we parted.
It does not appear that the elder brother in Luke 15 ever got into the father's house “he was angry, and would not go in." Self-righteousness kept him out: “Neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment.”
He would not enter on the same footing as the prodigal, but upbraided the grace of a father's heart, which triumphed over the returned wanderer.
Is my reader outside the Father's house like the elder brother, relying upon his good deeds? or inside it like the prodigal, notwithstanding his bad ones; knowing that Christ in love to you made them His own upon the cross, and put them away forever by His sufferings and death in your stead?