TWO packages have been brought to me by this morning’s mail. Opening the one, I find it to be a magazine published at Bogota, South America. On one of its pages it reproduces a photograph of the interior of a church, that of the ancient Church of the Jesuits, in the city of Cuzco, Peru, in the center of the richly carved section of wall shown in the photograph there appears a tablet, on which are engraved (in Spanish) the following words:—
“Come unto Mary all ye who are burdened
with labour and oppressed beneath the
weight of your sins, and She will give you
rest.”
The other package came from Florida, in the United States. Amongst its contents was the photograph of a new ball, built by sonic Christian friends in the town of Zephvrhills for the preaching of the gospel. Inset in the photo is a white space occupied by the following words of our Lord Jesus Christ:—
“Come unto Me all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Is it not remarkable that by the same postal delivery such very diverse versions of the gospel message should reach me? First, Rome’s gospel, displayed amid the florid architecture of a pretentious ecclesiastical building. Second, the gospel according to the Son of God Himself, exhibited in connection with a plain, commodious building, erected for the purpose of preaching that gospel.
Which invitation, reader, appeals with greater force to you? Mary, though so highly favored, and so richly blessed, is dead. Jesus, though He died upon the cross for our sakes, is risen from among the dead. Mary, being herself a sinner, needed a Saviour, and rejoiced in having found one in a Saviour God. Jesus, being altogether without sin, could in His matchless grace become the Sin-bearer for others, and by this means, a Saviour.
To Him, and not to Mary, every trustworthy witness bears testimony—the Lord Jesus Himself telling us of four such (sec John 5:33-3933Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:33‑39)).
The wonderful works that the Lord Jesus performed all proclaimed Him as the one to be trusted. The leper cleansed, the cripple healed, the blind restored to sight, the dumb enabled to speak, the hungry fed. the poor comforted, the dead raised to life—all these with clarion voice declared that He is the One, the only One, in whom sinners can find forgiveness and blessing.
God the Father, too, bore testimony, opening the very heavens, and saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17:55While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5)).
The Scriptures, too, enshrining many a golden promise and glowing prophecy of which He is the theme, bear consistent testimony to Him. All the great line of prophets from Abel onwards give “witness that through His name, whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)).
In the face of all this testimony, there were yet some who would not come to Him that they might have life. And in the face of this same testimony, ringing down through the centuries, there are yet multitudes who betake themselves to Mary, to some saint dead and gone (if indeed he ever existed), to a priest or parson, or to some other person, thing, method, system, creed, line of conduct, profession, expectation, hope, rather than to Christ.
“Well, my lad,” said a Christian gentleman at the close of a gospel meeting, “what are you remaining behind for?”
The boy was only ten years old, but he replied at once.
“Please, sir, I want to know what it is to be saved,”
“That’s right, my lad; then you think, by coming to me, that I can forgive your sins?”
“No, sir.”
“But I am a preacher: surely one like myself can do this?”
“No,” said the little fellow, not a bit baffled.
“Then, why can Jesus do this and not anyone else?”
“Please, sir,” was the bright and happy reply, “because He’s the Son of God.”
Reader, have you the faith of this dear boy? Do you find in the Lord Jesus Christ an all-sufficient Saviour? He is God’s Son: this proves His POWER to save. He became a man, and shed His blood upon the cross in love to sinners: this proves His WILLINGNESS to save. No one has so tender a heart, and no one so mighty an arm as He.
Oh! that with the psalmist you may say from your heart: “In HIM will I trust.” What will be the result? The next verse tells us: “Surely He shall deliver thee” (Ps. 91:3).
H. P. B.