I KNEW a coal miner who had one dear little girl, the youngest in their family of four. She was the light of his eyes, and when he came home at night she used to meet him at the gate or at the door of his cottage to welcome him home.
One day when he came home after work he missed his little darling, and when he came into the house with his heavy mining boots on his wife called him upstairs. The stillness of the place and the quiet voice made his heart sick, and a foreboding of evil came over him. His wife told him they were going to lose their little lamb — she had had convulsions and the doctor said they couldn’t save her.
The tears made furrows down the grimy face of the brokenhearted father as he leaned over the trundle bed and watched his child sinking. Suddenly she looked up and said, “Daddy, sing ‘Here Is No Rest — Is No Rest'.”
“No, my little sweetheart,” he replied. “I can’t sing, I’m choking; I can’t sing.”
“O do, Daddy,” she asked again. “Sing ‘Here Is No Rest.’ "
The poor fellow tried to sing:
“Here o’er the earth as a stranger I roam.
Here is no rest — is no rest.”
But his voice could make no headway. Then he tried again, as he wanted to please his little girl:
“Here are afflictions and trials severe,
Here is no rest — is no rest;
Here I must part with the friends I hold dear,
Yet I am blest — I am blest.”
Again his voice was choked with weeping; but the little one whispered, “Go on, Daddy, sing, ‘Sweet is the promise,’ " and the poor father went on again:
“Sweet is the promise I read in Thy Word,
Blessed are they who have died in the Lord;
They have been called to receive their reward,
There, there is rest — there is rest.”
“That’s it, Daddy,” again the little one whispered; “that’s it.” And with her arms around her father’s neck she passed happily away into the presence of her Saviour.
“Through Jesus Christ” must be the password for all — young and old, rich and poor, kings and queens, presidents and governors as well as common folks. No one can enter heaven on any other grounds; only as lost sinners trusting in Him whose blood was shed so freely on Calvary’s cross. God has said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13).
Dear reader, is Christ and His precious blood your title to heaven? Do you expect to “see the King in His beauty"? Remember it is not your works and the blood, but the blood of Jesus alone which cleanses us from all sin. No other plea will be accepted by Him. Nothing else is needed. Only Jesus and His precious blood.
All in heaven shall give praise, “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” (Rev. 1:5; 5:125And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)
12Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)).
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them “And the cow and bear shall feed: their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
“And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
He’ll banish fear and terror,
Sorrow and pain shall cease;
And all His lovely creature friends
Shall bless His reign of peace.
ML-04/08/1973