A Gospel Address delivered by Heyman Wreford at the Victoria Hall. Exeter.
Part 2.
“And Moses said unto the people, ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the, salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today, for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see, them, again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace.’” Exodus 14:1313And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. (Exodus 14:13) and 14.
We will this evening look a little closely to our text. It is what Moses said to the children of Israel; and what I trust, God, by His Spirit, will say to you tonight.
“Fear ye not.”
You must win a victory over your fears. What was Israel’s fear? God had led them out of Egypt, and brought them to the borders of the Red Sea. On either side of them were rocks, in front of them the broad waters of the sea. As they stand there the cry is raised: “The Egyptians are coming.” They look back with beating hearts and white faces, and they see the dust of Pharaoh’s chariot wheels. They cry aloud in their fear, and God says to them by Moses, “Year ye not.” Now what have you to fear? Do you see before you the waters of death, and the sea of eternity beyond? On either side the rocks of doubts and fears, and behind you the host of your sins? Do you see all this and are you terrified? Eternity in front, and your sins behind. Cry to God and the answer will come, “Fear ye not.” It is Satan’s object to keep sinners in a state of perpetual fear. He instils a dread and fear of God in the heart, which is utterly opposed to what is right. God is Love, and the sooner we learn that, the sooner we learn happiness. Learn it this evening, if never before. Meditate upon it until you believe it. Think of God’s, love in creation. He clothes the field, and paints the rainbow, and feeds the sparrows, and provides a nest for the birds, and a lair for the lion. His love does this. And what has His love done for sinners? “God commendeth His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Fear God no longer. God is not a hard task-master. He is love.
A Christian called to see a young lady who was seriously indisposed. He said to her, “I am sorry you are so ill, but I have good news for you if you know you are a lost sinner.”
The mother answered, “That won’t do here, my Lizzie is as good as an angel.” “Then I must go,” replied the Christian, “for my message is not for an angel.” He then turned to the daughter and said,” Good-bye, I must go, but if it be the middle of the night and you really realize you are a lost sinner, send for me and I will then tell you good news.” He left. At twelve o’clock that night a message came for him to come and see the dying girl. He again stood by her. She cried out as she saw him, “I am lost! I am lost!” “I have good news for you,” he made answer. “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” She drank it in. It was God’s Word. She had been trembling in her fear of God. Now she was to listen to God’s own Word to her: it was indeed like living water to her thirsty soul. One more text he repeated, “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life.” This was sunlight to her darkened heart; it was music of heaven to soothe the distraction of her mind. She exclaimed, “I hear! I believe! Thank you.” And then she passed away happily. It was victory at last; a victory over all her fears. The triumph of the love of God shining over a sinner’s misery. “Fear ye not,” you sinners here this evening. Fear rather to disobey God by not believing His Word; fear to offend Him by not trusting in His Christ; fear to call forth His anger by continued neglect of His great salvation; but never fear the love that has seated the Man, Christ Jesus, in eternal glory; the love that has sent the Gospel out to every creature. The love that has brought you here this evening to listen to the story of the cross. Reverence that love; believe it, and be blest by it.
“Stand still.”
These are the next words in our text that arrest our attention; and here we are, taught to win a victory over our unrest. Israel found it hard to stand still in the face of such apparent danger. There was the extreme restlessness consequent upon human thoughts about their situation. But “stand still” sounds loudly in their ears. And so it is today. Many of you have been seeking and striving for an unattainable good. You have been harassed and perplexed by the devil. You have been hurried to and fro with the vain question on your lips, “Who will show us any good?” Stand still now. Obey the word of the living God. When you are hungry you do not keep walking up and down in front of your food; you sit down and eat it. If you are hungering after righteousness, really longing for better things than you have, eat by faith the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, it is offered you where you are. You remember the five thousand in the desert fed by Christ; they were told to sit down upon the grass, and when they were at rest in His presence, He gave them with His own blessed Hands what they needed. It was a lovely sight! The seated host, the giving Christ! The hungry multitude, and love’s rich supply! And it is as real this moment. There are not five thousand here. I wish there was room for them; but you, who are here, will you realize that Christ is ready to feed your souls this evening? Just be still, and know that He is God. Come in your want to Him. “He hath filled the hungry with good things.” Win this victory over your unrest:
Not the labor of my hands,
Can fulfill the law’s demands.
There is nothing you can do that can avail for you before God. Your only safety is in standing still, and in letting God direct you. Be passive in His Hands. You may all be saved tonight, by just being conscious of your own inability to move a step by yourselves, and by knowing that God has acted for you, and has made a pathway for you, where in safety you may tread.
Take another case. If you were tired and weary, you would not run a mile to get repose. You would lie down and rest. The Lord Jesus opens the door of salvation and says: “Come... and I will give you rest.” He says: “I am the Door, by Me, if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.” And if you take the Saviour at His Word, and rest in His rest, you will be able to say with the Psalmist, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.” It is what He does, not what you can do. You but follow where He leads. Israel had to stand still and wait for God to guide them; you do the same this evening. “Have faith in God.” Are not the Psalmist’s words lovely? “Green pastures!” “Still waters!” Glorious repose and rest. Just what you want as a sinner, a place to rest in, and it is just what God provides and gives. Oh! will you stand still now? Will you, by the help of God, win a victory over the unrest of your life, and rest where God rests, in the finished work of His beloved Son? I do feel in my soul the glory of this rest, it is soul rest; do you desire it now? Yet one more case. If you were thirsty, you would not expect to quench your thirst by walking round and round a fountain. You would stand still and drink. You would see the fountain was there for you, and you needed what it supplied. It would meet your case exactly. Now, stand still, and drink tonight. “Whoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is clear and plain. A thirsty sinner may drink living water. In other words, you need a Saviour to satisfy your soul-thirst; Jesus is the Saviour, and the Friend of sinners. He is the very One you need, and if you feel you need Him, He will bless you with His love. Cry victory at last as you take the Bread of Life from the hands of God tonight. Cry victory at last as you rest your weary soul in the love of God in Christ. Cry victory at last as you drink from the fountain.
A nobleman’s wife was dying. A Christian was invited to come and see her; one who had known her when in health. She lay on a luxurious bed in her beautiful home, a hungry, tired and thirsty sinner. She had learned the insufficiency of earth to satisfy one single longing of an immortal soul. To her Christian friend she said: “I am dying, I have, at most, only a few days to live, and I am so unhappy.” The Christian told her he had often thought of her, and felt for her. She continued: “You do not know, or you would not pity me, for I had a godly mother, and I was with her when she died; she often prayed for me, and, her last words urged me to seek the Lord.
And I nursed a dear sister who lived and died as an angel of God, and I know my friends in Scotland are praying for me; they chose Christ, but I chose the world, and would not listen to them. I have had it, and now I am leaving it, dying — unsaved. They will be forever with the Lord, my mother, my sisters, all but me, I am going to be the companion of devils. Do not pity me, I deserve it; I loved the world, despised Christ, and all my opportunities, and now I am lost!”
There was a Bible near, and the visitor opened it at the 15th of Luke. He read of the Shepherd leaving the ninety and nine to seek the sheep that was lost. He read how when he found it, he took it on his shoulder, and carried it home rejoicing over it. Then he read of the lost piece of silver, and the searching for it; the lighting of the candle, the sweeping of the house, the finding, and the joy. Then he read about the prodigal who went so far away, and who, when his substance was wasted, and he was in misery, and nakedness, said, “I perish with hunger.”
He stopped and looked around, and as he gazed he saw the dying lady was deeply moved; the tears were running quickly down her cheeks and falling on the pillow; she did not wipe them away; she only said; —
“That is me.”
He then went on reading of the prodigal’s coming to himself, of the return, the father’s love, the embrace, the kiss, the robe, the ring, the feast, and the joy of the father over his lost son, and said: — “That is God.”
Then he knelt, and with her, just confessed that God’s justice must punish sin, and that our only deserving was the outer darkness and the lake of fire, but thanked Him for His love in sending His Son to bear the wrath due to the sinner. He prayed that she might be blest. God heard and answered. After a weary life, she stood still and saw what she was, A Sinner! What God is, a Saviour-God! It was victory at last. I have given this in many parts almost word for word, as written by the Christian whom God used and may God bless you who have heard it.
(To be concluded next month).