(An incident during the severe frost in London, January 1895.)
WHAT an announcement for the people of London! For my part, I never remember seeing such a thing in London before.
WATER FREE!
Yes, there it is printed in bold black type, that all may easily see it. And so the water-cart passes from street to street with its gladsome news — Water free! I say gladsome news, and true it was, for see how quickly the neighbors carry the tidings. They are all in need of water. “We have been frozen out for weeks.”
Oh, the inconvenience of being short of water! Dear reader, I need not describe it. No doubt you have felt it. Look how quickly the people are running with their baths, pails, water-cans, and anything that will hold water, for they are all in need of water, and there is nothing to pay.
The water is free, brought to your door, and so is the gift of eternal life. It is free. God in His love has sent the message through London, through Paris and New York, yes, through all the world has His message gone, the gladsome news, “Salvation is free! Salvation is free!” — brought to your doors, into your houses.
Perhaps you have a Christian son, a Christian wife, or a Christian mother, who is often telling you, “Salvation is free.” The living, loving Lord is calling to all the inhabitants of earth, saying, The water is free; the living water, the water of life, it is free. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:3737In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)). And again from heaven that same precious Saviour sent the message, saying, “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)).
“Water free!” Yes, as free as the air we breathe, this living water which, if a man will but receive, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Come to the fountain, then, drink and live.
Dear friend, oh! that I could see you as anxious to obtain Christ, the Living Spring, as I saw the people of London were to get that earthly water. But, do you know, I heard of some who refused to accept this water which was so free. Perhaps you ask me, Why?
Some had this excuse, some that. One thought the water might perchance bring some infectious disease into their houses, I don’t know how. Another said, “I won’t have water like that; from a water-cart, fancy! not I, it cannot be clean. Let those drink it who like, I will not.”
So with the gospel. What multitudes today there are who find some excuse or another for refusing our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Are you, dear reader, one of them?
Perhaps you are thinking they were only silly excuses. That may be, but still I found the people who made them could not be convinced that their excuses were silly. What do you think God thinks of your excuse, for going on in your sins and refusing to accept the Lord Jesus? Have you a reasonable one to offer before God? “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.... So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)).
What should we do without water? We should all miserably perish. What will you do without Christ? You will miserably perish, for “he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:1616He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)). “If ye believe not... ye shall die in your sins,” and “whither I [Jesus] go, ye cannot come” (John 8:24, 2124I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24)
21Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. (John 8:21)).
“Water free, and no gratuities allowed!” Not allowed! Not only not wanted, but if offered not accepted.
In God’s gracious plan of salvation gratuities are not allowed. Naaman the leper had to learn this. See, there he stands, cured of his leprosy; his flesh as clean as a child’s. Look at the gratuity he offers (he knows not that our God is a giving God), for Naaman had brought with him as a present for the blessing he received, “ten changes of raiment, ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold.” There he stands before Elisha, saying, “Now, therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.”
But Elisha said, “As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none; and Naaman urged him to take it, but Elisha refused” (2 Kings 5). Naaman was cured, he was made clean. So may you be, only believe. “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin.” Naaman received the blessing without paying for it. So may you, by simple faith. But it must be free, and “no gratuities allowed.”
Dear reader, the blessed Lord Jesus, our adorable Saviour, passed through untold agonies when He offered up Himself on Calvary’s cross as a sacrifice for our sins, and God is satisfied with that sacrifice. It is sufficient. You must not, you cannot add to it any of your good works. They are not allowed. “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” “By grace are ye saved.” Your salvation, your admittance into the light of His countenance, into everlasting glory, must rest only and entirely on that all-atoning work which Christ has accomplished on Calvary’s cross.
When the Jews sinned, they needed a sacrifice; the bullock and the goat must be killed; then their sins were forgiven. So with you. You have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. You need a sacrifice. Christ the Lord is that sacrifice. Christ “died for our sins, according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3)). Acknowledge your sins then, in the presence of the thrice-Holy God, who knows every one of them; believe in His dear Son, and you shall receive remission of all your sins.
FREE, FREE, FREE, and gratuities not allowed! I would like to impress this fact on your mind, “Gratuities not allowed,” because many think they can appease God by good works or by penance; but this falsifies the character of our blessed God. He is a giving God, and needs none of it. In the fullness of time, He sent forth His Son, and so we read that “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 3:1616For 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)).
There was a gentleman who had often heard John Wesley preach. Let us hear him as he stops Mr. Wesley in the street.
“I know you,” says he to John Wesley, “but I do not like you; you lay a wrong foundation for salvation. Do you think that the blood of another man will save me?”
“On what terms do you expect to be saved, then?” asked Mr. Wesley.
“By good works,” said the gentleman.
Mr. Wesley answered: “You will be the first that got to heaven that way. But what will you do when you get there?”
This, it would seem, the gentleman had not considered, for he only said, “Why, what do others there?”
“They sing, Glory to God that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever, that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood. But your song will be, Glory be to myself, for I have qualified myself for heaven. Oh, sir! your song would make discord in heaven.”
And now, dear reader, I pray God that you may think of the announcement on the water-cart, and of the men knocking at our doors, saying,
WATER FREE,
And thus be reminded — forcibly reminded — of that gracious loving Saviour, who stands at the door of our hearts, knocking, waiting, and saying, “Salvation free! Salvation free!”
F. H.