By:
Edited by Algernon J. Pollock
VISITING Wakefield, a few years ago, my attention was brought to a marked instance of the implicit acceptance of things not seen, in the case of a blind man. He pointed out to me a large picture of his little son. Not a single detail of the picture was omitted by him. Every detail was pointed out, and discussed as fully as though he possessed his natural vision. He had never seen the picture, or the loved child it represented, but he had heard his wife describe it so often until it stood out vividly, in his mind. In other words, he had faith, he accepted “the evidence of things not seen.” God’s word says “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:11Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)). If you could have seen his face light up with pleasure as he warmed to the subject, you would not have doubted the inner vision upon which he was drawing.
My heart was wrung for the poor man’s affliction, and the incident impressed me deeply.
I thought if the blind man accepted human evidence so heartily, with how much greater confidence should we accept God’s word, and realize that upon its sure and certain testimony we are quite safe to rely for time and eternity.
The word of God tells us that we are by nature lost and undone, and not only this, but unable to save ourselves, and it has also told us of a rich provision He has made in the gift of His Son, who came to this earth and laid down His life as a ransom. He atoned for sin by the sacrifice of Himself, and now on the ground of that wonderwork on the cross God is offering salvation to all who will believe and accept it by faith.
Should we not with the trust and confidence of the blind man accept what God tells us? For it is faith that eaves. Own yourself to be a sinner, and in all simplicity of faith appropriate to yourself this great salvation that God so freely offers. He desires that you should take Him at His word.
The knowledge that God has spoken is all that is required by faith. It is serene and implicit trust that pleases God, and without it, it is impossible to please Him. He is the One with whom all things are possible.
May the reader be impressed with the relative importance of the temporal things that are seen, and the eternal things not seen, and be enabled to exercise that holy boldness of faith toward God with the firm conviction that the One in whom that faith is reposed is abundantly worthy of it, and be assured that its reward is beyond all human computation.
“Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all;
Not the righteous―
Sinners, Jesus came to call.”
A. A. GOFFIN.