A FEW months ago, I overheard a conversation between two persons, one of whom was telling the other of something he had read in the newspaper that day how that in a certain place―the name of which I do not remember―an exciting accident had happened.
Early one morning a stream of dark liquid was seen issuing from a gateway that led to a wine merchant’s storehouse. Evidently a barrel had burst, for the precious fluid was flowing freely. Very soon a crowd collected, and many people stooped down and drank of the wine as it flowed down the gutter.
I did not pay much attention to what was said, until I heard the words “stooped down,” and immediately the following lines flashed across my mind―
“I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live;”
and I thought of that precious stream, which in this day of grace is flowing world-wide, and of which any one, who stoops down, may drink and be satisfied. No one would have been able to drink of that stream of wine unless he had stooped down, and so there must be a stooping on the part of the proud sinner ere he can drink of the water of life.
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:11Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)).
There may have been some who could not get near enough to drink of man’s unexpected stream of wine; but God’s is for every one that thirsteth. Are you thirsty, dear reader? if so, stoop down and you will not be sent away unsatisfied. But ere you and I could drink of this stream the Rock had to be smitten. “That Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:44And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)). “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:55But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)).
Many come to the waters who want to get the wine and milk without stooping, that is, they will not own their guilty, lost condition, and so are sent empty away.
Of course none would stoop to partake of that supply, who had their own wine cellars stocked; it was those who had no cellars, and who could not afford to buy wine, who most gladly availed themselves of the unexpected treat; and so poor thirsty souls, who know they have nothing worth offering in exchange for God’s salvation, gladly accept it as a free gift, which it is. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
“Life is found alone in Jesus,
Only there ‘tis offered thee,
Offered without price or money,
‘Tis the gift of God sent free;
Take salvation,
Take it now and happy be.”
Some bring their ineffectual efforts to keep the law, ―ineffectual because man is incapable of keeping it. “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:1212Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:12)), but man is so utterly bad that it is impossible for him to meet its requirements. The standard is perfect, and therefore it is too high for man who is sunk in sin.
The law seems to me like the stars, high above our heads; the Gospel like the daisies, low down within the grasp of the smallest child. We read in the Word that “Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them (the disciples), and said, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven “(Matt. 18:2-42And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2‑4)).
Grace is in direct contrast to the law; the law is, as I said before, too high for man, but grace meets him in his need, where he is, and he gets the blessing by stooping down, owning that his condition is what God in His Word declares it to be. Romans 3:9-199What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:9‑19) is the state of every child of Adam, whether he or she believes it or not; and when such an one says Amen to the truth, and justifies God, God justifies him. Believing God is justifying Him, “Wisdom is justified of all her children” (Luke 7:3535But wisdom is justified of all her children. (Luke 7:35)). “All the people that heard and the publicans (sinners) justified God... but the Pharisees and lawyers (self-righteous) rejected the counsel of God against themselves” (Luke 7:29, 3029And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. (Luke 7:29‑30)).
Dear reader, how is it with you? have you heard His word and believed, and so justified God, or are you still rejecting to your own destruction?
Numbers in that crowd stooped down for the wine which satisfies not, and thought it worth stooping for—will not you stoop for that which gives eternal satisfaction and joy?
The publican (Luke 18) justified God, owned his sinnership not only with his lips, but in his heart, and went down to his house justified. “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:1414I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:14)), is the Lord’s comment.
One word of warning, ere I close, ―one word of entreaty.
Remember how the rich man lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeing Abraham afar off begged him to send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue (Luke 16:23, 2423And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (Luke 16:23‑24)).
Sinner, be warned in time. Stoop now and drink rather than suffer such intolerable anguish, when the greatest pang, surely, will be the thought that the water of life was offered to you and you refused it.
God is now acting in pure grace, i.e., irrespective of what man is. Grace is love―the nature of God―come into an evil world to work for the blessing of the sinner. It is love under a new color, acting in an entirely new way. Moses could proclaim law, Jesus alone could reveal grace, as He was full of it—was in fact grace personified. How blessed to confide in His grace! Nothing delights His heart more than to be trusted out and out.
W. T. P. W.