WHEN Jesus was about to leave this world, to go to His Father in heaven, He said to the men and women He loved, and whom He was leaving behind, “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me." (Acts 1:88But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8).) Now, I want to talk a little bit to you boys and girls who love Jesus about this, because, you see, Jesus has not come back yet, and you and I are to be His witnesses in His absence, just as those disciples were when first He went away.
Last autumn I was staying with some friends near a little village in Hampshire, which was all in a fuss about a trial that was going on as to the fishing in the river. There were two gentlemen, who each said that this fishing belonged to him, so that the other had no right to catch any of the fish. I cannot tell you which of the two was in the right, but the whole village was in great excitement, and everyone taking sides with one gentleman or the other, and more and less angry with those that did not agree with them.
It was of no use anyone saying he did not want to be on either side, for the villagers were all so hot about the matter that they were sure to prove everybody was with one party or the other. I was only a visitor, you know, and out of it all, yet one afternoon, when a gentleman from this village was calling at the house where I was staying, he pressed me to say which side I was on. I replied, “Oh! I am on neither; but naturally I sympathize with Mr. So-and-so, as he has now the property which belonged for a long while to this family, and they always had the fishing."
“Ah, then, you are on his side! “he exclaimed, laughing.
As the proverb says, "A straw shows which way the wind blows," so my few words had proved which side I favored. Just in the same way, perhaps some of you think that you will not let others know that you love Jesus, for fear it should bring you into trouble with those who are not on His side; but, oh! dear children, if you have it in your heart to be true to Him, you cannot help it coming out in your ways, and those who are watching you will very quickly know whether you are for or against Him.
Boys and girls often think they will not take sides with either Christ or the devil, but will comfortably keep along in a middle course, and be friends with the followers of both. But this will not do— it cannot be! Jesus said plainly, " No man can serve two masters. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." So everyone of us is siding with either one or the other. Though you may think you would rather like to serve Christ and be on His side, yet, if you are still undecided for. Him, you are really serving the devil, and are taking His side.
When the trial about the fishing was coming on in London each of the gentlemen took up a number of men to Town to witness for him, and it was all the talk I heard about these witnesses that made me think of the Lord's words when He was going away, and of what He requires in those who are to testify for Him.
Now, in the first place, these men had all to know something about the case, or they would have been of no help whatever, and so, as witnesses for Jesus, we must really know something of Him. It would have been of no use if these men had only been able to say what their neighbors, or fathers, or grandfathers knew about the fishing in that river; the question was, what did they know themselves? And let me ask you, what do you know of Jesus that you can bear witness for Him? You will be useless if you can only testify that father or mother, brothers or sisters, are Christians, and cannot state that you know the Lord yourself.
Then it would have been quite in vain to take up a man to London who would say one thing in his own home, and another in public, one thing one day, and another thing another day. Men were wanted who would stick to what they held, through thick and thin. So, in like manner, if you are a witness for Jesus, you must pray for grace and courage to stand firmly for Him every day and everywhere, or your testimony will be worthless.
I was told that one of these countrymen was in such a great hurry to give his witness that as soon as he came into court he called out, " I am here to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth " Upon which he was requested to keep silent until spoken to. I thought myself it was doubtful whether that man would not say rather more than the truth, as he was so quick to brag of what he would do—don't you think so, too? Peter said, in a boastful spirit, that he was ready to bear witness for Jesus, but when he might have done so in court he turned coward, and said he knew nothing about Him. So it does not do for us to boast of what we will do or say for Jesus, but we should pray that when we are called to speak for Him, we may have courage given us to speak" the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” about Him.
I heard that both of these gentlemen took great care of their own witnesses while up in London, providing in every way for their comfort, and making such a good time for them. And so Jesus takes very tender care of those who are bearing witness for Him in this world, and fills their hearts with joy and gladness. He promises, too, that, if we confess His name now before men, He will confess ours hereafter before His Father and the holy angels. Only think of that! What a grand moment that will be for those who have been true to Jesus down here, and have bravely declared themselves on His side, while the god of this world was disputing His rights!
The judge has not yet decided the fishing case, so none of us can know which of the two claimants will win. But there is no doubt at all as to which is the winning side in the more important things, of which we have made it a parable. We, who love Jesus, may sometimes seem to get the worst of it while witnessing for Him, but let us never lose sight of the great fact that the crowning day is coming, when all things shall be put under His feet, and when those who have stood for Him shall share His throne, and enter into His joy.
A. P. C.