“I AM one of your brethren, a child of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I believe in Moses and the prophets, who predicted that Seed of Abraham by whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, and who shall be the glory of the children of Israel; who came in the fullness of time, and was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter for the iniquities of His people; who was cut off, but not for Himself; who was pierced for our iniquities, and of whom it was said,' Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man that is My Fellow.'
"Twenty years are now passed since I found Him to be my Saviour; and now for more than twelve years I have preached Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of David, as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
And this is the sin which Israel sinneth until now: that they do not believe in Jesus of Nazareth, who was that angel in the wilderness who accompanied the children of Israel when they went out of Egypt; to whom, too, the Lord God shall give the throne of His father David; and who shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. He, Jesus Christ, shall be the ruler in Israel; He who came out of Bethlehem Ephratah.”
"Forever AND EVER.”
I was greatly troubled, for fear that it would be my fate; in fact, I was more than troubled,
I was terrified; and such was the impression left on my mind that it haunted me day and night for years.
Often in the midnight watch on deck I would think of those words, “Forever and ever," and the terror of hell would present itself before me, and cause me to tremble with fright. But I would laugh it off, and for a moment forget there was such a being as GOD.
Still, those words would haunt me, in spite of all I could do to banish them from my memory, and I could see nothing but God's wrath for me. I sometimes looked at my Bible, but could see nothing there but condemnation; and then I became an infidel and a scoffer.
I say " an infidels'; no, I could not make myself that. I had to believe there was a God, and that, if I were called to stand before Him, I should be cast into hell, and tormented for ever. I could not see the love of God in the gift of His Son to die for us; and seeing nothing before me but condemnation and wrath, I plunged into all sorts of sin and vice, took to strong drink, and in fact became so vile that at times I was an abhorrence to myself.
It is true that at times I would try to amend my life, and for a while would vainly think I was getting better; but then came temptation, and, having no power but my own I was forced to yield, and go on in the old course of sin and folly.
Thus passed years of sin and misery. At length I gave up the sea, came ashore to live, and thought to do better. But I grew worse.
And then I thought if I had a comfortable home I would serve God. And so I got married, and to all appearance was happy. Yet still those terrible words "forever and ever” haunted me, and filled me with dread: and, although I tried to become good, I became worse and worse.
I can see now that, being at that time ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish a righteousness of my own, I did not submit myself to the righteousness of God.
At last God in His grace met me as a poor lost sinner, and brought me a saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. I always had an idea that it must be through Christ I must come to God, but I had not the slightest idea how to come; and therefore I was always expecting some great thing to happen to me at conversion. But now the time came when the burden of sin fell from me, and I was led to the feet of the Lord Jesus in thanksgiving and praise.
The Lord began to call His people out in the neighborhood in which I lived, and when I heard of those that said all their sins were put away, I went to hear them, and they tried to point me to Christ as my Saviour.
“Look and live," said one.
Then I tried to fancy the Lord Jesus on the cross.
Later, a dear brother gave me a book called "Instant Salvation," which was, by God's blessing, the means of opening my eves.
In the silent hour of night, in the heart of a lonely bush, with none nigh but God, I passed from death unto life” I read Rom. 10:8, 98But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8‑9): ROM 10:8-98But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:8‑9) "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
I knew then that God had spoken to me, and that I was born again. It was GOD'S word; and as such I received it. And now all became "joy and peace." I often think of the words "forever," but it is "Forever with the Lord" now. Yes, I, a vile sinner, but a sinner saved by grace, the free, unmerited grace of GOD.
Are you, my reader, still in your sins, looking forward to that “day in which God will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained"? Unto you is this word of salvation sent: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 8:3838And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:38)). ACT 8:3838And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:38)
Take God at His word, and live. The Lord Jesus finished redemption's work on the cross; He laid down His life, for us. “For 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)). JOH 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)Put your trust in Him.
Let His Wood he your Daly plea, Cease trying to do something for yourself. Christ Jesus must be all for you, or He cannot be anything for you. Oh, believe Him, trust Him, and all will be "joy and peace."
M. A.
"A dying, risen Jesus,
Seen by the eve of faith,
At once from anguish frees us,
And saves the soul from death.
How gracious this Physician!
His grace He'll freely give;
He makes no hard condition,
'Tis only, Look and live.'