G. B. was lately distributing Tracts in Devonshire, and meeting with a poor man breaking stones on the roadside, handed him a Tract, asking him if he could read it. He replied
“Not very well.”
“Do you ever go to hear the Gospel?”
“What’s that, sir?”
“Do you ever go to hear any preaching?”
“Oh, I sometimes go to church.”
“What do you hear there?”
“Why, I heard a sermon read.”
“And do you understand what it’s about?”
“No.”
“Do you ever hear about God or Jesus Christ?”
“I don’t know much about these things; I’m not learned.”
“Can you read the Bible?”
“No, not much.”
“Have you got a Bible?”
“Yea; I have got one somewhere at home.”
“Can you read writing?”
“No.”
“Do you ever get a letter?”
“Yes, sometimes.”
“What do you do with it?”
“I get it read.”
“Well, suppose you got a letter today, by post, from a rich man, telling you he had made his will, and had put your name in his will for a fine house and plenty of money, so that you would not have to break stones any more, would you think it worthwhile to get it read?”
“I should think so; and pretty quick, too.”
“Well, there is a letter at your house from a very rich person, who has made his will, and he has put down your name in it for a beautiful house and riches in abundance, and yet you have not got it read.”
“What, sir! a letter at my house! my name in a will! Where did it come from?”
“It came from God. It is a message from Him; and the will is the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Well, who would have thought that the Bible was a will! And you say, sir, that my name is in it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ll go home and search till I find it!”
“So do, and you will soon find your name there; for your name is sinner, and Christ Jesuit came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)); and all sinners who believe in Him will have a beautiful house above. They will be rich, and their riches will never fade away. No thief can steal them. No death can enter there. In that happy land there will be no hunger, nor thirst, nor hard work. May the Lord, by the Holy Spirit, open your eyes to see for yourself all these blessed things which God tells us in His Word.
“The New Testament is the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God is not going to alter it; for He who made it has sealed it with His own blood, and so it remains forever. And according to that will, any poor sinner, be he what he may, and whatsoever sins he has committed, if he come to the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting in Him for forgiveness of sins, be shall have them all blotted out. For God, who is rich in mercy, (Ephesians 2:44But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4))―mark the words, ‘RICH IN MERCY’―out of the fullness of His love to sinners, sent His own beloved Son into the world to save them: for God knew they could not save themselves from the curse and condemnation of sin, and therefore the blessed Lord Jesus Christ took that curse and condemnation upon himself, and died under it; and as He―blessed be His name forever―died in our stead, God doth now freely forgive all who feel the burden of their sins, and flee to Jesus, and receive Him as their Saviour.”
“Well, sir, I thank you. I did not think there was ever anything for me like this, and I hope, through God’s grace, it will be mine.”