IN the month of April, 1899, my wife and I were quietly strolling along the beautiful cliffs at Biarritz—gazing, with great delight, upon the blue waters of the Bay of Biscay which lay at our feet; lit up as they were with the golden sunshine of that spring afternoon. And with keen interest we watched the splendid white-crested waves as they burst in their rainbow-tinted luster upon the rugged shore. Fair indeed was the scene, for all Nature seemed clothed in her loveliest garb; and little did we anticipate, as we continued our walk over those glorious hills, the extraordinary change that so shortly was about to take place in the weather.
Quite suddenly, however, the sky became overcast, the wind rose rapidly, and thick, black clouds only too plainly indicated that a tremendous storm was fast approaching; while the waves below were lashed into a white foam, as, with a thundering roar, they beat upon the rocks.
Quickening our steps, we hurried on to find, if possible, some place of shelter from the torrents of rain which were now falling; and at length, to our joy, we discovered, near the edge of the cliffs, a small stone wall, which was the only available protection from the force of the wind that was now blowing a perfect gale. There, with great trepidation, and not knowing what might happen, we waited for considerably more than an hour, vainly attempting at intervals to reach a fence that lay some little way off, and which led to a few solitary houses that we could see in the distance. Every time, however, we attempted to leave the shelter of that wall some furious gust of wind would blow us down; and it soon became evident that it was our only place of safety.
Never shall we forget that afternoon’s experience! For, while we were securely sheltered behind that wall, a small vessel was being dashed to pieces on the rocks below. How vividly, in that hour of suspense and danger, did we realize the precious truth of that lovely scripture, “A man shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm”! And truly fierce was the storm that raged around us that day; and it was with the greatest difficulty, and after being several times blown down, that at length we were enabled to reach the fence that led to a house, where (fortunately for us) a carriage drove up, which, after the discharge of its occupants, we were glad to hire. We eventually reached our hotel, truly thankful to God for His preserving care and mercy.
This is a true story, dear reader, and I hope it may lead you now to take shelter beneath the precious blood of that divine Saviour, “the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all.” Another, and a far more awful, storm is fast approaching, from which there is no escape; and it will swiftly burst upon the world of the ungodly, and overwhelm you in eternal judgment, unless you now take shelter in the “Rock of Ages,” where that storm can never touch you.
God alone knows when that terrible storm will overtake this guilty world, where His well-beloved Son was, by wicked hands, crucified and slain; but His word solemnly declares that when men “shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.” What the Ark was to Noah and his wife and family in the days of the flood; what the blood-sprinkled lintel was to the believing Israelite in Egypt; and what the scarlet line was to Rahab and all her house, so is Jesus now to every poor sinner who flees to Him for refuge.
He Himself, as our Divine substitute and Saviour, has already passed through the fiercest of all storms, when He was bruised for our iniquities, and His soul was made an offering for sin. He could truly say, as the Divine Sin-Bearer, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me; and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.” But that bitter storm has long since passed away; and the One who, in deepest love to sinners, went through it all and glorified God as the willing Victim now sits as the mighty Conqueror upon the Father’s throne, having by Himself made purification for sins. Hence it is for you, dear reader, to “flee now from the wrath to come,” and to find in that spotless and holy Man (who is none other than the Son of the living God), “a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the storm.”
“In the refuge God provided,
Though the world’s destruction looms,
We are safe, to Christ confided,
Everlasting life is ours.”
Every true believer is privileged to sing these precious words; but “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?”
S. T.