A POOR sailor lay dying in his hammock bed, whilst the vessel in which he served was far out at sea. “Bring a Bible and read to me,” he said to one of the crew; but, alas, no Bible was to be found. “We have none,” was the confession of all. The poor man was in despair; he was thirsting for the water of life, and could not obtain it. Suddenly, however, a little cabin boy, hearing what was wanted, said he had a Bible in his chest, and producing it, offered to read to the dying man; and turning to the third chapter of John, read it slowly and distinctly. The sick man listened eagerly, but said nothing till he came to the 16th verse, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “Read that verse again,” he said. The boy obeyed. Slowly it was repeated again. “Once again,” he asked—he cared for no more—over and over he repeated the words. He had got all he wanted; he saw God’s way of salvation.
How happy this was, and yet how simple! God makes known His will to us in His word; to bow, therefore, to His word, which tells us of our utter ruin and sinfulness, and points to Jesus, now in the glory, as the only Saviour, must deliver the anxious soul from all uncertainty as to salvation. It is God who speaks in the Scriptures, and there we find Jesus crucified as the alone ground of peace. We are told, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).)
As long as there is uncertainty as to salvation, there can be no peace, no progress in the life and walk of faith, no liberty to serve; for the heart will be occupied with its own need. But the soul that simply looks to Jesus, the risen and ascended Saviour, now glorified at the right hand of God, as the object of faith, and relies on what God says about Him and His finished work, must know present certainty as to salvation. The Spirit of God leads souls thus to find all their salvation in the Lord Jesus, “That no flesh should glory in God’s presence. For of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:29,3029That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:29‑30).)
Dear reader! We affectionately ask, have you bowed to God’s verdict that you are guilty before Him? that in you—that is, in your flesh—dwells nothing good? Have you renounced every other ground of peace but the blood of the cross? And do you know Christ in the glory as your righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? If so, you can have no uncertainty as to your own salvation. May you then abide in the Lord Jesus, bring forth fruit for His glory, and wait patiently for His coming!