STAYING some time since at the sea-side, I became very interested in the landlady of the house. She was a nice woman, very kind and pleasant; but it did not take long to discern she was very dissatisfied and unhappy. It was very difficult to get any conversation with her about divine truths and her soul's need; till one morning, coming unexpectedly into the sitting room, she found me reading my Bible.
Her ready apology for "disturbing" me opened the way for conversation, during which she told me she had known something of the blessedness of Christianity, but the perusal of the books of a well-known modern writer had so grievously poisoned her mind, that the word of God was unbearable to her; she never now opened its covers.
“I know the books do me no good," she said "but I cannot give them up: as soon as a new one comes out I must get it.”
And though I tried to show her her folly and danger, she turned the edge of every statement by denying or explaining away every truth of the word of God quoted to her, and finally wound up the conversation by exclaiming, "It is all very well, but I suppose I am rebellious!" So saying she left the room.
“Rebellious!" I thought, "poor soul indeed you are: but how awful to rebel against the word and the truth of the living God." My Bible was open at Psalm 68. and turning to it again my eye fell on the words in verse 6, "The rebellious dwell in a dry land." Corning so soon after her own confession the words struck me deeply—and oh, how dry that poor woman found her dwelling place. Surrounded by much that pleases the natural heart, yet away from God, refusing the rights of His blessed Son, denying His word about the punishment of sin and deliberately choosing the hazy notions of a fellow woman to the eternal truth of God,—dry indeed was her portion!
And what about yours, my reader? Are you rebellious?" Does your mind revolt at God's statement about you, that you are a lost, guilty, sinner, deserving nothing but the lake of fire for eternity, and hastening thither as fast as time can take you? Do you rebel at His sentence about you, and dare you to deny the truth of His word? If so, I pity you. "The pleasures of sin" may seem sweet for a moment, but they leave an aching dissatisfaction that nothing beneath the sun can remove: earth's streams of pleasure and gratification will soon dry up, and then? "A dry land" forever,—even that place where one drop of cold water to cool your parched tongue shall be denied. Be not deceived, reader; eternal punishment is a reality: the lake of fire is a reality; and your denial of them makes them none the less real.
But continuing the psalm, the same word attracted my attention again in verse 18. "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for man yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell among them.”
Is it possible? Gifts! and for the rebellious.! For those still in their stiff-nakedness and pride I Is there mercy for such? Bless God, there is! There is One come down from heaven ("for in that He ascended, what is it but that He descended first into the lowest parts of the earth?") not to do His own will but the will of Him that sent Him, the perfectly obedient One, "who became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Sinless and holy, untainted by the very thought of rebellion, the Christ of God went to Calvary, and there offered Himself without spot to God, the just for the unjust, paying the full penalty due to sin; and having exhausted all the wrath of God, He is risen and has gone back again,—"passed through all heavens," even to the right hand of the Majesty on high; and He has gone there with gifts in His hand,—gifts won by His obedience unto death; gifts purchased by His own blood. And for whom?
Oh, are you rebellious? They are then for you. Gifts which shall turn the barren land into the very dwelling place of God Himself. Gifts free, full, glorious forgiveness, justification, sanctification, eternal life—everything for this world and the next: everything that can satisfy the heart of God, so everything that could satisfy your heart, for it is all comprehended in the Lord Jesus Christ. And "how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
Can you rebel in face of this? Can you turn away from the grace of God and spurn His gifts? Can you reject His appointed Saviour and despise His blood purchased blessings? Oh friend, throw down your arms of rebellion, leave your "dry land," and accept from Him all that His loving heart is waiting to lavish upon you.
T.