By:
Edited By W. T. P. Wolston.
ON arriving at my quarters in W― one day, I found a note had been left wishing me to go at once to the hospital and see E. L. I had known him for many years, he being a native of my own village. He had lived a loose and ungodly life, but would always take a tract from me and others. I had often given him that precious little Gospel Messenger, God’s Glad Tidings. I finished my rounds, and then hurried to the hospital, looking to the Lord for a word for this poor sinner.
There he lay, apparently very near the end, and without Christ. How deeply solemn! I sat down by his side, and while asking a few questions as to his sickness, a clergyman of W―came up to the bed. After speaking to E. L., he turned to me and asked who I was. I told him I was a friend who had come to see E. L, and that I should be very glad to take back word to B. that he was safe for glory. He turned to the dying man, who was earnestly looking at him, and said, “Ah, well, if he lives well, and takes steps upward, he will be all right for that,” and passed on. I turned to E. L. and tried to show him that it was impossible for a sinner in his sins either to live well or take steps upward, and that all his steps had hitherto been downward, down toward the lake of fire. I said the Lord Jesus had taken the downward steps “to Calvary’s depths of woe,” and that all his own working and trying were of no avail, for it was “to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)), and that God was not exacting anything from the poor sinner, but was a Giver, bestowing eternal life on all who would accept it.
I pointed out that the Lord Jesus came not to call the good ones, but sinners to repentance―that God did not ask him to do anything, but simply to believe what He says about His Blessed Son, how that He, the Just One, took the place of the unjust ones. He went down to death, and has now risen, having finished the great work of redemption to God’s thorough satisfaction, having met every claim of a righteous and holy God, and is now set down in the presence of God, having worked out a salvation for the vilest sinner out of hell, even for dear E.
He listened, and I believe drank the blessed news in, saying, “Oh, I wish I could feel it.” I told him God asked him not to feel, but to believe it. I left him with that precious word, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). I never saw him again, but hope to meet him in the glory. A Christian lady visited him a few days afterward, and told me she believed he was resting on Christ.
Perhaps you, my dear reader, have been trying to do something to be saved—to “live well,” to work out your salvation. God says, “Without shedding of blood is no remission.” “All your righteousnesses” (your best doings) “are as filthy rags.” The that step is down—down at Jesus’ feet, taking your place as a poor sinner, and resting in that work which He accomplished when He said, “It is finished,” and gave up the ghost.
Dear reader, what a delusion of the devil’s to tell a poor, lost, ruined, dead sinner to “live well, and” take steps upward.” The “living well” and “taking steps upward” all begin at Calvary’s cross, for “we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, “and it is” by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8, 98For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8‑9)). May God in His grace give any poor, working sinner who may read these lines to cast all his or her deadly doings down, down at Jesus’ feet, stand in Him―in Him alone, gloriously complete.
“Nothing, either great or small;
Nothing, sinner, no;
Jesus did it, did it all,
Long, long ago!
‘IT IS FINISHED,’ yes indeed,
Finished every jot;
Sinner, this is all you need:
Tell me, is it not?”
T. M.