A REMARKABLE example of the abundant grace of God is found in the case of J— D— of W—, a poor illiterate man, who had sunk, under the captivity of the devil and the awful dominion of sin, into most degrading ways, and become the sport and entertainment of other revelers in evil. A constant attendant at the public-houses in the village where he lived, he was in the habit of doing all kinds of out-of-the-way feats for the sake of drink. Amongst other attainments, he excelled in the biting off of beer mug handles, and the smashing of a glass between his teeth, until the blood flowed from his cut lips. Roars of laughter, and wicked and foolish jests accompanied these performances, and J— D—would return to his miserable home, drunk and penniless, often to fall out with his wife; sometimes, when worse than usual, to strike or fight with her.
This course of life continued for a long time, and doubtless Satan thought to lead his victim on, with thousands more, till death should come, and the lake of fire be his awful doom forever (Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)). But God, who is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:44But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4)), had set His heart of love upon this poor slave of the wicked one, to make him a monument of His mighty power and grace, for the glory of His own great name.
One day in harvest time, J— D—was sent by his master, a farmer, with a number of other men, to gather in a field of barley. The weather was unsettled, with occasional storms. In the course of his work, D— was in the act of stooping over some stalks of barley, when suddenly, from a small dark cloud that had gathered above their heads, there came a vivid flash of lightning, followed by a violent peal of thunder. D— was knocked down to the ground, as though by a blow on the back of the neck, partly stunned, but not hurt. As he fell, he was conscious that a young fellow-laborer, some six yards or so off, was also pitched forward over the sheaves. The other men ran to the spot to lift him up, but found to their horror and dismay that he was a lifeless corpse. The lightning had struck him on the upper part of his body, finishing its deadly work in his foot, upon which there was a large burnt wound. In an instant, without the slightest warning, his course on earth was closed, and his soul launched from time into eternity.
D—, recovering himself slightly, and finding his companion dead, was filled with terror. Falling upon his knees, then and there, he began earnestly to implore God for mercy. He thought that his end as to this world had come too, and that He was about to strike him dead also. The men led him away, in a very scared state, his body unhurt, but his soul greatly distressed. God had come in, in this deeply solemn manner, to arouse him to a sense of his sinful and lost state (Rom. 3:19,19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19) Luke 15.). Death, sin's wages, had overtaken the one; but, in His infinite mercy, He had spared the other. D—was conscious of this, and that God might also righteously have cut him off in his sins, and cast him into hell. But space was given him to repent.
Blinded, however, by Satan, as yet he was completely ignorant of God's plan of saving sinners, and for the moment only followed the thoughts and devices of his own deceived heart. The clergyman of the parish invited him to come to his church, and he would return thanks to God for sparing his life. D— did so, and continued to go, on and off, for several months, in the hope that his good and religious behavior of the present would make up, at least in some measure, for the misdeeds of the past. But all in vain. The fears of a guilty and awakened conscience are not to be allayed by religious doings. The mere external form of godliness is no solace for an anxious sinner. Reformation will neither put our sins away, nor bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). It is "not by works of righteousness which we have done" (Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)). "Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)). So found poor D—.
But the same God of all grace, who had aroused this guilty culprit, as related above, was still following him in His wondrous love, and in His own time and way brought him to the knowledge of Himself.
One day some evangelists arrived in the village where D— lived, and commenced preaching the glad tidings of God's grace to sinners, in a large room. Numbers flocked to hear the Word; amongst them D—'s wife. Pleased with what she had heard, she returned home, and when the time came for the next meeting, pressed her husband to go too. He went, and listened with rapt attention to the address. The subject was the conversion of the Philippian jailor. The preacher described in earnest tones the scene in Acts 16., the state of the godless jailor, hardened in sin, and how God sent a great earthquake to awaken this great sinner, leading to his anxious cry, " Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" He also referred to the terrible earthquake at Lisbon, when thousands were engulfed by the earth and sea, and cut off in their sins. D— was fairly broken down before God, deeply convicted of his sins, until his distress of soul became almost unbearable.
At the close of the meeting, a Christian in the room spoke to him, and perceiving the anxiety under which he labored, called the attention of the preacher. For some time they pressed upon him, from the Word, God's own way of saving sinners, through faith in His beloved Son, and then together knelt down before Him, asking His blessing. D— rose from His knees, resting on Christ and His finished work, proving the truth of the apostle's words to the jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," &c. (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
This was a bright moment indeed for poor D—. God had not only awakened, but saved him. In a moment, all his guilt was blotted out by the precious blood of God's dear Son, and his soul filled with joy and peace in believing (Rom. 15:1313Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13)). D— returned home that night, not merely an altered man, but a saved man; a sinner saved by grace (Eph. 2:5-85Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:5‑8)). The charm of the public-house was gone, and not a meeting was held for the spread of the Word but what D—, if possible, was present. And his whole course of life and ways are now a proverbial witness amongst his fellow-villagers, to the mighty change wrought in him by the Spirit of God.
And now, my reader, having told you the story of God's grace to this poor guilty one, let me ask you a plain question. How is it with you? Do not, I pray you, put this paper down without replying. Many read with interest and avidity the story about others, but avoid the application to themselves, like the elder son in the story of the prodigal, who asked what those things meant, but himself turned away, and refused the joys that were as free to him as to the guilty prodigal.
My reader, this same blessing of which you have read, is offered freely to you, also. Whatever your character—good, bad, or indifferent—according to men's thoughts, or whatever your religious creed, you need Christ as your Saviour. Have you received Him? Are you still at a distance from God, reveling in sin, or propping yourself up with a false religious profession; or have you come back to Him? He waits to welcome, pardon, save, all who come by Christ alone. Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever you have been or done, you need to be cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, to enable you to stand before Him. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). This was proved by J— D—
"There is a stream of precious blood,
Which flowed from Jesus' veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.”
Then, will you trust therein?
God has spared you, unconverted reader, and still pleads with you, inviting you to come to the Saviour to-day. But beware how you trifle with His grace. Death may overtake you, as it over-took the companion of poor D—, suddenly and unexpectedly. “Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee "(Job 36:1818Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. (Job 36:18))." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:3131It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)). But, praise be to His name, it is not yet too late. God offers you now a full and free salvation. Believe, and it is yours. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). Then will you be found saying, just as poor D— has often been heard to say since his conversion, “I’ve had many a happy hour since that night." Then,—
Come to the Saviour, make no delay,
Here in our midst He’s standing to-day;
Hear His own accents tenderly say,
Will you, poor sinner, come?”
E. H. C.
THE love of a young convert to Christ is apt to be exuberant, and this is a very refreshing thing.
As the soul deepens in the sense of Divine grace, the joy and love are quieter, but they need not be less real and true. W. T. P. W.