A “HERMIT” is a strange kind of man who chooses to live alone in some out-of-the-way place, rather than in a town or city with other people. I heard lately of one called the “Hermit of Skiddaw,” and thought that the little readers of GOOD NEWS might like to hear something about him too. Skiddaw is the name of one of the highest mountains in this country, the top of it being more than 3,000 feet high, and the person I am going to tell you of lived in a hole or cave about half way up the side of it. Cold and lonely as it was in the winter, he stayed there all the year round, rather than come and live like other men in a comfortable home. Why he chose to live on in such a way, year after year, I really cannot tell you, except that it was his own will to do so. I think sometimes of the Lord Jesus becoming so poor, and such a stranger in His own world that He had not “where to lay His head,” but then He came to do the will of His Father who sent Him, and He did it in every step of His life. And then it was His grace and love towards us too, as it says, “For your sakes He became poor, that ye, through His poverty, might be rich.” He would sometimes choose to be all alone on the mountain top, as we read in one place, about His rising up in the morning “a great while before day,” and going out into “a solitary place.” And another time He stayed in a mountain all night but both times it tells us He went there to pray to His Father, and we have no doubt He often did so. It was not, however, to be alone with God that this hermit lived apart from other men; for at the time I am telling you of, he had not learned to look to God as his best Friend, and so he did not care to spend so much time speaking to Him. It is a good thing when we have found out in God’s presence how sinful and how weak we are. We say, “Lord, save, or we perish,” and we find He is waiting to save. The work of Christ on the cross is a “finished” work, and it is by that sacrifice that sin is “put away,” for all those who, as undone sinners, believe in the Lord. Jesus who did that work. And then when we are saved, and do know Him who has saved us, we find we need His help and strength every day and hour. We find more and more how weak we are in ourselves, and we say—
“As weaker than a bruised reed,
I cannot do without Thee.
I want Thee here each hour of need,
Shall want Thee, too, in glory.
But this man had not yet learned how precious Christ is to those who know Him, and his desire was to be quite alone: I can tell you he was not very happy.
After a while he became tired even of the place, and he then came to live in a wood, about four miles from the town of B—, in Westmoreland. At that time he wore no coat nor any shoes, and ate dry bread. He had one thin woolen shirt, and when he washed it, he used to put it on again directly, and let it dry on his back. Many other strange things he used also to do, but I need not stop to tell you about them, as I want rather to tell you how the Lord met with this poor lonely’ man. There lived in the town of B—, a person who was an invalid, and never went out of doors, but who was very happy in knowing some little of that wonderful “love of Christ which passeth knowledge.” He had heard a good deal about “the hermit,” and desired very much to see him, especially as he heard that he came sometimes to B—. One day when he was passing, the wife of this Christian man saw, him, and invited him to come in: of course, she was quite a stranger to him, but the thought of some one wishing to see him pleased him, and he consented. They had some very pleasant conversation, and it turned out that, although he had been living alone so long, he was a clever painter, both of portraits and landscapes. His friend undertook to get colors for him from Loudon, so as to help him to get a living for himself, instead of doing as he had been; and from that time they met almost every day. Many times he was spoken to about the blessed Saviour, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world; and he always took it kindly, but he knew full well that his sin was not taken away. After a while he became very thoughtful about it, and although he said nothing in words, the big tears would roll down his hard cheeks, and all his manner seemed to say, Go on and tell me more about your Saviour. One day his friends invited him to go to hear a servant of Christ, who had been a soldier, preach the gospel on the pier, and the Lord so blessed it to him, that he found peace in believing, and told them the next day how he could now see the wonderful love of God in giving Jesus to die for his sins. And now, having as it were met with Christ, his great concern was to learn what the will of God about him was. Like Saul of Tarsus, when he had met with the Lord Jesus on his way to Damascus, he said, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” And he soon procured for himself a copy of the “Holy Scriptures,” that he might read for himself, and “learn of” Him who had given him “rest” (Matt. 11:28, 29). Most happy and blessed was this change from darkness to light, and truly the fruits of the new life God had given him were seen in his ways; but it was “the Lord Himself” who filled his heart, and he loved to speak of Him. He gladly did so to the numbers of lads and men who came to him in the wood; only, alas they did not care to hear of their own best Friend, and soon left off coming to the man who now cared not to talk to them of anything else. I need not tell you that now he was “in his right mind” he was soon decently “clothed” (Mark 5:15). His heart, too, was filled with the precious things of Christ, which had now become so real to him, and very ‘much the Lord’s people enjoyed conversing with him about them. One day his friend at B― observed that he was again without a coat, and was half afraid that he had slipped out of the Lord’s company, and was going on as he used to. He asked him about it, and his answer was, Well, I met a poor man this morning coming to B—to see the doctor. He was in the last stage of consumption. My heart burned towards him, so I told him of my Saviour and my Lord; and after that I was so sorry to see him with such a poor coat on, and he was so cold, that I gave him mine. You know I can soon earn another, and he cannot, poor fellow.” His friend was very thankful to hear his story, and could not but think of the One who stripped Himself of all He had, and became poor, that we might be rich towards God (John 14:23).
“Rich in glory, Thou didst stoop:
Thence is all Thy people’s hope.
Thou waft poor, that we might be
Rich in glory, Lord, with Thee.”
Much more I could tell you about, this dear soul, and of his value for the precious Word of God, but I must stop now. If the Lord comes soon, as I believe He will, we shall see this child of God, who was once the Hermit of Skiddaw, and he can tell us himself of his happiness in knowing Christ. But do take care, dear child, that you do not neglect this “great salvation” yourself. The same Lord Jesus who saved that hermit is a Saviour for you if you will have Him, and there is “no other name” by which we can be saved. He is the Saviour: you are the one who needs Him, and now is the time.
W. TY.