IT was a storm at sea; the waves, rising “mountains high,” broke against the little vessel, washing over her decks, and threatening each moment to engulf her, while she rocked and reeled, and her timbers creaked ominously. Anxious faces crowded the deck. Sailors hurried to and fro, making everything as safe as possible for the struggle with the storm. Many an anxious glance was turned to the captain’s face, while voices which an hour before were heard in loud laughter, as coarse jests came from comrades’ lips, were hushed to a solemn tone; for their owners knew not whether they were going to live or die. One heart at least was calm in the midst of the turmoil; for one young man on board knew something of the God in the hollow of whose hand the waters were. As he stood quietly listening to the roar of the storm, silently admiring the wild play of the waves, an aged woman approached him, fear and anxiety pictured in her face. Pity for the helpless creature filled his heart, and he thought, “I shall tell her about Christ.” Turning to her, he said gently, “Does not all this show us how necessary it is to be ready to meet God?”
“Ah! yes, sir; but we must work for that.”
“Work for it I indeed we must not, ma’am. I will tell you a story. There was once a great King who lived in a beautiful place. He had a great many subjects; for His kingdom extended far and wide. Now this King was very considerate and kind to His people, withholding nothing from them that was for their good, always thinking of them, doing everything to serve them; for He had a heart of love. One would have thought that they would have given Him nothing but love in return for all this; but it was just the contrary. Not one of them loved Him, and instead of being grateful and trying to please Him, they did everything in their power to injure His interests. Indeed every one of them, high and low, rich and poor, rose up in rebellion against Him. In that kingdom the penalty for rebellion was death, and the laws of it never altered; for the King was righteous and just as well as kind and merciful.
“He saw His people were in a desperate case, and His kind heart was grieved to think of the fate they had earned for themselves. And what do you think He did? He had one only Son, whom He loved above everyone and everything, and the Prince being, like His Father, of a kind and tender heart, they took counsel together as to how the poor people were to be saved from death. The King said, ‘You shall humble yourself and die for them.’ And the Prince said, ‘Truly I will; for I delight to do as you wish.’ And so it was determined that the Prince should die in order to save the rebels, and so precious was His life to the King that it was worth more than all theirs put together. The day agreed upon came, and the Prince laid aside His greatness, and alone He came forth. The wicked enemies of the King laid hold upon Him, and hanged Him on a gibbet, and there He died a shameful death — the death of a thief or a murderer.
“Now that the punishment was borne by a Substitute, the King could righteously proclaim a free pardon to every rebel in His wide dominions who would accept it. All that they had got to do was just to come to the King and lay down their arras, and they were to receive a, full and free pardon. Heralds were sent far and wide to proclaim the good news to every rebel in the kingdom.
“Some, whose hearts were broken by the Prince’s kindness, came and laid down their arms at the King’s feet, and became His faithful servants; others refused, and continued in rebellion, so that there was no other course open to the King but to allow the sentence of the law to be executed upon them; and they deserved it, did they not?
“Now I shall explain to you the meaning of my story.
“That great King is God; you and I and every poor sinner, the people who rose up in rebellion against Him. The kind Prince, who gave up His life, is the Lord Jesus Christ; and on the ground of that work which He did on the cross at Calvary, God can righteously proclaim a free pardon to every sinner who believeth on Him. You see we are not asked to do anything to earn it, because the Lord Jesus did that; we are besought to be reconciled to God upon the ground of His Son having borne the judgment that we deserved for our sins, and His blood is so precious to God that the very worst sinner who comes to Him He will not cast out, because that blood has atoned for his sins. God Himself has freely provided salvation through the death of His own Son; all we have to do is by faith to receive it from Him.”
Alas! how strange and unaccountable the perverse refusal of man’s heart to take salvation from God as a free gift. There was a poor old sinner, as it then appeared standing on the very brink of a watery grave; God’s full, free, eternal salvation had been faithfully offered to her, and what do you think she said in reply? It was an answer which chilled the heart of God’s messenger while it belied the heart of his Master. Clearly and deliberately, as she looked in the young man’s face, came the words of the Christ-rejecter, “Ah! yes, sir; but we must work for it; we must work.”
Do you not think that that old woman was a fool? I do; for God says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Pray. 28:26); and she believed what her heart told her. But, reader, are you wiser, or are you going on rejecting God’s Son for your righteousness? thinking, forsooth! that your own poor filthy rags of righteousness will cover you in God’s presence? God says they are filthy rags. Look at His word for yourself in Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6) — “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” How then can you dare to appear before God in them? If you do, it will be only to be hurled with them into the lake of fire, where they will all be consumed, and you will be left a naked sinner, to your everlasting shame. Christ is the only robe in which God will receive you. Appearing in Him there can be no condemnation for you; for He is beautiful before God’s eye; and seeing you in Him, you will be beautiful to Him as His well-beloved Son is. “Comely through my comeliness, which I put upon thee, saith the Lord.” (Ezekiel 16:1414And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 16:14).)
How silly, it seems to you, for that old woman to talk of having to work in order to save her soul, there in the midst of the ocean, in a storm, with but one frail, creaking board between her and eternity! But are you surer of a long life than she was? Not a bit surer. Another morning’s sun may never rise for you; tomorrow morning you may be in hell. God says, “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).) Dare you say, “Tomorrow”? He does not promise you salvation for another day.
Think for one moment of the price which your salvation cost Him! Listen to the anguished cry of His broken heart when He “looked for comforters, but found none.” “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of His fierce anger.” (Lamentations 1:1212Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:12).) Poor cold, selfish heart, let in the warm rays of His love! Let Him have the joy of saving you, and of laying you on His shoulders and bearing you home rejoicing (Luke 15:55And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (Luke 15:5)), home to the bright “palace of His glory,” which once He left for love of us, that He might have the joy of taking us to Himself there! Let Him have this joy in return for all His anguish, and then share His joy for all eternity.
E. L. W.