I RECENTLY came across the undernoted incident, and desire to use it as an illustration of the heading of this paper.
It seems that many years ago a poor washer-woman who, with others, earned a scanty living by washing at the riverside near Glasgow, and whose only possession was the tub in which she carried on her business, fell into the Clyde. The river being deep and the current strong, her danger was imminent as no help apparently was at hand. Suddenly, however, a man, a well known swimmer who had saved many lives, plunged into the water, and by extreme exertion, and well nigh at the cost of his own life, succeeded in rescuing the object of his solicitude.
The old woman had been so long under water that animation was suspended, and no little effort was required before consciousness returned. When it did, what do you think were the first words that coming from her lips made known to those around her that she had really come back, as it were, from death to life? Well, it was not any expression as to her feelings while in the jaws of death, or of anxiety as to her home, her family, her friends—nor of her joy in being rescued. No, her words were these, “Oh, how I want to see the man that saved me.” He heard, and was at once at her side. Then she said, " Oh, sir, you've saved me; and I've naught in the world save you tub; but, oh! if you'll take it, you are welcome with all my heart." The man, astonished and gratified, made no reply, but taking off his hat, he went round collecting from the assembled crowd. Quickly coming back, he poured all he had received into her lap, making her rich in a way she had never in her life either experienced or expected.
Reader, has this no voice for you? Do you know what it is to be "without strength," lost, drowned in your sins, and that, because it was so, Jesus, the Son of God, became the Son of man in order “to seek and to save that which was lost"? Have you really acquainted yourself with that Blessed One who, like unto a merchantman seeking goodly pearls, having found one pearl of great price, “went and sold all that He had and bought it.”
He left the throne of glory and came down here, where He had no place to lay His head; yet going so into the depths to deliver sinners that He exclaimed, " All Thy waves and all Thy billows are gone over me " (Psa. 42:77Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (Psalm 42:7)). Yes, indeed, so it was, that in order to save you and me from the judgment to come, Christ " once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God " (1 Peter 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)). That suffering under the judgment of our sins on the cross extorted from Him the agonizing cry, " My God, My God, why halt Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:4646And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)). Trusting Him, you are on the Rock of Ages, which can never be moved. Believing Him and the mighty work He accomplished when He made purification for sins, you have redemption, the forgiveness of your sins (Col. 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)). Thus are you saved now and forever—not from a watery grave, but—from eternal judgment and the lake of fire. Old things will have passed away, and all become new, as we are now in the risen and ascended Christ, “who of God is made to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)).
But what about Himself? He asks no reward, but shall we not delight to give up our "tub"? And like blind Bartimaeus, the blest and happy beggar, shall we not cast away our garment and follow Jesus in the way?
He has not only saved us, but has poured all His spoils into our lap. We were once heirs of wrath, but are now heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Speaking of His own to the Father He says, " The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them " (John 17:2222And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22)). If it be so, and it is, must not the language of our hearts also be that we shall not be satisfied until we too see His face and His name shall be in our foreheads (Rev. 22:44And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. (Revelation 22:4))? W. N. T.