THE 29 MAY 83 OXFORD something ghost-like to hear sure as the throne of judg- 3 preaching, the tones were can now hear, and pass from 2 flattered nor changed. Out Christian, shall this year not the same rough, un- record for us words of grace 11 musical words as had entered. and faithfulness? May we speak 11 A most solemn meaning nothing that we would be was given to us there and ashamed to hear at Christ's passages in judgment-seat. What manner Scripture. Man's ingenuity of persons ought we to be in when one speaks, his voice strik- ing him, will he not be speech- ing against a mica disc, sets it in less? May the Lord set a motion. This presses a steel guard on our lips! I have in point against a quickly-revolving my possession that piece of cylinder covered with tinfoil, tinfoil which even man could which receives the impress of make me hear my own voice the point, which is an exact back from after millenniums representation of the vibrations had passed over me. And produced by the voice retaining think of the tinfoil of a man's its strength, tone, and character. life covered over with his oaths, As long as this tinfoil retains his lies, his licentious talk, his these impressions, the voice drunken songs, his idle words. may be heard exactly as it A man condemned by his own spoke upon the circle of mica. voice! A man hearing himself We were told that it could be at the Great White Throne, heard 200 times, and if pre- cursing his own soul, or blas- served, could be heard a thou-pheming God. sand or ten thousand years Reader, our only hope is in Published Monthly by HODDER & STOUGHTON, 27 Paternoster Row, London. neighbours, and sins (thought so plished through the once offer"SAVED FOR TO-MORROW." little of at the time) against God, ing of Himself reaches to toWHILE engaged in conversation This year of grace will then be morrow, for when He appears a few nights since regarding the a thing of the past, nothing but it will not be to their judgment, walk becoming a Christian, it judgment can he then receive. that He bore Himself on the seemed to me that he to whom Now, reader, we want you to cross, but to their salvation. I was talking, did not know search deeply and thoroughly, Let us suppose a case that is what a Christian was. I there- and to be assured beyond the physically impossible, yet spirifore said to him, "Are you possibility of mistake that you tually is (by the grace of God) saved?" He replied, "I don't have a salvation that will take of daily occurrence. The inbelieve that I am saved for to- you over that to-morrow, and corrigible criminal is sentenced, morrow." "Well," I replied, "I thus enable you to enjoy present is hanged, is dead. He is raised am not asking you about to- unhindered peace. again with a new life, a new morrow. Are you now saved?". The only way to get rid of an nature that loves good and not But his continual answer was, incorrigible criminal is to hang evil. Can the law again demand "I am not saved for to-morrow." him. He has been tried long his life? Can the sentence be Now I want to make two em- enough, he cannot be cured, he twice inflicted? The illustraphatic statements: The first is, has an inward propensity to tion is weak-we turn to the the salvation that does not evil, he lives neither to the glory blessed reality-Christ dies for include to-morrow is no salva- of God, nor to the good of his me, I am alive again in Him. tion at all. The second is, he neighbours. He cannot be The law cannot touch me now who is to-day saved, is neces-cured; the law righteously de- for two reasons. First, I have sarily saved for to-morrow also. mands his life-put him to already been condemned (in the Suppose the case of a man in death. Man is such a criminal, cross). Second, I am now in a failing business. His business and the point I want to make is Him who bore my condemnais steadily going down, he can-this, that the repentant sinner tion. As Rom. viii. 1 states, not stand the tide of depression, not only gets his past sins for-"There is therefore now no conbankruptcy stares him in the given through the precious blood demnation to them which are face. Now, of what avail is it of Christ, but he gets the penalty in Jesus Christ." My old nature for that man that he is to-day of death itself in Him. The (I speak of myself simply as a safe? That he is still in his life forfeited by the sinner has believer in common with others) store to-day is no comfort; he been given up by Christ. De-received its sentence on the sees that his ruin is inevitable, serving death, and under the cross, "Knowing this that our and delay but adds to his an-doom of death, Christ dies the old man is crucified with Him" guish, the dreaded to-morrow death for me, and now I am (Rom. vi. 6). The nature I now is before him, of what avail is beyond death. One word of have is of God (Rom. viii. 14). it that he does a little retail scripture here will have more Therefore I make the state L trade to-day? of what avail is it weight than mere argument. ment that, while a salvation that that you offer him a loan of five "Now, once in the end of the does not save from to-morrow pounds when he is involved for world hath He (Christ) appeared is no salvation, the salvation five hundred thousand? If you to put away sin by the sacrifice that every believer has is full do not save him from "to-mor- of Himself. And as it is ap- and thorough; he at once is row," you do not save him at all. pointed unto men once to die, taken beyond judgment, from Remove the possibility of his but after this the judgment, so the blessed fact that Christ bore ruin, and you give him peace; Christ was once offered to bear the judgment for him (John v. nothing else will do it. the sins of many, and unto them 24. He has eternal life now, a There is a dreaded to-morrow that look for Him shall He ap-free gift from the Shepherd who of judgment that shall inevit pear the second time without laid down His life for the sheep ably come upon a guilty world. sin unto salvation" (Heb. ix. 26- (John x. 15). He shall never A day when every secret work 28). It is by the sacrifice of perish, for no one is able to shall be brought into judgment, Himself that sin is put away, by pluck them out of His or the when every idle word shall be nothing else-it is that alone. Father's hand (John x. 28, 29). accounted for, when before the It is appointed unto men once eyes of the sinner shall be pre- to die; the law does not hang sented the long, long, black a man twice for the same ofcatalogue of his sins-sins of fence. He is once offered, thus heaven, and Christ is there. I malignant intention, sins of bearing the sins of many, and need a friend on earth, and the careless thought, sins against his plainly the salvation accom-Spirit is here. I NEED a Saviour; I have a Saviour. I need a friend in CEASE FROM YOUR OWN the blood that maketh an atone- in the spirit of legality, as if sion" (Heb. ix. 22); and, "It is was as another man; not now WORKS! ment for the soul" (Lev. xvii. man could purchase pardon or A NOTED clergyman had preach- 11). merit heaven, but as one who ed many years, but was still un- The words, "Cease from your had learned in the presence of converted. He was a man own works," wrought a mar- God, man's lost and ruined and thoroughly in earnest, thinking vellous work in his soul. A helpless condition, and had been that by his many praiseworthy perfect revolution took place in led through grace to renounce works he would be saved. His his mind as to the matter of his own works, and look by faith preaching savoured of the same. salvation. All that he had to Him who died on the cross It was the Church, and attend-done was useless, yea, sin, be- for him, but who now was enance at the church, and fasting, cause it had shut out Christ throned in glory. and many such like things, that as the Saviour from hell. His It was not now pressing the were to save those to whom Church proclaiming, his fasting, claims of the Church and her he preached. He himself fasted his daily round of service, and ritual, but spreading before the twice in the week, and pressed self-imposed religious duties, people the ruin of man, his the same, and "the Church," were seen to be so many veils to responsibility to God, the judge upon all his parishioners, whom hide Christ from his view, and of all, for all his sins, and that he visited regularly. But not- to be works which supplanted his only hope was in God who withstanding all, he had no (terrible sin!) the finished and had given His blessed Son to peace in his soul, no sense of all-perfect work of the blessed die, "the just for the unjust." the love of God to him.' Lord on the cross. He saw that He urged upon the people the One day he had been out upon his self-imposed duties were not necessity of renouncing works his round of visiting and work-acceptable to God as the means as the ground of acceptance ing, and had returned home of salvation, but were by Him with God, publicly confessing thoroughly discouraged and dis- denounced as "dead works," where he had been mistaken for tressed at heart, and on going and that one standing on that many years, and held out the into his study and closing the ground could only be con-blessed fact that "salvation was door after him, he threw himself demned. "By the deeds of the of the Lord." Now it was, upon the floor in agony of soul, law shall no flesh be justified "Look! behold the Lamb of and groaned out in prayer, in His sight, for by the law is God, which taketh away the sin "Lord, what wouldst thou have the knowledge of sin" (Rom. iii. of the world" (John i. 29). me do?" Immediately, as if 20). Suffice it to say, that all felt some human being was answer- What a change! After hav- the change, his sermons being ing him, he heard a voice say, ing "ceased from his own no longer dry and uninteresting, "Cease from your own works!" works," and taken his stand by but full of unction and power, These words sank like lead into faith on the expiring words of Christ was his text and Christ his poor, legal, distracted heart. Christ, "it is finished;" having was his subject. He now beIt was the voice of the Spirit believed in God who raised the lieved what he had never beof God to this earnest, devoted, Lord Jesus up from the dead, lieved before, that the "Gospel yet deceived soul. It brought "who was delivered for our was the power of God unto him to his senses. He was offences, and was raised again salvation to every one that bebrought to a full stop. In the for our justification," his soul lieveth." Blessed be God, many light of them, he surveyed his was filled with peace, and his were made to rejoice at the past life, and saw that he had conscience had rest. Joy and change, to renounce with him been deceived by Satan; that gladness took possession of his their own works, and to trust instead of, as a guilty sinner, by heart, and his lips were filled fully in Him "who loved them faith resting on the finished with praise. He proved the and gave Himself for them." work of Christ, and receiving inexpressible sweetness of the Thousands are deceived as him as his Saviour, he had been following words: "Therefore this dear man was, blinded by trusting to his own works, which being justified by FAITH, we their own vain efforts to save at best were defiled by sin, and have peace with God through themselves, led on by Satan in were the fruit of a misapprehen- our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom their false religious zeal, and, sion of God and his own state also we have access by faith into alas! how little do they know as a sinner, as well as being this grace wherein we stand, that they are rejecting God's positive neglect of that scrip- and rejoice in hope of the glory truth, and His blessed Son as ture, which says, "Without the of God" (Rom. v. 1-3). the Saviour of their soul. Buildshedding of blood is no remis- When next he preached it ing upon the sands of their own |