It is wonderful to think of the many different ways in which G.o.d sends His Word home to our hearts. Spurgeon gives an instance of this. He was asked to visit a dying man who told him about his conversion. He said, "Some years ago I was at work in the Crystal Palace. G.o.d"s Spirit was striving with me and I felt the burden of sin. It seemed to follow me wherever I went. Suddenly a voice said to me distinctly, "Behold he Lamb of G.o.d which taketh away the sin of the world." [Footnote: St. John i. 29.] No one was near me, and I thought the message had come straight from G.o.d. I then saw clearly that Christ had died to save me, and ever since I have had joy and peace in believing."
Spurgeon listened to the dying man"s testimony with deep interest, and he remembered that on that very day he had gone to the Crystal Palace to test his voice in the transept before speaking at a People"s service which was to be held there, and had used that very text, "Behold the Lamb of G.o.d which taketh away the sin of the world."
Let us thank G.o.d that His Word is _perfect_ in converting he soul.
"The testimony of the Lord is _sure_, making wise the simple." It is well known that very often a man who is no scholar, but who is taught of G.o.d, is able to see deep truths which learned men fail to understand. Every time you read your Bible look up and say, "Lord, open Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." [Footnote: Ps. cxix. 18.]
Do not feel discouraged because you do not understand t all. There are many things which earthly fathers tell their children which they do not understand till they are grown up, but still they love to get father"s letters, and the Bible is our heavenly Father"s letter to us. Do you value it?
In the 8th verse of the 19th Psalm it says, "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart." I have seen many careworn faces lit up with joy when reading the Word. One man especially, who had a great deal of trouble and opposition in his home life, used to give his testimony at the Meeting. Opening his Bible in the 5th chapter of the Gospel of St. John he would read the 24th verse, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is pa.s.sed from death unto life."
Then he would tell us with a beaming face that it was his song of a.s.surance, for, as he said, there are three links, "He that _heareth_, _believeth_, _hath_--and "hath" means "got it," and I"ve got everlasting life. Jesus says it and I know it"s true." He is now in the glory, and maybe he is telling the angels about it.
If we had no Bible we should have no certainty that our sins are forgiven.
A little girl named Molly said to her aunt who was teaching her about Jesus, "How can I be sure that my sins are forgiven?" "Because G.o.d says so," [Footnote: i John i. 9.] was the reply, and then she repeated the text, "If we confess our sins, G.o.d is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Many say, "I believe in the forgiveness of sins," and yet they still carry about the burden of their sins. They see clearly how G.o.d can forgive sin, but they cannot realise that it is their own sins which are forgiven. This was the case with Luther. He tells us how, when he was distressed because of his sins, a friend pointed out to him that he would not have real peace unless he claimed G.o.d"s forgiveness for his _own _sins. It was like a new light flashing into his soul; he saw his mistake and looking up with a beaming face, he said, "I see it now--it is not other people"s sins, it is _my_ sins which are all forgiven!"
We must not estimate sin and forgiveness by our own standard. When we have given way to sin again and again we feel ashamed to ask G.o.d"s forgiveness so often but the wonder of it all is that G.o.d meets this very feeling of shame with the words, "My thoughts are not your thoughts"; and then He adds, "For I will abundantly pardon," [Footnote: 2 Isa. lv. 7, 8.] which means, I will repeatedly pardon. G.o.d"s thoughts of sin and His thoughts about forgiveness are far higher than ours. Sometimes I feel quite overwhelmed when I think of how great His forgiving love has been to me.
Look again at our Psalm, verse 7, "The testimony of the Lord is _sure_, making wise the simple." The word Testimony means an a.s.surance or a promise from G.o.d to the individual soul, and David had such confidence in G.o.d he is quite sure He will not disappoint him or fail to keep His word.
So he says, "The testimony, or promise, of G.o.d is _sure_." It is this certainty which makes David so happy.
He seems to be overflowing with joy, for he says, "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors," [Footnote: Ps. cxix. 24.] and again, "I love Thy testimonies." "Thy testimonies are wonderful, therefore doth my soul keep them. Thy testimonies that Thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful." [Footnote: Ps. cxix. 119, 129, 138.]
The word "Testimony" means also what G.o.d has commanded us to believe and also to practise.
A native convert in China said the other day, "I began by reading the Bible, but now I am _behaving_ it." This is what David means when he says, "My soul hath kept Thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly."
[Footnote: Ps. cxix. 167.]
The question was once asked at a meeting, "Can you point to any text in the Word of G.o.d which makes you sure you are saved and safe?" "I can,"
said one of the company, in a quiet firm voice. "It is John iii. 36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."
We have many bed-rock texts and that is one, as the beautiful old hymn says--
"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word."
I was summoned late one evening to see a dying man who had been brought to Christ through my Bible Cla.s.s. When I entered his room he looked up and said with a smile, "I sent for you because I want to tell you that I am quite safe, quite sure and quite satisfied. I am quite safe because Jesus died for me. I am quite sure because I have His Word for it. I am quite satisfied because I am going to be with Him in the glory."
The Word of G.o.d was written that we _might_ believe; to believe is to know, and to be quite certain. The word "believe" comes from an old root meaning "to live by." "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d." [Footnote: St. Matt. iv.
4.] Put your finger down on one of the many precious a.s.surances which G.o.d has given us in His Word, of the certainty of complete forgiveness and acceptance, and then look up into His face with loving grat.i.tude.
G.o.d"s pardon and acceptance are absolute and eternal; nothing can ever alter them. G.o.d wants us to know it and to live in the joy of it. Trusting His Word gives us safety, certainty and enjoyment.
If any sin comes into your mind and troubles you, dear child of G.o.d, do not carry it about with you, tell Father about it at once; confess it to Him and remember that you are under the cleansing Blood. "The Blood of Jesus Christ, G.o.d"s Son, cleanseth us from all sin." [Footnote: 1 John i.
7.] It has not only cleansed us once for all, but it is cleansing us now at the present moment.
It is important to remember that the whole purpose of the Bible is to give glory to G.o.d. It is the Everlasting Word of the Everlasting G.o.d. "The word of our G.o.d shall stand for ever." [Footnote: Isa. xl. 8.] Make the word of G.o.d _everything_. Receive its statements by faith as revelations of simple certainties. Find out how happy you are. "Happy is that people that is in such a case, yea, happy is that people whose G.o.d is Lord." [Footnote: Ps.
cxliv. 15.]
If we are walking with G.o.d in our daily life we need a light to show us the way. David knew well what it was to go along rough roads on dark nights, so he says, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." [Footnote: Ps. cxix. 105.]
Did you ever hear about Moody"s torch? One night Moody had to return home through a dark wood after one of his meetings, and the path was winding and rough, so a friend offered him a torch. Moody declined taking it, saying, "Thank you, but it is too small."
"It will light you home," said the man.
"But the wind may blow it out."
"It will light you home."
"But if it should rain?"
"It will light you home."
At last Moody started, taking the torch with him, and he said afterwards, "In spite of all my fears, it gave abundant light on my path all the way home."
Every promise in the Word of G.o.d is like Moody"s torch, and if we will take it and use it, we shall find as he did, that it will light us all the way to our Eternal Home. The Bible is the Book of light placed by our Master in the hand of faith that we may see clearly how to walk and to please G.o.d and how to deal wisely and kindly with those around us. It contains plain directions about everything in our daily life.
The Bible is a Revelation of G.o.d Himself. It is a direct communication from Him to us. There are four things made known to us in the Word which are of priceless value--
1. It proclaims a full, free salvation through faith in Christ. "To you is the Message of this Salvation sent."
2. It opens out to you the riches of grace and invites you to take them freely--freely--freely.
3. It opens "the door of faith" wide to the weakest sinner and even to you.
4. It gives a new life within, which transforms the soul and makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Our Lord says, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." [Footnote: St. John vi, 63.] Can you say, "Thy Word hath quickened me"? [Footnote: Ps. cxix. 50.]
Do not be satisfied with reading a chapter here and there. Read straight through. Why? Because the Bible has a beginning and an ending like any other book. It begins with the story of a friendship between G.o.d and man: we see man very happy in this friendship. Then something happens; you will find it in the third chapter of Genesis. Some one has come in between them and the friendship is broken. Still G.o.d is looking for His friend and calling him, "Where are you?" The answer comes from under the shadow of the trees. "I heard Thy voice and I was afraid and hid myself."
Now we come to the last words at the end of the Book, and we hear the same Voice saying, "I am coming back again very soon." It is the Voice of the same Friend, no longer sad but glad. "The darkness has all pa.s.sed away and the true Light is shining," [Footnote: I John ii. 8.] and will shine for ever: yes, it is sunshine all around, everlasting sunshine.
Where is the Bible? Do you keep your Bible where you can take it up whenever you have a few spare moments? Is it ready at hand so that you can read it before you go to bed at night? Do the children speak of it as "Mother"s book"? Do you turn to it for strength and comfort? Is it a _living_ book to you?
One of the most solemn things which G.o.d says to His rebellious people in olden times is that "they were casting His Words behind their backs." We are doing the same thing if the Bible is laid aside on the shelf, or put into the front room and allowed to remain unopened week after week. There can be no blessing in your home and in your life while you neglect the Word of G.o.d. It is this very word of G.o.d which will judge you at the last day.
Listen to Christ"s solemn warning: "He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him," which means you will not be left without a Judge. It is not a matter of small importance whether you read the Bible or not: it is a matter of life or death. A neglected Bible shows you are living without G.o.d; a neglected Bible shows you are living for this world only; a neglected Bible shows that your soul is dying of starvation; a neglected Bible means that though you may _think_ you can get on very well without it, Jesus _says_, "The Word that I have spoken the same will judge him in the last day." [Footnote: St. John xii. 48.]
The Bible is G.o.d"s Message to this present generation. Sometimes people want to lay it on one side as an old book which is out of date. It is the most up-to-date book in the world. It not only tells us of what is going on at the present moment, but about what will happen in the future. We see pictures in the daily papers of what people were doing yesterday and what they looked like, but in the Bible we have portraits true to life not only of what we are outwardly, but of the thoughts of our hearts. "The Word of G.o.d is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword: it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of the heart." [Footnote: Heb.
iv. 12.] We hear a great deal about the X-rays which show what is going on inside the body, but this is nothing compared to the Word of G.o.d which penetrates deep down into our inmost feelings and brings them to light. It is better to be searched and cleansed now, than to go on in the old way and then to stand before the great White Throne by and by, condemned to everlasting punishment.
Let us pray with David, "Search me, O G.o.d, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way Everlasting. Amen." [Footnote: Ps. cx.x.xix, 23, 24.]
ADDRESS VIII