08 Chap 4 Salvation is Brought near
CHAPTER IV.
SALVATION IS BROUGHT NEAR.
Isaiah l56:1.-Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Isaiah 51:5.-My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth. When John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, he said, " Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 3:1-2. And when the Lord Jesus began to preach, he too delivered the same sermon. Matthew 4:17. The truths of the gospel will bear repetition. The salvation of which it speaks, is great, and worthy of our acceptance. But this would not avail, if we could never obtain it. It is not far off. It is brought near unto us. It is placed, as it were, within our reach ; and we hate but to stretch forth our hand and grasp the prize. Salvation is brought near in the Scriptures. " I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," saith Paul, " for therein is the righteousness of God revealed,"-the righteousness provided for our salvation. Romans 1:16-17. The light of nature teaches that we are sinners. God is perfect; so must his works be ; and man came perfect -from his hands. But he is now full of imperfection and of sin. How may sin be forgiven ? On this point the book of nature is silent. It has not a line of a Saviour; it speaks not a word of Jesus. It is in the Bible, and in the Bible alone, that we read of forgiveness with God. " With him is plenteous redemption." Psalms 130:4, Psalms 130:7. The Bible reveals, the way of life. It makes plain the scheme of mercy. It tells us of our exposure. It reveals to us what has been done to save us. It speaks of Jesus "Jesus, the name that calms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease."
It brings good tidings of great joy; it proclaims a Saviour, Christ the Lord-Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Luke 2:10-11. 1 Corinthians 2:2. You have the Bible. It is in your dwelling and in your hands. You may read it daily. And whenever you read, salvation comes near. How often have you read ! And when you have read the sacred page, or heard it read, God has brought nigh to you the salvation of his Son. Yea, even if you refuse to read, the fact that the Bible is in your house, is proof that salvation is near. " Search the Scriptures," saith Jesus, for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39. The Bible neglected is salvation neglected ;’ the Bible unread is the ruin of the soul. O, how many Bibles will witness to the everlasting condemnation of their owners in the great day ! Reader, will not your Bible be among the number? However men may swear falsely on the Bible in courts of justice, the Bible itself will never be a false witness at the bar of God. It is the truth of its testimony which you will have reason to fear, because you have not given heed to the great salvation which it has brought near to you, and urged upon your acceptance.
Salvation is brought nigh in a preached gospel, and in the ordinances of the Christian church. " Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith, speaketh on this wise, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:5-10. To preach the gospel is to preach the Lord Jesus as an atoning, an all-sufficient and the only Saviour. It is to preach our ruin by the fall, and our redemption by Christ. It is to preach salvation, a free salvation, through the death of Jesus. This is the commission he gave," Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15. He also said, " Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47. The design of preaching-and of this volume-is to convince you of your sin, and misery, and danger, and lead you to Christ for pardon and eternal life.
We try to be instrumental in your salvation. We pray the word may be to you " the savour of life unto life, and not of death unto death." 2 Corinthians 2:16. Whenever you hear the gospel preached, you are reminded of your sinfulness and pointed to the Lamb of God. Ours is an errand of mercy. We bring you a message of life; and whatever may be the ’reception you give our, message, we may say with all earnestness-" Be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Luke 10:9-11. You may day, "As for the word that thou hest spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee." Jeremiah 44:16. Yet still it brings salvation nigh ; and if you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, (Acts 10:46,) we may pity you, but we cannot help it. When we have delivered the message and committed it to God in prayer, our work is done; it is for you to receive or reject it. Yet it brings the blessing near; for Jehovah says, " My salvation is near to come ;" yea, my salvation is gene forth in the gospel message. Nor is it from the pulpit alone that the news of salvation reaches you. You hear it in the warnings and exhortations of Christian friends; you read it on the printed page, in the evangelic volume and the religious tract. These have come to you as leaves from the tree of life. They have spoken in terror and in love. They have alarmed and melted; drawn forth the sigh and the tear; spoken of hell, of heaven, of the cross, and brought salvation to your very heart. Again in this little book you read the words of life, and have the offer of salvation repeated ; and if you perish, it will not be because you are ignorant of the way of life.
Salvation is also brought near in the ordinances of the Christian church. In baptism, regeneration is signified; and it also seals our ingrafting into Christ and our adoption into the family of God. In the Lord’s Supper we see the emblems of the Saviour’s broken body and shed blood. We are here reminded of our sinfulness, of the great sacrifice for sin, and of the necessity of faith in order to salvation. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; therefore we keep the feast. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. With the emblems, bread and wine, before us, we seem to hear the Saviour saying, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." John 6:53. And while they remind us of the price paid for our redemption, they also serve to bring salvation nigh. They have a voice which speaks to the heart, an eloquence which might move and melt an adamant. Salvation is brought near in the offers and invitations of the gospel. Jesus not only offered himself on the cross for sin, but he also offers himself to sinners. He makes a free offer of himself to all who hear the gospel, and to all who read it. He offers to be their prophet, priest and king; their Redeemer and Saviour. He said to Zaccheus, " This day is salvation come to this house." Luke 19:9. So in every offer he makes of himself to you, he says, " This day is salvation come to you." Yes, it comes in the person of the blessed Jesus, who saith, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20. And how full, and free, and precious, are the invitations of the gospel ! " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread ? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." Isaiah 55:1-3. " if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." John vii. " And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.-And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22:17. " " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me : for I am meek and lowly in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30. These are some of Christ’s gracious invitations: How sweet their charming sound ! How often have you heard them ! And as often has salvation been brought to your very door-to your inmost soul-and you have had the privilege of accepting or rejecting it. Yea, you have accepted or rejected it ! And at this very moment, when the offer is again made, and the invitation again given, you must, and you do, either accept or reject it ! "Behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2. " O that you were wise, that you understood this, that you would consider your latter end." Deuteronomy 32:29.
Salvation is brought near by the strivings of the Spirit. The word of God does not always go alone. Sometimes it is heard with indifference; at others with deep and tender interest. Why is this but because the Spirit, who is a sovereign, and moves when and where he pleases, does, at times, prepare the heart to receive the truth, and accompany the truth with power to the heart? Thus Paul declares to the Corinthians,-" For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:2-5. It is the Spirit that gives efficacy to the truth, and makes it the power of God and the wisdom of God to the salvation of souls. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 1:24. And have you never felt him operating upon your heart Have you not had times of unusual seriousness Ah, you have been convinced of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. John 16:8. The truth has often come home to you with unwonted power ; you have thought of your soul, of the Saviour, and of the judgment : it was the Spirit bringing salvation near, and convincing you of your need of it! Even now you may feel his influences. O, resist him not. Grieve him not away. He comes to bring salvation to you, to woo you to the cross, to renew your heart and save your soul.
Salvation is brought nigh when the gospel message meets our eyes or reaches our ears. It is written,-" Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound." Psalms 89:15. And the Saviour said, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear." Matthew 13:16. The gospel is glad tidings of salvation. How often have you heard these tidings ! Sabbath after Sabbath you have heard. You have heard from the ministers of Christ ;- by the admonition of friends; from the Bible and the tract; and now again you hear. This book speaks in the name of the Lord. Its message is to you. ’ It brings salvation. O, how near is it brought ! Choose this day whom you will serve. Resolve with Joshua, " As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15. Salvation is brought near when the word enters into our understandings. The gospel is so plain, the way of life is so clearly revealed, "that the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Isaiah 35:8. "He may run that readeth it." Habakkuk 2:2. Yet we may hear the gospel, or read it, and not understand it. And if when we hear, or read, salvation is brought near, it is brought still nearer when we understand the word. And has not the word entered into your understanding? Are you not acquainted with your danger as a sinner ? Do you not know what has been done to save you? And do you not know what you must do to be saved? O how many have a perfect understanding of the gospel, and yet neglect the great salvation! And their doom may be written, " Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not !
Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not!
These are the words to which the harps of grief Are strung; and, to the chorus of the damned, The rocks of hell repeat them, evermore;
Loud echoed through the caverns of despair, And poured in thunder on the ear of woe."
Salvation is brought near when the word reaches the conscience. It may be read, or heard, and understood, and yet the conscience be undisturbed. Sin stupefies the conscience ; it often sleeps when it should be awake. But there are times when the word enters the conscience ; the sinner is convinced of his sins, and the word is fulfilled,-" twill reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." Psalms 1:21. By whatever means conscience is aroused to do its office, when the sinner feels its reproofs, salvation. is then brought near, for then he feels his need of deliverance from sin and wrath. These checks and reproofs admonish of coming punishment; they point to the wrath to come, and show the sinner his need of the Saviour. How often have you felt reproved and condemned by your own conscience! It may have been in the hour of retirement, upon your bed in the silence of the night, or when you have read the Bible, or stood by the grave of a friend, or when listening to the word of God, or when lying upon a sick bed, or when reading some tract or volume;-and it may be that even now conscience admonishes you of neglected duty, "Points you to the coming wrath; And warns you from that wrath to flee;"- and then how near is salvation to you! The word is not only in your mouth; it is in your very soul ; you feel its power there; it renders you ill at ease in your sins, and points you to the only way of peace and safety. Yes, reader, salvation is near to you. An all-sufficient righteousness is offered for your justification. A divine Redeemer invites you to his bosom ; and your own conscience cries, " Escape for thy life ; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain: escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." Genesis 19:17.
Salvation is brought near when the word enters the heart and makes some impression there. Not only may the conscience be aroused to do its office, but the judgment may be convinced and the affections moved and excited. Men may be, and they often are, deeply impressed by the truth and Spirit of God. They may feel that they ought at once to close with Christ and become his followers. They may be almost persuaded to become Christians. Acts 26:28. And have there not been periods inyour history when this might have been affirmed of you? Have there not been times when you were seriously impressed, and when you were on the very point of deciding for God; on the very point of surrendering yourself to Jesus Christ, and choosing that good part which shall not be taken away? Luke 10:42. How near was salvation then! You were at the very gate of, heaven! A little more, and you would have entered ; a little more, and eternal life would have been yours! O, that little ’More If you are lost, how bitter will be the reflection, that you went almost to Jesus, but not quite I almost to heaven, but not quite! O reader, your soul, your precious soul, shall it be lost? Lost, when salvation is so near ! Lost, with a bleeding Saviour offered to you! Lost, with the blessed Spirit striving with your heart, and when almost persuaded to be a Christian! O close with Christ now, and the place where you are will be to you the house of God not only, but the very gate of heaven! Genesis 28:17. Salvation is near to you now; but by and by it will be as far from you as heaven is from hell. Soon there may be an impassable gulf between you and salvation ; and you may look for salvation, but it will be far off from you. Isaiah 59:11. O then accept it now when it is near!
Let me admonish you that the Bible, and the religious book and tract, should be read, and the gospel heard, with seriousness and prayer. They bring life and immortality to light. They speak of the great salvation. It becomes us to be serious and prayerful when things of so great moment are brought before us. "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools." Ecclesiastes 5:1. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25. The day of death is approaching, and the day of judgment, and how can we be prepared to meet them, while neglecting the worship of God, or hearing the word with indifference, or treating the printed page with neglect ? It is a solemn thing to live in the circumstances in which God has placed us. It is, as all admit, a solemn thing to die; but it is no less solemn to live, for we live to die, and our death will be as our life is. This is a state of trial. Means of grace are enjoyed ; salvation is provided and brought near; we are surrounded by religious appliances ; God has given us precept upon precept, and line upon line. Isaiah 28:10; monitory lessons are taught us on every hand; and every step we take is big with character and with destiny. Yet how carelessly we live! We sport on the brink of the grave and of eternity. God speaks, but we refuse to listen; the Saviour calls, but we will not hear; the Spirit strives, but we will not yield to his influences; salvation is brought near, offered to us, pressed upon us, but we care not for it. We should accept the proffered mercy ; we should receive the gift of eternal life; but we do not, we will not. We choose the broad road which leads to death, and perish because we will: for if we reject that which is brought so high, it will very soon be far removed from us, and we shall lament our folly when it is too late. " In the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly." Jeremiah 23:20. How much better to think now, and turn to God and live! Why has salvation been provided? Why is it offered? Why brought near and urged upon you, but that you might be, saved! O make it your business, now to seek salvation! " Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." Matthew 6:33.