An
atheist was once addressing a crowd of people in
the open air. He was trying to persuade them
that there was no God and no devil, no heaven
and no hell, no resurrection, no judgment and no
life to come. He advised them to throw away
their Bibles and not to mind what preachers
said. He recommended them to think as he did,
and to be like him. He talked boldly. The crowd
listened eagerly. It was 'the blind leading the
blind'. Both were falling into the ditch.
(Matthew 15:14)
In the middle of his address a poor old woman
suddenly pushed her way through the crowd, to
the place where he was standing. She stood
before him. She looked him full in the face.
'Sir', she said, in a loud voice, 'Are you
happy?' the atheist looked scornfully at her,
and gave her no answer. 'Sir', she said again,
'I ask you to answer my question. Are you happy?
you want us to throw away our Bibles. You tell
us not to believe what parsons tell us about
religion. You advise us to think as you do and
be like you. Now before we take your advice we
have a right to know what good we shall get by
it. Do your fine new notions give you much
comfort. Do you yourself really feel happy?'
The atheist stopped, and attempted to answer the
old woman's question. He stammered, and
shuffled, and fidgeted, and endeavoured to
explain his meaning. He tried hard to turn the
subject. He said, he 'had not come there to
preach about happiness.' But it was of no use.
The old woman stuck to her point. She insisted
on her question being answered, and the crowd
took her part. She pressed him hard with her
inquiry, and would take no excuse. And at last
the atheist was obliged to leave the ground, and
sneak off in confusion. He could not reply to
the question. His conscience would not let him:
he dared not say that he was happy.
To
be truly happy, the highest wants of a man's
nature must be met and satisfied. The requirements
of his curiously wrought constitution must all be
filled up. There must be nothing about him that
cries, 'Give, give', but cries in vain and gets no
answer.
The
true Christian is the only happy man, because his
conscience is at peace. That mysterious witness
for God, which is so mercifully placed within us,
is fully satisfied and at rest. It sees in the
blood of Christ a complete cleansing away of all
its guilt. It sees in the Priesthood and
meditation of Christ a complete answer to all its
fears. It sees that through the sacrifice and
death of Christ, God can now be just, and yet be
the justifier of the ungodly. It no longer bites
and stings, and makes the possessor afraid of
himself. The Lord Jesus Christ has amply met all
its requirements. Conscience is no longer the
enemy of the true Christian, but his friend and
advisor. Therefore he is happy.
The
plain truth is that without Christ there is no
happiness in this world. He alone can give the
Comforter who abideth forever. He is the Sun;
without Him men never feel warm. He is the Light;
without Him men are always in the dark. He is the
Bread; without Him men are always starving. He is
the Living Water; without Him men are always
athirst. Give them what you like - place them
where you please - surround them with all the
comforts you can imagine - it makes no difference.
Separate from Christ, the Prince of Peace, a man
cannot be happy.
Come
to Him, imploring Him to show you His mercy, and
grant you His salvation to wash you in His own
blood, and take your sins away - to speak peace to
your conscience, and heal your troubled soul. Tell
Him all this unreservedly. This is coming to
Christ.
You
have everything to encourage you. The Lord Jesus
Himself invites you. He proclaims to you as
well as to others, '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) Wait for
nothing. You may feel unworthy. You may feel as if
you did not repent enough. But wait no longer.
Come to Christ.
You
have everything to encourage you. Thousands have
walked in the way you are invited to enter, and
have found it good. Once, like yourself,
they served the world, and plunged deeply into
folly and sin. Once, like yourself, they became
weary of their wickedness, and longed for
deliverance an rest. They heard of Christ, and His
willingness to help and save: they came to Him by
faith and prayer, and after many a doubt and
hesitation - they found Him a thousand times more
gracious than they had expected. They rested on
Him and were happy: they carried Him cross and
tasted peace. Oh, walk in their steps! I beseech
you, by the mercies of God, to come to Christ. As
ever you would be happy, I entreat you to come to
Christ. Cast off delays. Awake from you past
slumber: arise, and be free! This day come to
Christ.
