Part 5 (1/2)

REDEEMER.

Supposing I saw a man tumble into a river, and I were to jump in and rescue him, I should be a saviour to him--I should have saved him. But when I brought the man ash.o.r.e, I should probably leave him, and do nothing further.

But the Lord does more. He not only saves us, but He redeems us--that is, buys us back. He ransoms us from the power of sin, as if I should promise to watch over that rescued man for ever, and see that he did not again fall into the water. The Lord not only saves us from spiritual death, but He redeems us for ever that death can never touch us.

LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES.

When I was at Richmond, U.S., the coloured people were going to have a meeting. It was the first day of their freedom. I went to the African church, and never before or since heard such bursts of native eloquence. ”Mother,” said one, ”rejoice to-day. Your little child has been sold from you for the last time; your posterity are for ever free. Glory to G.o.d in the highest! Young men, you have heard the driver's whip for the last time; you are free to-day! Young maidens, you have been put up on the auction-block for the last time!” They spoke right out, they shouted for joy; their prayers had been answered, it was the gospel to them. In like manner Jesus Christ proclaims liberty to the captives. Some have accepted it; some, like the poor negroes, scarcely believe the good tidings; but it is none the less true. Christ has come to redeem us from the slavery of sin.

Now, who will accept of that redemption? There was one coloured woman, a servant in an inn in the Southern States, who could not believe she was free. ”Be's I free, or be I not?” she asked of a visitor. Her master told her she was not, her coloured brethren told her she was.

For two years she had been free without knowing it. She represents a great many in the Church of G.o.d to-day. They can have liberty, and yet they don't know it.

3. Again, Christ is our

DELIVERER.

The children of Israel were not only saved and redeemed from the bondage of the Egyptians, but they were also _delivered_, that they should not be led back again into bondage. Many are afraid; they think they are not able to hold on, and therefore shrink from making a profession. But Christ is able to keep you from falling; He is able to deliver you in the dark hour of trial and temptation, from every evil device of Satan, and from the snare of the fowler.

In Isaiah xlix. 24, we read: ”Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” I will save him; I will deliver him. The children of Israel were _saved_ from the cruel bondage of Egypt, they were led out of the land of Goschen; but still they were not fully _delivered_. The great host of the Egyptians was thundering behind them. It was not till they had pa.s.sed safely through the Red Sea, which closing behind them, swallowed up the host of the enemy--it was not till then that they were free, that they were delivered.

And similarly in our times of danger we shall find it to be true of Christ, ”He delivered my soul”; and again in Job x.x.xiii. 24, ”Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth! he shall pray unto G.o.d, and He will be favourable unto him: and he shall see His face with joy: for He will render unto man His righteousness. He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.”

Here we have the saving, the redeeming, the deliverance from the pit.

Man is fallen into the deep pit, he is kept there a lawful captive by one who is mighty. If he is to be brought back from the darkness of the pit to see the light, then we must have a ransom. Here G.o.d comes forward, and says, ”I have found a ransom.” Christ is the ransom, and He will deliver us. Sound out the cry, ”Christ is our deliverer.” He is mighty to save, He is able to deliver.

A LEADER.

4. But now we need something more. Look back again to the children of Israel; when they had marched gloriously through the Red Sea, they had been saved, redeemed, and delivered; but was that all they required?

No; they had been brought into the wilderness. What now do they need?

They must have a way to go in the pathless desert. They required a leader. Then Christ is the way and the leader. Are we in difficulties, in doubt, or in perplexity? Christ is our way. ”I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John x.).

I have heard some say, ”Well, if I am converted, and become religious, I don't know what church I would go to. There are so many different churches and denominations. I really don't know which is the right one.” Hence some people are bewildered, and do not know which is the true way. Well, I would say to such, Look only to Him who says,

”I AM THE WAY.”

He is the only true way, and if you want to reach the kingdom you have only to follow Him. We may be in darkness, but He is able to lead us in the right path. He is the Shepherd of His flock. He will go before us and lead us. He is calling upon us to arise and follow Him, and He will lead us by a way we know not; He will guide us to the green pastures if we only look to Him.

THE PILLAR OF CLOUD.

All that the children of Israel had to do was to follow the cloud. If the cloud rested, they rested; if the cloud moved forward, then they moved. I can imagine that the first thing Moses did, when the grey dawn of morning broke, was to look up and see if the cloud was still over the camp. By night it was a pillar of fire, lighting up the camp, and filling them with a sense of G.o.d's protecting care; by day it was a cloud s.h.i.+elding them from the fierce heat of the sun's rays, and sheltering them from the sight of their enemies.

Israel's Shepherd could lead them through the pathless desert. Why?

Because He made it. He knew every grain of sand in it. They could not have a better leader through the wilderness than its Creator.

And, sinner, can you, in all your difficulties or doubts and fears, have a better leader than Jehovah? Oh, I do like that good old hymn:

”Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more.”

Yes, that is the true prayer of the bewildered sinner, G.o.d is _able_, and still more, He is _willing_, to lead us, and to feed us. ”Thou gayest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst” (Nehemiah ix. 15). He is still as able to lead any of us as He was four thousand years ago to lead the children of Israel, ”For I am the Lord; I change not.” To every one of us He says, ”Fear not, I will lead thee; I will help thee.” Wonderful thing, is it not, to have G.o.d to help us on our way?