Isaiah 55:7-9 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him… When I was preaching in Yorkshire at some mission services, a collier came to me at the close of one of the services, and said to me, "I would like to be a Christian, but I cannot receive what you have said to-night." I said, "My brother, why not?" He said, "I would give anything to believe that God would forgive my sin; but I cannot believe He will just forgive it if I turn to Him. It is too cheap." I looked at him, and I said, "My dear friend, have you been to work to-day?" "Yes." "Where have you been working?" He looked at me slightly astonished, and said, "I was down in the pit, as usual.' "How did you get home?" "Oh, I walked home along the road.' "But how did you get out of the pit? "The way I always do. I got into the cage, and I was pulled up to the top." "How much did you pay to come out of the pit?" He looked at me astonished, and said, "Pay? Of course, I don't pay anything." I said to him, "Were you not afraid to trust yourself in that cage? Was it not too cheap?" "Oh, no,' he said. "It was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft." And without another word the truth of that admission broke upon him, the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and he saw if he could have salvation without money and without price, it had cost the Infinite God a great price to sink that shaft and rescue lost men. (G. Campbell Morgan, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. |
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