“That means me,” said the penitent sinner. He was encouraged to pray to Jesus, and he found that he was able and willing to save him.
“Muckle Bess—A Hopeless Case.” This was the name of a woman who lived in Scotland many years ago. Her history illustrates very well the point now before us, and shows the power and willingness of Christ to save. She was the daughter of a good, pious farmer. But she was led into evil company. She left her father’s house, and became a most wicked and abandoned woman. She was a terror to every one, even to the wicked people among whom she had gone to live. At last she left them and spent her time in wandering among the highlands, living like a wild beast, stealing what she could get to eat, or to wear, and sleeping in barns or stables, in sheepfolds, or in the dens and caves of the mountains. She used to roam over the country begging, or stealing, cursing and swearing, and doing all sorts of wicked things. Everybody was afraid of her. No one thought of speaking to her, or even of praying for her; and every one looked upon her case as hopeless.
At one time, when Muckle Bess had passed middle life, there was a great religious interest among the churches in that part of the country.
On one Sabbath day they were holding services in the open air. A great crowd of people had gathered round the minister. To the surprise of every one, who should appear, at the outside of the crowd, but poor Bess. Ragged, and wild-looking, she seemed just like the witch of Endor. The women trembled at the sight of her, and the men thought she had only come for mischief. But she sat quietly down on the grass and listened to the preaching. It led her to think of her wicked life, and filled her heart with anguish. Presently she rose to her feet, stretched out her brawny arms, and cried in tones of agony that melted the hearts of all who heard her, “Oh, thou God o’ my fathers; oh, thou God o’ bonnie Scotland, that has been steeped in blood for thy name’s sake; look on me a wretched sinner, who has scorned thee, and robbed thee, and defied thee! Hast thou na’ promised cleansin’ to them whose sins are scarlet and crimson? And whose sins are o’ deeper dye than mine? God, be merciful to me a sinner!” And then she sank sobbing to the earth.
The stillness of death was over that congregation. The minister paused till poor Bess’s sobs were no longer heard. Then he went on with the sermon. He spoke of the love of Christ in being willing to suffer and die for us. He told of his power and readiness to pardon and save all who truly turn to him, and referred to the case of the dying thief to prove the truth of what he said. This touched the heart of poor Bess, and led her to feel that there might be hope, even for her. Then she rose to her feet again, and cried, “Hear me, ye people o’ God! Hear me, ye angels above! Hear me, ye powers o’ evil, while I vow afore ye all, that I will e’en tak’ him at his word, and leave it there!”
From that time Muckle Bess became a changed woman. She went back to her father’s house to live. But she occupied her time in going from house to house, to tell the story of Jesus and his love. And the rest of her life she spent in speaking kind words and doing kind acts to all about her. She was never tired of telling, with tears of heartfelt gratitude, what Jesus had done for her soul.
How beautifully this story illustrates the power and willingness of Jesus to save!
The fourth lesson we learn from the crucifixion of Christ is about—the depth of his sufferings.
The sufferings of his body were very great. When the Roman soldiers beat him on the back with their rods, his flesh was torn, and made to quiver with pain. Then his brow was torn by the sharp points of the crown of thorns that were pressed upon his head. His hands and feet were torn by the rough, cruel nails that were driven through them. And when the cross was set upright in the earth, and his body was hanging by those nails, who can tell the agony that must have been wringing every nerve in it? Think of him as hanging thus for three or four dreadful hours! how long the moments must have seemed that made up those hours! And if he tried to change his position in the slightest degree, every movement must have increased the torture he was feeling a hundred fold.
But this was not all: this was not half the suffering that Jesus endured. If he had been feeling peaceful and comfortable in his mind while all this was going on, he would not have cared much for these bodily pains. But he had no such feeling. His mind or soul was enduring sufferings much worse than those which the scourges, and the crown of thorns, and the crucifixion, caused to his body. He said to his disciples as he entered Gethsemane—“My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” This was the sorrow he felt from thinking that his Father in heaven was angry with him, and was looking at him as if he were a sinner. He had taken our sins upon himself, and God was treating him as if he had really been a sinner. He was bearing the wrath of God that we had deserved for our sins. The apostle Paul tells us that—“He was made a curse for us.” Gal. iii: 13. We cannot understand what Jesus had to feel when this curse came down upon him. But it was this which wrung from him that bitter cry when the darkness came around him, as he hung upon the cross,—“My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me?”