CHAPTER TEN.
BROUGHT OUT, TO BE BROUGHT IN.
Loud and full rang the volume of voices in the kitchen of the King'sHead at Colchester, that winter evening. They did not stand up insilence and let a choir do it for them, while they listened to it asthey might to a German band, and with as little personal concern. Whenmen's hearts are warm with patriotism, or overflowing with loyalty, theydon't want somebody else to sing _Rule, Britannia_, or _God Save theQueen_; the very enjoyment lies in doing it themselves. Nobody woulddream of paying another person to go to a party or to see a royalprocession for him. Well, then, when we prefer to keep silent, and hearsomebody sing God's praises instead of doing it ourselves, what can itmean except that our Hearts are not warm with love and overflowing withthankfulness, as they ought to be? And cold hearts are not the stuffthat makes martyrs.
There was plenty of martyr material in the King's Head kitchen thatnight--from old Agnes Silverside to little Cissy Johnson; from thelearned priest, Mr Pulleyne, to many poor men and women who did notknow their letters. They were not afraid of what people would say, noreven of what people might do. And yet they knew well that it waspossible, and even likely, that very terrible things might be done tothem. Their feeling was,--Well, let them be done, if that be the bestway I can glorify God. Let them be done, if it be the way in which Ican show that I love Jesus Christ. Let them be done, if by sufferingwith Him I can win a place nearer to Him, and send a thrill of happinessto the Divine and human heart of the Saviour who paid His heart's bloodto ransom me.
So the hymn was not at all too long for them, though it had fifteenverses; and the sermon was not too long, though it lasted an hour and ahalf. When people have to risk their lives to hear a sermon is not thetime when they cry out to have sermons cut shorter. They very well knewthat before another meeting took place at the King's Head, some, andperhaps all of them, might be summoned to give up liberty and life forthe love of the Lord Jesus.
Mr Pulleyne took for his text a few words in the 23rd verse of thesixth chapter of Deuteronomy. "He brought us out from thence, that Hemight bring us in." He said to the people:--
"`He brought us out'--who brought us? God, our Maker; God, that lovedthe world. `He brought us out'--who be we? Poor, vile, wicked sinners,worms of the earth, things that He could have crushed easier than I cancrush a moth. From whence? From Egypt, the house of bondage; from sin,self, Satan--the only three evil things there be: whereby I mean,necessarily inwardly, utterly evil. Thence He brought us out. Friends,we must come out of Egypt; out from bondage; out of these three illthings, sin, and self, and Satan: God will have us out. He will notsuffer us to tarry in that land. And if we slack [Hesitate, feelreluctant] to come out, He will drive us sharp thence. Let us come outquick, and willingly. There is nothing we need sorrow to leave behind;only the task-master, Satan; and the great monster, sin; and the slimeof the river wherein he lieth hid, self. He will have at us with hisugly jaws, and bite our souls in twain, if we have not a care. Let usrun fast from this land where we leave behind such evil things.
"But see, there is more than this. God had an intent in thus driving usforth. He did not bring us out, and leave us there. Nay, `He broughtus out that He might bring us in.' In where? Into the Holy Land, thatfloweth with milk and honey; the fair land where nothing shall enterthat defileth; the safe land where in all the holy mountain nothingshall hurt nor destroy; His own land, where He hath His Throne and HisTemple, and is King and Father of them that dwell therein. Look you, isnot this a good land? Are you not ready to go and dwell therein? Donot the clusters of its grapes--the hearing of its glories--make yourmouths water? See what you shall exchange: for a cruel task-master, aloving Father; for a dread monster, an holy City; for the base and uglyslime of the river, the fair paving of the golden streets, and the softwaving of the leaves of the tree of life, and the sweet melody of angelharps. Truly, I think this good barter. If a man were to exchange adead rat for a new-struck royal, [see Note 1] men would say he had welltraded, he had bettered himself, he was a successful merchant. Lo, hereis worse than a dead rat, and better than all the royals in the King'smint. Will ye not come and trade?
"Now, friends, ye must not misconceive me, as though I did mean that mencould buy Heaven by their own works. Nay, Heaven and salvation be freegifts--the glorious gifts of a glorious God, and worthy of the Giver.But when such gifts are set before you but for the asking, is it toomuch that ye should rise out of the mire and come?
"`He brought them out, that He might bring them in.' He left them notin the desert, to find their own way to the Holy Land. Marry, shouldthey ever have come there? I trow not. Nay, no more than a babe of amonth old, if ye set him down at Bothal's Gate, could find his way tothe Moot Hall. But He dealt not with them thus. He left them not tofind their own way. He brought them, He led them, He showed them whereto plant their feet, first one step, then another, as mothers do to achild when he learneth first to walk. `As a nurse cherisheth herchildren,' the Apostle saith he dealt with his converts: and the Lorduseth yet tenderer image, for `as a mother comforteth her babe,' saithHe, `will I comfort you.' Yea, He bids the Prophet Esaias to learnthem, `line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there alittle'--look you, how careful is God of His nurse-children. `Feed MyLambs,' saith He: and lambs may not nibble so hard as sheep. They takenot so full a mouthful; they love the short grass, that is sweet andeasily cropped. We be all lambs afore we be sheep. Sheep lack muchshepherding, but lambs yet more. Both be silly things, apt to strayaway, and the wolf catcheth them with little trouble. Now, if a dog belost, he shall soon find his way back; but a lamb and a babe, if they belost, they are utterly lost; they can never find the way. Look you, theLord likeneth His people to lambs and babes, these silly things that becontinually lost, and have no wit to find the way. So, brethren, _He_finds the way. He goeth after that which is lost, until He find it.First He finds the poor silly lamb, and then He leadeth it in the waywherein it shall go. He `brings us in' to the fair green pastures andby the still waters--brings us in to the safe haven where the littleboats lie at rest--brings us in to the King's banquet-hall where thefeast is spread, and the King Himself holdeth forth hands of welcome.--He stretched not forth the cold sceptre; He giveth His own hand--thathand that was pierced for our sins. What say I? Nay, `He shall girdHimself, and shall come forth and serve them'--so great honour shallthey attain which serve God, as to have Him serve them.
"Now, brethren, is this not a fair lot that God appointeth for Hispeople? A King to their guide, and a throne to their bed, and angels totheir serving-men--verily these be folks of much distinction that be soserved! But, look you, there is one little point we may not miss--`Ifwe suffer, we shall reign.' There is the desert to be passed. There isthe Jordan to be forded. There is the cross to bear for the Master thatbare the cross for us. Yea, we shall best bear our cross by lookingwell and oft on His cross. Ah! brethren, He standeth close beside; Hehath borne it all; He knoweth where the nails run, and in what mannerthey hurt. Yet a little patience, poor suffering soul! yet a littlecourage; yet a little stumbling over the rough stones of the wilderness:and then the Golden City, and the royal banquet-hall, and the King thatbrought us out despite all the Egyptians, that brought us in despite allthe dangers of the desert,--the King, our Shield, and Guide, and Father,shall come forth and serve us."
Old Agnes Silverside, the priest's widow, sat with her hands clasped,and her eyes fixed on the preacher. As he ended, she laid her hand uponRose Allen's.
"My maid," she said, "never mind the wilderness. The stones be sharp,and the sun scorching, and the thirst sore: but one sight of the King inthe Golden City shall make up for all!"
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Note 1. Ten shillings; this was then the largest coin made.
The King's Daughters Page 10
