Some little time ago, after the conclusion of one of
Mr. Brownlow North's addresses in Edinburgh a young man came into the room
where he was receiving persons anxious for private conversation, and said to
him, "I have heard you preach three times, sir, and I neither care for you
nor your preaching unless you can tell me why did God permit sin." "I
will do that with pleasure," was the immediate reply,—"Because He
chose to." The young man, apparently taken by surprise, stood
speechless; and Mr. North again replied, "Because He chose to; and,"
added he, "if you continue to question and cavil at God's dealings, and
vainly puffed up by your carnal mind, strive to be wise above what is written,
I will tell you something more that God will do,—He will some day put you
into hell-fire. It is vain for you to strive with your Maker—you cannot
resist Him; and neither your opinion of His dealings, nor your blasphemous
expression of them, will in the least lessen the pain of your everlasting
damnation, which, I again tell you, will most certainly be your portion if you
go on in your present spirit."
"There
were such questioners as you in St. Paul's time, and how did the apostle answer
them?" “Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replied against God” (Romans 9:20).”
The
young man here interrupted Mr. North, and said, "Is there such a text as
that in the Bible?" "Yes, there is," was the reply, "in the
ninth chapter of the Romans; and I recommend you to go home and read that
chapter; and after you have read it, and seen there how God claims for
Himself the right to do whatever He chooses, without permitting the
thing formed to say to Him that formed it, 'Why hast Thou made me thus?’ Remember
that, besides permitting sin, there is another thing God has chosen to do, —
God chose to send Jesus. Of His own free and sovereign grace God gave His only
begotten Son to die for sinners in their stead—in their place; so that, though
they are sinners, and have done things worthy of death, not one of them shall
ever be cast into hell for his sins who will receive Jesus as his only Saviour,
and believe in Him and rest in His Word. I have no time to say more to you now:
others are waiting to see me. Go home, attend to what I have told you, and may
God the Holy Spirit bless it for Jesus Christ sake."
This
conversation took place on Sunday evening. On the following Friday, Mr. North
was sitting in a friend's drawing room, when the servant announced that a young
man wanted to speak to him. On being shown upstairs, he said, "Do you
remember me?" "No." "Do you not remember the young man who
on Sunday night asked you to tell him 'why did God permit sin'?"
"Yes, perfectly." "Well, sir, I am that young man; and you said
that God permitted sin because He chose to, and you told me to go home and read
the ninth chapter of Romans; and also that God chose to send Jesus to die for
such sinners as I am; and I did, sir, what you told me, and afterwards I fell
down at God's feet and asked Him to forgive my sins, because Jesus died for me,
and He did; and now I am happy—oh! so happy, sir; and though the devil still
comes sometimes to tempt me with my old thoughts, and to ask me what reason I
have to think God has forgiven me, I have always managed to get him away by
telling him that I do not want to judge things by my own reason, but by God's
Word, and that the only reason why I know I am forgiven, is that for
Christ's sake, God chooses to pardon me."
The
changed expression of the young man's countenance was quite sufficient to
account for Mr. North's not knowing him again. It was radiant with joy and
peace.
Dear
reader, the first lesson a poor sinner has to learn, is to trust in the Lord,
and not to his own understanding; to trust God not only for what he does
understand, and for what is explained, but for what he does not understand,
and for what is not explained. This is faith, and such faith honors God and
saves the soul. This is receiving the kingdom of God as a little child; and let
us ever remember that it is written (and the scripture cannot be broken), that
unless we receive the kingdom of God as a little child, we shall in no wise
enter therein.
"God commendeth His love toward us,
in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans
5: 8.)
(Copied
from an old tract in my files- author unknown)- (emphasis mine-cmw)
Brownlow North was born January 6, 1810, and died November 9, 1875 and was known as the great
Evangelist of 19th century Britain, God’s hand was on him in
unusual way. When converted at age 45, he had been a sinful playboy, but went
on to be remembered as one who spoke to the common man. Several books of his
sermons have been published, but all seem to be presently out of print. The
best are “The Rich Man and Lazarus” and “Wilt Thou Go with This Man?”
You may find used copies at Amazon.com. Here is a link to a brief biographical
article about Brownlow North.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownlow_North_%28evangelist%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownlow_North_%28evangelist%29
