THE SQUIRE’S WAY TO HEAVEN
Dusty and tired, after walking across a remote country district, I had reached the beautiful village of C--, from whence I purposed going by rail to the neighbouring town of A-- to preach that night. Being a stranger, and not knowing the way, I was looking about for someone to direct me when I observed a tall, stately-looking old gentleman sauntering along the road. Overtaking him, I asked if he would kindly show me the way to the station. He politely said, ‘I am going in that direction, and if you accompany me I will direct you’. So we walked and chatted together, when at length he said, ‘I will show you something near the station here that you will not see every day in this kingdom - a place where five roads meet’.
‘Indeed,’ I said, ‘some people tell us there are many roads to heaven. May I ask, sir, what would be your way to heaven?’
He stopped, drew himself up very proudly, and, looking me straight in the face, said, ‘My way to heaven, sir, is to do my duty’.
I said, ‘Listen! “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”, Luke 10: 27. Have you done this?’
After a pause, with his eyes fixed on the ground, he replied, ‘Well, I cannot say I have’.
‘No’, I said, ‘you have broken down on that road; but there is a blessed Man up there in heaven, Jesus, the Son of God, who loved God with all His heart, and who, when here, looking upon the sons of men, said, “I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you” (John 5: 42); and of Himself could say, “I do always those things that please him” (John 8: 29); who went to the cross and laid down His pure and spotless life for such wretched neighbours as you and me. Ah! He loved His neighbours better than Himself, and died to bring us to God, and to give us a title to glory. So He could say: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10: 9); “I am the way ... no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.’ John 14: 6.
Now, dear reader, I would ask you the same question, Which is your way to heaven? It would be an awful thing to make a mistake, as many are doing, alas! who are building their hopes on a path of rectitude, or, in the words of the squire, upon doing their duty. There is a way that seemeth to be right unto men, but the end of that way is death, Prov 14: 12. Listen to God’s word: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight”, Rom 3: 20; “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them”, Gal 3: 10. The law tells me what I ought to be, and curses me if I am not it. The gospel tells me what God is, and blesses me if I believe it. The law demands love “thou shalt love”, Deut 6: 5. The gospel produces it - “We love him, because he first loved us”, 1 John 4: 19. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins”, 1 John 4: 10.
You cannot read Scripture without being struck with the fact that it is a wonderful thing to be a Christian. There is a beautiful word which explains it: “We know”. There is a fine ring about that word "know”. We know; it is not, We hope. What does the Christian know? The apostle, looking at the possibility of death, says, “we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God”, 2 Cor 5: 1. He is not dismayed at the thought of death; he is not afraid; he speaks with confidence about it. What fills a man’s heart with fear is the thought of death, the “evil days”, the day of departure from this world. The poor Christless soul cannot face it, but here is a man who views it without fear, yea, with pleasure. He says in another chapter, “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen”, 2 Cor 4: 18. The difference between a converted and an unconverted man is, that the unconverted man is guided by what is seen, whilst the converted man is guided by what is not seen. A man who looks ahead in this world is praised because he is thought to be prudent. But he does not look ahead far enough. The apostle looks ahead into eternity, and for him it is all gladsome. Christians have bright prospects there. Have you? When a Christian thinks of eternity he thinks of that dearest word to an Englishman - Home! I understand that you cannot find a word exactly like it in any other language. It is very expressive.
When I was a sailor I remember well the feeling I had as we weighed anchor for home. The ship loaded, all ready, the command given! We are homeward bound! A thrill of delight passes through the whole ship. But ‘home’ has a sweeter thought for me now. I am going to spend eternity in the Father’s house. That is home for the Christian. Nearer home! What a prospect!
Oh! poor, unsaved sinner, dark is thy prospect! “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”, John 3: 36.
The preacher sees out yonder a dark, dark cloud: you see none; but he entreats you to wake up to this important matter.
May you, my reader, be able to say, I have known and believed the love that God hath towards me.
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Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. John 14: 6
“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”. John 6: 37
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From ‘Tidings of Life and Peace’, 1889