O‘brethren! How often in our meditations do our minds run back to our early experience, when we were made to see ourselves as poor, lost, helpless and guilty sinners in the sight of a just and holy God: when we thought that we must sink down to irretrievable woe and condemnation, yes, without hope; no, not one ray of hope; and Oh! How our sins rose up before us as mountains, and we, poor, guilty and helpless sinners felt that we were justly condemned in the sight of a just and holy God. When the law, in thunder tones, poured its curse upon our guilty heads, and we were made to cry in agony of soul; “God be merciful to me a poor, lost and helpless sinner.” “Lord, save, or I perish;” and when mercy was unexpected, and all hope was gone, and every refuge had fled; yes, in an unexpected time, Jesus, our great Mediator, and Sin-bearer, revealed Himself to us, as our Savior; as the one that bore our sins in His own body on the tree at the cross.
Then our languishing souls were made as the “chariots of Amminadib;” we mounted up, as on wings of eagles. Yes, we well remember how our mouth was filled with praises, and on our tongues sounded forth the praises of the Lamb for sinners slain; and with what desire we longed to meet with that little company of God’s despised children, and join them in songs and thanksgiving to Him that “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Then we could feelings sing with the poet:
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me;
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.”
R. M. Thomas
