Mr Brownlow North, the well known evangelist, was at one time — indeed, all through his early life — a very marked specimen of the thoughtless and dissipated aristocratic worldling. He was for many years supposed to be the heir to a noble title, but a late and unexpected marriage came between him and his hopes. When he was no longer a young man, he and a friend were staying at a shooting-lodge in Scotland. Their day’s sport was usually followed by an evening’s debauch; and in one of these his friend dropped down dead. The terrible event was God’s message to the heart of this hardened profligate. The awful thought laid hold of him: “If I had been called away instead of my poor friend I should have been damned.”
This led him to think seriously about his soul, and, after passing through many agonising experiences he was brought into the full light of the Gospel. No sooner did he feel himself to be a changed man than he began to set about trying to win others to realise the same blessedness. In process of time he became one of the most noted preachers of that period.
It happened on one occasion that he was to preach in Inverness. Just as he entered the building a note was put into his hand, the contents of which were somewhat to this effect:— “Brownlow North you miserable hypocrite. Do you remember what took place at _____ on such a date, and the part you played in it; also at _____ on such a date, and again at _____ on such a date, and the part you took on each of these occasions?” Pretty full details of what did happen were given, and then the letter concluded: “Now you wretched hypocrite, you know that every word in this letter is true; will you, after reading it, dare to go into that pulpit and rant and rave, and preach what you call the Gospel?”
Poor Mr North felt the force of the letter keenly, but he put it into his pocket, and when the time came he read the familiar words: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” He paused, and then with deepest feeling added: “Of whom I am chief.” “My friends,” said he “when I entered this building tonight a letter was put into my hand. I do not know who the writer may be, but he is evidently one who knows a great deal about my career in the past. This letter refers to three distinct occasions on which it charges me with participating in scenes of riot and wantonness. I will not pollute your ears by referring to the contents of that letter further than to say as much as this. And the writer concludes his most painful communication by saying, “Now you wretched hypocrite you know that all this is true; will you, after reading this letter, dare to go into that pulpit and rant and rave, and preach what you call the Gospel?” Dear friends, there are three things that I have to say about this letter: First, it is all true. Would to God I could deny the charges it makes! Would to God I could undo the past, but that is even beyond the power of God Himself. God knows it is true and I confess with sorrow and shame that it is true. And the second thing I have to say is this, that it’s all forgiven. And the third thing I have to say is that, if God for Jesus Christ’s sake, can forgive the sin of such a sinner as Brownlow North, there is not a sinner in Scotland, there is not a sinner in this wide world, too great for God to forgive him all his sins.” There were few dry eyes among those present as he uttered these words with the most intense feeling.
Reader, your sins may or may not be as glaring as Brownlow North’s, but they can be forgiven freely by the same pardoning God, if you but come to Him in true repentance. Should you die unforgiven, there remaineth nothing for you but the blackness of darkness for ever. Now, His mercy would fain woo you for Himself. Be wise in time.
“Those who extenuate and encourage sin, and discountenance and put contempt upon strictness in religion and serious devotion, are the dregs of the Church.”
Matthew Henry.
“It becomes us, in many cases, to be gentle toward those that come under suspicion of having offended, to hope the best concerning them, and make the best of that which at first appears bad, in hopes it may prove better.”
Matthew Henry.