The fact that “with his stripes we are healed” is a matter in evidence. I shall take liberty to bear my own witness. If it were necessary, I could call thousands of people, my daily acquaintances, who can say that with the stripes of Christ they are healed; but I must not therefore withhold my personal testimony. If I had suffered from a dreadful disease, and a physician had given me a remedy which had healed me, I should not be ashamed to tell you all about it; but I would quote my own case as an argument with you to try my physician.
Years ago, when I was a youth, the burden of my sin was extremely heavy upon me. I had fallen into no gross vices, and should not have been regarded by anyone as being especially a transgressor; but I regarded myself as such, and I had good reason for doing so.
My conscience was sensitive because it was enlightened; and I judged that, having had a godly father, and a praying mother, and having been trained in the ways of piety, I had sinned against much light, and consequently there was a greater degree of guilt in my sin than in that of others who were my youthful associates, but had not enjoyed my advantages.
I could not enjoy the sports of youth because I felt that I had done violence to my conscience. I would seek my room, and there sit alone, read my Bible, and pray for forgiveness; but peace did not come to me. Books such as Baxter’s “Call to the Unconverted,” and Doddridge’s “Rise and Progress,” I read over and over again.
Early in the morning I would awaken, and read the most earnest religious books I could find, desiring to be eased of my burden of sin. I was not always so dull, but at times my misery of soul was very great. The words of the weeping prophet and of Job were such as suited my mournful case. I would have chosen death rather than life.
I tried to do as well as I could, and to behave myself properly; but in my own judgment I grew worse and worse. I felt more and more despondent. I attended every place of worship within my reach, but I heard nothing which gave me lasting comfort until one day I heard a simple preacher of the gospel speak from the text, “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth.”
When he told me that all I had to do was to “look” to Jesus — to Jesus the crucified One, I could scarcely believe it. He went on, and said, “Look, look, look!” He added, “There is a young man, under the left-hand gallery there, who is very miserable: he will have no peace until he looks to Jesus”; and then he cried, “Look! Look! Young man, look!”
I did look; and in that moment relief came to me, and I felt such overflowing joy that I could have stood up, and cried, “Hallelujah! Glory be to God, I am delivered from the burden of my sin!” Many days have passed since then; but my faith has held me up, and compelled me to proclaim the story of free grace and dying love. I can truly say —
“E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.”
I hope to sit up in my bed in my last hours, and tell of the stripes that healed me. I hope some young men, yes, and old men before me, will try this remedy at once; it is good for all characters, and all ages. “With his stripes we are healed.” Thousands upon thousands of us have tried and proved this remedy. We speak what we do know, and testify what we have seen. May God grant that men may receive our witness through the power of the Holy Spirit!
*This personal testimony is extracted from sermon NUMBER 2000, “HEALING BY THE STRIPES OF JESUS”, A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD’S-DAY, JANUARY 1, 1888, DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON. “With His stripes we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:5.
