Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

or, The Escape of Robert Bruce

Foreword.

I invite you, my reader, to accompany me through the pages of this book. Imagine, if you care so to do, that we are visiting the places of historic interest of which I write, but do not fail to apply to yourself every pointed question, and take home every application.

I will not hide from you on its first page that the object in the issue of this book is your soul’s eternal blessing. That this may be brought about is my prayer.

The Baffled Foes; or, the Escape of Robert Bruce.

The field of Bannockburn is one of the most interesting spots on Scottish soil, for here Bruce established his claim to the throne of the land by right of arms. Everyone knows how the heavy English battalions were foiled and beaten by the fierce and determined Scots. There is one point, however, in connection with this defeat and victory to which I would call your attention. The English did not know the ground on which they stood. Robert Bruce had had pits dug all over the field, and these were covered with branches and turf, giving the field the appearance of solid ground, and here his foes were ensnared.

Be sure, every one of you, that you have the solid rock beneath your feet. If you wish to be safe, you must stand upon the merits of Christ, and not on your own. Your works may appear better than the works of others; but if you are trusting to them you are resting upon unworthy ground, and it will prove to be a snare of the devil. If you trust to your works you will be lost for ever. Christ Jesus Himself is the only safe and certain resting-place upon which sinners can stand before God.

The day is coming — swiftly coming — when you will need a firm foothold, when to be upon the immovable rock will alone be safe. If you stand upon the ground of your own merits in that day — the day that will test every man and all his works — great and final will be the catastrophe that will overtake you. You will be overwhelmed by foes infinitely more fierce and relentless than those that overthrew the English at Bannockburn. Those who have taken their stand, and staked their eternal all, upon Christ and His work, will be for ever safe.

I want to recall an incident which occurred in the career of Bruce before he became the conqueror of Bannockburn, when constant defeat dogged his steps.

He was a fugitive. The English were on his track, but he evaded all their attempts to capture him. At length they hit upon a plan of great ingenuity. Securing his favourite bloodhound, they unleashed it and put it upon his track. That dog had never been known to lose a trail, and yard by yard it now tracked down its fugitive owner. Bruce, with his solitary attendant, heard the baying of the hound in the distance, and it seemed as though all was lost. How could he escape?

He was fleet of foot, and could doubtless have out-distanced the swiftest of his foes, but the hound was more fleet than he. His pursuers knew not the country, and he could have easily hidden in the forest; but the hound could trace him along the most circuitous path that he chose to take, and find him out in the most secluded spot in which he chose to hide, and behind the hound came his foes eager for his life-blood.

But stay! He has it: a way of escape is close at hand, for yonder through the forest runs a deep and broad stream. Into that stream he will plunge, and there the hound shall lose the track. Quickly Bruce put his thought into action. Into the water he plunged, and waded up the stream some distance; then regaining the depths of the forest, he was safe from his pursuers. The hound followed its master to the bank of the stream, but no further; the scent was broken.

“Drive the dog across the stream,” cried the baffled foes of Bruce but all was in vain, for the trail was lost, and Bruce was safe — safe to become the victor of Bannockburn and gain the crown of Scotland!

 

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This story of those far-off times will serve our purpose well to-day. There is upon the track of each unconverted man, woman, and child that which will find them out and deliver them to judgment unless a way of escape is found.

“Be sure your sin will find you out” is not the most pleasing statement from the Word of God for those who are still unforgiven but there it stands, and, being there, is true.

Oh, think of it, dear unconverted souls! Your sins are upon your track! YOUR SINS! YOUR SINS! Like a relentless bloodhound they follow your steps, tracking you down — down — down. To use our illustration, can you not hear the baying of them in the distance? “They are following after to judgment,” says the Scripture. A terrible consideration for you who have so many. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) “After this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

One hound was sufficient to jeopardise Bruce’s safety. One sin is sufficient to destroy your soul for ever. You have many, many sins — sins of thought and word and deed. What can you do? You cannot outstrip the consequences of them; you may for a time, and in life, evade them, but when death finds you out, then they too will find you, and where death leaves you judgment will take you up. You cannot destroy your tracks. What will you do? Oh, listen! There is a way of escape.

“There is a stream … “ not of water, but of blood. The blood of Jesus has been freely shed, and it is here and through this blood that you may be delivered for ever from the sins which have made you deserve the judgment, and the judgment which the sins have made you deserve. No judgment can reach the blood-washed sinner, the baying hounds of sin no longer track him to his doom. The trail is broken and lost the flood of judgment which rolled over the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary has met the claims of justice, and those who trust in Jesus are made clean and free from sin by His precious blood.

O sinner, trust in Jesus this day. May the voice of sin and judgment in your case be silenced now, because Jesus died, and you have put your trust in Him.