Christ as a Free Gift

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 11, 1873

Christ as a Free Gift

How?—Says some one: “I would like that Christ, but how am I to get him?” Get him as a free gift, or not at all. A poor woman, passing the king’s conservatory, saw in it flowers, fruits, and grapes. “Oh! if I could only get that bunch of grapes for my sick child!” She went home, and by her spinning earned half a crown; then went to the gardener, and said: “Can I have the bunch of grapes? Here’s a half crown for them.” “No; that won’t buy them,” said the gardener. She thought: “I must get it.” She sold a blanket she could spare, and went again, saying: “Here’s all this money; will not this buy me that bunch of grapes?” “No—they are the king’s; we don’t sell them.” He took her roughly by the arm to put her out. The king’s daughter went to see what was the matter. She heard the poor woman’s story. She said: “My father is not a merchant. We don’t sell grapes; we give,” and she dropped the grapes into the poor woman’s apron. My Lord Jesus is not a merchant, to sell his pardon; he is a king; he gives “without money and without price.”—Talmage.