"In his ‘Seven Great Statesmen’ Andrew White tells of the death of Hugo Grotius. It is a recital that touches the deep places of the heart. On his way back from Sweden the ship on which Grotius was traveling was wrecked on the Pomeranian coast. Battered by the elements, he managed to get as far as Rostok, and there the famous scholar lay down to die. The beacon light that had illuminated the darkness of his age was soon to be quenched in the smoke of death. The pastor of the Lutheran church, learning of his presence, came in to see him. He made no effort to wrestle with the great statesman, but simply read to him our Saviour’s Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, ending with the words, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [Luke 18:9-13 [9] And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: [10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
See All...] At that the dying sage opened his eyes and exclaimed, ‘That publican, Lord, am I!’ Until we are ready to make a like confession Christianity is a closed book, a forbidden garden. Grotius, the poor Publican, wicked David, stainless Paul—all made that prayer, and making it, passed into the city of Forgiveness and Peace. Without that prayer, Christianity may be a history, a philosophy, a code, but not a religion that saves."