Some months ago a gospel preacher was asked to visit a sick man. He went, and was ushered into a room where a fine looking man was in bed, apparently very ill but not in much pain.
The visitor told him he had come to talk to him about his soul, and asked him if he were saved. Christians had been there from time to time, one especially coming to see him once a week. These visits had made him very anxious for salvation; but he only exclaimed, "I can't find God.”
In answer to the question, "Are you saved?" he replied: "No, sir, I am not. It has all been explained to me, but I do not seem to get hold of it.”
"If you were to die now, would you go to heaven?"
"I do not think I would.”
"Would you not like to be saved?”
"I would indeed; but I do not seem able to see the way.”
"Well, do you know how?”
"Yes, I understand it all; but still I have not got it.”
Having put the gospel simply before him, the visitor told him how he had taken Christ as his Savior early one morning while in bed, and that he had confessed Him as such all the next day.
He also told him of a woman who said just what this sick man did; but when he pressed her to take Christ into her heart, she did. The change it wrought in her was so great that the neighbors asked, "What did the gentleman tell you?”
"Nothing new," she replied; "but he just put me in a corner, and would not let me out till I took Christ.”
"Now," said he, "is that true of you?”
"Indeed it is," answered the sick man earnestly.
His friend then read: "'We have turned everyone to his own way.'" And, repeating the question, he got the same answer.
He then read the third clause of this wonderful verse: "'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.'" Again he asked the same question; but the answer this time was: "I am afraid not.”
"Well," said the visitor, "then you doubt God's Word. You do not believe the Bible. You believe one part, but not the other. Now the question is, Will you have Christ for your Savior, or not? Shall I say you took Him or refused Him?”
"I don't want to refuse Him," said the sick man, in great distress of soul.
"Well then, will you take Him now? What shall I tell God?”
There was a long pause during which the servant of God prayed silently. Finally he asked the poor sufferer why he did not answer.
He did not want to refuse Him, the poor man replied. "Well," said the visitor once more, "I can say no more to you: but what shall I tell God.,”
"Tell Him," said the sick man at last with deep feeling, "that I take Him.”
The preacher then went through the verse again, the sick man seeing now that Jesus had been seeking the lost sheep until He found it. He saw too that, instead of seeking the Lord, he himself had only been straying.
Asked what he would tell his sister, a saved person, he replied with joy, "I'll tell her I have taken Christ to be my Savior.”
The visitor then left. That afternoon the one who hitherto had answered questions as to his salvation in such despair confessed Christ to his sister. It was no longer "I can't find God," but "I take Christ.”
How many souls there are who think they have to do something in order to find God's salvation! God's gospel is that the seeking is finished, and the doing is done. Let us implore you, dear friend, to cease your seeking, and take what God offers you.
"Soon that voice will cease its calling;
Now it calls, and calls to thee—
Take salvation;
Take it now, and happy be.”