There are not a few, I think, in these days who are in the same state spiritually as these chief rulers spoken of above. They believed on Christ, but would not take a place with Him, because they dreaded the consequences, and it is for the benefit of such that I write the following story:
A young man, J. H., nineteen years of age, was dying. His work had been with horses on a farm, and some days previously he had got wet and chilled right through; inflammation had then set in, and there he lay on his bed dying. Now J. H. was the son of godly parents; he was their eldest son, too, and many a time had they cried to God for him, and many a time had they taken him to the preaching of the gospel that he might be under the sound of the Good News of the grace of God for sinners, but up to that day he had never confessed Christ, and had never taken any stand for Him in this world. He was always a good boy; by that I mean he did not swear or get drunk, but he had never owned, even to his mother, that there had been any change wrought in his soul by the Spirit of God. And now he was dying. How solemn! Only nineteen, a stout, hearty young man, and yet dying, and he knew it. He was come to the last day he had to spend on earth, and he was come to it many years before he or his relatives had in the least expected. And what do you think were the feelings of his father and mother at this time—they who had prayed so often and so earnestly for him, but had so little expected such a sudden blow? What could they do save bow to the hand of God in the matter, and count upon His grace. This they were enabled to do, and were not to be disappointed. Not many hours before his death, J. H. called his mother to his bedside and said:
“Mother, don’t fret for me. It is all right with me; I have been a Christian for two years, though I have never confessed Christ. I was converted that night at H. when the preacher was speaking on John 3:16,16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) but I would not take a stand for Christ, and now God is taking me away.” He then called his sister to him, a girl of seventeen, and said solemnly to her,
“Louie, I know you are a Christian, but you have never taken a stand for Christ here. Take care, or God will take you away too, as He is taking me away, because I would not confess Him.” Soon after this he went to be with Christ.
I am thankful to be able to say that the sister has confessed Christ, and taken a stand for Him since her brother’s death.
Dear reader, if you have accepted Christ as your own precious Savior, and have never confessed Him as your Lord, let this story speak to you. God has said, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9, 109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)).
How sad it would be, if, as in this case, a confession of that precious Savior had to be, as it were, wrung from you, only a few moments before you pass out of this world.