Saved on the Western Prairies.

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DEAR reader, I would like to tell you how God saved my soul from coming wrath.
When very young I was taught to say my prayers, and brought up strictly in what is called the true Church for over thirty years. I kept my Prayer-book in my pocket, and if danger was near I would read a prayer. I thought I was all right, a true child of God, but I now see that I was a true child of the father spoken of in John 8:4444Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44).
When I grew up to be a young man I left my native land for New York State. Not satisfied there, I moved to the western prairies, and settled down on a farm. We had neither priest nor preacher in those days, and lived as we thought best. Going out one day for a pail of water, I met a man giving away tracts, which he called “gospel tracts.” I did not know what they were, nor did I care much about them. “Gospel,” said I, “whatever is that? I never heard of the like before” (see Romans 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16); 1 Cor. 15:3, 43For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3‑4)). The stranger placed a hand on each shoulder, and looking me full in the face, said, “Come over to the gospel meeting tonight in the schoolroom.” I said to him, “Sir, would you advise me to leave my own church and go to your meeting” The stranger said, “No, sir; leaving your own church would do you no good; it is Christ you need. But come over and hear about Jesus, who died on the cross out of love to sinners. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’” (John 3:1616For 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)).
I thought the words were beautiful, never having heard them before. So I went to hear for myself what the gospel was. The Word of God was opened in the meeting, and a few scriptures read, showing that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15); Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). The stranger told how he got saved in the old country by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. For a man to stand up and say he was saved, and knew it (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)), was, we thought, going too, far. I could not say that I was saved, never having found out that I was lost; but this new doctrine, as we called it, bothered me, and I knew not: what to do. My wife was quite religious, yet she could not say, that she was saved; nor did I know one in the whole district who could, say he was saved from the wrath to come.
I began to think over what I had heard, and to read the New Testament which the stranger gave me. I saw in that blessed book that all who were saved had a right to know it. I of into trouble, deep trouble, about my soul, and wondered where I should spend eternity. I read the tracts eagerly now, thinking I might see in them some ray of light. But no light came; all was dark within and without. I saw nothing before.me but hell, with all its blackness of darkness (Matt. 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13)) And though some say there is no hell, I saw from the Word of God that there is a hell, and that all who die without Christ will be turned into it (Mark 9:4444Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:44); Psa. 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)).
Night after night Christ was brought before me as the only way of escape. He died on the cross out of love to sinners. He saw the sinner exposed to the judgment of God, having nothing to shelter him. Jesus took the sinner’s place, bearing the wrath which was due to the sinner on the cross. Oh, matchless love! “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24; 3:1824Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)). I was afraid of dying without Christ and going to the place where hope never enters; where no water can be obtained to quench the eternal thirst (Luke 16:24, 2524And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. (Luke 16:24‑25)), and no rest secured amidst the weeping and the wailing of the damned (Rev. 14:10,1110The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:10‑11)). I could not work; I could not eat; I was sick; yes, sin-sick, and knew not what to do. The farm, the home, the friends, were all as nothing to me compared with the loss of my soul. I prayed, I wept, I read the Book, but no light came. I lay down upon my bed, troubled about my soul’s salvation. I knew by the Word of God I was a lost sinner under God’s wrath (John 3:1818He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)). I was not sheltered by Jesus’ blood; I was in perfect misery; I had a taste of hell; afraid to go to sleep lest I should die and wake up in hell. As I lay there upon my bed the truths I had heard about Jesus, and His finished work on the cross of Calvary, came up before me (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)). I looked away from my own wicked heart (Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)) to Jesus bleeding on the cross for me, and I had peace with God-a peace made by Jesus Himself (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20); Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). I thanked God for the gift of His Son.
Next day, coming home from my work in the field, I met the stranger who had brought the good news to us about Jesus and His precious blood. I grasped his hand and told him, “I am not afraid of hell fire now, sir. Jesus has saved me, and I know it by His own blessed Word.”
Will you receive Jesus now as the man did of whom you have been reading? If you do, all will be well for time and eternity; but if you reject Jesus, what then? Jesus said, “He that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:1616He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)).