So great my joy, I cannot keep
My tongue in silence bound;
I’ll sing aloud to let the world
Know that my Christ I’ve found.
One month ago no hope had I
Beyond this world of sin;
But now the love of Christ my Lord
My soul has entered in.
I saw my guilt, my wretched guilt,
And trembled ‘neath the load,
And conscience, wakened, proved to me
A miserable goad.
I knew not then ‘twas God’s own love
Working my soul within,
To make me see the love of Christ
That ransomed me from sin.
It made me feel how weak I was—
Feel I was lost, undone—
And when I cried aloud to Him,
Made me behold His Son.
He showed me from His blessed Word
How Christ had died for me,
How graciously He left His home
From sin to set me free.
Emilia was now praying for her sister. Julia hung back instead of thinking of the great gain. She was afraid of what the cost would be to have Christ. One day, on hearing the solemn scripture, Proverbs 1:14-32, she wept much and said she did believe in Christ as her Savior. With her it seemed to be fleeing from the wrath to come and not the heart won by Christ, as with Emilia. The following is an extract from a letter they sent to one who wrote to them rejoicing in their conversion “We do feel how blessed it is, ‘Our theme of joy’s but one,’ that we are members of Christ. It is indeed only the work of God’s Holy Spirit has made us such. The Scriptures you refer to are very precious and helpful. We are already beginning to experience what a satisfying portion to our souls is our Savior, Jesus Christ. What a blessed thing to know our sins are forgiven us! We wrote home yesterday to make known the news to our father and mother. We shall need to cling close to Christ for strength to enable us to show to the dear ones at home by our manner of conduct what a change has come to us.”
The letter was signed by both. The writing to their parents was an unsuggested act; but undoubtedly the Spirit of God led them to thus confess Christ. The result was an immediate summons home and thus abruptly terminated their happy visit of some weeks. They parted from their relatives in tears, conscious of the cross that awaited them, yet knowing, too, where to go for strength.
Emilia was much better for the country air. Months elapsed, during which she bore bright testimony for Christ. How could she now call herself a miserable sinner and cry, “Lord, have mercy upon us; spare us, good Lord,” and similar petitions, when she knew herself justified and standing in the favor of God? (Rom. 5:1, 2). Delighting, too, in knowing herself “accepted in the Beloved,” and brought into “the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”
The returning cough, however, and the hectic flush soon told that the incipient disease had not left her. Soon all hope of her recovery was gone. But was she afraid to die? O, no! She knew the One who had conquered death and removed for her its sting. To an aunt watching beside her she said her eighteenth birthday was the happiest she ever had. This was one of her last days on earth. The Lord lovingly granted her desire to depart to be with Him on a Lord’s Day.
Dear reader, is Jesus your Savior? “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow to you may never come.
Truly wrote another—
“Salvation without money,
Salvation without price,
Salvation without labor,
Believing doth suffice.
Salvation now—this moment;
Then why, O! why delay?
You may not see tomorrow;
Now is salvation’s day!”