TWO young ladies had hurried away from the esplanade of a fashionable town on the south coast, to a quiet spot, where they could speak together of Him who had recently manifested Himself to them as their own precious Saviour.
“How marvelous it is, Annie,” said the elder of the two, “that we, who a short time ago loved the pleasures of this world so much, should now be glad to get away from its attractions.”
“Yes,” replied her friend, “we, like the man possessed with devils, are clothed, and in our right minds, sitting at the feet of Jesus.”
“Ah! but he was told to go home to his friends, and tell them how great things the Lord had done for him, and had compassion on him. I am afraid we have confessed Him but little, yet we know if we desire to do so He will help us, and direct us by His Spirit, who dwells within us.”
As they talked, they noticed an aged man sitting a few feet before them. The advancing tide obliged him to change his seat within speaking distance of the two friends.
“It is a day of good tidings,” whispered Bessie to Annie, “and we do not well to hold our peace. I feel that I must speak to that old man.”
“Yes, do, and I will pray the Lord to help you.”
“What a lovely day,” said Bessie.
“Aye, aye, missie, it be. God is a great deal kinder to us than our ways deserve.”
“Ah! when I think of what I deserve, I am obliged to confess that hellfire is all I could expect.”
“Well, well, I never heard the like o’ that before. Why you don’t look as though you had done much harm to anybody. Come, missie, tell an old man why you deserve such dreadful punishment.”
“Because it is appointed unto us to die, and ‘after this the judgment.’ Now, I have been a sinner all my life, and until very lately have had my back to God, and my feet on the broad road that leadeth to destruction.”
“But, missie, you don’t look as though you were going to hell.”
“Let me tell you a little of One who delivered me from going down to the pit?”
“Aye, do; I be hearing strange things from one so young.”
“‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.’ (Isa. 53:55But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)). These words speak of the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, who bore the punishment that was due to me. God loved me, and gave His Son to die for me. ‘Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.’ God is satisfied about my sins, and because of this I, too, am satisfied. I belong to Christ, who is now in heaven, and am only waiting till He calls me to be with Himself forever.”
Amazed at Bessie’s statement, the old man remained for some minutes the picture of bewilderment, then he exclaimed, “Ye can’t mean it! Why if ye’ve been so bad as ye say ye have, God couldn’t pardon yer like that.”
“But listen to what Jesus says Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
“It’s too presumptuous,” replied the old man, “to think that God will save anybody like that.”
“He has saved me, and is willing to save you also.”
“I wouldn’t like to venture on such terms,” said he, while an incredulous smile played over his face. “I’ll wait till I die, and as I’ve always tried to do as I’d be done by, no doubt God will have mercy on me.”
“That is not God’s way of salvation; how solemn it would be for you to find out, when too late, your great mistake! You are seeking to make yourself fit for God. ‘All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’ God offers the sinner salvation through His Son, and, according to His word, He has no other way of escape from never-ending woe.”
“I can’t see your way,” said the man, “I’ve done nobody any harm; I go to chapel when I can, and I’ve brought up a large family, who be all turned out respectably. Now, ye tell me I be a great sinner—nay, nay, I bent so bad.”
As the old man was about to go, the young Christian said— “You are old, and I am young, but let me say a few more words to you before we part. Most likely we shall never meet again on earth, but I do want to meet you in heaven; yet, I am afraid I shall not see you there, for you do not believe that you are a lost sinner, and accept the Lord Jesus as your only Saviour. You see this tall cliff,” she continued, pointing to the over-hanging rock behind them, “now suppose you try to scale the front, while I go round by the road to reach the top; which of us evil get there?”
“Now ye be laughing at me, missie, ye know well enough that nobody would think of climbing such a cliff, let alone an old man like me.”
“Which way would you go to reach the top, then?”
“By the right road, to be sure.”
“And you would not be wrong or foolish to go by the road?”
“Surely not; it is the only way.”
“And yet you are trying to reach heaven by another way than that which God has appointed; and do you not see that the way you are going can but end in destruction?”
Putting his hands to his head, the man exclaimed, “I suppose it’s because I’m old, and have never been taught this way, that I can’t understand. God help me, if I am not on the right road.”
Bessie grasped the old man’s hand, saying as she did so, “I leave you a text of Scripture. Jesus said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
Tears coursed down the old man’s cheeks, as, thanking her, he said, “If I get to heaven, ’twill be through your telling me the way there.”
Leaning heavily on his stick, he moved slowly away toward the narrow path that led to the top of the cliff.
Many years have passed away since that bright July morning. No doubt the aged man has left this world. One of the two young Christians has long been in the enjoyment of her Lord’s presence; her pilgrim days over, her rest perfect. Reader, are your feet on the right road?
E. E. S.