For many years old Billy had lived in the little village, and each year he had descended lower in the social scale and sunk deeper in the mire of sin. Even his drunken companions had at length abandoned him. His family, unsuccessful in every effort to lead him aright, had ceased to take any further interest in him.
Billy slept on a miserable pallet in a wretched hovel where the parish had permitted him to take shelter along with a number of others as degraded as himself. To describe his condition would be impossible. He was dying in the midst of filth and repulsive surroundings. Worse than that, he was dying without God.
But there was One in heaven who thought of poor Billy. Long ago He had "devised means to bring His banished one back again" (2 Sam. 14:13,1413And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished. 14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. (2 Samuel 14:13‑14)). He sent one of His servants with a message to that poor old man. This man knew nothing of Billy, and had another object before him in coming to the house. Going from room to room he came to the one where the dying man lay. Nor did he, like the priest and the Levite in Luke 10, turn away from the sight of the miserable outcast. Day after day he came to visit him in the character of the good Samaritan.
"Do you know the Lord Jesus?" he asked.
"No.”
"Do you know who He is?”
"Oh, I have heard of Him, but I don't know Him." He added: "I am not a Christian." To all his visitor's efforts Billy assumed absolute indifference. He did not want to hear anything about God.
Poor Billy! Time was so short for him. After many appeals, his visitor tried at length to arouse his conscience by the remembrance of the past, and to appeal directly to his heart. "Tell me," he said, "What about your soul?”
"It seems to me that there is a great barrier between me and God.”
"But, Billy, there is no barrier on God's side, for He loves you. Remember that all your sins are no hindrance to your being saved today. God is love and Christ died for you. Do you fear God, Billy?”
"Yes," responded the dying man; "but," he added, "I don't want to know Him.”
Solemn words. He did not want to have anything to do with God. Job tells us that in a moment the wicked cometh to destruction.
"They say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways." Job 21:1414Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (Job 21:14). Such was the case with Billy.
"I have no desire," said Billy. "But God, who is rich in mercy," had desire to him. So it transpired that there was a bright side to the picture.
What was the astonishment of the visitor, the day following this conversation to hear, coming from Billy's room, the words of a hymn pronounced with trembling voice:
"Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly.”
Could it be possible? Yes, it was indeed Billy singing as the door opened, and his face was illumined with heavenly joy.
"I am another man," said he. "I have passed such a happy night.”
Little by little all was explained. Billy had had another visitor, one of his former companions who had recently been converted. Having heard of the deplorable condition of his old friend he felt impressed to come and speak to him of the Savior's love. In truth there was joy in heaven that night.
On his previous visit, Billy's first visitor had left burdened with a sense of his own weakness. He could present Christ to Billy, but he could not lead him to trust in Him. As he thought of the hardened sinner, upon whose forehead the death dew was already gathering, he had cried in agony of soul to God. Oh, that He would look in pity upon the dying sinner! Now his prayer had been answered. Now Billy told him how God had used his old friend to speak to him in simple language of Jesus "who died for such chaps as we.”
"You know what I was once, Billy," he had said. "But the Lord spoke peace to my soul. Now I have come to tell you about Him. God has often spoken to you too by His Holy Spirit, but you have always turned away. Now I want you to hear Him this night.”
All at once Billy manifested his opposition. All this noise about his bed tired him! He wanted to sleep! But his friend would not be discouraged.
"You are a dreadful sinner, a miserable wretch, he continued. "What would become of you if Jesus had not died on the cross for you?”
Then Billy mentioned his previous Christian visitor.
"Yes, I know," replied his friend. "Through him I heard of you. He wants you saved, and I also desire it. You can't do anything, Billy; but God tells you now that He has sent His Son to die for sinners. We are all sinners. You are a sinner yourself, Billy.”
The old man began paying a little attention, and his friend unceasingly presented to the dying man the Person and work of Christ. Finally the friend said: "Billy, I want you to pray.”
"I cannot pray," groaned the old man.
"Then listen; I will pray for you.”
And while the words of faith and supplication ascended to God, the heart of old Billy melted within him. Great tears rolled down his emaciated cheeks, evidence to the repentance to salvation being wrought in his heart.
It was late when the messenger of good news left the wretched hovel, and he left with a heart overflowing with praise and thanksgiving. Had he not won a soul for Christ? Throughout the dilapidated tenement the report spread that old Billy was a changed man.
He spoke little, but the expression on his face testified to his inward joy. To those who asked a reason for his hope, he replied very simply that he had been a great sinner but that he had found a wondrous Savior.
The First and the Last
"The first Adam," said an old writer, "closed the door upon us, but there was a last Adam to open it. If this last Adam (Christ) close the door, there is no other Adam to open it.”