THE lady of whom we write was an exception to the rule in nearly every department of her life. She had decided opinions of her own about nearly everything, but in the matter of religion she did confess to following the teaching of others, and in this she was an avowed Calvinist, that is, one who believes that only those, who are elected to be saved, will be saved.
One evening she heard the gospel preached in a public hall. She was much impressed by the address.
Meeting the preacher the next evening, with kindly interest he asked her if she had the assurance of salvation.
“No!” she curtly replied.
“That we might have such assurance is one reason why God has given us this inspired Book,” said the preacher, holding out the Bible.
“I know that as well as you,” she answered.
“Look then at Romans 10:9,9That 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. (Romans 10:9)” the preacher continued, paying no heed to her brusque manner, “It says, (1) ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and, (2) shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, (3) thou shalt be saved.’ Do you believe that is God’s Word?”
“Certainly I do,” she replied.
“Then follow what it says! There are two things on your side, and, if you answer to those, salvation is assured to you from God’s side! First, do you confess Jesus as your Lord?”
“Yes, I do,” she said at once.
“Second, Do you believe that God raised Him from the dead after He had died for your sins upon the cross?”
“Yes, I do,” again she said.
“Notice carefully then what God says, ‘Thou shalt be SAVED.’ Do you accept what He says?”
She considered for a few moments and then remarked abruptly, “I believe as much as you do, but I’m not saved.”
“In effect,” he rejoined, “you don’t believe what you admit to be God’s Word!”
With a look of disdain she jerked out, “Don’t accuse me of not believing God’s Word! I’m a Calvinist,” and so saying, she bowed, and hastily left the room.
To the preacher’s surprise and pleasure she turned up to hear his next address. He expected she would be too much offended by their conversation to return; but he had yet to learn what an exceptional character this lady was. Although he reasoned earnestly that night as to God’s one way of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrificial work, and pointed out the danger of neglect and the blessing of those who accept, she was nevertheless again impressed and interested.
When, however, she told him so afterward, she bluntly added, “But I read Toplady’s writings! I like Toplady he was a Calvinist! He was right and the Wesleys were wrong!”
“Anyhow,” answered the preacher, “Augustus Toplady was right when he accepted God’s salvation in Christ after he had listened to a humble preacher in a barn in the South of Ireland; he was right, too, in yielding himself to the service of His Saviour, and he was also right in penning that much valued hymn, Rock of ages cleft for me! Would it not be right likewise if others accepted God’s salvation and served the Saviour too, because they possessed the assurance which God’s Word gives?”
Firing up at once, she said shortly, “I’m not going to let you tell me again, I don’t believe God! Good-night!” and off she bustled.
During the following summer, this servant of the Lord had a tent erected for the preaching of the gospel. He rejoiced to see the lady again attending night after night, but though as friendly and as curt as ever, he noticed she deliberately avoided giving him an opportunity of speaking to her of her soul’s welfare.
The series of meetings ended also, and though others had happily confessed Christ as their personal Saviour, our friend still remained unconverted.
Another summer season came round, and again Tent meetings were held, and as before the Calvinistic lady attended regularly. For the benefit of many who rely upon religion and religious works for salvation, instead of trusting in Christ and His finished work, four lines of a hymn were often sung at that time:—
“Cast your deadly doing down,
Down at Jesu’s feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.”
It was at the close of one meeting, amongst others, the preacher observed a little knot of friends with beaming countenances conversing with his old hearer. He joined the happy band, standing behind her, where he hoped he would be unseen.
“It happened about 2 o’clock this morning!” she was saying. “When I went to bed I knelt down to pray as usual, but I felt so sinful before God, I prayed as I had never done and asked that He would save me there and then! I waited, but nothing happened, except that a feeling of helplessness and almost despair took possession of me. At last I got into bed, only to get up again later on, to pray more earnestly. This I did several times with the same result. A sense of hopelessness and sinfulness weighed upon my soul. Still I did not give up! and about 2 o’clock in the morning, it dawned upon me I was shutting out the Saviour by trusting to my praying, and religion, and good living. The words of the Bible came to me as never before, ― ‘Not of works!’ and then, ― ‘By grace are ye saved through faith!’ (Eph. 2:88For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)). The eyes of my heart were opened. The truth gave me freedom; and with a meaning I had not previously understood, I thought of the lines,
‘Cast your deadly doing down,
Down at Jesu’s feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.’
“And there indeed, in those early hours, I felt as if the light of eternal day was mine. I saw that Christ had put all my sins away at the cross! I saw that I was complete in Him risen and ascended to God’s right hand! and I gave thanks to God that at last I could truly say, I was converted.”
She then turned round quickly and pointing to her old friend, the preacher, remarked, “And mind he didn’t convert me, but the Lord did!”
Yes, the Calvinist was converted in the true, Scriptural sense; and the steady life and testimony to the grace of God which followed gave evidence of it; for though the believer is saved through the work of Christ alone, the works and witness of faith always follow.
Reader, are you saved through our Lord Jesus Christ?
V.