VISITING a workhouse one day with a friend, we went into a room, where a very old woman was sitting over the fire. Entering into conversation with her, we spoke of death, and asked her if she expected to go to heaven. “Yes,” she answered. “Why do you hope so?” asked my friend. “Oh!” she said, “I believe everyone will go to heaven.” “What reason have you for believing that?” we asked; but to this question we could obtain no answer. Again we asked, “Why do you think you will go to heaven?” To this she said, “Because I am trying as hard as I can. What more can anyone do than that?” The truths of the gospel were then plainly set before her, but apparently with no result, for she constantly said, “I am trying hard, doing my best.” Poor creature! What a miserable delusion was hers! How could she think that anything a sinner could do could atone for sin?
Leaving her, we went into the sick ward, where a very different scene awaited us. On a bed lay a dying woman; the nurse and matron were standing by her. On our entrance the matron came up to us, and, with tears running down her face, said to my friend, “Oh! what a wonderful change is here! You know this poor woman; you know how dark and ignorant she has seemed; you know that, when addressed on religious subjects, she has appeared quite unmoved, and could seldom be persuaded to speak. But all is now altered. Yesterday she became much worse, and now she seems a different being. Her tongue is loosed, and her soul seems filled with unspeakable things. She said this morning that God had taught her wonderful things, and she felt that He was preparing a place for her.”
We now went up to the bed, and entered into conversation with the woman. “Do you fear to die?” we asked. “No. Jesus has saved me.” “Are you trusting to anything you can do?” said my friend. “Oh, no,” was the answer. “What could I do! I trust in the Saviour.” Her mind appeared perfectly clear, and she seemed fully to understand the plan of salvation. “Is not this wonderful,” said the matron, “to hear her, whom we always considered the most ignorant woman in the house, speak like that? I can hardly believe my senses.”
What a contrast do these two cases present: one trusting to her own efforts to save herself, the other resting her hopes on Christ alone!
Now, dear reader, let me ask, Which case is yours? Are you trusting to your own poor, feeble efforts to win pardon and peace? If we poor sinners could have obtained pardon by any effort of our own, there would have been no need for Christ to suffer and die, but, because we were lost and helpless, He came to save those who, giving up all their own vain efforts to save themselves, believe on Him, and trust in Him alone, Who, of God, is made unto us that believe “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.”
H. A. I. S. M.