THE following narrative of the peaceful and joyful departure of one, whom the Lord redeemed, is sent forth with earnest desire and prayer, that He may be pleased to use it for the establishing of some of His, who may be in health, and for the comfort and cheer of some whom He may have been pleased to lay down in sickness. It may be also that, by comparison with their own state, some who are yet unsaved, may be led to “turn to the Lord.” The subject of this narrative, Mrs. T—, resided in a town in one of the British colonies, and for the last few years of her life was in a rather delicate state of health. Her removal from England to that part of the world—the climate being much drier and clearer than that of the old country—seemed for a time to be used to stay the progress of the disease from which she was suffering, consumption, and as she appeared better, much hope was entertained by herself and her friends that she would entirely recover. This, however, was not the will of the Lord concerning her, and in the summer of the year 1885, she was laid low with a severe illness. From her bed of suffering, He took her into the light of His presence, where “there is no sorrow or crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” She calmly fell asleep in Jesus, first giving a clear testimony to the love and grace of Him, who, some years previously, had called her from “death unto life.”
On the last Wednesday afternoon of her illness, her husband was informed by the doctor, that she could live but a short time; he immediately hastened to her side, and then began the difficulty of breaking the matter to her. The agony of the separation was only known to themselves, and to the One who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.”
While her husband was waiting for the opportunity of gently telling her the doctor’s opinion, she suddenly said to him, “Do you think I shall get over this?” “My dear, I am afraid not,” was the reply. Nothing more was said, but both husband and wife poured out their supplications to the Father, for grace and strength, to undergo the great trial.
About ten o’clock the same night, she grew rapidly worse, and seemed to be sinking, when suddenly she said to her husband, “I should like to see the Lord more clearly.” Immediately after saying this, her breathing became more and more difficult, and she appeared to be on the point of departure. She was then raised in bed, and while in that position, it pleased the Lord to reveal Himself to her gaze, in a way unspeakably precious, and she broke out in praise in the following words, “O! my blessed Lord, I could not see Thee, but now I can see Thee! I can see Him at the right hand of God. Oh! what a sight! Do you think I would stop down here? Oh! no. Oh! how beautiful! I can see the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for me, a poor sinner.”
While giving this testimony to His beauty, she was gazing fixedly towards one corner of the room, looking into a scene altogether hidden from our sight. We, who were at her bedside, were to be left a little longer in this world, while she was blessed with a sight of the glory before she entered it. Her thoughts then seemed to draw to her near relatives, who were unsaved, and she said, mentioning their names “Tell them what they are losing.”
After saying this, she looked away from that place where the Lord had so wonderfully appeared to her, and, gazing round the room, said “This is a dirty place. Oh, how dirty everything looks!” And no wonder, after the sight she had seen. “I shall soon be back with the Lord to fetch you all. What a day that will be. My precious Lord, I can laugh now”; and, dying as she was, she laughed with joy.
Afterward, she said, “Give much love to my sister, and tell her to devote her life to the Lord no one would be one hour out of communion with Him who had seen what I have seen.” Her three children were then brought in, and she bid them good-bye as though she was going away for a little while, and soon afterward fell asleep.
Such was the departure to be with Christ, “which is far better,” of one of the Lord’s blood-bought ones, and thus does grace attract to that One, who “loves above all others,” and whose love to all who trust in Him is “stronger than death.”
And now a word to the reader of this, who may be unsaved. Unsaved! What a heartbreaking cry will be yours if you are taken as you are from this world! “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and I am not saved.”
You cannot say, “I am too great a sinner,” because He has saved the chief of sinners; “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief;” were the words written through the Holy Spirit, by Paul, the Apostle. You surely cannot doubt the love of Him who willingly laid down His life for sinners, who “endured the cross, despising the shame.” Do not think that the subject of this narrative was better in any way than yourself or others; she was only, as she expressed it,” a poor sinner,”
To those who belong to the Lord, who know that in Him they have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, the record given shows the meaning of scripture, that death is ours. Does the dread of death ever enter into your soul, especially when someone near and dear to you is called away? Perhaps you deem it a natural fear, which everyone has, more or less. That may be true, but making due allowance for the weakness of nature, is not the grace of God above nature, and if it is the will of God to put you to sleep in Jesus, will He not give you grace sufficient to go through all you may have to bear? It was so with our sister, Mrs. T―; she had all the grace ministered to her at the moment, which carried her far above all the feelings of nature; she could willingly give up her children when the Lord said “Come”; she could willingly part from her husband when she knew the Lord wanted her, and she had an utter distaste for earth after she had seen the beauty of the Lord’s face. Remember God’s word, that HE “hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”; and again, “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Do not doubt, do not fear, bud sing, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Again, death you may never have to meet We may, before to-morrow’s dawn, even before you have finished reading this, be called to prove the precious promise of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This is our hope, not death.
“Our loved ones before, Lord,
Their troubles are o’er, Lord,
We’ll meet them once more at Thy coming again;
The blood was the sign, Lord,
That marked them as Thine, Lord,
And brightly they’ll shine at Thy coming again.”
J. T.