Returning home by train from preaching the gospel in a neighboring town a few nights recently, two young men were the only other occupants of the coach I was in. To each of them I gave a different little booklet, "The Two Alexanders," and "The Young Doctor." Both of these narrated God's grace to a young man sick in the hospital.
They each read their respective books carefully, but at the first stopping place one young man had to leave. However, he requested that he might keep the little book, as he would like to read it again. This request I was only too glad to comply with.
Left alone with my other fellow traveler who had been reading "The Young Doctor," I said: "Well, could you die like the young doctor?”
"No; indeed I couldn't! I wish I could though." "God's grace it was that saved him. It can save you also.”
"I'm sure I don't know. I wish it could. I know I'm not saved; and though I think about it sometimes, I can never see through it. I can't get to the bottom somehow.”
"Then evidently you have sometimes thought seriously about your soul and eternity. You know that you must meet God some day?”
"Yes; and I have had some solemn warnings too," "What were they?”
"I work a steam crane, and twice I have fallen off a great height and been badly hurt. And during last summer the rocks where, we were working were struck by lightning. The smell of brimstone was awful, I'll never forget it. But I was not hurt.”
"And did you not feel that God was speaking to you in all this?”
"Yes; and for a while—about three months—I did my best to be a Christian. Then the impression wore off, and I gave way to temptation. Now I'm as bad as ever.”
"That is sad! But I fear you were trying to be religious. Many do, and that's a great mistake.”
"Perhaps I did; but, anyway, I know I'm all wrong.”
"That is the first step to getting right, my friend," I replied. Then, putting the gospel simply before him, he was brought to see that Christ saves the lost out-and-out, without any doings on their part, and he was led to trust in Him.
When you discover this, you will have God's thoughts about you, for He has said, "There is none righteous, no, not one;... there is none that doeth good, no, not one;... for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3).
The Lord Himself fill you with the sense of His grace and love. In conclusion, with all my heart I say: "Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Heb. 13:20, 2120Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20‑21).
The gospel is a declaration, not of God's decrees, but of God's heart.