ONE summer I was residing at the seaside, and invited some old friends to come and stay with me for a few weeks, hoping that the change of air would be of benefit to them, and, above all, desiring that they might hear the good news of God's salvation. I was much attached to their little girl Agnes, whose evident delight in hearing the Scriptures and deep interest shown in the things of God, made me more than ever anxious to teach her of Him.
On one occasion, when on our way home from a children's service, she exclaimed earnestly, "What that gentleman said was all out of the Bible I" This was a great joy to me, as I felt that the Lord was blessing this dear child, and during the remainder of her stay I ceased not to speak to her of the Savior of sinners, who had said, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
The time spent together quickly passed, and Agnes and her parents returned home. Two years later a letter was sent me by the mother, to say that for six months Agnes had been very ill and was now gradually sinking. Full of sorrow, I hastened to my little friend, but before going up to the sick room, heard from her mother that on the Sunday evening she had said, "Mamma, I want to tell you something. I know now that I shall never get better, but you must not fret, because I am going to be with Jesus. God knew I could not battle with this sinful world, so He is going to take me home. You know there is a verse in the Bible that says, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' But there is no sting for me. Jesus has washed me whiter than snow in His blood, so it will only be my body that will go into the grave, my spirit will be up there with Him. But, dear mamma, it is only since I have been ill that I have known that I was such a sinner, but now my sins are all gone; Jesus bore them all, and I am free!”
She had been tenderly brought up, and some might ask, "How could a little girl like that have been such a sinner as she thought herself?" Ah it was light from God revealing her sinful condition, and making her see herself as she was in His presence; light which He in mercy gave that she might come to the only One able to remove the burden from her conscience, and gave her power to say with holy triumph, "I am free.”
As we were sitting by the bedside, her mother was telling me of the pain the dear child had been suffering during the night, and Agnes said, "I am afraid that I was not so patient as I ought to have been." Her mother said she was, considering her pain, when the little girl gently answered, “But my pain was nothing like what Jesus bore for my sins; all I suffer cannot be as bad as being nailed alive to a cross. When I remember that, I did ask God to give me more patience if I had the pain again." The bright way in which she drank in any little sentence from the Word of God caused me to lift up my heart in thankfulness to the Good Shepherd who had made her one of His own little lambs—one who knew His voice and followed Him. On seeing the sorrow of those around, Agnes begged them not to cry, because she would soon be with the gracious Savior who so tenderly loved her.
And now, dear young reader, what more can I tell you about Agnes? She has gone from this world to be forever with the Lord. Where did she learn that she was "such a sinner," and afterward that her sins were "all gone"?
She learned it all out of the Bible.