An evangelist, visiting a leper colony in one of the Caribbean Islands, described meeting the youngest resident of that place. There, on the front porch of a small cottage, sitting alone, staring dejectedly into space with a forlorn look on his face, sat a little eight-year-old boy named George. His arms and legs were wrapped to the elbows and knees in bandages due to the ravages of that dread disease. Not long before this, because of his disease, George had been taken by medical authorities from his father and mother—from the loving security of family and home—and had been placed in the leper colony, evidently never to see them again.
What a solemn picture of dear children, brought up in the bosom of Christian homes—having heard from their earliest years of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and of a free and full salvation—yet still refusing God’s offer of salvation. How solemn their end, should the Lord Jesus come before they are saved. “Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)). It is to be forever in a lost eternity alone in the blackness of darkness—forever separated from parents who loved them, daily read the Bible to them, and prayed for them—forever separated from God.
Twelve years later, the evangelist again visited that same island. While there, he was allowed to preach the gospel in a small school. As he left, he shook hands with its young headmaster—a happy Christian man named George. The miracle of modern medicine had provided a drug that had cured the dreaded leprosy that years before seemed to have condemned George to a hopeless life in the colony.
Much better still, while confined in the colony, an elderly Christian faithfully preached the gospel to George, and, by the grace of God, he believed and was saved. Oh! may we be faithful in living and preaching the gospel—specially to our own house (Luke 8:3939Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. (Luke 8:39)).