THE father and mother had given the children their goodnight kiss, bidding them go to sleep. It was quite dark, and getting late, and yet Bessie and Sarah talked on. Sleep was still far from their eyes.
Bessie’s parents were Christians, and had sought in every way to lead their little ones to Christ, “because He loved them so.” Sarah, poor child, who was paying Bessie a visit, had scarcely ever heard of the Saviour’s love, until a year or so before, when her parents came to live in the house next to Bessie. Then Bessie and her little sister spoke to her of Jesus, and often sang about Him. They also went to the Sunday-school, and gained permission from Sarah’s parents to take her with them, and now, for a great treat, they were allowed to have Sarah to spend the night with them.
As the children lay awake, Bessie said, “Don’t you wish you were a Christian, Sarah?”
“Yes, I do, but I can’t be good anyhow,” adding, with a weary sigh, “I wish I could.”
Bessie continued, “The Bible says, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,’ and I do believe, but I am not saved, for I don’t feel saved.”
“So do I,” said Sarah.
Both were silent for a moment, when a sleepy voice, coming across the room from the little white bed, enquired, “What is it; what is the matter?”
The speaker was Agnes, an elder sister of Bessie’s. As Agnes had spoken, the children felt justified in quite waking her up.
“Aggie,” said they, “you are a Christian; tell us the way to be Christians.”
I wish I could tell you all that little girl said, but it is quite twenty years ago, and I only remember part. She was fully awake now, her eyes wide open dark as it was. They wanted to know Jesus, yet how could she best tell them how she came to love Him. She could not remember when she did not. When she was only three, and was very ill, her dear mother had told her the doctor thought she was going to Jesus, and glad she was to think that she would so soon see Him and be with Him. And as Agnes had loved the Lord from the day she was a tiny child, she could hardly understand why Bessie did not love Him as she did. It seemed beyond her. Jesus died for her, He loved her, how could she help loving Him back.
At last, Agnes said, “It is only to believe on Jesus, the Bible says so.”
“Wait one minute,” said Bessie. “I want John to be here.” Then she felt her way to their brother’s room. “John, John,” she called, but the tired boy needed a great deal of shaking before he awoke to the fact that he was wanted in his sister’s room; at last, not knowing why he was going, he followed her.
“Now,” she began, when they were all together, “I think we ought to be saved. Supposing Jesus came tonight, we are not all ready; only Aggie. What do we have to do, Aggie?”
“Why, nothing,” answered the child, “only believe that Jesus died for you, because He loved you so.”
“So we do, but that does not make any difference,” they all replied.
“Then I don’t know what else to tell you;” and the voice was very sad and wistful. “I do wish you could love Jesus.”
“Will you pray for us?” asked Bessie.
Then Agnes sprang from her bed—she knew and believed that Jesus loved her—and there they all knelt down; and the blessed Lord Jesus looked upon them and He loved them. She asked the Lord to tell her what to say. She asked God to show them the way to come to Him, and to teach them how to love Him, and to let her love Him more, for Jesus loved them so much.
God heard that prayer. He loves to hear children pray. When the prayer was ended, the brother went silently back to his room; the others curled up in bed, and soon they were all fast asleep.
Where are they now? John was saved a few years after; and Bessie learned to love Jesus. because she believed in her heart that it was for her that He had died; and now they who know her, see by her life, her many kind, loving, and unselfish deeds, that she indeed has found the Saviour. Aggie, also, is still pressing onwards, still longing to be with Jesus. But Sarah, ah, how can I tell of her; she did not accept Jesus then, nor yet afterwards when told again of His great love.
She went on just putting it off, meaning to come to Jesus some other time, just as many children do. And now she has gone down, down, and I do not like to even speak more of poor Sarah.
Dear children, will you not come to Jesus now, “because He loves you so”?
ML 03/08/1925