“WELL, I never! Bessie beats all! What will she be up to next?” cried Grandpa Scott, as he read a letter which had just arrived from his favorite granddaughter.
“But what is it? What has Bessie been doing?” asked grandmother, looking up from her knitting. “What does she say?”
“O! the usual at this time, happy New Year to both, and so on,” grandpa answered. “But she says here she has such joy and peace as she never knew before. She is what she calls ‘saved’; the very idea. I can’t say that and I’m an old man now. But, she is coming for a few days, and I’ll get on to her about it when she comes. What’s this:—
“Tis done, the great transaction’s done,
I am my Lord’s and He is mine;
He drew me and I followed on,
Glad to confess the One Divine.’
Well, we’ll see.”
And sure enough, the same evening that Bessie arrived on her visit, and when they were comfortably settled round the cheery fire, grandpa turned to her, and said:
“It’s very nice to hear you tell of city ways, and all the bright shops, but what was it you meant about joy and peace in your heart? I can’t say I have that, and what’s more, I don’t see the need of all that sort of talk.”
“But, Grandpa,” said Bessie, in surprise, “I always thought you were a Christian, seeing you went to church and took communion?”
“Aha, that’s just it! I have been a church office-bearer for years, and I wouldn’t talk about being saved.”
“O, but, Grandpa,” said Bessie, eagerly, “there is nothing but the blood of Jesus that can make us fit for heaven. See, read I’ll Heb. 9:14:
“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. You, see,” Bessie went on, “unless you are sheltered by the blood, all your works are worse than useless—they are dead.”
Grandpa did not answer, but it was evident that the words had gone home. Some hours later, after they had retired for the night, the others were startled to hear him cry out. They sat up in bed to listen, and their joy knew no bounds as they made out his words:
“‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done, I am my Lord’s, and He is mine.”
Then: “Bessie beats all! It took a little girl to show an old fellow like me how I could be saved. Lord, I thank Thee! My own works are worse than useless—dead! Nothing but the precious, precious blood.”
And as Bessie listened to his happy words, so full of new-found joy and peace, she returned thanks to God that even at this late hour, her dear old grandfather had rested his all on the finished work of Jesus, and was saved, saved, saved!
ML 01/10/1937