WONDERFUL are the ways of God with the souls of men. The Good Shepherd, in His persistent love, goes after the lost sheep until He finds it. The Holy Spirit operates upon the conscience, awakening a sense of guilt and need. Thus the work is wholly of God, and in the salvation of each sinner the three Persons in the unity of the Godhead have their joy (Luke 15), and it is to the glory of the grace of God.
Eddy H―, of Chicago, was a young man upon wham the awful, disease of consumption came. He was be die young; there was no hope of his recovery. Only a little past twenty, and yet he must go, and the tremendous question was, Where was he going?
As yet he was unweakened to a sense of sin, and therefore unsaved. How solemn it is to think of multitudes traveling the same road, and in the same condition. Unsaved, out of Christ, in their sins, traveling the broad road, with nothing but the judgment of God before them.
For a long time Eddy could not see himself a sinner as others did, and when spoken to by his mother, who with untiring affection waited on him, he would say, “I am not such a sinner; why don’t you teak to Willie?” referring to his brother.
But God was working. The gracious Spirit of God was dealing with his conscience. He knew that he was doomed to die, his disease was incurable. It was only a question of a little time, and he must go the way of all the earth, ―but where?
His bed would be strewn with tracts, and the Bible, that inestimable volume, was ever before him. What an untold mercy it is to have the Word of God at such a moment as this. Let the infidels of the nineteenth century say what they may, there is nothing that will speak peace and comfort to the soul, when it is passing through the deep swellings of Jordan (Jer. 12:55If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)), like the Word of God, for the simple reason that it is the Word of God.
What Mr. M―said to Eddy seemed to be used of God to open his eyes to his real condition as a sinner before a holy God. And what a discovery it was! How solemn to find oneself detected, discovered to oneself, in the presence of the all-detecting and unsullied holiness of God. Sin is seen in its true light then; its offensiveness to God, and the deep, deep need of the soul is felt.
But along with this, God, in His abounding grace, was showing this dear young man the great and grand remedy, provided by Himself, that would meet his need and save him forever, if he did but, in simple faith, commit himself to it. Precious to him now was the glorious fact that “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)). “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). He was a sinner, and how precious to learn that Christ Jesus came to save such. He was lost, and what consolation to find that the “Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). He was guilty, and what peace to find that the blood of Jesus was the ground of the sinner’s justification, and that God justified from all things those that believed (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39).) He was defiled, and what a discovery to make that “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”! (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).)
Calling his mother to him one day, he said, “Oh, mamma, I am a great sinner, ―I am such a sinner, but Jesus is a great Saviour!”
Great was the joy of the mother on hearing from the lips of her dying boy this blessed confession. His being taken from her was as nothing now she knew that he was saved, and was going to be forever with the Lord.
“I am a great sinner, ―I am such a sinner, but Jesus is a great Saviour,” it was the knowledge of this that gave him peace.
He never had a doubt after this. His soul was filled with peace and assurance unto the end. He, had found out that he was a sinner; he had discovered that Jesus, the Son of God, had died for him; and he had learned from the Word of God that the blood, the precious blood of Jesus, cleanseth from ALL sin, and he believed it, and was saved.
And now, he who had never sung before, asked his mother to sing, and he with her, that lovely hymn that begins with―
“O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head!
Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead―
To bear all ill for me.
A victim led, Thy blood was shed;
Now there’s no load for me.
Death and the curse were in our cup―
O Christ, ‘twas full for Thee!
But Thou hast drained the last dark drop,
‘Tis empty now for me
That bitter cup―love drank it up;
Left but the love for me.”
Ah, yes, the first movement of the saved soul, the first aspiration of the heart that has tasted the sweetness of redeeming love, is that of praise to God, and gratitude to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us. This praise will flow on throughout the eternal ages.
Eddy, before he found peace, never wanted to hear of the Lord’s coming; but afterward, he said to his mother, “Oh, mother, would it not be nice if the Lord were to come, and take us all, and He could change the brothers?” referring to his unsaved brothers.
The desire of the renewed soul is to see the Saviour face to face. Nothing but this will satisfy the one who has tasted His love. The man of the world may have “his portion in this life,” but the child of faith aspires to heaven, and says, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness” (Psa. 17:1515As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. (Psalm 17:15)).
Fruits always follow when the soul is born again, and the Saviour known. Eddy, who was naturally stubborn, was now perfectly subject to the will of God, and to his parents. His “faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect” (James 2:2222Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (James 2:22)).
But the end came, the moment when he must pass away from this poor world with its sorrow, into the presence of the Saviour who had loved him, and whom he had so lately learned to love.
Before his ransomed spirit passed away to be with the Lord, he said of Jesus, “He is the chiefest among ten thousand; yea, the altogether lovely.” With this blessed testimony to the love, and loveliness of the Saviour, he entered His blissful presence, to go no more out for ever.
Beloved reader; while reading this unvarnished story of the grace of God to this young man, may you, if unsaved, find out that you are a shiner, and like the subject of this paper, as taught of God, be able to say, “I am a great sinner; oh, such a sinner, but Jesus is a great Saviour.”
“And, as made a child of glory―
Justified, forgiven,
By the Holy Spirit strengthened,
Start for heaven.”
E. A.