Carrie
CARRIE D., the young friend of whom I am going to tell you, was brought to know the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour at about the age of thirteen. One day, when walking down a road in the town of W—, she noticed written on a fence before her these solemn words — “Sinner! Where wilt thou spend eternity?” She was frightened and troubled by the question — she tried to forget it, but could not — so, on returning home, she took her Bible, and the first words she read were, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). She probably read more, for she found out that she was a sinner, and in need of a Savior. She was aroused, but, failing to trust Christ at once, she did not then find Him. The good work was begun, however, and, although there was a delay of some weeks, Carrie at last put her trust in Christ, and found peace in believing. She was now filled with joy, and wanted to do something for the Saviour who had done so much for her. Carrie commenced distributing tracts, and, as she found opportunity, used to speak to others of the Saviour. She was in the habit of giving away tracts on her way to school.
One morning she did not take the tracts with her as usual. Seeing an old lady in the road, she longed to give her a tract, and, on looking into her home-lesson book, she found just one. Carrie offered it to the old lady, who took it, and read the title — another solemn question — “Where will you be a hundred years hence?”
“Can you tell me where you will be in a hundred years’ time?” asked the old lady.
Carrie, who now knew where she was going to spend her eternity, was able to reply—
“Yes, I can. I shall be with my Saviour in heaven. Will you be there”
The old lady shook her head. Carrie stood and endeavored to point her to Christ, but had at last to leave her, for fear of being late at school. She was cheered by the old lady’s parting words: “Good-bye, my dear. I will go home and read my Bible, and not rest till I have found Christ as my Saviour.”
Soon after this, Carrie again met the old lady, who took her by the hand, and said, “Oh! my dear, since the day I first saw you I have known the greatest joy in my heart. I went home and found peace with God that same night.” She also told Carrie that she was going away, but that if they never met again on earth, they would meet in heaven through the precious blood of Jesus. I could tell you of other things that Carrie did because of her love to Christ, but now I want the young readers of this to think about the question that was blessed to her soul.
You may not be so old as Carrie, but do not on that account turn away from the question. You are not too young to die; you are not too young to trust Jesus. If you are older than Carrie, so much more need for your coming to Christ at once.
Oh! my dear young friend, think of the time you are wasting! Your young life might be spent in the service of Christ, and every day that you remain away from Him is a day lost. Some, it is true, are saved when they are old, but they have lost something which they can never regain, even in eternity— years, precious years, which might have been spent on earth for Christ.
Sinner! where will you spend your eternity? “Sinner!” — God’s word for you if you are still unsaved. (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23))
“Eternity!” My dear young friend, think of this solemn word. When once you have passed from this life your future happiness or woe is unalterably fixed. Time ends; eternity, in this sense, begins.
Flee, then, to Jesus; He has died to atone for sin, and all who rest upon His finished work receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting life; trust Him as Carrie did, and as thousands of other children have done, and then seek to bring others to trust in Him, too. Your eternity will then be a blessed one — far more blessed than human tongue can describe.
“Eternity! But Jesus died
Yes, Jesus died on Calvary.
Behold Him, thorn crowned, crucified,
The spotless One, made sin for thee.
O sinner, haste! for refuge flee—
He saves, and for eternity!
Eternity! Eternity!
Where wilt thou spend eternity?
W.W. H.