IN a remote little country village a young girl lay dying. She was still quite young, although the mother of two children; but consumption had laid hold of her, and no one who saw her wasted form, or heard her distressing cough, could doubt that her days on earth were numbered.
Her father had died of the same malady, and she was fully aware of her own critical condition.
There she lay, placid and calm, undisturbed by the least anxiety about the future, while she quietly waited till death should end her sufferings.
It is an awful thing to have eyes that are only blind eyes; to possess ears that are too deaf to hear; to be in a position of extreme peril, and yet quite unconscious of danger. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:3131It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)). Here was an immortal soul, on the very verge of eternity, yet utterly indifferent about settling that solemn question, Eternity! Where?
One of her neighbors, who was a Christian woman, called to see her one day, and asked her whether she was prepared to meet a holy God who says He cannot look upon sin. The poor girl replied, saying—
“The clergyman has been, and he tells me I am quite ready, so it must be all right.”
How fearful the responsibility of those who crying, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace,” dare thus to lull to sleep souls who are uttering eternity! Listen to what the Word of the Lord says: “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand” (Ezek. 3:1818When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. (Ezekiel 3:18)).
But in that remote country village God had some of His own children, who, feeling an interest in the poor girl, offered much prayer to God on her behalf. They asked Him to convict her of her deep need as a sinner, and then reveal His own remedy in the death of His beloved Son. As they prayed, they watched for the answer, but their patience was to be tested. A long time passed without any outward change; then at last she showed more interest in hearing the Word of God, and seemed more inclined to listen to the “old, old story of Jesus and His love.” But though she listened most attentively, and her dark eyes seemed to follow every word, she would say nothing, and no response of any kind could be gained from her.
So the Lord’s people prayed afresh, that there might be some satisfactory evidence of a work of grace in her soul, — some confession with the mouth that she had believed in her heart on the Lord Jesus. Still no answer was given. Day after day passed, each succeeding one finding her weaker than the previous one.
One morning the news came that Mrs. — was sinking, and could not possibly live out the day. One of the first to reach the cottage was her Christian neighbor, longing for just one word of assurance that the poor sufferer was really trusting to the finished work of Christ.
Bending over her, she repeated slowly, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s 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)). Word by word the girl repeated the verse in a whisper, then her eyes closed, and with one short “Good-bye” she turned her head to the wall. All was silence, and, after imparting one farewell kiss on the dying girl’s brow, the woman returned to her home.
Tears filled her eyes, and disappointment her heart, as she wended her way up the hill. What did it all mean? she thought. Had God forgotten to be gracious? Had He passed unheeded the many prayers that had gone up to Him for this poor soul?
God’s ways are not as our ways, and He chose His own way of acting. At the very moment that the woman left the front door, one of the Lord’s servants was crossing the back garden, and, unperceived by her, entered the cottage just as she went out. Not knowing what had transpired, — though surely guided by the Holy Spirit, — he also bent over the dying girl, and slowly repeated the very same verse, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s 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)). Her eyes opened once more, and with a smile she said, “Dear Jesus!” and then became unconscious.
Thank God for those two words. The answer had come. Scripture says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But there was more given than this, for the affections of her heart went out to the One who had saved her, making her exclaim, “Dear Jesus!”
There was thanksgiving and praise ascending to God that day from hearts that had been praying before, as they heard the voice of the Shepherd saying, “Rejoice with Me, for I have found My sheep which was lost.” E. R. M.
PRECIOUS FAITH. — How sweet it is to peruse and consider the testimony of the Holy Ghost to the faith of the dear saints of God as recorded in that wonderful eleventh chapter to the Hebrews, which, were there no other record, would be sufficient to show us the value God places upon the faith of His people, and why the Holy Ghost designates it “precious faith.”
And surely it is “precious faith,” inasmuch as “it is the gift of God,” and the connecting link between the sinner and the Saviour, — the beautiful connecting link in the chain of divine grace in John 5:24: —
Heareth — Believeth — Hath;
at the end of which, as has often been observed, hangs for every repentant sinner the stupendous gift of Everlasting Life.
“He that heareth My word, and
believeth on Him that sent Me,
hath everlasting life.”
Life! life! eternal life, for “whosoever believeth”! — present possession of “joy and peace in believing”!— and “faith counted for righteousness” “to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)).
Precious faith! it grasps the “exceeding great and precious promises”; it reposes in “the precious blood of Christ”; it clings to “the Living Stone,... chosen of God and precious”; it beholds Him, even Jesus, through the opened heavens, “crowned with glory and honor” (Heb. 2); and proves the truth of the scripture which says, “Unto you which believe He is the preciousness,” for “by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)).
Reader, dost thou believe; Hast thou eternal life? Art thou justified?
N. L. N.