A. R―, according to her own testimony, had been a great sinner, she had served Satan well, had danced her last dance, and lain down to die. Hers was a short life; and while Satan had been faithfully served, Christ had been slighted, and His message of life and salvation rejected.
Up to within three or four days of her death, those who desired to speak to her on eternal matters were kept out, while those who would speak of passing trifles were freely admitted. It would seem as if a league had been formed with the devil to ruin her soul for eternity, and her own poor heart acquiesced in it.
A Christian did once venture to speak to her about her soul’s welfare, but from that time he was not admitted. Satan seemed to have all his own way. The writer, with a fellow-believer, called one day at the house to see her, but they were told the doctor said none were to see her that day. Satan had hedged up the way, and, as in thousands of other instances, the doctor was made to do duty at the door, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into that dark abode, and reach and save the dying girl. But God was over all, and, blessed be His name, He was going to defeat the purpose of Satan, and bring to naught the counsel of the ungodly. He was going to take her from the very jaws of hell and save her. He was going to make good His name as a Saviour-God, display, the riches of His grace, and give another striking proof of the value of the blood of Jesus.
The work that saves was finished on Calvary, when the expiring Saviour said, “It is finished: and bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30)); but a work must needs be wrought in her, which was as wholly of God as the work done for her on the cross―a work that would produce conviction of sin, and result in real repentance toward God, and faith toward, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As death drew near, her life of sin came up before her, passed in review before her, and the crowning sin of all was the rejection of the Saviour. Eternity, blacker than the Egyptian darkness, stood out before her, and the impenetrable gloom of the “outer darkness” appalled her soul. The awful judgment of God was now to her a reality. Her conscience was thoroughly awakened. A period of agony of soul, of deep anguish of spirit, was passed through, which resulted in her turning to God, and crying to Him for mercy. The Holy Spirit of God was leading her to that point; and God, who is rich in mercy, and great in love, turned not away from the repentant sinner’s cry, nor refused her because she had wasted her life in sin, and had only turned to Him in that last moment, when her flickering lamp was about to go out.
On that night of anguish of spirit, during which she tossed about like a wave of the sea, she was attended by an unsaved woman, who, touched by her cries of anguish, knelt by her side, and said that God would have mercy on her, and advised her to send for a Christian to speak with her. She sent for the Christian gentleman who bad ventured a word of faithfulness a little before.
He now placed before her, her life of sin, and how she had heard the Gospel many times and had rejected it, and then spoke of Jesus dying on the cross for sinners, yea, for those very sins she had committed. “But” groaned out the dying girl, “they are so many, they are so many!” Yes replied the child of God, but Jesus suffered for those very sins, they were all laid upon Him, and His blood cleanseth 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)).
Through God’s infinite mercy, and by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, she was enabled to see that Jesus had died for her, that He bore her sins in His own body on the tree, and that He was wounded for her transgressions, bruised for her iniquities; that the chastisement by which her peace was effected was upon Him, and that by His stripes she was healed (Isa. 53:55But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)). Thank God, she was saved. She, who was already in the jaws of hell, was delivered therefrom; and, as a brand already on fire, was she plucked from the eternal burning. All praise to the blessed God for this, and to the Lamb of God who was slain for her!
She had now but a few hours to live, but they were well spent. Intercession went up from her ransomed soul for her brother away from home. She spoke to, and prayed for, each member of the family; and with her father, a disciple of Ingersoll, she pleaded not to bring up his other children as he had brought her up, and finally extracted a promise from him not to preach Ingersolism any more. He at length promised. May he solemnly keep the promise; and may her dying prayers be heard, and her exhortations be heeded, so that not one of that family may be missing when the Lord makes up His jewels.
This instance of Divine mercy brings to the mind of the writer that of another.
A young lady was dying. Her mother had sought to instruct her in the truths of the Gospel; her father, in the teachings of infidelity. The poor father was much moved at the sight of his dying child. The daughter, who loved her father dearly, on one occasion, as he was standing by her bedside, said to him, “Father, which am I to believe, ―what you have taught me, or what my dear mother has taught me?”
This direct appeal was too much for the poor father, infidel though he was, and, fearful of committing his beloved child any further to the dreary waste of human speculations, he replied, “My daughter, believe what your dear mother has taught you.”
Thus again was the truth of the Gospel made to triumph, and Satan was robbed of his prey at the very moment when he thought it most secure.
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-3633O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:33‑36)).
Beloved reader, if a stranger to this blessed God of all grace, may you be brought to know Him, yes, to know Him who has concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. May that mercy reach even unto you.
Remember that today is God’s time to save; tomorrow it may be too late, and you may be lost forever! E. A.