AS I was taking my morning walk through a small village I met a very old man, stick in hand, and with a basket on his back. I had seen him several times before, and knew that he lived in the village, but I had not spoken to him previously, and after a few words I asked him plainly if he was prepared to meet God, seeing that according to nature, he must be very near his journey's end. As nearly as I can now remember, the following was his answer:—
"God has been very good and merciful to me, for I have been a sad and wicked sinner all my life, and I do thank and praise Him for His great and manifold mercy and goodness toward me, and for accepting me into His family when I had wasted the best of my life in wickedness and sin, and in serving the devil instead of Him. Oh! I do wish I could have seen when I was young as I can now," and as he spoke the tears ran down his cheeks. After a few minutes he continued," You see, sir, I am not much of a scholar, as schooling was dear when I was a boy, but my wife was a very good scholar and a Christian, and she used to read the. Scriptures to me, and talk to me about the importance of trusting in Christ for the eternal salvation of my soul, but it did not make any impression on me at the time. However, it pleased the Lord to call her to her eternal Home above. And after her death I felt very lonely, and used to sit alone for hours, and think of my wife, and what she used to say to me, and how earnestly she used to pray for my salvation. I also began to feel it would very soon be my turn to die, and I knew I was not prepared. It was my constant thought day and night. As I lay awake one night, thinking what I could do to be prepared to meet God, I heard a voice quite close to me say, 'Son, give Me thine heart.' I knew I had fastened the door quite safe before going to bed, so I sat up in bed for a few minutes, but I could not hear or see anyone, and then I knew it must have been God Himself who had called me, and I went on my knees at once, and told God how willing and ready I was to give Him my black and sinful heart if He would but receive me, and I am so very thankful to be able to say that He received me just then as I was, and before morning I was rejoicing over the knowledge that all my sins were forgiven, and that I had been brought to see that Jesus is 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' "
Dear reader, it is not necessary that you should have a wonderful vision or revelation in order to be saved. Some have experiences, as this old man had, but thousands have not, neither does God deal with all alike. But one thing is necessary—you must feel your need of a Savior, and then simply trust in Him. God is calling you now just as plainly as He called the old man of whom you have read. He is saying to you," Come now, and let us reason together: . . . though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow," and Jesus says," Him that cometh to Me I will in nowise cast out." S. S.