ONE winter evening I was asked to visit a poor man who was dying of consumption. He was rapidly approaching his end, and the Christian who was interested in his case, found that he was unsaved. He had been a gentleman’s coachman, and, through the kindness of his master, was allowed to remain in the cottage he had for some time occupied.
I knocked at the door, and found his poor wife with three little children in deep trouble. She at once directed me to his room.
The sight that presented itself was most distressing. His sunken eyes and hollow cheeks showed too plainly what the disease was doing, and that he could not possibly live many weeks longer.
I had been praying for him as I walked along and asking. the Lord to give me a word from Himself that would meet the poor man’s need; and when I saw him my heart was deeply moved with pity, and I again looked to the Lord for guidance as to what I should say.
I talked some time of his sufferings and trials here. He told me his anxiety for his wife and children.
“Well,” I said, “you cannot expect to remain here long; where will you go to when you die? “
“Oh,” he said, “I have prayed the Lord to take care of my wife and children, and to prepare a place for me.”
“But,” I said, “are your sins forgiven?”
“I don’t know anything about that; I have prayed!” was his answer.
I said, “Do you know that there is no sin in heaven, and except your sins arc all forgiven here you will never go there?”
“I don’t know much about religion,” he replied, “for I have never had an opportunity of going to church. I have been a doctor’s coachman for many years, until I came here, and I always drove the doctor out on Sundays, and for a long time I have been too ill to go anywhere.”
I then told him that God loved him, and desired to save him, and that by God’s grace he might be saved from his sins before I left the room; and opening my Bible I read to him John 3 and Isaiah 53, impressing upon him the truth of the great love of God in the gift of Jesus, and how God was satisfied with the finished work of His Christ.
He was much affected by the thought of the love of God; it all seemed a new tale to him. But he was very weak, and could say little, so I repeated to him again that precious verse, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten. Son, that. whosoever BELIEVETH on 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)). Then praying God to bless the words to his soul, I left him, having first seen that he had all he needed in temporal things.
The same evening some Christians met at my house, and we together laid the ‘whole matter before that gracious God who always hears the petitions of His children. We were not long without an answer to our prayer. Two days after this a message came that H— would like to see me again. In the morning I went round to the house. As I entered I saw that a change had come over the poor wife and aged mother, who were waiting for me. They seemed so much happier than before, and asked me to go upstairs at once, saying, I should find him much happier now.
And indeed I did find it so. It was a sight I shall never forget. His face was full of joy, and, stretching both his withered hands out to me, he cried, “Oh! sir, you have saved me.”
“Oh! no,” I said, “the Lord has done that, bless His name.” And we wept together, our hearts overflowing with love and praise to God for His great mercy.
I knelt at the bedside, and thanked God for revealing His free gift to this poor sinner.
How gracious God is, and how wondrous is His love! Here was a poor man who three days ago was a perfect stranger to divine grace, who had never known God, or cared for his own soul, brought at once into liberty, peace, and joy.
I saw him several times after this. He was always happy, and though suffering much from exhaustion he seemed to think little of it. The love of Christ, and the joy he had in the knowledge of his Saviour, kept him above his present trial; and until he put off the earthly tabernacle his confidence in the love of God never seemed to lose its brightness. He was always glad to see me, and to hear more of Him whom he was so soon going to be with for ever. To those who visited him he spoke of the sinner’s need, and of God’s provisions for that need; prayed continually for his wife and children, but always with confidence in God about them.
On one occasion, shortly before his death, he told me that his sufferings were very great, and that his body was so wasted away that the bones seemed to press through the skin, and the sores stuck to the sheet; but he said, “I don’t mind it, for I shall soon be with the Lord.”
Within three weeks of my first visit he fell asleep in Jesus, his last breath commending his dear ones to the Father’s love and care.
Thus William H― departed to be with Christ, having counted the sufferings of this little while not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed (Rom. 8:1818For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)). God grant, dear reader, that your faith may be like his, and that you may have the same joy and confidence as the Philippian jailer and this dear man had, and that you may rest entirely on the finished work of Christ for your salvation, and live to His praise and glory (Nets 16:31). E. C.