I HAD been reading a portion of God’s Word, and trying to make plain God’s way of salvation to my dear brother, the night before he died, when, with a look of distress on his face he exclaimed, “I do not understand it: oh, I do not understand it!”
“God says in His Word,” I continued, “that ‘all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). You are a lost, guilty, hell-deserving sinner, do you understand that?”
“Yes, I understand that,” he replied.
I continued, “God loves you (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)). He gave His blessed Son to die for you (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)): He laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). Jesus bore all the wrath and judgment due to sin, in that dark hour, when on the cross He cried, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:4646And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)). Do you understand that?”
He replied, “Yes, I understand that.”
I then added, “God is infinitely satisfied with the work of His Son. The proof of that is, that He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in heavenly glory. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, I understand that,” he replied.
Then I added, “Jesus the blessed Son of God says, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life’ (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).”
As God’s Word entered, and gave light and understanding to my dear brother, he exclaimed, “Oh, I understand it all now, I understand it all now! Sing me a hymn.” So I sang―
“Lord Jesus, my Saviour, how vast Thy love to me,
I will bathe in its full ocean to all eternity,
And wending on to glory this all my song shall be,
I am a feeble sinner, but Jesus died for me.
O Calvary, O Calvary, the thorn-crown and the spear,
‘Tis here Thy love, Lord Jesus, in flowing wounds appear.
O depths of grace and mercy, to those dear wounds I flee,
I am a feeble sinner, but Jesus died for me.”
He then remarked, “He died for me, yes, He died for me, but oh, I am just like a thief stealing into heaven at the last minute.”
I answered, “Never mind, Archie, the laborers who went into the vineyard at the eleventh hour got the same as those that bore the burden and heat of the day.”
This seemed to comfort him, and he said, “Sing me another hymn.” I then sang, with the tears blinding me, and my dear brother joining with me―
“Jesus my Saviour to Bethlehem came,
Born in a manger, to sorrow and shame,
Oh, it was wonderful, blest be His name,
Seeking for me, for me.
Jesus my Saviour, on Calvary’s tree,
Paid the great debt, and my soul He set free,
Oh, it was wonderful, how could it be?
Dying for me, for me.”
He then called his wife to his bedside, pleaded with her to trust Jesus, and bring the little ones to Jesus. His cousin John came to bid him goodnight. He shook hands with him and said, “Goodnight, John, trust Jesus, and do not put it off, like me, to a death-bed.”
About midnight I said, “Good-night, Archie, if we do not meet again on earth, shall we meet in heaven?” He nodded his head. “Have you no doubt about it?” He shook his head. We then clasped hands for the last time on earth, for the following afternoon he departed to be “with Christ which is far better”; some of his last words being— “God justifieth: God justifieth.”
“Pardon for all thy sins is offered thee
Since Jesus, God’s beloved Son, died on the tree.”
“Clearance from every charge of guilt is free; God justifies
All that believe on Him who died, and then did rise.”
“Peace for poor troubled souls there is for evermore.
He says, ‘Behold my hands and feet.’ The storm is o’er
If on the wounds of Jesus you learn to spell
Your P-E-A-C-E, all shall be well.”
Dear unsaved reader, we pass on our brother’s message to you― “Trust Jesus, do not put it off, like me, to a death-bed.” “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psa. 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)). W. N.