IN a beautiful spot in one of the midland counties stood an old-fashioned house, surrounded by a lovely garden full of flowers and fruit, in the midst of a large village inhabited by a population more or less strict in outward religious observances, but, with few exceptions, densely dark as to the true knowledge of Christ. The family that occupied the house was what would be called religious; but only one member of it, the eldest daughter, had been brought from darkness to light through faith in the Son of God. The father and mother, going away for a change, left the young people in charge of the house, also desiring that they should take an interest in and show a care for the temporal needs of any who might be sick in the adjoining village.
Just at this time a man named Joseph L—, well known throughout the place, had broken his leg. He had been a dreadful character, and had become the terror of the village through his rough and drunken ways. Many a time the young girl mentioned, and her brothers and sisters, had run to get out of his way when meeting him. He was one of the last that men would naturally expect to be brought to the Lord; but the eye of God was fixed upon this poor sinner for blessing, and the love of God had marked him out as a vessel of mercy, and trophy of His everlasting grace.
Laid aside through his accident, his wife and family were constrained to work hard in the hayfields to obtain a livelihood, so that he was often left many hours alone, a prey to his own thoughts, with nothing to reflect upon in the past but a godless misspent life.
“Remember to send poor Joseph some dinner almost every day," said the mother to her daughter before she left home. This was carefully attended to, but it was deeply impressed upon the latter what a blessing it would be for him if he could be brought to a knowledge of Christ as his Savior.
But how was this to be accomplished? She was young in the things of the Lord, and had never yet made a bold and open confession of Christ in her own family circle, the most difficult of all in many instances to commence in. She longed to visit and speak to this man of his lost condition, and of the Savior of sinners, but feared the laughing and teasing of her brothers, &c. Still the responsibility of it was so pressed upon her that she felt she must go at all cost, and resolved to steal away whilst the rest were busily engaged gathering a large crop of strawberries for preserving. Concealing her Bible beneath the folds of her dress, she stole out of the garden, and along the path to the picturesque little cottage, surrounded with roses and honeysuckle, where Joseph lived.
Knocking timidly at the door, he invited her to enter. After inquiring about his health, and referring to the dinner that was going to be sent in, she at last ventured to speak to him of eternity.
To her surprise she found him ready to listen, so, producing her Bible, slowly read to him that precious portion in Isa. 53:5, 6: " But 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. All 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." The Lord seemed to have prepared the ground for the good seed, His own Word, so that it was not difficult to impress upon him that he was a lost sinner, but as yet he could not grasp the truth that Christ had died for him. His visitor sat some time with him, and he lay patiently listening to all that was said. After pressing upon him that Christ had done the work upon the cross, and that God must be satisfied with it, so that by believing the Gospel he would be saved, she rose to go.
Lingering at the door, she added, “Well, Joseph, do you believe that I am going to send you the meat for dinner?”
“Why, of course, Miss S—," he replied.
“But I might forget, or tell a lie and deceive you; but you believe it because I said it. Now when God says that Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, &c., and that He gives salvation to all who believe His Word, cannot you trust Him?
He is a God of truth, and is faithful and just to forgive sins. He can make no mistake; His Word is true. Why can you not trust Him?”
Not long after Miss S— left the village, but a year or two later again returned. Meanwhile poor Joseph had died. One Sunday evening she was watching by the bedside of one far gone in consumption, and waiting for the moment when she would be absent from the body and present with the Lord, when an elderly woman, one among the few known as Christians in the village, came in to see the invalid. After a little fellowship together over the Word, she said, “Oh! Miss S—, I have a message for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes; from Joseph L—. I went to see him the day after you left, and found him alone.
‘Why, Joseph,' I said, are you alone? “No,' he replied, ' I am not alone.' Why, is Kitty (his wife) at home? “No.' `Nor your daughter?’
‘No; but I have Jesus with me.' What ' said I, filled with astonishment; how did this come about? " Why, when Miss S—was here in the summer she said she was going to send me some dinner, and told me all about Jesus, and how He died for sinners on the cross, and about His precious blood. And then she said, “Now you believe me, why will you not believe God?" so I thought about it again and again, and 1 found it true, and He is with me.'”
Thus had God in His rich grace blessed the simple message of the Gospel to this poor hardened slave of sin at the lips of His feeble and timid messenger; first laying him aside, and separating him from his course and companions in sin through a broken leg. How wondrous and perfect are all His ways! However deeply dyed the sinner may be, none is too great a one for Him to save. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Dear reader, what think ye of Christ? Have you believed God about Him? Have you taken Him at His word? If not, oh think about it again and again. You will find it true, and Jesus will be with you. He died for the guilty and the lost. Believe on Him, and henceforth you are found amongst the number of whom it is said, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities," &c. Death lies right before you, and after death judgment—eternal judgment. Escape it you cannot, if you will go on in your sins. There is but the one way of escape, through Christ. Then, will you have Christ? Are you burdened with sin? receive Him now by faith.
Believe on His name (John 1:12). Then shall He be your Savior, and you shall be His,—His now, and His forever; a sinner saved by grace, washed in the blood of the Lamb.
“Look to Jesus, look and live;
Mercy at His hands receive;
He has died upon the tree,
And His words are 'Look to Me.”
E. H. C.