A NOBLE-LOOKING soldier lay very ill. "I want to speak to you about religion," he said, as I sat by his bedside; “I have made up my mind," he continued, "with an earnest resolution, to serve God and do my duty—not with the feeble resolution of a boy, but with man's determined purpose, that henceforward I will do right." At some length he told me what he was going to do; he spoke about his vows, his purposes, his plans. All was about himself, not one word about Christ the Savior.
Having listened to him quietly, I said at last,
"Then you are at peace, dear friend.”
"Oh no," he said, "my agony of mind only increases.”
"Why so? Have you not kept your vows?”
"No; I cannot," he answered despairingly.
"Had you not better then try again; or can you think of no way of making up the account?”
He shook his head hopelessly and said, "I know not what to do.”
"My friend," I replied,” you had better stop your vowing. Satan has enticed you on to one of his quicksands, where you are fast sinking. Your house is on the sand. You cannot be your own Savior. Listen to God's way of saving sinners. Jesus Christ—God manifest in the flesh—came into the world to save sinners, not to help them to save themselves. His work was finished on the cross More than eighteen hundred years ago, and He has left you nothing to, do but to receive by faith the benefit of what He has done. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36); Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
It was evident that during our conversation the Spirit of God was dealing with my soldier friend, and at last he owned himself a lost and helpless sinner with no power in himself to keep his good resolutions. Then he was inclined to look to his own heart for "happy feelings.”
I said, "Do you believe the testimony of God concerning Christ? This is the question, and not the evidence of happy feelings. These are changeable as the wind. Take your thoughts completely off yourself, and look to Jesus. Do you believe in Him?”
He answered earnestly, "With all my heart I do.”
“The Lord's name be praised—to Him alone be all the glory.
“‘He that believeth that Jesus, is the Christ is born of God.' ‘He that believeth hath everlasting life.' And observe, my friend, it is not can have, may have, or shall have, but hath everlasting life. What a salvation! Full pardon, everlasting life, peace with God, and only waiting for glory." The invalid soldier at last said, "Now I know on God's testimony that I have eternal life.”
Dear young reader, how is it with you? Do you know the Lord Jesus as your own Savior?
"There is life in a look at the Crucified One;
There is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner, look unto Him and be saved,
Unto Him who was nailed to the tree.
"Oh take, with rejoicing, from Jesus at once
The life everlasting He gives;
And know with assurance thou never canst die
Since Jesus, thy righteousness, lives.”