"I Told Jesus That I Would Accept Him."

ON the first Sunday in August 1901 a young man by the name of John O — was stricken down with hæmorrhage of the lungs. God was after him, was speaking to him, and in this way was going to show that He had purposes of love toward him.
The writer was telephoned for to come and see him, and gladly he responded to the call, knowing that he was unsaved, and therefore unready to meet God. The thought of one being smitten down as he was, and the possibility of his dying unsaved, was enough to move the heart and to turn one to God, who only could give a word that would be light and peace and salvation to his soul.
I had some slight acquaintance with him, and had spoken to him about the necessity of being ready to meet God, for meet Him he must; but I fear the word was unheeded, save that it left this impression on him, that some one cared for his soul; and when stricken down, by what proved to be his last sickness, he remembered the writer, and got his friends to telephone for him.
It had been a very bad hæmorrhage. He was very much exhausted, and the amount of blood in the vessel at his bedside told how severe it had been.
I was cautioned not to spend too long with him, as the doctor had ordered quiet, but the sick one said, “Let me see Mr. A —, he can stay,” which at once revealed to me that he was anxious about his future should he be taken away.
After a few general remarks I opened upon the subject that I knew he had sent for me for.
He was all at sea, as we say, as to these things, and one soon found that no real conscience work had been wrought in him. He had loved the world with all his heart, but found when stricken down by sickness, which ended in his death, that it had been like chasing a phantom, and had yielded no satisfaction. When brought to face death, and meeting God, he found that he had nothing to rest on. His worldly friends now proved to be his greatest hindrances; they could only speak of natural things, eternal things were all a mystery to them. They were utter strangers to them, nor could they give one ray of light to this young man.
At first I spoke of the love of God, of the Saviour’s grace, and of the value of His precious blood, but, as in the case of the Samaritan woman, the sick man understood not.
It became evident to the writer that what was needed was a real work in the conscience, an awakening to a sense of what he was as a guilty sinner before God, and his danger of eternal judgment, and the time seemed short as it became more evident to all that soon he must die; and how could one bear the thought of his being lost forever!
With much prayer the writer continued his visits, sometimes encouraged and sometimes discouraged, but still looking to God to save him, for who could save but God? He well knew Him to be a Saviour-God, and what could He not do for a poor sinner, just outside of hell, if he did but turn to Him in real repentance? The blood of Jesus had met the claims of God, and the need of sinners, which left Him free in righteousness to save all such.
On one occasion, after a long and serious talk with him, John said, “Mr. A —, I am trying to do the best I can.”
This was a revelation to me, for though exercise of soul Godward was now manifestly seen, yet with all that had been said he had not seen himself yet without strength, as well as guilty, and that salvation rested on a foundation outside of himself altogether. He was still like the man that built his house upon the sand, for what is “doing the best I can” as a foundation to stand upon before a holy God?
That false foundation had to be dug away.
“The best we can do,” I said, “is to own that we are ungodly and guilty before God, and have no strength of our own to accomplish anything. When we do that, we discover how great God’s love has been in the gift of His Son, and that He upon the cross accomplished all that God demanded and our case required, and in dying said, ‘It is finished.’ We learn also in the fact that God has raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, that the work of atonement has been accepted of Him on our behalf, and then, that in believing Him we are saved. We read in Job 33:23,23If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness: (Job 33:23) ‘If there be with him an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness: then he is gracious unto him, and saith, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.’ An interpreter is one who shows man the truth about himself, however unpalatable it may be; and when in uprightness of soul he owns the truth about himself, he learns that God has been before him and provided a ransom in the death of His own Son, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit:’ I have found a ransom.” Faith accepts it: it sets to its seal that God is true. It has done with self: it looks out from self to Christ. Faith is always an outward look, not an inward; it looks out to another, it trusts Jesus and His blood, and all is settled for eternity.”
I felt that God had been with me in the conversion. In fact, the sequel showed that He had owned it in blessing to him. It was the turning point — from self to Christ, from darkness to light, from “doing my best” to resting in the “It is finished” of the Son of God, and from the power of Satan unto God. The foundation of sand was displaced by the Rock of Ages, and eternal salvation was his. I left inwardly conscious that all would be well. On my next visit I found it even, so. He had arrived at the blissful knowledge of salvation, and his feet had been guided into the way of peace. He said to me, “After you left the last time I told Jesus that I would accept Him.”
From this time on it was only a question of instructing him in the way of salvation more perfectly, and it was a great pleasure so to do. Soon growth in the knowledge of divine things became evident. He had tasted that the Lord was gracious, now he wanted to know more about the Son who had saved him, “the living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:3, 43If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (1 Peter 2:3‑4).) He became a student of the Word of God, no doubt feeling that his stay here was to be short.
From the hospital he was taken to his father’s house some miles away, and nursed by his devoted mother and sister the rest of his days. Saddened they were on the one hand, but on the other gladdened to know that all was well with him for eternity. The writer visited him there several times, only to be assured that he had built upon the Rock, and that his faith was in Christ alone.
He was much interested in the intermediate state, or the condition of the soul in its disembodied state after death. This was shown to be “with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:2323For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23)), and “absent from the body, and present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:88We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)). This was most interesting and delightful to one who was so soon to realize the truth of it.
A friend of the writer’s, Mr. G —, also visited him twice and had conversations with him, only to be convinced that he was the Lord’s.
One thing he said to Mr. G — showed how he viewed things at that time. He said, “My employers promise to send me to Arizona if I get better, but this beats Arizona all hollow.” He referred to his departure to be with the Lord. His eye was on the eternal world, and as he relinquished his hold of the things of time he was taking hold of the things of eternity; and as the fairest of earth faded from his sight, “the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” came into view. No wonder he said, “This beats Arizona all hollow.”
On 14th November, three weeks from the time I last saw him, I saw him again. It was evident that he was failing and not long for earth. His confidence in God was stronger than ever. Satan had not been able to move him. God’s power had kept him. Christ was enough. The world, that empty bubble that fascinates so many, was behind him; he wanted it not. His eye was upon the heavenly country so bright and fair, and he longed to reach it.
He said, “Do you think it wrong to ask the Lord to take me home? I pray night and morning for Him to do so.”
Without answering his question directly, I said I thought we should pray for patience to wait His time to take us, for often we have lessons to learn, and while learning them we can be assured of the loving sympathy of our great High Priest, who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
During this visit, he said, “I would not give up my hope for the whole world.” The world had had great attractions for him before the Lord laid him low in order to save him.
When the question of his recovery was raised, and his remaining here for awhile yet, he said, “I am, too anxious to taste of the joys of heaven to desire to live.”
We had spoken a good, deal about what death was for the Christian, that it was falling asleep here and waking up in paradise, that the sting of death, which is sin, is gone, and that we “never should see death” in the awful sense the unbeliever would, but that “death was ours,” the door of exit from the tabernacle of clay, and of introduction to the blissful presence of the Lord above.
He said, “It would be a pleasure to feel myself going, I feel that sure in Christ.”
A few days later was his last. He died on 26th November. The day before he departed he was very bright and happy. He said to his mother, who was in constant attendance on him, “Say goodbye to every one for me, and tell them every one that I died happy in the Lord.”
The morning of the day he died he suffered greatly. He prayed earnestly to the Lord to answer his prayer, and take him home that day.
He suffered so intensely that his sister went down town to obtain some medicine to ease his pain, but it was not needed, for on her return she found him gone, and that his pain was over forever. He fell into a doze, and thus passed away without a struggle at 11 A.M.
He left a request that at his funeral certain spiritual songs that Mr. G — had sung during his visits might be sung. So when the people assembled at 2 P.M. on 28th November, complying with his request we sang at the beginning —
“Life at best is very brief,
Like the falling of a leaf,
Like the binding of a sheaf,
Be in time.
Fleeting days are telling fast
That the die will soon be cast,
And the fatal line be passed,
Be in time.
Fairest flowers soon decay,
Youth and beauty pass away,
Oh! you have not long to stay,
Be in time.
While God’s Spirit bids you come,
Sinner, do not longer roam,
Lest you seal your hopeless doom,
Be in time.
Sinner, heed the warning voice,
Make the Lord your happy choice,
Then all heaven will rejoice,
Be in time.
Come from darkness into light,
From the way that seemeth right,
Come and start for heaven tonight,
Be in time.”
And at the close we sang —
“Will your lamps be filled and ready
When the Bridegroom comes?
And their lights be clear and steady
When the Bridegroom comes?
Chorus. — In that night... that solemn night...
Will your lamps be burning bright
When the Bridegroom comes?
Oh! be ready! Oh! be ready!
Oh! be ready when the Bridegroom comes.
Don’t delay your preparation
Till the Bridegroom comes,
For there’ll be a separation
When the Bridegroom comes.
Oh! there’ll be a glorious greeting
When the Bridegroom comes,
And a happy joyous meeting
When the Bridegroom comes.
Chorus. — In the night... that joyful night...
With our lamps all burning bright
When the Bridegroom comes.
Yes, we’re ready Yes, we’re ready!
Yes, we’re ready when the Bridegroom comes.”
It was only the body that we committed to the grave, the immortal spirit had gone to be with Christ, which is far better, where he awaits the morning of the first resurrection to receive his new body, all glorious like his blessed Redeemer’s, and with the ransomed host be forever with the Lord.
Dear reader, may the Lord bless to you the reading of this simple and true story of the conversion to God of this young man that made him so to long to go, and which led him to say, “I am too anxious to taste of the joys of heaven to desire to live.”
What God did for him, He can and will do for you, if you but turn to Him and trust. His blessed Son, “who once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)).
Neglect not the blessed opportunity of being saved, I beseech of you. Come in all your need, and He will receive and save you.
E. A.