Dr. R—was putting on his overcoat in the vestry of the chapel, at the close of the usual week-night service. In response to a tap at the door he said, "Come in!" The door opened, and a man entered, looking a little nervous and undecided.
"Well, my friend," said the Doctor, in his brisk tones, "can I do anything for you? Did you want to speak to me?"
"Yes, sir, if you please."
"Sit down, then," continued the Doctor, offering the man a chair, the latter, however, remained standing.
"You said you wanted to speak to me; is it upon spiritual things?" asked the Doctor.
The man's lips moved, and he essayed to speak, but words did not come readily. He held an old, soft felt hat in his hand, which he kept turning round and round in a nervous, helpless manner. The silence was becoming awkward, when at last he said, "If you please, sir—I—I've been thinking—I've been thinking—that—"
This was repeated with slight variations several times, when Dr. R. wishing to help the man, said,
"What have you been thinking, my friend?"
The previous scene was repeated, but at last he blurted out the words,
"I've been thinking, sir, it's time I got saved, and—"
The Doctor looked at him, with his grey hair, and wrinkled face; and he listened to his confession, he felt that something startling was needed to bring this slow, stolid man to his senses. So, springing to his feet, he cried,
"Thinking’—thinking,' my good fellow; 'thinking' for years about getting saved, and still under condemnation, without a hope of heaven, with a fearful looking for judgment at the last! 'Thinking' it is time to get saved! O man, get down on your knees at once, confess your sins to God, ask Him to pardon you for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ. Why, you may never see another sun rise, and you would go down to hell `thinking!' thinking!' `thinking!'—but yet lost!"
The man was truly startled. Thus suddenly aroused from his dangerous ease to see his awful danger, he sought earnestly, and obtained freely, God's mercy, and lived thenceforward a Christian life. But he was full of regret that he had put off salvation so long, and he often felt also what a terrible risk he had run.
Dear reader, are you ready to meet God? The danger of delay in this matter of your soul's salvation, is getting more and more imminent.
Salvation depends entirely upon that finished work of Jesus Christ. The joy of salvation comes, not from how much we feel, but how truly we believe and accept God's Word. God's record about it, or rather about Jesus and His work for us.
The moment you accept Christ,—believe with the heart that Christ died in your place, that you were lost, "condemned," "dead already," and that His death was accepted in your place,—that moment, the Bible says, you are saved! Then if you asked,
"How do you know that you are saved? Do you feel you are saved?"you can reply,
“‘This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life.”
I have believed "the record,' accepted the Son; therefore, God says I have life."