A city missionary in going his rounds was one day led to visit the attic of an old house, which he had previously believed to be uninhabited.
He was attracted there by the sound of a weak little voice, making an attempt at singing. He opened the door, and in a corner of the room saw a little boy lying upon a heap of rags, so thin and pale that the missionary saw in a moment that he was dying. He went to his side and knelt down, for there was no chair, and asked the child what he had been singing.
The boy told him he was trying to remember a hymn that he had heard in a Sunday school to which he had been but once, but all he could remember was—
“There is a happy land, far, far away.”
The kind missionary knew the hymn, and sang it through, much to the child’s delight, and then asked the poor boy if he were going to that “happy land.”
The child’s eyes filled with tears as he said, “Oh, I should like to go, if only I knew the way, but I am afraid I am too wicked. I have been a bad boy; I am not fit to go to that beautiful place. But, oh! sir, is there anything that I can do that I may go there?”
“No, my boy, nothing; all that was necessary to be done, was done for you long ago.”
Then the poor boy looked up with wondering eyes, and the missionary continued: “As you say, you are not fit for heaven. You have sinned against God, broken His laws, disobeyed Him, every day of your life. But, my boy, have you ever heard how Jesus, the Son of God, left His home above, to come and live here as a poor man? He died a cruel death, that He might bear the punishment for poor lost sinners, such as you feel yourself to be! He bore the punishment instead of them, that they might by believing in Him have eveasting life. So there is everlasting life for you, my child, if you believe in Jesus, and trust Him as your Saviour.” Then the missionary took out his Bible and read, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And turning again to the boy he said, “You see, it was the world that Jesus died to save, the world of sinners, and you are one of that number, are you not?”
“Yes,” answered the boy, “did He really die to save me?”
“Yes, and if you believe on Him you shall be saved.” The boy lay still with his eyes closed for a few minutes, but presently looked up with a happy smile.
“Yes, I do believe; oh, how could He love me so much, when I was so bad?”
The missionary stayed with the little fellow for some time, and read to him about Jesus, for the child had heard but little of His life and death. Then the missionary left him, promising to return the next day. He kept his word, but he found only a lifeless body on the heap of rags. The boy’s mother was there, and she told him how she had returned home the night before, finding her child full of joy, and that he kept saying over to himself all the time, “Jesus has saved me, Jesus has saved me!” Then he fell asleep towards morning, to wake in heaven.
Dear young reader, can you say, “Jesus has saved ME?” You know He died to save sinners; can you say, “He has saved me”; if not, will you not believe on Him today?
ML 06/21/1959