During a week of preaching the gospel, of prayer and pleading with anxious souls, we decided to have a tea meeting, and to invite all who were interested in the gospel.
After tea and before the address, while many were moving about and conversing together as to the concerns of the soul, a timid, frail looking woman came up to me with a sheet of hymns in her hand. Placing her finger on the words, "Jesus is mine," she said, with much emotion: "I could not sing these words last evening. They would have been untrue for me. But oh, thank the Lord, I can sing them tonight."
"Thank the Lord indeed, dear lady," I replied. "And are you happy now?"
"Oh, yes," she said, "but I was so unhappy last night." She continued: "When we all stood up to sing that hymn, 'Jesus is mine,' it was as though someone said to me, 'You can't sing that! Jesus is not yours.'
"There I stood trembling. I could not sing a word. When I saw all of you so happy, my heart nearly broke. I did not know what to do.
"After I went home, all I could do was cry. I could not sleep; I prayed, and prayed that the Lord would save my soul, and give me faith to say 'Jesus is mine.' In His goodness the Lord had mercy on me. He did answer my prayer; and I could say before I fell asleep, `Jesus is mine,' and I am still saying it!"
"I thank the Lord for what you say! You ought to be the happiest woman here. What a prize you have found! But do you remember how you came to feel sure that Jesus is yours?"
"Well, it somehow came before me that Jesus died for me as well as for all of you. I knew that I should believe that, so I put my trust in Him. Now I am sure that He will never cast me off. I do believe that I can trust in Jesus, and love Him for having died for me, a great sinner. I shall sing that hymn tonight if you give it out."
It was plain to see that her faith was real. The Holy Spirit had been her teacher, and could be trusted to be her guide.
At the meeting which followed this conversation, I mentioned some of the circumstances of the dear lady's conversation. When we sang the hymn with great joy of heart, she joined with us heartily. What blessedness such an instance of God's grace produces! It is a sweet foretaste of heaven.
"Now I have found a Friend,
Jesus is mine;
His love will never end,
Jesus is mine;
Though earthly joys decrease,
Though human friendships cease,
Now I have lasting peace,
Jesus is mine."