JOHNNY was a faithful boy and much beloved by his Christian master, Mr. Gould. For some time he had been very sad, and one day Mr. Gould said, “Johnny, why don’t you tell me the cause of your sorrow?”
“Dare not tell you, master.”
“Dare not! Why, Johnny what have you done?”
“O! I am such a sinner that if you knew all about me you would never care for me anymore.”
“What are the sins that trouble you most?”
“I cannot tell. All my sins trouble me.”
But does not the Bible say, “There is none righteous, no, not one?”
“Yes; but I did not know I was so very wicked. I never felt my sins before.”
“What has led you to feel them now, Johnny?”
“I read one day the account of the publican smiting on his breast, and saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” I thought to myself, He must have been a very wicked person, for I have never been so troubled about my sins. Soon after this we were in the meadow together, and you said, ‘Johnny, it isn’t everybody that gets to heaven. Heaven is a sinless world, and we are sinners; we must get rid of our sins in some way, or we shall never get there.’ And you will remember, I said, ‘Well, master, how do people get rid of their sins?’ You said, not before they feel them. The publican knew he was a sinner all his life, but when he smote his breast, he felt he was one. Master, that went to my heart. Every day since then it seems as if all I had done was coming back to memory, and everything appears sinful, till—.” And here Johnny burst into tears.
“Johnny”, said Mr. Gould, “you have been looking at your sins only, and the longer you look, the blacker they seem. Look at the Saviour who was ‘wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities.’ He says in Matthew. ‘Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.’ You know that when Tim broke his leg, he didn’t sit looking at it, and brooding over it; he sent for the doctor. Will looking at your sins all day do you any good? Look to Jesus!”
“O, master! I do try to look to Him, but He seems so far away, I can’t get near Him.”
“It isn’t only crimsoned sins, Johnny, that shut men out of heaven, but impenitent hearts. If with a broken heart you bring all your sins to Christ, His blood cleanses from all sin, and Jesus says, “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jno. 3:1515That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15).
The word “whosoever” laid hold of Johnny’s heart, and he pleaded it that night at the throne of grace.
That night Johnny never forgot. Sin. doubt and sorrow gave way to pardon, faith and joy; and the next morning Johnny was singing when his master found him.
“Ah Johnny! is that you? ‘Weeping endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’. Is it all right now?”
“Yes, master! When I went to bed I told Jesus “whosoever” included me, and therefore I came to Him as my Saviour. I don’t know how, but at last I found I was really loving Christ, and so happy could not sleep for joy, and now I can only sing.”