FOUR boys are in the schoolroom, and it is time for their Scripture lesson. They open their Bibles at the second book of Kings, chapter 22, and commence to read.
At the end of the first verse the Christian governess quietly says, “Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he served the Lord.... I wonder when you boys will begin to serve the Lord.” After pondering these words for a long time, one of the boys formed a silent resolution. “Josiah was eight years old when he began to serve the Lord,” thought he; “I am not eight yet, only seven and a half; when I am eight I too will begin to serve the Lord.”
Who put into his heart the determination to delay this great decision, and so cunningly used the very words of Scripture to enforce his argument? God says “Today,” but the devil says “Tomorrow.”
Four and a half years pass away. Two of the boys are in the garden. They are twin-brothers, and one of them has just returned from Ilfracombe, where services were being held in connection with the Children’s Special Service Mission. A new joy has come into his life, for at one of the services he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. How greatly he desires that his brother may know the same Saviour. So, as they stroll side by side in the garden, he turns to him and shyly says, “When I was at Ilfracombe I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus. Won’t you come to Him, too?”
But the boy, who four years ago made up his mind that when he was eight years of age he would come to the Saviour, now gets angry and says, “It is very wicked of you to talk about such things; you ought never to speak about that kind of thing.” His brother persists, and speaks of the happiness that now is his, and pleads with him to come to Christ. At length, exasperated, and fighting still against the Holy Spirit, the angry boy strikes his brother in the face. Contrary to expectation, and perhaps for the first time, that blow was not returned.
Only a few weeks pass away, and this boy, with his heart still unchanged, is himself journeying to Ilfracombe for a holiday. At Exeter, a lady gets into the carriage in which he is traveling, and as soon as the train starts she begins to speak to him. After a while she plainly puts the question, “Have you come to Jesus?” The boy turns his face to the window, making no answer, and the lady was unable to get any further response from him.
Ilfracombe is at last reached, and he is in the house of his grandfather, with whom dwells a Christian aunt. He determines that under no circumstances will he allow himself to be alone with her, if he can help it, so greatly afraid is he that she will ask him the question he so little wants to hear. He knows now that God is calling to him, but he does not wish to come. He could not exactly tell you why. He wants to go his own way and not to be bothered about these things.
A wet evening sets in, and he wanders about the corridors of the house and into the conservatory, reluctant to enter the dining-room where his aunt sits at her work. But when at last he does go in, sure enough, before long she looks up and says, “When your brother was here last month he went to the children’s services that were then being held, and before he left he gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was so happy, and seemed to enjoy the services more than anything else. You do not seem very happy. When are you going to...?” The boy will hear no more, rushes to his bedroom, and throws himself upon the bed. “Why won’t these people leave me alone?” he says. It is impossible to describe the fierce struggle that follows. To the bitter cry, “Why won’t they leave me alone,” echo seemed to answer, “Why not come now?” Long into the night the fight goes on. “Why not” seems to get more loud and clear, and every excuse suggested by the devil more and more unsatisfactory.
“Why not come to the Lord Jesus? Why not? Why not now?”
About midnight the boy gets out of bed and kneels at the bedside, the tears streaming down his cheeks. In simplest language he tells the Lord Jesus that he will come to Him now. Only a boy of twelve, and there is no one there to see, and no one to hear — no one but Jesus. But He speaks peace to the young heart, and gives the assurance that his sins are forgiven. The earlier part of the night has been spent in anguish of soul, and in struggling against God; the latter part is spent in joy and gladness, the long siege is over, the heart has surrendered, and the Lord Jesus Christ has taken possession of His own.
Thus two young lives were early yielded to the Saviour, and the twin-brothers, happy in the consciousness that all their sins had been put away through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, sought to live for Him, and to serve Him, who had won the love of their hearts by His own boundless love to them, for “we love Him because He first loved us.”
Great was the joy in the first boy’s heart when his brother returned and confessed that he too was now “on the Lord’s side.” During the next term they commenced a weekly boys’ meeting at their father’s house, to which they invited their schoolfellows, a few of whom responded to the invitation to come. Then they had straight boy-to-boy heart-chats, seeking to win these schoolfellows for Christ. It seems wonderful to the writer, who happens to be one of the boys himself, to write of this eighteen years afterward. Most people would consider it presumption for two boys of twelve years to do such a thing; but these fellows were in real earnest, and saw only the solemn side as they set about the work to which they truly believed the loved Master had called them.
One evening, at the close of one of these little gatherings, the elder boy, whom we will call Arthur, put to one of his schoolfellows almost the same question that he had first asked his twin-brother Edward. He knew that his schoolfellow had been touched by what had been said during the evening, and he hoped to lead him there and then to a decision for Christ; but it was not yet God’s time. His schoolfellow avoided the issue, and when he felt he had done all he then could to persuade him, Arthur said, “Well, Frank, don’t put it aside; let us have another chat tomorrow afternoon, which is a half-holiday. Come for a walk with me then.” But Frank refused. Some power seemed to keep him back. Alas! the same power, the power of evil, has kept back, and is still keeping back, thousands from entering into the narrow way, which is the only path of life, and leading them on the broad one to the destruction of their precious souls.
The next afternoon Frank called at the house and asked to see Arthur. He was out, but Edward came to him. “I called,” said Frank, “to see Arthur; he asked me to go for a walk with him this afternoon, but I refused; and now I wish I had not, and it is too late, for he is gone out.” “Well, old man, I will go with you,” replied Edward heartily, and off they started for a good ramble in one of the most beautiful parts of Somersetshire.
It was a lovely autumn afternoon, and after awhile they reached a field in which was a pond surrounded by bushes and trees. The spot commands a splendid view of the surrounding country, and, as it was quite dry and warm, they sat down to rest.
Presently Frank broached the subject that was uppermost in his mind. “Arthur tried to get me last evening to decide for Christ, but I could not.” He said quietly, but distinctly, “You know, I’ve been an awfully bad fellow, and it seems I’m too bad for God; I can’t tell you all, but I’ve been a dreadful trouble to the mater, and I feel I’ve made a bad start.”
“Well,” said Edward, “if that means you feel yourself a sinner, you are surely one of those whom Jesus came to save, for He distinctly said, ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ Then, again, think of that poor thief who hung on the cross beside the Saviour, with all his life of sin and wickedness. You would not say that he was not forgiven, would you? Why, Jesus Himself said to him, ‘This day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.’
Quietly and earnestly the two young fellows talked of these momentous things, until presently Frank said, “I see it all now; oh, how slow I have been to understand that Jesus really bore my sins! I’ve always thought of it in a general sort of way: I never understood it was for me — my very self; but now I do understand: I know that ‘He loved me, and gave Himself for me’; and because of this, if I trust Him, as I can and do, God will forgive me for His sake. Oh, I should now like to thank God for making me to see and understand His wonderful love; cannot I do so now?”
Edward gladly agreed, and there upon the grass another life was yielded, another precious soul passed from death unto life, and was made safe for time and for eternity, through the precious blood of Christ.
These events all happened in the year 1885, and now there is a still more wonderful sequel to be told. Seventeen years after, the younger of the twin-brothers, Edward, was giving a gospel address at a small village not far from his early home. At the close of his address a lady came forward and said,” “Mr. X., I feel I must tell you what was the first incident in a chain of circumstances that led to my conversion. Do you remember, many years ago, sitting with another boy by a pond in a field, and having a very earnest conversation, and the result?” “Indeed I do,” said Edward; “it is an incident in my life that I shall never forget.” “Well,” said the lady, “strange though it may seem, I myself was sitting only a little distance away, painting, and although hidden from view by bushes, I overheard all. Before I knew any one was near you had commenced talking, so that I did not like to make a noise; but I heard every word that was said, and when you were gone I made up my mind that I too would someday yield myself to the same Saviour, and by His grace so I have — not then, nor for some months; but I never forgot the scene, of which I had been such an unsuspected and unintentional spectator.”
These are links in the great chain of God’s wonderful workings of grace — links forged, one by one, and by no means wholly understood at the time; but nevertheless they were God’s work, and in them He was accomplishing His great desire of bringing sinners to Himself.
Some of those of whom I have written have now passed away to be with the Saviour they learned to love on earth; but the three boys, now young men, are still living, and although no doubt there have been many failings in their lives, to the glory of God it may be said that they continue to witness for Him, “Saved by His grace, kept by His power.”
Dear reader, the chain is not yet completed, though no one but God knows when it will be, or how soon the door of salvation may be shut.
This true story is perhaps one of the links that will draw you to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
“Why not? Why not?
Why not come to Him now?”
Do not delay until some more convenient day, which may never come. Yield yourself to Him now, and accept His gift of eternal life, which is in Jesus Christ, and which God is ready and waiting to give to you for His sake.
E. W. P.