IN a village laundry, where some twenty girls are employed, a blessed work of grace has been in progress for several months. Half the workers have been saved, and are seeking now to serve the Lord and lead their companions to Him.
The work began in the following way. A girl named Lizzie Lee was brought under deep conviction of sin, by the sudden death of a companion. She was in great distress about her soul, and knew not where or how to find peace. Her Bible Class teacher noticed that something was troubling Lizzie and invited her to come up to her house one evening. She opened up her mind, told her trouble, and her teacher who is a born-again Christian, and a true lover of the
Lord, took her Bible and from Isaiah chapter fifty-three, showed to the awakened girl, how Jesus suffered and died for sinners, such as she, in order that they might be saved. That beautiful verse, which has been God’s message to so many sin-burdened hearts— “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed,” was the word that showed Lizzie how she might be saved. She read it putting in “my” for “our” and claimed it as her own. That is faith. It simply takes and appropriates to itself, makes a personal possession of what has been procured for sinners. It says “Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)). Lizzie told in the laundry next day, what the Lord had done for her, how He had forgiven and saved her, and there was a great commotion among the girls. Soule said it would only last a few weeks, others declared it was “the height of presumption” for anyone to say they were saved, but a few listened to Lizzie’s testimony. There are always some weary hearts and thirsty souls to whom the Gospel is good news, and so it was in that laundry. Lizzie sang as she walked to her work—
“What can wash away my stain?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
and as she had opportunity told her companions the way of life and peace. One after another became concerned, and Lizzie’s teacher had the joy of leading several to the Saviour. Then a week night meeting was begun, and the Gospel was preached to quite a number who gathered there, the result being that many have been saved.
ML 01/24/1909