VISITING among the people of a village VISITING in which some special services were being held, I came upon a poor anxious soul whose trouble was that she did not “feel right.” “I have been looking forward to these meetings,” said she, “in the hope of getting salvation; but, sir, I don’t feel right yet.”
I tried to draw her away from feelings, to faith in Christ, but apparently with little success. At one of the meetings this poor woman’s anxiety was deepened, but she did not obtain peace. In the closing prayer, God was asked to make every unsaved sinner very miserable, and not to let anyone have rest while out of Christ. That prayer was answered to the letter in the case of the seeking soul whose experience I am relating; but though her sorrow endured for a night, joy came in the morning.
The next morning, coming up the village soon after breakfast, I saw her at her door with her face as radiant as a sunbeam.
“It’s come, sir! it’s come!” was her grateful exclamation as I approached; “and this did it,” holding up a little book.
I took it from her. It told of one who had been in exactly the same condition in which she was the previous evening. He had been asked to find anywhere in the Bible a text that said feelings had anything to do with salvation. As he could not find one, his friend quoted to him John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24): “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life”; adding, “according to God’s book, if you believe on the Lord you have everlasting life. He says so, and whatever He says is true.”
“But I don’t feel that I have everlasting life.”
“Never mind your feelings.”
“Well, then, I’ll stick to it that I am saved just because God says so, and never mind my feelings.”
“That sentence did it, sir,” said the good woman, pointing to the words quoted above; “and now I mean to stick to it that I am ‘saved just because God says so, and never mind my feelings.’”
But I wanted a full, true, and particular account of this happy change, which was given as follows:―
“I went home last night wretched. I prayed, but got no better; I knelt up in bed and prayed, but still felt no ease. I seemed in hell, and there was no escape. As I could not sleep, I got up at five o’clock and came out to see if I could find anyone to pray for me, but no one was about. At last I saw the blacksmith, and he gave me this little book, and that last sentence brought light.”
Assured that God’s blessing was upon the little book, this young convert lent it that night to a shepherd who also was anxious to know himself saved, and upon the following Sunday I heard that it had been his guide to peace.
Some few weeks after, I saw these friends again, and both were happy in Christ, loving God’s people, and praising His name.
My story is ended; and may the teller and the hearer, as believers in Christ, be able to say, however tempted, “I’ll stick to it that I am saved, just because God says so, and never mind my feelings.” W. L.