Johnny went one Sunday evening to a gospel meeting. He was about ten or eleven years old; and as the preacher showed from the Scriptures that all, young and old, rich and poor alike, were guilty and lost before God, and must perish, unless they came to Christ and were saved; that no one was fit for God’s presence unless washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ, Johnny trembled.
He became much alarmed as he listened to these solemn truths from the Word of God; but he was alarmed, not for himself only, for he had a father and mother, he had sisters and brothers—one sister had been ill for years, with no hope of getting better—and little Johnny was greatly alarmed for them all, for he felt certain none of them were saved, or fit for the presence of God.
When he returned home from the service, his parents could see he was much distressed; his little heart was too full to tell them what was the matter. When he went to his room, they heard him making a noise as if talking to someone; and curiosity led them to go quietly to the door and listen, when they soon heard what it was that seemed to be almost breaking poor little Johnny’s heart. They heard him crying earnestly to God for himself, for them, for his brothers and sisters, “O God, save me! Save me! O God, save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters! Make them all fit for Thy presence.”
The parents returned from the door greatly affected by their little boy’s earnest prayer to God for them, and became deeply aroused about their lost condition before God. The brothers and sisters all, one after the other, became most anxious about their souls’ salvation; and the answer God gave to Johnny’s prayer was this, that, when the writer visited them later, he found the whole household were saved, excepting poor little Johnny himself.
But on this occasion the Lord blessed the word to him, and gave peace to his troubled heart; so that at the close of the gospel meeting, in the evening, with a bright, shining face he looked up. and exclaimed,
“O sir, I am saved and happy!”
Now, readers, what I have written about little Johnny are facts, not imaginations; and I would ask you earnestly, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? He died, in love, for sinners. God raised Him from the dead, and has crowned Him with glory and honor. He is a mighty, loving Saviour; He delights in saving sinners; He turns none away who come to Him; and whether young or old, rich or poor, there is no heaven for you, unless you are cleansed by His precious blood.
ML 11/29/1936