A FRIEND of mine went to see a young man, who lay dying. He knew him as one with whom the Spirit had often striven, but who had as often rejected Christ. Upon my friend asking the young man what was his hope for eternity, so soon to dawn upon him, he answered―
“I am too bad to be saved now, so I will just take my chance with the rest.”
After lifting up his heart in prayer that the Lord would give the right word to the young man, my friend said, “Whom did Jesus come to save?”
“Sinners,” was the ready reply.
“Are you a sinner?”
“Aye, a sinner of the deepest dye.” “But,” added he bitterly, “I know all you are going to say to me; it is of no use. Christ by His Spirit strove with me over and over again, but I rejected Him once too often, aye, just once too often,” he repeated. “I might have been saved; but, mark you,” said he, “I don’t blame God―God is a loving God, God is a just God. I might have been saved, but now―but now―.”
These were the last words he spoke; consciousness came on, in which state he lay for some days, and then passed away, Oh! reader, take warning, do not trifle with convictions. You may reject Christ once too often, and the bitterest drop throughout all eternity will be: “What might have been.”
Another death-bed scene of one very dear to me is now before me. A young man in all the strength of early manhood is laid down upon what he felt to be his death-bed. He, too, had put off accepting Christ, but now he realized that there was no time to lose. The offers of mercy were still his, and he must close with them at once.
Yet, what was he to do? what atonement could he make for the sins of the past?
A Christian friend opened up to him the “Way of salvation” in all its wonderful simplicity. He drank in every word, and in a tone of infinite relief said, “Is that all? Have we nothing to do?”
“Nothing; all is done simply through Him.”
“Then I am saved; all is done. Saved―saved” he exclaimed. “Oh! that I had known sooner.”
After prayer, in which he heartily joined, my friend left him rejoicing in the Lord.
Subsequent visits proved the reality of his faith and joy. He said once, “You never told me it was anything like this. Oh, no! one half has never been told me. Eternity in its countless ages will go on unfolding more and more of His grace and love.”
His only regret was that he did not come to Christ sooner, and give Him the health and strength of his early youth. “Saved, but nothing more,” he used to say sadly. “But what a salvation!”
Dear reader, salvation is once again presented to you. Do not neglect God’s mercy; words cannot tell you the joy to be had in Christ, but come and see for yourselves. I know you, too, will say, “The half was never told me.” K. R.