The Lost one Found.
IT was not that Eliza was worse by nature than we are, dear children, that she had come to such disgrace so young in years. In her case the sin in the heart was unchecked by the kindly influence which parents, teachers, friends, or circumstances so often have; and it was thus allowed to show itself in its real deformity, — brought to the surface, indeed, by the neglect and cruelty to which she had been subjected.
There she lay, the young incendiary, malignant hatred in her heart, sin upon her soul, and a criminal, suffering the punishment of the outraged laws of her country, friendless and destitute! A few days after her imprisonment, the female warder, on entering her cell one morning, found her in a state of high fever, and crying aloud for water to quench her burning thirst. Her sullen silence was now broken by the exclamation, “Oh, how glad I am to see you come at last! I am burning with thirst, and have had no water all night. Oh, give me water, water, or I shall die!” Water was brought, of which she drank greedily; but the fever ran on until she became delirious. In this state the crime she had committed seemed constantly present to her memory, and often she would cry out in horror, that she saw the blazing house and all the scene of that terrible night re-enacted before her eyes. At such times her remorse was painful to witness, and her cries for water were redoubled. It was a fearful scene; for God was dealing with her conscience. And now, dear children, mark the wonderful grace of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The crime she had committed, while it surely brought with it deserved punishment, — for God hath said, “Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap,”— was nevertheless by GRACE made instrumental in bringing her under the sound of that WORD which she had never heard, or, if heard, had rejected. The female warder who attended on Eliza was a CHRISTIAN. O let us, who know His name, bless God that there are Christians, dear children of God, members of the heavenly family, scattered up and down the world, everywhere, and often found, like the seeds of some sweet flower from a far off and brighter clime, scattered by the wind, which “bloweth where it listeth,” and springing up in most unlikely and ungenial places. Yes, blessed be God, there was a Christian warder in that place of human crime and punishment. The name of this dear sister in Christ was Martha. To Eliza her attentions were unremitting; and often, when the conscience-stricken girl spoke of her crime, and cried out that the fire of the blazing house was burning up her soul, dear Martha breathed the gentle, blessed name of Jesus in her frenzied ear to put the fire out! And when she cried for water, Martha, while satisfying her wants, whispered in her ear, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk, without money and without price.” Or again, “Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I (Christ) shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4)
When the delirium had subsided, Eliza still spoke of her crime, and the recollection of the burning house still haunted her memory and her dreams. Martha seized the opportunity to speak of sin, and of the precious blood which cleanseth from it. She told the trembling prisoner of the Saviour’s life of love on earth, and His death of wondrous grace on the cross. She showed her, from the Word of God, how He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree,” and how God Himself hath said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” She spoke of MERCY to one who had never known its meaning; and, as the dwarfed and darkened mind opened to the truth, and the kindness and pity of “God our Saviour” began to be comprehended, the morose and bitter waters of Eliza’s disposition changed to sweetness, and a ray from heaven entered a desolate heart! One morning, Martha, on entering the prisoner’s cell, found her sitting up, with clasped hands, and eyes closed in silent prayer. The flush of fever had passed away; and with it also the expression of dread and malice. Instead of that, the pale face was lighted by the smile of peace, and its whole expression was one of grateful love. On beholding her attitude, and the marked alteration in her countenance, Martha’s heart was filled with hope; nor was she disappointed. Her labor of love had been crowned with success. Eliza was a new creature in Christ Jesus. She had passed a remarkable night. The Lord is pleased sometimes to use extraordinary means to bring the darkened heart to Himself. “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbering’s upon the bed, then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction.” (Job 33:15, 1615In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, (Job 33:15‑16).) Thus had it been with Eliza. Dear Martha’s “instruction” had been “sealed” to her by “a vision of the night.” She thought, as she lay upon her bed of pain, that a sense of burning thirst came over her, and her heart seemed to be on fire; when He, of whose love and tenderness Martha had been speaking, entered that dark cell, and looked kindly upon her. She gazed in awe upon His wounded hands, and feet, and side; and, as she gazed, she thought He pointed to the vessel of water at her side, and then repeated those words Martha had been quoting to her from the 4th chapter of John. Encouraged by His gracious words and manner, she exclaimed, “Lord, give me that living water,” and awoke. She then sat up, and “called upon the name of the Lord,” continuing in earnest supplication till Martha came, and found her as has been described.
From that time Eliza bore little resemblance indeed to the wretched criminal who but a little while before had entered that cell. She became a living witness to the power of the grace of God; and, during the short remainder of her life on earth, occupied herself in seeking to set before others that blessed Gospel which had proved to her “the power of God unto salvation.” When able at intervals to leave her bed, she went with Martha to visit the bed-side of other prisoners who were ill, to speak a word to them of Jesus and the love of God. Her last hours were full of peace. As she was departing, Martha said to her, “You long to be with Jesus?”
“Yes,” answered Eliza, “and soon I hope to be with Him forever. Oh, when I think upon Him—how kind, how gracious, how merciful He was to me—when I think how He loves, can I wish to stay longer in this sinful world? But I feel the hour has come, and that soon, very soon, I shall depart and be with Christ.”
And so it was. The same evening she fell asleep in Jesus, rejoicing in the Lord.
May the Lord bless this little narrative to you, dear readers of GOOD NEWS. In it you see the terrible power of sin. In it you see also that “the Gospel is the POWER OF GOD unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Terrible as the power of sin may be, the power of GOD is greater. The case of Eliza shows us that the vilest sinner may have forgiveness, and that the glorious grace of God takes up the chief of sinners, and makes them shine in “the beauty of holiness” to the praise of that grace forever.