Conversion; What it is.
IN the year 1862, a Miss H―, sister of a young man who at that time lived in the village of G―, came to reside with some friends of hers who lived at C―, some three miles off. Hearing that she was consumptive, and was not likely to recover, I asked her brother whether with her the great matter of her soul’s salvation was settled. He told me that she was very careless about the things of the next world, and that she did not seem to think of herself as being in any danger. We agreed to pray for her conversion; and accordingly knelt down and prayed earnestly that God would convert her, and give her to know Jesus as her Saviour. We also subsequently prayed for her at the regular prayer meeting, where the Lord’s presence was often manifested in power. Still no answer came.
Weeks rolled on, and I heard that she had left C —, and had gone to the Co. Kildare.
Looking at circumstances, instead of at God’s Word, doubts came in on my mind; and as there daily seemed less prospect of her meeting any who would speak to her of her immortal soul, I feared that we had lifted up our hearts in vain and that the Lord was not going to grant out request.
We are but too ready in such cases to look to circumstances, instead of to the faithfulness of God. We should be ashamed to treat an earthly father with as little confidence as we grudge to Bestow on our heavenly Father.
About this time I happened to ride down to be railway station, where Miss H―’s mother had just arrived. She came up to me, and at once asked me whether she could get lodgings in G― for her daughter, who was very ill, as she had heard G― was a very healthy place. It at once flashed across my mind, the Lord had heard our prayers, and that He was now going to send her to G―, and would convert her there. What a contrast the Lord’s faithfulness is to our faithlessness!
Lodgings were at once taken for her in a Christian family. A few days after her arrival, a Mr. A―, who was staying at G―, called it the house, and spoke seriously to her about the danger of her present condition, and the ill-sufficiency of the blood of Jesus as a satisfaction for sin. She said that she was not saved; she was anxious about her soul, but she seemed unable to accept of the sacrifice of Christ as an expiation for her sin.
At this time a friend of hers came in, and warmly disputed something which Mr. A―had said. During this discussion the light broke in on Miss H―’s soul. She saw that Jesus was a fit Saviour for herself; she then and there appropriated to herself His atonement for sin. She relied on it as having made full satisfaction to God for her transgressions; and as she did so, she passed from death unto life, never again to come under death’s dominion. Our prayer was answered. She was converted to God.
How strange that for 1800 years Christ’s atonement for sin has been steadily rejected by hell-deserving sinners, who are merely kept by the brittle thread of life from dropping into everlasting fire. Reader, are you saved? or are you still a Christ rejecter?
From the moment Miss H― was saved, (not before, as many seem to think necessary,) her life was changed. From being careless and thoughtless, she became a Bible-reading, thoughtful, earnest Christian. Though harassed with many a fiery dart from the wicked one, she enjoyed a quiet certainty of coming glory. Many a time have we wondered at her knowledge of the Word of God, and at her spiritual apprehension of those deep truths which the Holy Ghost loves to unfold concerning Christ.
Her weakness steadily increased. Her cough became more frequent. She was at length unable to go out, or even to rise. During the severe fits of coughing, her sufferings were heart-rending to her friends. She alone seemed not to mind them.
As her bodily strength was on the decrease, her spiritual strength seemed to be renewed day by day.
“Oh, mother,” she said to her whom she loved most on earth, “what should I do now, if at this time I had to seek for my Saviour?” And, at another time to her cousin, “After all, it is a simple thing to believe in Jesus.”
As she neared the heavenly land, all her doubts and fears seemed to melt away; and the enemy’s darts, ere they could reach her, seemed broken on some invisible shield.
She sent for me to say, “Good-bye, for the present.” She was only able to speak in a very low whisper; but her mother told me afterward, how she had said she longed to tell me all that her precious Saviour was to her at that moment. This was death-bed testimony to that power of Jesus which He loves to impart to His believers.
The struggle of nature was now almost over; and as she lay, supported by her mother and a friend, she waved her hand over her head, as for a victory which had been fought and won for her on Calvary. In a moment her spirit was gone, to be forever with the Lord. We, believers in Jesus, who shall be alive upon earth when He comes again, shall see Miss H―, and we shall be caught up together with her in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore let us comfort one another with these words. (1 Them 4:17, 18.) Reader, do you understand these things?