One of my patients was an old man who suffered from frequent attacks of bronchitis. I took special interest in him and always liked to visit him. He was amiable and sympathetic, and I thought he bore a striking resemblance to my own father.
One day I was called to see him, and went immediately. When I arrived I was deeply grieved to find him very ill, so ill indeed that I feared for his recovery. An eager, wistful, anxious look was on his face, an expression that was new to it. On his bed was lying a little prayer-book in which he evidently had been reading.
When I entered, the old man took my hand and said: "Doctor, I am very ill; but, worse than that, I am very unhappy. I think I am dying, and I am afraid to die. I have been trying to pray, and the clergyman has been here; but I find no rest! I am not ready to die.”
I thought; "Well, I know what would give him rest; I ought to tell him." But the knowledge of my own unfaithfulness rose up before me. I had been living carelessly in a way I knew I ought not, and the remembrance of this stopped me. I prescribed for my patient, bade him good morning, and turned to leave. As I got to the door something seemed to say: "Go back and tell him what you know.”
An irresistible impulse seized me. "I must go back," I thought. "I am not worthy to speak; but they won't be my words. A higher Power will speak through me." And so I returned to the bedside. "You are unhappy?”
"Yes," he said.
"You can get no rest; you know that you are a sinner; you have offended God, and have been trying to please Him by praying and striving; you have been trying to believe, and are still unbelieving; the only fruit of all your efforts has been to show that you are lost. Is it not so?”
"It is just that," he said sorrowfully.
"Well, listen; I shall put the whole thing before you in a nutshell. Adam disobeyed God and through his sin all his posterity are lost. You, yourself, have sinned, forgotten and disobeyed God, so that by birth and practice you are doubly condemned. There is no hope for you; you are utterly helpless to atone for one out of your many sins. That is your present case.
"But God in His great love has provided a remedy! He took His own beloved Son, sent Him down to this world, allowed Him to be nailed to a cross; God Himself laid your sins on Him, and He suffered and died instead of you. Now God is satisfied to accept His suffering, His death, instead of yours, so that you can go free. In fact, you have not a single thing to do in order to save yourself, because God's Son has done it all, God is satisfied with what He has done. Are you?”
I left him, feeling that I had given God's own message. On calling next day, I heard the feeble, failing voice singing a hymn. His face was quite changed. The look of anxious weariness had given place to one of peaceful happiness. He took both my hands, and looking in my face, said: "Doctor, I thank you! I see it all now. I am dying; but I am not afraid, for I know that Christ died for me. He is my Redeemer, and I am going to be with Him. I know that God is satisfied with what Christ has done. And I too am completely satisfied and resting in Him.”
He lived a few days longer, and was quite happy all through to the end.
Reader, can you say in the words of the hymn:
"On the Lamb my soul is resting,
What His love no tongue can say,
All my sins, so great, so many,
In His blood are washed away.
"Sweetest rest and peace have filled me,
Sweeter praise than tongue can tell;
God is satisfied with Jesus,
I am satisfied as well.”