SEVERAL years ago there lived in the East End of London a man, known to the writer, who was a notorious ruffian, and one to whom the respectable class of his neighbors gave a wide berth. Still, he was not beyond the saving grace of God, and his conversion caused, at the time, no small stir in the neighborhood, where he was known as a costermonger.
Sixteen years have rolled away since his marvelous conversion and departure to be with Christ, the tale of which I will give in brief.
A servant of the Lord was suddenly called to the bedside of poor Bill, and found him in rapid consumption. Turning to the dying man, he asked him what he would like him to read. “Anything you like,” was the reply. He opened his Bible and began to read the story of the brazen serpent, but the poor dying man seemed ignorant of the whole matter; to him the Bible was a strange book. After praying with him, his visitor left, promising to call the next day, which he did, and found him in an anxious state of soul. Then, with regret, Bill told his visitor how much of his time and money had been spent upon the racecourse. But the God of all grace was about to turn his thoughts to that which was far more important than all the pleasures of sin that the world offers. Calling to see him one evening, after a prayer meeting, Bill was told that there had been a thousand people praying for him, and he at once fervently exclaimed, “Thank God!” He was visited every day — on one or two occasions twice a day — and earnestly pleaded with to come to Jesus. From 14th April to 24th May not a day passed but what he was pointed to Him who alone can save the vilest sinner. On one occasion he said, “Do pray with me — I want to be saved.” He was in deep earnest now.
The servant of the Lord explained to him how Christ on the cross took our place, bore our sins, and suffered in our stead.
“I see it now,” said Bill; “He suffered for me, then.” From that moment he took God at His word, and in simple faith believed the testimony concerning His blessed Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The passage God blessed to him was Isaiah 43:25,25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25) “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Christ taking his sins, and he receiving Christ as his righteousness, was now all clear to him.
Calling upon him on one occasion, I found a rather rough-looking individual in the room, and was led to speak of Christ to him. Bill, as he lay there, chimed in, “You can have it for nothing, mate.” Another time his son was present, and he also had an opportunity to hear the word, when, all of a sudden interrupting the conversation, the dying man said, “Give him that little bit.”
“What bit?”
That little bit about Christ taking my place and bearing my punishment for me, that’s the bit.”
When the end was nearing I took him by the hand and said, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No; God bless you; you have done me the best turn in my life.”
“It is all peace, then, all clear?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“No doubts?”
“What’s them?” said he.
“Well, I hardly care to tell you; it is when Satan comes and tells us perhaps we are not saved.”
“No, I haven’t any of them yet.” He never did have. A short time after he passed away to be with Him who loved him and gave Himself for him.
You may wonder, my reader, why I have told you this story. First of all to show that God is not “willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” and further, also to appeal to you now to decide in time and not to put it off.
What great pains God often manifests in His interest in one soul. Oh, for more earnest desire on the part of all His children to interest themselves in the solitary ones, or the twos and threes that may be in our neighborhood, yea, even on our very threshold.
E. J. E.