ON a fine Sunday afternoon, a neglected, poorly dressed boy walked in a back street of one of our large cities, when all at once he perceived an object which attracted his attention. It was a card, that, probably, some child coming from a Sunday-school, shortly before, had dropped. The little boy picked it up carefully, and looked admiringly at it. In the middle of the card, which had a beautifully colored border, golden letters glittered in tile sunlight. He wished to be able to read them, but, alas! no one had ever taught him to read. He stuck it into his pocket, fearing that some of his play-fellows would take it away from him, saying to himself:
“I’ll ask old Margaretha this evening to read it for me. I’ll bet it’s something good, or else they wouldn’t have troubled to make it so pretty.”
With these thoughts in his blind, he went on further; but very soon meeting other little boys; he went with them and forgot his card. When it was evening, he thought of it again, and before going home, he climbed up a dark stairway in the same neighborhood where he lived, and opened a door, and called:
“Mother Margaretha, are you at home?”
“Yes, Jacob; come in, boy,” cried the weak voice of an old woman, who by the light of a smoky lamp, was trying to read.
“O, Mother Margaretha! I wish you would tell me what is written here in gold letters.”
“I will tell you gladly,” answered the old woman, “I would like to do more for you, Jacob, for you are always ready to do something for me.”
After admiring the card for some minutes, she took it in her hands. and read slowly:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
“What does that mean?” asked Jacob.
“I’m afraid I can’t explain it to you, dear child; I don’t understand much about it.”
“But who is ‘the Lord Jesus Christ?’” “I have heard it said, that He is the Son of God, and that He lives in heaven.”
“I wish I knew what that means ‘Thou shalt be saved’! From what must we be saved?”
“I think that I can tell you that, Jacob,” answered old Margaretha. “When I was your age. I went to a Sunday-school, where learned many things, but I have forgotten nearly everything. I remember, they often said, that the wicked, after they die would be thrown into a large fire; that was called hell; and I suppose we must be saved from that.”
“O!” said Jacob, “I’d like to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ, so that I might believe on Him. I don’t want to be thrown into a large fire.”
As soon as Jacob reached home he went to bed, but he could not sleep, as he kept thinking of the strange words: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The following day he decided to hunt up someone who could tell him about Jesus Christ; and when he saw old Margaretha standing at her door, he asked her if she knew of anyone who could tell him more of Jesus Christ.
“O, yes.” said she, “there is a gentleman who lives in a house, where I sometimes sell oranges, and I think he can tell you all you want to know.”
She pointed out the house to the child, and went away. It was some time before Jacob had courage to ring. At last he decided to do it. A maid opened the door, but thinking the boy wanted to beg, was sending him away, when her employer just arrived, and asked Jacob what he wanted. The child took the card out of his pocket. showed it to him, and asked if he would kindly explain what it meant. With a good-natured smile, Mr. B. took Jacob into a room where they could sit down.
“My child,” said he, “God has made everything, the world, the people in it, you and me too. God is holy, and He hates sin. Every wrong thing that we do, is sin. You cannot hide the wrong things that you have done from God, and He knows even your thoughts. But God is love, and He sent His own Son into the world. This Son of God is called Jesus. He came from heaven down to earth 1900 years ago to tell men that God is love. He came too, to die for sinners—to bear the punishment that they had earned by their sins.
He died a very cruel death, Jacob. Wicked men nailed His hands and His feet to a cross, and left Him hanging until He died. On the cross He bore the punishment that we deserved for our sins. God laid our sins on Him. After His death, He was buried in a grave that was hewn, out of a rock; but God raised Him from among the dead, and now Jesus is in heaven. He is full of love, my child; He is ready to receive you. He will forgive you all your sins, so that you can go to heaven. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’”
Jacob believed, and his face beamed with happiness, when he left the house; he felt that a new life was begun for him, and that he had found a Friend who would never fail nor forsake him.
And now dear little readers which of you, will, like poor Jacob, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he saved?
ML 09/10/1922