"BUT I am a good girl." The speaker was '1 a deformed child, to whom I had been speaking about her soul. I pointed out to her what goodness God required. Still she reiterated, "But I am a good girl.”
“But tell me, dear child, what sort of people did Jesus die for?”
“For sinners," was her prompt reply.
“Then are you not a sinner?”
“Oh, no, I'm good.”
“But Jesus did not come to save good people.”
“My father says I'm good, and so I am," she said, while tears ran down her cheeks.
“I do not dispute your father's word as to your being good towards him. You may be a very loving and obedient little daughter, and kind to everybody, but yet not good enough for God, who is holy. Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'”
“I don't believe you," she cried, "I believe what my father says.”
“I do not want you to rest on my word, but God's word, and see what is written here." Opening my Bible I pointed with my finger to the words, "There is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)), asking her to read them aloud.
“I can't read," she said sullenly, "but father can.”
“Then will you ask your father to read this chapter to you? You have a Bible, I suppose?" No, she had not a Bible, but, she said, her father would read the chapter to her if she had one.
I gave her a small Testament, asking her to come again. Some little time after, there she was, with a pleased expression upon her old-looking face.
“What makes you look so bright, dear, to-night?”
“If you please, ma'am," said the child, simply, "I'm saved.”
“How is that!”
“Why, father read that chapter to me, and then I began to understand what a sinner I was. So I told the Lord Jesus, and asked Him to forgive me all my sins. I came to Him as a poor sinner, and He has saved me by His own blood.”
I questioned her at some length, fearing lest, after all, what she now said should not come from her heart. She then told me what I had said to her about sin had made her very unhappy.
“I had always thought myself good," she added, and had been told, if I were a good girl, I should go to heaven; but you showed me that if I only had one foolish thought it was sin in the sight of God. I began to think of the many naughty thoughts, and the many wrong things I had done. Then I became afraid, and tried to pray.”
“Suppose the Lord Jesus should come tonight for all those that are ready to meet Him, would He take you?” I asked solemnly.
She was silent a moment, then she looked up and said quietly, “I’m sure He would.”
“Why are you sure?”
“Because I've come to Him in the right way, and He means what He says in the Bible.”
E. E. S.