After this patient left the hospital, the occupants of this bed changed oftener. Most all of them read the texts with great interest, and many committed them to memory. Once a young soldier had the bed who tossed day and night on account of severe pain and fever and could not rest. One morning his eye caught that precious verse:
“COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN OF ME; FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART: AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS.” Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).
He called the nurse to his bed and cried:
“Rest! where can I find rest, rest for my body and my soul? I am sick and weak in body; you can see that. But I am more than sick, and that you can’t see. I am very unhappy, and don’t know what to do. Tell me, is there real rest for an unhappy heart like mine? Where can I find rest?”
“Don’t you know the way?” asked the nurse, touched by the earnestness of the sick man; “have you never heard of Jesus the Saviour of sinners?”
“I have, but it is long since; tell me of Him, but so simple, as though you were telling it to a little child.”
His request was granted and the life of the Lord and His death were simply told.
The patient listened with the greatest of attention, then asked: “And did He die for my sins also?”
“He surely did. He saw us all in our sins; He pitied us; He loved us and died for us to give us rest, peace and happiness. He would like to make you happy and to save you from eternal ruin.”
“I have never been happy,” said the soldier sadly. “No, never! Oh, if you knew me better you would understand. I have lived a bad, very bad life. I am a great sinner. But is it really true that He died for me?”
“Yes it is true, indeed.
‘This is a faithful saying-and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ 1 Tim, 1:15. Is not this plain?”
“I never heard anything like this before. It is too wonderful. I can’t believe it,”
“Yes, it is wonderful. The love of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ passes all knowledge. But I trust that you too will soon be able to realize some of this in your own soul, and find peace.”
“If I only were not so sick and weak,” sighed the young soldier; “but as I am, I cannot, do one thing, not one thing!”
“You have nothing to do, the Lord Jesus has done it all. Listen to His own words: ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life.’ John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24). He who hears and believes, possesses.”
With these words I left him, commending him to the Lord, who is ever the best teacher. And, lo, soon after, this poor man found the much desired rest, first for his soul, then for his body also. He left the hospital a different, a happier man.
ML 10/23/1938