In a wild and mountainous region of India, early one morning, a small band of Indians might have been seen, some years ago, quietly moving along the banks of a lake situated close to a beautiful grove of mango trees. Among the group were two youthful enquirers after eternal life, who had renounced the sinful and heathen practice of idol worship. They had heard about Jesus, their Savior, through the preaching of a missionary, who was spending his life and strength in that foreign land for God; and in true simplicity of heart they believed what they heard, and desired to know more about the God whom the white man worshipped.
On the morning referred to, they were going to listen again while the teacher spoke to them about Him who had sent His only Son Jesus to die for them; and they returned to their mountain homes with joyful, chastened hearts, having "peace and joy in believing." A short time afterward one of them was seized upon by the head man of their village, who roughly questioned him about this "new religion." He replied, " I believe in Jesus Christ, and guats (a lower order of Gods), the images or the pagodas, nor drink spirits; I worship the eternal God." He was ordered to pay a certain number of rupees as a fine, and then to give up the "foreigners' religion " altogether.
Upon another occasion one of his own tribe said, "Come, join our worship again, and feed the gods?" " No," was his unhesitating reply, "I mean to worship the eternal God to the end of my life, and I mean to find out more about Jesus Christ."
And interval of some months elapsed, and the scene was changed. Very late one night, when the faithful, earnest missionary, before mentioned, had retired to rest, wearied with his day's work, a messenger from without woke him from his slumbers, saying " Teacher! you are wanted!"
In a few moments both were hurrying along to the spot where the dying one lay, who had wished the teacher to be fetched.
As they approached the low bamboo house, a wild, wailing noise, proceeding from it, reached their ears, which intimated the presence of death. The missionary passed through a crowd of friends and relatives gathered at the door, and in a moment more he was gazing with much emotion upon the corpse of a native youth, whom he had often seen, and well knew. " He is gone to the golden country, "whispered a voice close to his ear, "to bloom forever among the flowers of paradise." Startled, and suddenly turning, he saw before him a middle-aged woman, holding a palm leaf fan before her face. And, amidst the confused wail of the mourners, she added " He worshiped the true God, and trusted in the Lord, our redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ; he trusted in Him, he called and was answered; he was weary and in pain, and the Lord who loved him took him home to be in His bosom forever."'
"How long, since his soul took its flight?" asked the missionary. " About an hour, teacher "
" Was he conscious?" " Yes, and full of joy."
"What did he talk about?" Only of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose face he seemed to see."
Reader of this little narrative, let me ask the question " Can you say, like this simple hearted Indian, believe in Jesus Christ?' Do you know Him as your Savior, the One who has borne your sins in His 'own body on the cross This poor native youth had been a heathen, who knew nothing of the only true God; he was a worshipper of stocks and stones. But when he heard about Jesus, the Son of God, having come down into this evil world to be a man and die, that through His death and atoning work all who believe and trust in Him might be saved, and possess eternal life," then his poor, ignorant heart was touched by such redeeming love, and he " turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." He gave up as a wicked, worthless thing the so-called religion of his ancestors, with its heathenish rites and practices. He knew himself to be a sinner, but believed that Jesus had died for him, and so had the sense of his sins being all forgiven and with this, that he was made clean through the precious blood of Christ which " cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Fellow sinner, do you know yourself to be guilty, lost, hell-deserving, by nature unfit for the presence of God? Turn then to Him who is " mighty to save, " believe in the One who came to seek and to save that which was lost, listen to the gracious loving words which fell from a Savior's lips, " He that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst;" " Him that cometh unto me I will no wise cast out;", " Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me HATH everlasting life" (John 6:35,37,4735And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)).
Head knowledge, or a mere profession of Christianity, will not save you, neither can the observance of certain religious forms and ceremonies fit you for heaven, or make you acceptable in God's sight! They may quiet your conscience for a time, nothing more than, this, and if you place any virtue in cold religious observances then you are one of those who are lulled into a state of insensibility and indifference by this opiate of Satan. 'Be not deceived, that great enemy of mankind and destroyer of souls wishes to retain you forever in his clutches, and would have you eternally sunk in the dark, fathomless depths of perdition.
But, through the wonderful long-suffering and mercy of God, there are yet time and opportunity to be saved from such a dreadful, awful eternity; there is still a way of escape.
By nature we are all ruined and undone, irreparably bad, rebels against a holy, loving God. But, marvelous grace! "God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
Let me ask, dear reader, do you see in Jesus, the crucified One, the manifestation of God's love to you, as the One who came to seek and to save you? Oh! can you not in your heart say, "I believe He came to seek and to save lost, perishing sinners, and this is just my condition,"
What are your thoughts of Jesus while He was suffering, dying on that terrible cross? Do you see Him there, with the eye of faith, as bearing your multitude of sins, and dying to put them all away forever? It is at that cross upon which the blessed, perfect Son of God hung and was crucified, that we learned the fullness, the reality, and the perfection of God's redeeming love.
Ah! my fellow sinner, it is a wondrous, yet undeniable fact, that the holy, just, and beloved Son of God came down into this wretched, polluted world to save such as you and me from everlasting ruin and condemnation. He has accomplished a mighty work, a great salvation, nothing more remains to be done: " It is finished" were the last life-giving words of the blessed Jesus, ere He "bowed his head and gave up the ghost."
Will you -still disbelieve that the atoning work is complete? Think what a dreadful thing is unbelief. It makes the God of truth a liar! It also dashes from a sinner's lips the cup of everlasting happiness, and closes the door of mercy in his face!
Do you, reader, like the young Indian, "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," and have you " trusted in Him?"