AS a little boy lay wide awake in his bed one dark night, he heard a voice speaking to him. It was not the voice of his father, nor was it his mother's voice, for they were gone to bed, and probably they were fast asleep at the time. And the voice did not speak to the little fellow's outward ear at all, but it spoke to his heart, and it spoke so plainly that he could not help understanding what it said to him.
It was the loving voice of Jesus that this little boy heard, and he knew whose voice it was, as it said to him, "My son, give Me thine heart.”
I am very sorry to tell you that this little boy did not want to hear the voice of Jesus that night, for he was not willing to give his heart to the Lord at that time. Still he knew that he was a sinner in the sight of God, and he trembled as he thought that he must one day stand before Him.
Why did he refuse to hear His call?
Satan tempted the little boy to put off listening to the voice of Jesus until he grew older; and he listened to the tempter, instead of listening to the Saviour. So he refused to take heed when the Lord spoke to his heart that night.
Are there not many little boys and girls who are now doing just what this little boy did upon the night of which I have told you? They have heard of Jesus, and of His salvation.
“Oh, do not let the One depart
Who says in love 'Give Me thine heart.'”
By-and-by it happened that a very dear friend of the child of whom I have told you was taken ill. His name was Henry, and he was a little older than his friend. The boys had been schoolfellows, and liked to get side by side, both reading out of the same book, and they loved one another as boy-friends do. Henry was taken ill, but before his sickness came he had listened to the Saviour's call, and he fell sweetly asleep in Jesus full of joy because of God's salvation.
His young friend was left behind, full of sorrow. Henry was gone to be with Jesus in heaven, but he was still unsaved, and he knew that he was unfit to die.
Again God spoke to him, but he still refused to hear Him, and listened to the tempter's voice.
Time sped on. The little boy had grown to be a strong active lad, but he had not given his heart to the Lord.
Often he could not sleep for thinking about death; and he would sometimes try to pray, as he was lying upon his bed. He did not pray because he loved prayer, but only because he was afraid, and when the morning came he tried to forget the fears of the night. But, do what he would, he had no real joy nor peace; he had "no hope," for he was "without God" in the world.
If the Lord had dealt with this lad according to his sins, and had left off speaking to him, he must have one day died in his sins.
But the love of Christ passeth knowledge. This lad's soul was very precious in the eyes of the Lord, and such was His love, that He spoke to him once more, entreating him to come to Him and be saved.
When at last the lad listened to the voice which had so often called him, what a tale of love he heard! The Lord Jesus told him that He had died upon the cross for him; that He had shed His precious blood to save such a sinner as he was; and that although he had refused His love for so long a time, He loved him still.
Believing on the Lord; loving Jesus because He had first loved him, he found joy and peace; he was no longer afraid to die, for he knew "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But one thing grieved him. He often thought how he might have known the love of Jesus years before; those years were gone by, and they were years wasted; for he had spent them in pleasing himself, instead of seeking to please God. Let not my reader esteem it a light thing to turn away from the voice of Jesus, and give heed to Satan, who ever whispers, "Not now, but to-morrow.”
Oh, that each one may respond at once and say, "I will hear what God the Lord will speak." You will be sure to hear good tidings, for He will tell you of His wondrous love to a poor sinner—even to you.
A. J.