Julia and Emilia E. were the daughters of refined and educated parents, who had trained them carefully for the social circle in which they hoped to see them shine. Yet there was a blight hanging over this prospect, for the health of Emilia, the younger one, was giving them much anxiety. She was tall and graceful and had a sweet expression of countenance, but consumption seemed already to have marked her for its victim.
A relative visiting the neighborhood and hearing of the delicate health of Emilia, asked permission for the sisters to visit his home in the country. He was one who knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and delighted in making known His love to others. The parents hesitated. The religious influence of the relative was much to be dreaded; on the other hand, the pure country air was most desirable for their child, and they yielded consent. “The Word of God is quick and powerful,” and this was their relative’s confidence he counted on God to use His own Word in blessing to their souls.
The next morning after their arrival, the Gospel by John was begun at family reading. The sisters listened attentively to the precious unfolding of Him who was “from the beginning,” who. made all things, who was “the Word,” “the Light of the world,” and “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” To “as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” This was the One by whom grace and truth came. The law of Moses had demanded righteousness and had brought out man’s utter ruin as a sinner (Rom. 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)), but now God had sent His beloved Son to reveal the Father, and to be the Saviour of all that come unto God by Him.
It was not until the reading of the 3rd chapter that her personal need of salvation was felt by Emilia. She knew it was written, “Ye must be born again;” but why this necessity, she could not tell. The first man’s irreparable ruin was told out in her ears. His fall in Adam had forfeited everything as to innocence in which God had created him. God’s testimony is, that man, now possessed of nothing but an Adam nature, is lost. All human reforms and patching up of man in his state by nature will not do for God. Hence the need of the solemn,
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
As the chapter went on to tell how the Son of Man must be lifted up, and how God so loved the world that He gave His Son “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” dear Emilia took God at His Word and believed in Christ as her Saviour. Some days later she wrote in her bedroom the following little poem,
Thankfulness
So great my joy, I cannot keep
My tongue in silence bound;
I’ll sing aloud to let the world
Know that my Christ I’ve found.
One month ago no hope had I
Beyond this world of sin;
But now the love of Christ my Lord
My soul has entered in.
I saw my guilt, my wretched guilt,
And trembled ‘neath the load,
And conscience, wakened, proved to me
A miserable goad.
I knew not then ‘twas God’s own love
Working my soul within,
To make me see the love of Christ
That ransomed me from sin.
It made me feel how weak I was –
Feel I was lost, undone –
And when I cried. aloud to Him,
Made me behold His Son.
He showed me from His blessed Word
How Christ had died for me,
How graciously He left His home
From sin to set me free.
Emilia was now praying for her sister. Julia hung back instead of thinking of the great gain. She was afraid of what the cost would be to have Christ. One day, on hearing the solemn Scripture, Proverbs 1:14-3214Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 20Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. (Proverbs 1:14‑32), she wept much, and said she did believe in Christ as her Saviour. With her it seemed to be fleeing from the wrath to come, and not the heart won by Christ, as with Emilia. The following is an extract from a letter they sent to one who wrote to them rejoicing in their conversion,
“We do feel how blessed it is, ‘Our theme of joy’s but one,’ that we are members of Christ. It is indeed only the work of God’s Holy Spirit has made us such. The Scriptures you refer to are very precious and helpful. We are already beginning to experience what a satisfying portion to our souls is our Saviour Jesus Christ. What a blessed thing to know our sins are forgiven. We wrote home yesterday to make known the news to our father and mother. We shall need to cling close to Christ for strength to enable us to show to the dear ones at home by our manner of conduct what a change has come to us.”
The letter was signed by both. The writing to their parents was an unsuggested act; but undoubtedly the Spirit of God led them thus to confess Christ. The result was an immediate summons home, and thus abruptly terminated their happy visit of some weeks. They parted from their relatives in tears, conscious of the cross that awaited them, yet knowing, too, where to go for strength.
Emilia was much better for the country air. Months elapsed, during which she bore bright testimony for Christ. How could she now call herself a miserable sinner and cry, “Lord, have mercy upon us; spare us, good Lord,” and similar petitions, when she knew herself justified and standing in the favor of God! (Rom. 5:1-21Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1‑2)). Delighting, too, in knowing herself “accepted in the Beloved,” and brought into the liberty wherewith Christ has made free.”
The returning cough, however, and the hectic flush soon told that the incipient disease had not left her. Soon all hope of her recovery was gone. But was she afraid to die? O, no! She knew the one who had conquered death and removed for her its sting. To an aunt watching beside her, she said her eighteenth birthday was the happiest she ever had. This was one of her last days on earth. The Lord lovingly granted her desire to depart to be with Him on a Lord’s Day.
Dear reader, is Jesus your Saviour?
“Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow to you may never come.
Truly wrote another –
“Salvation without money,
Salvation without price,
Salvation without labor,
Believing doth suffice.
Salvation now – this moment;
Then why, O! why delay?
You may not see tomorrow;
Now is salvation’s day!”