IN Spain, which is a Roman Catholic country, it is customary for parents to name their children after the particular saint-day or feast-day, on which they are born. The little girl of whom I write was born on Ascension Day, and her parents accordingly called her Ascencion.
When Ascencion was about twelve years of age, her parents sent her to an evangelical school, that is, not one of the ordinary Roman Catholic schools, but a school where the teachers, who had the true knowledge of Jesus, sought to implant the same in the hearts of their scholars. The Spanish teacher noticed Ascension’s attention to the word of God from the very first day, and how she used every opportunity of hearing it, not only at school but at other times. This desire to hear the scriptures led Ascencion to attend a class of girls, that was held in the house of a missionary every Saturday afternoon. Some of the girls of the class could repeat many texts from memory, and they knew a good deal about the Bible, but they were not attentive, and their teacher had to speak to them about their naughty ways. They seemed, however, to become more careless, and on one occasion the teacher said to them, as Ascencion sat among them, “If you knew how God looked on sin, you would not be so careless, but you would be concerned about your souls. I wish I could see you feeling your sins, then I would have hope of you.”
Ascencion blushed and said; “Donna Maria, I do feel my sins.”
The teacher replied, “If there is any girl here who really feels her sins, the Lord says, that ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)).
He really does what He promises to do, so that we, with confidence, are able to say, ‘Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His, own blood...be glory and dominion forever and ever.’” (Rev. 1:5, 65And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5‑6).)
Ascencion had a Bible of her own: she found the first text, and seriously considered it. She turned down the leaf to remember the place, looked at it again, and closed her book. She believed what she saw written in the book to be indeed the word of God. This appears to have been the time of her conversion. She heard it said that whether she loved the Lord or not would be manifested in her daily life; and therefore she began most carefully to help her mother. She rose early in the morning, helped her little brother and sister to dress; took the big basket and went to market for her mother; and her mother said she never kept a centimo (which is a small coin of the value of one-fifth of a halfpenny). This was saying a great deal, for children in Spain very soon learn to steal, and many of Ascension’s companions were not particular in small matters of centimos.
Ascencion did what she could in her home duty, but all before nine o’clock in the morning, for she would not be late at school if she could possibly help it.
Two years before what has just been related occurred, Ascencion was seriously injured through a fall. Soon after her conversion she had a very painful illness, resulting from the injury, and during her illness her Spanish teacher and her class teacher, with others, were allowed to visit her. She suffered patiently for five months, during which time it was her great delight to have anyone read the word of God and pray with her; and then the Lord took her home.
Ascension’s memory still lives among her schoolfellows, one of whom was so touched by her testimony that she wished to go to heaven too.
And now, dear children, if Ascension found Jesus, in a country where her opportunities and privileges were certainly not as great as yours, what excuse will you make to God if you remain still unsaved? Is not Jesus as able and willing to save you as He was to save Ascension? Do you not know what she appeared to believe the first time she heard it―that there was cleansing for her through the precious blood of Jesus? Oh, that the Lord may incline some of you, even now, whilst reading these lines, to come to Jesus, just as you are, without one plea, but that His blood was shed for thee, and that He bids thee come. He has borne the judgment due to sin, and if in your heart you accept Him as your Saviour, your sins shall be forgiven as Asceneinn’s were.
W. W. H.