EARLY in the last century a bright, clever, open-hearted youth entered the University of Dublin. It was proposed to him to stand for a sizarship, the exam for which was very severe, and open to competitors from all parts of the United Kingdom.
He was naturally averse to hard study, and yet for the sake of his widowed mother, a lady of good family but in straitened circumstances, he wished to relieve her of the cost of his education by obtaining the position. Still, to his great disappointment, through a mistake in the marks, his name was not announced amongst the successful candidates, and yet he unselfishly rejoiced in the success of an intimate friend who shared his rooms. When, however, the mistake was corrected they could rejoice together.
Such was the auspicious beginning of his college career, and although he did not follow it up by higher honors of a similar kind, he soon made his mark in the walks of lighter literature and poetry. Such was this young man, amiable, thoroughly sincere, attractive in manner, firm and upright in conduct But all the time one thing was lacking, and that thing essential to his happiness and highest good. He did not then know and love the Saviour. Infidel writings and godless companions were drawing him more and more into the world and away from God.
Still he had one faithful and right-minded friend that lived with him. He had felt the power of the gospel, and longed to see his companion won to Christ. He often spoke earnestly and lovingly to him, as one young fellow can talk to another, and he never ceased to pray for his conversion. For some time no change was to be seen. At last, however, the answer came in a remarkable manner.
One morning he appeared at breakfast with an unusually anxious and troubled look on his face. Being asked the cause, he answered, “I had a dream last night, which I shall not easily forget. I seemed to have fallen over a precipice, and to be sinking headlong on to a ledge of jagged rocks. In another moment I expected to be found below, a mangled corpse. But just as in my agony of mind all seemed to be over, there glided from the side of the cliff a glorious Form, all radiant with brightness, in whose countenance was mingled the most winning tenderness with unearthly majesty. I saw that He was no other than the almighty, all-holy, and all-loving Redeemer. He quickly caught me in His arms, and set me at His side on the solid rock. At once my fears vanished, and I felt perfectly safe; and, as He drew me closer to Himself, He said, ‘You were just hurrying to destruction, but I am your Deliverer; trust in Me and keep near Me, I will never let you go, but will shield you from every peril even to the end.’ Then I awoke,” he added, “and though I found it was only a dream, I felt that it had been sent as a message from heaven. It is indeed quite true; I have been hurrying to ruin, rejecting the Saviour, and neglecting His salvation. But now I trust Jesus has saved me, and that He is mine and I am His. It is so merciful of God.”
Such was the young man’s own account of the matter as given to his friend, who was the writer’s own father, and who repeated it to him.
Certain it is that this proved to be the turning-point in the student’s spiritual history, and led to a very decided change in his whole after-character and career. From that time a gradually deepening tone of seriousness marked’ his behaviour and conversation. He left college fully resolved to serve Christ, and he became an eminently happy, consistent, and useful Christian.
Reader, are you saved? Are you a true Christian?
W. B.