DURING the winter of last year, when dense fogs darkened the metropolis, I was asked to visit a poor woman, who was in an apparently dying condition. "She can't live much longer if these fogs last,” remarked the person who told me of her. And what of her soul? "said I “is her eternity to be spent with the Lord Jesus?”
“Ah, that is her anxiety, and I feel so unable to help her. A gentleman has read the Scriptures to her for several Sunday evenings, and his visits seem to have shown her what a sinner she is, but she thinks herself dying, so cannot put off her desire to be saved tilt Sunday comes.”
“There is no time to lose," said I;" is it too late to see her tonight?" But the woman's sons had just come home, and the place was locked up, so we decided to wait till the next evening.
“I will meet you at the top of the street," said my informant," for it is an awkward place to find." True to her promise, my guide was waiting to conduct me to the house." I have told Mrs. P. of your coming," she said, as she left me at the door; "and may the Lord bless your visit to-night! I will call for you presently, as I wish you to see two other poor women.”
A bright flush spread over the woman's suffering face as I entered, and she said, "Ah, I've been waiting all day for God to send me a message straight from Himself. Have you brought it?”
“What sort of message do you expect God to send you, Mrs. P.?”
“Words whereby my poor soul can be saved," was her earnest reply.
“Tell me how long you have been anxious about your soul.”
It's nigh about two months ago that I had a fit all alone in the house, and then I thought, for the first time in my life, of the danger I was in. Hell, with its horrors, came before me, and I've had no rest since. A gentleman has read the Bible to me many times, but his explanation has made me more anxious, and now my suffering of soul is worse than that of my body.”
“I trust, my friend, you are prepared to believe God's word?” “I am," she said. So I opened my Testament, saying," Here then is a message from God for you. Jesus says, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.' (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).)
“You hear the word?" "I do." "And believe on Him who sent Jesus?" "Most truly I do." "Then you have everlasting life.”
“To be sure I have. Why, I never saw it like that before.”
“And shall not come into condemnation?" I continued.
“No," she said, emphatically; "the Lord Jesus bore my judgment. I can rest now,— I have passed from death unto life.”
So readily did the poor woman receive the truth that fora moment I could scarcely think she knew what she was saying. After a pause I said, "Are you ready to die?”
“Quite," was the reply. "Yes, I shall meet my dear father. His dying prayer for me is at length answered. I was but a little child when my father died. As I was taken from his side, just before he breathed his last, he cried, O God, save my poor orphan girl from going to hell, and give her a home in heaven, for Christ's sake.'”
“I do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," she continued, "from the very depth of my heart, and give Him thanks for His great love toward me.”
I left her, assured that God would carry on His own work in her soul. He had begun it; He had wounded by the lips of one of His servants, He had used me to heal the wounded soul.
My guide was anxiously waiting my reappearance outside the room. She led me to another comfortless room, in the same street, where, sitting on a broken wooden chair, by the side of a dull coke fire, lamenting sorely her pains, I found another woman, Mrs. H.: "Almost more than a mortal can bear," she said of her sufferings. I heard her pitiable tale, and, after a few words of kindness, she became calmer. Having ministered to her bodily wants, I asked if she could bear to hear a verse or two read. She said she would be glad, and lit her candle, pushing it close to me. "I wish I could read, ma'am," said she; "perhaps then I should worship God better: but I've had to work very hard all my days, and little time do us poor folk have for learning.”
“Well, Mrs. H., if you can't read you can hear, and God tells us that, He that heareth, and he that believeth,' has the blessing." So I told her of the message heard and received by her neighbor, and asked if she too would come to Christ. She appeared interested in the story of the woman in the fourth chapter of John, and thanked me for reading a pretty story to her; but her pains and her rheumatism absorbed her thoughts, she had no sense in her soul of her need of salvation.
I besought her to consider her deep need of a Saviour, to which she replied, that when she got better she would try to pray and worship better. Telling her of her inability to worship God while dead in trespasses and sins, I left her for the night, feeling how awful was the condition of my second hearer.
I then went to my third hearer. A neighbor kindly lent a candle, for the fog rendered the room almost as dark as night. Long shall I remember the scene of dirt, squalor, and suffering that met my eye as the weak voice of the inmate bade me to enter. An aged, gaunt-looking woman was sitting-upon a most miserable bed. Dirty rags and papers filled up the broken panes of the window. A tiny fire burned in the grate. One or two broken stools, an old table, a few broken cups, and an old bottle full of water composed the furniture of the chamber. Tears ran down the poor woman's face as I expressed my sympathy at her condition. "And is your arm broken?" inquired I, for I noticed it was bandaged up in a sling.
“Yes, in two places, and the agony is something dreadful. About ten weeks ago I was knocked down in the street by a horse and van, and since these fogs I've had bronchitis, and no one to do much for me but my husband, and he has to go out to try and earn a few pence to help support us. There is no rest night nor day," said she, restlessly throwing herself back on her wretched pillow.
“Jesus said, ' Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," said I, tenderly, to the poor sufferer.
“Ah, yes, I used to hear that as a girl at the village school, but times are altered now.
I've had plenty of knocking about since then. I've traveled in many lands with my husband, who is an old soldier. Oh, how I dread this night!”
“Poor heart, if you will only rest on the Lord Jesus to-night you will say you never rested so well.”
“Will He let me rest on Him?" she inquired.
“Indeed He will—only try Him.”
“I'm seventy-three years old," she said, "and I've always meant to come; but I seem no nearer to Him now than when a girl at school.”
“There was a poor woman once, Mrs. S, who spent all her living in paying physicians, and grew nothing better, but rather grew worse." "Ah, that's like me," she broke in earnestly. "But," I continued, she heard of Jesus, and came to Him, saying within herself, If I may but touch the hem of His garment I shall be made whole. She touched Him, and was made whole!”
“If Jesus were as near to me as to that woman, I would put forth my hand and touch Him too," said the poor sufferer.
“He is here," said I," and faith believes in His presence.”
“But, ma'am, I haven't faith.”
“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
“True, and I will think of what you've told me, for I do mean to come to Jesus.”
“What," said I, "you've been putting off coming for seventy-three years, and now you are on what may be a dying bed. How much longer dare you put off?”
“You have spoken justly, ma'am, but I dare not say I've come; and I must consider about what you've said. Believe me, I am very grateful for your remarks, and truly thank you for your concern about my soul.”
The hour was late, and I was obliged to leave, promising to see her again.
My third hearer felt her need, but did not intend to come at once to Christ; my second did not feel her need, and had no thought of coming at all; but my first felt her need, and came at once.
I saw the three women again. One was rejoicing in the Lord and speaking His praise with joyful lips. "I do thank Him," she said, "for placing me on a sick bed, for on it I've learned my need of a Saviour, and now know Him as my all. I'm ready to die or to live, whichever way He wills it." The second was better in health, but still in a state of apathy as to her condition. The third was still putting off.
They all three got well, but only one gave to God her heart's praise; no change could I discover in either of the other two, though I saw them many times.
It is written, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Luke 14:3535It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 14:35)), and, "He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:4848He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)); "Take heed therefore how ye hear." (Luke 8:88And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 8:8).) E. E. S.