ABOUT thirty-seven years ago a doctor and his assistant were in attendance on an old retired tradesman. It was a case that sorely puzzled them both. They had had, for young men, a fair amount of experience, but neither of them had seen, either in hospital or private practice, a case similar to this—not that the diagnosis was particularly difficult, or, in point of fact, the prognosis either, for it was quite plain to them he could not live very long.
It was not, however, the disease, but the man himself who puzzled them so very much.
He seemed to be past their comprehension, yet there was no question about his intellect being weak. On the contrary, he appeared to be a man of some intelligence.
Again, there was nothing to complain of in the way their daily visits were received, for their patient uniformly met them with a gentle, benignant smile; yet they could not feel at home with him, for they could not make him out.
As we have said, his case was a very serious one, and as the doctor always thought it right to tell his patients, when they were in real danger, the truth as to their state, but in as guarded a manner as possible, the time had now come when he felt he must break the “sad” news of the approaching end to this patient. So, to avoid a shock, he commenced as carefully as possible to bring the “painful” subject before him, and by degrees came to the usually distressing point, saying, as near as remembered, “My dear friend, I fear your time here will not be very long.”
His countenance changed immediately. The doctor was, however, quite prepared for that, as he had seen it under similar circumstances many times before.
Was the poor old gentleman going to burst into a flood of tears? No.
Was he going to cry bitterly that he might be spared here a little longer? No.
Was he about to deplore having to leave his loved ones here? No.
Can it be possible? Yes, indeed; there can be no mistake about it; instead of anguish, a bright, radiant smile lights up his face as he calmly inquires, “And do you think, doctor, the event will take place today?”
It was now the poor doctor’s turn for intense astonishment, and his professional decorum was tried to the utmost to enable him, without showing his great surprise, to reply, “Well, no; I trust not today, but I fear it will be very soon.”
Again, that bright, confident smile illuminated the face of this strange man as he said, “Ah, well, it is a good thing to be prepared!”
In the after part of that day and subsequently, the doctors, not being able to understand their strange patient, pronounced him to be a “regular caution,” and made many jokes at his expense.
But green as he appeared in their eyes, he was unquestionably in possession of some secret they were in entire ignorance of. Indeed, though not cowards, they would have been terribly distressed had they been in their patient’s position. What, then, was the wonderful secret which could give this man such perfect calmness when face to face with death?
As the writer, by the grace of God, has himself been in the knowledge and enjoyment of this secret for many years, permit him to try to answer this all-important question, with the sincere hope and fervent prayer that the highly prized blessing may be yours before you lay aside this little paper.
In the first place, our old friend had, by the Holy Spirit’s teaching, become convinced that he was not right with God, and being honest enough to own his sinful and undone condition before Him, he soon became aware of the great fact that God was not against him, but for him.
Yes, “GOD IS LOVE. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:8-108He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:8‑10)).
He is a holy and a righteous God; He hates sin, but He loves the sinner. His righteousness forbids His overlooking one sin, yet in love He willeth not the death of a sinner.
“The perfect righteousness of God
Is witnessed in the Saviour’s blood;
‘Tis in the cross of Christ we trace
His righteousness. Yet, wondrous grace.
God could not pass the sinner by—
His sin demands that he must die;
But in the cross of Christ we see
How God can save us righteously.
“The sin is on the Saviour laid;
’Tis in His blood sin’s debt is paid.
Stern justice can demand no more,
And mercy can dispense her store.
The sinner who believes is free—
Can say, ‘The Saviour died for me’;
Can point to the atoning blood
And say, ‘This made my peace with God.’”
So in all simplicity he accepted God’s word about the precious Person and work of His beloved Son, and had “peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)). “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory 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)).
Mark well, dear reader, that it was not “peace with himself,” but “peace with God,” which gave our old friend such joy at the prospect of death.
Death, did we say?
Nay, it was no “death” to him, but simply falling asleep in Jesus. He said, “It is a good thing to be prepared,” and prepared he was, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ alone.
About two years after the above event “the king of terrors” came and suddenly snatched one of these very doctors from time into eternity. God has been pleased to drop the curtain, and close from our view what his real end was; and we desire, in all affection to his memory, to leave that curtain as it fell.
At the same time, what hallelujahs—what eternal songs of praise shall be His! for, as “a brand plucked out of the fire” (Zech. 3:22And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? (Zechariah 3:2)), the “King of Peace” and Lord of Glory snatched the other doctor from the very brink of hell, using the sudden death of his cherished friend to thoroughly arouse him to a sense of his guilty, lost, hell-deserving condition, and eventually gave him, through that same precious blood, not only “peace with God,” but to know the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Phil. 4:77And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)).
This plucked “brand” is the writer of this paper, who for over thirty years has himself been enjoying that wonderful secret, the effects of which so greatly astonished him and his friend in their old patient of thirty-seven years ago.
His most earnest desire and prayer now is that each unsaved reader may, without another moment’s delay, be honest with God and his own never-dying soul, and take his true place as a guilty, lost sinner before Him, and claim Jesus—the One who died for sinners—as his individual Saviour. Each will then, with an adoring heart, be able to say, “Who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)). He will thus be brought into the wonderful secret which gives calmness, comfort, and confidence when face-to-face with what is usually called death.
“My title’s undeniable—
‘Tis Jesus and His blood;
His word must be reliable,
For He’s the Son of God.
And though my sin’s detected,
My Substitute’s accepted;
And now my soul’s protected
From judgment’s righteous rod;
“And now upon the throne on high
He sits, my risen Lord:
God’s satisfied, and so am I,
Who rest upon His Word.
Redemption’s toil’s completed,
The powers of hell defeated,
My life’s in glory seated—
Jesus the Christ, our Lord.”
C. P. W. N.