SOMETHING more than forty years ago, among the Highlands of Scotland, two of the Lord’s servants were engaged in evangelistic service. At first the work was slow, for, in the locality where these men were laboring, there was much ignorance as to the truth, and the people had their own strong views as to what was right and what was wrong, and they were not easily moved.
But when God begins to work, who can stay His hand? Here, from among the hills and glens, He chose to gather out a people for Himself. One and another and another were turned to the Lord, as they came under the sound of the blessed gospel of the grace of God; and the whole neighborhood began to be astir, as word of these wonderful conversions spread.
At one of the farm houses lived a young woman who determined to have nothing to do with what was going on—she didn’t know why the people were being so taken up with these, things. Soon there came an evening when all the family were going to the preaching. She was afraid to go, and said she would stay at home; but after the rest had all gone, she was afraid to stay alone. Throwing a shawl over her head, she started down the glen where the people were assembling to listen to the good news of salvation. She did not need to go a long distance, for the strong, clear voices of the speakers carried far along the glens and over the hills. Stopping some distance away, she took her stand behind a large tree where she was hidden from the people.
The speaker was carrying his hearers back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve were seeking to hide from God amongst the trees; and the voice of the Lord came to them, “Where art thou?” Ah! this was the voice of the Lord to our fugitive, too. She felt that her hiding place, had been discovered, and tremblingly she went forward. As the preacher continued, she listened with earnest attention, for now her soul was stirred—the plow-share had entered, and was doing its work. There and then, she was turned from darkness unto light, and went home rejoicing in Jesus as her Saviour.
How is it with you, dear unsaved reader? Has the voice of the Lord, “Where art thou?” reached your soul? Do not try longer to hide from His all-seeing eye. Come, just as you are, even as this dear young woman did, and He will receive you. You cannot hide yourself from His eye; for the darkness and the light are alike to Him; yea, “the night shineth as the day,” and “darkness hides not from Him.”
You cannot hide your sins for “there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed.” Even “the counsels of the heart” will be manifest, and “the secrets of men” will be judged. Come then! Come as you are, in your sins; “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
May the voice of the Lord reach you, and may you no longer flee from Him.
Heed now His blessed invitation, “COME UNTO ME.”
ML 02/21/1904