ON my asking a dear believer, living in a small town in one of the Eastern counties, how she found peace, she gave me the following simple account of the way in which the Spirit of God had dealt with her, and had at last brought her to see her full salvation through faith in the work of the Lord Jesus. I give it in her own words as nearly as possible, asking Him in His grace to make it helpful to any one in like distress.
“I had been anxious for months,” she said, “and felt the burden of sin grow heavier and heavier each day. How to get rid of my sins I knew not. They seemed to weigh me to the ground. I prayed and tried, but nothing took the burden away. A servant of God often came in and told me the way of salvation, often pointed me to ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,’ but I always felt He had not taken my sins. I knew they were still on me. Then a Christian lady called, and invited me to a little mothers’ meeting which was to take place the following Monday. I went; a lady spoke to us a few simple words. ‘God,’ she said, ‘laid the sins of His people on Christ. Christ died because of the judgment of God due to our sins, and on the third day God raised Him from the dead. This is a proof that He was satisfied, and had accepted Christ’s death as an atonement for us: moreover, the sins of all who trust in Jesus, who died for us, are gone from God’s sight. (Jer. 50:2020In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve. (Jeremiah 50:20).)
“Had I not been a stranger I could have stood up and cried, ‘He did not bear my sins; they are still on me; I know I have them.’ Then a hymn was sung, ‘There is life in a look at the crucified One.’ That hymn followed me, but still I could not look.
“The next week I was there again, but Satan whispered, ‘It is not for you,’ and I believed him. The following Monday I intended going again, but was prevented. My agony on account of my sins increased, so that I was positively afraid to move. I had my little one upon my knee, but could take no notice of her, and still that hymn rang again in my ears, ‘There is life in a look.’
“I felt that night I must look—I must trust my soul to Jesus. I got my Bible and read that beautiful chapter (the 14th) of the Gospel of John. Then it seemed that God really spoke to me, and told me I must believe in Him—must just come to Him. I remembered what the lady said, that Jesus had put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself, and I saw the burden was gone. Oh, miss, I can never tell the joy and peace that filled my soul as I saw what Christ had done for me. I think I have never felt so really full of joy since, though, indeed, I have found His promises sure. He has never failed me, never forsaken me. He is sufficient.”
I then said, “Did you tell your husband at once?”
“No,” she replied. “Some time before had made a profession of having found Christ, but it proved to be only the excitement of the moment, so I determined this time to show him I was converted by my life.”
“Has he found it out?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, miss. He came in one day, saying some neighbors had been laughing and teasing him, saying that his wife professed to be converted, and he told them he knew it was true.
“I asked him how he came to know it, as I had never told him, and he said, ‘There was no need to tell; I saw it by your ways.’ I was rejoiced to hear him say this, for I felt God had given me grace to shine just a little for Him, and I quite believe the Spirit of God is beginning to work in my husband. Is not this cause for rejoicing?”
I would say to any dear anxious one who may read these lines, there is indeed—
“Life in a look at the crucified One:
There is life at this moment for thee!”
There was no peace for this poor woman until she believed the word of God’s grace—until she herself personally believed in Christ.
Do you know what kept her in such distress of mind? She doubted God’s word.
Are you, my reader, burdened with the weight of years of sin against God? Believe what God tells you about His Son: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Listen no longer to the whispered lie of Satan, “It is not for you.” Silence him with, “It is written,” and you, too, will be able to say, “Then I saw that the burden was gone.”