OVER the mantlepiece in my bedroom hangs a framed text, “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Below this text is Albert S―’s written signature, and he gave this text to me as his parting gift ere he departed to be with Christ.
He was once a Rifle Volunteer, and as such was on the way to a grand review, when his eyes were arrested by the words, “Prepare to meet thy God.” Engaged as he then was in preparing (should the need arise) to meet the enemies of his country, he knew he was not prepared to meet his God.
One day after this he was standing looking over the wall of a bridge then in course of erection. He presently looked down. On that wall, just where he was standing, someone had written, “Prepare to meet thy God.” His conscience was stirred. He crossed over to the other side of the bridge, and as he stood looking over it two servants of the Lord, in crossing it, offered him a tract. One stopped, and addressing A.S., said, “Young man, prepare to meet thy God!”
By this remarkable threefold application of this one portion of God’s word, A.S. was convinced of sin, and of his unreadiness to meet God. And in him godly sorrow worked repentance not to be repented of. He sought the Lord and was found of Him. Being justified by faith, he now had and enjoyed “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and delighted to hear more and yet more of his Saviour and Lord. When the time to meet his God was actually approaching, he said to his dear wife, in joyful surprise, “Is this death?” God had given him the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. His young widow found joy and peace in believing, and their tenderly loved child grew up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
But it was his “sorrowing, yet always rejoicing” mother that I saw the most often. The triumphant departure of her loved son was overruled in blessing to her own soul. And a warm welcome awaited me whenever I called on her, and we had very sweet and precious times together as we spake to one another of Him who had so richly blessed us both, and who was still seeking and finding the lost. She was greatly concerned for her husband. He had heard the word spoken again and again, but he had not received the blessed testimony.
Presently a message was brought to me asking me to come over. Being busily engaged in the Lord’s work elsewhere, I was obliged to defer my visit. A second message came, Would I please come over. I could defer no longer, the Lord was calling me to go. As I drew near to the house I felt the weight of a grave responsibility, and earnestly besought the Lord to give me the right word when we met.
We were sitting round the fire, and I was speaking of the Lord’s goodness when the wife explained before her husband that he did not see these things as she and I saw them. I knew now why I was sent for. He desired to hear words whereby he should be saved. At such a moment the servant of Christ realizes the inestimable value of Jesus’ finished work. A full and free salvation upon God’s own terms, viz., “without money and without price.” Oh, the joy of being able to set forth “Christ Jesus the Lord,” the sinner’s only Saviour Mine it was to sow good seed that evening. The next time I called he was expecting me, and I had the privilege of watering what had already been sown. Anon the good news reached me that God had given the increase. God be praised! From that time forward, when we met, it was to enjoy sweet and holy fellowship, together. To tell or to hear of sinners saved by grace, to learn yet more and more of Him and of His personal glories. Yea, to sing together His praises.
As time went on serious news reached me. The husband was very ill in bed. Christ’s servant was always welcome at his bedside. It was a helpful experience, for his joy found its legitimate expression in singing hymns of praise to God. He himself said he would wish to be occupied in praising God up to the last half-hour of his sojourn here.
One scene rivetted itself upon my memory. At his expressed desire I was singing out of their own hymn-book, “There is a fountain filled with blood,” and as he cheerily and with all his dying strength sang it through with me, his poor wife sat and cried. When we were downstairs she said, “How can I live without him?” I gently comforted her, and bade her rather think of where her loved husband was going.
When the Lord took him she had sorrow upon sorrow, for his departure involved the giving up of the tiny cottage where she and her husband had lived for so many years. But grace enabled her to praise God in the face of sorrows so severe that her health broke down entirely. Even then grace triumphed. “Why should I fear death?” she said, “I have nothing to fear.” And when I read a portion of Scripture and showed her how rich was, the comfort therein contained, she would ask me to turn down the corner of the sacred page that she might read again for herself when I had gone. Her bright testimony to the Lord’s great goodness to her is, even now that she has gone, the theme of conversion in the great hamlet where she had lived to His praise and glory. A. J.