NOT long ago, in a quiet little village in the far west of Cornwall, a respectable young woman was reading the Scriptures, and became deeply and solemnly impressed with what she found there about "the pure in heart." She was at once convicted. Then and there she was thoroughly convinced that her heart was anything but "pure.” The more she pondered the all-important matter, the more she became assured that those only who are without sin can stand in the all-searching light of God's glory, and seriously feared that her position would be banishment from Him forever.
Aware that she must give an account of herself to God, and that He was perfectly holy, and of purer eyes than to behold evil, her heart was sorely troubled. She truly felt herself to be a sinner in His sight. Her anguish became intense. Death and judgment and the wrath of God stared her in the face. So great did her dread of the future become, that her health gave way, and her mind threatened to be overbalanced by the desponding misery she felt. But God had a purpose of mercy toward her, which she then little knew. Days, and weeks, and even months, of bitter anguish this dear soul passed through. She conversed with many, but no one could give her one ray of hope.
On one occasion, a curate of the neighborhood called on her. After hearing from her own lips her solemn estimate of her own evil heart and ways, as justly exposing her to the wrath of God, he replied,—" You need not fear. You are all right. There are three miles to heaven, and you have gone over all of them, The first mile is Baptism; this has been done in your case. The next mile is Confirmation; this you have properly attended to. The third mile is Holy Communion; and this, also, you have received. Why then be distressed?”
The curate's counsel, however, was totally ineffectual in giving her any relief. She felt that her heart was not pure; that her conscience must be cleansed, or she could never be made fit for the presence of God, or enter into the kingdom of God.
On another occasion, the much respected vicar of the parish sent her some pamphlets to read, with a view, no doubt, of ministering consolation to her troubled soul; but on looking into them, she found they consisted chiefly of advising the reader to observe Lent, keep holy days, and they, therefore, gave her no relief. How could such things make her heart pure? How could they relieve her of the burden of her sins? Impossible. She did not yet know God's way of salvation; but she knew that such books were so bad and misleading, that she says she put them into the fire, lest anyone should be injured by them. Still her distress of soul continued. She had no rest, and was almost in despair. Her conscience continually accused her of being unfit for God. On being asked one day by a neighbor why she was so unhappy, she answered, "I am a sinner, and I am afraid I shall be banished to the lake of fire forever." The neighbor left her by saying, “Well, if you do go there, you will have plenty of company." This so distressed her already deeply troubled soul, that she almost resolved never to ask another person bow she could be saved.
One day, however, she thought of a working man not far off, whom she judged must be a saved man, and she made up her mind to call upon him. She did so, and it gave her some relief to find one who could speak of his own assurance of salvation, and he introduced her to another person, who had also the certainty of her salvation. She now resolved to read the scriptures, and to cry to God to show unto her His own way of saving a sinner.
One day, when reading, her deeply anxious soul came to the following words,—" Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this, bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:32-3732Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:32‑37)).
These precious words of Jesus, brought home by the Holy Spirit, were enough. Hope began to animate her desponding heart. The more she pondered them, the more she felt they exactly met her case. She came to Jesus as she was. Then and there she took her place as a sinner before a Saviour. His assurance to the coming one, " I will in no wise cast out," and "He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst," and such like words of divine grace, were the very truth of God to her soul, a balm to her troubled spirit. Sinner as she was, she believed God, and found in Jesus Christ His Son—the true bread from heaven —all she needed. She soon learned also from another scripture, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin, and knew what it was to have her heart and conscience purged with His precious blood. Now she knew what it was to be pure in heart, and at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Her intolerable burden of sin was gone. She could delight in the Saviour's love, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The story of three miles to heaven was now seen in its horrible falseness, as well as the delusion of keeping days and such like as a means of salvation. In Jesus and His blood the guilty conscience finds that which alone can cleanse it. Now she goes on her way rejoicing, and singing,—" Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen “Precious resting-place for a soul that has deeply felt the need of an all sufficient Saviour!
It is very lamentable to consider what multitudes of people are trusting in ordinances, religious duties, keeping days, and such things, instead of simply believing God's own word, and casting themselves as sinners in their sins into the opened arms of a sinner-loving Saviour, whose blood cleanseth from all sin, and who still says, " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." May God mercifully attract many to the Saviour, who read these pages!
H. H. S.