MANY years ago, the daughter of an English nobleman was providentially thrown in the way of some believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and, by the grace of God, through their instrumentality, brought to a saving knowledge of the truth concerning Him. Her father was almost distracted at the event, and sought by all those means which his wealth and station afforded him―such as temptations to extravagance in dress, traveling in foreign countries, leading her to places of fashionable resort, and even by threats―to divert her mind from things unseen and eternal. But all in vain; her heart was fixed. The God of Abraham had become her shield, and her exceeding great reward, and in His strength she resolved that nothing finite should deprive her of her infinite and eternal portion in Him, or displace Him from her heart.
O wondrous love! ―O how divine
The grace that did her soul refine,
And purged away the dross:
Of heavenly food led her to take,
And, for her dear REDEEMER’S sake,
To count all things but loss.
At last the father decided upon a final and desperate expedient by which his end should be gained, or his daughter ruined so far at least as her prospects in life were concerned. He made arrangements for a grand festivity, to which a number of the nobility were invited, and it was understood that during the evening the daughters of different noblemen would entertain the company with singing and music. The father had determined, that if his daughter, when called upon, refused to comply, she should be publicly disgraced and cast out of the family. The day arrived, and at the appointed hour, the party assembled; and well knowing the real object of their meeting, many a heart beat high with the hope of winning back the young lady to their company. To her it was a solemn moment, but with peaceful confidence did she await it. As the crisis approached, different individuals, at the call of the company, performed their parts with the greatest applause. At last the name of this daughter was announced;
And thus her father’s house became
The one in which her SAVIOUR’S name
She boldly must confess.
There was a solemn silence. Every eye was fixed upon her to see how the scale of destiny would turn. Without hesitation she rose, and with a calm and dignified composure took her place at the pianoforte. After a moment spent in silent prayer, she ran her fingers along the keys, and then with an unearthly sweetness, elevation, and solemnity, sang, accompanying her voice with the notes of the instrument, the following stanzas: ―
No room for mirth or trifling here,
For worldly hope or worldly fear,
If life so soon be gone;
If now the Judge is at the door,
And all mankind must stand before
The inexorable throne.
No matter which my thoughts employ,
A moment’s misery or joy;
But, oh, when both shall end,
Where shall I find my destined place?
Shall I my everlasting days
With fiends or angels spend?
Nothing is worth a thought beneath,
But how I may escape the death
That never, never dies;
How make mine own election sure,
And when I fail on earth, secure
A mansion in the skies
The minstrel ceased. She arose from her seat amid profound silence. The solemnity of eternity was upon that assembly; and, without speaking, they dispersed. The father was overwhelmed, and wept aloud; and, when left alone, sought the counsel and prayers of his daughter for the salvation of his soul. She gladly directed him to the Saviour. He believed and rejoiced, and henceforth it became the great work of his life to spread the glad tidings of salvation, and to endeavor to win souls to Christ.
O how portray the wondrous scene?
He who so long content had been
At Satan’s shrine to bow, ―
Resolves to give his future hours,
To consecrate his wealth and powers,
His all, to JESUS now.
Thus the higher, even the divine life, in the soul of this dear young Christian lady was made to triumph over all that wealth and nobility of station, the worlds high life, and the highest that it knows, could bring to bear against it.
Reader, has the word of life ever reached your heart? Have you been reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus? It is a terrible thing for a sinner to appear before God in his sins! Has the solemn question of sin been settled between you and God? If not, listen now to the voice of mercy, ― “Be it known unto you, therefore men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, and by him all that believe ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS” (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)). God declares unto you a blessed truth, even the forgiveness of sins, through Him who suffered, the Just for the unjust; who for the sinner’s sake was forsaken by God upon the cross; whose solemn cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!” testifies both to the terrible character of sin in the sight of a holy God, and to the unspeakable grace, love, pity, and compassion both of the Father and the Son. Will you receive the message of mercy, accept the offer NOW made to you, and so be saved? Or will you, by turning away, bring upon your soul the added and awful guilt of grace despised, mercy trampled underfoot, forgiveness refused, and Christ rejected? One or the other you must do now. Clearly, you either receive, or you do not receive, the declaration God now makes to YOU by His word. In the former case, believing GOD, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved; in the latter case, you are “condemned already,” because you have “not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:1818He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:18)). Be persuaded, take to your heart the message of love Now, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:33Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: (2 Corinthians 6:3)).
Sovereign grace o’er sin abounding,
Ransom’d souls the tidings swell!
‘Tis a deep that knows no sounding―
Who its height and depth can tell?
Extracted.