William was a carpenter, and a very able and successful one at that. When he was a boy in Sunday school he had thought somewhat of his soul's need for eternity; but as he grew older the cares of his growing business drove these thoughts from him. He settled down to the cares of daily life as if he would live forever.
But God had His eye on him, and one day while doing work too hard for even two men, he lifted a great piece of timber. William's strength failed him, and he fell under the heavy weight. Now he was forced to exchange the stress of business for the quiet retirement of an invalid's bed.
As he lay there day after day, lessons from his childhood came back to him. In his over-anxiety for the bread that perisheth he had forgotten his need of the Bread of Life. Now the cry of his soul was: "What must I do to be saved?”
"Ah, sir," said he to me; "it goes hard with a lost soul when he comes to lie on a bed of sickness.”
"Yes," I replied; "and it would go hard with us all if God dealt with us after our deservings! But He has made the way plain for our salvation. The precious blood of Christ cleanses the blackest heart from every sin.”
When I saw William again, he had found and was clinging to these words of Jesus: "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." The Holy Spirit had given him a sight of himself, lost and helpless, and a sight of the Savior, able and willing to save. William believed! The burden of his sin rolled away: his sorrows and earthly cares were gone, and his increasing pain and weakness only tested and proved his reality of faith.
During William's invalidism, his soul was strengthened and his love to Christ increased. His eagerness for earthly gain gave place now to heavenly desires. During one visit he said to me, "I could wish to die so that I might go to see my precious Savior. Oh, what love it was in Him to seek me out! I would never have come to Him if He had not brought me. What would I do without Him? He forgives! He casts none out. Not—even—me!”
Dear ones who read these words, have you found in Christ the all-sufficient One for time and for eternity? Believe Him now, for soon it will be too late.