WHAT a beautiful face—that of an old lady who, leaning on the arm of a middle-aged gentleman, was walking slowly down the platform towards the seat on which I was sitting. He carefully placed her on it, and then went off, as I supposed, to look after their tickets and luggage.
I had never before seen a face like hers, but it was its expression rather than its natural beauty which made it so striking. It was that of one who was brimming over with happiness.
I waited a minute or two and then said, “Will you have a little book?” and pot one in her hand.
She thanked me, but did not offer to read it or even look at its title. After twisting it about in her fingers for some time she said, “What is the little book about?”
“About the one chief thing of our lives here—What I must do to be saved.”
“I am quite blind,” she said, “but I will get Someone to read it to me.”
Quite blind! yet so radiantly happy! Surely such happiness could not spring from any earthly circumstances, but must have its source in the knowledge of Christ as Saviour, and of the “tender mercy and loving-kindness” of God!
But I did not know: so I went on to say how sad it was that men and women should live on utterly heedless of the fact that Christ had died and shed His blood to save them from a lost eternity.
“And His work is not finished yet,” she said.
“Not finished yet?” I exclaimed, “Christ’s work not finished” for He had said on Calvary’s Cross “It is finished,” and in virtue of His atoning death and blood-shedding, God’s offer of salvation had come out to every sinner world-wide, “Through this Man [Christ Jesus] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)).
But the old lady’s words had another meaning.
“His work is not finished yet, for He ever liveth to make intercession for us.”
The deep, quiet restfulness of her tone seemed to show that she had not only peace with God, but also the peace of God which is only realized by those who walk in close communion with Him, “the peace of God which passeth all understanding.”
It would have been interesting to hear how she had been brought to trust in Christ as her Saviour, and what had been God’s dealings with her to make her so perfectly happy in spite of such a heavy affliction as that of total blindness, but there was no time for more, for the bell was ringing out for the approaching train, and her friend was hurrying towards her, so, with a warm hand-clasp, and “We shall meet again,” “Yes, we shall meet again,” we parted. I going my way with a deepened sense of God’s love and power.
I glanced back and saw her talking with animation to her companion, evidently telling him of het having met with a fellow-traveler to Eternity, and, to judge by his look of smiling interest, he, too, must have been of the same company.
And now, my reader, may I ask, “Do you also belong to this same company?” a company not composed of those who are vainly trying to fit themselves for heaven by their own efforts, good works, or religious observances, but who, as lost sinners; have come to the One who “came into the world to save sinners,” and who, in virtue of His atoning death and blood-shedding, are saved, and saved forever.
Well may such exclaim, “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.”
F. A.