In visiting among cottages, from place to place, I heard of a notorious reputed witch, whose evil power was stated to be fearful in destruction of property, etc. The belief prevailed that the losses of those who had the misfortune to offend these so-called witches, was very serious.
A woman near to whom I lived, had experienced some troubles of this kind, and it led me to visit the old woman who bore this dreadful character. The people strongly advised me not to go, saying she had sold herself to the devil, and it was not safe for anyone to go to see her. Turning a deaf ear to all of this, I called and found her ill and in bed; surely, if looks betray character, she certainly had a very bad one.
After some inquiries as to her health, I asked her if she had expected to get better.
"No," she replied.
"Where will you go if you die?" I asked.
She stared at me fiercely, like a tiger about to spring from its lair. I gently put my hand on her shoulder, and she screamed out, "I'm going to hell! I'm wicked! I'm going to hell! I'm wicked!”
"But why do you wish to go to hell?”
"I don't want to go, but I'm forced to go.”
"But who is it that forces you to go to hell?”
"The devil," she said. "I have served him all my life.”
"But did you never hear of God, and His Son Jesus Christ who came down from heaven to save us from going to hell?”
"No.”
"Did you never hear of God?" "No, I can't read; I'm wicked.”
"But do you not know what love is? Had you a child?”
"Yes, I had eight.”
"But don't they love you?”
"No, they robbed me.”
"Did not your husband love you?”
"No, he turned me out of doors.”
"And did you never love anyone?”
"No, I'm wicked, I hate all-everybody.”
Finding all was of no avail, I asked her if she would like a few nice things to eat.
"I can't have it. No one will give it to me.”
"O yes, I will give it to you; this very night I will send it to you." Her amazement was equal to her horror before.
"Will you sure?”
"Yes; so you see somebody loves you. Now I want to tell you that someone else loves you, and sent me to tell you about His love.”
"Who is that?”
"It is the great God, the King of the world. He lives up there above the sky. This great King made all things. He made you. This great King has one Son, whom He loves very much, because He deserves to be loved; yes, this great King loved you so very much that He sent His Son all the way down from heaven to die for those, who, like you, have been committing sins all their lives. And He has sent me with this letter to read to you, that you may not go to hell but to heaven. I then read to her John 3: and sought to make her understand He would not turn away from her.
"But will He hear a poor old thing like me?”
"Yes," I said, "He will.”
"But what shall I say to him?”
"Just tell Him what you are afraid of. Tell Him what you have told me, that you are wicked.”
She at once looked straight up to the ceiling as if she saw someone there and said, with all the vehemence of despair, "O Lord, have mercy on a wicked old woman like me—I have been a wicked old woman all my life." She kept saying this till she cried bitterly.
I then taught her that beautiful passage, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin.”
This she repeated after me till she had it in her memory. I then left her; and before I called again she sent for me. Her first words were, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." I asked her who Jesus Christ was.
"He is the Son of the King of the sky." "Well what has He done for you?" "O, He has died for me!”
I need not say much more, only that she found out that God loved her, and this soon made her love every one. I saw her many times subsequently, and each time found that the word had taken deeper root in her heart.
"I do not know the future.
But I know the God who does know.”