IT pleased the Lord, during last month, to take to himself a young Christian girl, who during her illness gave a sweet and precious testimony that she had found peace through the “blood of Jesus.”
At the early and interesting age of seventeen, loving and loved, she was cut down as a flower, and “fell asleep in Jesus,” to wake in his likeness and be forever with him. From childhood she had manifested some little concern about Divine truth, had attended a Sunday school in connection with the Wesleyans, and invariably felt pleased to hear about God’s love to poor lost sinners; but alas! what good seed was sown was choked by the enemy, and the trifles of the world, a love of parties, dancing, dress, etc., though not such as many would call excessive. No knowledge of sins forgiven, or salvation obtained; a dread uncertainty whether she was washed in the “blood of Jesus,” proved that she had not yet believed to the salvation of the soul. Amiable, beauteous, and accomplished, she was the delight of her parents and friends, and much admired by those who knew her; and painful indeed was the bereavement when the Lord took her, though the grief was somewhat ameliorated by knowing that lie will shortly come again, and them that “sleep in Jesus” be brought with him, and those that are alive and remain be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and be reunited to those that have “died in the Lord,” never more to part.
In the spring of the present year, the Lord manifested his love to the dear departed one, while on a bed of sickness, brought his own word home with power to her soul, and sealed her peace, so that she could say without a doubt or a fear, “If I die today or tomorrow I know I shall be saved, for God himself says so.” In other words, she felt that whether living or dying she was the Lord’s; having taking refuge in the only hope set before sinners: the smitten and afflicted One, the holy, sin-bearing Lamb of God.
It pleased the Lord to lay his afflicting hand upon her while on a visit to the writer’s house. She was taken with scarlet fever, and for several weeks lay hovering between life and death; and it was the writer’s happy privilege to read and converse with her of the power and love of God in the salvation of his own soul and that of others, and the blessedness of living in the light of God’s love to us as adopted children. It was on one of these occasions the Lord in mercy appeared for her in his word, and gave her to enjoy that sweet peace that “passeth all understanding.”
For many days she had expressed great anxiety under the word, and an earnest longing to appropriate some of the blessed truths of the gospel to herself; but it was some time before she could take God at his word, and claim salvation as hers. In God’s good time it was so. One morning, after a restless night, which we did not expect she would survive, she feebly asked, “Do you think if I die I shall be saved and go to heaven?” I replied, “It is not for me to think so, it is for you to know it.” She asked, “Can I know it? if I could I should be happy; I want to feel certain about it; must I not do something? must I not pray? must I not strive? “The mind was evidently occupied with something she had read in a magazine, of a person who had been praying, groaning, and striving to get peace for years and could not. I explained that salvation was not in frames or feelings, but in “believing in Jesus;” and as long as she expected to feel “anything in herself, or to do anything, it would lead her away from Christ, who was” God’s righteousness and “the propitiation for our sins.” Her continual cry was, “I want to feel something.” I said once, “Are you not a sinner? Do you feel this? if so, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Oh, how the devil tried to drive her from Christ by telling her she must do or feel something to be saved, apart from Christ himself and simple faith in him! To show the Divine certainty of salvation, and God’s willingness to pardon, I read portions of John’s gospel, fifth and sixth chapters, and the tenth chapter, which were much blessed; as was also the 53rd of Isaiah and some portions of John’s epistles. Things went on like this for many days, until one morning I went to her bedside, and quietly said to her, “Well, Lizzie, dear, do you feel happy?” Her answer was, “Yes, I do.” A change had evidently taken place. I inquired on what grounds she was peaceful, and was assured she had been enabled to take God at his word, and to cast herself entirely upon his faithfulness, relying upon the efficacy of the “blood of Jesus” to “cleanse from all sin;” and now no longer looking to tears, frames, or feelings, she rejoiced in “Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh.” Her face lit up with joy and heavenly smiles, she exclaimed, “I can believe, uncle! I do believe!” This was enough, the load was lifted of the heart, and “brimful of joy,” I said, “redeeming love had conquered, faith had triumphed, and peace had come through believing.”
As opportunities offered, I strengthened her faith by reading and quoting suitable portions of God’s word, particularly John’s gospel. A little book, entitled, “Peace in believing,” in a measure established her confidence. On one occasion I read portions of John’s epistle, when the tenth verse of the fifth chapter solemnly impressed her mind, and she expressed some grief and surprise that she had ever made it appear that God’s word was untrue by doubting him who could not lie. But all grief was swallowed up in joy when she was enabled to appropriate the eleventh and twelfth verses, “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; he that hath the Son hath life.” Oh, blessed possession; surely in possessing him we possess all things!
For the short time my dear niece knew the Lord she continued happy, confident, and peaceful. Assured of salvation, she rejoiced in it; eagerly listened to the “truth as it is in Jesus,” and meekly received the “engrafted word.” Her chief delight was in singing God’s praises, and that feelingly, reverently, and untiringly. The hymn,
“One there is above all others,
Oh how he loves,”
as expressing her heart’s feelings, was a favorite; also
“Nearer, my God, to thee;”
and that hymn
“My sins were laid on Jesus;”
and another,
“Forever with the Lord;”
which she sang almost daily before she died, expecting (I hope) to realize the desire expressed.
Contrary to the anticipations of her friends and medical attendants, she recovered sufficiently to return home; but at the beginning of August she was taken suddenly worse, expressed a desire to retire to bed, and before her friends could get her upstairs she was taken in a fit, and in forty-eight hours, without having recovered consciousness, “fell asleep in Jesus.” Thus she was not permitted to give what might be termed a dying testimony, but doubtless the Lord was with her.
Oh, what a solemn and awful warning is this sudden departure to those who are unprepared to die. Reader, “as the tree falls so it must lie,” “delays are dangerous,” “procrastination is the thief of time;” seek salvation now, wait not for a deathbed; you may never have one; or should you be permitted to have a dying couch, you may be unconscious and helpless, and in a moment you may die. Oh, solemn thought; trust in Jesus, while life, health, and reason last, for soon they may be gone forever. Listen to God’s word, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The word of God testifies throughout God’s willingness to save you; and John says, “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar.” God forbid that this awful sin should be committed by any reader of this narrative; or if you have done so, God grant you may flee to Christ for the “propitiation,” found “in him.” Death to you will then be the best thing that can happen, next to the coming of the Lord; but, if unsaved, death but seals your eternal doom, and shuts you up in despair and everlasting perdition.
“There is no hope or pardon past,
In the cold grave to which men haste;
But darkness, death, and long despair
Reign in eternal silence there.”
J. W.