TWO Christian boys in New York City were on their way home from the Central Park, where they had been skating. It was early in the afternoon, and they were sauntering along, stopping here and there to play as they went.
As they were passing a small house, the door opened and a man looked out.
“Boys," he said, "please do not make a noise, for there is a poor woman dying in this house.”
The boys were quiet at once, and were going away, when one said to the other: "I wonder if she is ready to die. Let's go back and see.”
Back they went, but when they were about to ring the bell their courage failed, and they started to go away. The thought struck one of them, however, that they might find easier access by the back door. So they walked round to the rear of the house, and there, through a broken window, they saw the dying woman on her cot.
One of the boys put his mouth to the window and shouted: "Sick woman! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'"
Then they ran away.
Now it happened that the dying woman was sorely perplexed with doubts and fears. She was not unfamiliar with the terms of the Gospel, she knew that the Lord alone could save her, yet she could not say for certain that she was herself really saved.
The words that came ringing in through the window came to her as a message from God. They reached her just when she needed them. All her doubts were scattered, and death was robbed of its terrors. She saw that salvation was indeed hers through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
I take it for granted that the reader is not a skeptic, nor a professed unbeliever. But, let me ask, what kind of belief is yours? Is it a mere assent of the mind to certain truths? Or is it confidence of the soul in a living Person?
It is possible to believe about the Lord Jesus Christ and yet be lost forever. But it is not possible for a repentant sinner to believe on Him without that sinner being eternally saved.
Do you, in your heart of hearts, trust in or believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He the only hope of your soul? Is His precious blood your only plea? Is His atoning work the only ground of your confidence?
Then let the words spoken by that Christian boy to the dying woman give you peace and assurance. They are words from God's own Book. They are meant for such as you.
It was this simple text, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," that enabled Mr. A— to speak with assurance as to his salvation.
Mr. A— was upon his dying bed, and by his side stood two visitors. One was a believer, the other was not.
“Mr. A—," said the Christian visitor, you have often expressed yourself to me confidently with regard to the future. But do you not sometimes have doubts in reference to it?”
Quietly and meekly the dying man replied, "No, I do not. I don't see why I should have. I believe the Bible is the Word of God and that it cannot fail. It says, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' I do believe on Him; I trust Him as my Savior. Can there be any doubt about it, then?”
Soon after the visitors took their leave.
“What do you think of Mr. A—?” inquired the Christian.
“I never saw anything like it," replied the other. "He is just as clear in spiritual matters as he always was in business.”
That is exactly how you may be, reader, as to your soul's salvation, if you are a believer on Jesus. Could dreams, or feelings, or happy experiences give you the same assurance as this promise from God Himself? Read it over again, thoughtfully and prayerfully. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and THOU SHALT be saved." (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).)
H. P. B.