ARE you not all fond of looking at pictures, dear children? Two little boys were showing me their large scrap book the other day. It was full of nice pictures; and presently we came to one of a man who had bravely allowed himself to be killed, because he knew that his death would save the lives of his friends. We were talking about the great courage of this man, when the younger of my two little friends looked up and said, “I think that man must have loved Jesus, or else he would have been afraid to die.”
“Yes,” I said; “Jesus loved him first, and died for him, to wash away his sins, and now this man is not afraid to die, because he knows he will go straight to see the Jesus who has loved him and given Himself for him.”
Do you think you would be afraid to die? But do you know there may be something nearer than death for you? The Lord Jesus may come to take all those who have believed in Him up to heaven, to stay with Him forever. Do you think He would take you, little child?
I once knew a little girl who never went to bed without thinking, “Perhaps the Lord may come tonight and take away my father and mother, and many more who I know have their sins forgiven, and I shall be left behind to live here with all the people who do not care about God; and when I die I shall have to go to hell, and live with the devil and his angels.” She got more and more unhappy, and more and more frightened every night, for she knew that the last words of the Lord in the Bible were “Surely I come quickly,” and she thought if it was quickly when the Bible was written so long ago, that His coming must be very near indeed now. And instead of being able to say, “Even so come, Lord Jesus,” as she saw they said in the Bible, she used often to pray, “O Lord Jesus, please don’t come till I am saved.”
One night she could bear it no longer, and she thought, “Why should I not be saved now? I don’t feel quite sure how I am to be saved, but I know I am such a sinner that I must be left behind when the Lord comes, unless He saves me now.” So she got out of bed, and knelt down and said, “O Lord Jesus, I know I am a bad sinner, but the Bible says that whosoever believes in Thee shall not perish; and I do believe that Jesus died for me. Thou wilt not turn me off.” She got into bed again and said, “Now I am so safe;” and she thought of those words Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” The next morning she was able to tell one or two that she was saved, because she had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and His word said any who believed on Him were saved.
No the Lord Jesus could not “turn her off” after she had rested in His work on the cross. He had been punished there for sin, and so God could never, now that she believed, punish her. That little girl has grown up, and she still thinks about the Lord’s coming when she goes to bed at night, and when she wakes in the morning, too; and now she feels very glad that the Bible says Jesus is coming quickly, and she likes to say, “Even so come, Lord Jesus.” Do you like to say it too, little child, or are you afraid He will come before you are saved? L. C. W.