IN the month of June 1887 I had been staying in the town of—, and, in visiting amongst the poor, came across an old woman who was evidently concerned about the salvation of her soul, as she wept much when I spoke to her about the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work. But I found that she was not occupied with a person, but with her own feelings; for to almost every question I asked, she replied she did not feel this, or that, or the other, and it seemed to me to be altogether a question of feeling with her. After presenting the truth in various ways to her, and still receiving the same kind of response, I endeavored to fix her attention by the following story:—
A woman who had been ill for some time, and who had a great objection to send for a doctor, was at length induced by a friend to do so. The doctor came, and after a few questions, he told the woman that he knew exactly what was wrong, and that he would send her one bottle of medicine, which she must take in one dose, and it would cure her, and that in two days he would call again. The medicine came, and instead of being taken was put away into a cupboard. The day but one after the doctor called again, and was greatly astonished to find that the woman, instead of being cured, was worse; but he was greatly annoyed when he learned that his medicine had not been taken, and when also the woman told him that she wanted to feel a little better before she took it, and that then she intended to take it.
After reasoning with her, and endeavoring to show her the folly of such a course, he left her, after eliciting a promise that she would take the medicine, and saying that he would again visit her.
The doctor came for the third time, fully expecting to find his patient quite well. His disappointment was great, however, when he found her still worse, and that the medicine had not yet been taken; and when the woman told him that she did not believe the medicine could do her any good, for a friend had called and told her that if she would only rouse herself up she would soon feel better and would shortly be quite well, the doctor became then very angry, and said to the woman, " My good woman, why did you send for me if you had no confidence in my skill, and why did you insult me by not taking my medicine?
And now let me tell you, that unless you do take it, you will most assuredly die,"—and with that he took up his hat and left the house. When the doctor had gone, the woman began to be frightened, and after a little reflection upon her foolish conduct she took the medicine and was quite cured.
The woman I was addressing listened with the most rapt attention, as I continued to say, " Now this woman wanted to make a savior of her feelings, instead of having faith in the doctor and his remedy, and so do you; you want to be saved, you want to feel saved before you are saved, and that is impossible. You know you are sick, and that you have been bitten by ' that old serpent, the devil,' and that the wound is fatal; and you know that God is the only one that has skill, and the right remedy to meet your case, and that if you do not by faith take His remedy, which is Christ, God's beloved Son, that you will die, and be eternally damned, and still you are trying to be saved by your feelings. You want to feel better, like thousands of others, before you have accepted God's medicine for your sin-sick soul." When I got to this point, the eyes of the woman suddenly lighted up, and a change came over her face, as she exclaimed, “I see it all now; it's faith, not feelings; it's Christ, not myself." After thanking the Lord for His delivering grace, I left her.
And now, my reader, how is it with you? I am convinced there are thousands of sin-sick souls who know about the remedy, but the devil comes and whispers in their ears, " Rouse yourself up, say your prayers, turn over a new leaf, go to church, chapel, or meeting, build almshouses, give to the poor, and do the best you can, and you will soon feel better." My dear reader, do pray close your ears to all these lies of the devil, who only mocks you, for let me tell you that God's remedy does not make a person better, it makes him QUITE WHOLE, perfectly cured, EVERLASTINGLY SAVED The skill of the Great Physician cannot fail. He cannot prescribe a remedy which may fail, He will heal you perfectly without money, and without price. Reader, you are ruined by sin.
Have YOU accepted God's remedy—CHRIST?
“If you tarry till you're better,
You will never come at all.”
H. W. S.
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THE resurrection of Christ is the attestation on God's part of His perfect delight in the work of His Son, a work by which God has been glorified, sin put away, death annulled, the grave opened, and the believing sinner brought to God in divine righteousness; and further, Christ's resurrection is the pattern of that of all who are Christ's at His coming— they will be raised in glory, and like Jesus.
W. T. P. W.