A godly father and mother had gathered their family around the table to read from the large old Bible, as was their evening custom. The family worship being over, the children were dismissed with “good night” blesngs, and the younger ones were snugly tucked in their beds.
In a short time the shades of night had darkened the sky and sweet sleep had closed the eyelids of little Harry. Dreams sometimes disturb repose, and God was thus speaking in warning to Harry’s soul. He knew well the verse:
He dreamed about His coming to call His own to be forever with Himself. He thought he heard the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God. He thought he saw the Lord Himself descending from heaven and His glory filled the sky. From the midst of a white-robed, shining throng, came the sound of His voice strong and clear, saying, “Arise, My love, My fair one, and come away!” Song of Sol. 2:1313The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. (Song of Solomon 2:13).
At the same time, from the earth there arose another company all clothed in white. The faces of some of these were known to Harry and he recognized them as they ascended to the cloud. Among the last of these were his loved parents. As his mother was rising to meet Christ, she gave one last, loving, never-to-be-forgotten look at her little boy. Terror seemed to fill his whole soul, and with one desperate effort he sprang toward her, seeking to catch the skirts of her white robe. But he missed her, and distance soon separated the mother from her boy. She was gone. Then the glory seemed to fade from the sky and in its place, heavy clouds were gathering. Harry now lay shivering with fear. He thought he had missed his last chance of salvation and dread despair filled his mind.
He knew he was a sinner. He knew that if he was not washed from his sins he could never be in heaven with Christ. He had thought of receiving Christ as his Saviour and Lord. Now he felt it was too late. Christ had come and he was left behind.
He jumped up and ran to his mother’s bed and found it empty and undisturbed. This confirmed his fear that she had gone. Falling down on his knees on the floor he prayed that he might have one more opportunity of taking Christ as his Saviour.
At last, some hopes rose in his mind as he thought that perhaps his father and mother had not yet gone to bed. So down the stairs he crept and then to the outside of the kitchen door, where he stood and listened earnestly.
Oh! if only he could hear their voices. But no sound broke the silence but the solemn “tick-tock” of the old clock.
What should he do? If they were there he would not like to go in, for his face was tear-stained, and what could he say was the reason for his coming down from his bed?
The enemy of his soul, who desired to keep him his captive still, seemed to whisper to him, “Ask for a drink of water.” With the thought of this euse, courage came, and slowly lifting the latch he opened the door.
The glad discovery was made immediately, that what he had seen was only a dream, for father and mother were both there quietly reading the Word of God.
I wish I could tell you that Harry knelt down and took the Lord Jesus as his Saviour right there, but I do not know. I am very sure of this fact, that the Lord Jesus is coming and He is coming soon! And then all those whose sins have been washed away by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus will be taken away suddenly to be forever with Him. I fear that many boys and girls whose fathers and mothers belong to the Lord Jesus will be left behind. Will they be left because they are too bad? No indeed, they will be left only if they have closed their hearts to the Lord Jesus. Do not rest tonight unless you know Jesus as your own Saviour.
ML 01/15/1956