JAMES F—, a Christian man, was sitting by his fireside one Lord’s Day afternoon meditating upon eternal things when a longing desire to pray came upon him. He at once went into his front parlor, and spent some time alone with God in prayer. Amongst other things he desired to know if God had anything He particularly desired him to do that day. We may explain that James had been resting joyfully for some time on the finished work of Christ, and had been used of God by personal effort to win others to know the Lord Jesus as their own Saviour.
Before rising from his knees he waited for a reply, and he afterwards stated that he saw as it were in a vision a street in the suburb of H—, and one house particularly appeared marked out by having a well-lighted window, so that he saw the color of the blind. He rose from his knees, understanding that God would have him visit that house.
Passing into the kitchen he remarked to his wife that he was going to H— that evening, when she called his attention to the pouring rain, and said it was not suitable weather for him to go, to which he replied that as God desired him to go He would give him a fine evening.
Towards six o’clock the weather cleared up, and James sallied forth with his Bible, and a few tracts in his pocket. Arriving at the street he had to visit, he noticed the public-house at the end was fully lighted up, and looking through the doorway saw the landlady behind the bar. At once passing in he walked up to the bar, and offering the landlady a tract. said, “Mistress, if you will accept this tract, and read it, and believe what is written therein, God will save your soul.”
She replied, “I didn’t think that was what you were coming in for. I thought you were coming in for a drink.”
“If I had come in for that,” said James, “the benefit to you would have been very little, and not lasting, but if you do as I say with this tract, the salvation God will give you is eternal.”
“Well, I think these things can be left until one’s deathbed,” was the reply. “I don’t think we need trouble about them now.”
“Ah!” said James, “you may never have a deathbed, and if you do I could not say God would save you then, but I believe He will save you now, for ‘Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation’” (2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). Alas, the landlady turned a deaf ear to the gospel, and James went out, and passed up the street until he came to the house which he recognized by the lighted window and the color of the blind as the one he saw in his vision. Knocking at the door, it was promptly opened by a middle-aged woman.
“Mistress,” said James, “will you please take this tract, read it, and if you believe what is written therein, God will save your soul.”
“Oh I do come in, man,” was the eager response. “I knew God would send me some one tonight. I do want to be saved. Come in and tell me how I can be saved.”
James was delighted to have such a hearty invitation, and at once went in, and with his Bible showed her in his own simple way how she and her husband —for he was present and also desired salvation— could be saved, and before James left, both husband and wife joyfully accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.
Reader, have you been saved? Rest not till you can say that you are.
E. J. R.