BY THE LATE DR WOLSTON.
AS I was about to finish my day’s work one Saturday, I rang the bell of a house where one had long been ill. The door was opened by a relative, whom I scarcely recognized, as it was nearly dark.
I said, “How is A—?”
“Oh! have you not heard? She is gone.”
“What! dead?”
“Yes, dead!”
Gone! she was gone from earth for ever. Was she old? No. Middle-aged? No. Young? Yes; not quite twenty-one years of age. I had seen her three days before, and I expected to have seen her again in life; but I did not.
It was a long illness; consumption, that fatal malady, had cut short her days. She knew perfectly that she could not recover, but thought some little time would elapse ere the “golden cord” would be loosed. That morning, however, as her watchful relative was giving her some needed assistance, which brought her to the bedside of the feeble girl, there happened that which had not been before. Without any warning a large blood-vessel in the lung gave way, and the lifeblood poured forth. Lifting her eyes towards heaven, she said very calmly, “Auntie, I am going home! I am going HOME!” and passed away to be with Jesus.
Reader, could you die like that? Her whole face brightened up; no fear was pictured thereon. She could say quietly, calmly, “I am going home”; and the next moment found herself there. Sinner, you could not say that. You, who are on the broad road, could you call hell a home? Describe not the eternal abode of the lost, that region of speechless woe, by such a charming, sacred name. Oh! unsaved man! unsaved woman! have salvation, have it now. Trust the Saviour as you read this. “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)), and He has said He will not cast you out if you come to Him.
Dear unsaved one, open your heart to the Lord. Do you ask how you may be saved? You have nothing to do and nothing to be, except to be and own what you are, an utterly lost sinner. “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)). Come to Him just where you are and Christ will save you.
Always remember this, that Christ does not help sinners; He saves them. When I talk of someone helping me, I imply that I have a little strength; when I say another saved me, I mean that my own power was gone utterly, and I were lost without recovery but for the act of another. Now this is just the gospel in a nutshell. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
Reader, may God grant you repentance unto life, faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, a daily walk that tells louder than words that your heart is Christ’s: and, should you be called to die suddenly, to be able to say, “I am going HOME.”
W. T. P. W.