ABOUT two years ago the girl who uttered these words was to be seen regularly at our Sunday evening meeting for children. But Emma —, at the time of which we write, had not known the preciousness of Christ; and although week after week passed on, and found her still regular in her attendance at our children’s meeting, she had never really come to Jesus. One evening I missed her, and on the following, day received a message from her, saying, she was ill, and asking me to come and see her.
I loved to see Emma’s bright face, and was much grieved to learn that she was ill; so you may be sure it was not long before I stood at her bedside.
“Well, Emma,” I said, “supposing you were never to recover from this illness, is it all bright beyond?”
“No, Mr. H., it is not,” was her solemn answer.
I spoke earnestly to her of the love of God, in sending His beloved Son to die for poor sinners; but, to use her own words, it was “all dark” within, for the love of Jesus had not entered her heart. I then left Emma, and besought the Lord to open her heart to receive the message of His love. A little time after I had reason to hope that the Lord Jesus was revealing Himself to her during this time of illness. One afternoon, she thanked me for some grapes. I asked her why she thought that it was I who had sent them to her? “Because you love me,” she replied. Then I showed her from this how the believer expects good from the hands of the Lord Jesus, who laid down His life for us, because He loved us.
The same night, when her parents were about to retire to rest, they heard Emma’s voice calling, for all to come round her bedside; and as soon as, they were all gathered together she sat up in bed, and said, “I want to tell you all that I have found Jesus. He is so precious to me; His blood has washed away all my sins, and I am going to live with Jesus forever. Now I do not want to live here, I want to dwell with Him.” Then she added, “How I should like to creep down to the children’s meeting, and sing those hymns once more; but I shall sing in heaven with Jesus by-and-by. You will all meet me there, won’t you?” she said, turning to those who were standing near.
My young reader, let it not be said of you as it was of some of old, “Ye will not come unto Me, that you might have life”; but say now, as Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Yes, dear reader, He has them He has spoken them; but have you believed them?
R. H.