SOME time since, I was asked to see a lady in the town of L―, who was dying of consumption. The friend who asked me to see her said, I am afraid you will have some difficulty in seeing her, so as to have a conversation with her about her soul’s welfare; for she is a member of one of the most fashionable dissenting congregations in this town; and she cannot hear of seeing any other minister, but her own minister. And yet, she added, I know she is in a very miserable state of mind, not at all fit to die. I took down her address, and called the day following. When she came into the parlor, into which I was previously shown, her countenance was indeed an index to her troubled heart; it spoke of sorrow and despair. “You have the advantage of me, sir, for I do not know you,” she said. “I heard you were sick, and I called to see you; but I hope ‘this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.’ It is a most blessed truth, that Jesus died that we might live forever. ‘He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich.’ He laid aside His crown of glory, and came to earth to wear our crown of thorns and shame; so that we through faith in Him might ascend to heaven, and wear His crown of righteousness. He went into the dust of death, in weakness, that you and I may live in resurrection power. He took the place of condemned sinners on earth, that they might take their place with Him upon His throne. He lowered himself to the very depths of misery, so that we might ascend to the heights of glory. “Was ever love like this?” “It is not for me,” she said, with tears in her eyes, “I have slighted His love, I have done despite to the Spirit of grace. I have dishonored himself and His love, for the last seven years of my life. I have been sitting at the Lord’s table as a member of a Christian congregation for the last seven years. I knew all through I was not a saved sinner, and therefore had no right to come to it. But, as a matter of fashion, I wished it; and in this way have I come to His table for seven years to mock Him. God is a loving God, but His love and grace are clean gone from me forever.” While she said these words, her countenance became the very picture of sorrow and despair.
“It is a hard case, truly, but not too hard for Jesus, for there is nothing too hard for Him. You are a great sinner; but not too great for Jesus to save. He is only the Saviour of great sinners like you. He never saves little sinners, because they are nowhere to be found. All are lost till saved by Him. The unbelieving heart in one man or woman, acts in one way, and in another quite a different way; nevertheless, the unbelieving heart is the fountain from which flow all the wickedness and sin in their many different forms. One mocks God publicly; you did it secretly. One dishonors God to His shame, and yet he glories in it; you did it for the sake of fashion and respectability; but there is no difference between the one and the other, before God’s all-searching eye. That eye which searches the hearts, and tries the reins of all men. (Jeremiah 17:1010I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10).) He looketh not on the outward appearance as man looks; but He looks on the heart. That must be right with Him, or all must be wrong. (1 Samuel 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).) Can you be worse than lost?” “No,” she said: “Jesus came to seek and to save you, because you are lost; He is now seeking you, He is now speaking to you through me; He sends you a full and flee pardon for all sin which you ever committed; He tells you that He has borne your curse and condemnation; the wrath of His Father, which was due to you, He has borne in His own body on the tree. All your sins and iniquities were laid upon Him when He hung on the accursed tree. He says to you, ‘It is finished,’ your tremendous debt of sin is paid, and the price was no less than His life. These are the glad tidings which He now sends to you. If you believe it, you shall be saved; you are saved, and have passed from death unto life. The very thing you are called upon to believe assures you that you are saved. Go into all the world, said Jesus to His apostles, and preach the glad tidings to every creature. He that believes it and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believes it not, no matter what else he may believe, shall be damned. (Mark 16:1616He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16).) He sends these most blessed tidings to you this day. Will you believe it?” Her countenance, which was so contracted with sorrow and despair, now brightened up. The light of heaven shone upon her countenance, because of the peace of God within. “Oh,” she said, “I do believe that sweet and cheering news, which I believe God has sent me this day through you. Oh, it has given my troubled and anxious heart such peace and comfort, as I cannot express.” After I had read a portion of that blessed Book, which contains these glad tidings, and prayed with her, a lady, a friend of hers, came in. No sooner did she see her than she exclaimed, “Oh, Jane, I have peace in my soul! I feel the peace of God in my heart; I am at rest in Jesus. Mr. G― has brought me that cheering and comforting news, from Him who loved me.” Here she wept freely: her next words were, “Loved me. Yes; He loved me, even me! I am now saved by His love and grace. Jane,” she said, “Do you know that you are saved? that you have passed from death unto life?” “Well,” said Jane, “I hope I shall be saved.” “It will not do, Jane, for Jesus says, that he who hears His word, and believes on Him that sent Him, has eternal life on the spot; and more still, he shall never come into judgment, for he is already passed from death unto life. (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).) This Mr. G― has told me just now; and also, what made it still plainer to me, that the very thing I am called upon to believe, tells me that I am saved with an everlasting salvation. I believe it in my heart, and it has made me glad. This sort of belief, which only hopes for salvation at some future, but far distant time, is that which led me to sit at the Lord’s table an unsaved soul, am consequently mocking the Lord; and it is that which causes tens of thousands to sit at the Lord’s table, and become members of so-called Christian churches, while they are unsaved, and consequently mocking the Lord, as I have been. This Mr. G― has fully explained, to me, which I never heard before.” This was blessed testimony for the Lord Jesus, and the truthfulness of His word. It was, as I told her, something similar to that glorious testimony which the apostle Paul bore, when writing to Timothy, it his first letter, (chapter 1:15,) where he says “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: of whom I am chief.” Paul evidently refers to the words of Jesus in Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10), where He says, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” How could Paul testify before the world that these words of Jesus were true, if he had only a hope to be saved when he died? Impossible; neither can any preacher of the gospel witness for Jesus, and the truthfulness of His word, unless he has first believed that which tells him he is saved, and shall never perish. Paul did believe this, which is, indeed, in every way calculated to fill the heart and soul with “great joy” am peace; and therefore he was able to say, in thy hearing of scoffing men, and scoffing devils, “It is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief; for I was the chief of sinners, and I am now saved by Jesus. I am, in my own person, a living witness that Jesus is the Saviour of sinners, even the chief.” Mrs. W― lived three months after this first interview, very happy, enjoying present and eternal salvation. Her last words were, (calling the nurse,) “Mary, I am now going to Jesus; it is glory, glory;” and died.
She is not dead, she lives, for Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.” (John 11:2626And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26).) She believed, and therefore now lives in glory.
Dear reader, are you in sorrow and despair about your soul’s everlasting salvation, as Mrs. W― was? Jesus says to you just now, “Be not afraid, only believe.” “Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.” (Mark 5:3636As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (Mark 5:36); Matthew 14:2727But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (Matthew 14:27).) Only believe the glad tidings which Mrs. W― believed, and you too shall have joy and peace in your soul, flowing from a knowledge of pardoned sin, and acceptance with God, through Jesus; and then testify for Jesus, and the truthfulness of His word, to all around you, as Mrs. W― did. The reader may be one who feels not the burden of sin; who fears not death, and the judgment after death; whose conscience is lulled to rest by thinking it will be all right at last. Jesus says to you, “that if you believe not the glad tidings, you shall be damned.” I therefore affectionately, but solemnly warn you of the wrath of an offended God, which may fall heavily upon you this very night. Believe two things, or else you are lost forever; namely, that you are a lost sinner, and that Jesus is your Saviour; as a lost sinner, He will save you. The reader may be one who simply believes that there is no such thing as the knowledge of salvation this side of the grave; that none can say he is saved; only hope on to the end; do all the good he can, and do as little evil as he can, and then there is of course a fair prospect of being happy in the next world; and with this belief he can sit at the Lord’s table, take all the promises in scripture to himself: and in prayer, plead the name of Jesus; that name which has not, as yet, soothed his sorrows, nor healed his wounds, nor driven away his fears, because he never had any. I say to you, dear friend, if this is your state of mind, that the time will soon come when you will be fully undeceived. But then it will be too late. Hear now what the Lord Jesus says to you by His own lips, and by His Holy Spirit: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36).) “He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son, He that hath the Son hath life; but he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.” (1 John 5:10-1210He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:10‑12).) Beware, then, lest you die the death which never dies; but seek the Lord of life, while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Believe the glad tidings now declared to you, and you are saved from endless ages. The gospel tells you that you are saved. Then, if you believe it, you know you are saved, and have passed from death unto life. Then, as a living, saved soul, testify for Him who saved you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
P. J. G.