IT IS ALL very beautiful, but it is not for me, I am too bad, I have been too wicked. Oh, it’s too late! It’s too late!”
So cried Dorothy, a sick woman in a pretty village in Sussex, as she was told of the Saviour’s love.
“It is true the wages of sin is death,” said I, “but ‘the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). God offers you His gift — Christ — instead of the wages you have deserved; it is not yet too late. Remember the thief on the cross; he had been Satan’s servant or slave all his life, yet at the very last he turned to Jesus in simple faith, and said, ‘Lord, remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom’; and Jesus, in His infinite love, answered him, ‘To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.’ Luke 23:4343And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43). Will you not, Dorothy, come to Jesus as this poor thief came?”
“Oh, that I might come!” said she; “but you don’t know how bad I’ve been.”
“But Jesus knows all about it,” I answered, “and He says, ‘Come now, and let us reason together... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’”
“White, as snow,” she murmured. “Oh, how precious, how sweet; white as snow.”
As it was time for me to leave her, I read the 53rd of Isaiah and then said good-bye; but as I reached the door she asked me to tell her once more of scarlet sins being white as snow.
The next day I saw her again, and the next, and the next, but still she seemed to linger, longing to be saved, yet fearing to take the truth to herself because she was so great a sinner.
One fine morning, as I sat by her side talking of Jesus, she said, “I believe I am the greatest sinner that ever lived.” “Then come to Jesus at once,” I replied, “for He says, ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ And again, ‘God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ And again, while ‘we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.’ And again, ‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.’” Romans 5:6, 8, 106For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)
8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10).
“Oh, do tell me more!” she exclaimed, “that just meets my case; I’ve been ungodly, and an enemy, and a great sinner, but this gives me hope.
I read the 3rd chapter of John, from the 14th verse to the end of the chapter. At the end of the 16th verse she exclaimed, “Oh, how kind it was of Him; how He must have loved us!”
“Yes, indeed He did,” I replied, “and all He asks us to do in order to be saved, is to believe on Him, to trust Him fully, entirely.”
“Is that all?” asked Dorothy. “Have I nothing to do?”
“Nothing,” I replied, “Jesus has done everything. On the cross He said, ‘It is finished,’ and if you try to add anything to what is finished, in earthly things, you only mar and spoil it, so in this you can add nothing to it, it is complete.”
“I see, I see,” she exclaimed; “he that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life. Oh, do help me to praise Him; I can never thank Him enough; I do believe on Him; I do trust Him. Oh, how I long to see Him to thank Him for His love, His wonderful love in saving me. I don’t think there will be one soul in heaven who will sing so loud as old Dorothy, for I’ve been a greater sinner than any of them ever could be. Oh, how wonderful it is that Jesus should love His worst enemy so much as to die to save her from eternal death! Oh, what glory to think that very soon I shall be with Him! I can thank Him better then, when I see Him face to face.”
Scripture Verse
“THE BURDEN OF DUMAH. HE CALLETH TO ME OUT OF SEIR, WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT? WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?
“THE WATCHMAN SAID, THE MORNING COMETH, AND ALSO THE NIGHT: IF YE WILL IUIRE, INQUIRE YE: RETURN, COME.” ISAIAH 21:11, 1211The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? 12The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come. (Isaiah 21:11‑12).
ML-05/10/1964