IT was my lately my privilege to visit a dear aged relative, who, alas! like so many to-day, had lived all his life “without Christ and without God in the world”; but he now was awakened to see that he was a lost and guilty sinner, and that the judgment of God was upon him. Greatly feeling his need he earnestly implored that some one might be sent for to help him to find a Saviour, so real was his agony of soul at that time.
Soon after, the Lord graciously sent one of His dear servants to put before him the glorious gospel of the grace of God, which, after a time, he gladly accepted, and in its fullness found settled peace through the finished work of that holy Saviour, “whom to know is life eternal.”
Eagerly he embraced the precious truths of the word of God. It was his greatest joy to have the Bible always near him, and he loved to read it so long as he had strength to do so. One day, when conversing with this servant of God, he freely owned what a sinner he was, and what a wasted life he had led; but added, “There is nothing like the blood of Jesus.” He much enjoyed the story of the blood-sprinkled lintel, especially those words, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” When suffering much one day, he said to me, “All this has come upon me for my wicked life.” Later on, he sat up in bed, and, holding his Bible in his poor, weak hands, sweetly bore testimony to the goodness of God in having saved him through believing His precious word. He then exhorted those near him to hold fast by it, and, turning round to me, added, “We are quickened together with Christ, and by grace are we saved.”
The end was now drawing near; but the Lord kept him in perfect peace. At last it came; and, without a movement or a sigh, but with a sweet expression of victory over death plainly resting on his face, his ransomed spirit passed quietly into the presence of that precious Saviour whom he had so lately found. “Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.” Let us never forget the words of Jesus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:77Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)).