NOTHING to be seen in nature, not even the difference of light and darkness, or of life and death, presents a contrast so striking, so wonderful, as that which is seen when, in certain cases of deep exercise of soul and gropings after God, He commands "the light to shine out of darkness," giving "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Very vividly and very blessedly has this been exhibited before my soul in the recent conversion of two old men. The first of the two is the case of a man who in his younger days had been a soldier, but being a good penman had in his latter years been employed as a clerk. He had frequently been to the preaching, and when visited would sometimes seem impressed under the word; but he became “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin," and ceased to come to hear the glad tidings. Failing health and severe sciatica obliged him to go to the infirmary, where I visited him. When I asked him about his soul, I was unspeakably thankful to find that his conscience was in exercise, and he was under great dread of being lost. There could be no doubt he was really in earnest now-God had stirred up the very depths of his soul. “I am praying," said he, "night and day; scarcely a minute that I am awake that I am not crying to the Lord for mercy." I at once asked him in what special way he expected mercy to be shown him, pressing upon him that God had manifested His mercy in the gift of His Son, and by virtue of the work of the cross in the gift of everlasting life through Him to every one that believeth; and showing him that salvation consisted not in crying for mercy, but in believing the good news of God's love as revealed in Christ, who by His precious work had set God free to impart blessing to every needy soul; and so far from our having to wear out our strength in entreaties to Him, it is He who with open arms is beseeching poor sinners to be reconciled to God! He drank all this into a heart the Lord had opened. How true is it the entrance of Thy word giveth light! His reply was, “Oh! I see now-instead of begging Him for mercy, I ought to be thanking Him for all He has done, for the work is finished." "Exactly," said I, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"! And so the load was removed forever, and another ransomed soul set free to begin to worship "the Lamb that was slain;" the worship that then, for the first time, broke forth faintly from the sufferer's lips in the wards of that hospital, will help to swell the mighty volume of praise that shall reverberate in heaven through all eternity. Shortly after this he was removed from the infirmary, and lies on his humble bed not far from where I write, racked with pain night and day; but oh! so happy; oh! so bright; his heart filled with praise; his frequent exclamation, " Oh! blessed Savior; oh! precious Lamb." He longs now to go to Him; not a doubt, not a fear obtains. "There's not a cloud above, not a spot within!"
The other case is that of dear P-. He had been a hard-working but rough, noisy fellow, employed at gasworks. Induced by my dear wife to come to a cottage preaching near his house, he was evidently struck by the word, and without much solicitation came very frequently afterward, becoming more and more interested-but nothing beyond. He was still “afar off." This continued for some months, when God was pleased during the severe weather of this winter to lay His hand upon him in sickness, and when the writer visited him he found the big, strong man lying on his bed with a distressing cough. On this and several subsequent occasions, during a period of some weeks, he assented to all that was said, was glad to be visited, thankful to be read to or prayed for, and professed to be a convicted sinner, anxious for salvation. Yet nothing seemed to help him; his soul made no progress; his conscience got no relief; his heart no rest. It was the stagnation of death and the darkness of the grave-no life, no light! On one occasion after this I spoke severely to him, saying I believed he was trifling with God, dealing lightly with His mercy and His grace, hardening himself against a Savior's love, and grieving a heart that was well nigh weeping over him for sorrow at his continued resistance to divine activity in goodness. He said nothing, and I left him with intentional abruptness. On another occasion, subsequently, I thought I had at length found some clue to the impediment to blessing, viz., that he was waiting for some special action of the Holy Spirit. This I met in a way similar to that related in the previous case, and I assured him that if an angel from heaven announced to him God's grace in Christ, it would add not a particle of weight to the authority of the divine declaration that "whosoever believeth hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." Still no result visible. But shortly after this He did it, to whose name be all the praise eternally. P.'s wife had gone for medicine, and he, being somewhat better, was up, and reading his Bible and praying alternately. Getting on his legs after prayer, he stood as it were transfixed, saying out aloud, "This will never do, to get up and be just what I was;" and again he cried to God as he stood, "Lord, help me; Lord, have mercy; touch this rock, Lord, touch this rock!" smiting his breast. Again he went on his knees. "I can't tell," said he, "what I said then, but He heard me, and I shouted out aloud; for my load was gone, and I got up a new man; and now, blessed be His name, my heart is as light as a feather!" And while he told this simple tale of God's great deliverance, the tears coursed down his swarthy cheek, and he cried and praised alternately! What hath God wrought? Such a change as God only can effect-a mightier contrast than light and darkness, death and life; for it is the contrast between sin and holiness, between hell and heaven, between Satan and God! Dear reader, ponder these cases of God's salvation, and through His mercy may they be the means of illustrating to your soul-if you know Him not as a Savior-God-how instantly ready He is to give deliverance, and joy, and peace in believing when we take Him at His word; and He only it is who can touch the rock of man's hard and heavy heart, and make it light as a feather!