Robert Brown was a young business man of the city of Detroit. Energetic and ambitious, he had prospered financially until he had reached a place of prominence among his business associates. In business matters he was recognized as a righteous and honorable man; in his home relations he was a devoted husband and a kind father; and in the community he was known as an open-hearted and generous man, ready to relieve, as best he could, the sorrows of others. In religious affairs—well, he hadn't much time to think about that, but he "went to church," and stood ready to "help on the good cause with his means of moral influence!" Yet, despite that, he was not saved. Of him, as of young Samuel (1 Samuel 3:7), and many others, it might be written, he "did not yet know the Lord."

Perhaps you may be led to enquire if the good qualities indicated above are not the equivalent of such knowledge, if not even a proof of it? We answer in the negative. To be honorable in business, kind to your family, benevolent to the poor, and even religious, while from a human standpoint commendable, are not of themselves salvation, nor can they bring real peace.

Wearied by close attention to business, he proposed to his wife a trip to Scotland, where, touring through the country and breathing the pure, fresh air of the heather hills, or amid the mossy dells, he would recruit his strength for further business efforts. Locating themselves in a pleasant little village in the south of Scotland, they went forth each morning, as their impulse might lead them, for their day's outing. Having taken a longer walk than usual one day, they turned aside into a little cemetery to rest themselves. His wife being absorbed in a book she had brought with her, Robert soon arose and wandered around among the graves, stopping now and then to read an inscription on a tombstone which was covered with ivy. Curiosity led him to pull the ivy to one side that he might read the inscription on the stone. To his amazement he read there his own name! and on noting the age at which the one buried there had died, he found it within a year or two of his own. Hastily replacing the vine he passed on, but the memory of his own name on that tombstone haunted him and made him restless and unhappy. He was not superstitious, yet he could not help thinking that this might be a "bad omen"—a warning to him that he had not long to live. Along with that came the disturbing thought of, "Where will I spend eternity?" for he most firmly believed he must spend that eternity somewhere—and if not in heaven, then where?

He had heard that it was necessary to be "born again" in order to see the kingdom of God, and he knew that experience had not been his. He had been moral, honorable and kind, but, possibly, so was Nicodemus who came to see Jesus and yet the Lord had said to him, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I say unto thee, ye must be born again" (John 3:6,7). In trouble of soul he returned to his home in Detroit determined to "prepare to meet God" (Amos 4:12). "Family worship" was begun; he attended "church" more regularly; but all seemed to be useless. He was still unsaved, and the question was still unsettled: "How can I get to heaven?" In his despair he turned to the pages of his little Testament. Self-help and creature-help had failed him, but he was now to learn that God had good news for sinners who are lost. "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). "When we were yet without strength . . . Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). Therefore, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). "Lost" he was, for he realized he was not merely going to hell to be lost, but was lost now. "Ungodly" he was, not, perhaps, in the light of man's judgment, but in the sight of a holy God. "Sinner" he was, for as the Spirit of God let the light of His truth shine upon him and his ways, he confessed, "It's all sin, Lord, all sin!" He best actions were but "as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).

But oh, joyful news, Christ, the sinless One, had died for such, and God was satisfied to look on the face of His Anointed, and pardon the guilty. Christ, no longer on the Cross, nor yet in the grave, is a living Saviour for dead sinners, and therefore the sinner, believing on Him, has eternal life. All this, and much more, he found in his Testament, and gladly and thankfully he confessed his sin and rested his weary soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the lost! And was he cast out? No; he was saved!

If a sudden summons should come to you—"This night thy soul is required of thee"—would you be ready for it? Remember, you must meet God whether you want to or not; and, prepared or unprepared, when the summons comes, you must go. Then, where will you spend eternity? At this moment God is waiting to be gracious and Christ is saying, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). Refuse His call and you will perish forever!

—T.D.W.M.