A Personal Testimony 115 pelled to open my lips to a beloved member of my own family, suffering as I could plainly see, from what had formerly oppressed me, and to preach Christ for the first time. What effort the delivery of this sermon cost me cannot be described. I t consisted of these words: “What you need is the Lord Jesus Christ;” and after their utterance the preacher had not another word to say, and the only visible result was a very awkward and constrained silence. Yet this simple, clumsily- given testimony, together with some verses of Scripture read at random, were used by the Spirit of God to quicken another dead soul. There were yet two more of the household to be brought to a knowledge of Christ, but it was not long before these likewise, and without any pressure froi%us, accepted Christ, and were translated out of darkness into His mar velous light. “The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18, R. V.). I t was a great and wonderful surprise to us to find that there was such a thing as an assurance of salvation, with immediate and unmistakable blessings given to believers as an earnest and first-fruits of the inheritance of the saints. All our previous theological instruction had been.to the effect that if one lived “a good Christian life” (which many deluded souls are trying to do before they have got it) he might possibly be saved hereafter, but that there was no certainty for anybody until the “day of judgment.” But even greater surprises awaited us. Blessed as it is to know upon the evidence of Christ’s own statement, prefaced by His “Verily, verily, I say unto you,” that He who hears His Word and believes on Him who sent Him has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24), there was much more to follow. God’s goodness toward us did not stop at revealing the truth as to our acceptance in Christ and our consequent eternal security. He led us to see that it was our duty and privilege
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