very weak, my soul is at peace, and I know if I am taken away from
this world that I shall go to a better and more glorious land, where I
shall live with my Saviour, who has redeemed me, and bought me with the
price of His most precious blood."
"Oh, how I wish I could go with you to that glorious land," said the
lad. "But I am not fit; I could not be received there, if Jehovah is
the pure and holy Being you say He is."
"You will be fit to go the moment you accept the offers Jesus makes you,
and you are sure to be received there," answered Abela, and once more
she explained to him the simple plan of salvation. "You see, my son,
that you have nothing to do; but all has been done for you, to satisfy
God's justice. You are bought by the blood of Jesus. God makes you a
free gift of salvation. If He required anything in return it would not
be a free gift. If you had anything to pay it would show that the
purchase was not completed by Christ. Now God says that the purchase
was completed on Calvary, and He tells us that eternal salvation is a
free gift; we, therefore, offend God when we want to pay anything to Him
in return, and we dishonour the purchase made by Christ when we fancy
that it is insufficient. Still, after you have become the servant of
Christ, if life is spared you, you will desire to obey Him, and please
Him, and do His will by every means in your power. This will show that
you have a living faith, and that you are really, as you profess to be,
His disciple."
"Oh, I am sure what you say is true," exclaimed Tofa. "Although I
cannot yet understand it all I believe in Jesus, I trust to Him, I will
never never again worship the foolish idols I have till now trusted in.
You must tell me all you have said over and over again, for I wish to
know all I can about Jesus, that should the canoe be overwhelmed by the
sea, I may be ready to go and dwell with Him."
The young Englishman occasionally spoke to us. He was not ignorant of
gospel truth, but, alas, he had long sinned against light and knowledge,
and rejected what he knew in his heart to be true. His merciful
preservation had been the means of changing that heart, he was really
born again, and now the knowledge he possessed seemed to come back to
him. Notwithstanding the fearful danger in which we were placed, his
manner was calm and composed. He did not speak to us as many a brave
worldly man would have done, urging us to keep up our spirits,
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