MARY WINSLOW’S CONVERSION

“I went, and heard from the minister (Rev. Shep-pard) for the first time in my life the precious ‘Gospel of Peace.’ This was what I had wanted to know for many years, that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save poor sinners. I was a sinner, and wanted to be saved. Oh, how eagerly I listened, and drank in every word! I had been in vain trying to work out my salvation, but my work always fell

short, and left me as poor and miserable as ever. Now was held out to me the hope that I might be saved by the work of another; the work of Jesus Christ.

“With one observation of Mr. Sheppard I was much impressed. Describing my spiritual state of mind on one occasion, he most solemnly said, ‘If there is such an individual present, I will pledge my soul for it that that individual is in the way to Christ.’ With this remark I was deeply struck. I thought the free invitation of the gospel he was presenting must be true, since this godly man was willing to risk his soul upon the truth of what he was asserting. Oh, if this were true, I might after all be saved.

“My heart and mind were now at work. I repaired to my Bible, and searched it again and again. By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, was a passage that arrested my attention. I found that in the Epistle of James we were justified by works, and my heart sank within me. I had no work and could do none pleasing and acceptable to God. In the Epistles of Paul I read that we were justified by faith. There seemed a contradiction. My anxious mind could find no rest, but still I felt a ray of hope dawn upon my benighted soul, and continued to hear the precious truth as one hungering and thirsting for Divine knowledge.

“One night, watching alone by the side of a sick child, I took my Bible and searched the Scriptures. The question how the sinner could be justified pressed heavily on my mind. If I could be saved by faith in the righteousness of another, then I felt that there was hope for me; but if there was anything for me to do towards meriting this salvation, I saw I must be forever lost. I read first one epistle and then another, when, as I read, the words were brought to my mind, Ask, and ye shall receive. I reasoned, who is it that says this? It is God. Can God lie? It is impossible. He must do what He has said, He has commanded, Ask, and ye shall receive. I will ask.

“I fell upon my knees and pleaded the promise. My petition was offered in the simple language of an untutored child. I knew nothing of Christian experience, had heard the gospel but a few times, and the only thing that had fastened itself upon my mind was the truth that a poor sinner could be saved. Thus I went to God and pleaded the promise, asking Him how such a wretched sinner as I was could be saved. I did not wrestle so much for my salvation as to know how I could be saved, as a helpless sinner that could do nothing.

“I arose from my knees, and again took my Bible. I read and compared scripture with scripture, but the one part appeared to contradict the other, and my mind was left in darkness and perplexity. Again I carried the promise to the throne of grace, and again wrestled with the Lord; I returned to my Bible, but it was yet a sealed book. The third time I ventured near the Lord, still pleading this one gracious promise, Ask, and ye shall receive.

“In an instant light broke in upon my soul. Jesus stood before me and spoke these blessed words, I am thy salvation! I hailed the glad tidings. My heart and soul responded. Jesus was with me; He had Himself spoken; I had seen the Lord; had heard His voice. My soul was saved; my burden was gone; the grave-clothes in which I had been so long confined fell off; my spirit was free, and I seemed to soar towards heaven in the sweetest, richest enjoyment; my heart filled with a joy unspeakable. I arose from my knees to adore, and praise, and bless His holy Name.

“Oh, what a night was that, never, never to be forgotten! I had seen Jesus. It was no vision of the bodily senses that I saw; but I had no more doubt that I was a redeemed and pardoned sinner, that I had seen Christ, and held communion with Him who died that I might live, than I had of my own existence. It was with difficulty I could refrain from calling up my whole house to hear what the Lord had done for my soul. I thought all would believe and rejoice too, so ignorant was I.

“As soon as it was morning I informed my husband of what the Lord had done for me. He looked amazed at what I said, and feared I should lose my senses. I was grieved that he did not believe and could not understand, and urged him, by every argument I could employ, to seek for the same blessing, which I was sure the Lord would give him.

“It has since been evident to myself, that when the Holy Ghost gave me the promise to plead, He also gave me a measure of faith to credit God for its fulfillment, and in answering the prayer of simple faith, Christ came into my soul with a full and free salvation. I am thy salvation! This was good news indeed, fresh from heaven, Christ was mine, heaven was mine, all care and sorrow had vanished, and I was as happy as I could be in the body. I had found what I had long sought. I had been in search of real happiness for years, and in one night I found it all in Jesus. God’s richest treasury had been thrown open to my view, and in Him I found all I wanted for time and eternity.

“In this happy frame I continued many weeks, imploring all I knew and loved to come to Christ, but none understood me. I began to think that no one knew Jesus Christ but dear Mr. Sheppard and myself, and often felt that if I had met a chimneysweep in the street that knew and loved Christ I could embrace him as a brother.”

—Young People’s Magazine

PRAYER FOR GRACE

Lord give us grace to feel our need of grace. Give us grace to seek grace. Give us grace to receive grace. And give us grace to use grace when we have received grace. Amen.

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