Preparation for the End

A youth, feeling his need for soul-deliverance and near death, wrote to the well-known Dr. Octavius Winslow, asking him what he must do to prepare to die; what is justification, and when is a sinner justified. Here is Dr. Winslow’s reply.

I urge you to cast yourself at once, in the simplest faith, upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved. All your true preparation for death is entirely out of yourself, and in the Lord Jesus. Washed in His blood and clothed upon with His righteousness, you may appear before God divinely, fully, freely, and forever accepted.

The salvation of the chief of sinners is all prepared, finished, and complete in Christ (Eph. 1:6; Col. 2:10).

Again, I repeat, your eye of faith must now be directed entirely out of and from yourself, to Jesus. Beware of looking for any preparation to meet death in yourself. It is all in Christ. Cod does not accept you on the ground of a broken heart—or a clean heart— or a praying heart—or a believing heart. He accepts you wholly and entirely on the ground of the atonement of His blessed Son. Cast yourself in childlike faith upon that atonement— “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6) —and you are saved!

Justification is a poor, law-condemned, self-destroyed sinner, wrapping himself by faith in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, “which is…unto all, and upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:22). He, then, is justified, and is prepared to die, and he only, who casts from him the garment of his own righteousness, and runs into this blessed “City of Refuge” —the Lord Jesus—and hides himself there from the “avenger of blood,” exclaiming in the language of triumphant faith, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).

Look to Jesus, then, for a contrite heart—look to Jesus for a clean heart— look to Jesus for a believing heart— look to Jesus for a loving heart—and Jesus will give you all. One faith’s touch of Christ, and one divine touch from Christ, will save the vilest sinner. Oh, the dimmest, most distant glance of faith, turning its languid eye upon Christ, will heal and save the soul!

God is prepared to accept you in His blessed Son, and for His sake He will cast all your sins behind His back and take you to glory when you die. Never was Jesus known to reject a poor sinner that came to Him empty and with “nothing to pay.” God will glorify His free grace in your salvation, and will therefore save you, just as you are, “without money and without price” (Is. 55:1).

I close with Paul’s reply to the anxious jailor, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). No matter what you have been, or what you are, plunge into the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness (Zech. 13:1) and you shall be clean, “washed whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7). Heed no suggestion of Satan or of unbelief. Cast yourself at the feet of Jesus, and if you perish, perish there! Oh no! Perish you never will, for He hath said, “Him that Cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). “Come unto Me” (Matt. 11:28), is His blessed invitation; let your reply be, “Lord, I come! I come! I come! I entwine my feeble, trembling arms of faith around Thy cross, around Thyself, and if I die, I will die cleaving, clinging, looking to Thee.”

So act and believe, and you need not fear to die. Looking at the Savior in the face, you can look at death in the face, exclaiming with good old Simeon, “Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace,…for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation” (Luke 2:29,30). May we, through rich, free, and sovereign grace, meet in heaven, and unite together in exclaiming, “Worthy is the Lamb; for He was slain for us!” (Rev. 5:12).

Prayer

“He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer”

—Psalm 102:17

Prayer was appointed to convey
The blessings God designs to give.
Long as they live should Christians pray;
For only while they pray they live.

The Christian’s heart his prayer indites;
He speaks as prompted from within;
The Spirit his petition writes,
And Christ receives and gives it in.

Tis prayer supports the soul that’s weak,
Though thought be broken, language lame,
Pray, if thou canst or canst not speak;
But pray with faith in Jesus’ Name.

Depend on Him, thou canst not fail;
Make all thy wants and wishes known;
Fear not, His merits must prevail;
Ask what thou wilt, it shall be done.

—J. Hart

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