Some Fell on Good Ground

Many years ago, a Christian gentleman was riding in the country and arrived at some cottages. He called at one cottage (he does not tell us why, unless it was to request a drink of water or ask for directions) and found a poor woman and her four children. He expressed his concern about their uncomfortable circumstances, especially in winter.

“It is a poor place, indeed, sir,” she replied, “but it is a mercy that it is no worse. It is better than we deserve; and we are under the same kind of providence in the winter as in the summer.” This unexpected reply led him to talk about religion.

“I suppose you attend public worship?” he queried.

“I hope, sir, we make conscience of worshiping God on the Sabbath, and on other days,” she replied.

“I hope you do; but will you allow me to ask, what is it that inclines you to practice that which so many neglect?”

“I will tell you,” she answered. “About four years ago I was very ill; and realizing that if I died, I should perish forever, I became very unhappy. I had such a sense of sin, and such apprehensions of the wrath of God, that I was a terror to myself and to those about me. As my affliction increased, and the danger became more apparent, I was increasingly wretched. Thinking myself to be approaching the brink of hell, I cried to the Lord to have mercy on my poor soul, though I could scarcely entertain any hope of obtaining it. But it was my last and only resort. My husband and neighbors could not understand my case. I was to them an object of wonder and pity. My fever increased, and I was thought to be at the point of death. Several of my poor neighbors were about me, expecting every breath to be my last. ‘She is just going,’ said one of them. I could not speak, but was perfectly sensible, and heard those words; at which I thought, ‘If I am going, I am going to hell.’ It pleased God, however, to spare me.

“From this time the fever abated, and I gradually recovered. But my distress of mind did not abate. I considered that though God had spared me a little while, I was still the same vile and guilty creature. I tried to pray, but could find no relief.

“One Sabbath my husband and I, having been at church in the forenoon (there being no service in the afternoon), I persuaded him to go and hear Rev. Taylor, who preaches about four miles from here. My eyes followed the minister as he entered the church and went up to the pulpit; but oh, how I was affected during his prayer! He was so full in the confession of sin, particularly of heart sins; and so earnest in his petitions for mercy to poor sinners, pleading the merits and mediation of Christ as the only ground of hope. He prayed out my very soul! Never did I feel before as I did then. My expectations were raised to a high pitch.

“When he took his text, I was all attention. It was the former part of the parable of the sower. He began by describing those hearers that are compared to the wayside. The ground was hard and did not receive the seed; and partly through ignorance, inattention, and the influence of Satan on the mind, no good was produced.

“Next he spoke of the stony-ground hearers. On these, he observed, some effect was produced, but it was of short duration and at last came to nothing. Then he came to speak of worldly-minded hearers, who also brought no fruit to perfection. I followed him all through his sermon, but it was an awful one to me. I thought it was all against me.

“I went home with my mind more burdened than before. I saw that I was everything that was vile and abominable, and could not help crying out, ‘Woe is me, for I am undone.’

“There was one thought which gave me some relief. I had, till now, considered my case as extraordinary, for I had never met with any person who had the same views and feelings as myself; but now I saw there was a person who understood the state of my mind. I reflected on his prayer, and on his sermon, and my mind was filled with thoughts.

“Understanding that Rev. Taylor meant to preach upon the latter part of the parable the next Sabbath, I longed for its return all week, that I might hear it through; hoping also that he might be directed to say something which would give relief to my soul.

“Well, the Sabbath returned, and a delightful one it was to me! I was again greatly impressed and affected with the prayer; and when the minister described the good ground, he showed that it was originally all wild and barren, but that it was made good by the influence of divine grace. It was broken up by convictions of sin, which, entering deeply into the soul of the sinner, caused him to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and to feel the plague of his own heart. Thus the heart was made tender, and the mind teachable and prepared for the reception of the gospel.

“Then he opened up the great truths of salvation through Jesus Christ, and directed the hearers to Him as the only Savior from sin and the curse of the law to which they were exposed. He showed that pardon of sin, peace with God, justification and sanctification, all came freely to the chief of sinners through the atonement and righteousness of Christ; and that these being applied by the Spirit of God, were made effectual to their conversion; were productive of good fruit in the present life, and, in the life to come, of everlasting joy.

“I rejoiced that it was so. It was just such a salvation as I needed. My heart was filled with comfort. I was led to see the way of escape. A foundation was laid for my hope to rest upon. I returned home with joy, and could now attend to my family affairs with cheerfulness.

“From this time I attended constantly at the same place, and that with great delight. Every Sabbath was a feast day to me, and I have the additional comfort that my husband also attends constantly and cheerfully with me. I trust that he is also converted to Christ. He now prays in our family, and we never lived so happily as we do now.”

“I assure you,” said the gentleman, “that your story is very interesting to me, and I hope you will serve the Lord faithfully.”

“I hope so,” she said; “surely I can say from experience, that ‘wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.’”

“Well, good woman, can you read?”

“Yes, sir, I can read now better than I could before.”

“And what good books have you got?”

“I have but one; and that is the New Testament.”

“Let me look at it, if you please.”

“Oh, I am ashamed to show it to you, it is such a tattered piece; for before I knew the worth of it, I let my children play with it.”

After he saw it he gave her some money to buy, among other things, a new Bible, and said to her, “Bless God that He has ever shown you the evil of your heart, and brought you to receive Christ. Keep near the throne of grace. Train up your children in the fear of God, and may He be your eternal portion.”

The gentleman then went on his way, as he said later, “trusting that, if I never saw her again on earth, I should meet her, through grace, in a better world.”

—The Christian Cabinet

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