He was a blacksmith and a most wretchedly wicked man. He knew everything that
was blatant and blasphemous in infidelity. He hated everything that was good,
and loved everything that was bad. He studied to make himself an irritation to
all who believed in God, never sparing his wife who did the best she could in
the patience and kingdom of Jesus. This man was given up as altogether beyond
moral recovery, and so indeed he seemed. Prayer was made as though he had no
existence; churches were opened and shut, but never with reference to him; the
Gospel was preached and mercy offered, but no one connected him with God's
Message to the world.
A few miles back in the country from the blacksmith's town there lived an old
couple, Father and Mother Brown. They were close to ninety years of age. They
had lives of conscious acceptance with God and of patient, waiting without
sorrow and without fear for the promised home-going.
Very early one morning the old man awoke, terribly agitated, and began to call
his wife, "Get up, Wife! Get up!"
"Why Old man," she said, "What is the matter?"
He answered, "I can't tell you now what the matter is for I must start a fire in
the kitchen. I want you to get breakfast ready as soon as you can for I've got
to go to town this morning."
"You go to town this morning!" She exclaimed, "Why, you are out of your head,
you can't go to town, you haven't any way of going, and I know you can't walk."
"Don't tell me what I can't do," the old man persisted "I tell you, I've gotto
go to town. I had a dream last night, and, well, I will go and make the fire and
then tell you about my dream."
His wife followed him; the breakfast was prepared; and when the meal was over,
the old man started to town. It was a long and weary way for an old man to walk,
but some strange strength was supplied him; and without stopping to rest he kept
on until he reached the village.
Through the main street he trudged, then into the narrow cross street and to the
shop of "devil John," the blacksmith.
"Farmer Brown!" He exclaimed in great amazement.
"What are you doing here, and so early in the morning?"
The old man answered, "That's just what I've come to tell you. Let's go inside
where I can sit down for I am tired."
Together they went into the shop; and when seated the old man said, "John, I had
a dream last night and I've come to tell you about my dream. I dreamed that the
hour, that I have thought about so much and tried to be ready for so long, came.
It was my time to die. And it was just like I thought it was going to be for it
was as The Lord had promised it should be. I wasn't the least bit afraid. How
could I be? My room was full of angels and they all spoke to me; and I loved
them and I know that they loved me. Then some of them stooped and slipped their
arms under me and away we went. Beyond the hill and beyond the clouds, we
mounted through the starry skies. Oh, how they sang! I never heard anything like
it in my life. Oh we swept, on and on, till one of them said, 'look yonder now;
there's heaven!'"
"Oh John, I can't tell you how I felt when I was in sight of heaven; nor can I
tell you what I saw when I looked. I don't believe anyone could, it was so
peaceful, so beautiful, and so glorious! As we drew nearer, I saw the gates
swinging open; and with even faster wing we swept through them into the city.
Such a welcome! Welcome fragrance of the flowers, in the music from every harp,
in the song of every tongue, in the grasp of every hand; gladness was everywhere
because I had come. Why, they made over me like I was somebody, when I was only
a poor sinner saved by Jesus' Blood. I found all my children there; not one of
them lost. My boy that you used to be with and play with so much when you went
to school together was there. Your old mother, who had been in my class when I
went to school."
"And after a time, I don't know how long it was, I saw the same angels that
brought me bring another; and it was my dear sweet wife. I loved her more than
ever when they brought her to me there. She was fairer than the day we married.
We sat under the Tree of Life together and walked by the river that flows from
the Throne of God. So happy! And I saw angels bringing in others; others that I
love and you love. And so the years of ETERNITY rolled." "Then John all at once
it came to me that I hadn't seen you anywhere. I set out to look for you. I went
into every street, asked everybody, but could not find any trace of you. I was
distressed more than you can know and went to The Lord, my Precious Saviour, and
asked Him where you were. And, O John, that you could have seen how sorry He was
when He told me that you hadn't come!"
"'Not Come!' I said, 'Why didn't John come?' And He wept as I suppose He often
did when He was down here and He told me, 'Nobody ever asked John to come.'"
"Oh I fell at His Feet. I bathed them with my tears. I laid my cheeks upon them
and cried, 'Blessed Lord just let me out of here half an hour and I'll go ask
him to come. I'll give him an invitation.'"
"And right then and there I woke up. It was beginning to get light in the east,
and I was glad I was alive so I could come and ask you to go to heaven; and now
here I am and I have told you my dream, and I want you to go to heaven."
With other words the old man urged the Royal Invitation, but the blacksmith
stood as one petrified. He could not speak or move. Father Brown got up and said
"Good-bye, John; remember you've got an invitation; remember you are asked to
come." He then took his staff and started for home. The blacksmith seemed to
come to himself; and as one recovering from a magician's charm, he set out to
pursue the labours of the day. But everything went wrong, the bellows would not
work right, the hammers would not strike right, the nails would not go in right,
the horses would not stand right. "O God, be merciful to me a sinner!" He began
to sob at last; leaving the shop, he went home and he told his wife of Father
Brown's visit. "Blessed be God!" She said, "We will send the horse and buggy and
have him come back."
"Yes," he added, "for I mean to accept the invitation; and I want him to pray to
God to keep me true and steadfast to the end."
This story touched my heart in a great way several years ago when I first read
it, I rejoice that it still touched my heart as I read it today. A few years ago
I was a man whose heart was just as hard and bitter as was John the
blacksmith's. I know in my Spirit that if God loved John enough to give Farmer
Brown this dream, that God loves both you and I enough that His Heart will
grieve if we are not with Him in heaven when this lifetime soon ends. In much
sorrow I know that Christians have given up on many people, just like the people
in this story had given up on John. If you are a Christian and have given up on
someone, I hope that you will reconsider and remember the Love that God has for
that person. For God loved you and saved you and He loves that other person no
less!
For those of you who have allowed your heart to become bitter and hard, please
know that God loves you and desires that you come to Him. God desires to cleanse
you from ALL sin in your life and to change you from the inside out. I gave up
many things when I asked Jesus to come into my life and to forgive ALL my sins,
but I assure you that I have gained far greater than anything I gave up to God.
Give Jesus an opportunity in your life. You will never regret this decision. He
desires that you allow Him to Love you and to show you His Love. God Loves you
for just who you are at this moment. You do not need to change to get God to
Love you, but when you realize how much God Loves you, you will allow Him to
change you.
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
Submitted by Bill Dorman
Chaplain777@hotmail.com
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