"In what way?" I asked, for I wanted to hear what she would say.
"Do you remember a conversation we had together when I stayed at Alliston Hall? I told you then that I always tried to laugh trouble away, and you said -- do you remember what you said?"
"What was it?" I asked.
"You said that there were some troubles that could not be laughed away. Those troubles have come to me now. I can't laugh now, Mrs. Stanley, but I wonder if you remember what else you said that day. You told me that you never tried to laugh troubles away, but you always prayed them away. Oh, if I could only do that."
"Do you believe in prayer, Mrs. Ellis?" I asked.
"Yes, I do," she said earnestly. "I do now. I used to laugh at it when Claude laughed at it, and I used to try to think it was all nonsense. But the other day the doctor was here, and I said, 'Doctor, please tell me the truth: shall I ever get well again?' And the doctor said, 'I am afraid not, Mrs. Ellis.' Then I asked him how long he thought I would live, and he said perhaps a month or two. And then he went away.
"I told Claude what the doctor had said, but he answered, 'Oh, nonsense, that doctor is a fool. Don't believe him. You have nothing the matter with you. You will be all right when the warm weather comes.' And then he went out, and he did not come home until past midnight. He is always out until late every night. I don't know where he goes. He never will tell me, and he's always so tired and cross when he comes in.
"Well, that night I lay awake thinking the whole time, and, Mrs. Stanley, I was so frightened. I knew the doctor was right. I felt that I had not long to live, and then I asked myself, 'Where am I going? I must be going somewhere.' Oh, Mrs. Stanley, I felt that night, and I feel now, that the Bible is true. My own heart tells me so. I cannot doubt now that I am dying. I made up my mind that night that I would send for you, but since then I have been putting it off. I was afraid you would not like to come because we have seen so little of each other. But yesterday I thought I would write and tell you, for there is no one else I can think of who would be able to help me."
"I am glad you have sent for me," I said, taking her thin hand in mine. "And please call me May, and I will call you Alice. Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
"I want you to tell me very simply," she said, "how to be safe in death. Tell me what I must do to get rid of my sin. Oh, May, I have done so many wrong things. What must I do? I will do anything I can, if I only know what it is."
"There is nothing to do," I said. "Nothing at all. If you feel your sin, and long to get rid of it, there is nothing to do."
"Nothing to do?" she said, incredulously. "May, there must be something to do."
"No," I said, decidedly, "there is nothing to do. But there is something to take."
"Something to take?" she repeated, in somewhat of her old manner. "I suppose you mean that I am to take salvation. But that is so indefinite, May. I know all those set phrases so well, but they mean nothing to me now. What is salvation, and how am I to take it?"
"You are quite right, Alice," I said. "You must have nothing to do with set phrases. They are hollow and worthless. You have to deal, not with dead words but with a living Saviour. Alice, it is the Lord Jesus whom I want you to take -- as your own Saviour. I want you to take Him as the One who can alone save you from the guilt and power of your sin, and who can alone give you the right to enter heaven. He comes to you, and He says: 'Take Me, Alice, take My love as your own; look on Me as the One who has died to save you, and then you need not fear.' Do you understand how it is that He is able to save you, Alice, that He has been punished instead of you? Your sins have been laid on Him, and He has suffered the penalty that your sins deserve."
"Oh yes," she said, "I know all that with my head, but I want to be able to put it into practice. How am I to be sure that Jesus has done that for me? How am I to know that He has taken my sin away?"
"Because God's Word tells you so," I said, and I took my Bible from my pocket and read, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
"Then what is there left for me to do?" she asked.
"Only to accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour," I said. "Go to Him and say, 'Lord Jesus, I do thank Thee for bearing my sins; I trust myself to Thee to be saved. I want to be forgiven through Thy death, and because Thou hast been punished in my place.'"
"Is that all?" she said.
"That is all," I answered. "You cannot do more. One of my husband's tenants was in great trouble a few months ago. He was not at all a rich man, and he had got into some serious trouble with the law. My husband heard of it, and when he had been told the whole story he felt that the man was to be pitied. The poor wife came and pleaded with tears in her eyes for help, so my husband went to the trial to see what could be done. The sentence was pronounced -- the man was to pay a large fine, or failing that, he was to go to prison. The poor man could not have paid even a small fine for he was badly off, so he was quite prepared to be led off to prison. But at that moment my husband stepped forward and laid down the money. What was left for the man to do? Nothing. But he came forward and said, with tears in his eyes, 'Mr. Stanley, I thank you kindly, sir. I shall never forget it as long as I live."
"I see," she said. "I see it all now. And is that just what I have to do?"
"Exactly," I said. "You must go to the Lord Jesus and say, 'Lord, I have nothing with which to pay. I am a great sinner, and owe a great debt, but Thou hast paid it all. I look upon Thee as my Saviour, and I shall never forget it as long as I live.' It is quite touching to see that poor man's love for my husband now. He tries in every way he can to show his gratitude."
"I see," she said; "and we love Jesus because He first loved us. Oh, May, thank you so much!"
I did not leave the house until I had reason to believe that Alice had indeed taken the Lord Jesus as her own Saviour, nor until she could tell me with a smile on her thin, wasted face, "I am not utterly miserable now, for I have a sure hope for the future. He has forgiven me."
I did not see Claude once, though I was with Alice for several hours. Perhaps he purposely kept out of sight, and I must confess I was glad under the circumstances not to meet him, for I felt angry with him for his heartless neglect of his poor wife.
I returned home by the evening train, and then came the contrast. My husband was at the station to meet me, and we drove back together to our home. On the way I told Howard of my visit to Alice, and of the conversation I had with her.
He was interested in all I told him, and when we had talked it over for a little time he said, "I have a letter for you in my pocket, May, which came by the evening post. I think I have been very good not to open it, for I am most anxious to hear the news contained in it."
The letter was from Evelyn Trafford. I took it from him and opened it.
"Oh, Howard," I exclaimed, as I glanced at the contents, "I am so very glad."
"Yes, and so am I," he said. "I am sure I know what it is about. There was a letter for me from Charlie by the same post. He has been staying at Alliston Hall for a week, and it seems to be all settled now. How nice it will be for you to have your friend Evelyn so near. Carrington Hall is only five miles from us, and you will be able to meet as often as you like."
"Evelyn sounds so happy," I said, as I handed him the letter, "and she seems to have quite forgotten that she said she would never marry anyone who squinted. I have no doubt now that she would agree with me, that in spite of it, Lord Moreton is a handsome man."
"I am glad it is so agreeably arranged," said my husband. "More than one good thing came out of our journey to Palestine, little wife. Do you remember that it was my conversation with Miss Trafford near the Damascus Gate which first made her look more favourably upon poor Charlie? The 'stupid, uninteresting man' as she called him then."
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br /> As he said this we turned in at the gate and drove past the shrubbery to the house. How beautiful everything looked that evening. The rhododendrons, the lilacs and the laburnums were in bloom, and the evening sunshine was streaming across the distant hills and casting a golden light over everything.
"Oh, what a contrast, Howard," I said, as we stood together at the window that evening.
"A contrast to what?" he asked.
"A contrast to the wretched lodging I have been in today. I always felt that mine was the happiest home in the world, but I feel it more than ever tonight."
"Are you really happy?" he asked.
"Happy? Oh, Howard," I answered, "what a question! You know, surely you know, how happy I am."
"You are not more happy than I am, May," he said. "I little thought when I met you first on the roof, in Brindisi, what bright days were in store for me."
"Howard," I said, after a pause, "just think if that wretched lodging that I saw today had been my home. And it might have been."
He knew what I meant, for I had told him of Claude's letter.
"Yes," he said, "it might have been, if you had not resisted the temptation put before you that day. But you are not sorry now, May, that you decided as you did. You think you were right, do you?"
"Right? Oh, Howard," I said, "I feel as if I could never be thankful enough that I chose as I did!"
THE END
More books from White Tree Publishing are on the next pages, many of which are available as both eBooks and paperbacks. More Christian books than those listed are planned for 2016-2017.
White Tree Publishing publishes mainstream evangelical Christian literature in paperback and eBook formats, for people of all ages. We aim to make our eBooks available free for all eBook devices, but some distributors will only list our books free at their discretion, and may make a small charge for some titles -- but they are still great value!
We rely on our readers to tell their families, their friends and churches about our books. Social media is a great way of doing this. Take a look at our range of fiction and non-fiction books on the following pages and pass the word on. Also, please write a positive review if you are able.
Christian Non-fiction
Four short books of help in the Christian life:
So, What Is a Christian? An introduction to a personal faith. Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9927642-2-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-2-6
Starting Out -- help for new Christians of all ages. Paperback ISBN 978-1-4839-622-0-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-0-2
Help! -- Explores some problems we can encounter with our faith. Paperback ISBN 978-0-9927642-2-7, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-1-9
Running Through the Bible -- a simple understanding of what’s in the Bible -- Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9927642-6-5, eBook ISBN: 978-0-9933941-3-3
Be Still
Bible Words of Peace and Comfort
There may come a time in our lives when we want to concentrate on God’s many promises of peace and comfort. The Bible readings in this book are for people who need to know what it means to be held securely in the Lord’s loving arms.
Rather than selecting single verses here and there, each reading in this book is a run of several verses. This gives a much better picture of the whole passage in which a favourite verse may be found.
As well as being for personal use, these readings are intended for sharing with anyone in special need, to help them draw comfort from the reading and prayer for that date. Bible reading and prayer are the two most important ways of getting to know and trust Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
The reference to the verses for the day are given, for you to look up and read in your preferred Bible translation.
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9932760-7-1
116 pages 5x7.8 inches
e-Book ISBN: 978-0-9933941-4-0
A Previously Unpublished Book
The Simplicity of the Incarnation
J Stafford Wright
Foreword by J I Packer
“I believe in ... Jesus Christ ... born of the Virgin Mary.” A beautiful stained glass image, or a medical reality? This is the choice facing Christians today. Can we truly believe that two thousand years ago a young woman, a virgin named Mary, gave birth to the Son of God? The answer is simple: we can.
The author says, “In these days many Christians want some sensible assurance that their faith makes sense, and in this book I want to show that it does.”
In this uplifting book from a previously unpublished and recently discovered manuscript, J Stafford Wright investigates the reality of the incarnation, looks at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and helps the reader understand more of the Trinity and the certainty of eternal life in heaven.
This book was written shortly before the author’s death in 1985. The Simplicity of the Incarnation is published for the first time, unedited, from his final draft.
Paperback ISBN: 9-780-9525-9563-2
160 pages 5.25 x 8 inches
Available from bookstores and major internet sellers
eBook ISBN 13: 978-0-9932760-5-7
Bible People Real People
An Unforgettable A-Z of Who is Who in the Bible
In a fascinating look at real people, J Stafford Wright shows his love and scholarly knowledge of the Bible as he brings the characters from its pages to life in a memorable way.
Read this book through from A to Z, like any other title
Dip in and discover who was who in personal Bible study
Check the names when preparing a talk or sermon
The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly – no one is spared. This is a book for everyone who wants to get to grips with the reality that is in the pages of the Bible, the Word of God.
With the names arranged in alphabetical order, the Old and New Testament characters are clearly identified so that the reader is able to explore either the Old or New Testament people on the first reading, and the other Testament on the second.
Those wanting to become more familiar with the Bible will find this is a great introduction to the people inhabiting the best selling book in the world, and those who can quote chapter and verse will find everyone suddenly becomes much more real – because these people are real. This is a book to keep handy and refer to frequently while reading the Bible.
“For students of my generation the name Stafford Wright was associated with the spiritual giants of his generation. Scholarship and integrity were the hallmarks of his biblical teaching. He taught us the faith and inspired our discipleship of Christ. To God be the Glory.” The Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool
This is a lively, well-informed study of some great Bible characters. Professor Gordon Wenham MA PhD. Tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College Bristol and Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire.
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9525956-5-6
314 pages 6x9 inches
eBook ISBN: 978-0-9932760-7-1
Note: This book is not available in all eBook formats
Christians and the Supernatural
J Stafford Wright
There is an increasing interest and fascination in the paranormal today. To counteract this, it is important for Christians to have a good understanding of how God sometimes acts in mysterious ways, and be able to recognize how he can use our untapped gifts and abilities in his service. We also need to understand how the enemy can tempt us to misuse these gifts and abilities, just as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.
In this single volume of his two previously published books on the occult and the supernatural (Understanding the Supernatural and Our Mysterious God) J Stafford Wright examines some of the mysterious events we find in the Bible and in our own lives. Far from dismissing the recorded biblical miracles as folk tales, he is convinced that they happened in the way described, and explains why we can accept them as credible.
The writer says: When God the Holy Spirit dwells within the human spirit, he uses the mental
and physical abilities which make up a total human being . . . The whole purpose of this book is to show that the Bible does make sense.
And this warning: The Bible, claiming to speak as the revelation of God, and knowing man’s weakness for substitute religious experiences, bans those avenues into the occult that at the very least are blind alleys that obscure the way to God, and at worst are roads to destruction.
Paperback ISBN 13: 9-780-9525-9564-9
222 pages 5.25 x 8 inches
Available from bookstores and major internet sellers
eBook ISBN 13: 978-0-9932760-4-0
Howell Harris
His Own Story
Foreword by J. Stafford Wright
eBook only
ISBN: 978-0-9933941-9-5
Howell Harris was brought up to regard the Nonconformists as "a perverted and dangerously erroneous set of people." Hardly a promising start for a man who was to play a major role in the Welsh Revival. Yet in these extracts from his writings and diaries we can read the thoughts of Howell Harris before, during and after his own conversion.
We can see God breaking through the barriers separating "church and chapel", and discover Christians of different denominations preparing the country for revival. Wesley, Whitefield, Harris. These great 18th century preachers worked both independently and together to preach the Living Gospel. This book is a vivid first-hand account of the joys, hardships and struggles of one of these men -- Howell Harris (1714-1773).
From the Streets of London
to the Streets of Gold
The Life Story of
Brother Clifford Edwards
A True Story of Love
by
Brother Clifford Edwards