The late Mr Warburton, when on a preaching tour, called on a week-evening to preach in the country. After the service was over he adjourned to his lodgings but had not been long seated before in came a labouring man without any hat, his hair on end, and an expression of deep horror on his countenance. He fell down on the floor before Mr Warburton, and, clasping him by the knees, exclaimed, “Oh, I’m lost! I’m lost! I’m a dying man, going into eternity without any hope! Oh, can you do me any good? I’ve ruined my soul, and am lost and undone for ever.” He hardly had time to give expression to his feelings before in came a tall, country-looking woman, and, approaching Mr Warburton, said, “Oh, bless God, Jim! This is what I have prayed for many years. Thousands of prayers have I put up that you might be brought to this. Oh, bless God, Jim! He’s done it.” This was poor Jims’ wife, a truly godly woman, who believed he was one of the Lord’s, and could not cease praying for him, though he had often knocked her about, was a drunken, profligate character, and persecuted her much concerning her religion. Mr Warburton wished the poor fellow to get up, but he said, “No! If I do I shall be swallowed up”; but after a time he persuaded him to get up and sit upon a chair, and tried to encourage him by speaking to him of the love and mercy of God to poor, feelingly-lost sinners through Jesus Christ, who “came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Some of those present questioned as to the man’s sanity, but Mr Warburton assured them he would be better by-and-bye.
Mr Warburton left the next morning. Twelve months after, he was going the same route again, and sent to say he should be glad to preach to the people on his way if they thought well, and he wanted also to hear how poor Jim was getting on. When he arrived there he found Jim was and had been in, more or less, the same state as when he left him, for the whole twelve months, feeling deeply his sinnership but realizing no mercy to his soul. But the time had come to make free, and the Word went forth, “Loose him, and let him go.” Mr Warburton’s discourse at that time was made the means of liberating his soul, and he rejoiced in the full and complete pardon of all his sins. He accompanied Mr Warburton to his lodgings, and begged him to sit up all night to speak to him of the goodness, mercy, and love of God. He said, “You will be leaving in the morning, and it is wasting time to go to bed. What! can’t you sit up one night with me?” Twelve months more rolled away, and the same visit was to be repeated, as he felt very anxious to hear again how poor Jim was. When he arrived, he was surprised to hear that he was in Heaven. “What! is he dead?” said Mr Warburton. “Yes, he died three weeks since, and his last words were ‘Tell that dear man, John Warburton, when he comes, that I’m gone home first, but it won’t be long before we shall meet again in glory,’ and, falling back upon his bed, expired.”
Is not this “a brand plucked out of the fire?” to the praise and glory of God’s sovereign and discriminating grace.