The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 78

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78

The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Dying Monk’s Confession.

Ferrero was a monk who, by secretly reading the
Bible, had come to know the Gospel. His friend
Egidio was an inmate of the same cloister, and with
him he now and then spoke of the Gospel way of sal-
vation which ke had learned from the Bible. Of his
friend’s death Ferrero gives the following account:

A narrow cell, the only furniture of which is a
rough table, on which are placed a crucifix and a
human skull, a few books, a bedstead with a litter
of straw, on which lies a young monk in the last
stage of consumption—such is the picture presented
to you.

The dying man was possessed of a noble intellect,
naturally kind and frank, of gentle manners, of good
education, and simple asachild. He was considered
blameless in life, according to the standard of the
convent, and was held up to the young clergy as a
model of holiness. The people confided in him,
and the Superior saw in Egidio the promise of an
eloquent advocate of the Romish church. He was
only twenty-two years of age, but his last hour was
rapidly approaching. :

At noon ofa beautiful June day, the monk whose
duty it was to attend on the sick, called out hastily
at the door of my cell, “Father Egidio is dying!
Make haste, please; you are just in time to give
him the holy absolution.”’

I ran hastily into the cell of my young fellow
monk. I was not his confessor, and was surprised
to learn that he asked for me. As soon as he saw
me, he said eagerly, ‘‘Please, shut the door.’ I did
so. He asked if all was secured. I replied, ‘‘Yes,
my brother; fear not; no onelistens to us but God,
the Searcher of all hearts.’? ‘‘O dear Ferrero, my
only friend on earth,’’ he exclaimed, ‘‘these pre-
cautions are not necessary for my sake.
nothing now to fear from man; but I feel anxious
for your security. Oh, tell me again of that sweet
comfort, that: peace with God of which you spoke
three days ago, when I asked you why you read the
Bible so often. Tell me frankly, before God, are we
saved by our own works or by grace only? Have all
my prayers, fastings, and penances no merits before
God? Oh! Isee that all my boasted works, on the
balance of God’s Word, weigh less than nothing.
Unless grace takes the place of God’s justice, I am
damned. “If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities;
O Lord, who shall stand??”’

“No one, my dear Egidio,”’ I.replied. But let
me read the Psalm from which you quote. There is

' forgiveness with God; there is mercy with the howtly

Cree with Him is plenteous.redemption. 2

I have -

‘*Yes, yes,” he exclaimed, ‘‘I want God’s mercy,
God’s forgiveness.’’? Then looking at the crucifix
he continued, ‘‘That blood, the blood of Jesus, of
which you told me—speak, Ferrero, speak again.”’

With his eyes fixed on mine, he waited anxiously
for a word of peace. ‘‘‘By grace ye are saved,’”’
I said, ‘‘through faith —faith in what Jesus has
done for sinners. Oh, how we have been deceived
by foolishly trusting in our works, when God has
said, ‘By the works of the Law shall no flesh be
justified.’ But hearken, ‘Being justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ.’ It is not written that our fastings or prayers
can save us from wrath or cleanse us from sins. No,
no! Only the precious blood of Christ cleanses from
all sin. My dear Egidio, you are convinced that
you are a sinner; then be convinced that what the
Bible says is true indeed. Only believe God’s Word.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; rest in His precious
blood, and soon you will be with Christ in Paradise.”

As the thirsty one drinks from the spring sud-
denly discovered in the desert, so my dear friend
drank joyfully of the living water. His smiling
look told me more than words could have done.

At this moment there was a knock at the door.
I opened, and the Superior, accompanied by the
doctor, entered. Seeing the sweat of death upon the
sick man, the Superior sprinkled him with ‘‘holy
water.’’? Egidio shook his head. When extreme
unction was administered to him, he seemed to pro-
test against the ceremony. At last, collecting all
his strength, he cried out with distinct voice, his
countenance beaming with heavenly peace: ‘‘Pre-
cious Jesus! Thy wounds are my merits. Yes,
yes, mine, O Jesus!’ And with eyes uplifted to
heaven he fell asleep.

Such was the confession of the dying ‘monk.
The action and words of his dying moments were
attributed to delirium, and a circular was sent to
the other convents announcing his death and com-
mending his holy life.

But, dear reader, though Egidio was considered
spotless by man, the religion he had learned in the
Romish church gave no rest to his soul, no peace,
no assurance of salvation. At last he found all that
he had done to gain the favor of God—all his own
righteousness—to be as filthy rags; and then he
found pardon, peace, eternal life by faith in the
blood of Christ. In what are you trusting for sal-
vation? Remember that there is no other name
given among men whereby we must be saved than
the name of Jesus, and that there is salvation in none
other than in Jesus, in whom we have redemption
through His blood; namely, the forgiveness of sins.