Kingdom Of Grace
Illustration★★★★Major-General Burn relates that he had a dream shortly after the death of a brother, which changed the whole course of his life. He thought that they sat together on the old church-yard wall, when his brother asked him to go with him into the church.
They started, passed through the porch, and the brother entered the door into the inner room, when it slid down, leaving the general out. He attempted to enter by stooping, but could not, as the door continued to slide down.
Grieved at being left behind, he got down and tried to crawl through beneath the door with his clothes on, but failed. Then he threw off all his clothing but an embroidered silk waistcoat, bought in France, of which he was very proud, and tried to bore his way like a worm under the door, but could not get in.
At last, in desperation, he drew off the waistcoat and forced his head under the door, and pressing his body so hardly upon the stones as to draw blood, he got safely through. He was at once clothed in white and surrounded by his brother and a goodly company of saints. With them he received the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper, and was filled with unspeakable ecstasy. He awoke singing the praises of God.
From this dream he dates his conversion. The resolution and renunciation of all things necessary to salvation are herein illustrated.
The point
A dying man's dream of a narrowing church door, requiring him to strip away pride and possessions to squeeze through, pictures the total surrender needed to enter the kingdom of grace.