The gospel meeting was over. The preacher invited any who felt their need of Christ to remain behind and talk with him. Among those who stayed was a tall, stalwart young man of about thirty years of age. His intelligent-looking face was scarred and furrowed as if in a war with sin and care, while a heavy cloud seemed to hang over it.
The preacher approached him and said: "I take it, sir, that you are here to talk about your spiritual interests. If so, will you let me know the heart of your trouble. I am acting as a physician to souls. Let there be perfect frankness. Tell me your exact and worst symptoms and I will do what I can to help you to a cure."
"Well, sir," was the reply, "I suppose you would consider my case desperate. I am an unbeliever― a disbeliever― an infidel."
"But there are some things you believe. You believe the Bible to be the Word of God?"
"No, sir."
"You believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God?"
"No, sir."
"Well, at least you believe in a God."
"There may be a God. I cannot say I believe there is; but there may be. I do not know."
"Then let me ask you why you are here? I cannot waste time with words to no profit. I hope you are not here to trifle with me. And yet I do not see what you want with me if you do not believe in the Bible, nor in Christ, neither are you sure that there is a God."
"I have heard you preach tonight," the man replied, "and it seems to me you must believe in something, and it gives you peace and comfort."
"You are quite right, I assure you," replied the evangelist.
"Well, I don't believe anything and I am perfectly wretched. If you can show me the way to believe anything and how to get happiness in believing, I wish you would."
"I think I understand your case; and can help if you will follow my prescription."
"Do try and help me. I am a law student, but am so miserable I cannot study; I can't even sit still. I wandered in here tonight expecting to hear some fine music. I heard only the congregation singing, but curiosity led me to stay and hear what you had to say. The one impression I got from your sermon was that you have faith in somebody or something, and you are happy in that belief. My envy brings me to you now. If you can do anything for me I wish you would. Tell me something to read."
"You have been reading too much already; that is part of your problem. You are full of the plausible, misleading sophistries of the skeptics. I would have you read only the Bible. Read the Word of God."
"But what is the use, when I don't believe the Bible to be the Word of God?"
Opening his Bible the preacher read from John's Gospel, 5:39:
" 'Search the Scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.'
"Now that means that he who diligently searches the Scriptures will find they contain the witness to their own divine origin and inspiration, and the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ." "Well, I'll read the Bible, but what else?"
The preacher then turned to Matthew 6:66But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:6) and read: " 'Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward, thee openly.' If you sincerely pray to God, He will reveal Himself to you."
"But of what use is it to pray to God if you don't believe there is a God?"
"It makes no difference, provided you are sincere. If it be but a feeling after God if haply you may find Him; He will not disregard any genuine effort to draw near to Him. Go and pray: 'O God, if there be a God, save my soul if I have a soul.'
"Anything more?"
"Is that all?"
"That is all. Will you promise to do these?"
They knelt together in prayer, and after a few more words together the young man went his way.
Two weeks later, at the close of the evening service he again approached the preacher, this time with a beaming face.
"I have found God and Christ," he exclaimed, "and am now a happy man!"
"Of all men out of hell, none is more to be pitied than he that hangs over the mouth of it, and yet is fearless of his danger."
It does not do away with Hell for one to say "I don't believe there is a Hell!" And remember, GOD says there is a Hell. He knows: you do not.