History was the only subject that interested Mr. Burton. Books which treated on this were his only reading. Kings and their mighty deeds; parliaments and their debates; nations and their revolutions; wars and rumors of wars, took complete possession of his mind. In fact, the past had for him more interest than the present, and as to the future—well, he was "no prophet.”
One day a friend succeeded in persuading this amateur historian to read a portion of an ancient writing which he knew nothing of, or had taken no account of. Much persuasion and perseverance were required before he would take the book which contained the history heretofore neglected by him. At last, however, he said: "I will read it to please you," and to himself he added, "And get it over with quickly!”
The part of the book which he had been asked to read was a letter addressed, "To all that be in Rome," but as he read the letter Mr. Burton saw that it concerned everyone. This is what it said: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
He could not deceive himself as to the meaning of the words. All the history that he had read did not touch him personally, but in the pages of this brief writing he saw what was manifestly the portrait of everyone, for there were also these words: "That ... all the world may become guilty before God.”
The details of this portrait impressed him deeply. They were:
The eyes: "There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The mouth: "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
The lips: "The poison of asps is under their lips.”
The tongue: "With their tongues they have used deceit.”
The throat: "Their throat is an open sepulcher.”
The feet: "Their feet are swift to shed blood.”
It was evident that no exception could be made to the number whom this portrait represented, for it said: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." He had never seen a universal history of the human race expressed in so few words. And to it all was added the declaration: "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.”
When his friend came back to see him he asked him what he thought of the book.
"What a dreadful picture!" said Mr. Burton. "It has haunted me like a nightmare.”
"Will you read another portion of the book?”
"Yes, if you will promise me that it will be more cheerful.”
"Certainly: you have read the third chapter of Romans; now read the third chapter of John's Gospel.”
As soon as he was alone, Mr. Burton took the Bible and opened to the chapter indicated.
"Ah, now we have a real bit of history,” was his thought as he read the first lines,' but the third verse arrested him: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
"It's evident," he said to himself, "that Nicodemus didn't understand those words.”
And he was glad that Nicodemus had asked for an explanation.
The fourteenth and fifteenth verses seemed a little clearer to him: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Jesus was lifted up! Where? "Upon the cross, in order that if I, bitten by sin and dying, look to Him I may be saved and not perish.”
Then he read the sixteenth verse. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And the Holy Spirit showed him how "all the world," declared "guilty before God," was, in spite of all, the object of the love of God who gave His only and well beloved Son.
"Ah, how beautiful this sixteenth verse is!" he exclaimed to his friend, when he came again to visit him. "If I could only believe that it is for me.”
"You believe that the passage which you read in Romans is true, don't you?”
"Yes, and it is that which has made me so unhappy.”
"Well, the second passage comes to you clothed with the same authority as the first; if you believe it you will be happy: the same divine voice which says the one says also the other.”
Mr. Burton believed in the love of God for a guilty world; he claimed that love for himself. He believed that Jesus died for sinners, died for him, and he knew that he would never perish but had now eternal life. After that, he became a man of a single book, and that book the Bible. The Word of God was his constant companion.
The Word of God had been the means of saving his soul; he could not help but love it.
And you, reader, have you seen yourself in the picture traced in the third chapter of Romans? Have you believed the declaration of the love of God? Do you love the Book which has revealed it to you?