Some years ago a preacher of the Gospel felt very impressed by the Spirit of God go to a certain village to preach. In due time he found himself in the place, a tiny village that had neither church, chapel, nor meeting house. He walked through the place, knowing no one in it, and no one knew him. He wondered what he should do. He retraced his steps. On the outskirts of the village was a barn in a field. The Spirit of God seemed to tell him that this was the place where he had to preach.
Impelled by the influence, he entered the barn. In it were two cows and some hay. The Spirit of God bade him preach. He hung back. It seemed the height of absurdity for him to speak under such circumstances.
But a voice seemed to say to him, "Are you My servant, or your own master?" He replied, "Thy servant, Lord.”
"Then do what I bid thee," came the unmistakable answer.
He opened his Bible, read a portion, preached a good gospel sermon, prayed, and retired. The whole affair seemed to foolish that he determined that he would not divulge the evening's proceedings to a living soul.
Years rolled by. The circumstances had almost passed out of mind. One day he was preaching. At the close of the, service a stranger came up, and asked him, "Were you ever in such and such a county?”
"Certainly," was the reply.
"Did you ever preach in such and such a village?" was the next inquiry.
The preacher hesitated to answer. The questioner urged his question, telling him he had a good reason for asking. Most reluctantly the preacher replied in the affirmative.
"Did you ever preach to two cows and some hay in a barn just outside the village?”
The preacher, being pressed on the point, again answered in the affirmative.
Then the questioner grasped the preacher by the hand, saying heartily, "I thought I recognized your voice again. I thought I was not mistaken. All those years ago I was disturbed while poaching, and hid myself for safety in that barn, under the hay. I fell asleep, and must have slept for hours. I was awakened by hearing your voice. I made sure that God must have meant that address for me. You thought the address was given to two cows and some hay, but in reality it was meant for me, and me alone, and God used it to my salvation.”
In this striking way did God bring the preacher and the hearer together.
Reader, does not God mean to speak to YOU, and that by this printed page? Has this great matter of your soul's salvation not occupied your attention as yet? God grant that it may from this hour.
God's way of salvation is plain in His Holy Word. It says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" Acts 16:31.
This one verse is enough for the earnest seeker. May God bless it to you.
"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. 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." John 3:14,15,16.