In the dissecting-room of the great college, a group of medical students were standing around one of the tables, evidently for the moment, deeply interested. The fading light, closed books, shut dissecting cases, and somewhat grave faces of the dozen listeners showed that anatomy was not the topic under discussion. A student seated in the midst of the group had been busy preparing to leave; but now he replied patiently to the queries that came from all sides.
The conversation had been begun by Sinclair, a thoughtless and careless young future medico. In passing the seated student, known to be a Christian, Sinclair had railing said: "Well, Spurgeon, how many have you baptized lately?”
Medical students all love to bestow nicknames on each other, and even on their professors; none escape. So it was that the student thus addressed as "Spurgeon" had soon after entering college (and it became known that he occasionally preached the gospel), been dubbed with the name of the noted preacher.
"I do not baptize; I only preach the gospel, when, and as best I can," was the rejoinder.
"Oh, you don't baptize; you only preach. Come, tell us what you say!" The loud tone of banter in which this was said quickly gathered, as it was intended it should, a little coterie of kindred spirits, expecting some fun from this baiting of the young Christian. At that moment the senior demonstrator of anatomy, a grave, quiet man of whom the students stood rather in awe, joined the group.
"You want to know what I preach, do you? I preach glad tidings; the love of God to ruined man, the death and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus, and that faith in Him alone secures salvation. I preach that man is guilty, ruined, lost, and that the `Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.' I preach that 'Salvation is of the Lord,' and `the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles.' Whosoever will may have it, without money or price. 'The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.' The last time I preached I spoke on the 10th of Acts. There it says about the Savior: 'To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.' Acts 10: 43.”
"Do you mean to say that your sins are all forgiven, and that you are saved, Spurgeon?" continued his first interrogator.
"Through God's grace I can most certainly say so. I have had that joy for years now.”
"Well, I call that presumption, and no mistake," said one. "Did you ever hear the like? That's rather too easy and too good to believe," put in a chorus of voices at once.
Nothing daunted, the assailed one replied: "How can it be presumption to believe God? If my salvation depended on my own good works I might well be filled with doubt and uncertainty; but if it depend, as it does, on the perfect, finished, and accepted work of the Lord Jesus for me, it would be presumption on my part to doubt that salvation.
"God says plainly in His Word to every believing soul, 'Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace.' Luke 7. It surely cannot be presumption to believe the God of truth when He says He sent His Son to save me, and when I trust Him I am saved.”
"But you do not give any place for your good works," put in the senior demonstrator who had been listening quietly until now.
"Ah, that makes it far too easy," said one. "Depend upon it, Spurgeon, you are all wrong!" The gathering soon broke up, and the student was left to wonder what God would bring out of the incident.
A few days later this young student was again busy with his scalpel and forceps, sitting alone at a table. One of his seniors, named Johnson, soon brought his part, instruments and book, and seated himself opposite to him, and began to dissect. Work went on quietly for a little, and then Johnson said, "That was strange stuff you were giving the fellows the other afternoon. I said nothing at the time, but I don't believe what you were saying. I don't at all pretend to be religious myself, but I am sure a man must need to work hard to get to heaven. Your way would not be mine at all, if I cared for that sort of thing, which I don't.”
"It is not my way either, Johnson. It is God's way, and that makes all the difference. When the Lord was upon earth, the Jews came and asked Him, `What shall we do that we might work the works of God?' Do you know what He answered them?" "No. What?”
"'Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.' John 6:2929Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:29). To believe in the Son of God is all that you or I have to do to get saved.”
“But, man, it stands to reason that we ought to do something ourselves. Why, by your way everybody may get saved. Do you believe they will?”
"No; I believe nothing of the sort, for sad to say, all will not take the place of being lost sinners, and so do not feel their need of a Savior, nor will they trust Him. His words are true: 'They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' The whole, the righteous ones—or those who think they are such—need Him not, but sinners are welcome to Him. As one of the latter I have received Him, and He has saved me out and out, blessed be His name!”
"Oh, that's easily said! But I don't believe in your way of salvation at all. You will never convince me that that is the way to be saved." So saying Johnson relapsed into silence and shortly after left the table. For the rest of their student life he took good care not to give an opportunity for a tete-a-tete with the man who knew Christ had saved him.
Years rolled by. Student days ceased and Johnson entered practice in the far West. The young Christian went north to extend his knowledge while filling the post of house physician in a large hospital. Later, to that same city who should come but Johnson, attracted, as he supposed, by certain medical advantages of which he would avail himself. But God had His eye on him, and to Johnson's surprise, placed him in the very hospital ward where his former fellow-student was chief. Coming thus together again, Johnson's friend felt greatly interested in him, and one Lord's Day, said, "Do you ever go to hear the Word of God preached now?”
"Sometimes; but I have not been since I came north. Where do you go?”
"I, Oh, I go over on State Street.”
"Who preaches there?”
"Various ones.”
"Do they preach well?”
"That would be an open question. I believe they preach the truth. That is what you and I want, isn't it? You might do worse than come." And he handed him a little notice of the meeting.
That very evening the preacher was reading the 7th of Luke, when the door quietly opened and the unbelieving, but evidently interested, young doctor entered. Surprised, he found that the preacher was the one who invited him; but the Lord's sermon of twelve words: "Thy sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace," soon riveted his attention; and though he did not go "in peace," he left impressed with a sense of his need and danger such as he had never experienced before.
The next Lord's Day evening the doctor again was present. This time an aged, gray-haired servant of God sweetly unfolded the touching parables of Luke 15. He showed how, when man was lost, Jesus came after him. When he was dead, the Spirit quickened him. When he returned repentant, the Father welcomed and rejoiced over him.
Convicted now of his sinful state, the young physician later heard his medical friend preach from the words, "Wilt thou go with this man?" He felt constrained to decide for Christ that night, and stayed to the after-meeting for anxious inquirers. Then as the two doctors walked towards the hospital together, he confessed that the conversation in college days had been an arrow that had pierced his armor. Persuaded in his mind that what he had heard was not true, he had gone home and searched his Bible for support, only to find that he himself was wrong. What he had heard from young "Spurgeon" was the truth! Convinced that God's salvation was free to all, by simple faith in Jesus, he had balanced the blessings of the gospel against "the pleasures of sin for a season." The devil had presented a fair picture; and he had shut his Bible, and turned again to the world of sin and folly. But this decision had never given him an hour's peace.
Now Johnson knew he was lost, and was asked: "Do you believe that Jesus came to save the lost?”
"I do! I believe He came to save me, and I believe in Him.”
"Then are you not saved?”
"That is the difficulty. I don't feel sure.”
"Well," said his friend, "if God is worth believing on two counts, why not on the third? When God says in His Word you are a lost sinner, what do you say?”
"I believe Him," he replied.
"Good! And when He says He sent His Son to die for you, and that if you trust in Him you shall be saved-what do you say?”
"I believe Him with all my heart.”
"Excellent! Now, then, when He says, 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life,' are you going to doubt Him?”
"That won't do. If He speaks truly on the two counts, He must speak as truly on the third. Yes, I see it. I believe in His Son, and I have everlasting life. He says it, and it must be true. Thank God, I am saved, forgiven, without any works of my own-by simple faith in Jesus.”
"One question more, Johnson: 'Wilt thou go with this Man?'”
"I will go!" was the emphatic reply; and the doctor started for glory. He is yet on the road, but sure of the end through grace.
Reader, have you started yet? If not, just start at once.