THE following is the story of a conversion, as nearly as possible, as it was told me. The subject of it was a poor, ignorant man, whom it was my privilege to meet. Jesus was to him a living reality: a loving Friend. The poor man’s faith was strong and clear, and his love and joy unspeakable. He had wandered far away from his home to the north of Scotland, in search of employment; but having failed to obtain any in his own trade he had turned to the selling of small wares, and so earned his daily bread.
One morning he called at my door, and, knowing him to be the Lord’s, I asked him in. After some conversation he told me how he was brought to God.
“I was brought up and nursed in superstition and ignorance: I confessed my sins to the priest, and received his absolution, knowing nothing of the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. But was I satisfied? No, far from it, and at times I had a yearning after something, but what it was I did not know. I had reached my thirtieth year, when, one day, walking along the streets of Limerick I heard these words: ‘Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ I think they were spoken by a lady who was passing by, but really I could not tell whether they were spoken by mortal tongue or not; be that as it may, they came as a message from God to my soul. If Jesus was the Way, I thought the Virgin is not the way to God: if Jesus was the Truth, then my life is a lie; and if Jesus was the Life, I am in death, for I don’t know Him.
“I could not describe the months of misery that followed, upon hearing these words: no confessional ―no mass availed me―nothing helped me―I was utterly undone.”
“I came to England, and went to a clergyman; but his consolation was less than the priest’s. After that I was sent to a district visitor; but no one pointed me to Jesus. All threw me back upon myself.”
“One day, after having walked nearly thirty miles, I lay down to rest in a cattle-shelter on the hill-side. I could not sleep, but, overcome by fatigue, I fell into a kind of doze. I cannot describe what I saw; but I distinctly heard my name called twice ‘John! John!’ ‘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 3:1616For 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 3:16).)
“Oh! the joy and peace that filled my soul when I found, by the teaching of God’s Spirit, that instead of ‘do and live,’ it was ‘believe and live.’ I fell on my knees and made the hills echo with thanksgiving and praise. From that day to this—nigh twenty years—I have been a saved man. Jesus has been such a Saviour to me Praise Him! Praise Him!”
Dear reader, the open Bible is in your hand, its words are plain to you; the texts which the poor man of our story heard, he scarcely could tell how, are lying now before your eyes. Do you know Jesus as your Saviour? He is worth the knowing. “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”