An infidel blasphemer had attended Sunday school and other meetings in his early days where he was "exposed" to the truth of God. However, as he grew into manhood, all that was thrown aside, and he became an avowed infidel.
This unbeliever had joined himself to a traveling show, and one day he heard that a man in the town where they were stopping was preaching the "devil's doctrine." His curiosity was aroused, and he decided to go to hear what he had to say.
When he arrived he found a number of people gathered together. They were reading the Word of God. This was not what he had expected, but he sat and listened. The subject was, "The Name of Jesus." That Name had no charm for him, but stirred up the hatred in his heart.
"There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." So said one of the company; and they sang reverently:
"Precious, peerless Name of Jesus,
None can tell its worth; Sweetest
Name there is in heaven,
Or on earth.”
When the brief reading was over, the preacher rose and gave a short message. He took for his subject those blessed words: "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10).
When he had finished his discourse, he went over to the infidel to speak to him about his soul. The poor wretch immediately began to air his infidel ideas, and blasphemed more vilely than he had ever. done before. The outraged preacher left him standing, tense with hatred to God and His Christ. Another man came up and shouted in the infidel's ear: "God says you are lost!”
The infidel seethed with anger at being so insulted, as he thought. He went outside to waylay the speaker when he should come out to go home. He had determined to knock him down. While he waited others came out also, and all seemed to have something to say to him. At last he could stand it no longer, and started homeward.
The arrow shot at a venture had entered beneath the joints of the harness, and the words kept ringing in his ears: "God says you are lost.”
Forget these words he could not. Sleep fled from him. Those words haunted him throughout the stillness of the night; and all the next day he was so miserable and unsettled that he could do nothing. Then he remembered God's love to "that which was lost." Could He, would He, pardon him, a vile blasphemer?
At the end of three days, hope had well nigh fled, and despair had taken its place. Then the words used by the preacher came in freshness and power to his mind and were applied by God's Spirit to his tormented soul: "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Light shone in. He was "that which was lost." The Son of man came to seek and to save him. Joy and praise now filled his heart to overflowing, and he found his greatest happiness in telling others what God had done for him.