Or, how the Lord Brought a Young Man “From Darkness into Light.”
Being a Postscript to a Letter written, Philadelphia,
11Th March 1896.
P.S. — I had written you hastily, and had sealed up my letter to mail, but I concluded to bring it home with me and write you about the good cheer the Lord gave last week in bringing a young man, a “Church member,” “from darkness into light.” The young man first came to my place about four weeks since, to deliver a book that I had printed and sent to the binding to be bound. As he was about to leave, I told him that I had some nice tracts for him if he would read them, asking at the same time if he was interested in his soul’s welfare.
He replied that he was interested in such things, and that he was a member of the “Presbyterian Church.”
I asked him if he was a saved “Presbyterian,” or a lost “Presbyterian.”
He asked me what I meant.
I replied, “Do you think there are any Presbyterians who are unsaved?”
He replied, “Yes.”
I said, “That is why I ask you which you are.”
He saw the spirit and interest with which I asked, and he said, “To tell you the truth, I cannot tell you that I am saved.”
I told him that I was glad to hear him answer the question so frankly, and asked if he did not believe his condition was either one or the other — saved or lost.
He replied, “Yes.”
I said, “If you find out that you are lost, the way of salvation is very plain and simple, — yet,” said I, “you are going on with the form of things as if you were saved,” explaining as I did, that, every time one thus took the bread and the wine, he was practically saying, “This is His body which was given for me, this is His blood which was shed for me,” and if it was not a realized truth in his soul, it would be far better that he had not taken it, for it is written, “He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself” (1 Cor. 11:2929For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Corinthians 11:29)). I gave him a couple of tracts, one of which was “John 3:16,16For 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)” and as he left I felt that he was a convicted man.
About a week or so after, he came in to see me again to tell me that he was interested in his soul’s salvation, — “that he realized that he was lost.”
I said, “If that is so, it is God who is exercising you, and you are on your way to be saved.” I put it before him that God had done all that was needful for salvation in giving His only begotten Son. That “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I said, “If you realize that you are perishing, God wants you to believe, and have everlasting life.” I told him that I could not make it any plainer, and neither could God, than He had made it in that very verse (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)), and that he needed to believe it. He went away this time deeply exercised, taking a couple more tracts with him.
It was on Tuesday of last week he came to my place with a face radiant with joy, and as he came in, he said positively, “Now I know what you know.”
“What is that?” I asked.
“I KNOW THAT I AM SAVED.”
I expressed my thankfulness to hear it, and asked how he came to know it.
He said he was walking along the street thinking about the tract and the scripture I had brought before him, and he thought to himself — “I will believe anybody, everybody, and everything, but I will not believe God. I said then and there, ‘I will believe God: I do believe God, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ I did believe, and I cannot tell you of the joy that filled my soul, and I have continued so happy ever since.”
He said that he wanted to get in to see me the day before when it happened, but that he was kept too busy, and now he had not time to stay longer, but that he wanted some more of the tracts now to give to others to whom he had been telling the good news. I saw him again last Friday afternoon, and he seemed as happy as ever. I asked if he had not been meeting with opposition since I saw him.
He said, Yes, but that he did not mind that.
I tried to put it before him that it was Satan’s business to oppose him and try to make trouble for him, but that he could rest knowing that he was now “kept by the power of God.” He seemed to be so filled with the love of God that even the arch-enemy Satan seemed to be overlooked. It has been some time since I saw the working of the Lord like this, and I can tell you that it has been no small cheer to me to press on with the tract distributing.
May He be pleased to use the tracts I am now sending you, and the praise and the glory be unto Himself — Yours affectionately in Christ,
H. E. R.