One day in Maryborough, over in Australia, a fine-looking man came to see me, an unusually fine-looking man, with splendid physique and dome-like forehead. He said, “I want to talk with you,” and I said, “Very well, take a seat, sir.” He said, “I want to know what you have against me?” “What I have against you,” I exclaimed, “I don’t know you.” “I mean this; I am not a Christian; I don’t pretend to be a Christian, but I am a moral, upright man, and no one can deny it. Now,” he said, “I would like you to tell me what you have against me.” I said, “You are not a Christian?” “No, sir,” he replied. “You have not taken Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, and surrendered your life to Him as your Lord and Master, and confessed Him as such before the world, and given your life to Him?” “No, sir,” he replied. “Then,” I said, “I charge you, sir, with high treason against your King. Jesus Christ is your King, by Divine appointment, and I charge you, sir” —and I looked him right in the eye— “I charge you, sir, with the crime of high treason against your divinely appointed King.” A dark cloud came over the man’s face. He got up, and left the room, scarcely saying a word. As he went out the door he never looked back. He walked down the long walk without ever looking back. Out of the front gate, never looking back.
Months passed away; we had been over to Tasmania and conducted a mission there, and had returned, and I was preaching in Ballarat, about forty miles away from Maryborough. After the service, a fine-looking man came to me, and said, “Do you remember me?” I knew his face, but I could not remember where I had seen him. I said, “I have seen you somewhere, but I cannot place you.” He said, “Do you remember charging a man with high treason?” I said, “I have charged many a man with high treason.” “Yes,” he said; “but do you remember charging a specific man with high treason?” Then he began to tell me his story, and I commenced to gather who he was. He said, “I am the man, and I have come way to Ballarat, sir, to tell you that you will never charge me with high treason again”; and he held out his hand, and I held out mine, and he took mine in his mighty grip—and it was a mighty grip!—and he said, “Down!” and he dropped on his knees, and I dropped on to mine, and he said, “Lord Jesus, I hand in my allegiance; I give up my treason; I take Thee as my King.”
You men ought to do it tonight. He is your King, and, every man and woman among you that does not accept Him and acknowledge Him as such tonight I charge you with high treason against Heaven’s King.