It was a hot summer day. A Christian worker, weary from a day of visiting among the "poor of the flock," boarded an open-air bus. Here he hoped to find a few hours of coolness and comfort before taking part in an evening meeting. Although needing a time of quiet, he spoke courteously to his neighbor and remarked thankfully on the present blessing of rest.
This kindly statement brought an outburst from the stranger. "Sir, I didn't bargain for a sermon when I got on this bus.”
With these words he lapsed into offended silence. At the next stop he turned to the Christian gentleman, saying: "I leave you here, thank God.”
As he got down, the pocket of his coat gaped open. Unperceived, his fellow traveler quickly and quietly dropped into it a little book, "Eternal Life.”
About two years passed. Our Christian friend looked about him often in hope of meeting his bus acquaintance again, but had almost given up the thought. One day, passing along a main business street, he was suddenly confronted by a man who stopped in front of him exclaiming, "Yes, yes! You are the man!”
Taken by surprise, and believing there must be some mistake, our friend drew back.
"Yes, you are the man; you are the man," was repeated.
And then from one of his pockets the stranger drew forth a dirty little book stuck together with postage paper, and asked: "Now, do you remember me?”
Our friend saw the words "Eternal Life" upon the cover, and the incident of the bus flashed back into his mind. The man then poured out his story to him.
"When I got home that night it was late. I was emptying my pockets before retiring and I found" (again holding it up) "this little book. I was furious. I was certain in my own mind that you had put it there. Tearing it into four pieces I threw it on the carpet to be swept away by the servant. The next day, finding that the pieces were still on the floor, I called her and asked why she had not thrown them away. 'She saw the word eternal, and could not.' Then taking the scraps of paper in her hand, she got almost to the bottom of the stairs before I called out, saying, 'Well, perhaps you had better let me see those bits of paper after all.'
"I shut the door, and putting the pieces together as well as I could, I read the book. I did so a second time, but page 10 was too much for me. It struck terror to my heart as I read: 'Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: they would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.' Prov. 1:24-3124Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. (Proverbs 1:24‑31). I fell on my knees and prayed for mercy.
"At last I summoned courage to read on, and verse 33 calmed my soul. 'But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.' The light began to dawn, and I knew that God had taken pity on me for His Son's sake.”
Pointing to the dirty little book which was still held in the man's hand, our friend offered to replace it with a new one from his pocket.
"Oh, no," said the stranger. "I would not exchange this one for a thousand dollars.”
The Christian worker turned to search among his tracts for another "help" for his new friend. Selecting one he turned to offer it, only to find the stranger was gone.