While preaching in a jail in Scotland, Richard Weaver once addressed a group of eighty women prisoners gathered to hear him. He felt that they had plenty of harsh words shouted at them, so this time he spoke of the love of God and sang the lovely hymn, "Rest For The Weary."
Then those who desired to speak with him were asked to put the numbers assigned to them outside their doors. In this way he had the privilege of dealing with over thirty anxious inquirers.
Just as he was about to leave the prison, the kind-hearted warden pointed to one of the cells and said, "In that cell is the worst character in all the prison. She has had more time in solitary than anyone else. Her number has not been put out, but I wish you would pay her a visit also."
The cell door was open. On the three-legged stool in the center of her cell sat the poor, wretched prisoner. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Mr. Weaver said in all the love of his heart, "The Lord loves you."
"No, He doesn't," was her reply. "I am too bad for God to love."
"But," said the evangelist, "God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
He stayed a while talking with her, and then she dropped on her knees and uttered the cry, "Thank God, someone loves me!"
Mr. Weaver prayed with her and then left the cell. The next day as he was preaching in another part of the prison, a letter was put into his hand with the request that it be read to the other women.
It was from the woman whom he had visited in her cell the day before, and in the letter she testified how that she had found the Lord. He had had mercy on her and pardoned her sins.
As soon as Mr. Weaver read out the name of the writer, several cried out, "If God can save her, He can save me." After that, he went from cell to cell telling of the wonderful salvation that is in Jesus.
The Apostle Paul could say: "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Tim. 1:15.
"Come now... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:18.