It was Sunday morning. A preacher of the gospel passing through the city had been invited to speak to the prisoners in the penitentiary. He stood at the end of a long corridor into which all the cell doors opened, and on these all the gratings had been closed so that the prisoners could hear but could not be seen.
The preacher spoke touchingly of the love of God, and of the forgiveness the Lord Jesus came to bring to a lost world. When he had finished speaking he made a tour of the cells to see what effect had been produced by the preaching.
In the first cell four men were absorbed in a game of cards. They had been condemned, they said, on false witness. In the second and third it was the same: there had been a mistake; it was all a lie; they had been slandered. Not a single one was guilty. Oh, thought the preacher, Christ cannot save any one here —there is not a single one guilty. The prisoners in the fourth cell were merely awaiting trial; they were sure to be acquitted.
Certainly this prison only contained innocent people. The preacher had never before seen so many such. They had all been victimized and they all accused someone else.
Finally they came to a cell through the grated door of which they saw a man seated, with bowed head and his face buried in his hands. "What's the matter with you, my friend," said the preacher.
The prisoner raised his head; remorse was stamped on his countenance. "Oh," said he, "are you the man who has been preaching?”
"Yes, I am the man.”
"I am so miserable, and I can't bear the burden of my sins.”
"Well, now, would you be happy if you could find someone able to carry them for you?”
"Who could do that?”
"The Lord Jesus.”
"He wouldn't do it.”
"And why not?”
"Because I have sinned against God all my life." "Yet Christ Jesus died for you, and His blood cleanses from all sin.”
His visitor explained to him that Jesus came to seek and to save all who were lost, and that He made expiation for our sins upon the cross. The unhappy man raised his head and listened. The words awakened in him long forgotten memories. He had heard of the Savior, but had never believed in Him. Now he understood the blessed story, and that it was for him.
"Let us pray," said the preacher. "Will you begin?”
"I dare not; I am too unworthy. No, no, you pray.”
And while these two men were on their knees, one in the corridor and one in the cell, a voice trembling with emotion came from within saying: "My God, have pity on me!”
When the visitor prepared to leave him, he held the prisoner's hand through the grating. Tears of repentance were streaming from his eyes. The contrite man knew that he was lost; he needed forgiveness, salvation, but he had not faith to believe on the Savior. His new found friend left him there, promising to return the following day before leaving town.
Next day, what a change there was in that prison cell! The face of the prisoner was beaming. "Tell me what has happened," the preacher asked.
"I was in great distress until towards midnight," replied the prisoner. "But then I saw the Savior bearing my sins. All of a sudden the weight was lifted. Now I am so happy. I do not believe that any one is happier than I am.”
Do you know why the Son of God came down that night to that prisoner and, after visiting every cell, stopped only at the last? Because there was a man who knew he was lost; and "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).