It was back in pioneer times, in pioneer country. Late one evening a Christian minister, who lived near the forest was out for a walk. He walked further than he intended and night overtook him. In the darkness he missed the path and wandered into the woods. Here he soon became hopelessly lost. But just as he decided he must spend the night in a tree, he saw lights glimmering in the distance.
Hoping to find shelter or direction in a friendly cabin, he pressed on and reached a clearing. Here a meeting was in progress, with blazing pine torches providing the light.
"Well, here are Christians met to worship God," he thought. "What I considered to be an awkward mistake in losing my way, has brought me where I may perhaps get good and do good!"
But as he observed the proceedings, to his horror he found that it was a gathering of atheists. The speakers were venting their blasphemous thoughts against God with great daring and determination. The minister sat down in dismay.
One of the chief speakers was an eloquent young fellow who not only declared that he did not believe in the existence of God; but dared the Almighty to destroy him then and there if He existed.
The minister meditated on how he ought to reply, but his tongue seemed to cleave to the roof of his mouth. In the meantime the infidel completed his oration and challenge, and then sat down—to a chorus of acclaim and approval.
Not wishing to be a craven or hold back in the day of battle, the minister was about to rise up in defense of the truth, when another man stood up. He was a burly, though aging woodsman—a typical clearer of the backwoods.
“I should like to speak," he said, "if you will give me a hearing. I am not going to say anything about the topic which has been discussed by the orator who has just sat down. I am only going to tell you a fact. Will you hear me?"
"Yes, yes!" they shouted. It was a free discussion, so they would hear him, especially since he was not going to be controversial.
"A week ago," he began, "I was working up on the nearby river bank, felling trees. You know the rapids down' below. Well, while I was busy at my job, at some distance from the rapids, I heard cries and shrieks, mingled with prayers to God for help.
"I ran down to the water's edge, for I guessed what was the matter. There I saw a young man who could not manage his boat. The current was getting the mastery of him, and although caught for a moment on a tree branch which dipped into the water, he would before long most certainly have been swept over the falls and carried to a terrible death.
"I saw that young man kneel down in the boat and pray to God. By the love of Christ and by His precious blood, he pleaded with God to save him. He owned that he had been an infidel, but promised that if he might be delivered this once, he would declare his belief in God.
"I at once jumped into the river and waded out to him. My arms are not very weak, I think, though not so strong as they used to be. I managed to get into the boat, turn her around and bring her to shore. And so I saved that young man's life.
"And that young man is the one who has just sat down, and who has been denying the existence of God, and daring Him to destroy him!
"It is easy to brag and boast about holding infidel sentiments when in a place of safety; but when men are in danger of their lives, they talk in a different fashion."
The fool hath said in his heart,