“CAN you tell me where I can go to avoid meeting these Christians?” Such was the question asked one day by a godless commercial traveler. He was traveling by train and found in the car with him some believers in the Lord Jesus. They were speaking and singing of their Saviour, and it was more than our friend could stand. Had they been speaking about politics, or the weather, or had they been singing worldly songs, he might have reconciled himself to their company, and joined in with them. But they spoke of a Saviour whom he did not know. They sang of His precious blood, whose cleansing power he had not proved, and it was a distasteful subject to him.
By and bye the train stopped at a station, and he got out, taking his baggage with him, and took his seat in another compartment. The train started, and he began to feel more at home. Before very long, however, the sound of singing fell on his ear. He looked up from his newspaper and listened: “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, in a believer’s ear.” Such were the words that he heard. “These troublesome Christians again,” he thought; “why can’t they leave a man in peace?” But the singing and conversation continued, and he was compelled to listen to what was to him the most distasteful of all subjects.
Soon the train came to a standstill once more, and he got out, thinking he had got to the end of his annoyance. He had now to go by a steamboat for a short distance, so he went on board, hoping that it would be more cheerful there than in the train. But hark! What are those young men talking about? Christ was their theme. He rose up in despair, and left the saloon. The first man he met on deck was the engineer. “Is there no place where I can get out of the way of these Christians?” he asked. “Yes, in hell,” replied the engineer. The engineer was a worldly man, and spoke without thinking of the seriousness of what he said. But these words, uttered in jest, continued to ring in our friend’s ears: “In hell you won’t find any Christians.” It was an arrow directed by the Spirit of God, and He used it to awaken and convert this godless man.
The engineer’s words were true; there are no Christians in hell, for the Lord Jesus Himself has said: “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
SEL.