AT a meeting a servant of Christ, well known to those present, arose and said, in tones of deep feeling;
“My friends, I stand before this company as a monument of the efficacy of tracts.
“When a young man, careless, unbelieving, and impenitent, as I was one day passing along the road, I saw a piece of paper, half covered with mud. It attracted my attention, I picked it up, and found it to be the tract entitled, ‘Poor Joseph’!
“I seated myself on a bank beside a small stream, and read it. And, O! I shall never forget the feelings I had as I read over that simple story. The Spirit of God sent home its truths to my heart. I trembled and wept in view of my sins, and I never rested until I reposed in the blood of Christ for salvation.
“If I have ever done any good in the cause of Christ, and if I may be hereafter made instrumental in leading lost and perishing souls to the Redeemer, it may be all traced to that tract. It has started a train of causes that must operate through eternity.”
The foregoing statements may well introduce to the readers of our little paper the following narrative of poor Joseph.
POOR JOSEPH
A poor, weak-minded man named Joseph, whose employment was to go on errands and carry parcels, passing through the streets one day, heard the singing of Psalms in Dr. C.’s church, went into it, having a large parcel of yarn hanging over his shoulders.
The Doctor, after awhile read his text from 1 Timothy 1:15:
“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.”
Then he preached, in the clearest manner, the ancient and apostolic gospel, that there is eternal salvation for the vilest sinner, through the precious work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made all things.
Joseph, in rags, gazing with astonishment, never took his eyes from the preacher, but drank in with eagerness all he heard. Trudging homewards, he was overheard muttering to himself,
“Joseph never heard this before! Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who made all things, came into the world to save sinners like Joseph. And this is true. And it is ‘a faithful saying’!
Soon afterwards Joseph was seized with fever, and was dangerously ill. As he tossed upon his bed, his constant language was,
“Joseph is the chief of sinners: but Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, and Joseph loves Him for this.”
His neighbors, who came to see him, wondered at hearing him always dwell on this subject. Some addressed him in the following manner:
“But what say you of your own heart, Joseph? Is there no token of good about it? No saving change there? Is there not something that you must do in order to be saved?”
“Ah! no,” says he, “Joseph can do nothing; Joseph has nothing to say for himself, but that he is the chief of sinners.”
Someone finding out where he heard this doctrine, on which he dwelt with so much delight, went and asked Dr. C. to come and visit him.
He came; but Joseph was now very weak, and had not spoken for some time, and though told of the Doctor’s arrival, he took no notice of him. But when the Doctor began to speak to him, and he heard the sound of his voice, Joseph sprang upon his elbow, and, seizing his hands, exclaimed as loud as he could, with his now feeble and trembling voice,
“O, sir! you are the friend of the Lord Jesus, whom I heard speak so well of Him. Joseph is the chief of sinners: but it is a faithful saying that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made all things, came into the world to save sinners, and why not poor Joseph? O! pray to that Jesus for me; pray that He may save me; tell Him that Joseph thinks that he loves Him for coming into the world to save such sinners as Joseph.”
The Doctor prayed, and when he concluded, Joseph thanked him most kindly. He then put his hand under his pillow, and took out an old rag, in which were tied up fifty dollars. Putting it into the Doctor’s hand, he thus addressed him:
“Joseph, in his folly, had laid this by for his old age. But Joseph will never see old age. Take it, and divide it among the poor friends of the Lord Jesus, and tell them that Joseph gave it to them for His sake who came into the world to save sinners, of whom he is the chief.”
Joseph had listened to the message given by the Doctor as to a voice from heaven; he drank in every word. With others, the Word fell like seed on stony ground, or by the way-side (Matthew 13:19-2119When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:19‑21)). But Joseph received it as God’s Word, and not as man’s word, and treated it as such. His mind was intent on his salvation; he knew that he was a sinner; and his soul clung to Jesus as the Saviour of sinners. He turned away from himself to rest solely on Jesus, his Almighty Saviour. Reposing in Him, he could not but have peace.
ML 10/18/1925