As I stepped into the railway coach that would take me to my next preaching appointment, I saw five fellow-passengers already seated there. Reaching into my pocket for some tracts, I found only four. These I passed around and then settled myself to read a little booklet.
A man in the far corner of the seat I chose had received one of the tracts, and I was interested to observe him take out his pencil as he read. Part way down the page he came to the word, "Satan." With fury in his eyes he dashed a black line under the word and scribbled in the margin, "There is no devil." He then handed the tract back to me.
I said nothing; but with the rubber in my pencil I erased his writing and put the tract back into my pocket. Then I resumed my reading. This was too much for the gentleman. He leaped up, proclaiming loudly, "I don't believe there is any devil.”
Pouring out invectives against such idiots as believed in an evil spirit, he cried, "Sir, I challenge you before these people"—who gaped at him in amazement—"I challenge you to prove that there is a devil. Where would you begin?”
"Nothing is easier, sir," I said, looking up from my book—"nothing easier. I would begin with you yourself. Your passionate language, discourteous, uncivilized conduct, all prove that you are energized by a living, personal devil.”
"Well, well, I was rather hot," the man conceded as he resumed his seat, but still abusing the very idea of the existence of an evil spirit.
"If there be no devil, what stirs you up to be so angry?" I questioned him.
"That is the evil principle which is in me. You cannot prove that there is any other devil," was his answer.
Drawing my Bible from my pocket I said. "Now, sir, will you please take that Book into your hand?" Hesitantly he complied and I continued: "With that Bible in your hand I demand of you, Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?”
"I do; most certainly I do," was his quick reply.
"Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of the eternal God?”
"No, I don't," he shouted angrily. "Show me where it says so.
Again taking my Bible in hand I turned quickly to some passages of God's word to man.
“‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' John 1:1, 3, 141In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.' 1 Tim. 3:1616And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16).
Other portions of Scripture I also read; and, noting that my questioner still looked unconvinced, "took a shot in the dark" as it were. I said: "I see what you are, sir. You are a Unitarian, and following that doctrine you have cut yourself off from the only hope of eternal salvation—through Jesus and His blood. Tell me; what sort of a person is your Jesus?”
"The most lovely of men," he responded quickly.
"That can't be true, sir; according to your belief your Jesus is either an imposter or a sinner such as we. My Jesus, the eternal Son of the eternal God, is the `chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely.”
Turning to Matt. 4, I read: "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Then I asked, "Was that an evil principle within Him, or the veritable person of the evil one?”
For the moment my opponent's mouth was shut, so I continued: "You have no atoning blood of a savior in your religion. You hate the blood, sir. You hate the precious blood of Christ.”
"I thank God that I have not a drop of blood in my religion. I do hate it," he asserted.
"Yes, I knew that you denied the blessed Person and the work of the Son of God. But you shall hear what God says about the blood before we separate: “‘The BLOOD shall be to you for a token... and when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you.' Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13).
"'He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the BLOOD of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?'" Heb. 10:28, 2928He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28‑29).
The man, listening intently, had edged nearer me on the seat and I observed thankfully the stricken look which now spread over his countenance. Was this soul to be a trophy to His grace?
At this moment the train slowed and stopped. Hastily gathering up his belongings, my erstwhile adversary rushed pell mell from the coach. Shall we ever meet again? Perhaps we shall in a coming day, for God has said: "My word... shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isa. 55:1111So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11).