THE following beautiful incident is related of Dr. Adoniram Judson, the well-known American missionary to Burmah, who labored amongst the Karens during the early part of last century. He died in 1850.
“One evening a characteristic scene occurred.
Announced to address an assembly in a provincial town, and a vast concourse having gathered from great distances to hear him, he rose at the close of the usual service, and, as all eyes were fixed and every ear attent, he spoke for fifteen minutes, with much pathos, of the precious Saviour—of what He had done for us, and of what we owed to Him. And he sat down, visibly affected.
“The people are very much disappointed," said a friend to him on the way home; “they wonder you did not talk of something else." “Why, what did they want?” he replied;" I presented the most interesting subject in the world to the best of my ability." “But they wanted something different—a story." “Well, I am sure I gave them a story—the most thrilling one that can be conceived of." “But they had heard it before. They wanted something new of a man who had just come from the antipodes.”
“Then I am glad they have it to say, that a man coming from the antipodes had nothing better to tell than the wondrous story of Jesu's dying love. My business," he went on to say with great animation,” is to preach the gospel of Christ; and when I can speak at all I dare not trifle with my commission. When I looked upon those people to-day, and remembered where I should next meet them, how could I stand up and furnish food to vain curiosity—tickle their fancy with amusing stories, however decently strung together on a thread of religion? That is not what Christ meant by preaching the gospel. And then, how could I hereafter meet the fearful charge, 'I gave you one opportunity to tell them of ME; you spent it in describing your own adventures '”
Oh, the value of an immortal soul! And oh, of how much more value is the Saviour's death that we might be brought to God now, and live, and serve, both now and forever. Never so stupendous a gift as God's giving His only begotten Son! And He waits now to give eternal life to the poor sinner who will but come just as he is, and receive the gift of God.
“If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." Will you not come and receive?