"TELL EVERYBODY THAT CHRIST CAN BE ACCEPTED ON THE STREET, SAME AS I FOUND HIM."
So said an honest, sensible railway man, in one of the higher grades, to me. Of course I can't "tell everybody," but I want to tell you, my reader, about this man's great blessing.
I had noticed him at the tent service on Sunday night. I had indeed been quite impressed by his earnest listening. He was there again on Tuesday evening, and also on Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon I met him on the street. We stood and talked a bit, and he told me that he wanted to be a Christian, not in name only, but in reality. He knew that he needed salvation because he was a lost sinner, and he also knew that the Lord Jesus was the only Savior.
I said to him, "You need not wait until the meeting tonight. Neither consecrated building nor so-called mourner's bench are necessary. You may yield to the Lord now. RIGHT HERE ON THE STREET OF YOUR NATIVE TOWN YOU MAY BE SAVED."
He thought for a moment, and then took my hand, and solemnly said, "I accept Christ as my Savior."
That was his decision; then followed his thanks. He said, "Lord Jesus, I accept Thee as my Savior." It was good to hear him talk like that, and to know that he meant what he said.
He had not been what would be called a bad man. He did not drink or gamble; and he was kind to his wife, and a good workman. There are thousands like him in these respects, but he needed the Savior. So does every man. He needed the Savior, because he was a sinner. Every man needs the Savior for the same reason, for "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).
On Saturday of that week I called at his home to see him, and I got a very hearty welcome. He told me that he could now say, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine." His wife, who was a Christian, said to me, "It was a happy day on Thursday. He came into the house saying. 'Christ is to be honored in this home." '
There are people who are very skeptical about such conversions. They do not see how a man can be "saved" at all. And if any do profess such things, they look upon it as "mob psychology"—a passing emotion, caused by the excitement of a revival service. And I freely acknowledge that there is a great deal of that kind of thing, a little of which would be too much. But this man was saved on the street on a dull, wet afternoon. There was no excitement there to make him do it; and what he did then and there has lasted, for he still says, "I truly thank God that I decided to accept Christ as my personal Savior. Tell everybody that Christ can be accepted on the street, same as I found Him."