I WAS brought up under the influence of godly parents, and from the earliest times which I could remember, my father always got the family together on Sunday nights round the Word of God. What other effects this reading may have had on my life I don’t know, but it had the effect of teaching me very early that I was a sinner. The fear of being in hell caused me to have a continual dread, and I shuddered many times when I thought of what it must be like. Even yet when I think of a soul going there it causes me to recoil in horror, and I pray God that He will give me a greater desire to win souls.
At the time of my conversion I was fourteen years of age, and was in a situation which I found too hard for me, being of a slender build, so the thought struck me that if I became a Christian I could then ask God to put me in another situation. This may seem a very selfish motive to you, as it has to me many times since, but it had the effect of causing me to think that seeing I intended to trust Christ at some time or other, I might as well do so then as later. We were living at No. 5 E—H—Street, which is about a stone’s throw from C—L—, at that time, and I can remember going home, after finishing my work, and getting my tea, then going into the room (it was a room-and-kitchen house), getting down on my knees, confessing that I was a sinner, and asking God to save me, which I am sure He did. I was born first of all in the kitchen of that house, and I was born again in that room, which I think is not a common experience. That was seven years ago on the ninth of last August, and I can truly say that I “joy in God” more now than I did then. This was shortly after 7 P. M., and I came downstairs and met a companion, to whom I made the proposal that if he would come with me to a meeting of the Salvation Army and get converted, I would do likewise. I thought at the time that by so doing my conversion would be more real. However, he went with me and made a profession, but I think he was not in earnest at that time, though I am glad to say I believe he fully trusted Christ later on, and is now in heaven.
Needless to say, not long after that I obtained a situation, which I found to be as pleasant as the other was irksome.
J. B.