History was the only subject that interested Dave Burton. Books of history were his only reading. Kings and their deeds, statesmen and their debates, nations and their revolutions, wars and rumors of wars had complete possession of his mind. The past had for him far more interest than the present, and as to the future—well, he was “no prophet.”
One day a friend persuaded this historian to read a portion of an ancient writing of which he knew nothing. Much persuasion and persistence were needed before he would take the book which contained this bit of history; at last, however, he said only, “I will read it to please you.”
The part of the book which he had been asked to read was a letter addressed, To all that be in Rome, but as he read the letter, Burton discovered that it concerned everyone. This is what it said: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10-1210As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:10‑12).)
He could not pretend not to understand the meaning of the words. All the history that he had read had not touched him personally, but in the pages of this brief writing he saw the portrait of everyone, for there were also these words: all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19).)
The details of this portrait impressed him deeply. They were:
The eyes: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The mouth: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
The lips: The poison of asps is under their lips.
The tongue: With their tongues they have used deceit.
It was all summed up in the statement that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).) He had never seen such a history of the human race expressed in so few words! And the brief outline of all that he had read was “sin, and sin, and yet sin.”
When his friend came back to see him, he asked him what he thought of the book.
“What a dreadful picture,” said Burton. “It has haunted me like a nightmare.”
“Will you read another portion of the book?”
“Yes, if you will promise me that it will be more cheerful.”
“Certainly. You have read the third chapter of Romans, now read the third chapter of John’s gospel.”
As soon as he was alone, he took the Bible and opened to the chapter suggested.
“Another bit of history” was his thought as he read the first lines about a night visit of a man named Nicodemus with Jesus, but the third verse puzzled him: Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:33Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3).)
“It is evident,” he said to himself, “that Nicodemus did not understand these words,” and he was glad that Nicodemus asked an explanation.
Then he read the sixteenth verse: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).) The Holy Spirit showed him all the world, though guilty before God, was, in spite of all, the object of the love of God who gave His only and well-beloved Son.
“How beautiful this sixteenth verse is!” he said to his friend at their next meeting. “If I could only believe that it is for me.”
“You believe that the passage which you read in Romans is true, do you not?”
“Yes, and it has made me unhappy.”
“Well, the second passage comes to you with the same authority as the first.”
Dave Burton believed in the love of God for a guilty world. He believed that Jesus died for sinners—died for him; he understood that he would never perish but now had eternal life.
He became a man of a single book, and that book was the Bible. The Word of God was his constant study. The Word of God had been the means of saving his soul; he could not help but love it. He knew he was born again, born of the Spirit, and had eternal life.
“ The righteousness of God . . .
is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe:
for there is no difference:
for all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God.”