"And what do you do on Sunday?" The preacher thus questioned his taxi-driver.
"I have no Sunday," replied the man. "That's the day when I have most to do. Almost always there is a picnic crowd wanting service. I have no time for religion. And after all, it means nothing to me.”
The car ran smoothly, and without effort they overtook one vehicle after another. The preacher said to himself: "I must get at this man's conscience; but how?" And indeed the chauffeur was a fine specimen of a man. He and his car seemed made for each other, but neither God nor his soul had any place in his thoughts.
"You have a splendid engine," remarked the preacher, after a while, hoping to draw his man out a little.
"You won't find a better one, sir.”
"How many cylinders?”
"Six.”
"And your speed?”
The man turned to the speaker and winked.
At that moment a sharp listener could have heard an almost imperceptible change in the sound of the engine. The practiced ear of the driver caught it at once. He quickly moved some levers, but the car slowed down and stopped.
"What is the matter?" asked his passenger.
The chauffeur did not reply at once. He got out, made some adjustments, and on resuming his seat said: "Oh, nothing much. One of the cylinders wasn't working.”
They resumed their course and soon attained a still greater speed than before, and with an ease of motion which suggested almost unlimited power.
"Why didn't you run on with the five remaining cylinders?" asked the traveler. "They would have been enough for the trip, wouldn't they?”
"Well, sir, I am not satisfied unless all parts of my machine are working well.”
"All six cylinders have to be working?”
"Yes, sir.”
"I know a machine that runs on three cylinders," remarked the preacher.
"May I ask who the maker is?" said the man, evidently interested.
"Never mind that for the present," was the answer. "It has three cylinders, but the driver runs only on two.”
"What! All the time, sir?”
"Yes.”
"Then, sir, the man must be a fool. No machine could stand it. Does his boss know about it?" "Yes.”
"And he keeps him on without saying anything?”
"He speaks about it now and then, but the man will not listen to anything he says," replied the traveler sadly. "He is a good master, and very patient; but he says he will punish the man some day, and I know he will keep his word.”
“Excuse me, sir," said the driver, greatly puzzled; "but that master must be yourself!”
The preacher smiled. "No, it is someone with much more love and patience than I. Let me tell you what I mean. God is our master. He has made us, and we are the machines with three cylinders. They are called spirit, soul and body. Now you, my friend, are running on only two—the spirit (or feelings) and the body; and you let the third cylinder, your immortal soul, stay silent and dead. You even prevent it from doing its proper work.”
"Ah!" said the man. "You've got me there!”
"But God is full of love and patience," the preacher went on. "He has not dismissed you yet; I know that, since He has led me to speak to you. But don't trifle with so kind a Master. Accept the pardon He offers you through the Lord Jesus Christ, and get your three cylinders running together.”
They had reached their destination. The preacher shook hands heartily with the man, who said, as they parted: "Sir, I've been a fool, and I see what I've been doing. Here and now, before God, I promise to give my soul into His keeping. Thank you for warning me.”