SOME years ago a servant of the Lord—Dr. C. J. Davis, a native of Barbadoes, West Indies, familiarly called “the Good Black Doctor” by the soldiers amongst whom he labored during the Franco-German war of 1871—on his way from London to a town on the sea coast (where he was going on his Master’s service, and also with the hope of recruiting his health a little, which had become much broken down by arduous duties), entered a railway carriage in which were several passengers. Having had to hurry to the station, he sat down, and, leaning back in his seat to recover his breath, looked out of the window. Presently the train moved on, and as they passed the busy crowds still left on the platform, he heaved a sigh as he thought of the multitudes rushing through this world without, perhaps, any concern about eternity or their precious souls. It might have been the heavy sigh, or his color and general appearance, that attracted the notice of an elderly lady seated opposite him, for he soon became conscious that she was regarding him with marked attention. She said to her companion:
“What an interesting looking person that is! He looks ill. What a fine race of people he must belong to! I wonder who he is? Do you think he is a Turk or a Hindu?”
“I think he is an Indian,” said the young lady.
“I wish we could speak to him, continued the elderly lady; “I quite long to tell him the way to heaven. How sad it is that such a fine, intelligent-looking people should bow down to images and stocks and stones! What a pity we can’t speak to him! for he doesn’t seem to understand a word we say.”
“Perhaps he may be able to read English a little, if he cannot speak it,” suggested the young lady.
“You might offer him a tract,” said one of the gentlemen: The elderly lady opened her bag, and from a number selected one, which she presented to him with a smile and a motion to read it. He received the tract, bowed his thanks, and read it in silence.
While he was reading it they talked together of the desirableness of increased exertion on the part of this Christian land to send the gospel to the heathen, and much was said about the great good accomplished in various parts by missionary efforts, etc.
Availing himself of a pause in the conversation, our friend in good English thanked the lady for her care for his soul, telling her it was an all-important object to him, adding: “I heard you say, madam you longed to tell me the way to heaven; have the kindness to tell me how I may be sure of going there—I want to hear that. This tract does not tell me how I may be sure now that I shall be saved. It tells me to repent of my sins and to pray; but how can I know when I have prayed and repented enough? Can you not tell me plainly how I may be sure of getting to heaven? Have you no other book that tells a poor sinner how he may get to heaven?”
“Oh, yes,” said the lady; “the Bible, which is the word of God, was given on purpose to show the way to heaven. Read the Bible and pray, and you will be sure to go to heaven.”
“Can you show me in God’s word where that is said? Where does it say that if I pray I shall go to heaven? I want to be sure of that. Have you a Bible, madam? and can you point out the word which plainly tells how I may be sure of that?” She had no Bible in her bag. The other three passengers were appealed to for a Bible, but no one carried a Bible about with them.
At length our friend drew the precious volume from his pocket, and holding it up, said: “Is that the Book you mean, madam? If it he the word of God, given on purpose to show the way to heaven, it will surely give plain directions. Will you kindly show me where?”
The lady took the Bible, and, turning over the leaves confusedly said, “I do not exactly know where to find what I want to show you, but it says if you repent of your sins and pray earnestly you will be saved.”
“That does not satisfy me. How am I to know that I have prayed enough to satisfy God? Can you not point out one portion that is enough to rest upon?”
Turning to her companion, she said: “Can you find it?” She answered, “No.” The poor lady asked the others in turn, and the Bible was offered to each with the entreaty that they would point out some portion that told plainly how the sinner was to get to heaven; but all confessed their inability to recollect where such passages could be found.
The lady returned the Bible, and said: “Well, I cannot find the place, but if you will call upon the Rev. Mr.― when you reach Folkestone, he will tell you. He is a very good man, an evangelical clergyman, and he will be happy to direct you.”
“But, madam, we may never reach Folkestone. The train may run off the line, and we may be all killed. We may have a collision. Many things may happen. I do not know that I may live to see Folkestone. Can none of you Christians tell a poor foreigner how he may be saved? You are moved with pity for his darkness and ignorance; can you not help him to the light?”
“I have told you, you must pray,” said the lady. “The Bible says so.”
He took the Bible, and opening it at John 3:14-16,14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For 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 3:14‑16) read out the verses: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 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.” Then John 5:24: “ ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.’” And Acts 13:38-39: “ ‘Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.’ Are these the portions you mean, madam?” he asked.
“Yes, that is what I could not remember.”
“But you told me I must pray and repent. This precious Book tells me to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Praise to His name! The poor foreigner can trust that blessed word, and know he is safe for heaven—saved through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ which was finished on the cross more than 1800 years ago, and is happy in knowing he is justified from all things in virtue of that blood shed for sinners, and not by his own prayers and repentance—happy in knowing Christ made peace by the blood of His cross!”
Can you, reader, thus speak of yourself as saved? If not, oh, turn to the sin-forgiving Saviour at once. Do not tarry, for if you put it off the door of mercy may be closed, and you may be lost forever? Remember, today is the day of salvation— “Now.” If you trifle with God’s salvation now, what can await you in the future but punishment and wrath!
Our colored friend then proceeded at some length to set forth to his astonished fellow-travelers the love that led God to send His Son into this world to die for sinners, and the love that brought the Son to do the will of His Father. He told them how He who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners—He who knew no sin—was “made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
“Stop, sir,” said one of the gentlemen, angrily; “this is no place for such holding forth. It is neither the time nor place, sir.”
“When is the time and where is the place, in this Christian land, for a Christian to speak of Christ?” calmly, but earnestly, asked the doctor.
“Sunday is the time, sir, and the church is the place, but not a railway carriage. This is a very improper place.”
They had reached the end of their journey, and parted to meet no more on earth, for “the Good Black Doctor” was seized with a severe attack of smallpox a few days after his arrival at Sedan, and was soon after taken to be forever with the Lord.
Reader, are you happy in knowing Christ has made peace by the blood of His cross?