I was settled in the coach of a train which was about to start when a young man sat beside me and began humming a hymn. I listened while four times over he repeated the tune. That being the length of the hymn, I thought to myself, Anyone who hums one of Sankey's hymns in a train is probably not a bad sort.
As the train moved away, a lady handed around some gospel tracts, and the young man, noting the title of one, said: "May I pass it on?"
"Certainly", replied the lady.
Observing the title myself I said to him:
"Do you know the meaning of that?"
"Yes," he replied.
"The real meaning in your heart and soul?"
"Yes, thank God, I do."
"How did it all come about?"
"Do you see that farm through the trees?" he said, pointing through the window. "That's where I come from. Have been there for some time now. My first boss was a Christian who thought a good deal about us fellows and was always trying to do us good.
"He had gospel meetings every week for us; but I couldn't be bothered with them. I didn't want to be a Christian, like some of my friends.
"Yet I wasn't a bad sort of fellow. I liked my glass of beer and a quiet game of cards; but I hated all the things the boss was so keen about.
"So things went on until I found that a strange complaint was affecting me. I could not get through my day's work as I used to do. I did my level best, but it was not good enough.
"At last the boss saw that there was something wrong, and one day he said: 'Tom, drive to see the doctor; let him overhaul you. You are not right; you can't get through your work as you used to. When you come back, let me know what the doctor says.'
'Now its certainly all up,' I thought. 'The doctor will probably say: 'Young man, you haven't long to live.'
'Then the boss will turn me off, and there I'll be—just done.'
"So I drove off. The doctor lived 10 miles away, and I didn't hurry, I can tell you. I got turning things over a bit, and it seemed as if I were talking to myself in this sort of way: 'Look here, Tom, you are in a bad way. Probably you'll get bad news from the doctor. He may tell you that you haven't long to live. And if you've got to die, you'll just wish you were a Christian. Then it will be awful mean to try and give yourself to Christ just because you are scared and have got to die.
'But then Tom, if the doctor says you will be all right in six months, you won't mind, and you won't want to be a Christian then, will you?'
"And so I got working it backwards and forwards in my mind till I saw that there was only one right and honest thing to do, and that was to give myself up to the Lord Jesus Christ before I got to the doctor and knew what my future might be.
"So I pulled up by the roadside and got down on the grass and said, 'Lord Jesus, it's no use my going on like that any longer. I am all wrong. I am a big sinner. I am lost and I know it. I've just got to go and see the doctor, and I don't know what he'll say to me. But I want Thee, Lord Jesus, to take me just now and here, if Thou wilt, and forgive me, and change my life. Take away my sins, and keep me from sin. O, take me as I am!'
"And the Lord just did it. And I just trusted in Him then and there as my own personal Savior.
"And then didn't I go joyfully over the road the rest of the way! I didn't care what might happen now. Going along, the Lord seemed to talk to me just as distinctly as if He were sitting by my side. He seemed to say: 'Tom, you are Mine?'
"Yes Lord"
'All Mine—spirit, soul and body?'
"Yes, Lord."
'Well Tom, I want to send you on some errands for Me—to take some messages for Me. But I want My messengers to be as much like Me as possible, and be holy.' So the Voice seemed to whisper: 'I want you to give up taking any kind of strong drink, for I don't like My servants to touch it. It is not a good example to others; and it ruins so many.'
'Lord!' said I, 'I'll never want to touch it again.'
'And then, Tom, I want My messengers to have sweet breath when they speak My messages; and I do not want them to waste their money.'
"No. Lord, I can see that plainly enough now."
'So, Tom, just for My sake, give up your smoking.'
"Away went my pipe, pouch and tobacco into the field, for I really felt that God was claiming me altogether.
"I got to the doctor and he examined me all over. Then he said: 'Young man, I can put you all right if you will attend to my instructions. You must give up all alcoholic drink; it is bad for your complaint.'
"I've given it up already," I said.
'And then you must try and do without tobacco smoking.'
"Well, doctor, that's given up, too."
'You'll be all right if you are careful, young man.'
"Thank you, doctor, but I seem all right now! I got put right on the way here."
'Then why did you come to me?'
"Fact is, doctor, I met another Physician on the way to you."
Another doctor— what do you mean? There's no other doctor within forty miles of me. What's his name?'
"Reverently, and with tears coursing down my cheeks (for I could not keep them back,) I said: "His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, doctor; and I up and told Him all that happened. He took my hand and said: 'Young man, I thank you for your honest and bold confession. I wish I could say the same as you can; but I can't. Still you have helped me, and I thank you. God bless you. You'll be all right before long in every way.
"That's how it all came about, and I've been praising the Lord ever since. And I am glad to help in the Lord's work any way I can.