When John Marshall was hardly more than a boy, he left his home in the country to work in a large city. For a while its attractions were a fruitful source of amusement and occupation for his restless and inquisitive mind. These, however, beginning to pall, John experienced some difficulty in finding pleasant occupation for his evenings. His conscience, evidently under the influence of the Spirit of God, told him that he had a soul needing salvation, sins that needed forgiveness, an eternity that must be spent— somewhere.
One evening in particular, after supper and a change of clothes, he was in a quandary what to do with himself. That day conscience had been pricking most uncomfortably, and he consequently felt a bit "down." Then the devil suggested to him that the very best antidote for low spirits was a "good play." To this he agreed with some slight misgiving, and accordingly set forth for the theater.
On the way John saw a company of Christians holding a gospel meeting at a street corner. Some words of the preacher reached his ears as he carefully kept on the far side of the street. "Deliver him from going down to the pit" came faintly to him as he hurried on.
This fragment of Scripture somehow renewed the disturbance his mind had experienced all that day, and which he was now bent on allaying with the remedy of a "good play." But John was strong minded; he would not let a little thing like that sway him from his purpose. So he passed on quickly, and soon mingled with the crowd at the theater door. He was as strenuous as the rest to be in first. He made for a certain entrance. He had been there before, but he looked up at the printed notice to confirm his being in the place he wished. Yes, he was right. There was the notice plain enough "THIS WAY TO THE PIT.”
But, how is this? The simple notice seemed strange—unique. It seemed blazoned with fire. It was in truth "a writing on the wall," as if written by the finger of God in direst warning. It was alive with a new meaning to John. It filled his soul with awe, dismay, terror. It clearly read to him— "THIS WAY TO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT." He hesitated; he stopped; he gazed at the notice again; and this time, with an exclamation of terror and despair, he turned and struggled out of the crowd, deaf to the remonstrance of the people.
He soon got clear, and made his way along the street as if pursued by the demons of hell. But whither, whither? The words of life, as uttered by the street preacher, came back to him with redoubled force. He went straight to the place where the meeting was held. The company was still there, and John stood at a safe distance on the outskirts of the crowd.
In a few minutes the outside meeting broke up, and an invitation was given for all who would to come into a room over a shop to hear further of God's wonderful salvation. Among others John went in, selecting a seat in the farthest and darkest corner where he would be least in evidence. The preacher spoke from the text, "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." John 5:2424Verily, 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. (John 5:24).
The speaker first dwelt on the need of those for whom the text was spoken. This was so lucidly done that John began to suspect the preacher knew him personally, and was directing all his oratory "at him." Thus his keen interest was secured. By-and-by the conditions of God were expatiated upon— hearing the Word which condemns, which tells of atonement made by Christ, and which issues an invitation worldwide to accept salvation. Next, believing in God who gave His Son, and that all the rest are results of these simple conditions, but verified as promises of God, which results are (1) present possession of everlasting life; (2) deliverance from the condemnation of hell; (3) and the instant transition from a death-state to a life-state, i.e., conversion.
"Oh," thought John; "I never knew it was so gloriously simple! I'll have it!”
And have it he did. He stayed a while after the meeting to have things more fully explained, then went to his lodgings happy in the knowledge of sins forgiven. The first words he uttered to his landlady were: "Missis, I'm converted!”
He expected the news to have an electrical effect on her, for she was a "chapel woman." But alas! She only looked superciliously, almost pityingly, as she answered, "Oh, I've felt like that myself before now, but it passed away. So it will with you, lad; aye, by tomorrow morning." With this cold comfort John retired to rest.
The landlady might have been a prophetess, with her wretched owl-like pronouncement, for with the morning light John's "feelings" had passed away. Was the landlady right after all? Saved last night—was he this morning? Curious! He sighed sorrowfully. But suddenly he remembered the text of last night. He remembered it was a most positive one—one that spoke with no uncertain sound. "Well, well," he said, "I've changed, it's true; my feelings are quite contrary to last night; but I'll just look up the verse, and if IT isn't changed— why, I am converted after all.”
John looked the passage up. Yes, it stood forth as boldly as ever in its august, divine grandeur—his side, God's side— quite plain. He thumped the Bible in an enthusiastic outburst of faith as he exclaimed, "Praise God! His Word hasn't changed, only my feelings; and I am saved after all through belief in God and His Son. Hallelujah!”
And it was true. Since that time he has been preaching the same "old story" over and over, and God has blessed his efforts.