Half-past ten at night found the little market town almost as still as a buried city. A policeman on night duty, standing near a corner, noticed a man who was evidently talking to himself as he walked along, so he determined to lie in ambush and listen. The shadow of an angle served his purpose well, and he was scarcely posted there, when the man paused at the corner, still muttering to himself; but all that the policeman could hear was,
"I'll catch 'em, maybe, if I wait here."
There were several things that peculiarly interested the constable in this man. He had often noticed him in the town, but had hardly ever seen him sober at night before. Besides, that particular district where they now were was out of the man's usual track; and again the constable wondered whom he was waiting to and what he wanted with "them," if he caught them. So he continued to watch and listen.
Presently he heard voices and footsteps, and observed that the man peered cautiously round the corner, and became evidently a little excited as he saw who approached. Then two gentlemen stopped close by him, one a tradesman of the town, the other a stranger. They grasped hands for a moment, and the first said,—
"God bless you! I hope you will get home safely! It is a good five mile."
The poor man, who was in evident distress of mind, immediately stepped forward, and said,—
"I beg your pardon, but may I speak to you?"
"Certainly," replied the gentleman who had just been spoken of as having a walk of five miles before him, and who had been conducting an evangelistic service in the large hall of the town that evening.
"I was at your meeting tonight, sir! I'm sober the first time for many a year, least-ways at night, and I'm regular took down tonight, sir. I saw I was a sinner as you talked, and nobody can't help me 'kept it's Jesus; but where can I go to find Him? I don't quite understand that."
There was a tone of such real earnestness in his words, that both the listening policeman and the two friends were sure that the man's inquiry was honest and sincere.
"You can find Him right here, under this lamp," said the evangelist. "The Bible says, 'The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth;' and 'The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit!' Do you really come, sorry for your sin? Do you want to find Jesus, and to have Him as your Savior from sin?"
"Yes, I do, for sure."
"Then He says, 'Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Will you call upon Him now?"
"O, yes," was the eager reply. In a minute the two friends were kneeling with this anxious one under the light of that street lamp where they had met, and the latter prayed in simple language, telling God all his need, and literally accepting the word of God that he was redeemed.
Months afterwards, when they met again, the change in him was most marked. "All things" had "become new." His conversation was real, because his faith, though simple, was real.
Reader, do you want to know where to find Christ—pardon—peace? Just wheresoever you are when you read this. Believe God's word concerning His Son, and trust His grace, and you shall know you are saved.
It is certain that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and therefore to save you. All that is needed is that you should believe this, and accept Him as your Savior.
Will you do this? Will you do so now?
"Reader, whereso'er thou art,
At the Cross there's room;
Tell the burden of thy heart;
At the cross there's room;
Tell it in thy Savior's ear,
Cast away thine every fear;
Only speak, and He will hear,
At the Cross there's room!"
It was not because that poor man did such an extraordinary thing as to kneel in a public street, under that lamp, that he went home "justified," but because he believed God. If you will now believe what God says about His Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior for sinners, therefore, for you, you also will be saved and justified.