The subject of this narrative was a young man, brought up in a Christian home, with all its hallowed influences and sacred associations. Instead of following in the steps of his godly parents an inordinate ambition to amass wealth and climb to the top of the commercial ladder swayed him completely.
One Lord’s Day, tired of the home life, he decided to visit some relations in a neighboring town. On reaching the house, he was informed that the family had gone to church. Turning on his heels, he muttered:
“Bother this religion!”
In order to while away the time, he went for a walk. Suddenly a storm broke over the town, and he was compelled to seek refuge in a church. The place was crowded; a vacant seat was found just in front of the preacher, an aged and faithful servant of Christ.
He was just announcing his text:
He repeated it three or four times, then said: “There may be a young man in this company who is determined to get on at all cost, to become a wealthy man, or to attain a position of influence in this world. If so, let me ask him to seriously consider these words:
‘What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?’ “
How far these words affected him, it is difficult to say, but let us follow our young friend. He went to L. The restraints of home gone, he plunged into all gaiety of the great city.
Like many another, he sought satisfaction in one continual whirl of pleasure.
What the prodigal found in the far-off country was that companionship with the world brought him down to feed on husks, and this he had to learn also.
The Lord Jesus, in speaking to the guilty daughter of Samaria, said:
Every sin-stained stream of earth bears witness to the truth of these words. Have you found this out, my reader?
God had His eye on the young man of our story. Wherever he went those words rang in his ears:
“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” They spoiled his pleasure, and disturbed his peace.
Dissatisfied, he determined to visit P., hoping amid fresh scenes of gaiety and pleasure to find the satisfaction he craved for. God followed him there. Those words continually rang in his ears:
“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
Sleep departed, anguish and agony of soul possessed him. He retraced his steps to L. and stayed the night at a hotel.
The Spirit of God had been working in his soul, teaching him the emptiness of earth’s wealth and splendor; the hollowness of its gilded charms. As he retired to rest he heard someone singing,
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds.”
Listening attentively he found it came from the adjoining room. Looking through the keyhole, he saw that the singer was an old gentleman. After the hymn was finished, he read the Word of God and then knelt in prayer.
The listener could resist no longer, he knocked at the door.
A voice from within said, “Who is there?” He answered,
“A young man in deep anxiety of soul.”
“Come in! come in!”
There and then he pointed him to Jesus, the Savior of sinners, and spoke of the precious blood which cleanseth from all sin, and fits the vilest sinner who believes, for the presence of God.
In that room, divine light shone into the young man’s soul, he discovered for himself the value and preciousness of the name of Jesus.
The courts of heaven rang with triumph; another repentant sinner had turned to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, for salvation.
Our young friend retired to rest (real rest this time). A divine peace filled his soul; his thirst had been quenched at the fountain of living water.
What the world had failed to give, he found in Christ. He was both saved and satisfied. He did not awake until a late hour in the morning, and to his sorrow found the old gentleman who had pointed him to Christ had gone, but the peace and rest remained with him.
Years rolled by and he became a successful man of business, but instead of the love of money controlling him, he delighted to use his means to minister to others.
Through the good hand of God, in process of time he again came across his old friend, who was in temporal need. You can picture the deep joy of his heart in being able to minister to and care for him. He had reaped spiritual blessing, and it was a delight to minister temporal good. If you had asked him in after life:
“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” he would have answered, “Misery, eternal misery!”
What is your answer? Put in the scale on one side the wealth of a Rockefeller, a Morgan and a Rothschild; and in the other the value of your immortal soul. Your final destiny hangs upon your answer.