HE was a short, active-looking man when we first saw him. His manners and address were engaging, his eyes were small, but they shone with intelligence when he was debating upon some of his special topics.
His natural cuteness made William a difficult man to deal with when he challenged a public speaker, for he rarely risked anything in his wordy battles, but chose some well proved point of advantage when he made his attacks, and he usually succeeded in turning the laugh of the listeners against the speaker.
As a rule, he launched his skeptical questions when the younger and more inexperienced men were speaking, and in this he was not always fair; but one day he attacked a city solicitor, who had been a well-known adept with the boxing gloves. Knowing that it had cost Mr. R― a good deal to follow the Lord, he demanded in a sharp, offensive manner, “Tell me one thing that Christianity has done for you?”
“One thing,” rejoined Mr. R―, “I could tell you hundreds, along with peace of mind, rest of heart, and a clear conscience, but I’ll tell you one thing it has done for you!”
“What’s that?” snapped William.
“It has saved you many a good thrashing!” said the solicitor. The laugh was against him this time and William never forgot that. He had often spoken offensively, and had it not been for the restraining grace of ‘God Mr. R―could have thrashed him easily.
William was considered the boldest and most able infidel in the city, but his armor was pierced that day. He nevertheless continued his stubborn fights against the faith.
An earnest young man was telling a large crowd one evening what the Saviour had done for him, urging these who listened to also prove the saving power of Christ. Just then, William, with a brisk step came up to the outskirts of the gathering. Seizing his opportunity, he tartly exclaimed, “Speaker, tell us a book in the Bible where neither the name of the Lord nor of God is mentioned?”
The dear young fellow was floored instantly, and the people laughed when the infidel gave him another blow, as he exclaimed further, “What good can men like you do if you can’t answer the first question an enquirer asks?”
However, an older preacher pinned William afterward, holding him firmly till the issue was decided. He told the infidel of the mean advantage he often took in trying to upset young believers, who had not yet learned where all the books in the inspired volume were, much less what was in them; and that he did evil work by endeavoring to stop them in winning others from the broad road of corruption and sin by inviting them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“But,” he continued, “you want to know a book in the Bible where neither the name of the Lord nor of God is mentioned! Tell us, if you can, why they are not mentioned in the book of Esther?”
The infidel struggled and squirmed, and made many cloudy suggestions, but he was beaten on his own ground.
Following this up, the servant of Christ pressed for a private interview with William, for he knew that he was far from being at ease in his boasted infidel notions. With some difficulty he gat William’s promise to come to his house one night. There was special prayer made to God in regard to this interview. The servant of the Lord was very desirous that their talk should be of a quiet and rational character. William excelled in short, sharp, witty sayings, which were not always reliable or even truthful. As it was supper-time, they sat down to partake of food before approaching the great subject they had met to speak of.
“I always thank God for my meals! You will not object to my doing so this evening?” said the believer. The infidel bowed his head without any remark, and God was thanked for the food on the table, and also for the Bread of life provided in Christ for the souls of men. A strange silence followed. At last it was notable that William was in distress.
“You are taking nothing!” said his host.
Jumping up from his chair, William exclaimed, “I’m utterly miserable! I feel as if God is persecuting me!” They then both left the table, and seating themselves one each side of the fire, forgot all about the meal, and proceeded to converse.
“From what you have said there is a God after all! but He is not persecuting you, rather is He pursuing you to bring you to Himself,” said the believer.
“I can’t talk about the matter tonight,” he replied; “I’m not myself! I feel I’m all wrong!”
They spoke of various things, but William would not give battle in the cause of infidelity. His armor wherein he had trusted was gone, and his boasted powers had forsaken him; but with tears every now and then coursing down his cheeks, he talked gently and rationally.
The fact is, the faith which had acknowledged God as the Giver of the necessary mercies for our bodies, and Christ the Bread of life, had completely disarmed him. He had discovered himself in the presence of the living God, and he was undone before Him. Human argument was unnecessary. After a helpful conversation together they parted.
William forsook the cause for which he had fought zealously, and returned to be its champion no more. He wisely, like many another since, gave up a sinful, foolish, and degrading struggle. Many lessons, however, had to be learned in the quiet and more retired life which he then sought. The weight of his sins was a heavy burden upon his awakened conscience. The sense of his own inherent sinfulness was very bitter to his soul. The scorn of old skeptical friends was as nothing compared to his dread of the wrath of a holy God, whose great name he had so often blasphemed. William was a broken sinner before Him.
The light, however, began to dawn upon the darkness of his distressed soul. It was glad tidings indeed to him when he understood the truth of the gospel. He rejoiced as he saw that the God against whom he had sinned so grievously, had been fully satisfied by the atoning work of Christ for the believer’s sins; and that after our Lord Jesus Christ had died for him, God had raised Him from among the dead for his justification, so that he was justly cleared from all charge. Gladness filled his heart now he had received the Saviour God had provided for sinners. Not only was his infidelity gone―and not only were his sins gone in the work of Christ on the cross, and from his conscience, too―not only was the darkness and distress gone from his soul―but now the light of God was his, peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ was his portion, and true joy in a living personal Saviour made William one of the happiest of men.
We have described what he was like when we first saw him. The last time was when the writer was leaving his office on a Saturday at the close of the week’s business. A kindly touch upon his arm caused him to turn round and gaze enquiringly at the pleasant, happy countenance of an elderly-looking man.
“Don’t you know me?” he inquired with a smile.
It was William! So entirely different was he, that it was difficult to recognize him at first sight. We shook hands heartily, and spoke together of our wonderful Saviour and Lord. Then, as we were parting, there was a look in his eyes which words fail to describe, as from those lips which so often had denied His existence―we heard, oh! so tenderly and so earnestly― “God bless you!”
Reader, has God blessed you? It not, it is because you have refused the blessing, for He waits to bless every needy sinner, who will come in “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:2121Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)).
V.