When I was in Boston I went to Sunday School One day the teacher came to the shop I worked in, and put his hand on my shoulder and talked to me about Christ and my soul.
I said, "How strange. This man never saw me till a few days ago, and he is weeping over my sins. I never shed a tear about them."
I understand now what it is to weep for men's souls. I don't remember what he said, but I can feel the power of that young man's hand on my shoulder tonight. It was not long before I was brought into the kingdom of God. I traveled far after that but often thought I would like to see that man again. Some years later I was at Boston again, preaching. A fine looking young man came up the aisle and said, "I should like to speak with you, Mr. Moody; I have often heard my father talk about you."
"Who is your father?" I asked.
"Edward Kemble," was the reply.
"My old Sunday School teacher!" I exclaimed The young man was called Henry and was seventeen years old. I put my hand on his shoulder just where his father had done, and said, "You are as old as I was when your father put his hand on my shoulder. Are you a Christian, Henry?"
"No, sir," he said; and as I talked to him about his soul with my hand on his shoulder, the tears began to trickle down.
"Come," I said, "I will show you how you can be saved," I prayed with him and read Isaiah chapter 53: `All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned every one to his own way.' "Do you believe that, Henry? Is that true?" I asked "Yes, sir, I know that's true and that's what troubles me: I like my own way."
"But there is another sentence yet, Henry: 'The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' Do you believe that, Henry?"
"No, I do not, sir."
"Why do you believe one part of God's word and not another. Here are two things against you, and you believe them. Here is one in your favor, but you won't believe it. Why abuse God's word in this way?"
"Well, if I did, I could be saved."
"I know you could," I replied, "and that's exactly what I want you to do. But you take the bitter, and won't have the sweet with it."
So I reminded him and kept reminding him that "God has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all."