"Then I will give you my card, and will remain at home to receive you. I have only to ask you as a point of honour not to mention my foolish remark."
The promise was given, and the gentleman handed his card to the religious teacher, who was startled at the rank of the man to whom he had spoken so faithfully; but addressing him by his title, he endeavoured to fix the Scripture in his mind: "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
Upon the next evening the promised visit was paid, and the stranger was introduced by his new friend to the family circle. For a time his lady was reserved (as well she might be), but after an hour's converse about "things spiritual," she became genial and kind. Before he left, the servants were called in, and the Missionary read and gave a short exposition of the chapter commencing with the words: "And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins;" after which he engaged in extempore prayer.
This was the first of many pleasant visits, and the commencement of a friendship with the family which had its proof of blessing,—certainly with its head, who received the doctrine of regeneration in its fulness. When a believer is impressed with the duty of witnessing for God, opportunities for doing so are sure to occur, and if he keeps simply to the Bible, good will of necessity result. He may speak with conscious feebleness, but his infirmity has nothing to do with the matter. The secret of success in Christian work is humility before God and meekness of wisdom before men, united with firm faith in the truth and power of the Divine Word. That Word can be spoken by, but can gain no improvement or strength from man. All experience gives proof of this, and we add two narratives, in confirmation of others, which show that the lodgment of passages from the Holy Scriptures is sufficient to accomplish the purposes of grace.
A Christian man was in the studio of a celebrated sculptor, fixing upon designs for the first drinking-fountains erected in London. When the order was given for cutting passages of Scripture in the solid granite, the sculptor objected, upon the ground of "leading the vulgar to despise the Scriptures, by making its words common." The point was reasoned with him, and the position taken, "that any word of God may lead the thoughts of men up to Him, and that the honouring of His truth must therefore be attended with beneficial results." The order was carried out, and for years the drinking-fountains of London have at the same time refreshed the people with pure water, and instructed them in words of heavenly wisdom. Upon one of them, in the Edgeware Road, is the Proverb, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life." One evening two young men passed it. The eldest was a barman, and the other was his youngest brother, who had just come up from the country. They had planned the robbery of the master in this way: the youth was to enter the bar as a stranger, to call for liquor, and to hand his brother sixpence; change for a sovereign or half-sovereign, according to the money in the till, was then to be handed back to him. This was to be repeated several times during the evening, and next day they were to meet and divide the spoil. As they passed the fountain the eye of the youth caught the inscription, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life," and he gazed at it with riveted attention. The teaching received at Sunday-school and a succession of corresponding Scriptures flashed into his mind. Turning to his brother, he said, "God will see us, and I dare not do this thieving." Next Sunday he attended a meeting of "The Young Men's Christian Association," and soon after became a decided Christian. Who can tell how many have been thus blessed by Wisdom making her voice heard in the public ways!
The other instance was that of an opportunity being embraced of speaking faithfully to eighteen highly intelligent young men. They had assembled in a classroom at the Royal Polytechnic, to receive instruction from a professor in chemistry. A Christian man had occasion to enter the room, and upon being informed that several of the young men were telegraph clerks, he reminded them that the word "religion" in Latin really meant "binding again,—the re-uniting of a broken communication;" and added, "This is the condition of us all in our natural estate. Communication is cut off between the sinner and the Almighty Creator. Faith in the Lord Jesus and the reception of the Holy Spirit are the only means by which communication can be re-established between the creature on earth and the offended Majesty of heaven; as it is written, 'Ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.'"
More than a year after this circumstance a young man lay upon his death-bed. A rapid consumption had reduced him to a shadow, and when he felt the end drawing nigh, he sent for the Christian visitor, to thank him for speaking so clearly of Jesus in the hall of many sciences. He was at that time "far off," but by faith in the risen Lord he had obtained mercy, and a blessed hope of everlasting life. He spoke of "the comfort of prayer," and "his sweet anticipation of glory," as proofs that communication had been established between him and the Father of his spirit. Soon after this he fell asleep in Jesus. In him the great object of the Church in all her labours was accomplished. Being ignorant, he was instructed in saving truth. Being separated from his God, he was drawn by the cords of Divine love; and then, being assured of resurrection life in Jesus, he laid down his mortal body that he might follow with the ransomed of the Lord, who enter Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads.
This great good resulted from one Scripture being fixed in the mind of that young man, "But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." To every Christian the Word is committed, and it is the duty of all to use it for the spiritual enlightenment of others. All whose communication with heaven has not been re-established, must be instructed in the saving truths of Holy Scripture. Opportunities to instruct the intellectual and the higher social classes in the grand but simple truths of salvation must not be lost; but to the poor the Gospel must be preached. They were and ever will be the objects of the deep solicitude of our Lord. He in a special manner was their Teacher: for them as for others He lived and agonized and died. They must not be permitted, as in our great cities, to continue in ignorance and sin, and with multitudes to die the death that is eternal. The Church universal must answer, "No!" She must gird on her strength, and convey the Book of God, which sheds the light of His salvation, into every dark dwelling,—that redemption's work may spread, and the people learn righteousness, to their salvation and to the praise of the glory of Divine grace.
