Peter prayed that he might give a right answer. “God says, sir, in His book, that ‘there is none that doeth good, no, not one,’ and that ‘He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ The rich man we have been reading about does not seem to have done much harm, and very likely he thought himself pretty good, and yet he went to hell.”
“Then how is a man ever to get to heaven?” asked the captain, somewhat petulantly.
“God says, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.’ He wants us to take Him at His word. He tells us that our own good deeds are as filthy rags, and that we must trust to the sacrifice of Christ, to His blood shed for us; and thus we shall be clothed with His righteousness, with His pure and spotless robe; and so God will not look upon our iniquities, because He has accepted Christ’s punishment instead of what we deserved, and we shall therefore not be punished.”
Thus Peter continued to place the loving Gospel before his captain. The latter listened, often asking some more questions. At last he put his hands before his eyes, and murmured, “It’s wonderful that a mere boy should know all this, and be able to explain it so clearly. It’s true; yes, I am sure of that.”
“Let us pray, sir, that God’s Holy Spirit will bring it home to your heart,” said Peter, as if the remark had been made to him. “God has said we shall not ask in vain.”
The captain’s eye brightened; a new hope, new thoughts and feelings, rose in his bosom.
Peter again turned to his book. He read many portions, the captain appearing in no way wearied.
He was so employed when a shout reached their ears, and Peter, going out of the tent, saw old Hixon making his way down the rocks. He brought his sou’-wester full of water.
“Praised be God, we have found a spring two miles off. There was nothing else to bring it in but this,” he said, offering the water to the captain and Peter. “The rest of the men collected near it, but when I told them that they ought to come and help to carry you up the hill, captain, they said they were free now, and didn’t acknowledge any man’s authority.”
“I should have thought, Hixon, from what I know of you, that you would have been among them,” observed the captain.