HEARING a noise outside his house, he went out and found a drunken man on the pavement. Being an earnest Christian and a preacher of the Gospel, instead of giving the poor man in charge, he brought him into his house and set him down in his study, where he fell into a deep sleep. On waking, after a time, he asked where he was, and was told, in a preacher’s study. He then demanded drink, but was told he could not give him that, but would give him a cup of tea, and take one himself also. The man became communicative, and told the preacher he was a burglar, and in evidence pulled a jemmy out of his pocket. His host asked him to give it him as a souvenir, told him he would pray for him, and bid him send for him if he was ever in trouble.
Some years after, when the remembrance of the incident had passed from his mind, after preaching one evening a piece of paper was put into his hand, bearing a request that he would go and see a dying man. On reaching the address given, he was directed to a miserable garret in one of the slums, and there upon some dirty sacks he found a dying man, who told him that he was the man he had befriended on the occasion above related, and reminded him that lie had asked to be sent for if the speaker was in trouble. The Christian found that God had been before him, and had wrought conviction in the conscience of the burglar, who was now broken before God. And what he desired was to know how he might be saved.
The preacher gladly put the gospel of the grace of God before him, which would show him how God had sent His Son into the world and that He had borne the sinner’s judgment on the cross, and, having died for our sins, God had raised Him from the dead, and given Him glory, in proof of His perfect satisfaction with the work He had wrought.
Before the preacher left him, the penitent thief had put faith in the Saviour of sinners, and found peace with God (Rom. 4:23-2523Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:23‑25); vss. 1, 2); like another repentant robber, who at “the eleventh hour” met and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 23:39-4339And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39‑43)). Both proofs of that Scripture― “a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psa. 51:1717The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalm 51:17)).
You, my reader, are not a burglar, nor probably a drunkard, but you are a sinner. You reply, perhaps, “How do you know?” I answer that, although I do not know you, GOD says, “All have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), and that takes in you, me and everyone else. You therefore need repentance, and you need the Saviour whom God has provided for all (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). But you may not have an eleventh-hour chance of salvation. You may be cut off suddenly in your sins! You have the present moment. It is the day of grace, i.e., free unmerited favor, the day of salvation. Close with God’s offer of salvation, while you have the opportunity. “Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart.” And you will not only be safe for eternity, but you will have the joy of this great salvation, and the enjoyment of the love of God (Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)) for the rest of your life here.
W. G. B.