AN ARDENT evangelist was one day standing on a bridge over-looking a brook. He heard the hunter's horn. Very soon he saw the hounds approaching howling as they came. Before they got near a rabbit came running down the side of the stream. Every now and then it would leap into the water to try and throw the dogs off the scent.
When the hounds came up they were confused. The foremost hunter came up and called to the man on the bridge, "Have you seen the rabbit?"
"Yes."
"Which way did he go?"
"You must find that out yourself," he replied. And then he went on to say, "Man, I am a hunter for souls. Death on the pale horse with all the dogs of hell is on your track. They are pursuing you as you are pursuing the rabbit; and unless you flee to Christ, you will lose your soul."
"Oh!" he said, and rode away.
Shortly afterwards at a gospel meeting, the evangelist made use of that incident. The arrow of conviction went home to the heart of a drinking, gambling sportsman who was in the audience.
That same night when at home, he sprang out of bed in terror screaming, "Lord, save me! Lord, save me!"
His terrified wife jumped up and asked him what was the matter.
"Oh," he said, "I thought death on the pale horse was after me."
He laid down again; but scarcely had he fallen asleep when the same dreadful vision returned. Once more he cried to God to save him. Again he fell asleep, and the third time the dream came. He cried out:
"If I don't begin to pray, I shall be in hell before daylight."
Then in the darkness of the night husband and wife knelt in prayer, and the poor, death-hunted sportsman, betook himself to the river of life, where he met that blessed Saviour of sinners himself, who saved him and washed his sins and guilt all away. There he was enabled to baffle forever the hell hounds that were crying out for his soul.
Messages of the Love of God 1/26/1975