The Gospel was being preached one Lord’s Day evening to a company of people in a room at— , when a dark-colored man entered in Indian dress. Taking his seat among the rest, he listened with marked attention to all that the speaker said.
At the close of the meeting, a Christian lady present, feeling interested in the stranger, went up to him, and, entering into conversation, inquired if he was a believer on the Lord Jesus?
“I believe all that I have heard, all that the gentleman said,” he replied. “I believe in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It has washed me from my sins. I know that I am saved. This morning I went to a great grand place, and when it was all over a gentleman came to me and asked me if I liked it? I say, “Not at all, I not like the whole thing, I love Jesus. You did not say much about Jesus. I want all Jesus.”
“A lady then asked me to go to her house, and I had a long talk with her. I spoke plainly to her, and I ask, her if she know she was saved?” She says, “You cannot know that, you must wait till you come to die. I know some believe they are saved, but I think they are presumptuous.”
“I tell her that what God said in His Word is true. It is not presumption to believe that. The Word tells us that Christ has finished the work, and if we believe we may know we are saved.”
As it was now time to leave, he asked the lady who was speaking with him if he might call at her house, and having received her consent, the next morning paid his visit.
Being asked what had brought him away from his country and how he was converted, he gave the following interesting account of God’s dealings with him.
“I lived with a rich lady and gentleman a long while in India. They had a beautiful place, and plenty of money. I was her servant and sat at her feet, and wait upon her always. At last her husband, the great Sahib, died. And then my lady, she calls me and say, ‘A—, I am returning to England, and we must part. The money is nearly all gone, and I am quite poor: I cannot afford to pay you, so you must not come with me.’
‘Are you poor?’
‘Yes, very poor.’
‘Then I will go with you. I not want wages. I gladly serve you for nothing.’
At last she agree to take me with her, and she say she give me what she can afford.
We come to England and settle at—. My lady goes to many houses where they read the Bible, and I go with her. I not like her to go anywhere by herself, she was so delicate. There were some great people there. My lady would not go anywhere else, only where the Bible was read. I heard about Jesus. I learnt much in my head, but I did not know Him.
At last my lady was taken ill. I always wait upon her. Every morning she read out of the Bible, and explain to me, but I did not think about what she say, I remembered texts, but I did not think about it.
When she finds she soon going to leave this world, she called me one day, and she say, ‘A—, here’s a five pound note for you.’
‘For me, for me. I have four gowns, and I can use pieces of your dresses to make my turban. I do not want it. You cannot afford to give it to me. I will not take it. We shall want it all, we shall want it for the house.’
‘A—, I’m going to leave you a will.’
‘Ah! a pretty lot of money you owe me. But you have no money. I know you cannot leave me any.’ I say this to cheer her, because she was often so sad.
‘No, A—, I’ve something better than money to leave you. I have the will and testament of our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m going to leave this world, I’m going to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus. If you believe this book, you can come to me. We shall not long be parted. Don’t shed tears. Promise me you will read this book, and believe it, and we shall soon meet again.’
When she was gone, I read the Word, and I remember what she says. It all came back to me, the things that she told me. And Jesus came into my heart. And I know now that I am saved, and I am going to be with Jesus, and I shall meet her again.”
“How was it you had no faith when she read to you?”
“Ah! I was so occupied in attending my lady, I not think about it as I ought.”
“Then came the funeral. I not like your way of burying. I wanted to stay with her to the end. But they would not let me. But I often crept up the stairs to see her when they did not know. We went to the grave, and the minister met tis, and he read, read, read. I listen to what he say, and presently he say hope, hope. And I say, Hope! she did not hope, she sure. She said she was sure. Why for you say hope? She has gone to be with Jesus. She not down there, and I point to the grave. I know when she left me she went up to be with Jesus. She told me so. And you say Hope! Don’t say hope; sure. I am sure she has gone to be with Him.”
“When I was a boy I was brought up in a missionary school, and was a made Christian. I was baptized and I was confirmed. I was a made Christian. But I did not know Jesus. But now I have the Lord in my heart. It is a different thing. I know that I’m going to be with Him. I don’t want money, I only want to keep near the Lord.”
A—continued following his Saviour, gaining his livelihood in the service of another family. Perhaps this true story may illustrate the difference between “profession” and “possession.”
ML 10/22/1916