THERE is a quiet seaside village situated at no great distance from the Scottish capital. The majority of its inhabitants are fisher folk with a large sprinkling of God-fearing men amongst them. The minority are miners, newcomers comparatively speaking, since the neighboring pit has not been working so many years, and of these but few were converted.
In March last God began to work amongst the people in converting power. On April 1st, the miners' strike began, and consequently, many of the young fellows from the pits, who ordinarily never went anywhere where the gospel was preached, drifted into the meetings, and a goodly number were soundly converted to God. Amongst these was Tom—the subject of our story. The story itself falls into five brief chapters.
Chapter one opens in a fisherman's shed, hard by the little harbor where the boats are lying. It is Thursday afternoon. Four mining lads have dropped in, and two fishermen, God-fearing men, are talking with them as to this remarkable revival which has been manifested during the preceding fortnight. The fishermen suggest that they should go to the meeting. One lad expresses himself in favor of so doing. Our friend Tom speaks up: "Well I have a ticket for a concert and am going there, so anyway I shall NOT be at the revival meeting!”
One of the fishermen is walking off, but turns round and says, "'ell, mind, Tom, the Bible says, My Spirit shall not always strive with man.'" Tom appears quite indifferent, but, nevertheless, He who knows how to drive "a nail in a sure place" had started a nail into Tom's conscience by that short sentence from the Word of God.
Chapter two conducts us into Edinburgh outside the "Alhambra." It is the following Saturday evening, and Tom is going to have his fill of such pleasure as the place afforded. Just before entering, an unknown man suddenly accosts him, thrusting a small card like a tram ticket into his hand. He glances at it. Two or three Scripture verses are printed on it, but only one stands out distinctly before his eye. This was the verse: "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." The divine hand struck another blow of good driving power on the head of that nail! Anxious to disbelieve it, and being on jocular terms with the man in the pay box of the theater, Tom hands the card to him as though it were a ticket of admission. The man glances at it, and throws it back with a laugh; "This won't admit here!" "No, says Tom with a sudden burst of gravity, "perhaps it will admit to a better place!”
Chapter three shows our young friend stepping into his quiet seaside home very late that night. His parents are connected with the fishing, and for many years had known the Lord. On the mantelpiece there stands a printed notice of a series of gospel meetings to start in the preaching hall on the Sunday week. The preacher, well-known to his parents, is to stay with them. For that Tom has no relish, and has quite made up his mind to be carefully oat of the house when the preacher is in, and only in when he is out. That printed notice is very objectionable; still, he may as well know what the preacher is going to do, so he approaches the mantelpiece. At the foot of the notice a text has been printed, and it is that same short bit of Scripture which catches his eye: "My Spirit shall not always strive with man," another telling blow on the head!
Chapter four carries us only to the next day, just one week before the special meetings.
The usual Sunday evening service is being held. Torn sits on one of the wooden benches, but, as was his custom whenever he found himself in such circumstances, directly the preacher began to speak, he started reading the Bible anywhere, the place mattered not, so long as it distracted his mind from what the preacher was saying.
He opened on this occasion near the beginning of Genesis, and very shortly he reached chapter 6 verse 3, where he read, "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man." The nail in his conscience was driven still further home! It was a blow more 'effectual than could have been delivered by anything he might have heard the preacher say.
Our fifth and last chapter conducts us to the following Wednesday week. The village has been much stirred, many souls have been already converted. The special meetings in the Hall have started. Interest is high, and night after night the place is full. Tom has proved himself a really adroit lad, and has avoided the preacher in his father's house in very able fashion. Still with many another lad from the pit he cannot keep away from the meetings. In heart he is miserable. He knows now that the Spirit of the Lord does not always strive with man, and he fears that his chance of salvation is passed forever.
At the end of the meeting that Wednesday evening, Tom, and five other lads who were his chums, stepped out, and walked two or three hundred yards till they were abreast of the harbor. There they stopped, and a discussion broke out. The whole six were convicted sinners, so convicted indeed, that most of them were for going back and seeing the preacher. Tom put the brake on. His poor heart was despairing. "You may go back," he said "I'll go with you, but I’ll not be converted!”
Just then, a zealous Christian, who had noticed their demeanor as they went out of the hall, came after them and invited them to return. That settled it, and back they went.
And what happened when they got back? Oh just that which always does happen when conscience-stricken sinners are brought into contact with the story of redeeming love, surrounded by sympathetic and praying Christian friends. One by one the difficulties vanished. The once-crucified but now risen Savior met all their deep necessities. Tom trusted the Lord Jesus as Savior, and confessed Him as his Lord and Master, and proved the truth of the Scripture: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)). Tom walked out that night, when finally the friends dispersed, a saved man, and so did his five chums.
For the rest of the preacher's stay Tom dropped that clever little game of hide-and-seek, and managed to be in when the preacher was in. He had plenty of time to be in, as the miners' strike still persisted. He agreed, however, with what others of the converted young miners said, "If we had been working in the pits we should never have got to the meetings like this. It has been a blessed strike for us!”
Quite possibly, reader, you hardly view the late strike as "blessed," and we fully admit there are two ways of looking at a matter of that kind. This, however, we do confidently assert, that conversion and its fruits are very blessed indeed. Have you tasted those fruits? Are you converted?
What is that you say? You are not converted? Then, indeed, to you also the Lord has said "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." He strives yet. By this paper He would fain grapple with your heart and conscience once more, and lead you to faith in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. How often has He done so in the past.
But, remember, not always—not always—NOT ALWAYS. Take care, lest the reading of this true story be the last of His entreaties, and, lest refusing it, and turning from the Savior, to whose feet we lovingly invite you, He strives no more and you perish in your sins.
F. B. HOLE.