WE have to praise God in that we see His hand outstretched in saving power, and the light of the glorious gospel breaking through the mists and shadows of superstition.
The story of Etienne has a special interest for any who know something of the difficulties through which, in poor, benighted France, sinners make their way to the Saviour’s feet.
Born in a Roman Catholic family in Paris, some five and twenty years ago, Etienne was trained in that church. It was no difficulty to the child to believe, as he was taught, that the black robed priests were God’s representatives, that to them was entrusted the opening or shutting of the door of heaven, that they alone were privileged to know God’s mind, to study God’s Word, and to approach God as worshippers.
Etienne, a pious little lad, in unquestioning simplicity, accepted the religion that was taught him; and when he was old enough, went through the usual ceremonies connected with the “first communion,” believing, as he was told, that once again (as in his baptism) his soul, purified from all sin, was in innocence before God. But as he grew older, the sleeping mind awoke from the unreal peace into which it had been lulled, and the energetic, earnest youth strove to meet the goadings of his uneasy conscience by good works, such as his confessor told him would make him acceptable to the holy God whom he felt he had offended.
For this purpose Etienne joined a society, through which he was put in the way of visiting the sick, succoring those who were in need, and spending all the money he had upon the poor. At this time he found also a few boys, who, like himself, pined for higher and better things; and it is touching to hear of this little band, in the gayest and most frivolous of capitals, turning from the vanities and follies natural to their age, and meeting together week by week to pray―rather to say prayers; for all they knew of prayer was to “tell their beads,” i.e., to repeat prayer for each bead on their rosaries. But surely the Lord, who is very pitiful, had His eyes on that little group, and His blessing would not be withheld from them.
But all Etienne’s good works and strivings after holiness failed to satisfy the increasing yearnings of his soul, and, many a time, in the secret of his own room, Etienne would clasp his hands frantically together, and exclaim aloud: “Oh! Holy Virgin, give me light!” Alas, no light came. He begged his father to let him become a priest, thinking that if he might give up all earth’s joy and cut himself off from all whom he loved, he would gain favor with God. But his father, having other views for his son, refused his consent.
At this crisis, Etienne, now seventeen years of age, unhappily came across some freethinking and wild young men. These scoffed at the scruples of the religious, sober-minded youth, sneered at his obedience to his confessor, and poured into his horrified ears tales of the vile lives led by many of the priests in Paris. Etienne, shocked in his most tender susceptibilities, and persuaded that it reflected more credit on his intellect to throw aside his faith, and to turn his back on those who had been to him its representatives, gave up his searching after light to plunge into gross darkness, threw aside the superstitions of his childhood for the deep gloom of infidelity, and, smothering his troubled conscience, rushed into the wildest excesses that Paris could offer to his dawning manhood, and that a liberally supplied purse could afford him.
For five years Etienne gave himself up freely to the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil, refusing himself no indulgence that money could procure, and youth and folly could suggest. But God had His own tender purpose of blessing for the soul who years before had coveted that blessing.
One evening, Etienne, strolling through a street he did not often go down, passed before the doors of a large hall, into which many people were pressing. He stood listlessly watching them, when a man came out and in a kindly way invited him to enter. He did so, and was shown to a seat. And a hymn-book was handed to him. He turned over its pages, and, seeing the contents, shrugged his shoulders, with the contemptuous, though inaudible, exclamation, “Religion again!” But when he saw that the platform was occupied by a group of young men of about his own age and standing, he determined to remain and see the service through. He listened spell-bound, while one after another told not only of a living, loving Saviour, but gave the brightest testimony of His saving power for themselves, and of His exceeding preciousness to those who believe.
Etienne could not doubt the genuineness of those who spoke, for their earnest pleadings carried conviction, but he was fairly puzzled. Hitherto he had held that none but priests could teach religion, or had any right to care for souls; now, to his intense astonishment, he heard these young men, with no assumption of priestly garb or of ecclesiastical authority, dealing closely, solemnly, and earnestly with the grand question of eternity.
At the end of the meeting, Etienne, being in no wise burdened with over-shyness, made his way to the platform, and addressed one of the speakers, meaning to have a little controversy on the subject of the address. The young man to whom he spoke held out his hand in so pleasant a manner, and met Etienne so frankly, that he was fairly fascinated, “But,” said his new-made friend, “before we enter upon any other question, let me ask you plainly, Is it all right between you and God?”
This was a turn in affairs that Etienne had never anticipated, His confusion was evident, and he could neither answer the question, nor begin the argument he had meant to hold. The preacher, seeing how disconcerted the young stranger was pressed him no further, but, offering him a New Testament, earnestly entreated him to read it carefully; and Etienne, taking it thanked him, and left the hall.
The following morning he left Paris on a business tour through the country, taking the Testament in his pocket, for the words “Is it all right between you and God?” kept ringing in his ears, and he vaguely hoped that through the little book he would find how the question might be satisfactorily answered.
As the train whirled along, Etienne’s eyes never left the volume; page after page was eagerly devoured, his intense interest increasing hour by hour. To his surprise, he came upon passages which he had known in his boyhood, quoted in his prayer-book, and which he could now study with the context.
The Spirit of God brought the Word home with power to his soul. His cold-blooded infidelity vanished before the marvelous story of the Saviour’s life and death; and, awakened to a sense of his own need of that Saviour, he longed to get back to his new friend, so as to go fully with him into the question with which he had startled him on their first meeting, a question that now haunted him day and night.
No sooner had he returned to Paris than Etienne made his way to the hall, where for the first time in his life he had heard Christ preached. And now it might be said of him, as of one of old, “he sought to see Jesus.” That evening a prayer meeting was going on, and as he knelt, deeply feeling the burden of his sins, and all his heart going forth with the prayers of those who pleaded for the salvation of souls, Etienne was found of Him who came to seek and to save that which is lost.”
And now the Christ whom the young man had preached became Etienne’s precious Saviour too, and, sitting at His feet, he learned His mind, and then rose up in the power of the Holy Ghost to live for the One who had died for him.
Two years have passed since Etienne thus brought all his hard questions to Him who is “greater than Solomon”―two years in which he has proved His sufficiency to meet all his need, to satisfy his longing soul, and to fill his hungry soul with gladness―and in those two years Etienne has shown unmistakably that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” Not only were his wild companions abandoned, and worldly habits given up, but, in the clearest way, at home or abroad, he has made all see that he now serves the Lord Christ. His employment for a mercantile firm takes him up and down the length and breadth of France, and his constant prayer is that at every town at which he stops on his earthly master’s business he may have an opportunity of preaching Christ, and of winning souls to the Saviour. And the Master gives him his heart’s desire, and uses him in blessing in that land where the gospel light, which has been so dim for many years, is now beginning once again to shine. A. P. C.