A respectable young man, —a Hindu—stood for a few moments listening to a preacher in the city of Calcutta. The preacher had seen but little fruit of his labors, but the following case of blessing came to light many years afterwards.
That young man heard the question of sin discussed, and he left with the sense of sin on his conscience which he could not shake off. He heard not or heeded not, God’s way of salvation.
He grew up to manhood, and was prosperous in business, and for a time his convictions seemed to sleep; but adversity came, and then again the sense of sin bore heavily on his conscience.
He gave up everything to seek to bring relief to his conscience by a religious life, and for several years he wandered over many parts of India, seeking peace at various shrines; but without finding rest or peace.
At length he joined a society composed of persons dissatisfied with Hinduism, but who did not receive the religion of Jesus Christ—a kind of Unitarianism. Their maxim was; “Do what is just and right, and all will be well.” But while this sounded right, it brought him no peace; for, to use his own words, “the remembrance of past sins kept rushing into my mind; something seemed to say, ‘Without an atonement for past sins you perish.’”
This new society knew of no atonement, while Hinduism did, of some sort, so he returned to his old religion, and again wandered from holy spot to holy spot, seeking peace. At Benares, with its two thousand shrines, he fairly gave way to despair, exclaiming, “What more can I do than I have done? yet there is no peace!
He returned to Calcutta, and visited a bed-ridden nephew. His nephew had a Bible, portions of which he read to his uncle, who was induced to go to the preaching of the missionary. There he heard the way of salvation, and said to the preacher, “Glory to God! this is what I have been longing to hear for forty years.”
He obtained a Bengali Bible and was not seen again for two months. He was studying God’s word, and on his return was found to have gathered much truth from the word itself, and could quote passage after passage as to what he had learned.
He was asked if he was now ready to confess Christ, and be baptized. “I know,” he said, “what it will involve. I am now respected by a large circle of friends; once baptized, I shall be abhorred and denounced by all—yea, my very children will forsake me. Give me two days to reflect and pray.”
He went away but could not sleep. On the third morning, in his agony, he cried to God to show him what he ought to do. On opening his Bible his eyes fell upon— “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:3333So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33).) It was enough; that day he confessed Christ.
Then his trials came. Friends, servants, children, forsook him; curses were poured upon him, and the finger of scorn pointed at him; but it shook him not. He returned blessing for cursing. He now enjoyed that peace that none could deprive him of. “O Sahib,” said he, “the love of Jesus has ravished my heart.”
“My LITTLE FRIEND.”
ML 02/25/1900