“DO YOU know how I served the devil for over 60 years? Ask anyone down at the market what 1 used to do and to be. I was an out and out sinner. I cared neither for God nor the devil. I used to swear and curse and drink and was known by all the men there as a terrible blasphemer against the very name of God. I was so bad, that my dear wife (God bless her!) always came to look after me about the time she thought I was sold out, because she declared that someday I should be put in jail for my vile conduct.
“One day a home missionary came to me in the market and he put his hand on my shoulder and said: ‘I say, George, God loves you, my brother. I wish you knew it; your life would be different from what it is. God loves you, George.’
“I looked at him surprised, and for a moment I felt a pang of remorse; but the next instant, just as if the devil had got down into my foot, I gave him a savage kick. I saw how it hurt him, his face turned white and blue; but he looked at me and limped away, and as he went he said, ‘God bless you, George.’
“Do you know, I believe that was the beginning of my conversion. I felt the eternal God was speaking to me. I said the next time anyone tried to speak to me about my soul, I would listen and take heed.
“Three weeks passed away and then one morning very early as I entered the market I saw the missionary talking to a group of unemployed. As soon as he saw me he came and held out his hand and spoke kindly to me. He looked ill, but he never said a word though Afterward I learned he was suffering much from the kick I gave him. Then he gave me a ticket on which was a printed invitation to a gospel meeting. He told me to bring my wife, and so it was for the first time in over 40 years, I found myself in a gospel meeting. The singing of the hymns was beautiful.
“There was a big crowd, but I got a seat right opposite the preacher. I can’t remember much about the sermon. All I know is that it was about blind Bartimaeus, who cried, ‘Jesus, Thou son of David, have mercy on me,’ and the Lord of heaven and earth stopped at the bidding of a poor blind beggar. He gave him sight for his eyes and blessing for his soul, for it says, ‘He followed Jesus in the way.’ Mark 10:5252And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:52). The preacher closed his address and then he prayed. Ah, how he prayed! He prayed for me. I knew he prayed for me, just as though there was not another sinner in the hall. It was wonderful!
" ‘If there is one in this audience, who has done injury to his fellow man,’ he prayed, ‘oh grant that he may hear, and now turn to Thee, and obtain forgiveness and pardon.’ Then I thought of the missionary and the savage kick I gave him, as the preacher continued praying: ‘Oh, make them hear the words of the dying Saviour on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
“Then the missionary’s white face and words of love and compassion after I had so hurt him, came to my remembrance: ‘God bless you, brother George,’ and so it broke me down. I cried out in the agony of my soul: ‘Lord, Lord, help me!’
“My dear wife touched me on the arm gently and said ‘Hush, George, folks will hear.’ But it was no use: those tears had been pent up on aount of sin for over 60 years, and it was no dishonor that the fountains were at last broken up, and heartfelt tears of true repentance began to flow.
“Then we sang:
‘Jesus I will trust Thee,
Trust Thee with my soul,
Guilty, lost and helpless,
Thou cant make me whole…’
“Then he asked those in the audience who felt that night for the first time the power of the gospel to rise and stand upon their feet and testify to this fact. One and another close by stood up and I longed to join them, but the devil whispered, ‘What about your wife? What will she say? And what about your companions at the market?’ Oh, it was an awful struggle, and I felt the devil down in my very feet again! But then the speaker said again once more, ‘I ask, Is there another who will rise up before we sing the send verse?’ And then, thank God, I said, ‘Wife or no wife, market or no market, here goes!’ I rose to my feet and we sang:
‘In Thy love confiding,
I will seek Thy face,
Worship and adore Thee
For Thy wondrous grace.’
“I dared not look around to see how my old lady was getting on, but just before we started the last verse I turned my head timidly towards her and there she was—oh bless the Lord!—there she was standing up close beside me. Oh, had there not been so many people about I should have kissed her, and I almost wish I had, for she never looked so beautiful to me in all her days. There we stood together, and we sang:
‘Jesus, we do trust Thee,
Trust Thee without doubt,
Whosoever cometh
Thou wilt not cast out.’
“That was the best night we had ever known. We went home and sang together, prayed together, and read together, and the Lord’s good hand has been upon us both ever since. Bless the Lord, I am so very happy.
(To be continued)
ML-09/24/1972