To take a short journey I stepped into a railway carriage. There were Six of us in the compartment. I felt in my pocket for some tracts, and found that I had but four, which I distributed to my fellow-passengers, and then began reading a tittle book.
The gentleman sitting in the extreme corner of the seat I occupied received one of the tracts, and taking out his gold pencil case, read down a few lines, and coming to the word “Satan,” dashed under it and wrote in the margin, “I don’t believe in a devil,” then handed the tract back to me. I said nothing; but with a piece of india rubber erased his writing, put the tract into my pocket, and continued my reading. This was too much for the gentleman; be leaped, up, and exclaiming with a loud voice, “I don’t believe there is any devil,” poured out torrents of abuse against such as believed in an evil spirit. “Sir,” he cried, “I challenge you before these people”—who looked upon him with astonishment— “I challenge you to prove that there is a devil. Where would you begin?”
“Nothing is easier, sir,” I said, looking up from my book— “nothing easier, sir. I should begin with yourself, and from your passionate language, ungentlemanly and unchristian conduct, prove that you are energized by a living, personal devil.”
“Well, well, I was rather hot,” said the gentleman, sitting down, but continuing to abuse the idea of an evil spirit.
“If there is not a devil, what is it that stirs you up to be so angry?” I said.
“That is the evil principle which is in me. You cannot prove that there is any other devil.” Drawing out my Bible from my pocket, I said, “Now, sir, if you please, take that book into your hand.” He was constrained unwillingly to do so. “With that Bible in your hand I demand of you, Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?”
“I do; most certainly I do.”
“Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of the eternal God?”
“No, I don’t,” he replied, with great rage. “Show me where it says so.”
A lady sitting by my side said, “There are many passages which prove it, if not in the identical words.”
I then repeated some passages of the word of God to the man— “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1, 3, 14.) “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58.) “I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” (John 17:4, 5.) “Then saith Jesus to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” (John 20:27, 28, 31.) “GOD WAS IN CHRIST, reconciling the world unto Himself.” (2 Cor. 5:19.) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16.) “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20.) And then added, “I see what you are, sir—you are a Unitarian, and so you cut yourself off from the only hope of being saved—Jesus and His blood. Tell me what sort of a person is your Jesus?”
“The most lovely of men,” he replied.
“Not so, sir; yours, according to your own belief, is either a sinner or false; my Jesus, the eternal Son of the eternal God, is the ‘chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely.’” Turning to the fourth chapter of Matthew, I read, “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” “Was that an evil principle within him, or the veritable person of the evil one?” For a moment the unhappy opposer’s mouth was shut. I continued, “You have no blood in your religion; you hate the blood, sir—you hate the atoning blood.”
“I thank God that I have not a drop of blood in my religion. I do hate it,” he answered.
“Yes, I knew that you denied the blessed Person and the work of the Son of God. But you shall hear what God says about the blood before we separate— ‘The BLOOD shall be to you for a token... and when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you.’ (Exod. 12:13.) ‘For it is the BLOOD that maketh an atonement for the soul.’ (Lev. 17:11.) ‘Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in HIS BLOOD’ (Rom. 3:25.) ‘He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the BLOOD of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace.’” (Heb. 10:28, 29.) At this point the train stopped, and we parted, to meet no more, in all probability, until we meet in His holy presence whose person and work alone avail for the present and everlasting salvation of any and every poor believing sinner.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36.)