SOME years ago, while I was staying at a beautiful, very popular sea-side resort, I made the acquaintance of a merchant there, an earnest Christian, whose labors in the gospel were numerous. Although he was not a bookseller, still he had set aside quite a space in his store for a collection of Bibles, above which he had written on a board with large letters:
“The Christian’s sword is sold here!”
With one of these swords this Christian soldier gained the following victory: A troop of young men, dressed in Oriental costume, and with their hands and faces blackened, placed themselves one day in front of our merchant’s store, and sang songs and played all sorts of sleight of hand tricks. After they had been singing for some time, one of them, an interesting looking young man, who, one could plainly see, did not at all belong to this sort of life, came to the door of the store with a little box in his hand to ask for money. Our friend took a Bible from the showcase, and turning to the young man, said:
“See here, my friend! I will give you half-a-dollar, and this Bible besides, if you will read something out of it to your comrades, but loud enough for all around to hear.”
“Here is half-a-dollar, boys!” he called out to his comrades, “that can easily be earned; I am going to hold a reading in public right here.”
The merchant opened the Bible at the 15th chapter of Luke’s gospel, and pointing to the eleventh verse, asked the young man to begin reading there.
“Now, James, go ahead!” said one of the troop, “and earn your half-dollar like a man.” James took the book, and read:
“And He said: A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.’ And he divided unto them his living.”
There was something in the reader’s voice, as well as the unusual circumstances, that caused a general silence. The young man’s face looked serious. He read on.
“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
“That’s you, James!” called out one of his comrades; “that’s just what you told me about yourself and your father.” The reader continued:
“And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
“Well, that’s you again, James!” said the voice. “But go on!”
“And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.”
“That’s just like us all!” said the voice, once more interrupting; “we are all beggars, and still we could be better off! Go on farther; let us hear, what happened.” And the young man went on and, while he read, his voice shook;
“And when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father.’”
He could not go on; his voice choked. All were impressed and deeply moved. The whole reality of the past rose up before his eyes; and in the plain gospel story a ray of hope came to him for the future. His father—his father’s house—and his mother’s; the love, and plenty of everything awaiting him there; the servants who always had enough; and then himself, his father’s son; and his present condition, his companions, his habits, sins, poverty and distress; —all came before his mind suddenly, and overwhelmed him.
That day, that scene, became the turning-point in the career of this prodigal son. He asked the advice of the Christian friend, who had been the means of his conversion. His parents were written to; and the result was, that after a long absence, he returned to the parental home, quite repentant; and what is still better, brought to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to faith in His Name.
And you, dear young reader! You also are lost. Have you fled as a lost one to God? O, think of your miserable condition; think of the future that awaits you, if you are not converted; but think also of God’s love, and that He is willing to save you from destruction:
ML 08/27/1922