A POOR old Indian, who had been by grace led to see Jesus as his Savior, was one day asked what he had done to become a Christian. “I did nothing,” he replied. “Well, tell us how it happened, then, that you are so changed.” “Come into the woods with me and I will show you,” said the poor old man. “I can’t talk, but I will show you.” They went with him into the woods, and the Indian busied himself in clearing a place in the ground all round a little hole in which an angleworm burrowed. He next took some small dry sticks, and with these he made a circle about two feet from the wormhole. Then he asked one of them to light a match and set the wood on fire. This was done, and presently there was a hot ring of fire all-round the wormhole. Soon the worm came out of the hole and seemed not to know what to do, for as it turned round it saw that the fire was on every side.
The Indian now put forth his hand, but the worm would not crawl on it, and he took his hand away.
Presently, as the fire grew hotter and hotter, the poor worm crawled in every direction, and each time returned to its hole, finding no outlet, no way of escape from the flame. At last it seemed to have found out that it could not sane itself, for it now remained quite still in the center of the ring, while the fire came nearer and nearer. At the last moment, before the fire touched it, the Indian put out his hand again, and now the poor worm crawled on to it and he lifted it out of the burning circle and placed it safely on the ground, far away from the danger.
“Now,” said the Indian, “me the poor worm; me could not get out of the fire; me crawl every way, but me could not save myself.” Then, raising his eyes upwards, he said, “But the blessed Lord Jesus, He lifted poor Indian out of the fire. Poor Indian crawled into His hand, and He lifted him out of the fire and set him down in safe place.”
Poor lost sinner, come to Jesus just as you are. Now is the time. He in tender love is waiting to save you. Come now, for now is the accepted time. Jesus is soon coming to take all his saved ones to be forever with Him. Come while yet there is time, and remember there is nothing for you to do. No,
“Nothing either great or small,
Nothing, sinner no;
Jesus did it, did it all,
Long, long ago.”
S. R.,