What a privilege it is to have free access to the Scripture, which is the Word of God. It is a powerful agent for good. God can and does use the reading and hearing of it to the salvation of souls aside from any other help. To reap the benefit of its many precious promises, two things are necessary—a hearing ear and a believing heart.
The man of whom we write was still young in years, but old in sin. Forgetfullness of God and love for drink had led him in many forbidden paths.
As he was walking down the street one day he noticed a man selling something to a little group of people who had gathered, and he went nearer to investigate.
To his surprise he found that he was selling Bibles and Testaments. Strange as it may seem, he felt in his pockets to see if he had any money. Yes, he had ten cents, and upon inquiring the price of the Testaments he found that there were some as low as five cents. He said that he would take two.
In this man’s home there were two children, both boys. It was for them that he had bought the Testaments. He loved those two little boys, and deep down in his heart he did not want them to follow in their father’s footsteps.
The fact that they were not old enough to read, never occurred to him till he reached home, and presented the little volumes to the delighted pair.
A gift from their father was indeed a rare thing, and these little books pleased them very much, but they did wish so much that they knew what the reading was about. They asked their father to read to them, but this he flatly refused to do, saying that Bible-reading was not in his line. But as the days passed, they begged him constantly to read a little to them, and at last he consented, for there were few things he could deny those two little boys.
When he began to read, he found that it was not so disagreeable as he thought it would be. In fact there was something about it that interested him, and before he had read very much, a deep longing to know God took possession of him.
Many times when he had read a chapter, the little boys were satisfied and willing that he should lay the Testament aside, but he could not. He read on and on, for by this time he was convicted of sin, and he felt that it was from this same Book that he could find the way of life. He was not disappointed.
It was not long before he discovered that the mission of the Lord Jesus in the world had been to save sinners. He huled himself before God in repentance, and by faith laid hold of the Saviour as his own.
His life and ways bore abundant testony to the change in his heart. He needed no urging to read the little Testament now, for it was his joy and constant companion, and he tried as best he could to teach the little boys what he himself had learned from its pages.
Three years passed, and as our friend again passed down the street, he spied the same man who had sold him the Testaments. He made his way to him at once, and asked the colporteur if he knew him. No, he did not. He then asked him if he remembered selling two five-cent Testaments to a drunken wretch. Yes, he rembered that transaction, but why did he ask?
What was his surprise to learn that he was the man, now greatly changed, with a new light and purpose in his heart. He drew one of the Testaments from his pocket, much worn and marked, and told how he had learned the way of life and salvation from the pages of that precious Book.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Ward, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
ML 09/21/1941