20. CHAPTER I - PLEADING WITH TEARS

CHAPTER I PLEADING WITH TEARS

J. N. WAS a Brahman attending our Mission School. As he grew up, the teaching of Christ attracted him and he was the faithful scholar of one of our lady missionaries at Sunday School as well. When he left school and was beginning to earn his own living he was drawn to confess publicly that Christ was his Saviour. He did this in the face of the bitterest opposition of a widowed mother and relations. Then they tried a more subtle plan : they began to please him. Their kind­ness won his heart—he went back home and he was surrounded by young men who led him into drink. It must have been an inherited weakness with him. He fell and denied his Lord. But thank God he was miserable and went to see Mr. Hyde, who received him as did the father his prodigal son. The lad living with Mr. Hyde was won from his evil ways and once again confessed faith in his Saviour : but what a trial he was when the drink-demon would possess him I Again and again he stole Mr. Hyde’s clothes, and sold them to satisfy his mad craving. I met Mr. Hyde about that time, and he said to me with a smile, ’ I may not get up to you to the hills this summer, the Father evidently desires me to spend my hot weather in the plains for " I have no warm clothes left I" ’ He took the spoiling of his goods ’ cheerfully and thought they were a small price to pay in exchange for an immortal soul. He would point out how our Lord bore with Judas and others, how He never sent any away who were anxious to remain in His company, and so Hyde bore with this demon-possessed youth. In his sane moments the lad realized what a privilege was his to live with such a saint.

I was travelling in the train and a Christian lady ticket collector met me at W—. She was full of a wonderful man she had seen. He was speaking to a lad seated in a train going to Lahore. The boy was loud and almost abusive, ’ I am tired of this sort of thing—I am going to my boon companions and shall have a good time,’ he said. Then the gentleman he was speaking to leant forward and in a low tone begged him not to go away from him.

He got back only a rude answer, and she feel­ing angry and disgusted left them. When she came back she saw the missionary leaning into the carriage window, and she heard him be­seeching the lad not to leave him. He was imploring him in Christ’s name, and she saw tears flowing down his cheeks as he reasoned with the head-strong lad. ’ Ah ! ’ I exclaimed, ’ he knew the value of an immortal soul I ’ In spite of all entreaties the lad took his own way but to the very end that missionary was seen in deadly earnest trying to win that soul from the way of sin.

She lost sight of the missionary when the down train steamed out. (He went sadly to some dear friends in Gujerat alone.)

Next day she saw the same lad coming back from Lahore. She said to him, You have come back very soon again.’ He looked up with a pale face, I am going back to him,’ he replied, I have not been able to sleep all night—I could not forget his tears.’ And he came back a penitent. That missionary was John Hyde and that lad J. N.

I often feel that if souls could say the same of us, that we wept over them—our tears would bring them to a proper frame of mind. Our Lord’s whole body shed tears—when ’ his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.’

’ Jesus wept.’ The Jews therefore said, Behold how He loved him ’Soul winners ! Can this be said of each one of us ?

Far ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became Poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

—IT Corinthians viii. 9. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

—II Corinthians ix. 8.

’ God is love.’ His children please Him only so far as they are like Him, and ’ walk in love.’ True heavenly love has its life and root in the cross of Christ ; it has the single eye, and is its own recompense; endures ingrati­tude, and survives indifference and contempt ; has quick sense of wrongs, but is ready to forgive ; and covers a multitude of sins. The love we speak of is meek and lowly ; behaves itself wisely and edifies ; bearing with the foolish and self-conceited, while it shuns their folly. This holy love is the durable work of the Spirit of God it proves faithful in wintry days ; and, ever ready to • rejoice with them that do rejoice,’ adds gladness to their days of sunshine.

If we would so love all saints as to please God, we must bear in mind that their names are writlen in heaven and on Christ’s heart ; otherwise we shall love some because they are lovely, and dislike others because of their blemishes.

-CHOICE SAYINGS of RObERT CHAPMAN.