07.02.29. The Invitation

29. THE INVITATION When the testimony service was over a young man got up and said, "Fellows we have a game here that you can’t beat," and he began to tell what Christ had done for him, and it seemed to Todd that he was telling the story of his own life and when he had finished he said, "Men, this salvation has been working for over ten years and I wonder if there is a man in the house that would like to take a chance on it; if so, put up your hand," and Todd shot up his hand. "If you mean business," said the young man, "stand to your feet," and he arose to his feet. "Now," said the man giving the invitation, "if you really want to get rid of sin, come and kneel at this altar," and with a number of others Todd went forward. We don’t know what became of the others, but when Todd knelt a man beside him said, "Young man, if you want to be saved, you must pray," and when Todd told him he couldn’t pray, he said, "Say God be merciful to me a sinner and save me now from all my sins for Jesus’ sake." And he repeated it over. He urged him to pray it again, and when he had repeated it two or three times he quoted him God’s promises, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out"; "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"; "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Then he said, "Young man, if you have really come with all your heart tonight and asked Him to save you, what does he do for you?" And Todd answered, "If he does what he says He will, he saves me now," and arose to his feet with the consciousness that his sins had been blotted out.

Some cigars were protruding from his breast pocket and the man said, "Do you want these any more?" He answered, "No, sir," and he never touched them again. Oaths, whiskey, cards, cigarettes and evil habits had gone out of his life forever.