3 Sermon Illustrations on Evangelism And Salvation

Two men returning from India got into conversation. One was a sportsman and the other a missionary. "I've been in India for twenty-five years, and I never saw one of the natives converted as you Christians claim," said the sportsman. "That's queer," said the missionary. "Did you ever see a tiger?" "Hundreds of them," was the reply, "and I've shot dozens of them." "Well, I've been in India for many years," said the missionary, "but I've never seen a tiger. But under the power of the gospel of Christ I've seen hundreds of the natives of India turn to the Savior." You see, one was looking for tigers, the other was looking for souls.

Jos. Lancaster says:

"I was naturally desirous of gaining information and instruction from a venerable man of seventy-two, who had in a series of years, superintended the education of 3,000 poor children; who had been actively engaged in visiting both the city and the county prisons, whereby he had gained an ample opportunity of knowing if any of the scholars were brought in as prisoners: and who on appealing to his memory, which, although at an advanced age, is strong and lively, could answer—'None!'"

In a letter to the editors of the New-York Observer, in 1829, the chaplain of the State Prison attests the following important fact:— "I have lately made a pretty thorough inquiry among the convicts here, for the purpose of learning who, and how many, have ever enjoyed the advantages of a Sabbath school. The result is, that out of more than five hundred convicts, not one has been found who has ever been, for any considerable time, a regular member of a Sabbath school: and not more than two or three who have ever attended such a school at all.