Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
One Sabbath afternoon in London when we were holding an open-air
meeting on the street, God opened the flood-gates of Heaven, and I
with others sang and preached under the power of the Holy Spirit. A
Christian came and said, "Sister Wheaton, there is a preacher here who
wants to speak to you." I refused to go, as there were drunkards and
toughs on their knees under conviction of sin. I thought he was a
preacher who wanted to criticise my methods. They called me again, and
I went to see what was wanted. I found a fine-looking, well-dressed
man much past middle age under awful conviction of sin. He was a
backslider, and had stopped in passing, being attracted by a hymn I
was singing--one his mother used to sing. Yet he was unwilling to
yield himself to God. Some of those in the company had talked with him
and begged him to kneel. At last his stubborn will was broken, and he
knelt there on that London street and confessed his sins to God. When
he arose from his knees he said he had been on his way with a dagger
then in his coat sleeve, to commit suicide, but was attracted by that
song his mother used to sing, and could go no further. Thus by the
power of the Holy Ghost that Presiding Elder was saved on the streets
through faithful, honest trust in God, where the preacher and the
drunkard knelt side by side in the dust. I hope to meet them in
Heaven, and trust that all found peace with God. The word says, "Go
out in the streets and lanes of the city, and in the hedges and
highways." "Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost," not
the righteous but sinners. He came to save. How often people are
waiting for Christians, who profess to have salvation, to speak to
them, and how glad they are to receive the message if delivered in
love.
I was located for a time at Woolwich, near the London Arsenal. There
were stationed thousands of soldiers and they were often found in the
public houses under the influence of drink. I would plead with them to
quit sinning, turn to God, and seek salvation. Often tears were shed,
and resolves made to serve the Lord. There are many incidents of souls
being saved on the streets, in the slums and public houses, but space
forbids my going into details, but suffice it to say that I have been
given many proofs of God's love and mercy from among the thousands who
have heard the gospel in those far-off lands, as well as in our home
land. Then let us encourage our missionaries everywhere to press on
until the Master says, "It is enough, come up higher."
I was much pained, while in England, to see so many young women there,
as in Scotland, selling beer and other strong drink to customers in
the public houses; beautiful girls selling their souls to the tempter
to be lost forever unless in some way rescued before it is too late.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account