The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.Weylland, John Matthias
History
The Man with the Book; or, The Bible Among the People.
Weylland, John Matthias
City missions; London City Mission
An anxious group of depraved persons were standing at the door, but the
visitor passed them in silence and entered the back room. The scene
which presented itself was solemn indeed, for there, dressed, upon her
couch, in the pains of dissolution, lay the woman who used to boast that
she had kept dens for twenty-one years, and had not slept at night
during that time. She appeared to be dying, but rallied when she heard
the voice of her friend, and whispered, "Mercy! mercy!--Pray, pray!"
"I tell you again, that as a guilty sinner, you must pray for yourself,"
he replied, in a slow, quiet, tone. "The blood of Jesus can save you
now: ask God in His name to pardon you." And then the dying woman, after
him, repeated short prayers. After a pause he took her cold hand in his,
and kneeling down, implored pardon for her from the God of all grace.
His voice was, however, stopped by the sobbing of several women and
young thieves who had entered from the shop. The death-expression upon
the face of their old acquaintance in guilt, with the solemn attitude
and words of prayer, overcame them, and they seemed to kneel as in
contrition before their offended Maker.
There were intervals of consciousness, during which words of hope were
read from the Book of Life; and at her request, expressed by movements
of her hands, prayer was again offered. She soon became unconscious, and
expired at three o'clock.
A few comforting words were spoken to the weeping daughter and the women
who remained in the room; and the night-visitor then passed into the
street. A large crowd of the criminal and depraved had assembled from
other night-houses, and as he left they made a passage for him to pass
through, while the two policemen turned on their bull's eyes to light
him on his way. He, however, stepped back, and standing upon the
threshold of the den, held out his Bible, and said, "She is dead, and
her eternal state is fixed: you, however, are upon the side of the grave
where mercy can be sought and found. Look up, now, to where the Saviour
is seated, at God's right hand, beyond those dark clouds. Be in earnest
in seeking salvation, and then live for the hour of death and the day of
judgment." He then passed down the street in silence, not a word reached
his ear from that gathering of the wicked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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