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
"It's no use laying it to the drink," was the reply; "speak the truth,
and say that it was your love of the drink,--your vice that led you to
commit the crime. You may make excuse now, but the day is coming when
you will be tried again for that and for every offence of your life, as
we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; now mind, if you
are condemned by that Judge there will be no escape from the prison of
hell, to which you will be sent."
At the commencement of this conversation, the door swung open, and a man
of a baser sort entered. He listened; but brought the conversation to a
sudden close by clenching his fist, and with that malicious hiss which
bad men have, he addressed the Missionary, and said, "What business has
you in our shop, a-talking like that 'ere? for two pins I'd smash in
your frontispiece."
The ticket-of-leave man frowned, and holding out his right arm with
extended finger and thumb gave a peculiar jerk and exclaimed, "If you
does I'll garotte you." And a woman, whose sister the visitor had placed
in a reformatory, fearing that he would be injured, rushed before him
with a half-scream. The rough, who was evidently astonished at the good
feeling which existed between the Christian teacher and the persons of
his own class, stepped back; but as the attention of the debased crowd
in the bar was directed towards him, the visitor raised his hand and
said loudly, "Never mind: I am not hurt. But it was just so hundreds of
years ago, when the Saviour of the world was here. He used to feed
hungry people, and heal the sick, and give eyesight to the blind; but
there were men who smote Him with the fist of wickedness, and who cried
out, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him,' and then they nailed Him to a cross."
The speaker then dropped his voice to a solemn note, and continued,
"Yes; and--
'It was for such as you He died,
For such that He was crucified,
For such He reigns above.'"
The effect was startling, as that congregation of the wicked stood in
silent awe; while the landlord and his barmen leaned forward to listen.
A few more earnest words were uttered, and the evangelist stepped out,
wiping the perspiration from his brow. The rough at almost the same
moment passed out at the other door, and approaching the Missionary,
said, "I ax yer pardon, guv'nor; but I wouldn't 'urt a hair of your
'ed."
"I feel all right toward you, so never mind," was the kind reply,
enforced with a friendly touch of the arm. "You sees, guv'nor," the
rough continued, "as I am a bad un, as I had a month for beating my old
woman, and its becos I ain't hedicated, cos if a chap ain't hedicated
he's nuffin."
From this speech it was evident that the man had a desire for
instruction, and the visitor felt that to impart this would give him a
power which might lead to a moral and spiritual regeneration; he
therefore inquired if he would like to know how to read and write?
"Oh, shouldn't I: that's all!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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