A CONVERSION THROUGH A SPIDER.
By The Hebrew Christian
I was sitting one day in a hotel waiting for a gentleman with whom an appointment had been made, when I began a conversation with a bright, intelligent, and earnest man who was sitting near at hand. He was a Jew and a man of the world. I talked with him for a long time, explaining the Gospel to him and trying to tell him of what Jesus Christ our Messiah had done for us; but tho he seemed greatly interested in all I said, he could not understand the things spoken of—they seemed, indeed, like a foreign language to him. Despairing at last of being able to make any impression upon him, I stopped further conversation, and began to read. Suddenly my attention was directed to a spider in its vain endeavor to climb the opposite wall, and without hardly knowing why or how, the impression fastened itself upon me that God had a lesson for us in that little spider, and somehow I felt it had a connection with the conversation which had just occurred. A few moments passed, and again the gentleman, with much earnestness, approached asking me to tell him once more of what this Jesus had done for me or him, but to tell him in a more simple way that he might be able to understand it. A thought which seemed to come direct from the Holy Spirit struck me, and going over to the wall where the spider still hung upon its silken web, I brought it over to the table, and, tearing a long strip from a newspaper, twisted and folded it into a circle, in the center of which I placed the spider and lighted the paper with a match. Immediately the spider began running around from one place to another seeking some escape from the fire surrounding it, but there was none. I then placed my finger in the center of the circle of flame, and the poor creature quickly ran up on my hand and gently rested upon it. Turning to the gentleman I said to him: “This, my friend, is what Jesus Christ has done for me, and is able and willing to do for you. I was surrounded, as you are, with fire, and from it there was no escape, and the end of it meant eternal death. But Jesus came down into my place of ruin and despair, and realizing that He was my only hope of escape, I climbed up on Him by faith and was delivered. My friend, this is your condition, and sooner or later you will realize it if you do not now. I pray to God you may see this truth and make your escape to this blessed Redeemer of ours.” While engaged in this conversation the man for whom I was waiting arrived, and I had to leave. I had not reached the door before the gentleman came asking for my address, which I gave him, and next morning whom did I receive for my first visitor but the friend of the day before, anxiety expressed upon his face. When I asked him what he wanted, he said, “My friend, you have ruined my life by your talk of yesterday. I had no sleep all night, for before my eyes was continually that circle of fire and the spider escaping from it up your finger.” He went on to say he was anxious to know more of this Redeemer I talked about, and said, “I feel I am lost; tell me what shall I do.” I now talked with him, as best I knew how, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and urged him to repent and accept God’s sacrifice for sin, and before long I had the joy of hearing him confess Christ as his Messiah.