A Skeptical Shoemaker

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 30, 1874

A Skeptical Shoemaker.

We were much struck with the judicious manner in which a Scripture reader recently met the objection of a skeptical shoemaker. He said:—

“I have read a good deal about the heathen gods, and I believe the account of Christ is taken from some of the heathen writings.”

The reader replied in a very kindly manner:—

“Will you abide by your own decision in two questions I will put to you? If so, I will freely do the same. I will abide by your answers; by so doing we shall save much time, and arrive quicker at the truth.”

“Well,” said he, “out with it, and let us see if I can answer; there are but few things but what I can say something about.”

“Well, my friend,” replied the reader, “my first question is, Suppose all men were Christians, according to the account given to us in the gospel concerning Christ, what would be the state of society?”

He remained silent for some time in deep thought, and then was constrained to say:—

“Well, if all men were really Christians, in practice as well as theory, of course we should be a happy brotherhood indeed.”

“I promised you,” said the reader, “that I would abide by your answer. Will you do the same?”

“Oh, yes,” he readily replied, “no man can deny the goodness of the system in practice; but now for the other question; perhaps I shall get on better with that; you have got a chalk this time against me.”

“Well, my next question is this: Suppose all men were infidels, what then would be the state of London and the world?”

He seemed still more perplexed, and remained a long time silent, the reader doing the same. At length he said:—

“You certainly have beaten me, for I never before saw the effects upon society; I now see that where the Christian builds up, the infidel is pulling down. I thank you; I shall think of what has passed this afternoon.”

The sequel was that he was fully persuaded in his own mind to give up all his infidel companions, and was led to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. But the change did not stop here. When first the reader called, he had to sit on an old, dirty chair, with a number of half-starved children sitting in their rags on the floor around him, neglected and uncared for; now they have removed to a better home in a cleaner street. Within, all is cheerful and happy. The father, no longer faithless, delights in the company of his wife and children, all of whom are neatly dressed; and his chief happiness is to read and to speak to them of the things which belong to their everlasting peace. “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”—Little Gleaner.