p. 698 | THE STORY OF A SONG

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 10, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 44.

THE STORY OF A SONG.

WE all want to do big things, we long for great talents, and instead of using what we have, we stand idly wishing we could preach like Mr. Moody and sing like Sankey, and souls are slipping by us down to hell— "Lost for want of a word, 'A word that we might have spoken."

I heard Mr. Sankey say that when Mr. Moody and he were holding meetings in a certain place, the church was filled, and a great multitude gathered outside. In order that all might hear the singing, the organ was placed on the steps of the church, and Mr. Sankey sang the famous "Ninety and Nine."

On a distant hillside a man was sitting on a veranda, out of sorts with his wife and daughter because they had gone to the meeting. He had no interest in such things. "None of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed, Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through, Ere he found his sheep that was lost."

It was an arrow that pierced his soul, that led to his conversion. What a grand thing to sing the gospel, and win souls in that way! But we need not be able to sing like Mr. Sankey to win souls, as the following story will show:—

One of the workers at the Rescue Mission sat in the window sewing. She is not a grand singer—in fact, scarcely ever sings in the meetings, but alone by herself she often sings. She was singing:— "Oh, to have no Christ, no Saviour, How dark this world must be!"

When she had finished, she heard someone calling, and saw two girls looking over a neighboring fence.

One said, "Won't you please sing that again?"

I am afraid some of us would have begun to make excuses, and say we were not singers, etc.; but this good soul sung it over again, praying God to bless the song, and then went to talk with them. She recognized them as inmates of a place of wickedness, and asked permission to call on them. They would not grant this, but the next day one came to the mission and threw herself into the arms of the singer.

"I have been so unhappy," she said, "since I heard you sing. You remind me of my mother, and the days when I was innocent and good. I had a good home, but quarreled with my mother, ran away, and got into a life of sin. I am tired of it. Won't you pray for me?"

They had prayer, and the poor, wandering one was led to the Saviour. She said:— "I'll never go back to that place again. I'm going to the poormaster and ask him to send me home."

The worker furnished the money to pay her fare to her home in a neighboring city, and she went away rejoicing. This was some time ago. Last week the girl, accompanied by her father, paid a visit to the mission. She was happy in Christ, and had led eleven souls to him, her father and mother being among the number. Her father was full of praise and thanksgiving to God for what he had done for his erring child and the rest of his family, and tears ran down his cheeks as he thanked the singer for the song, and for the help she had been to his daughter.

Her desire is to work among the fallen from whom she had been rescued. What encouragement for weak workers!

Let us sing a song to some poor soul, speak a word, give a tract, or visit some sick and dying one, lead someone to Christ.

God says in 1 Cor. 2:27, 28 that there are five things he will use, namely, foolish things, weak things, base things, despised things, and things that are not, to bring to naught the things that are. God will take a worm to thrash a mountain.

The trouble with us is we want to be some "lord of the forest," and are not willing to be the worm. Put yourself in God's hands to be used, and he will use you.

If we use what talents we have, he will give us more. "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given; . . . but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." We either use or lose.—Christian Herald.