p. 9 | A TIMELY WORD by H. L. Hastings

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Jun 7, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 23.

A TIMELY WORD.

By H. L. Hastings

IN a meeting held in the Meionaon in Boston, January 5, 1869, the subject of personal effort and personal influence was introduced, and after others had alluded to its importance, an intelligent man arose and briefly said:—

"Ten years ago a deacon of the church came to me, and taking me by the hand, and putting his hand on my shoulder, and calling me by name, said, 'Isn't it time for you to find your Saviour?' I turned to him and said, 'Deacon, you mind your business, and I will mind mine.' He left me, but those words, 'Isn't it time for you to find your Saviour,' followed me, and I could not escape from them until I found my Saviour, and was forgiven."

We can hardly imagine a more ungracious retort than this good deacon received, when he sought to win a soul to God; but his labor was not in vain. The arrow reached the sinner's heart, and no hand but the hand of Jesus could pluck it out and heal the wound. Let Christians take courage, in view of facts like this, and do their work with dauntless zeal, knowing that God will give the blessing and the increase in His own good time.—H. L. Hastings.