My early training was like that of the average American youth and at the end of it one could say, "I was not very good and not very bad". As a small boy I was sent to Sunday School, but what they taught there I do not know. All that I can remember of my early life is that somewhere I gained a knowledge of a God whom I supposed to be a just God, and a knowledge of a Heaven and a Hell. There never was a day passed in my life that I can remember that I did not pray. I also had a very great fear of God; and this, of course, helped to keep me from going into open sin with my companions.
There was in my life something which I could not define: when it was morning I wished it were evening, and when it was evening I wished it were morning. There always seemed to be something "just ahead" which I thought could give rest and satisfaction; but whatever that "something" was, I did not know. This continued for 28 years of my life. I can remember sitting in the living room of our home trying to read a magazine, my feet resting on the family Bible, wishing I knew what it contained, but afraid to read it for fear of the other members of the family who would laugh at me.
One evening, while living at a Y.M.C.A., I received a letter in my mail asking me to come down to the office and inquire for a Mr. S-----. Not knowing anyone by that name or why he should ask me to come and see him instead of his coming to see me, I was in no hurry to answer his request. When, finally, I did inquire, I was directed to what they call the religious department. Upon meeting Mr.> S----, I was asked, "Are you a Christian?" And sincerely believing I was, I answered, "Yes". The next question was, "Do you ever pray?" To which I replied, "What kind of a Christian would one be if he did not pray?" "Do you read the Bible?" I answered, "No". Taking a small Testament from his desk he opened it. The inside front cover page had a form to be filled in pledging the recipient to read a chapter every day; reading the form to me he offered to give it to me if I would agree to the terms and sign my name.
We had about two hours of discussion; knowing I might not keep the pledge, I could not understand why I should sign it. I offered to buy it, or if he should give it to me without signing the pledge, I would accept it. This he refused to do. At last I thought the best thing I could do to get away from this man was to sing the pledge and get the Testament. Taking it to my room , I began reading it; and as I read it through I learned many things, some I understood and some I understood not; some I believed and some I believed not, some things made me afraid and some things I thought were very good for the sons of men. It was these latter things that impressed me most, especially "the exceeding great and precious promises". I would write these down on a piece of paper, thinking I might require them again.
One evening I opened my New Testament at John's Gospel, chapter ten and verse one, reading these words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber". For the first time I was brought face to face with the Kingdom of God or Hell for Eternity. For I understood the sheepfold to represent the Kingdom of God and Christ the Door or Way of entrance, and all outside that Kingdom as thieves and robbers. This, of course, left me standing outside; prayers, morality, and good works that I was trusting in as a means of acceptance with God were all taken away. It was by these means that I was trying to climb up into God's favor. I was like the thief. I had no understanding of how to enter by that Door. I realized that every step I took was one step nearer Hell. This state of things continued for a space of three months.
I still continued reading the Scriptures and wondering how I could be saved. One afternoon, as I walked the street with feelings of despair in my heart, these words flashed through my mind, "Lord remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom". Not being sure they were words of Scripture I went to my New Testament and searched for two evenings ere I found them. They were the words of the "thief". Upon reading the story of the Cross and of how the Lord Jesus was crucified with a thief on either side, of how the one railed on Him but the other answered him saying, "Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man hath done nothing amiss." And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom," and Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise".
After reading these Scriptures I came to the conclusion that it was
a very easy way to be saved, just by believing that Christ was dying for him
and by calling upon Him, he was saved. With the thought in my heart, I am on my
way to hell and have tried almost everything to be saved, and have no rest
because of my sins; I thought why cannot I be saved in the same way, for I
already believed that God had raised Christ from the dead, so I just called
upon Him on whom I believed and passed from death unto life in a moment of
time. I was a thief and a robber, hell would have been the due reward of my
deeds, but Jesus died for me.
HE HATH DONE NOTHING AMISS
The dying thief rejoiced to see,
That fountain in his day,
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.
Norman Greene