Story of a Conversion

IN ALL SAINTS’ VESTRY (SUNDERLAND)

Our Brother, Tom H. Knight, related the following incident at a recent meeting: On December 12th, 1913, the Lord led me to accompany a young brother to Liverpool, who was going for two years‘ training in Mr. Moody’s Home at Chicago, and, with a party of other travellers, we left Newcastle at 11.19 p.m. I praise God for the opportunity given to witness for Jesus in the compartment. After several changes we arrived at Manchester at 5.15 a.m. on Saturday, and as we had to wait about an hour, I suggested to my young friend and another young man (about 25 years of age), who was going to meet his brother in Alberta, that we should have a walk for exercise and to obtain a little fresh air. When we got outside the station we noticed that Lockhart’s Cafe was open, and we went in for a cup of coffee, and had only been seated about five minutes when a respectable man about 45 years of age walked in. I noticed that a beer bottle was protruding from each of his coat pockets.

WANTED WHISKY.

He sat down two tables away from us, and on the manager of the café going to him to see what he required, he asked him if he could let him have a drop of whisky, and offered half-a-crown for a drop, but the manager said “No, we don’t sell it here,” and turned to attend to other customers. The man sat down for a few seconds, and, hearing me talking to my friends, shouted in a rather jovial way, “Hallo there, yor a Geordie.” I turned round and smiled, saying, “Yes, I belong to Gateshead, near Newcastle,” and he shouted laughingly, “Ah ’na, ah belong to Gosforth.” Then looking him straight I said, “Yes, my friend, but are you not on the wrong track?” He paused awhile, then said, “Mebbies. Are ye one of them teetotal cheps?” (In a flash it came to me to strike hard. Praise God!) I said, “Yes, praise God! I belong to Jesus. How many years have you been a fool?” I saw it sink, then I said, “My friend, three years ago I was a man like you, but I gave myself to Jesus, and this is what I do now, seeking to win men to Jesus, and instead of wasting my life like you, you will find me in Newcastle Bigg Market on the Sunday nights seeking to win souls for Jesus.” (I showed him the picture on the back of the July “Confidence.”)

The poor man looked stunned. First he looked at the paper, then at me, and said, ‘‘It’s right, lad,” then, returning the paper with thanks, he sat down. He bowed his head for a minute, then quickly he slid the bottles out of his pocket on to the floor and, standing up, said, “No more, lad; no more. I see it now. I SEE IT. You’ve done it.” Praise God! God had spoken. His face bathed in tears, what a change! The manager and others in the café saw it. Praise God for the witness.

The man, broken-hearted, took up his travelling case, and sobbed into the street. Praise God! I got hold of him, and asked God for Jesus’ sake to save him, and praise God, He did. The man kept saying, “Oh, you’ve hurt me. You’ve cut me.” He repented as we walked back into the station, and kept shouting, “I see it now. I see it now. You’ve been sent. God must have sent you, and to Manchester!” Then he cried as I told him it was Jesus who loved him, and that He had sought him. Praise God!

On the way to the train one of his travelling companions spoke to him, asking him to go along with him, but he said “No.” When the train arrived in the station (Manchester), my young friend, new convert, and myself obtained a compartment which the Lord gave for ourselves. Our young friend who was going to Alberta had seated himself in the next compartment with the ladies and children who had been travelling from Newcastle, otherwise he too, may have been saved.)

FOUND CHRIST.

After we started away we commenced to talk of Jesus and His love, and as the man heard the words of Jesus he kept saying, amid his sobs, “I see now.” Praise God! He saw Jesus as his Saviour.

I left him to himself awhile, then I said, “I will pray for you now.” At once the man said, “Yes, let me be on my knees.” Praise God! We prayed for him, then I asked him to pray and tell Jesus all about it. Glory to God! Heaven bells were ringing between 6 and 7 p.m. on December 13th, 1913, and he knew it, as he prayed to his new-found Saviour. Glory!

God’s word grew plainer and plainer to him and, praise God, he knew Jesus as the Light of the World, and said: “It’s all right now, I’m saved. Jesus has saved me. Oh, I praise God you spoke to me; you’ve been sent. What can I do for you? Can I help you with any money?” I said “No; it is without money and without price. All you can do for me now is to be true to Jesus.” He said he would, and promised to meet me in heaven.

At intervals of the journey he would commence crying and sobbing, for he said he had been a fool (1 Sam. xxvi., 21) all his life, but never until that morning had he seen it. Then he spoke of his wife and six children he had left at home. He told me that he had brought them presents from various parts of the world, and he had lived to make them happy and give them a good education, and had obtained for them anything to make them comfortable; “but now I see I must pray for them and live to meet them in heaven.” May God save his wife and children. He told me if God spared him to meet his wife again she would see a new man. He saw that he had a lot of work to do for Jesus, and promised to buy twelve Testaments to take on board his ship for his firemen.

This man was going to join his ship, the “Afghan Prince,” at Brooklyn to go to China. He is a second-class engineer, and will probably be away from home eighteen months (I saw his credentials). May the dear Lord guide and protect him and use him for His glory.

I was able to give him a Roker Tract, “Faith in His Blood,” and a paper, “The Apostolic Faith,” which I pray God will mightily bless, and use them also as a means of blessing others. I also told him that Jesus was the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and God revealed it to him. Then I taught him to sing a chorus: “For the Lion of Judah shall break every chain.’’ Praise God!

After leaving him at Liverpool Station I met a Salvation Army officer, and the officer told me that he had just left a man (this was at 8.30 a.m.) who had told him of having been converted in the railway train. Praise God! He confessed and witnessed to Jesus.

Then again, we had the opportunity of telling the story to the passengers who travelled in the next compartment, and one young woman, who belongs to Durham, said she was pleased to hear of it. She was going to New York to meet her husband. May God use her testimony. The others were going to different parts of America and Canada, and I praise God for His love towards us, and that Jesus was with us on the journey.

I wrote, at Mr. Robson’s request, to his wife from Liverpool to tell her of the change, and he asked me to call at his home. This I trust to carry out this week. May God guide me and give me the words that will speak peace to his dear wife’s heart.

All glory to my precious Saviour.*

*Our Brother. Mr. T. Knight, resides at 13a Havelock Terrace, Coatsworth Road, Gateshead-on-Tyne.

From: Confidence, Vol. VII, No. 1, January 1914, pag. 6-8, Sunderland, England

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