Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. There was a medical student at Edinburgh who was half through his course of four years, and he worked very hard and had lived an entirely selfish life. One day he said, "Here are four of the best years of my life, and I have never done a hand's turn to make better or to help any other fellow." He then found another medical student who had come from the same part of the country as himself. He had gone to the bad. His people had given him up. He was drinking himself to death. For months he had not read a book. This first man had not seen him for months, but he went out to hunt him up. He found the man still drunk, and said to him, "These are poor lodgings for you. I want to take you to my rooms." The other man said, "I am in debt." "Well, I will pay your bill," replied number one. They gathered up the luggage and number one led the way to his room. Next morning number one said, "Look here, I have a little contract. We will mess here together for the next few months. I have written out here four articles, which we will both sign. The first is, neither of us to go out alone. The second is, if either of us have to go out alone, twenty minutes to be allowed to go to the Commons and back, overtime to be accounted for. The third, one hour to be set aside every night for pleasure, anything but study; and the fourth, that bygones shall be bygones." Things went well for a month. One night number two threw down his Anatomy and said, "I cannot stand this any longer. I want to have a 'bust.'" "Very well," replied the other, "'bust' here. What do you want?" "I want some drink." Number one got some drink, and number two had his "bust" there, and was thus tided over the hour. That hour comes to every man who is trying to reform. He must treat himself like a convalescent. If there is a man who is beginning to live a better life, let him remember for the next three months that he is a convalescent. He must not go into a draught or he will take cold. He must not read the books he read last week. Number two wanted another "bust," and he got it, but he did not leave the room. And so the months passed. One night number two said to number one, "I notice you reading a book. I see you read the Bible, and you never talk to me about religion." Talk about religion! What was the use of talking religion when the man was living the life of Christ before him? and living is the one thing that is of value in religion. Number one said, "If you choose we will read together." He read a couple of verses, but number two stopped him and said, "That is enough now." Number one passed out after the two years. He did not have a brilliant record; he was only a fairly commonplace man. Number two, on the other hand, who had been picked up out of the gutter, passed out with special honour. The last I heard of them, number one was filling an appointment in London, and number two was known as the "Christian Doctor." Do you think that when number one looks back upon his college course he will not see standing above it all the face of that one man whom he saved? (Prof. H. Drummond.) Parallel Verses KJV: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. |
    |