Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve… "I was the guest of Colonel — , a leading man in his county, Master of the Hounds for two counties, keeping the hounds at a cost of USD20,000 a year. He was a man of passionate character, and, when excited, very profane. He attended the meetings every evening. But he complained that he had a headache the next morning. One morning at breakfast he said, ' I don't think I shall go to the meetings any longer. My head aches with the bad air, and then I do not think you are quite fair. You make everybody out as no better than heathen. That may be true of the common people; but you will drive all the gentry away.' I said, 'Colonel, I am your guest, and I did not introduce this subject. But let me ask you, Are you a Christian?' 'What do you mean? I support a Church and two or three ministers.' I said, ' Unless you will take a stand as a Christian as plainly as you do as Master of the Hounds, I do not think you have any claim to be called a Christian.' To my surprise, he was in church that night, with his wife, who was a Christian. I preached on the Pharisee and the Publican. At the close I said, 'If there is any man or woman who is ready, with the publican, to say, "God be merciful to me a sinner," I invite him to rise.' To my surprise, up rose the Colonel, and folded his arms, and his wife by his side. I thought, 'Will it do to call the Colonel up here and ask him to go on his knees? 'I did so. The Colonel moved right forward with his wife. And the next that came was the Irish servant, and he kneeled down by his master. Next morning, as I opened the Bible for prayers, the Colonel rose and said, 'Before the Doctor reads, I want to say that last night I went forward and took God as my Saviour. I ask you, my friends, to pray for me.' This in the presence of all the servants." (Dr. Pentecost.) Parallel Verses KJV: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. |
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