He Brought His Night-Shirt
By Dr. Walter L. Wilson
In a lovely little city in the heart of the heart of Kansas, a group of Christians rented an abandoned theatre for a series of gospel meetings, and invited me to conduct the services. The meetings were advertised in surrounding towns and a goodly company of interested folk gathered to hear the gospel.
The leader of this work was standing at the front of the theatre, near the platform, talking to me about the arrangements, just before the service was to begin. We observed a man about fifty year of age walking down the aisle carrying a suitcase. Approaching us, he placed his suitcase on the floor, and then asked, “where can I see the evangelist?”
My friend said: “This is the preacher who will conduct the services. You may talk with him now if you wish.”
I immediately shook hands with the visitor and inquired how I might help him. “I came to be saved,” he said. “I have been playing at this business for many years am now fifty years old. It is time I got it settled. I drove thirty miles to come to this meeting to hear you and I hope you will explain it to me fully.”
“Why did you bring the suitcase?” I asked.
“I brought my night-shirt in it, because I expected to stay here until I get saved. I am not going home until I know that I am a real Christian.”
It is not often that we see such interest manifested as this. Such determination and purpose of heart will always be blessed by the Lord. I felt confident that the Holy Spirit would reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to this man because of his seeking and his coming. The Lord said: “Those that seek me early shall find me.”
We sat down together, occupying seats in the front row, and I said to him: “What part of the Scriptures do you know the best?”
“I only know John 3:16,” he replied.
“That is a splendid verse,” I remarked. “I wonder if you believe what it says?”
“Of course I do,” he said, “every word of it.”
“Will you quote it for me?”
“Yes, gladly,” he answered, and repeated: “For God so loved the world, that we gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“Since you tell me that you believe this verse, my friend, will you kneel here with me and thank God for several things which I will enumerate to you?
“Yes,” he said, “I am willing to do anything at all that I should do in order to be saved. That is what I came for; that is my only desire.”
“Very well,” said I, “let us kneel together and I will ask you to thank God first for giving His Son to you. Will you do this?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Next I will ask you to tell God that you accept this gift and receive His Son to be your own Lord and Savior. Will you do this, as you tell Him?”
“I certainly will,” he replied.
“The third thing is to thank God for giving you everlasting life, right now, just where you are, because you have taken His own Son for yourself. Will you thank Him for this, too?”
“Yes, I will be glad to do it,” he answered.
“Also, I will ask you to thank the Lord that you will never perish, never be lost, never go to hell, because you believe that Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, blotted out your sins at Calvary.”
“Yes, I will tell Him that right away,” was his answer.
“Now, my friend, will you turn your heart to the One who sits at God’s right hand on the throne, the wounded Saviour and say to Him: “Lord Jesus, I thank Thee for dying for me on the cross. I believe that you bore my sins there and that you blotted them out. I thank you for it, I worship you, and I trust you with my soul?”
“Yes,” he replied quickly, “I will do all that you have told me, for I do want to get peace in my heart.”
We then knelt together, and he began to pray. In his prayer, he said: “O God, I thank Thee for sending Jesus into the world to save the world. O God, won’t you make me a good Christian. O God, won’t you give me peace and help me to live a good life. O God do-.”
Just there I reached over, shook his shoulder sharply, and said: “Stop! There is no use of your praying like that; you are just wasting your time as well as God’s time.”
He turned about quite frightened, arose from his knees, and trembling with emotion, said, “What’s the matter; what was I doing wrong?”
“You did not do any one of the five things which I asked you to do.” I explained to him. “You did not thank God for giving His Son to you. You did not tell God that you here and now accepted this gift; neither did you thank the Lord for the gift of eternal life. You said nothing about the joy of knowing that you would never perish. You completely ignored the Lord Jesus, and said nothing to Him whatever about the wonderful work He did for you at Calvary. You must accept God’s Christ if you would be God’s child. You need not ask God to do anything for you; it has already been done. The Gift has already been given; the sacrifice has already been made; the blood has already been shed. God wants you to believe it and accept this Saviour just now. Will you do it?”
“Yes,” he said, “I will pray again.”
We again knelt down together and he prayed again, and said: “O God, since talking with the doctor, I see I told you the wrong thing. O God, I do take your Son right now. I do accept your Gift to me, and I believe that He came to save me; and O God, I believe that you have given me eternal life this afternoon. Thank you, O God, I thank you I will never perish. Oh, I thank you for the wonderful peace you have given me. Lord Jesus, I thank you for taking away all of my sins and blotting them out with your blood. You have saved me; I worship you; I believe you.”
Thus he poured out his heart in gratitude, and arose with such thanksgiving and praise that the friends who were gathering for the service were deeply impressed with the blessing that God had given him.
Each one who reads this story is urged to make Christ Jesus, your own Lord and Savior; trust Him with you soul and lay at His feet your life. He will save you, keep you, and use you.