3 Sermon Illustrations on Faith Transformation

In the summer of 1824, two gentlemen from London, in the course of a tour through Germany, came to Gottingen, where they visited several professors eminent for their meritorious exertions in the promotion of learning. They were received by all in the most friendly manner, but by one in particular, who afforded them some of the most delightful hours they enjoyed on their tour. With the greatest readiness, and in the most obliging manner, he showed his visitors every thing interesting in his house, at the same time gratifying them by many entertaining relations. Having directed their attention to various objects, he left the room, but soon returned with a Bible under his arm, and, with a countenance as grave as it had before been cheerful, he addressed them in nearly the following words: "You must now allow me to relate an extraordinary occurrence. Some years ago, I was in great danger of losing my sight, which had become so bad that I could scarcely distinguish any thing. The prospect of passing the last days of my life in blindness, made me so melancholy, that I resolved to make a tour to Bremen to recover my spirits. On this tour I came to Hanover, where some friends took me into the duke of Cambridge's library, and showed me some Bibles, lately sent by the Bible Society in London as a present to the Duke. Wishing to try whether, in my blindness, I could distinguish the paper and print of those from the common ones, I took one up merely for that purpose, without the least intention of selecting any particular passage; and now see what I read!" He here opened the Bible, and read Isa. 42: 16, "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them.' I read this verse, and received spiritual sight." At these words he was so much affected, that the tears ran down his cheeks. "With a cheerful mind I now journeyed back to Gottingen, and my greatest desire was to possess a Bible, in which this verse stood on the same page and in the same place. Shortly afterwards I was visited by a friend from London, to whom I related the occurrence, and immediately received his promise to send me one as soon as possible, which he did." The Bible he continued to esteem as his greatest earthly treasure.

In New-York city a little boy lived, who appeared to take little or no interest in learning, so that he was pronounced by his teachers a very dull scholar. He learned to read but very slowly, and finally neglected the school, thinking he should never succeed. There was a Bible class organized, which he was induced to attend. And here he soon began to manifest an interest in the study of the Scriptures. He learned to read well, which much astonished his father, who was a very wicked man. One Sabbath his father took some nails and a hammer to nail up a fence, when he was reproved by his little son, who spoke about working on the sabbath day, and invited him to attend public worship. The enraged father drove him from his presence, and threatened to punish him, if he ever talked in that way again. The child went away sorrowful. Not long after this, as the little boy returned from public worship, he went and looked over his father's shoulder, and observed that he was reading Hume's History of England. He went into the middle of the room, and said, "Father, where do you expect to go when you die?" Such a question from such a child could not be borne. "Away," said he, "from my presence immediately, or I will whip you." The child retired; but the father was troubled. He went out to walk, but still a load was pressing on his agonizing soul. He thought of attending public worship, for nothing else seemed so likely to soothe his troubled feelings. He entered while the minister was at prayer, and that day was the beginning of better days to him. He sought from God the forgiveness of his sins, and soon obtained the hope of eternal life.

A few years passed away, and the old man was on his dying bed. His son attended him, constantly ministering to his spiritual wants. To a Christian minister the father said, "I am dying, but I am going to heaven; and my son has been the instrument of saving my soul." Soon his spirit was released to be welcomed, as we have no reason to doubt, into the mansions of glory. Happy child! to be the instrument of saving his father from death. Happy parent! to be blessed with such a child.