Experience of a Schoolteacher in India

The message of the cross is the same in every clime. The Spirit of the Lord will enlighten all darkened hearts that are receptive to the truth.

In the year 1904 there was a striking occurrence in one of our meetings in the Punjab district in northwestern India. An intelligent young lady, a native schoolteacher, offered her services as interpreter one Sunday while I preached on the subject of the ordinances of the Bible.

She became very much interested in the story of the cross, and as the prophecy was read from the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, she was much affected. After interpreting sentence by sentence a vivid description of the crucifixion scene and the story of how the Savior gave His life for the salvation of those who are lost in sin, she suddenly stopped, began wringing her hands, and fell upon her knees. In the bitter anguish of her soul she cried, “O Lord! I am a sinner! I am a sinner! Have mercy upon my soul!”

For a few minutes the services changed to a prayer meeting. Her efforts were with such earnestness and sincerity of heart that she was soon able to realize a fulfillment of the promises by faith, and received a witness to her soul that the Lord Jesus was now her Savior.

She arose rejoicing and continued to interpret with much fervency of spirit, realizing the truthfulness of the words of the apostle when He said that the gospel of Christ “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.”* (Romans 1:16)