A Lawyer Brought to Christ.

The Story of the Conversion of Rowland D. Edwards, The English Evangelist.
Up to the age of twenty-two, I had no thoughts about eternity, in fact, my life was one devoted to pleasure, business and sin. It was about that time when practicing as a lawyer, that a brother-in-law, an English barrister, to my surprise, spoke to me about my soul. I say ‘surprise,’ for up to that hour, I knew him only as a worldly unconverted man. I sarcastically remarked that I would give him three months to keep to his religion, feeling sure in my own mind that he would weary of it, and return to the old paths. He replied that the Lord would keep him and still urged me to become a Christian. He induced me to attend some evangelistic services where he had found Christ. I went, and what impressed me most at the outset was the intense earnestness of the preacher. His addresses so fitted itself into my life that I felt sure my brother-in-law had previously informed him of some of the details of my history. This I afterwards found was the case. At the close of the service, I went to a hotel to play billiards and have a ‘nightcap’—though conscience told me I was all wrong.
The next day I was chaffed considerably by many fellows on the score of having attended a revival service; they said they also were going to turn ‘good.’ One of them, a bright young fellow (at the hotel bar, this took place), said to me he would give up saloon going if I would pledge myself to do the same. To this I agreed, but he ultimately died a victim to strong drink, yet through the mercy of God, it was my last visit. That night I again attended the services and though the Spirit of God strove with me, I shrank from a full surrender to the Lord.
Another night and yet another, and then I realized the folly of procrastination any longer and determined to accept the Lord if he would receive me. Mark the ‘if.’ How little I then knew His wonderful love—the heart that breathed out to every sinner the loving invitation, ‘Come,’ and from its depths, uttered the soul thrilling words, ‘him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.’
The evangelist dealt personally with me at the close of the service, explaining several passages, such as ‘John iii. 16-36, Romans v. 6; and especially Romans x., 9: ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved.’ My difficulty was, however, that I did not feel saved, although ready to confess the Lord. It was pointed out to me that the above verse did not say ‘shalt feel saved,’ but ‘shalt be saved’—a fact, not a feeling. This brought light to my soul.
I confessed Jesus as my Lord, believing with the heart that God had raised Him from the dead and I was there and then saved. God said so and I believed Him. Having thus taken God at His Word, we knelt and thanked Him for His salvation, when immediately the happy feelings I had longed for became my experience. I was not only saved, but happy in the knowledge of it. For five more years, I continued of my spare time in preaching the gospel in my own neighborhood. At the end of that period, a growing desire to do God’s will at all costs and an increasing love for Christ and for the souls of men, constrained me to relinquish my worldly prospects and led me out entirely into the Lord’s work. The Rams Horn.
“The Northern Messenger” Montreal June 24, 1904.