Malan’s Only Answer

Caesar Malan, the well-known evangelist of a century ago and the instrument used of God in the conversion of Charlotte Elliott who wrote the well-known hymn “Just As I Am,” was travelling by stagecoach on a long journey. The company was a mixed one, and Malan occupied his time in refreshing his soul by reading the Scripture.

An infidel fellow traveler was greatly annoyed and remarked that he wondered at an intelligent man reading what was not fit for women and children.

Malan’s only answer was reading aloud a suitable Scripture.

The infidel retorted by asking if he could give no better answer than reading from that antiquated Book.

Malan turned to another Scripture and read.

“Did I not tell you, I do not believe a word of that–Book?”

Malan replied, “This is what it says,” reading another portion.

The adversary was silenced, and no more was said.

A colonel friend of Malan’s fellow traveler, on alighting from the coach, said, “Much as I love and respect you, Malan, it seems to me you were not quite fair to your adversary in only reading Scripture in answer to his arguments.”

“Colonel,” was Malan’s reply, “what is that you are carrying at your side?”

“My sword.”

“Now if you faced the enemy in battle, would you argue with him that this blade is a weapon?”

“No, I would plunge it into him.”

“Well, Colonel, that was what I was doing!”

Some years after, a stranger accosted Malan and asked, “Pardon me, do you remember me?”

Malan answered: “I do not recall you.”

“Do you remember being on a stagecoach with an infidel who objected to your reading the Bible?”

“Yes, I remember perfectly.”

“Well, I am the man, and I wish to tell you that it led me to read the Bible for myself and to find Jesus as my blessed Savior!”

What a triumph of grace! What a testimony to the power of the Word! It is still “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

[starrating]