distress I felt for others whom I had misled. "When our blessed Lord was
speaking to the Jews, and warning them against their unbelief and its
fearful consequences, He did not allow any 'charitable hopes' to hinder
Him from speaking the whole truth. He told them of Lazarus, who died,
and went to Paradise, or Abraham's bosom; and of Dives, who died, and
went to Hell, the place of torment" (Luke 16).

"But," he said, interrupting me, "that is only a parable, or figure of
speech."

"Figure of speech!" I repeated. "Is it a figure of speech that the rich
man fared sumptuously, that he died, that he was buried? Is not that
literal? Why, then, is it a figure of speech that he lifted up his eyes
in torment, and said, 'I am tormented in this flame'(Luke 16:24). My
dear friend, be sure that there is an awful reality in that story--a
most solemn reality in the fact of the impassable gulf. If here we do
not believe in this gulf, we shall have to know of it hereafter. I never
saw and felt," I continued, "as I do now, that every man is lost, even
while on earth, until he is saved, and that if he dies in that unsaved
state he will be lost for ever."

My unknown visitor remained silent for a little time, and I could see
that he was in tears. At last he burst out and said, "I am sure you are
right. I came to try you upon the three great "R's"--'Ruin,'
'Redemption,' and 'Regeneration,' and to see if you really meant what
you preached. Now I feel more confirmed in the truth and reality of the
Scriptures." I thought I had been contending with an unbeliever all
along, but instead of this I found that he was a man who scarcely
ventured to think out what he believed to its ultimate result--he
believed God's Word, but, like too many, alas! held it loosely.