Answered Prayers And Amazing Providences

The great preacher Charles Simeon was the object of much persecution, ridicule, and derision during the early part of his ministry. He records the following about his experience: "When I was an object of much contempt and derision in the University, I strolled forth one day, buffeted and afflicted, with my little Testament in my hand. I prayed earnestly to my God that He would comfort me with some cordial from His Word...opening the book, I might find some text which should sustain me. It was not for direction I was looking, for I am no friend to such superstitions...but only for support.  The first text which caught my eye was this: "They found a man of Cyrene, Simeon by name, him they compelled to carry His cross."  He then prayed: "Lay it on me Lord, and I will bear it for Thy sake to the end of my life; and henceforth I found persecution as a wreath of glory round my brow." 

  The following incident is taken from an experience of Charles H. Spurgeon with an atheist. There was an atheist in the vicinity of Mr. Spurgeon's home and he was very ugly to anyone who believed the Bible. Mr. Spurgeon asked the Lord to direct him in what he should read for morning devotions. Then he seemed strongly impressed to read the book of Joel in its entirety. When he came to Joel 3, he read the third verse: "And sold the girl for wine." Whereupon, Mr. Spurgeon checked his concordance to see how many times the word "girl" occurred in the Bible. To his great surprise, he found the word only occurred once. A little later he thought he would take a walk. About a block and a half away he looked up and there was the atheist's house. He went up and knocked. The atheist growled, "Well, what do you want?" "I would like to read the Bible to you," Spurgeon replied. "The atheist began his usual abuse, then suddenly stoppe...