The Soulwinner's Reward

General Booth told of a man leaving Australia who had been working in the gold fields, and had acquired a fortune. He was on a ship, when a leak was sprung. The life-boats were lost, and the people were without hope. This strong man thought he could fight through the waves to the island, and he was about to spring into the water when a little girl, whose mother had been lost in the storm, asked him, “Sir, can you save me?” He looked at his belt of gold, and then at the child, and then at the belt, and then at the child again. He threw the belt of gold away, took her on his back, and threw himself into the sea. He struggled through the waves and with life almost gone he reached the land. The next day, when he regained consciousness the little girl put her arms around his neck, and her lips to his cheek, and said, “I am so glad you saved me.” That was worth more than all the gold in Australia.

That is the soul-winner’s reward. It is for some man whom you have won for Christ to meet you on the streets of gold and say, “I am so glad you preached that sermon, or sang that song; it saved me.”