Adonirum Judson read at the age of three years, took navigation lessons at ten, studied theology as a child, entered Providence College (now Brown University) at seventeen — despite the fact he spent one year of his youth out of school in sickness — and he was a “veritable bookworm.”  Also, he mastered the Burmese language (possibly the most difficult language to acquire, excepting Chinese), writing and speaking it with the familiarity of a native and the elegance of a cultured scholar, and he also translated the Bible into Burmese.  His biographers believe that his translation was “undoubtedly his greatest contribution to the people among whom he chose to spend and be spent for Christ’s sake.”

Despite the fact his father was a Congregational preacher, and in spite of his mother’s “tears and pleadings,” Judson was not saved until he was 20 years of age.  He had become a confirmed deist — due largely to the influence of a brilliant unbeliever in college who set out to win Judson to his deistic faith, and succeeded.

But, incredibly, Judson’s conversion to Christ was due in large measure to that same deist.  After graduation Judson left home to become a wanderlust.  One night in a country inn, his room was adjacent to the room of a dying man.  The moaning and groaning of that man through the long night permitted Judson no sleep.  His thoughts troubled him.  All night questions assailed his soul: “Was the dying man prepared to die?”  “Where would he spend eternity?”  “Was he a Christian, calm and strong in the hope of life in Heaven?”  “Or, was he a sinner shuddering in the dark brink of the lower region?”  Judson constantly chided himself for even entertaining such thoughts contrary to his philosophy of life beyond the grave, and thought how his brilliant college friend would rebuke him if he learned of these childish worries.

But the next morning, when Judson inquired of the proprietor as to the identity of the dead man, he was shocked by the most staggering statement he had ever heard: “He was a brilliant young person from Providence College. E______ was his name.”  E______ was the unbeliever who had destroyed Judson’s faith.

“Now he was dead — and was lost!  Was lost!  Was lost!  Lost!  Lost!”  Those words raced through his brain, rang in his ears, roared in his soul — “Was lost!  Lost!  Lost!  There and then Judson realized he was lost, too!  He ended his travelling, returned home, entered Andover Theological Seminary and soon “sought God for the pardon of his soul,” was saved and dedicated his life to the Master’s service!

His conversion not only saved his soul, it smashed his dreams of fame and honour for himself. His one pressing purpose became to “plan his life to please his Lord.”

To be continued in the next weekly.