"YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN" TWICE-BORN
MEN
TRUE
CONVERSION
RECORDS OF~100 WELL - KNOWN
MEN IN ALL
RANKS OF LIFECompiled by
HY. PICKERING
An American Lawyer
DR. C. I. SCOFIELD, author of the well- known
Scofield Bible was born in the State of Michigan,
U.S.A., in 1843. His mother died when he was an
infant, but his father brought him up in the fear of the
Lord whom he loved. While pursuing his studies, the
Civil War broke out, and at the age of seventeen, young
Scofield enlisted in the Confederate Army, was engaged
in several of the great battles of the war, was decorated
with the Cross of Honour for bravery, and when the war
was over he returned to civil life in the city of St. Louis,
continued the study of law, and in due time was appointed
by President Grant as Attorney for Kansas. This office
necessitated frequent visits to Washington, and there, in
convivial company, he learned to drink.
For fourteen years the young lawyer lived a life of
worldly pleasure, forgetting God, yet far from being
happy. His father and mother had been true Christians,
and he had been brought up religiously, but like many
a youth, the restraints of home being withdrawn, he
plunged into the world and seemed to be utterly in-
different to eternal things. It was while engaged in his
legal profession in St. Louis, that he formed acquaintance
with a young man, name TOM S. M`PHEETERS, a decided
Christian, who was not ashamed to own His Lord, or to
commend Him and His Gospel to others.
One day M`Pheeters called on Scofield in his office,
and as he was about to leave, with the door-knob in his
hand, he suddenly turned round to where Scofield stood,and facing him directly, said, "For a long time I have
been wanting to ask you a question, that I have hitherto
been afraid to ask, but I am going to ask it now." "I
never thought of you as afraid," said Scofield. "What
is your question?" "I want to ask you why you are not
a Christian?" said M`Pheeters, courteously. There was
a pause of silence, for that question had come so unex-
pectedly, and was so uncommon among men of his class,
that for the moment he was staggered by it. But it was
not resented, as with most it would have been, for it was
doubtless in the leading of the Spirit of God that the
earnest soul-winner asked it, and it was as the very voice
of God, the word in due season to Scofield's soul.
The lawyer thoughtfully answered, "Does not the Bible
say something about drunkards having no place in Hea-
ven? And I am a hard drinker, M`Pheeters." "You
have not answered my question, Scofield," the visitor
said. "I asked, 'Why are you not a Christian?'" "I have
always been a nominal Episcopalian, you know," said
Scofield, "but I do not recall ever having been shown,
just how to be a Christian. I do not know how." To
the answer of his friend, M`Pheeters had his answer.
Drawing his New Testament from his pocket, and taking
a chair in the lawyer's office he sat down, and there and
then read passage after passage from the Word of God,
showing God's way of salvation simply and clearly. Then
he put to Scofield the plain and definite question, "Will
you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour?"
"I'm going to think about it," was the answer. "No,
you're not," answered M`Pheeters, "you've been thinking
about it all your life. Will you settle it now? Will you
believe on Christ now, and be saved?"
Scofield stood silent for a moment in deep thought.
Then turning, he looked his friend full in the face and said,
"I will." Then the two men dropped down on their
knees side by side in the presence of God. Scofield openly
confessed his personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then
and there, and while kneeling in his office was "born of
God" (1 John 5. 1), and arose a saved man, a new creature
in Christ.
Relating the story of his conversion after many years
of Christian life and service, Scofield said, "Mine was aBible conversion. From a well-worn Testament,
For over thirty years, he continued to preach the
M`Pheeters read to me the great Gospel passages (John
3. 16; 6. 47; 10. 28; Acts 13. 38, 39), and I received Jesus
Christ as my Saviour, and the passion for drink was taken
away."
Gospel to others, which he had proved in his own salva-
tion, became a co-worker of D. L. Moody, and other
evangelical leaders, and gave his last thirty years on earth
to the preparation of that Edition of the Scriptures known
as "The Scofield Bible," then passed to his rest with
Christ in the year 1916, at the age of 77.