John S. Bennett, 1915

‘Twas the twelfth of December, 1907,
When I first started on the road to Heaven;
The downward path I had trod long enough,
And I was good and tired of being a bluff.
No good in my life had I ever done,
For I was always busy getting a bun.
Of whiskey, I drank, I dare say casks,
But I found ’twas a profitless task.
To quit the old habits I had often tried,
But the devil always had me spied,
And as soon as a cure I would take
He would make me believe it was a fake;
He always showed me how much better time,
I could have by drinking whiskey and wine.
I tried cures, sanitarium, pledges and all
To get over the cursed appetite of alcohol,
But each time the old devil was right on the job,
And just as surely my good vows he would rob.
I lost everything I had in the world,
And my brain always seemed to be in a whirl,
For me to be sober was out of the question
‘Til in a Rescue Mission the boys made this suggestion–
“Jesus is your friend — ask Him to guide and guard.
The road, at first, may seem to you hard;
But pray with all your might, both day and night,
And soon you will get the great peace,
Which, if you are honest, will never cease.”
Then I asked him my sins to forgive
And promised that as long as I lived
I’d lead a good, Christian life,
No matter what the strife.
So I’m here not to tell the story
Of Jesus and His great glory;
And how He saved this helpless bum,
From committing sin and drinking run.
I’ll tell each time I get a chance,
How He once took me out of a great trance,
How He has kept me all the way,
And placed my feet on the Rock to stay.
Now, boys, this Savior is here tonight,
So, if you wish to make the great flight,
All He asks is to give Him your heart.
Come up here in the front and make the start,
Ask His forgiveness for all of your sins,
Then go away rejoicing and a new life begin.