When Dr. Nathaniel Prentice taught a public school, he was very much of a favorite; but his patience, at times, would get nearly exhausted, by the breaking of the rules of school by the scholars. On one occasion, in a rather angry way, he threatened to punish, with six blows of a heavy rule, the first boy detected in whispering, and appointed some as detectors. Shortly after, one of these detectors shouted: “John Zeigler is whispering.”
John was called up and asked if it was a fact, (John, by the way, was a favorite, both of the teacher and his school-mates).
“Yes,” answered John, “I was not aware of what I was about. I was intent on working out a sum, and requested the one who sat next to to hand me the arithmetic that container the rule I wished to see.”
The Doctor regretted his hasty threat, but told John he could no suffer him to whisper and escape the punishment, and continued:
“I wish I could avoid it, but I cannot without a forfeiture of my word, are a consequent loss of authority. I will leave it,” continued he, “to any three scholars you may choose, to say whether or not I shalt remit the punishment.”
John said he would agree to that, and immediately called out three boys.
The Doctor told them to return a verdict. This they soon did, after a consultation, as follows:
“The teacher’s word must be kept inviolate. John must receive the threatened punishment of six blows of the rule; but it must be indicted on volunteer proxies, and we, the arbitrators will share the punishment, by receiving. each of us, two of the blows.”
John, who had listened to the verdict, stepped up to the Doctor, and with out stretched hand, exclaimed:
“Teacher, here is my hand. They shan’t be struck a blow. I will receive, the punishment.”
The Doctor, under pretense of wiping his face, shielded his eyes, and, telling the boys to go to their seats, said he would think of it.
I believe he did think of it to his dying day; but the punishment was never inflicted.
I think I am pretty safe in saving that the above is a story which at least all my boy readers will like, I am sun it is a capital story, but what I most, like it for, is, as an illustration of something which personally concerns each one of you.
You all know the story of the garden of Eden, when God said as regards tin forbidden fruit, “In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die.”
Now, how was it that Adam and Eve broke this one command which the Lord gave them, and yet they lived? Did not God find a way by which He could keep His word, and yet that the creature which He had made and loved, might not die?
Yes, and He found it in the same way which these boys did, by which the teacher kept his word, and yet their beloved comrade escaped the punishment rightly his due.
God’s Son came forward and said, “I will die in their place, I will die. and they shall live.” So God’s word was kept, and yet the offender went free.
And now there is another thing I wish you to notice in my story. You see what an impression was made on the boys by the whole thing. And this God knew would be the natural consequence of all that He was doing for His sinful creatures.
He would bind them to Himself in bonds of love, which never could be broken. How can we help loving Him, who so loved us? The more we think of it, the deeper must be the impression made upon our minds. We owe Him an everlasting debt of gratitude; for it was love both in the Father and the Son, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”
O, what a wrong thought that is, which makes out that God is angry with us, and Jesus came only that He may appease His Father’s wrath. God loves the sinner but hates the sin, and at the cross we not only see God’s wrath and judgment spent on His beloved Son for our sins, but His matchless love in giving Him for us.
You perceive in the story that the teacher loved his scholar, and was pained that justice demanded his punishment.
“God commendeth His love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ, died for us.”
And now what can we do for Him who has done so much for us? Is not that a very natural feeling to have? Not at all to pay our debt; not at all that God requires any works from us, that we may be saved, but simply as the expression of our gratitude to Him, and to show out our love for Him.
ML 02/16/1946