THERE was once a boy named Peter, who I am sorry to say, was very cruel. He seemed to take delight in being cruel; fly, beetle, or any insect was pulled to pieces by this cruel boy; and dogs, cats, and birds he tormented dreadfully when he had the opportunity.
But Peter grew up to be a man, and was employed by a brewer. One day his hat fell off into a vat of boiling beer, and in trying to catch it he fell in himself. He was, however, able in falling to catch hold of the sides of the vat, so that his legs only were in the boiling liquor. He called aloud for help and was soon got out, but his legs were found to be dreadfully burnt.
As he lay writhing in agony, he exclaimed, “God is terribly punishing me for my sins, especially for my cruelty to His creatures. I have tortured many hundreds, and now what torture I am, in! Were I a thief, I might make amends for the stolen goods: but I can never give life back to the animals I have put to death, and who had nothing but life to rejoice in. How can God be merciful to me, since I have been so unmerciful? His anger is upon me. His justice has overtaken me, wretched man that I am.”
The doctor said his legs must come off or he would die. Here was the one who had pulled off so many legs, now to lose his own. And his sins came to his memory in great power.
Through the mercy of God he was brought through the operation, and lived some long time after; but on suited occasions he did not fail to tell how God had brought his sin home to him, as he warned the young not to be cruel to any of God’s creatures. God says,
ML 03/05/1922