Once a faithful preacher, during one of the persecutions in France, was fleeing from his enemies. He came to a forest, and in it, almost buried among the trees, was a woodman’s cottage. “Here I may be safe,” thought he; and going up to the door, knocked, and begged the woodman to hide him away somewhere, as he was in danger of his life.
“But remember,” said the fugitive, “if the soldiers come to the house and ask if I am here, tell the truth at once. I will not save my life by a lie.”
The woodman promised, and showed the preacher a safe place where he might hide, under his own bed.
Presently a knocking was heard at the door. It was a party of soldiers. Without a word they pushed in, looked about rather hurriedly, in the kitchen and out-houses, but did not go upstairs, to the woodman’s extreme relief. They were just departing, when one of them turned and said, “I suppose you haven’t got the fellow we’re looking for hidden anywhere here, have you?”
“What fellow?” asked the woodman.
“A preacher,” answered the soldier.
“Oh,” said the woodman remembeng the injunction, “he’s under my bed.”
The soldiers burst out laughing. “Oh no, he isn’t,” they exclaimed, “or you wouldn’t stand there and say so.” And with that they walked off, leaving the preacher to thank God for his wonderful escape.
Surely, when all is said and done, a noble death is better, a thousand times, than life bought by a cowardly lie.
The Lord honored this man’s desire to be honest, and his life was spared. We read in Proverbs 13:55A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. (Proverbs 13:5), “A righteous man hateth lying,” and again in Psalm 31:66I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord. (Psalm 31:6), “I have hated them that regard lying vanities; but I trust in the Lord.”
ML 05/31/1959