John was the son of a poor widow who lived in Newtown. He was just thirteen years old when he bought a Bible for himself with his own money.
Of course in our day children much younger than he have purchased a Bible for themselves, but in John’s day Bibles were much more difficult to obtain than they are now. So it took considerable self-denial on John’s part to secure his much-prized copy of the Holy Scriptures.
It was a bitterly cold night when John arrived at the bookseller’s at ten o’clock, and finding the shop closed, he went to the kitchen door and knocked. The little family circle within had gathered for their evening reading of the Scriptures and for prayer, and his first knock was unanswered. But he continued knocking, and his perseverance was at last rewarded.
Opening the door one asked what he wanted.
“A Bible, sir,” John replied.
“If you will come in the morning,” said the bookseller from within, “you can have one.”
“I cannot, sir; I work two miles from Newtown and I don’t get back until late at night.”
“Come in, then, and you shall have one.”
In answer to further questions, John told the bookseller he had heard that Bibles could be obtained very cheap at that store, so he had saved up his money to buy one for himself.
Receiving the precious Book he went off with his purchase, well satisfied with the success of his errand.
The next morning his widowed mother came to the bookseller with the Bible in her hand. At first the bookseller feared that the boy had obtained the money for the Book in some dishonest way, but his doubts were soon dismissed.
“Did my little boy buy this Bible here last night?” she asked.
“He did, and he told me he had saved the money for it himself.”
“And how do you think he saved it?”
“I couldn’t say.”
“Well, I will tell you. He has to leave home early in the morning. I cut him two large pieces of bread—one for his breakfast, and the other for his dinner. That’s all I can afford. He has supper when he comes home at night. With this I gave him enough to buy milk—enough for breakfast and lunch.
Here the mother paused, for her feelings almost overcame her, but with an effort she proceeded: “My little boy ate the bread, but drank nothing but water for four weeks in order to have this Bible.”
Such is the story. What do you think of it, dear reader? Has the Spirit of God wrought such a love for God’s Word in your heart?
In this day many are turning from the truth of God to fables and fiction. May God give us all to value the Scriptures, to hide them in our hearts, to think over them, and to esteem them more than thousands of gold and silver. (Psa. 119:7272The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:72).)
ML-12/03/1978