Number 3. Little George.
WE left George last week enjoying the candies in the bottles on the shelves, but, alas, he was not satisfied to stop there. What is it in each one of us, which makes us long for that which is forbidden, us? I will tell you, it is sin. Yes, we all carry about in us a sinful nature, which is always showing itself by acts of disobedience, and willfulness. George felt that he must taste those forbidden sweets. He was tempted as the serpent tempted Eve long ago, and like Eve he gave way to the temptation.
Children, beware of the first step in disobedience! When you, begin to disobey your parents or teachers, it is like starting a ball down a hill; you do not know where it will stop; nor do you know where the first disobedient act may lead you. When George had eaten one of those choice candies, he felt he must have another and then another. Little by little his conscience became hardened, until he cared for nothing but gratifying his appetite. He found the candies were not missed, so he took more and took them oftener. Then he began on the sweet biscuits, and when no one was near, he would put up a parcel to eat when in bed at night. He dared not let them be seen at home, for his father would not have hesitated to call his actions by their right name. He would have told him plainly that what he was daily doing, was stealing his employers’ goods. Now, do you think George was happy? He went about all the time, afraid of being found out by his master, and moreover he knew well, that he was sinning against God. No, George was not happy, and often he said to himself, “This is the last candy I shall ever touch,” but Satan does not let us go so easily when we give way to his temptations. He loves to make us miserable here, and if he can, he will make us miserable forever; as has been said, “Sin, Sorrow and Satan” go together. But God is over all. He is stronger than Satan, and in this case He defeated the wiles of the devil, and saved this poor sinful child. After some time George became ill; he gradually got worse, and the doctor was called in; then little by little the truth came out. The constant feeding upon these rich candies and sweets had so ruined his digestion, that he could never get better. Yes, he must die. As I said at the beginning of this story, he found out that what we sow we must reap. Poor little boy, what did he feel when he heard the terrible truth! At first he was frightened; how could he face the God he had so sinned against. He felt the truth of this verse, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after death the judgment.” But God had pity upon this child, for whom many prayers had been offered, and He brought him to true repentance. With many tears he confessed his sinfulness, not only to his earthly friends, but to his God. Do you think God would turn away any repentant sinner? Oh, no! He never has and He never will. Freely and fully He can forgive, and in justice, too, for does not the Scripture tell us of Jesus, “Who, His own self, bare our sins, in His own body, on the tree”? George not only had “repentance toward God;” he also had “faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ,” and now we can think of this dear boy as “absent from the body. . . . present with the Lord.”
ML 07/22/1906