“HYMN No. 181, ‘Lo, a loving Friend is Waiting?” gave out a young fellow standing at the edge of a group of children. It was a children’s gospel service, and the hymn was well sung by all present. After the fifth verse the speaker said: “Please sit down now and let me tell you something that I often connect in my mind with that last verse you sang.
“I knew a lady who had lost a very valuable ring. Very mysteriously it had disappeared one night from her dresser, though she had not left the room, and two other rings close by were all safe. She was sure she had slipped all three off her finger, and put them on an old china tray, as usual. But in the morning, her watch, broach, and two rings lay there, but the third one was missing. On the tray was a small packet of cereal.
“High and low the children and servants searched for that ring, but all in vain.
“It was just three years later some repairs were being made in another part of the house. Part of the flooring was taken up, and there lay the skeleton of a mouse, with the beautiful diamond ring around its neck! It seemed as if the poor little fellow had found a little cereal scattered on the tray and, while eating it and searching for more, he had slipped his head through the ring. Being smooth and round, very likely it caused no inconvenience at first: but, as the mouse grew, the ring became tight and then tighter, and from the bent shape of the neck-bones it had evidently strangled him. They also showed that he had worn it for some time.”
The large group of children and their friends listened with much interest, and the speaker continued: “Perhaps that mouse could have slipped out of the ring at first; and then he would feel it getting tighter and tighter, until it caused his death. How true is that line, ‘Sin grows stronger.’ Yes, sin indulged in tightens and tightens its deadly hold till... you know what the Bible says is the end of the unpardoned sinner. “The wages of sin is death.”
Now let us sing that verse very prayerfully and softly again: “Soon that voice will cease its calling;
Wilt thou still delay?
Wait no longer, sin grows stronger, Come today.”
Thank God, two present at that morning service did yield to the Saviour that day. One was a lady, the other a fourteen-year-old school boy. Both sought and found Him who had died and set them free from the bondage of sin and Satan, and both are still rejoicing in the glorious liberty of grace.
ML-08/03/1969