ONE afternoon, shortly after this, my employer told me to leave the office a little earlier, in order to pay some bills which were due. Several of the creditors lived quite a way off, so that not till after two hours’ walking did I find myself at the house of the last one — Mr. W—. I was shown into, a room, and since I had to wait quite a while, I drew from my pocket the money I was to pay, to count it over, and found to my astonishment that I had a greenback of $100 too much. I counted the money repeatedly, with the same result—I had one hundred dollars too much. I hurriedly hid the bill in my pocket, just as Mr. W— stepped into the room. He approached me with these words:
‘You look very pale my young friend. Are you sick?’
‘I am tired from rapid walking, and I feel a little sick, indeed;’ said I, and so I was.
‘I thought so,’ was the reply.
We then transacted our business. I received my receipt and left the house. Arriving at home, I found things as I had feared. Our landlord had come and threatened to sell some of our furniture, if the rent was not paid promptly. My poor father lay in bed. My sorrowing mother sat weeping at the table. ‘Can nothing be done?’ cried she as I entered the room. ‘It is too bad that for the small sum of ninety or one hundred dollars we should lose this furniture. Is there no outlet to be found?’
Ninety or one hundred dollars! My heart repeated again and again. My pocket contained the round sum of one hundred dollars, and no one knew about it. Who would ever think of it? Well did I know how forgetful my employer” was. Ah! that money burned in my pocket. Without a word to any one, I went to my room, and sank on my knees to pray. But in this hour of temptation I found no word to say. Overwhelmed by the dreary prospect and all the sorrow that pressed in on me, I could not form one sentence or find words to utter. I rose from my knees and paced the room with loud, beating heart. Why could I not, carry out my plan? My employer was a rich man, and will never miss this small amount, and by it I could save the few household goods of my dear parents. He is without care, and will scarcely miss the loss of one hundred dollars. Moreover, the salary he pays me is so scanty, that he really owes me this sum and more, too. Now, it would be different, too, if I were going to use the money for a bad purpose; and could it not also be possible that God had allowed this error to take place, to put the money in my hand to help my dear parents?
These thoughts had somewhat of a soothing influence over me; so I cast myself into a chair, to quietly think over any further steps to be taken. The bills with receipts were once more taken from the pocket book and carefully compared, everything was correct. Then taking everything once more into consideration, I moved toward the door, putting my hand on the knob, and so doing I looked the room over, when my eye fell on my Bible, which lay on my trunk. I paused. If the step I am about to take is a good one, then the Bible will set me clear on it, I said to myself. I went back to my seat, opened the Bible, and, what do you think, dear Charles, were the first words my eyes fell upon? They were these: ‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.’ James 1:12-1512Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:12‑15).
Like a bolt of lightning these words came into my heart; again I went on my knees, and this time I could pray. I was as one who had stepped out of a thick fog bank; the way was clear to me, and my heart beat fast and loud in joy and triumph. The Lord had delivered me out of this temptation. I hastened down to my dear father’s bedside, as one who was transformed, assuring him that on the following day, I would do all in my power to bring relief.
My dear Charles, what grace the Lord has shown me! Never, in all the days and years of my life, have I forgotten the Lord’s faithfulness to me in that hour of temptation.”
Again the old man paused in his narrative. He seemed to taste again the joys of that hour, when by God’s grace, he triumphed over the enemy.
ML 02/14/1904