ANNIE B. had received the Lord Jesus as her Saviour, and was earnestly trying to serve Him, but time after time she grieved Him by giving way to a naturally hasty temper. This caused her much sorrow, and earnestly she prayed for strength to conquer it. Now Annie was obliged to associate every day with Mary E., who treated her unjustly and tried to make her lose her temper, and thus dishonor the Lord. She mourned over this in secret, and sought and obtained pardon, but this was not known to Mary.
One day, as usual, Mary charged Annie with making a false profession of religion, and instantly received a hasty and passionate reply. “So that’s your religion is it?” said Mary tauntingly.
The tears sprang to Annie’s eyes, and hastening to a place where she could be alone, she burst into a flood of tears and sobbed out her confession to the Lord Jesus. “Go and tell Mary you are sorry,” a voice seemed to whisper within. “I cannot,” Annie answered: “besides she had no right to say what she did.” “Blessed are ye when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake,” came at once to Annie’s mind, and for some minutes the struggle lasted. Then Annie went to Mary, and frankly confessed her fault, and asked forgiveness.
Mary looked at her in astonishment; this was something she could not understand “I have nothing to forgive; it was all my fault,” she stammered.
From this time Annie had perfect control over her temper given to her from the Lord and soon afterward Mary also gave her heats to Jesus, and thus the two girls became close friends. Mary dates her first serious impressions from the day when Annie asked her pardon.
The Lord Jesus will not only save but keep those who put their trust in Him, for He is able to keep us from falling. R. B. Y.