A business man who had been for some time preaching the gospel, at length gave up his business in order to devote himself entirely to the proclamation of the glad tidings.
When he thus retired from commercial life, money was owing to him in excess of the amount for which he himself was indebted, and he thought that he was quite secure and could readily meet all his liabilities.
There came an occasion however when he was in a sore dilemma.
A sum of $100 was demanded from him and he promised to pay it on a certain Monday. He had attempted to provide for payment before, but failed to obtain the amount. Now he went round among all those who owed him money, but could not obtain payment. Then he sought the help of friends, desiring them to lend him enough to pay the bill. This also was in vain. They expressed sympathy but that was all. There seemed no one who could help him.
On the Saturday before the dreaded day, he was in his study in the greatest distress of mind. He had arranged to preach three times on the Lord’s Day, and seemed powerless to think. The $100 seemed ever before his eyes. But he shall tell his story,
“For a long time I sat with my face buried in my hands, and then I fell on my knees and I believe I said, ‘Lord help me,’ a hundred times, for I could say nothing but ‘Lord help me; Lord help me.’ While praying I felt an impression that these words might serve me for one text...no other text could I think of but ‘Lord help me.’
“While preaching on the Sunday morning I had so many thoughts and illustrations arising out of the subject, that I felt great liberty in speaking. One of my illustrations was about a man I well knew who was an executor for two orphan children. He was tempted to make use of the money, and much of it was lost. This so preyed upon his mind, that he began to drink. He lost his character, lost his peace of mind, and died with the reputation of a rogue.
`Now,’ I said, ‘had this man, the executor, when he first thought of taking the children’s money, resisted the temptation by calling on God to help him, help him to be honest, help him to do nothing but what a professing Christian ought to do, instead of losing the money, his good name, his peace of mind and perhaps his life, God would have heard his prayer and saved him.
“Noon came; but my sermon was not half done. I preached from it again in the afternoon, and again in the evening, and I felt I could have preached from it for a week. So you see the Lord helped me through my work on the Sunday and I believed He would some way help me through the Monday.
After finishing the night’s service, a young man stood wishing to see me in private...For several minutes we were both silent, but at length he said:
“You knew my mother.” I looked him in the face, saying, “Surely I did, but I did not know you at first sight.”
“Well sir, when she died she left me some money, in fact all she had, except two small sums. She wished me to give one sum of $25 to a poor woman of her acquaintance; and speaking of you she said, “Our minister needs help and I wish you to give him $100. I paid the $25 to the old woman; but thinking no one knew, I resolved never to give you your amount. But while you were talking about the roguish executor this morning, I felt thunderstruck; and I have now brought you the $100. Here it is, do take it and forgive me.’
It was now my turn to be thunderstruck. I was amazed; and while the young man was putting the money into my hand, I trembled all over. God had heard my prayer! He had helped me through the Sunday and sent me the $100 for the Monday! It was mine and I took it. I shook the young man by the hand, and without putting the money into my pocket, I went quickly home and spread it out on the table before my wife, saying,
“Here it is, Here it is. He has heard my prayer and helped me and I will trust Him and praise Him as long as I live.”
O! my friends, when that little prayer, “Lord help me” comes from the heart of one of God’s children in distress, neither men, devils, nor angels can tell its power.
It has brought me thousands of blessings.
O! how little we confide in His grace and goodness.