I used to have an uncle, David Jones, who was a bailiff and managed an estate for a wealthy business man, Mr. Thomas Mostyn. Uncle had married one of Mrs. Mostyn’s maids and his boss had given him a little farm and house to live in. Uncle was an extraordinary man, but best of all he was a Christian.
Outside in his garden Uncle had dug a root cellar in which he had stored their winter supply of potatoes and other vegetables. One cold wintry day he became convinced that someone had stolen some of his potatoes, so on Saturday night he decided to keep watch. Snow was on the ground and the moon was rising. Sure enough he saw a man’s head begin to appear above the root cellar, and hands were soon busy scooping potatoes into a sack. Slipping unnoticed around behind, Uncle seized the fellow, twisted him around so that he faced the moon, and immediately recognized the thief.
“Oh Jack,” exclaimed Uncle; “so it is you then who steals my potatoes.”
Jack clamored for mercy; said he was out of work, that his wife was sick, and made other excuses.
“Jack,” said Uncle, “I don’t want to take you before the magistrate, where you have often been for your drunkenness and for stealing game, for they would send you to prison. I’m going to punish you myself.” So Jack was thrashed on the spot until he cried lustily for mercy.
Uncle then took him indoors, made him wash himself, put some food in the sack along with the potatoes, for his poor starving family, and then gave him something to eat. As the astounded Jack departed for his cottage, my uncle said to him: “If you want some work, and can come to my office on Monday, you shall have some; but don’t steal anymore.”
My uncle also took a leading part at the chapel services. On Sunday evening to the astonishment of everyone, Jack appeared at the service, his head tied with a rag bandage. The people stared at him, thinking he had been in another drunken fight. But what was their surprise when Uncle David gently led him to a seat. There Jack listened to the gospel preaching, something he hadn’t done for many a year.
Next morning he presented himself at Uncle’s office for work, and got a job. In the meantime my aunt had provided for Jack’s sick wife and starving children. Jack worked all week and took home his wages, a thing he had hardly done for years. Most of his earnings he had spent at the tavern.
That Saturday night Jack did not show up at the tavern, much to the surprise of his old companions. Instead he was seen cleaning his boots, and such shoes as his children possessed.
On Sunday Jack led his children to the little gospel hall, and there he spent the greater part of the day. He put in an appearance at the Sunday school, where he was kindly received, and asked to be taught like a child. The Spirit of God was mercifully at work within him, and everybody was astonished.
From that time on Jack showed that he was a “new creature in Christ Jesus,” that old things had passed away and that all things had become new (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)). My uncle lived to see him conduct the service himself and preach a soul-stirring message of Christ, the Saviour of sinners. The two became firm friends for the rest of their lives, and many souls were saved through the preaching of Jack, once the thief and drunkard, but now a saint and servant of Christ.
“For the love of Christ constraith us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14,1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15).
ML 05/12/1968