Harry Morris, at the time this incident happened, was a splendid young man of four and twenty. He had a godly, Christian mother but he himself, though honorable, clever, upright, and prosperous, was utterly godless and even sneered at religion and those who adhered to it. He was very popular with his fellow workmen and had become the leader of a set among them known as the "Free Thinkers.”
One evening Harry, being an able orator, had made a highly spiced speech which had been received with uproarious applause. In his discourse he had not neglected to give a few side sneers at the churches, the clergy, and religion in general but on his way out of the building he had come face to face with Mr. Elliott, an earnest Christian man whom he had known from boyhood. He could see by the man's pained expression that he had heard his speech. As Harry tried to slip past him, Mr. Elliott laid a detaining hand on his arm and said quietly: "God has given you an eloquent tongue, Morris, and the power of rousing the passions and guiding the feelings of other men. May He forgive the sinful use you are making of it. Perhaps someday, you may be in terrible danger, CAUGHT IN SOME TRAP.
Then you will feel His hand and acknowledge His power but then it may be too late.”
These words struck a chill upon Harry's heart and he slunk home like a beaten dog. About six months after this, our young man went gaily to work one morning, more pleased with himself than usual. He was about to finish a very important piece of work. It was a large iron safe intended to be built into the wall of a bank a safe of immense strength. The locks had been partly designed by Harry, and, unless one was in the secret, could not be opened even with a key. The bank manager had inspected the safe and expressed great satisfaction with the idea. The manager of the factory had the day before highly complimented Harry and finally put one of the two keys in his pocket (Harry had the other one) remarking, as he did so, that no one could rob the bank but himself and Harry.
No one else had been allowed to see the working of the locks, but, when all was completed that morning, the other workmen crowded in to see the masterpiece. While they were jostling around, Harry got into the safe to see if the hinges worked well, pulling the door slightly toward him. Whether the immense weight of the door caused it to slam or whether someone accidentally pushed it is not known, but, before Harry could prevent it, the door, shutting with a spring, closed instantly. Harry was caught in his own trap!
No one could open the door except the manager who had the other key. Would the men think of sending for him?
The horror of his position gradually burst upon the imprisoned man. The air in the safe soon became close and heavy and the awful thought came that he might be suffocated before Mr. Wilson, the manager, came. For some moments he seemed to take leave of his senses. He tore at the door and shouted, only to fall back gasping for breath. To add to his terror, Mr. Elliott's words came back to him, "Someday you may be caught in a trap. Then you will feel His hand and acknowledge His power, BUT IT MAY BE TOO LATE THEN!”
There, alone, in the dark, he stood face to face with God—and the hereafter! God had indeed laid His hand on him and made him feel that there IS a God that judgeth in the earth.
The atmosphere in the safe was becoming stiffing; a little further delay and help would be too late. But stay! What precious words of sweetness rushed suddenly into his mind, calming his terror for a few moments?
"When they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, He delivered them out of their distress.”
But how could he cry to a God he had ridiculed? He knew now there certainly was a God a heaven a hell! He knew he deserved no pity, but, like those of old, he would cry to Him.
For the first time in years he got on his knees. Leaning his aching head against the cold iron, he begged Him, if it were not His will for him to live longer, to forgive all the black catalog of his sins for Christ's sake. He then thought of his dear mother and her grief at his untimely death. Taking a sheet of paper from his pocket and a pencil he wrote, as well as he could, "God bless you, Mother; I have asked God to forgive me.”
A buzzing was now beginning in his head and soon the pain became unbearable. He finally fell forward unconscious.
The next he knew there seemed to be a hum of voices far off—then a futile struggle to get his breath— a blinding light—a sinking down—and again unconsciousness.
When he next opened his eyes he was in his own room, his mother holding his hand.
"Let us thank God, the God Who saved you in your fearful trouble, my boy." He was too weak to speak, but in his heart he followed his mother as she knelt and thanked God, asking that the life He had given back might be used for His glory.
After this Harry began slowly to amend.
One evening when his friends from the factory were gathered around his bed he told them of his conversion in the safe, and that henceforth his life was not his own. He belonged to Christ. He wanted to redeem the time undoing the harm he had done. As the men listened a quiet hush stole over them. One young fellow said, "Morris, you have come out of the very jaws of hell, but you have found in that safe that there is a God who hears and answers prayer. I, for one, will trust Him too, and believe His Word from this time on, and I hope you men will do the same.”
Will you not do so as well, dear reader?
These are the days of sudden and awful deaths "traps" everywhere abound on the highways, at home, abroad. Are you ready to meet God? For meet Him you must. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?”
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).