Samuel Kilpin was an old white-haired man with a very happy smile. And old Samuel had something to smile about too, for he knew that the Lord Jesus had saved his soul, and that he was soon going home to be with Him. One Sunday Samuel was asked to speak to the children at Suay school. Now very often old people use such big words that little folks can’t understand them—but not Samuel Kilpin. He stood up before the children, and this is what he said.
“Boys and girls, I want to tell you about something that happened to rne when I was just seven years old. My father had a hardware store. Sometimes he had to go away for an hour or so, so he used to ask me to stay and take care of the store till he came back. One day, when father was out, a man came into the store selling little toy lambs. They were just ten cents each, and I did want one so badly, but 1 had no money. Then I thought of the place where my fattier kept his money, and I quickly took out just ten cents, paid the man, and bought the little lamb.
“When father came back to the store, I didn’t seem to want him to see that lamb at all, and I waited till I gat home, and then showed it to my mother. She asked me where I got the money for it, so I told her I found it. Already I had stolen, and then, to cover my sins, I told a lie!
“My little lamb was put on a shelf, and everyone thought it was fine—but every time I looked at it I seemed to hear a voice saying, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ At last I could stand it no longer, so I ran out to the hayloft and there I knelt and told the Lord all about it, and confessed my sin. Next I ran back to mother and father and told them what I had done and how sorry was. Father and Mother both spoke to me very solemnly and told me that God sees everything we do, and hears everything we say, but they told me they were so glad that I had told the Lord all about it, and that I had confessed. it to them, too.
“Now, boys and girls,” said old Samuel, “I want you to remember that even if nobody else sees and hears your deeds, God writes them all down in His book. But He wants to wash away all your sins by the blood of Jesus.”
ML 08/26/1951