LORD was one day passing through a town in which a former groom of his was engaged as a cabdriver, and being interested in the man, as intelligent and well-disposed, he sent for his cab to take him to the station. On the way, having asked for guidance, the earl selected a little book, and when they arrived at the station, gave it to the man, with a few kind words, saying, “I want you particularly to read this, Robert.” Then he found that he had no change, and desiring Robert to wait until he got some, he disappeared among a crowd of people, who were going away by that train.
The cabman waited a short time expecting Lord’s return, and then began to look at the tract, probably on account of his respect for the donor, or perhaps because it was better to be occupied than to gaze at the well-known sight of a bustling railway platform. In a few minutes, what he read produced an undefinable impulse in him to get out of sight of his fellow-creatures, and he shut himself into his cab, and went on reading with ever-deepening attention. Meanwhile the earl, having waited long before he could get his ticket, hurried into the train, forgetting all about the change, and Robert was left undisturbed to finish the little book. By the time he had done so the arrow of conviction had entered his soul, and had made him an anxious, unhappy man. The tract contained the Gospel, and bade Robert believe on God, who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” But Robert could not believe God. He could not trust in God’s word, with the trust he exercised towards his late master, when he discovered that the earl had gone away without paying his fare. God was still a stranger to him; he knew not that God had given His Son to die to save him. His sins had just begun to press upon him, but he could not believe that the atoning sacrifice of Christ was a complete discharge for them, while he could feel as sure of receiving payment from the earl as though he saw the money now in his hand.
Many are like Robert in this. We trust our fellow-creatures—and not only the few who justify such faith by a transparent, noble life—while we do not believe the word of God, who cannot lie!
Robert went home to his wife, who wondered at his troubled looks, and the next day when a P.O.O. came from Lord —, he was still a miserable man. But God, who had been pleased to begin this work in his heart, according to His faithfulness did not fail to finish it. From the time of that visit of his old master, Robert had no peace of mind, until, by means of some evangelistic preaching, he was enabled to believe God, and so entered into peace. He knew that his sins were forgiven, that his burden was transferred to the Lamb, who was slain in his stead. The earl had dropped the seed, in the shape of the little book, and another laborer in the vineyard watered it, and it sprang up into life. This is an instance of the gracious manner in which God often uses small incidents for His glory with those whose single aim is the winning of souls. G. C. C.