The Countess of Huntingdown was walking in her garden one day, near to where a workman was repairing part of the garden wall. She stopped and spoke to the man about his soul, pressing home the necessity of being saved, and ready to meet God; but the Word seemed to have but little effect. Years after, while speaking to another workman, she said,
“Thomas, I fear you have not yet looked to Christ for salvation.”
“Your ladyship is mistaken,” replied the workman, “I have looked and I am saved.”
“How did it happen?” inquired the Countess.
“It was while you were speaking to James, my fellow worker, when we were repairing the garden wall.”
“How did you hear?”
“I was on the other side, and heard your words through a hole in the wall.”
A word spoken in due season, how good it is, and how often has God made such a word the message of life to souls. Be encouraged to speak for Christ everywhere and at all times. God will look after His own Word.
“Sow beside all waters.” We do not know where the seed may find a lodging-place; it is ours to sow.
A servant-maid in unpacking some goods sent from a grocer’s store, found among the packing a piece of paper on which the beautiful hymn, beginning— “Just as I am without one plea” was printed. She had never seen nor heard these words before, and by the blessing of God, they were the means of leading her to the Saviour.
How that tract came to be there, I cannot tell. Possibly someone had thrown it away, but the Lord looked after it, and the fruit was sure. The great thing is to sow in communion with God. Then our sowing cannot fail to have His blessing, even if it may seem to be rejected.
A young man was offered a tract on the street one evening. He took it, tore it up, and threw it back in the giver’s face. That seemed a hopeless case. The worker was discouraged: the devil whispered,
“Stop giving tracts, they do no good.”
Several weeks later, a young man called at the house of the tract distributor, and asked if he could see him. He was in great anxiety of soul, and he said the first real sight he got of himself was that night after he tore up the tract on the street. God used his own wickedness to arrest him, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.” (Eccl. 11:66In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)).
“Therefore, by beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:5858Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58)).