It was a cold, dark November evening in a large American city. At the brilliantly lighted entrance of a luxurious hotel sat a poor crippled peddler with the customary collection of pencils, pins, shoe laces and lavender. His incongruous figure caught the mischievous eye of one of a party of worldly young men as they entered the hotel for dinner. Seized with a sporting idea, he said to his companions:
"Let us give that old chap a feed!"
They all agreed that it would be great fun, and without hesitation the old man was ushered into the gorgeous dining room and seated at the table they had reserved.
Humorous stories and gay songs followed the sumptuous meal. Their humble guest partook of the warm-hearted hospitality with quiet thankfulness; but eventually they insisted on him making some acknowledgment.
"It's your turn now to give us a song," they shouted; "so tune up!"
Little did that careless company expect the song they were about to hear, as the old man raised his heart to God for help and began to sing:
"My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the pleasures of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou—
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now."
By the time he had sung the first verse, all the hilarity had yielded to complete silence. So the aged singer, inwardly crying for strength, sang on: "I love Thee, because Thou hast first loved me, And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow—
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
"I would love Thee in life, I would love Thee in death;
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendeth me breath;
And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow—
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
The old man's voice quivered with emotion as he bravely sang on. The gorgeous room now wore a faded look; the feast seemed poor to his audience. As he sang the last verse some of the well-to-do young fellows felt themselves poor too, realizing that their needy guest had riches of another sort:
"In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow—
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
The party broke up quietly and the eyes of some were full of tears.
Now for the sequel: Next morning as the old peddler sat in his accustomed place, a fashionable lady drove up and spoke to him. Her son was one of that company at the dinner the evening before. After hearing the old man sing, he was in great distress of soul. His anxious mother had come to ask the peddler to come and talk to him.
Gladly the old man accompanied her to her home. He read the Bible, pleaded and prayed with the convicted young man. And before the old peddler left the house the young man believed and confessed Jesus as Lord and was himself able to sing, "My Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine."