A SERVANT of God, of whom we have already told you in a previous number; taking a sack full of Bibles, and giving his servant another to carry, set out from his Nile boat to go to a certain village, where he knew there were Christians.
At last, after walking many hours, they found they were on the wrong track.
“We have lost two hours; you have led me astray,” said the missionary to his servant.
The servant would not allow that he was in fault, and became very angry. Then the master thought, “I am a Christian; the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be patient and gentle; I should be the first to be silent,” so he said no more.
By-and-bye, foot-sore with the long journey and oppressed by their heavy burdens, they arrived at a Muslim village.
“Are there no Christians here?” asked the missionary, for he knew it would be in vain for him to offer his books to a Mohammedan.
“We have no unbelievers here,” was the angry reply. “No; you will find no swine, no unclean dogs of Christians in this village.”
“I must ask further,” thought the missionary. “It cannot be that God has allowed me to come where there is not one Christian—no one who will receive His book!”
At last a man said, “If you go behind that hill you will find one of the people you seek.”
When the missionary came to the place, he said to the master of the house, “Are you a Christian?”
“Yes,” answered the man, with a fierce look.
“I bring you the book of God,” said the missionary, offering one of his big Arabic Bibles.
“I will have nothing to do with God, or with His book,” said the man, angrily.
“How is this, my friend?” the missionary gently asked.
“I was a rich man,” he replied; “I had a good house, and plenty of wares, and I had a Bible, and read it. But now all is changed. Last year the Nile overflowed. My house, my wares, my Bible—all were ruined! I will never more have anything to do with God, or with the Bible.”
The missionary saw that this poor man had fancied that having a Bible in his house would be the means of keeping himself and his property secure from all harm, in fact that he had regarded it as a charm, and he knew that Satan was busy in his heart, making him think hard thoughts of God, so he spoke to him patiently and lovingly, and after a time the man was softened.
“Where are your Bibles?” said he. “Have you but one with you? I should like to buy many for my family and friends.”
As the missionary and his servant went on their way, with their loads much lightened—for many Bibles had been left behind—he thought of how vexed he had been at having taken the wrong way, and thanked God, who can use contrary winds or wrong roads for His own purposes of mercy to men whose only thoughts concerning Him are hard, unthankful, evil thoughts.
C. P.