A lady related the following incident; she was one day out driving with her children, and came near a lonely cottage, where a brood of chickens attracted the attention of one of the boys, who begged his mother to go in and buy them for him.
The mother consented to the boy’s wish, and as she entered the cottage a girl passed out with a Bible in her hand, seemingly afraid the stranger might not have sympathy with her.
Noticing that the girl was in tears, the lady kindly asked her to come back into the cottage with her, for she would, she said, so like to hear something read from that Book.
They entered and sat down together, and after the girl had composed herself a little, the visitor inquired what was troubling her.
“O! Madam,” said the girl, her grief breaking out afresh, “I was at a meeting last night, and they told me that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for us; and they told me,” she added, very simply, “that that was written somewhere in the Bible; I have been looking for it ever since, but cannot find it.”
The lady took the Bible from the girl’s hand, and turned to the well-known portion, John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16), which she read aloud, much to the girl’s delight; and as the visitor went on to speak for a few moments of Jesus and His love, both mother and daughter seemed to open their hearts to the Saviour, like those hungry for the Word of Life.
When the lady was about to go the, mother said,
“O! Madam, you must have tix chickens for nothing, for the go words you have spoken to us.”
“No,” said the visitor, “the gospel is free, without money and without price,” Jesus says,
It was only with great difficulty the poor woman could be prevailed upon to accept payment for the chickens.
ML 06/23/1946