“BE sure your sin will find you out." (Num. 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23).) These are very old words. They were spoken by Moses, the man of God, to the people of Israel very many hundreds of years ago. But they are as real, as living today for each of us as they were all that long time ago.
In a great city some boys were engaged in a house of business. We know God's eye was on each one of these boys, watching them from morning to night, and we know, too, that He put down in His book all they did and said.
One of the boys had his eye upon his master's money. “No one will miss a few pennies: no one will see me," thought he.
He found that there was a little drawer, where some pence were kept, which was not emptied with the others at night.
One evening when the boy was near this drawer he softly opened it, snatched out a penny, and put it in his pocket. As no one seemed to notice him, he grew bolder, till he began to take two or three pennies at a time.
Little did he think that the clerk who had to do with that drawer had been very much puzzled each morning. Surely he had counted so many pence, and put the value down in his book, and yet the number was different the next day. For you must know that even in great places of business, where, perhaps, two or three hundred clerks are busily employed, every single halfpenny that comes in and goes out of the counting house is reckoned. So, while the boy was thinking no one saw him, and because of this was getting bolder in his evil ways, a watch was set; and it became perfectly evident that the thief could only be one out of certain boys, and some pennies were marked and placed in the drawer among the others.
The next morning early the four or five boys who worked late by turns were all called into a room by themselves to appear before the master. He told them that it was perfectly well known that money had been stolen out of a certain drawer, and that one of them was the thief. He then said, if the thief would confess, he would forgive him. "Now, which of you is the thief?” said he.
All were silent. Some looked very, pale, and trembled.
“Now, which one of you is the culprit? Confess it, and I will pardon him," said the master. But they all said, “No."
“Put your hands behind your backs, boys—all of you," said the master. “Now, Mr.— turning to the housekeeper, " search these boys."
There were strange odds and ends turned out of the boys' pockets, and sighs of relief as one by one was set aside as innocent. Being tolerably certain who the culprit was, the suspected boy was kept till last.
When his turn came, his defiant look contrasted with the pale faces of the others.
"I ask you again, d id you take the money?" said the master.
“No, sir," said John.
“God knows all about it, and lying lips are an abomination to Him, boy."
Bits of string and various treasures, such as boys love, came out of poor John's pockets; then one penny, then another, till seven or eight pennies were produced.
“Where did you get these pennies from, John “My mother gave them me."
“Now, Did you not steal some of them?" “No; I did not," he said.
As the boy was speaking, the master who had the pence in his hand, had twisted them round, so that the mark along their rims was bright and clear.
“How dare you tell such lies, boy," said the master. “Look here!" John bent over, and in a moment saw the marks. He turned deadly pale, did not utter a word, and fell flat at the master's feet in a fainting fit and for some long time the boy remained unconscious.
“You other boys can go," said the master. “You see what an awful thing is lying. John's sins have found him out. May it be a warn ing to you."
I tell you this tale, lads, for when I heard it, this text of scripture sounded in my ears, "Guilty before God," and I thought of the great judgment day, when all the secrets of men's hearts shall be made manifest-when every sin, every idle word and thought, shall be brought into the light. The sins which have been hidden and denied in life will then be brought home to the heart and conscience. Then it will be too late for mercy, for it will be the Day of Judgment.
“Now," the Bible says, “is the Day of Salvation," and whoever repents of his sins and turns to God for pardon shall receive pardon. Through the blood of Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all who desire God's mercy. You are young, but not so young as not to have committed sins, which God's eye has seen, and which are written down in His book. What is to be done? Confess your guilt to God now. Seek His pardon now—to-day.