21. CHAPTER II GRACE ABOUNDING

CHAPTER II

GRACE ABOUNDING

THOSE interested in the case of the Brahman lad mentioned in the previous memoir will be glad to hear that he afterwards paid me a visit. He seemed much chastened and never before had been so like his former self. He spoke of his aged mother as one who had to be considered, and the old narrow-minded Brahman friend accompanying him said to me in a kind of stage whisper : ’ He will be with you again whenever his mother dies.’ The lad heard it and smiled up assent with the old love in his eyes.

We talked long of John Hyde—whom he referred to as Up there’ pointing heavenward, and when I besought him once again to give up drink and become a teetotaller, he owned that he had not kept his promise. With God’s help you can.’ He agreed to that. Praise and pray on The same lad has visited me a second time and we had a heart-to-heart talk about Mr. Hyde. He tells me that when he return­ed miserable from Lahore after running away from Mr. Hyde, he met me near the Mission School in the city and I told him Mr. Hyde was at our Mission House.

He went there and going to his room found him praying. Mr. Hyde opened his eyes, saw him, took him into his arms and said, ’ I have just been praying that God would send you back to me and see, He has answered me ! ’ When I asked him how he got to know Mr. Hyde so well, he told me a long story, the gist of which I set down just to show how this man of God used to win hearts for his Master. He saw Mr. Hyde at Moga Rail­way Station, went up to him, mentioned a fellow-missionary’s name and said that he had been baptized but had fallen back. Why did you deny Christ ? ’ Mr. Hyde asked. The lad began to make excuses but Mr. Hyde took him with him, went into the third class waiting shed and with two other Christians, the three knelt down and prayed with this lad —he kneeling among them even though a crowd gathered, and his relations came and saw him praying with the others. The lad says he does not remember exactly what he said in prayer but he prayed for him. Then the train came in and he said good-bye to the lad, adding, • We will meet again in a week’s time or so, God will arrange it.’

All this made such an impression on the lad’s heart that he took leave and set out to find Mr. Hyde. He at length heard that he was away inland at a Christian Colony hold­ing meetings. A Christian lad and he set out on foot for it and after two days’ travel arrived tired out. They were told that Mr. Hyde was in his room praying. He looked up and seeing the Brahman lad took him in his arms in good Punjabi style, and then finding he was tired out made him lie down and began to rub and press his swollen feet. The lad objected, but Mr. Hyde insist­ed upon waiting on him and ministering to his wants with his own hands. He has told me of this with tears in his eyes adding, I often see him in my dreams before me as of oId." Remember he is praying for you,’ I have reminded him.

Then the lad told me of another instance that occurred in that Colony. One day he missed Mr. Hyde and following him saw him on an island in a pool surrounded by a number of Christian children all engaged in prayer. The lad joined them after wading through the water as the others had done. He found that Mr. Hyde was praying aloud and the children were repeating what he said. They were pray­ing that God’s Holy Spirit might fill all their hearts. After prayer Mr. Hyde crossed the water again with them all and said to the lad God told me from His Word to go into the valley and pray. I saw that this place was the valley and while I was coming here the children followed me and joined me in prayer.’ That night while they were all eating dinner news came that the Indian Pastor was taken suddenly ill and at the same time his house had caught fire. Mr. Hyde ran with the others to help. While they fought the flames, he went to the Pastor and found him crying out in agony, and, for fear of death, some unconfessed sin was evidently weighing on his conscience. Mr. Hyde talked and prayed with him and then said, I think it is God’s will that you confess your sin in church before your congre­gation.’ The Pastor agreed and he was carried to church on his bed. Lying on it, with tears, he declared that he had committed a great sin against God in that very church and prayed for forgiveness. Then a great peace fell upon him and all pain and sickness at once left him. Upon this some twenty members of the church were conscience-stricken, and confessed their sins finding pardon and peace. They were joined by the others who had put out the fire, and the service lasted for an hour and a half, a great work for God beginning. Afterwards they all returned to their half-finished dinner. The next day they left for a hill station where Mr. Hyde had received an urgent call to con­duct evangelistic services. They travelled in the third class in the hot weather to the foot of the hills. They had only money for one pony and a coolie between them so they got on the pony turn about. One night the Indian preacher was riding on ahead when suddenly his pony stopped short, trembled in every Limb and advanced towards a great big cat, that seemed to fascinate the poor beast with its eyes. Then the preacher felt a big body whiz through the air and land just behind him, the pony recovering itself dashed away up the road and leaped a ditch at the side in its terror, leaving the baffled tiger standing on the roadside. It must have slunk away, for when Mr. Hyde passed, there was no sign of the animal. When they came near the bungalow they were met by the preacher in a great panic along with a number of men who had gone back with sticks to see what had happened to Mr. Hyde. He made them go back to the place where the tiger had made his spring, in the moonlight they saw the marks of its paws on the dust of the roadside ; but the animal had gone. They heard that it had killed people and many bullocks. They remained a week in that hill station and held daily services for Christians. A real work of grace began there and this lad too was convicted of the sin of denying his Lord, and, making confession, was again received into fellowship. On their return journey they each had a pony, ’ So they went like beggars and returned like kings I’ the lad laughed and said, Yes and a missionary lent me his own pony to ride back -on because one of the Christian workers had said to me, " Why did you come and increase the expenses ? " and I had burst into tears at this rebuke.’ The lad is working for himself in— — with a barrister there. I hate this work; but as he has not passed his Entrance Exami­nation, it is difficult to find him good honest work in Christian surroundings.

Perhaps friends will join me in prayer about this also. It is not for nothing that God has sent the lad back to me and he is sitting by my side as I write.

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

—Ephesians v. 20. In everything give thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

—I Thessalonians v. M.

Find something to thank God for in all things ; for this is the purpose of God with respect to you.. .

—Way’s Translatiou.

I never believed lilt now thal there was so much to be bound in Christ on this side of death and of Heaven . Our sufferings are washed in Christ’s blood as well as our souls, for Christ’s merits brought a blessing to the crosses of the sons of God.. 1 bless the Lord that all our troubles come through Christ’s fingers, and that He casteth sugar among them, and casteth in some ounce-weights of /leaven, and of the Spirit of glory that resteth on suffer­ing believers, into our cup, in which there is no taste of hell. My dear brother, ye know all these things better than!. I send water to the sea to speak of these things to you ; but it easeth me to desire you to help me to pay my tribute of praise to Jesus. . . f entreat for your prayers and praises. Your brother and fellow-sufferer in and or Christ, -SAMUEL RUTHERFORD.