Patient in Tribulation.
Abe Lockwood had to encounter many troubles arising from a variety of
causes but that which seemed to harass him most was poverty. Having a
large family to bring up, and earning but moderate wages by his
employment, his head was seldom above water; he just managed to keep
above the drowning point. Only the brave, honest, and godly poor who
have struggled through similar difficulties, can really know what that
good man and his wife had to contend against in this way.
Yet how often do we find poverty and piety yoked together in one house.
What a mercy it is that piety will condescend to dwell with poverty;
sit down at the same dry crust, or sit without it; wear the same
patched and threadbare raiment, and not complain; stay in the same
circle, endure the same hunger, cold, sickness, and suffering with
unmurmuring constancy, and taking more than half the load of trouble on
her own neck will sit the long night through, and "sing of mercy" till
the day breaks, and the light comes, and the sun shines again.
"Godliness with contentment is great gain."
How many of the Lord's jewels have been ground, cut, and polished on
the wheel of poverty; polished, but not set, for poverty is neither the
gold nor silver for the setting. No matter, God does not care for the
setting, it is the diamonds He loves, "and they shall be mine, saith
the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."
When, however, industry, economy, and patient courage had done all,
poor Abe was sometimes almost overwhelmed by hardships,--almost, but
not altogether. He had a firm faith in God, and used to say, "My
Father knows haa mich I can carry to a grain, and He wean't lay a straw
too mony upon me, bless Him." In the midst of all the little Bishop
maintained a happy heart and a cheerful countenance; he made as little
of his poverty as some people do of their luxuries, and an ordinary
observer might have supposed he never had a sorrow, or felt a care.
The fact is he did not hoard his troubles as some persons do; he did
not like them well enough for that. They hung very loosely about him
at any time, and he shook them off as soon as he could; instead of
buttoning them up in his breast, and keeping them until they rankled,
festered, or turned sour, he loosened his bands, bared his bosom to the
first healthy breeze of joy that blew, and laughed the moment his
sorrows were gone.
"WATTER GRUEL."
He was one day walking several miles to a preaching appointment, in
company with another brother who was going to the same place. On the
way his friend's nose began to bleed, and they had to stop, though the
man's nose still kept on bleeding. Abe tried to stop it: he put a cold
stone to the man's neck, held his arms up over head, and resorted to a
variety of acknowledged remedies, but with very little effect. "What
mun I do, Abe?" said the man. The little Bishop thereupon proceeded to
give him his advice. "I'll tell the' what to do," said he; "thaa mun
strike at th' rooit" (root) "o' th' evil; thaa lives o'er high; thaa
should try watter gruel for six weeks, and thaa'd cure that nose,
that's haa I do." A burst of laughter from both hastened the cure, and
on they went again with the journey. There was in this quaint remark
of his just the slightest reference to the poor fare on which he had
many a time set out on a long journey and a hard day's work in the
cause of his Divine Master; often enough dear old Abe was like brave
Gideon of old, "faint, yet pursuing."
He used to say when he met people who carried their troubles in their
faces, "Yo' ha' no need to pull such lang miserable faces, raand 'um up
a bit! What! are yo' gotten on dark soid o' th' hedge? Yo' mun flit
into th' sunshine, there's plenty o' room." And what a blessing it
would be if people who nurse their sorrows would begin to count and
cherish their joys instead; the world, and especially the Church, would
be full of bright faces and happy hearts.
THE HALLELUJAH COAT.
There was a time when Little Abe was badly provided against the cold,
wet, inclement weather which he had to encounter in the work of the
Lord, and coming out of the chapels on winter nights exposed him to
many a dangerous chill. His only extra covering was a thick woollen
muffler around his neck, yet in this way he bore uncomplaining the
brunt of storm and pelt of rain. One Sunday night after the little
Bishop had been preaching, a man came and invited him to supper before
starting for home, and he went. Supper over, Abe prepared to be off;
it was a bitter night, cold and wet. On seeing him about to start, the
good man said, "I've got something for you, Bishop." Abe looked round
and saw him standing with a big, thick overcoat open, ready for him to
put on. Without a word of remark he thrust his arms into the coat, and
his host proceeded to button it up from his throat to his heels,
smiling all the time; this done, he stood back to look at him. Abe
clapped his hands together, and shouted "Hallelujah! hallelujah!! I
can say now't else--hallelujah! a top coit! a hallelujah coit!" And
away he went out into the darkness and rain shouting, "A Hallelujah top
coit!" That garment was always known after as "the hallelujah coit."
TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL.
Every Christian knows something of the wiles of the devil, and how
busily he goes about to tease, annoy, and break the peace of the Lord's
people. Abe had many a tussel with this enemy, but in the strength of
faith and prayer he conquered him. During the early years of Abe's
Christian life the devil often endeavoured to raise doubts in his mind
on fundamental truths; but Abe was not to be moved from the faith.
What he could not understand nor explain, he yet believed with all his
heart, so that in time the enemy yielded every point of dispute up to
him, and Abe kept his heart in perfect peace, so far as these things
were concerned. If Satan came to him, it was generally on some
unimportant thing which might harass and divert from better things.
Abe would say "Th' owd enemy 's ge'en o'er playing 'th' roaring lion,'
and turned into a flee, running and hopping all o'er me." And thus the
devil would sometimes assail him, rousing his feelings, exciting his
imagination and anger, and kindling his resentment to a pitch that
sometimes made Abe almost ashamed of himself, especially as it was all
about nothing.
ACCUSED OF SWEARING.
After preaching one Sunday at Wellhouse, a place about four miles from
where he resided, he was making his way home in the cool of the summer
evening, and had got within a very short distance of Berry Brow.
Following on the same road was a man that knew Abe very well, who was
trying to overtake him. As this man drew nearer he heard the Bishop
talking rather loudly, and giving expression to some very extraordinary
language, accompanied by sundry violent flourishes of his walking-stick
and stamping of his foot, and the man was amazed as he heard Abe break
out, "Thaa 'rt a liar, thaa owd devil!" A few moments' silence
followed this outburst, during which the little man was walking like a
champion racer; then suddenly he broke out again, "I tell the' thaa 'rt
a liar, and I will n't believe a word on 't." Then followed another
brief silence, and then another excited explosion, which brought Abe to
a standstill. "Didn't I tell the' I don't believe the'? Away with
the', thaa lying old devil!"
By this time the man came up to him and said, "Why, Abe, whatever art
ta swearing abaat soa on a Sunday noight?"
"Swearing! me swearing!" exclaimed Abe. "I'm noan swearing, my lad."
"But I yeerd the' mysen."
"When?"
"Naa, this minute; thaa called somebody a lying owd devil, and sich
loike."
"Oh," said the little Bishop kindling at the sudden recollection of
what had been passing in his mind, "I've left my Sunday
pocket-handkerchief in th' pulpit at Wellhaase, and th' owd devil wor
telling me aar Sally wod scold me, and I told him he wor a lying
owd devil, and so he is; but I didn't knaw onybody could yeer me." In
this way the enemy assailed him on his way home from his pious work,
grudging him the peace of mind which a good man has in the service of
his Master. Satan would not raise any vital point of faith or duty
with Abe, because he knew he would be beaten, and Abe would be blest,
and would rise high on the wings of his faith out of the devil's reach;
but he could spring a snare upon the good man about his
pocket-handkerchief, and gradually worry and tease him into a conflict
until he forgot altogether the thought of better things.
COUNTING THE ORGAN PIPES.
Another amusing story is told of Little Abe, showing how Satan
sometimes succeeded in trailing a false scent across his path, and
leading his mind astray for a time, or, so to speak, shunting him on to
a siding, and keeping him there until he discovered the snare. He was
sitting in Berry Brow Chapel listening, or endeavouring to listen, to
the preacher; it was soon after the new organ was introduced into that
place of worship. Abe sat just opposite the organ, so that he could
not avoid seeing it. Several times during the service the little
Bishop had fidgeted about, and indicated signs of impatience from some
cause or another; when all at once, to the astonishment of preacher and
people, Abe exclaimed, "I tell the' there's soa many pipes in that
organ, I've caanted 'em a dozen times already; if thaa doesn't believe
it, caant 'em theesen, devil."
We may imagine the effect produced by Abe's outburst of indignation,
that the devil should doubt the accuracy of his counting in a matter so
trivial, as well as the annoyance and shame he felt that he had allowed
his old enemy to make a dupe of him again. Yet it is only an
illustration of the insignificant things that serve to call off our
minds from the pursuit of holy studies. The devil would dispute
through a whole service about a couple of flies, rather than permit a
saint to wait upon God without distraction. It shows that we need to
be very watchful against the influence of that arch enemy, even in the
Lord's house.
Little Abe, with all his excellences, had his infirmities like other
men, and he felt them keenly. It was a cause of great grief to him
when, through unwatchfulness, he was led into folly. "Could ye not
watch with me one hour?" was said to the weary disciples of old, and
might often be repeated to the Lord's people to-day. "Watch,
therefore, lest ye enter into temptation."
AN EVIL TEMPER.
One source of temptation to Little Abe was his temper; and yet here few
would think he had any trouble at all. If people who knew him were
canvassed on this question, the uniform testimony would be that he had
a most even disposition; few could be found to testify that they ever
saw him overcome by anger. He was, however, naturally of a quick,
sensitive temper, and had to keep a jealous watch upon himself, in
order to hold this tendency in subjection; the consequence was that it
seldom gained the mastery over him after his conversion. Grace turned
the lion into a lamb, and subdued the evil spirit within him, and as he
grew in grace, the marks of the old Adam became less distinct. Still
it was always an occasion for prayer and watchfulness with him; he
would not allow himself to be tempted from this side of his character,
if he could avoid it. Should anything transpire which was likely to
rouse the evil spirit, Abe would take his hat and run away, rather than
let the enemy gain ascendancy over him; he felt that it was often
better to "hide than 'bide."
All our readers may not be troubled with a fiery temper, but they who
are should watch it closely, or they will burn themselves. If you have
fire about, keep powder and petroleum out of the way, or there may be
an explosion; he that tempts the fire with combustibles must surely pay
the penalty sometimes. The safest and wisest policy is to put the fire
out altogether; get the evil temper destroyed by Divine grace, and then
this "sin shall have no dominion over you."