I BORROWED A BOOK.
G.w.s.ware.
June,3,1939.
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Before the days of matches, two families lived near eachother. One of them was wealthy,
and had lots of books. The other man was poor and had no books, but loved to read. However
he owned a hand bellows to blow into flames coals of fire. In his thirst for knowledge, he
went to his neighbor to borrow a book. His neighbor answered and said: "My books I
have resolved never to loan, but you can sit by my fire and read." After this, one
cold morning, the rich man went to his poor neighbor saying, "I have come to borrow
your hand bellows, to start a fire at home." But the poor man answered and said:
"I have made a resolve, My bellows never to loan, but you can sit by my fire and
blow."
Well, I borrowed a book from a good neighbor, and it is now before me, and any thing I
have that is loanable is at his service, for it is required of us: "From him that
would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Mat. 5:42).
Nearly all the book is poetry of a high order; in fact none as I find is below par. As
I could not find them at home, I borrowed the book to find: "Broad is the road,"
"Show pity Lord," "Come sing to me of heaven," but again was
disappointed; but I found two prose statements, which made me take notice: 1st.
"Constantly held in mind the perpetuation of the Wesley tradition." It made me
think how Christ was opposed by traditions of men.
2nd. "Forasmuch as all men, though fallen in Adam, are born into this world in
Christ the Redeemer." I asked David about it, and he said: "Behold, I was
brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Ps. 51:5)." But
David was inspired of God to make his statement, and had no infant baptism to bolster, a
thing unknown in his day, and during the days of Christ on earth, and his apostles.
