From the book "The Life Of Charles
Haddon Spurgeon" by Charles Ray:
"Little Charles, not yet
six years old, had witnessed the grief of the good old minister over the
inconsistent conduct of one of his flock, a man who frequented the village inn,
drinking and smoking among ungodly companions. One day the boy astonished his grandfather
by declaring "I'll kill old Roads, that I will!” The pastor reproved the
child, telling him that if he did anything wrong, he would be taken by the
police. But the child, very serious and very much in earnest, repeated that he
would kill old Roads, though he would not do anything wrong. The grandfather
was puzzled, but he let the subject drop and it passed from his mind.
Shortly afterwards, however, the child came into his
grandfather's room, saying, “I’ve killed old Roads, he'll never grieve my dear
grandpa anymore."
“My dear child," said the minister, in some alarm at
the boy's serious tone, “whatever have you done ? "
“I haven't been doing any harm, grandpa," he
replied. “I’ve been about the Lord's work, that's all." And from the child
nothing further could be elicited.
The mystery was cleared up by old Roads himself, who
called upon the pastor, and with a shamefaced air told how he had been “killed."
“I was a-sitting in the public, just having my pipe and mug of beer," he
said, " when that child comes in to think an old man like me should be
took to task and reproved by a bit of a child like that!
Well, he points at me with his finger, just so, and says,
' What doest thou here, Elijah, sitting with the ungodly? And you a member of a
church and breaking your pastor's heart. I'm ashamed of you! I wouldn't break
my pastor's heart, I'm sure.' And then he walks away. Well, I did feel angry;
but I knew it was all true and I was guilty; so I put down my pipe and did not
touch my beer, but hurried away to a lonely spot and cast myself down before
the Lord confessing my sin and begging for forgiveness. And I do know and
believe the Lord in mercy pardoned me; and now I've come to ask you to forgive
me and I'll never grieve you any more, my dear pastor."
It was Charles
Haddon Spurgeon's first mission, and was attended with the wonderful success
which resulted from his great efforts in after life. The backslider's
restoration was evidently genuine and lasting, for Mr. Houchin, the Rev. James
Spurgeon's successor at Stamboume, declared many years afterwards that Thomas
Roads was “an earnest and zealous Christian, striving to be useful in every way
possible to him, especially in the prayer meetings and among the young people;
opening his house for Christian conversation and prayer."
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