JERRY MCAULEY’S successor in the Water Street Mission in New York tells this story to show how the river thief’s “Helping Hand” is still lifting up lost men:— “A man came into our meeting one afternoon with 1,000 forged railway tickets in his pockets, and he had the plate with him with which he did the work. He was on his way to the Roosevelt Street ferry, intending to meet an accomplice over in Brooklyn, but he happened to stop in at our place.
“As he sat there listening to the testimony of ignorant redeemed men, the Spirit of God took hold of his soul. He went out, but didn’t go over to Brooklyn. He came again in the evening, and the Lord troubled him mightily. He went out and got on the ferry-boat, and when the boat reached the middle of the river, he dumped the railway tickets, plate, and everything overboard into the river. Then he came back to the meeting and knelt down for prayers.11Jesus met him there, and forgave his sins, and gave him the witness of the Spirit that he was born again. He made a confession right there before us all. He was a Swede, a fine-looking man; he was never drunk in his life.” “But the next question was how he should get a living. So he knelt down and asked the Lord to send him a job. He got a job digging holes for the railroad piers. They had to be dug ten or eleven feet deep, and it was hard, dirty work; his hands got dreadfully blistered. He took his wife to the top floor of a tenement house—they had never lived in such a place before; but he was saved, and every $1.50 a day that he earned was clean money. Finally one of his former acquaintances heard where he was, and found him at work, and said to him, ‘Why, John, are you crazy?’” “‘No,’ said John, ‘I never was so sane in my life.’” “‘Well, what’s the matter?’” “‘I have found Jesus,’ said John, ‘and given my heart to God.’” “‘But, John, look here! We never had such a good thing on our hands as we have now. There’s $10,000 in it if you will come and join us.’” “‘No, sir, no more of that for me.’” “‘Well, John, you’re in hard luck; let me help you,’ and he pulled out a roll of money and offered it to John.” “‘No, sir,’ said John, ‘I won’t take it.’” “‘Well, come along with me to my hotel.’” “John went with him to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, but he wouldn’t agree to go into any counterfeiting scheme. After he got home, he put his hand into his pocket and found there $300 in bills which the man had put into his pocket without his knowledge. He thought about it for a moment. The devil said: ‘O, come, now; keep it; he gave it to you! Just think how many holes that will fill up.’ But the struggle was short. He just said, ‘Lord Jesus, if you ever stood by me, stand by me now,’ and he went back to the hotel and gave back the money.” “The man was greatly surprised, and said, with tears in his eyes, ‘John, if I could have what you have got, I would give up everything I own in the world.’” “‘This man has helped to save hundreds of others. He has maintained his integrity, and is trusted by some of the wealthiest and most respected business men in New York City.’—Ram’s Horn.”