"And look here, Rob, if your Mr. Armstrong is up there Sunday, I'd like to tell him that I know 'tis true God cares for me. I didn't believe it when you brought home the card; but—but I know it now. Bless His Name!" And as he spoke his eyes filled with tears of grateful joy.
"Oh, Mr. Jasper, how glad Phil will be that you're going on Sunday! That will be, not to-morrow, but the day after. And we've been praying ever so long that Jesus would make you come; and I'm oh so glad!" And off ran the happy child to tell the good news to Phil.
And so the first Sunday in the New Year saw Jonas Jasper for the first time in the Mission Hall, which had been nicely decorated for the Christmas feasts, with evergreens and texts suitable to the season all round the walls.
Immediately behind the speaker's desk there stood out (in large white letters on a crimson ground) the very-text that had been so blessed to Jasper: "Unto you is born this day a Saviour"; and as the old man's eyes, aided by his spectacles, fell upon the words, he started with pleasure, and turning to Phil he said, "I'm right glad they've put up that verse. Is it always there?"
"Oh no, Mr. Jasper; it's only put up for Christmas time. You see, 'tisn't painted on the wall; it's only paper letters stuck on paper. I expect 'twill be gone by next Sunday."
"I wonder now what they'll do with it when they take it down?"
"I don't know; but we'll ask Mr. Forbes after the meeting. Do you want to have it?"
Jasper made no answer, for just then the service began; but his thoughts for some time were with the text, how he would like to have it, to put up across the bottom wall of his old shed, so that it would be always before him. But he must hearken to what was going on now. The singing was beautiful, and no mistake; and then, after prayer and reading of the Scriptures came a short, earnest address, to which Jasper listened with the greatest attention.
"Now, friends, it's New Year's Sunday, a sort of special night, it seems to me; and so, instead of taking a regular text, I want to talk to you about two words, both of which you will find in the Bible many times. The words are 'Hitherto' and 'Henceforth.' Hitherto, that means all our past life up to this very minute, the years that are gone. Henceforth, that means all our future life from this minute, the days that, maybe, are yet to come, if God spares us. To-night we stand, as it were, just between the two—looking back and looking forward."