FAITH IN GOD
The life of the Revd. Duncan Dunbar furnishes several examples of this grace, and of its abundant reward. One of these concerns a Mrs. Maitland, a member of his congregation, who was unable to secure a house unless someone was responsible for the rent. She went to Mr. Dunbar, as her best earthly friend, and he cheerfully gave his name as security to her landlord. Someone suggested that he was not sufficiently cautious, as it was very doubtful whether she could ever meet the amount. “I cannot help that”, he replied, “It may be as you fear, and I may have to pay her rent in addition to my own at quarter-day. In that case I shall look to the Father of the fatherless, and the Husband of the widow. He will take care of her, and of us too.”
The time rolled around and the rent became due. Mrs. Maitland came in great trouble to say that it was entirely out of her power to meet the demand. She was not insensible to the obligation, and wept bitterly at her failure. But Mr. Dunbar comforted her by saying that he would cheerfully pay the amount, and that God, who knew his motives, would send it back in some way. He put the money in her hand, and said, “If you can ever pay it, you may do so;
if not, never let it trouble you, for it shall not trouble me.”
Very soon after this, Mr. Cameron, an attendant on his ministry, but not then a Christian, called at his house. He said pleasantly, “I come to pay a little debt that I owe you, Mr. Dunbar.” “My dear sir,” came the reply, “that cannot be, for you and I have not had any dealings together.” Mr. Cameron then told him that, some time before, he had sent out a small business venture in a ship going to China, and had said to his wife at the time. “If there is any profit, I will give one tenth of it to Mr. Dunbar.” He handed to the minister the exact amount of the widow’s rent. Mr. Dunbar’s comment was, “You see how easy such things are to God. The money for that poor widow’s rent was on its way from China at the very time I laid it out for her. Trust in the Lord. ‘What ye know not now, ye shall know hereafter’.”