THE incident I have to tell you today concerns a ha'penny. Not the tiny half penny of our new money, but the larger sized coin which was of less value and has now been withdrawn from our currency. I still have one or two of the old coins in my possession and I never look at them without recalling the amazing true story which centres around one such little piece of filthy lucre.
The value of the old ha'penny was exceedingly small. There were twenty-four of these in one of our old shillings. In value it was worth two farthings and, in case some of my younger readers do not know, allow me to inform you that the farthing held the smallest value of all the coins of the realm. I can well remember the day when, as a child, I would sometimes be given a farthing to spend. The village sweet shop did not offer a wide range of choice for such a small amount, but it did provide something. One could always buy a farthing 'everlasting strip', a long thin piece of toffee, suitably wrapped in greaseproof paper and which, in spite of its name, did not last very long. The ha'penny, of course, would buy two of these goodies. It was of trifling value.
Now in the early days of our Bridge Street fellowship, like all other churches, we had to handle the old money in our Sunday collections. Great crowds would attend the meetings and the offerings in those days always consisted of a large amount of copper and small silver. It was always a massive task counting the money and preparing. it for the bank. I can still see in my mind's eye the many five shilling bags of copper, the little packets containing ten shillings in small three penny pieces and the slightly larger envelopes which held one pound in sixpences. What a job it was.
One of our Elders, a noble godly gentleman, performed the offices of Church treasurer for many years. Each Monday morning it was my privilege to join this brother in the vestry, to help him check the cash and to assist in carrying the proceeds to the bank.
I shall never forget arriving at the Church one Monday morning to find my friend in a state of unrest and concern. As I entered the vestry he said, "Brother, I'm glad you have come. I can't get the money to balance this morning". I remember asking how much he was out and to my astonishment he said "a ha'penny". He saw my amazement and immediately putting his hand on my shoulder, said kindly but reprovingly, "Brother Miles, this is the Lord's money I want it to be right". He wasn't going to 'cook the books', not even for a ha'penny. As he had said, "it was the Lord's money" and it had to be correct right down to the smallest item.
These were the men who helped to lay the foundation of our Bridge Street fellowship. No wonder God has so graciously blessed us over the years. I have never ceased to honour the uprightness of that man of God. We soon traced the error and were able to clear up the difficulty. The treasurer's mind was at rest, the books were accurate to a ha'penny and my good brother was sure that was how it should be.
A builder, who was once a member of our Church, visited a building site as
one of his workmen was using a plumb-line, and heard the man say "That's
near enough”. “Wait," said the builder, "near enough is not good
enough for me. Either a job is right or it is not right; I want it to be
right".
If a job or an account is only a tiny amount out of true, it is still incorrect.
A small deviation is still a deviation and it may finish up a long way off the
mark.
The Bible says, "He that offends in one point, he is guilty of all"
(James 2:10). A straw can show which way the wind is blowing.
What a different world this would be if everyone was as careful and upright as
our dear old treasurer was. You see, "it is required in stewards, that a
man be found faithful", (1 Corinthians 4:2).
The old Book still says, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much". (Luke 16:10).
The Elder who set such a high standard of up rightness and integrity that Monday morning, has left a lasting impression on my mind, giving me a fervent desire to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we were called” (Ephesians 4:l).