The story involves Bessie, a young woman whose lover, Basil Underwood, has been arrested, thrown in prison by the Puritans and sentenced to die that night when the curfew bell rings. Knowing that Oliver Cromwell, member of Parliament in the 1660's, will be late in arriving, the young woman begs the old bell ringer to prevent the ringing of the curfew bell. When he refuses, she climbs to the top of the bell tower and heroically risks her life by manually stopping bell by clinging to the bell's clapper. She suffered terribly when the sexton tried to ring the bell. Cromwell hears of her deed and is so moved that he issues a pardon for Underwood.
This story is a small illustration of what Jesus Christ did for the human race. We all deserved that die Romans 4:25 but Jesus took our punishment and death in our places.
