Henry Goodyear, a London accountant, was very much inclined to laugh at the Bible and its teaching.
One day his niece, Mary, persuaded him to go to a gospel meeting, "just to please her." To her great disappointment, the speaker read from the fifth chapter of Genesis—"Adam lived... nine hundred and thirty years: and he died... The days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died" and so on. As the verses were read she shrank back in her place. Why had God permitted such a list to be read on this day of all others?
Mr. Goodyear made no comment as he and his niece walked homewards. He was just a little quieter, a little more thoughtful than usual. And yet, with every passing footstep, every tread of his own feet, every throb of his heart, came the refrain, "And he died."
Up in his room that night Henry tossed and turned sleeplessly and each hour, as it struck from Big Ben, seemed to echo the words, "And he died."
The next morning, busy with his books as usual, his pen seemed to trace the words, "And he died."
"This will never do," he thought as he stared blankly at his figures. "I must read that chapter."
So as soon as he reached home the half-forgotten family Bible was opened and he read the words again: "All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."
"All the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died."
"All the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died."
Henry Goodyear read to the end of the chapter. Wicked or good, the same simple story was told of each, "He lived—and he died."
Thoughtfully he closed the Book. He, too, was living—and he, too, would have to die. What then? That very night he gave himself to the Lord who has said, he that "Believeth in Me shall never die." John 11:2626And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26).
God's Grace
When you own your sin and guilt
Vain the hopes which you have built;
When you see your depth of shame,
Naught to offer, naught to claim—
Then, and not till then, you'll know
What the grace of God bestows.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."