THE following story was related to me by an eye-witness:—
“When I was a young man, some fifty years ago, a party of us, clerks in offices in the City of London, were having tea together in a coffee-house. Someone of the company began to speak of the power of the Almighty, when another declared he neither believed God nor His power.
" Don't speak so,' one said, for you have not even power to move your hand, save as He wills it.'
“Nonsense!' cried the infidel. I can do what I like, and I will.'
“The young man was in a daring and wicked mood. He had a pen with him, which he threw on the ground, exclaiming, There, I can throw that down without God.'
" No,' said the other, you could not, neither can you pick it up again, unless He permit you.'
“With a blasphemous word, the infidel said, Now, see, I will pick up that pen off the floor without God,' and then called the attention of all of us to his action. Our eyes were turned towards him as he stooped down. He had nearly touched the pen, when he fell. He did not rise again, so we went to pick him up, but we found, to our amazement and our horror, that he was dead. He never picked up the pen! I saw it with my own eyes, and was close beside him. Indeed, we were well acquainted with each other."
The narrator of this solemn fact was gathered home at a ripe old age, some few years ago, and was well known to the writer. The aged man was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is in heaven; for of all whom the Father has given to the Son none is lost, and this is the will of Him who sent the Son, that all who believe in Him should have everlasting life.
Where is the blasphemer—the young man cut off in his pride? Ah, poor sinner, pride has peopled hell! By pride and rebellion angels and men find their way to the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Since this was written the following solemn incident, which took place only a few days ago, has come to our notice:—
“At the Rotherham Court-house three men—father and sons—were called upon to appear in answer to a charge of assault which it was alleged had been committed by them. The elder defendant did not appear, and the police authorities stated that on receiving the summons he expressed the hope that God might strike him dead ' if either he or his sons were guilty. He was shortly afterward seized with a fit, and died after an illness of a few hours."