The owner of that pretty little cottage was an Atheist. As regards this world he was very prosperous; a carpenter by trade, he had plenty of work, health, and strength, and all he wanted. For years he lived despising God. He had a loving, praying, pious wife, but she had a long, long time to wait before her prayers were answered, though at last they were answered, and in a wonderful way too. One other treasure the carpenter possessed—a dear little girl, whom he loved with as fond a love as father ever bestowed on a child; but, alas, such was Ids hatred of religion, that, notwithstanding the entreaties of Ins wife, he would not hear of her even going to school, lest she should learn to read her Bible, and be taught about the Christian’s God; so the little girl lived untaught save by her gentle mother, who ceased not to pray that her husband’s heart might be softened to receive the truth.
At last God’s time of converting grace came. The carpenter was taken ill, he became more and more so; his wife’s fears were aroused. “Oh! if he should die,” thought she, “what will become of his soul?” She prayed, and prayed, and when she saw the strong man becoming weak as a child, she determined to go to the minister, and entreat him to visit her poor husband. That minister had long striven in vain to speak words of truth to the atheist, but he had resisted his every approach with insult and scorn. Now this messenger of peace at once rose joyfully to go with the anxious wife; but no sooner did the sick man get a glimpse of him, than he assailed him with oaths and curses, and bade him begone and never darken his door again. The man of God, seeing it was useless to remain, mournfully left the wretched man, inwardly praying that he might yet turn and repent.
The terrified wife came in for no small share of abuse at daring to fetch the minister: meekly she bore it all, and continued lifting up her heart in prayer for her husband. Presently he exclaimed, “I’ll never let that man into my room to talk to me of his God, in whom I don’t believe. Bring me a board and a piece of chalk.” The wife obeyed, and what were her feelings of horror when she saw his hot, fevered fingers slowly write in capital letters, “GOD IS NOWHERE.” “Place this,” said he, “ at the bottom of my bed, that I may see it every time I open my eyes, and that all who enter may see my creed.” The poor wife dared not expostulate and tremblingly did as he bid her; then she sat apart, still pleading forgiveness for her hardened bus-band. The fever increased until delirium came on, and the life of the atheist was in imminent danger, death seemed at the threshold.
Then shone forth the character of the minister; he came to the chamber of disease, his presence was unnoticed now, for reason was obscured. He at once decided to take the little girl to his own home that she might be out of the way of infection; he strengthened the sorrowing wife and prayed with her. The little girl was received as a sacred loan by the minister’s wife, who determined to make the most of the short time she might be with her, and teach her lessons of truth. She found her an apt and willing learner; she took her to the Sunday School, where, for the first time, she heard the word of God read and explained to the assembled children. She was allowed to be present at family worship, and heard with delight her loved father prayed for that he might recover.
Ere long God, in His infinite mercy, arrested the hand of death; the fever abated, then was subdued; the poor man was pronounced out of danger. The wife’s heart overflowed with gratitude, the minister praised God in the congregation. The first request the sick man made was that his treasured little girl might be brought to him, and the doctor promised that if all went on well in a little time he might see her. Days passed and the sick man gained strength, but he showed no gratitude to God, and his eyes still fell on the words of that terrible board at the bottom of his bed, for his wife had not dared to run the risk of exciting him by removing it. At length permission was given for his little girl to see him for only a few minutes—those few minutes were pregnant with eternal import! She was placed on a pillow near her father, and that heart, which was at enmity with God, was softened with the tenderest emotions towards the child.
“Well, my pet,” said the carpenter, “where have you been while father has been lying ill?”
“Oh!” said the little one, “I’ve been so happy; the minister’s lady is so kind; I love her so: the minister took me away, and has been so good to me: and they have taught me to read, and given me a book full of beautiful pictures; and I can read ever so many little words.”
The father listened with delight to his sweet, artless prattler; then said, “You can’t read much yet, I should think: could you read to me the words on that board at the bottom of my bed?”
“Oh, yes, father, let me try,” said the little one; and she began slowly spelling and repeating each letter—GΟD IS—she then stopped, got very red, looked again, then said, “Oh, father, I’ve got it GOD IS NOW HERE,” and added, “Yes, father, so He is, and He’s been here all the time you’ve been so ill.”
“You must go now, darling,” said the father, in a low, choking voice. The door was closed, a burst of repentant tears followed; and sounds, blessed sounds, which rejoiced the angels in heaven, came from that sick man’s room—sounds of prayer, sounds of deep contrition for sin. The requests of the loving, praying wife, long ungranted, but not forgotten, were now fulfilled: the atheist became a penitent. Satan was taken in his own snare; the very same letters he had tempted the sinner to write, were the selfsame letters employed for that sinner’s conversion! He now called on God, the living, the prayer-hearing God, for mercy; he was awakened to a sense of Ids transgressions, he was broken-hearted before God, and he now earnestly desired to see the minister. That messenger of love and kindness at once went to him, showed him the way of access to Jesus, and had the joy of beholding him rise from that bed of sickness a new man in Christ.
In Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians we get three stages of advance; in Romans, dead with Christ and alive through Him; in Colossians, dead with Him and risen with Him; in Ephesians, dead in trespasses and sins, quickened together, raised up together, made to sit together in Him in heavenly places.