It was a hot July afternoon and Grandpa Brown was sitting on the porch of the old farm home. His working days were over, but he loved to look out over the fields and watch the men working and the cattle grazing. Then he caught sight of a car coming down the lane in a cloud of dust and soon a young fellow stepped out and greeted him.
"Hi there," he called; "I'm Norman Grant." And sitting down on the top step of the porch, he took off his coat and began fanning himself. Then he remembered why he had come and, opening his briefcase, he began a well-memorized sales talk. The first few words startled Grandpa. "Mr. Brown, it is necessary for a man to look to the future and to face the inevitable. As hard as it may seem to us, life is but a flickering light that soon fades into eternity."
"Must be an insurance salesman," thought Grandpa, "or maybe he sells tombstones."
The sales talk went on: "It is well for all mankind to take steps of precaution against that day. The years creep up on us with incredible speed; as we move on toward that culmination of life's journey, we may gain a great deal of satisfaction from adequate preparation. My firm takes great pains to help mankind to attain to this end."
Grandpa thought, "Selling grave plots, that's what he's doing!"
The fluent talk went on: "In all the history of mankind there has been no greater source of security than the product I'm about to show you." Norman Grant reached into his briefcase and drew out a Bible!
"Note the binding," the young man went on. "Sewed with the finest linen thread... the leather cover imported... deep rich gold and red page edges... maps printed in nine different colors.... Mr. Brown, you might travel the world over and never find a Bible like this. What a splendid addition to your home! We have it in various covers to match any living room."
The sales talk was over. Grandpa Brown leaned over and took the Bible from the salesman's hands and looked at it long and silently.
Finally he spoke: "Mr. Grant," he said, "I know the Author of this Book."
"Oh no, sir, that can't be!" exclaimed the young man. "Those who wrote it have been dead many years. They all lived ages ago."
Grandpa Brown went on as if he hadn't heard. "I met the Author of this Book first when I was a child at my mother's knee. Since then He has spoken to me from these pages many, many times. When I was sixteen He said to me: ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
"Mr. Grant, I heard His words and heeded them. Later, when as a young man I was beset by the usual temptations of young men, He said, 'Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely... think on these things.' Then when great sorrow came into our family He spoke, saying, 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.' I did, Mr. Grant, and He did.
"Again, when we had a crop failure for two years, He spoke: 'My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.' In all our joys and sorrows He has had a special word of counsel or encouragement from the pages of this blessed Book."
There was quiet on the porch for a while. Then, holding the Bible lovingly in his hands, Grandpa Brown said to the younger man, "Wouldn't you like to know the Author of this Book?"
The answer was quick and firm: "Yes, I surely would!"
As the young man prepared to leave, he said to Mr. Brown: "I came to sell you a Bible, but you have sold the divine contents of it to me, and I shall be forever grateful."