(For the Little Ones.)
HAS the little reader ever taken notice of the words that are stamped upon the shillings and sixpences which he may sometimes have had in his hands?
Perhaps he has, but may not have understood their meaning. The words referred to are “Dei Gratia.” These are Latin words, and mean “By the grace of God.” Now it happened one day that an English officer, when in battle, was struck by a spent ball. He felt the blow, and expected to find a serious wound; but, to his surprise, he was quite uninjured. On looking more closely, he found that the deadly missile had struck against a silver coin, which happened to be in his waistcoat pocket, and the hard silver, like a piece of armor, had prevented the ball from going any further Thus the silver coin probably saved his life. He had a godly sister, and she had taken care that he should: not be altogether ignorant of truth. No doubt she had often prayed for him too. Perhaps he thought so; but at any rate he felt that it was to God’s mercy that he owed his safety. While turning the coin over in his fingers, he observed that it was marked by the ball at the words “Dei Gratia,” as if even the bullet would teach him that it was “by the grace of God” that his life was spared. This aroused serious reflections, as it well might. It made him think; and the more he thought about it, the more he saw of “the grace of God.” Then he remembered how his sister had given him a tract before leaving home. He had never cared to read it before, but now he took it up, and “by the grace of God” was led to Christ, and became a believer in him.
Does the little believer ever pray for his friends and relations? If he has never done so before, let him begin now at once, and continue daily to pray for all those whom he knows to be ignorant of Christ, until he hears that “by the grace of God” his prayers have been answered. And if the little reader be an unbeliever, may he never look upon a silver coin without remembering those precious words, “THE GRACE OF GOD.” No tongue can tell, no heart can fully understand, all that is contained in them. Eternity will never exhaust the blessed theme; for what has not been done for sinners “by the grace of God”? “By grace are ye saved, through faith.” May every such little reader be brought to Jesus, and then even in the glory he will joy to tell how he was saved forever “by the grace of God.”