A Christian watchmaker was accustomed to go from house to house, pursuing his earthly calling. He rejoiced to carry into the homes of his patrons the glad tidings of "the grace of God that bringeth salvation.”
Calling one day at a house where he had previously done some work, the lady of the house led him to a room in which stood the large, old-fashioned family clock, recently put in order, to verify the result of his work.
Passing through the vestibule, she called his attention to a timepiece of exquisite foreign workmanship. It was, she remarked, useless, having since its arrival from France defied the skill of the various hands through which it had passed for inspection. No one could make it go.
"This clock," she said, "has a history of its own. It is a family heirloom. Tradition says that, besides being an excellent timekeeper, it used to chime at the quarters and half-hours and it played a melodious carillon on the bells of the church tower sculptured on the top at the hour. Now it can do nothing; it won't even run.”
"Might I be allowed to try my hand at it?" he asked. "I think I can put it in order.”
"If you do succeed," she replied, "we shall call it a miracle; although," she added in an undertone, "none of us believe in miracles, or in God.”
"How grieved I am to hear that, dear lady," was the grave reply.
Permission given, the watchmaker began taking the clock to pieces. The lady remarked that she had so often seen the process that she thought she could put it together herself. While the work proceeded, he told her what God had done for him. In his early years he had lived without God. When he had been brought to know the Lord Jesus as His Savior, he had been blessed and cared for in all things to the present moment.
When each bit of the works had been examined and cleaned and oiled, he prepared to put all in place, and asked if he might be allowed to follow his usual habit and sing a hymn while thus occupied. The lady pleasantly said that she would like to hear him sing, and a song of faith and thanksgiving arose to the Lord in that godless dwelling.
When all was finished, he ceased singing, and said, "Now you shall hear chimes and carillon this clock is a wonderful work of art.”
"Ah," she replied, "others have said so, but no one has yet been able to prove it.”
He touched the pendulum, but the movement stopped when his hand was withdrawn.
The lady asked if some part of the works was perhaps missing?
"No," he said, "all is in perfect order but I will pray to my God and Savior to show me where the fault is, and how to remedy it. He will hear me.”
"Do not give yourself so much trouble,” she said. But without waiting for permission, the man of faith knelt and laid the matter simply before Him to whom all power belongs. He asked that, for the glory of His own Name, and the sake of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the request for wisdom and intelligence might be granted.
He rose from his knees. She asked him how he could think that a God whom he believed to be the Maker of the universe could occupy Himself with such trifles.
"Madam," he replied with warmth, "we read in the Bible, in the words of Jesus Himself, that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His will, and that the very hairs of our head are numbered.”
He then took his leave, asking to be allowed to return early the following morning to make a further attempt.
The rest may be told in his own words: "Twilight was coming on as I took my lonely way across the fields which led to my temporary dwelling. My heart was filled with thanksgiving to the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, my Savior and Redeemer.
"Suddenly my thoughts returned to the clock that I had just overhauled. I saw it all in detail before me; but in addition to the portions which had passed through my hands, I remembered a small separate bit of the works which, it occurred to me, had probably not been touched since its transportation. Now I have it,' I cried. 'The fault is there.' I reached my lodging, praising and blessing God.
"The next morning early I returned to the house. The lady was writing in the verandah. She greeted me, and led the way to the clock. The extra works were soon taken out, cleaned, and replaced. I touched the pendulum, and with a measured tick-tock' the clock went on, as though it had never stood still. We sat awhile in silence. The third quarter chimed; when the hour ended, the bells in the tower rang out a merry carillon. At length the lady spoke: 'I can hardly believe my eyes and ears. But if your God has heard your prayer, and helped you thus, I too will believe in Him, and bow before Him.'
"And this, through His grace, she has done; and her whole household, one after another, has been brought to know the Savior, and to live to serve Him.
"I have visited the family for many years in my journeys to and fro. Together we have praised Him who came to seek and to save the lost, and then have gone on our several ways rejoicing in His love.”
God is sovereign in all that He does, and many are the varied ways in which He is pleased in His grace to lead souls to trust in Him!