The life-long friend of a young Christian was employed as a druggist, but he was far from sharing his friend's faith. Every time the latter spoke to him of God, the young pharmacist made fun of him. At last the friend decided never to touch upon the subject again in their conversations, but to confine himself to ordinary topics.
As a final word he said: "In future, old man, I shall not trouble you with these matters. You only make light of them. Until you yourself care to re-open the subject, I have only one more word—a word from God to you. It is a verse from the 50th Psalm: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.' Don't forget it!" But the other just laughed.
Some time after this the young druggist was on night duty at the pharmacy. Suddenly he was aroused by the violent ringing of the night-bell. A little girl had brought a prescription which the doctor had just given to her mother who was very ill.
Half asleep and annoyed at being disturbed, the young fellow weighed out the drugs, mixed them, stuck the label on the bottle, and handed it to the child who ran off with it as fast as she could.
After she had gone he proceeded to put the various bottles back in their places when-horrors! What had he done? He had used a wrong bottle! Instead of a soothing drug he had put a violent poison into the prescription. If the patient took any part of it, death was sure—a death of agony!
He did not know the little girl, nor where she lived. If only he could find her! He rushed out of the store into the dark street. He ran to the right, then to the left, but in vain. The darkness had swallowed her. Besides, she seemed in such a hurry, perhaps at that very moment she was giving her mother a dose of the poison he had prepared!
Cold sweat covered the poor fellow. He was at his wit's end. What could he do? Suddenly his friend's verse came to mind: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.”
He hurried back to the pharmacy. He threw himself on his knees and... prayed. Oh, he did not make any fun this time. In his terrible anguish he cried to God to help him, for He alone could...
What! Another ring? He rushed to the door and to his unspeakable amazement saw the little girl, her face bathed in tears. She was holding the neck of the broken bottle.
"Oh, sir," she sobbed, "help me! I ran so fast that I fell and broke the bottle.”
We can imagine the emotions of the young man as he took the prescription in hand again and prepared it correctly. But the gratitude of his heart did not vanish like a fleeting, though profound, impression. Conviction had pierced his soul. He realized how unworthy he was of such mercy, such goodness from the God he had so long slighted, mocked, and rejected.
He could scarcely wait to tell his friend what had occurred. Of his own accord he reopened the subject which he himself had closed. By the grace of God he soon learned to know the Savior whom his friend loved. And in a coming day he will find, too, how God has used him to prove true the last part of the verse: "And thou shalt glorify Me.”
Oh, you who are still without Christ in your hearts, it is the GOODNESS OF GOD that turns men to repentance! Behold His mercies which He so freely bestows upon you. Surely, as the Psalmist David says, "They are new every morning." Look at Calvary and see the out-pouring of His love for you. He has withheld from you nothing for your blessing here, nor for your eternal good, if you will but receive into your heart through faith the dear Son of His love, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, turn ye! For why will ye die?