In a country town lived Billy, a half-wit. He was often made the sport of the idle lads there.
"Billy," they would say, "prove if there be a God, if you can. We know there is none.”
"Shame on ye, lads," Billy would shout. "Shame! You should know better than to talk like that. No God? No food, no clothes! One there is lives up above, I know. Yes, He does too.”
One day Billy, with many others, heard a preacher telling of God's salvation for ruined sinners. After the sermon was over, a dissolute young man came swaggering up to half-witted Billy. "Well, Billy," he said, "I don't believe a word of that. He's only earning his pay. That's what those fellows preach for, just to make a living. 'No God!' That's the religion for me.”
"You'll find out there is a God when you're dead, though," said Billy in an instant. "You'll find it out when you are dead, won't you? 'No God," indeed! Why, who gave you your work or your bread? 'No God!' Ah! You'll find out when you're dead.”
Distressed to hear such scoffing, Billy tried hard to convince the young man, whom he had known many years, that he must believe in God. He followed him to his home, pleading with him to believe his simple reasoning. It was to no avail; and at last Billy left him, and went to his own poor little room.
A few days later, early in the morning, the halfwit hastened to the young man's house. The place was still, and the shutters were closed, but the door was open. He entered and went upstairs. In the hallway stood the young man's mother, weeping bitterly.
"He is dead, Billy, he is dead," she wept. "He died in the night. He went off to sleep, and never woke again. My poor, poor boy!”
"He has found out that there is a God now then, mistress, has he not?" said Billy. And the excited young man hurried downstairs into the street, crying, "Yes, and he's dead, and he's found out there is a God now.”
And so the skeptic had, in all verity. He who had been ushered so unceremoniously into eternity, now knew that God is. In His holy presence he must acknowledge the solemn, simple truths of heaven and hell. For all the endless ages of a lost eternity, separation from God and His love would be his portion.
Have you learned these things in the light of God's presence, dear friend? Doubtless you say you "know all about it." But I ask you, do you know God? Have you received His Son into your heart?
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