I heard lately how grace abounded in a remarkable case. It was the custom of a certain family to meet all together about Christmas time. It happened one year that the meeting took place in the house of the eldest son, who was an unbeliever. When the whole family had gathered, the old gray-haired father, a pious man, returned thanks to God for the meal they were about to partake of.

The son angrily said to his father: "You have no right to say that in my house; you have no right to give God thanks. I bought that food, every bit of it; and I will not have you thanking God for what I bought and paid for.

"There is no God. I don't believe there is any God at all. Look here! If there is a God I'll give Him a chance. I will give Him five minutes to cut me down."

He took out his watch, and put it on the table. The whole family sat aghast. They knew what God could do, but would He? was the question. One minute went by, two, three, four, and five, and the defier of God was not cut down.

"There," said he, "where is your God? He has had His chance and lost it."

"Ah, my son," said the old man, "when you put the watch on the table, I began to pray to the Lord for you. When you were a child I gave you to God, my son, and I have never taken you back. I believe God will save you yet, my lad."

The meeting broke up, and very soon after the old father died. The son became a frequenter of taverns. You often find unbelief and atheism are joined with dissipation and debauchery. After fifteen years he was seen walking in the street with tattered garb. He had his last shilling in his pocket.

"What shall I do with it?" he thought. "I will have two glasses of whiskey, and carry home a bottle of beer with me."

He turned to go to the nearest gin palace, but when he was quite near it the recollection of the family scene struck him, and an arrow of conviction from heaven entered his soul. He exclaimed, "O, Spirit of God, have mercy upon me, and answer my dear old father's prayer!"

God answered his dear old father's prayers, and blessed him. He was saved. That was grace! That is like God. Oh, you say, I expected you would tell us he was cut down. That is what you or I would have done. That is the way of man. But God did not cut him down. He spared him and then saved him. Grace thus wins its proudest victories over its foes.

Ah, the grace of God would like to save you. It has saved me. It has saved many others. Grace brings salvation just now. I have often heard a man say, "I will turn over a new leaf." But observe, though you turn over a new leaf it is still the old book. What about those old pages blotted with the sins of bygone years?

You do not want reformation, you need reconstruction. You need exactly what the apostle gives you here: "Grace reigns, through righteousness, to eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord."

Walter T. P. Wolston