15. Mercy for Erring
Mercy for Erring
UNWORTHY RIGHT HAND.—In the days’ of martyrdom, Cranmer was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Overcome by fear, he signed a paper denying the religion he had preached. But he then became miserable, and boldly took up his former faith. For this he was burned at the stake. When brought to the fire he voluntarily stretched forth the hand that had signed the paper of recantation and held it in the fire till it was consumed; frequently exclaiming: “That unworthy right hand.”
LOVING THE UNSEEN.—A mother had been talking to her little girl about loving God. The child replied: “Mother, I have never seen God; how can I love him?” Soon after she received a beautiful picture-book from a friend and exclaimed, “Oh, mother, I love the lady who sent me the book.” “But you never saw her,” said the mother. “No,” replied the child, “but I love her because she sent me this present.” Let us look at the beautiful pictures in the book of nature all around us, and surely we will love God, the giver, though we have never seen Him.
PARDON, NOT JUSTICE.—A French girl, casting herself at Napoleon’s feet, cried: “Pardon, pardon, for my father!” “And who is your father?” asked Napoleon, “and who are you?” “My name is Lopolia,” she said, and with flowing tears added, “my father is doomed to die.” “Ah, young lady,” replied Napoleon, “I can do nothing for you. It is the second time your father has been found guilty of treason.” “Alas!” exclaimed the poor girl, “I know it, but I do not ask for justice; I implore pardon.” After a momentary struggle of feeling, Napoleon gently took the hand of the young woman and said: “Well, my child, for your sake, I will pardon your father. That is enough. Now leave me.”
BURIAL OF MOSES.—A Welsh preacher, speaking of the burial of Moses, said: “In that burial not only was the body buried, but also the grave and graveyard. This is an illustration of the way in which God’s mercy buries sins. No one is in the funeral with Mercy (just as it is understood that no one was at the funeral of Moses but God), and if any should meet Mercy on returning from the burial of sin and ask her: “Mercy, where didst thou bury our sins?” her answer would be, “I do not remember.”
PARDON FROM KING.—A man was being tried for a crime, the punishment of which was death. The witnesses came in one by one and testified to his guilt. But there he stood, calm and unmoved. The judge and jury were surprised at his indifference, and did not understand how he could take such a serious matter so calmly. When the jury returned the verdict was “guilty,” and when the judge passed sentence upon him, he told the criminal how surprised he was that he could be so unmoved in the prospect of death. When the judge had finished, the man drew a document from his bosom and walked out of the dock, a free man. The document was a pardon from the king and the prisoner was a free man.
WEEDS IN ALMOST ANY SOIL—There are weeds in almost every soil. If you dig up the soil there will be found the seeds from which they grow. These seeds, however, can germinate only under the conditions brought about by sunshine and rain. There may be the seed of weeds in our nature, deep down out of sight; but should they be thrown up by some change of circumstances, we shall find evil in ourselves we never dreamed of. The Devil has neither forgotten us, nor lost our trail. If we resist him, he will flee.