16 Sermon Illustrations on Authority

A mother had fallen into the disagreeable habit of yelling at her children. She thought this necessary in order to maintain her authority; then she was confined to bed for a week with severe laryngitis. She could not speak above a whisper and had to run the affairs of her household from her bed. "Do you know," she confessed afterward, "I found that the children were far more well-behaved and good-natured when I could only speak to them in a whisper than when I used to shout at them."

When two ride the same horse, one must ride behind. He that hires the horse must ride before. — English. — He who rides behind does not saddle when he will. — Spanish.

It was in one of the Prussian campaigns, says Harte, in his Lite of Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, that the irrational practice of dueling rose to such a height in the Swedish army, not only among persons of rank and fashion, but even between the common soldiers, that Gustavus published a severe edict, denouncing death against every delinquent. Soon after there arose a quarrel between two officers very high in command, and as they knew the king's firmness in preserving his word inviolable, they agreed to request an audience, and besought his permission to decide the affair like men of honor. His majesty repressed his passion, and under the appearance of pitying brave men who thought their reputation injured, he told them, that though he much blamed their mistaken notions of fame and glory, yet as this unreasonable determination appeared to be the result of deliberate reflection, he would allow them to decide the affair at a time and place specified: "And gentlemen," said he, "I myself will be a witness of your extraordinary valor." At the hour appointed, Gustavus arrived accompanied with a small body of infantry, whom he drew up around the combatants. Having done this, he desired them to fight on till one of them should be killed, and calling the executioner of the army to him, he ordered him, the moment one of them fell, to be ready instantly to behead the survivor. Astonished at such inflexible firmness, the two generals, after pausing a moment, fell upon their knees, and asked the king's forgiveness, who made them embrace each other, and give their promise to continue faithful friends to their last moments; as they both did with sincerity and thankfulness.

Menzikoff, who was at first a pastry cook, accidentally coming into favor of Peter the Great, rose with a rapidity beyond example. He was loaded with honors, and frequently appeared in public as vice-azar, the emperor assuming the rank of a private person. It is not very surprising, that so extraordinary she interrogated him as follows: "Well, sir, I am sold, am I?" "Yes," was the reply. She continued—"This gentleman, I suppose, then, is my master." He answered in the affirmative. "Well, now," she proceeded, "I will tell you to your face, that you are one of the most wicked, unmanly, cold-hearted creatures, that I ever heard of. Here, sir, is your own child—your own flesh and blood—which, together with its mother, you have sold for money! Look at it, sir. Your features are in its face—your blood runs in its veins—and yet, you've sold it—away! I cannot bear the sight of you." And these results were the legitimate fruits of the illegitimate and irresponsible authority which the tyrant exercised over her and her offspring.

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and sudden an elevation should cause Menzikoff sometimes to forget that he was a man. His enemies trembled at his presence; for, as his power was great, so was his revenge. After the death of his imperial master, to whom he was warmly attached, he remained faithful to Catherine; and upon her decease, he placed the crown upon the head of Peter III, son of the unfortunate Alexis, and grandson of his benefactor. It is said he had formed the ambitious design of marrying his daughter to this young prince. The sun of prosperity, however, which had hitherto shone in meridian splendor upon Alexander Menzikoff, was now fast sinking into the darkest gloom. The Dolgoroukis, a noble family who hated him, were artful, pliable, and insinuating; Peter was young, unsuspicious, and easily imposed upon by the frank and apparently disinterested friendship of the younger branches of the family. The ruin of the man who had placed him on the throne, was now, at the instigation of the Dolgoroukis, resolved on, and the fall of Menzikoff was even more rapid than his rise. As he had seldom shown mercy, so little was shown to him. His banishment to Berezof was | attended with every aggravation that could be imagined. Previous to this fatal sentence, he had been deprived of his dignities, his pensions, his employments. This blow was quickly followed by another; he was banished the court, and desired to confine himself to his country house at Oranienburg. On his way thither he was overtaken by a messenger, accompanied by a party of dragoons, who brought the fatal mandate of banishment to Siberia. Berezof is situated near the mouth of the Oby; during six months in the year there is no actual daylight, and the earth is covered with frost and snow. What a situation for persons who had been used to every luxury, every indulgence! The Princess Menzikoff died on the journey, and was buried on the banks of the Wolga. She had always very weak eyes, and they were so affected by the cold and her excessive weeping, that she lost her sight before the half of her journey was completed. This unfortunate family were treated like the worst of criminals.—Their dresses were twice changed; first to the coarsest woolen, then to the coarsest stuffs. After being used to walk upon the softest carpets, clothed in the richest attire, and to travel with every possible convenience, they were now | | --- | | PRA | | NATURE OF PRAYER.—SCRIPTURAL PRAYER. | | 180. Praying with Faith. | |

The late Mark Twain, in _The North American Review_, gave a striking “Sartor Resartus” sketch of what might be the Czar’s morning meditations, from which we quote the following paragraph:

“After the Czar’s morning bath it is his habit to meditate an hour before dressing himself.”--London _Times_ Correspondence.

(_Viewing himself in the pier-glass._) Naked, what am I? A lank, skinny, spiderlegged libel on the image of God! Look at the waxwork head--the face, with the expression of a melon--the projecting ears--the knotted elbows--the dished breast--the knife-edged shins--and then the feet, all beads and joints and bonesprays, an imitation X-ray photograph! There is nothing imperial about this, nothing imposing, impressive, nothing to invoke awe and reverence. Is it this that a hundred and forty million Russians kiss the dust before and worship? Manifestly not! No one could worship this spectacle, which is Me. Then who is it, what is it, that they worship? Privately, none knows better than I: it is my clothes. Without my clothes I should be as destitute of authority as any other naked person. Nobody could tell me from a parson, a barber, a dude. Then who is the real Emperor of Russia? My clothes. There is no other. (Text.)

The advantage of position is well illustrated in the following incident:

When Louis XIV was at play with some courtiers, a dispute arose in regard to one of the turns of the game. The king was eager, and his opponent seemed resolute to resist; and the rest of the court stood round maintaining a dignified neutrality, and none venturing a remark. At that moment Count de Grammont was seen entering the apartment, whereon the king called out, “Come hither, Grammont, and decide this dispute between us.” “Your majesty is in the wrong,” said the count, the moment he approached. “How can you say I am in the wrong!” cried the king, “when you have not heard what is the point in dispute?” “Why, sire,” said Grammont, “if the point had been doubtful, all these gentlemen who are standing round silent would have decided in your favor long ago.”--CROAKE JAMES, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”

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When Justice Lovell, a Welsh judge, was traveling over the sands at Beaumaris, while going his circuit about 1730, he was overtaken at night by the tide, and the coach stuck in a quicksand. The water rose in the coach, to the horror of the registrar and other officers, who crept out of the windows and scrambled on the top behind the coach-box. They urged his lordship to do the same, but with great dignity and gravity he sat till the water rose to his lips, and then he was just able to exclaim, “I will follow your counsel if you can quote to me any precedent for a judge mounting on a coach-box.” No “authority” could be produced, owing to the darkness of the night! (Text.)--CROAKE JAMES, “Curiosities of Law and Lawyers.”

In Java sitting down is a mark of respect; in the Mariana Islands the inferior squats to speak to a superior who would consider himself degraded by sitting in the presence of one who should be objectively as well as figuratively “below” him. The punctilios relating to the fundamental rule that rank is defined by elevation are carried to absurdity in the Orient. When an English carriage was procured for the Rajah of Lombok, it was found impossible to use it because the driver’s seat was the highest, and for the same reason successive kings of Ava refused to ride in the carriages presented to them by ambassadors. In Burmah, that a floor overhead should be occupied would be felt as a degradation, contrary to civilized ideas that the lower stories are the most honorable. In Siam, on the principle that no man can raise his head to the level of his superiors, he must not cross a bridge if one of higher rank chances to be passing below, and no mean person may walk upon a floor above that occupied by his betters.--GARRICK MALLERY, _Popular Science Monthly_.