200 Sermon Illustrations on Faithfulness

Dr. L., a respectable gentleman, was confined for some time in the King's Bench Prison; while his fortune, on account of a law-suit, was unjustly withheld from him. During this distress, he was obliged to tell his negro servant, that, however painful to his feelings, they must part; his difficulties being so great, that he was unable to provide for him the necessaries of life. The negro, well known in the King's Bench Prison by the name of Bob, replied, "No, master, we will never part. Many a year have you kept me; and now I will keep you." Accordingly, Bob went out to work as a day laborer; and, at the end of every week, faithfully brought his earnings to his master. These proved sufficient for the support of them both, until, the law-suit being ended, Dr. L. became possessed of a large fortune. He settled a handsome sum on his faithful servant.

The most excruciating tortures were frequently inflicted on many of the ancient Christians, who refused to deliver up their copies of the Scriptures to the heathen; but all kinds of suffering, and even death itself, were nobly braved by many Christian worthies, to whom the book of God was more precious than life. Felix, an African, being apprehended as a Christian, was commanded, by the civil magistrate of the city, to deliver up all books and writings belonging to his church, that they might be burned. The martyr replied that it was better he himself should be burned. The magistrate, therefore, sent him to the proconsul at Carthage, by whom he was delivered over to the prefect of the Praetorium, who was then in Africa. This supreme officer, offended at his bold and candid confession, commanded him to be loaded with heavier bolts and irons; and after being kept in a close and miserable dungeon nine days, ordered him to be put on board a vessel, saying, he should stand his trial before the emperor. In this voyage he lay for four days under the hatches of the ship, between the horses' feet, without eating or drinking. He was landed at Agragentum, in Sicily; and when brought by the prefect as far as Venosa, in Apulia, his irons were knocked off, and he was again asked whether he had the Scriptures, and would deliver them up. "I have them," said he, "but will not part with them." On making this assertion, he was instantly condemned to be beheaded. "I thank thee, O Lord," exclaimed this faithful and heroic martyr, "that I have lived fifty-six years, have preserved the gospel, and have preached the faith and truth. O my Lord Jesus Christ, the God of heaven and earth, I bow my head to be sacrificed to thee, who livest to all eternity."

A colored woman of Barbadoes, who had been a member of the Moravian church for more than half a century, gave to her pastor a small sum of money, to be returned to her when-

### 101. CONSISTEN

When Damon was sentenced, by Dionysius of Syracuse, to die on a certain day, he begged permission, in the interim, to retire to his own country, to set the affairs of his disconsolate family in order. This the tyrant intended peremptorily to refuse, by granting it, as he conceived, on the impossible conditions of his procuring some one to and from my kind friends, 'that all liars shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone;' and rather than tell fortunes again, I would starve."

# FULNESS.

person, that he thought if he arrived at old age, he should be subject to fewer temptations than at an earlier period; but his more experienced friend told him, that "the devil had a bait for every age," and Mr. Rumsey was at length fully convinced of the truth of the remark.

In 1664, Sir Richard Fanshawe was ambassador from Charles II. to Madrid. This gentleman had been remarkable for his fidelity to the cause of Charles I, in whose service he had not only endured great privations, but had lost the whole of his family property. The fealty he had shown to the father was shown to the son, who, in rewarding him with an embassy to Spain, by that very elevation only made his fall the greater, for his disgrace in being superseded by another so affected him, that he died of a broken heart; such is the gratitude of princes! Lady Fanshawe's account of their arrival at this casual interview, Jackson owed his escape. Having been found guilty and condemned to death, application was made to the council for mercy. The evidence and the sentence were stated, and the president put the question whether the pardon should be granted. It was opposed by the first speaker. The case, he said, was perfectly clear; the act was unquestionably high treason, and the proof complete; and if mercy was shown in this case, he saw no reason why it should not be granted in every other. Few governments have understood how just and politic it is to be merciful. This hard-hearted opinion accorded with the temper of the times, and was acquiesced in by one member after another, till it came Mr. Edwards' turn to speak. Instead of delivering his opinion, he simply related the whole story of Jackson's singular demeanor, and what had passed between them in the woods. For the honor of Massachusetts and of human nature, not a man was found to weaken the natural effect of Mr. Edwards' statements on their minds. The council began to hesitate, and when a member ventured to say that such a man certainly ought not to be sent to the gallows, a natural feeling of humanity and justice prevailed, and a pardon was immediately made out.

## WORLDLY, VANITY OF.

Cadiz, confirms the truth of the foregoing observations. After mentioning that when they landed they were welcomed by volleys of guns, received by a very large number of people, and met by the governor and his lady, she adds, "When we came to the house where we were to lodge, we were nobly treated, and the governor's wife did me the honor to sup with me. We had a guard who constantly waited on us, and sentries at the gate below, and at the stairs-head above. We were visited by all the persons of quality in that town; our house was richly furnished, both my husband's quarter and mine. The richness of the gilt and silver plate which we had in great abundance, was fit only for the entertainment of so great a prince as his majesty our master, in the representation of whose person my husband received this great entertainment; yet, I assure you, notwithstanding this temptation, that your father and myself both wished ourselves in a retired country life in England, as more agreeable to our inclinations." But "as never any ambassador's family went into Spain more gloriously, so never went out any so sad;" for the departure of this lady was little else than expulsion from a situation where every earthly honor had been heaped upon her to satiety, and her company was the dead body of her beloved lord! She found, however, strength and consolation where only they are to be found, in God.

When Mr. John Elliot, from advanced age and infirmities, was laid aside from his former employments, he sometimes said, with an air peculiar to himself, "I wonder for what the Lord Jesus lets me live. He knows that now I can do nothing for him." Speaking of his labors among the American Indians, he expressed himself thus:—"There is a cloud, a dark cloud, on the work of the gospel among the poor Indians. The Lord revive and prosper that work, and grant that it may live, when I am dead. It is a work which I have been doing much about. But what have I said? I recall that word. My doings! Alas! they have been poor, and small, and I will be the man that shall throw the first stone at them." He died in 1690, aged eighty-six.

Dr. Gilly relates an anecdote, as it was told him by a well known Irish character, Thaddeus Conolly, who used to spend much of his time in wandering through Ireland, and instructing the lower classes in their native language. "I went," said he, "one Sunday, into a church, to which a new incumbent had been lately appointed. The congregation did not exceed half a dozen, but the preacher delivered himself with as much energy and affection as if he were addressing a crowded audience. After service, I expressed to the clergyman my surprise that he should hold forth so fervently to such a small number." "Were there but one," said the Rector, "my anxiety for his improvement would make me equally energetic." The following year Conolly went into the same church, the congregation was multiplied twenty-fold; a third year he found the church full.

At a meeting of a missionary society in Philadelphia, at which two Indian chiefs were present, and addressed a very large audience, the Rev. Mr. Finley, in the concluding part of his speech, related one or two very interesting anecdotes, to show the progress of the revival, and the depth of solid piety among the Wyandots. In one of his tours he took with him an Indian youth of zeal and piety. On setting out, he told him it was possible, when he got among sinful and wicked company, that he might forget his God, and again betake himself to the paths of folly and sin. "But," said he, calling him by his name, "I would rather preach your funeral sermon than see you depart from the paths of piety." They proceeded, and in their tour came 371. 372 to the house of a very wealthy merchant, where they remained for some time. The merchant had two or three clerks, who were giddy, gay young men. The Indian boy was put to sleep in a room with these clerks. Before retiring to bed, he knelt down to pray. The others began to disturb and torment him, but he heeded them not. This continued for some time: at length, one night when they were become so bad as to disturb him very much, the youth remonstrated, pointed out the wickedness of their conduct, and concluded by saying, that they were really worse than any Indian in all the Wyandot tribe of Upper Sandusky, observing, that Indians would be ashamed of such conduct, as they had more common sense, virtue, and piety. This appeal came home with keen conviction to the hearts of the young men. The effect was deep and lasting, the reproof was blessed to them, and they became humble and devoted Christians.

A man who had been accustomed to go with the cars on week days, informed his wife that he had been requested to go with the cars on the Sabbath. She replied, "I take it for granted that you do not intend to go." Such was her confidence in her husband, that she took it for granted that he would not do a wicked thing for money. He told her that, if he should not go, he might lose his place; that he had no other employment, the times were hard, and he had a family to support. "I know it," said she, "but I hope you will not forget that, if a man cannot support a family by keeping the Sabbath, he certainly cannot support them by breaking it"—a sentence which ought to be written in letters of gold, and held up to the view of all Christendom. "I am very glad," said the man, "that you think so. I think so myself. That was what I wanted—to see whether we think alike." He told the superintendent that he liked his situation, and should be very sorry to lose it, but that he could not go with the mail on the Sabbath; that he wished to attend public worship, and go with his children to the Sabbath-school. He did not lose his place, nor did he suffer in a pecuniary point of view. He prospered more than before, and lived to bear his testimony, not only to the duty, but to the utility, even for this world, of keeping the Sabbath.

KEEPING MILL-OWNER.—At the second annual meeting of the Society for Promoting the due Observance of the Lord's Day, the Rev. H. Stowell stated, that at a large meeting, which was held at Manchester, (Eng.,) to petition the legislature on the better observance of the Sabbath, a leading spinner came forward, and said, that there was nothing more common than to hear from his brother spinners and master manufacturers this assertion, "If you stop the mill altogether on Sunday, you must frequently stop it on Monday also; because, if the engine gets out of order, or any other necessary repair be required, it must be done on the Sunday, or the mill cannot proceed on the Monday." Now, all this seems mighty plausible, said the good man, but I can prove it to be false; for in my mill I never suffer a stroke to be struck on the Sabbath; and on one occasion, my boiler had suffered a misfortune on a Saturday, and I feared the mill must stop on the Monday, but determined to try what could be done. I sent for a leading engineer, and said to him, "Can you have the mill ready to work on Monday morning?" "Yes, certainly I can." "But then," said I, "you mean to work on Sunday?" "Of course, sir." "But," said I, "you shall not do it in my mill." "But I cannot mend the boiler, if I do not," said he. I said, "I do not care, you shall not work in my mill on Sunday. I would rather that my mill stood the whole of Monday, than that the Sabbath should be violated in it!" The man said, "You are different from all other masters." I said, "My Bible, not the conduct of others, is my rule; and you must do it without working on Sunday, or I will try to get somebody else." This had the desired effect: they set to work, and worked till twelve o'clock on the Saturday night, and began again at twelve o'clock on the Sunday night; and the repairs were finished, and the mill was in full work, at the usual hour on Monday morning.

The absolute inconsistency of war with the gospel was the prevalent belief of the early Christians. Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, quoting the prophecy of Isaiah already cited, says, "That these things have come to pass, you may be readily convinced; for we who were once slayers of one another, do not now fight against our enemies." Irenæus, bishop of Lyons, 167, discusses the same prophecy, and proves its relation to our Savior by the fact, that the followers of Jesus had disused the weapons of war, and no longer knew how to fight. Tertullian, 200, indeed alludes to Christians who were engaged in military pursuits, but, on another occasion, informs us, that many soldiers quitted those pursuits in consequence of their conversion to Christianity; and repeatedly expresses his own opinion, that any participation in war is unlawful for believers in Jesus, not only because of the idolatrous practices in the Roman armies, but because Christ has forbidden the use of the sword, and the revenge of injuries. Origen, 230, in his work against Celsus, says, "We no longer take up the sword against any nation, nor do we learn any more to make war. We have become, for the sake of Jesus, the children of peace. By our prayers, we fight for our king abundantly, but take no part in his wars, even though he urge us."

Joseph the faithful believer is abundantly recompensed for the disgrace he patiently suffers. His exaltation gives him opportunity to let many know the power of God

Empty pockets may go along with true wealth (v. 6). Poor churches are more often the miracle working churches. Rich churches usually without power to say, "Arise and walk."

A lady once asked Wesley, “Supposing that you knew you were to die at twelve o’clock tomorrow night, how would you spend the intervening time?” “How, madam?” he replied, “why, just as I intend to spend it now. I should preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I should ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon and meet the society in the evening; I should then repair to friend Martin’s house, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family, as usual; retire at ten o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father; lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.”

Jerome said: “If my father should stand before me, my mother hang upon me, my brethren should press about me, I would break through that I might faster cleave unto Christ.” Jerome was burned at the stake and his ashes thrown into the river. When brought to the spot, he told the executioner to light the fire in his face. As the flames enveloped him he sang a hymn.

The bill of indictment preferred against John Bunyan contained this: “John Bunyan hath devilishly abstained from coming to church to hear divine service, and is a common upholder of several unlawful meetings.” He was convicted and imprisoned for twelve years. But had he never spent twelve years in prison, “The Pilgrim’s Progress” would perhaps never have enriched the world.

The enemies of Luther were no strangers to his contempt for gold. When one of the Popes asked a certain cardinal why they did not stop that man’s mouth with silver and gold, his enemies replied, That German beast regards not money!

There is nothing lost by meekness and yielding. Abraham yields over his right of choice: Lot taketh it, and, behold! Lot is crossed in that which he chose; Abraham blessed in that which was left him.

While Pendleton and Saunders were conversing about the persecution, in the reign of Queen Mary, Saunders showed much weakness; but Pendleton said to him: “What, man! there is much more cause for me to fear than for thee, forasmuch as I have a big and fat body; yet will I see the utmost drop of this melted away, and consumed to ashes before I will forsake Christ and His truth.” Yet, not long after, faint-hearted Saunders sealed the truth with his blood, while confident Pendleton apostatized to Rome.

It is a very sad thing that so many of God’s children are dumb; yet it is true. Parents would think it a great calamity to have their children born dumb; they would mourn over it, and weep; and well they might; but did you ever think of the many dumb children God has? The churches are full of them; they never speak for Christ. They can talk about politics, art, and science; they can speak well enough and fast enough about the fashions of the day; but they have no voice for the Son of God.

Vicissitudes of Families: —"In 1850 a pedigree research caused me to pay a visit to the village of Fyndern, about five miles south-west of Derby. I sought for the ancient hall. Not a stone remained to tell where it had stood! I entered the church. Not a single record of a Finderne was there! I accosted a villager, hoping to glean some stray traditions of the Findernes. 'Findernes!' said he, 'we have no Findernes here, but we have something that once belonged them: we have Findernes' flowers! ' 'Show them me,' I replied, and the old man led me into a field which still retained faint traces of terraces and foundations. 'There,' said he, pointing to a bank of 'garden flowers grown wild,' 'there are the Findernes' flowers, brought by Sir Geoffrey from the Holy Land, and do what we will, they will never die!'" So be it with each of us. Should our names perish, may the truths we taught, the virtues we cultivated, the good works we initiated, live on and blossom with undying energy, "When time his withering hand hath laid On battlement and tower."

In the old Roman days, when a sentry was placed in his position by a centurion, he never thought of quitting his post. Rocks might roam, but not sentinels of the Empire. There was found in Pompeii among the ashes, a sentry standing in his place, with the javelin in his hand; he had not flinched amid the deadly shower which fell from the volcano and buried the city. His centurion, in the name of the Emperor, had set him there, and there he stood. How steadfast and immovable ought these to be, whom the Lord Himself has set in their place in connection with His Church.

In 1840 Worcester had thirty leading manufacturers of whom twenty-eight began as journeymen and two as sons of manufacturers. Of seventy-five manufacturers in 1850, six only were sons of manufacturers, only six of the one hundred and seven in 1860, and of one hundred and seventy-six manufacturers in 1878, only fifteen. The chance that the head of a manufacturing business will be reached by the son of an owner in Worcester for forty years has been pretty steadily about one in ten of the total chances of going to the head. As the sons of manufacturers in Worcester in 1840 could not have been, taking thirty manufacturers as the number, one per cent of the population, the chances of success for them was above the average, but not so far above as to discourage young men without this good fortune. The chance that property will stay two generations in one family seems also to be about one in ten in Worcester. Of the thirty manufacturers in 1840, fourteen of whom died or retired with property, only three in 1888 had left sons with money; of the seventy-five in 1850, the sons of only six survive now; and of one hundred and seven in 1860, eight only were represented by sons in the business world of Worcester twenty-eight years later. The business field at any given year is apt to look to young men as if all the leading places were filled by men whose sons were certain to enjoy the advantages of wealth and likely to take the places of their fathers. But there is not over one chance in ten that this will take place, and scarcely this that wealth will be left by those who inherit it. While of those in business on any date, one-fourth drop out in five years, one-half in ten, and two-thirds in fifteen years.

Nine places out of ten thirty years hence are therefore open to those who to-day have nothing.--Philadelphia _Press_.

Much of the joy of life would vanish if we had no races to run, no contests to engage in. The true spirit of competition is exprest in the following rime:

On Saturday, next Saturday, may I be there to greet Those sixteen jolly Englishmen a-tugging for the lead. And eight shall have the victory and eight must bear defeat; But what’s the odds since all have pluck--and that’s the thing we need. Oh, it’s rowing in a stern chase that makes you feel you’re dying. But it’s spurting, gaining, spurting that makes you think you’re flying; And it’s smiting the beginning, and it’s sweeping of it through Just for honor, not for pelf, And without a thought of self, For the glory of your color and the credit of your crew. And it’s “Easy all, you’ve passed the post,” and lo, you loose your grip, But not until the falling flag proclaims you’re at the “ship.” (Text.)

--_London Punch._

There was a boy in Glasgow apprenticed to a gentleman who made telegraphs. The gentleman told me this himself. One day this boy was up on top of a four-story house with a number of men fixing up a telegraph-wire. The work was all but done. It was getting late, and the men said they were going away home, and the boy was to nip off the ends of the wire himself. Before going down they told him to be sure to go back to the workshop, when he was finished, with his master’s tools. “Do not leave any of them lying about, whatever you do,” said the foreman. The boy climbed up the pole and began to nip off the ends of the wire. It was a very cold winter night, and the dusk was gathering. He lost his hold and fell, upon the slates, slid down, and then over and over to the ground below. A clothes-rope, stretched across the “green” on to which he was just about to fall, caught him on the chest and broke his fall; but the shock was terrible, and he lay unconscious among some clothes upon the green. An old woman came out; seeing her rope broken and the clothes all soiled, thought the boy was drunk, shook him, scolded him, and went for a policeman. And the boy with the shaking came back to consciousness, rubbed his eyes, and got upon his feet. What do you think he did? He staggered, half-blind, away up the stairs. He climbed the ladder. He got up onto the roof of the house. He gathered up his tools, put them into his basket, took them down, and when he got to the ground again, fainted dead away. Just then the policeman came, saw there was something seriously wrong, and carried him away to the hospital, where he lay for some time. I am glad to say he got better. What was his first thought at that terrible moment? His duty. He was not thinking of himself; he was thinking about his master.

— HENRY DRUMMOND