73 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."

During a single week, in 1842, there were six hopeful conversions in one class of ten or twelve boys, in the Pearl-street Baptist Sabbath school in the city of Albany. The teacher, G. T. C., had for three or four weeks felt an unusual anxiety for their salvation, which led him to be faithful in his instruction, and fervent in prayer for them. He held several prayer meetings at his house with them, to which other scholars were invited, and at one or two meetings they continued almost "all night" in prayer. One Sabbath, one of them, who had found peace the night before, called on the teacher at 4 o'clock in the morning to tell him how joyful he felt in loving the Savior, and he was so happy he could not wait until he should see him in the Sabbath school. When the school assembled in the P. M., they all came forward and told what the Lord had done for them, and affectionately invited their associates to come to the Savior and taste the joys they felt. Such a scene, and such a circumstance would be interesting at any time, but at that time particularly so, from the fact that in the rest of the school, and in the church, there was a lamentable coldness, while the ways of Zion mourned, and few came to her solemn feasts.