Danger—Conscious of.
During a voyage of the S.S. Scotia, the night was calm and the sea very smooth. But there was a shade of anxiety on the Captain’s face, and he often went to consult the thermometer. Ship was going at half-speed, but the captain gave orders to go ‘Dead slow.’ Asked why, he said: “The thermometer has been sinking rapidly all the evening. There must be a large quantity of floating ice near.” Before midnight the ship was surrounded by immense icebergs. This danger, real and imminent, was foreknown by one who consulted the instrument and had faith in it, while others on board were entertaining themselves without a thought of danger.
Danger—Unconscious of.
In a crowd gathered in front of a hall where a large meeting was to be held, a mother lost her little girl. She sent a request to the preacher to announce: “Mary Moore is lost. If she is in the company, will she please stand up.” No one rose, and they sent word to the mother that the child was not in the hall. The mother got a bell-ringer to go round the town, announcing the loss of the child. An hour passed, and the poor woman became frantic. But all this time Mary was on the front seat at the meeting. “Why did you not rise when your name was called out?” they asked her.
“Because I was not lost; I thought it meant some other Mary.”
Dead to Sin.
Two Christian girls, shortly after their conversion, were invited to a worldly amusement to which they felt it would be disloyal to their Lord to go. So they replied: “We are unable to come, because we died last Tuesday week.”
A. LINDSAY GLEGG
Death—Empty-handed at.
Alexander the Great directed that when dead his hands should be placed across his chest palms outward. “Why?” he was asked. “To let all who look at me in death see that the man who conquered the world went out empty-handed.”
Death—A Living.
There is a graveyard in Ayrshire where once a stranger was buried; and it greatly distressed the folk in that parish; so much so, that they had a notice put up to the effect that “This graveyard is exclusively reserved for the dead who are living in this parish!” There are many people like that. Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life.”
Death—A Transition.
Sir James Simpson, the famous physician, had a butterfly carved on the tombstone over his child’s grave, not to speak of the shortness of life, but to suggest that death is only a transition, like that from the chrysalis to the butterfly.
Death of Christ.
On that quiet Easter morning something absolutely unique in the world’s history took place, a breach was made in the mighty wall of death through which there has been pouring ever since the boundless ocean of incalculable, power, lifting men and women in every corner of the earth above the pollutions, pursuits, pleasures and perils of this world.
Defense Against Satan.
A certain tree is exceedingly obnoxious to venomous serpents. A gentleman once observed a mother bird carrying leaves of this tree and surrounding her fledglings with them. As she rested on a limb above, he noticed a poisonous serpent circling around the tree and slowly ascending until, with glistening eyes and extended fangs, its head was stretched out towards its helpless prey. As it came in contact with the leaves, it dropped as if shot.
Constantly surround yourself and your children with those associations offensive to that old serpent, the devil.
Demands of Christ.
After the American Civil War, the Southern representatives offered concession after concession. To all, Lincoln’s unvarying reply was: “Gentlemen, this Government must have all.”
Demas, Tragedy of.
In the Doge’s palace at Venice there is a long line of fine portraits of bygone Doges. One space is empty, and a dark curtain hangs before it. From that covered panel once looked out the face of one afterward found to be a traitor. In the grand catalog of those who served with Paul there is an empty space. Hanging before it are these words: “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.”
Depression—A Cure for.
At one time Luther was sorely tried and became depressed almost to the point of despair. He came down one day and found his wife dressed in black—the kind of black that means mourning for some one. He asked who it was. “Do you not know,” said Catherine, his wife, “that God is dead!” “What nonsense!” said Luther, “how can God die?” To which she replied, “and yet you arc so hopeless and discouraged.” Luther learned his lesson and thanked God for his wife’s wisdom.
Differences Among Christians.
Toplady, the saintly writer of “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” wrote a pamphlet: about John Wesley whom he called “an old fox tarred and feathered.” Fancy one servant of Christ speaking of another in such terms! John Berridge and Fletcher of Madeley also said cruel, bitings things of each other. But it is good to know that in later years Berridge (Calvinist) received Fletcher (Wesleyan) at his house with open arms, saying as tears rolled down his cheeks: “How could we write so about each other, when we each aimed at the same thing, the glory of God and the good of souls?”
Discernment—Spiritual.
A man is sitting in his room writing. His wife comes in and says: “How stuffy it is in here!” He has not noticed it, for he has been in that atmosphere as it gradually deteriorated. She had been out of doors, enjoying the pure air, and at once discerned the state of the air in the room.
Discipleship—the Cost.
Up in the Midlands a man came to a Convention meeting, and he realized that if he was going to come into the real blessing it was going to mean telling the truth! He was a salesman of secondhand cars and he used to make his money by “telling the tale,” and passing off cars which were in a defective condition. He knew if he was going to face up to things it would cost him half of his income. At the end of the meeting he had to face it. “Is it going to be £400 a year telling lies, or £200 a year at the cost of telling the truth?” He faced it, and it did cost. His income went down by half; yet at the end of the year he gave this glad testimony, that he would willingly have let it go down to a quarter, for he was walking with the Savior victoriously and in spiritual health.
Discipline.
A lady saw on a Swiss mountain a sheep lying on straw with its leg broken. “How did it happen?” The shepherd said, “I broke it. It was most wayward, and was always leading other sheep astray. So I did that. The first day I went to it with food it tried to bite me. I let it lie alone for two days. Then I went back to it, and now it not only took the food, but licked my hand, and showed every sign of submission and even affection. It will soon be well, and it will be the model of the flock, hearing my voice quickly and following closely at my side.”
RUSSELL ELLIOTT
Disunity—Folly of.
A notice board on a bridge in Ohio reads: “Processions in crossing this bridge must break step.” The impact of every right and every left foot, striking at once, so multiplies the force exerted on the bridge as to endanger its stability. Why do we not achieve greater results? Because we “break step.”
Disunity—Folly of.
In an old monastery near Bebenhausen (Germany) one may see two pairs of deer’s horns interlocked. They were found in that position many years before. The deer had been fighting; their horns got jammed together and could not be separated; so they died. Dr. Kerr, who tells the story, says: “I would like to carry those horns into every house and school.” Yes, they would have a message for many a church!
Disunity—Folly of.
Nelson, the day before the battle of Trafalgar, took two captains, Collingwood and Rotherham, who were at variance, and showed them the enemy’s, fleet. “Yonder,” he said, “is the enemy. Now shake hands and be friends.”
Divisions—their Danger.
Ministers of three denominations were in a boat on the Rhine. They began to discuss where they should land. One wanted to land at a certain place; another said it would be better further down; the third thought they should cross to the other side. While debating, they were drifting along and presently struck on a rock, thrown into the water, and were only saved by the skin of their teeth.
Drink Deep!
An undernourished child was taken into a New York hospital. Soon the nurse came to her with a large glass full of rich milk. The girl had been brought up in extreme poverty; she was one of a family of several children. So when the nurse offered her the glass of milk the girl asked her: “Nurse, how deep may I drink?” In her home, the one glass of milk had been divided among several, and each one was permitted to drink to a certain point down the glass. The nurse cheerfully told her: “Drink deep, child, there is plenty; you can have all you want!”