HE was every inch a King. Physically and mentally he stood pre-eminent above the majority. If he had not been a King he would still have been famous. Able to converse fluently in seven different languages, a poet of no mean order, statesman, soldier, philosopher, scholar he was indeed a kingly man.
Just as he died his aged Queen bent over him, quoting the lovely text, "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7), the aged King responding fervently, "Thank God, thank Jesus." So the last word on the King's dying lips was the personal name of the King of kings and Lord of lords— his King and Lord—JESUS.
What a testimony! This is better than the cold negations and empty vaporings of the New Theology, is it not?
At his funeral the Archbishop of Sweden, in the presence of Sweden's nobility and state officials and the representatives of foreign nations, said, “When the illness was coming on some time ago, the living felt for him the end was now drawing near. With what kind of feelings he wanted to meet the last hour and with what prayer he wanted to commit his soul into the hand of God he had before considered, and written down in the following words:
“O Lord God Almighty, Merciful, Thou whom I worship and adore, Thou who art a Father over all, that is named Father in heaven and on earth,I long to be with Thee, far away from the storms, sorrow and strifes of time. Be near to me in my last hour. Vouchsafe to me strength and hope in tire battle, peace in death. Receive me forever in Thy loving fatherly bosom for the sake of Thy unfathomable and unspeakable love! Be it so! Amen!”
Thank God, his prayer was answered, and the last word uttered by him was the name above every name, the name that fills heaven with joy, the name of JESUS—the name that gave him "strength and hope in the battle, peace in death.”
Do you know Him, reader? King Oscar might know seven languages, but if He had not known Him he would not have known the language of heaven.
And they sang a new song, “Thou... hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." And in that new song the Swedish King and English writer of this article IN ill have their part. Will you? God grant it. Amen. A. J. P.