IN some of the old villages in England there remains what is called stocks, just as we see in the picture before us. But they are not used any more. It is an old form of punishment, but done away with many years ago. You can see by the picture what sort of punishment it was. The prisoners sat with one leg through a hole in a board, which could only be opened by the constable; and there they were exposed to the laughter of all the passers-by. No doubt you can easily understand that it was not only with shame but was very painful to sit in that position any length of time.
It would seem had enough to have to be put in such a position for doing what is wrong, but what do you think of one being put there for doing good?
If you will turn to Acts 16:16-40, you will see there that Paul and Silas were first beaten, then put in prison and their feet put fast in the stocks and that because they had commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a certain woman. It was not that they had power over the unclean spirits, but they did it in the name of Jesus Christ. It was, therefore, the power of His name. This woman had been telling fortunes, and such things, by that evil spirit she had, and brought much money to the man that owned her, and when that man saw she was delivered from that evil spirit, instead of his being thankful for it, he got angry with Paul and Silas because the woman could not make any more money for him in that evil way; and he had the magistrate take Paul and Silas and beat them and put them in the prison and there put their feet fast in the stocks.
Do you think anyone could be happy in such a place as that? Ah yes, they knew Jesus as the One who had died for them, and they were happy and prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.
There is one lesson I would like to have you learn from this, and that is, that after we have believed in Jesus as our Saviour, it is to know what He is for our joy. If we are occupied with Him and what He has done for us, we can be happy if we are suffering for Him.
In a time like the present, we may not get our feet put in the stocks, because we speak of Christ, but we may be laughed at, and hear hard things said against us, but we can easily bear all that when we think of what the Lord Jesus bore for us. The worldly people did not lib e Jesus, and so those who believe in Hirai need not expect anything else but that such people will not like them either. How much better it is to please the One who loved us so much as to give Himself a sacrifice for us, than to think of pleasing those who do not want Him. Ah, He is worthy to be praised, He is worthy to have our whole lives spent for Him, and if others are so foolish as to make fun of those who believe in Him, they should rejoice that they have been led to see differently, and rejoice that they are given a place with the Lord Jesus on earth. May you, my dear reader, stand for your Lord and Saviour, and seek to honor Him in all your ways, and tell others of that same blessed Saviour and invite them to come to Him. If they come, they will be given to know the value of that word, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37.
“I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH.” Rom. 1:16.
ML 03/25/1906