One Thousand Acts and Facts

2. One Thousand Acts and Facts Concerning Remarkable Persons

How to Use

IN order to get the most out of this volume, let me I respectfully make some practical suggestions:

1. Read the book through, freely using a fountain pen or black led pencil in making notes in margin as to what “Acts” fit certain addresses or subjects, or are likely to be useful in your service. Spice well your speeches in this age of stress.

2. The white end papers of the book are very useful for the purpose. A word or two and page being all that is needed to help you to find what is required. Well mark the book, and it will well help you.

3. Your own markings at leisure will be invaluable at the busy moment, when a window is required to let in the light upon a good subject. Underlining words or phrases which you judge to be good in red ink is specially recommended.

4. The Text Index is as complete as possible. In many cases the verses before or after are included in the verse given, and should thus be examined.

5. Famous men and women are ever a subject of interest in public addresses. No book of Tales would be complete without hosts of famous persons concerning whom Tales are told. That host within numbers 1000. Instead of saying “A long time ago,” or “I have heard of,” add variety with “C. H. Spurgeon said― or did―,” “It is related of Oliver Cromwell-,” or “An incident in the life of David Livingstone illustrates. ―” Faces sparkle as hearers remember or imagine faces of “men of like passions,” or men of long ago. A full index of names is given at the end of the book.

Lives of great men all remind us

We should make our lives sublime,

And departing leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time.

One Thousand Acts and Facts Concerning Remarkable Persons

1. Robert Murray M’Cheyne once said, “It takes me half an hour to get an audience with God; half an hour to fight my way through.” “We wrestle” (Eph. 6:12).

2. Dr. James Alexander lay a dying, a friend misquoted 2 Timothy 1:12 Thus: “I know in whom I have believed,” at which the departing saint exclaimed: “No, no, don’t put even a preposition between me and my Lord! I know whom I have believed!”

3. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, said: “I used to ask God if He would come and help me; then I asked God if I might come and help Him; then I ended by asking God to do His own work through me.” “He that believeth on Me, out of his inner man shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

4. C. H. Spurgeon once told of a man who parried every appeal on behalf of Christian decision by quoting, “He that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. 28:16). “Since how long have you believed?” asked the great preacher. “Ten years.” “Then, my good friend,” quote the other, “if you decide now nobody can say you have been in a hurry.” The like could be said concerning a good many people at present.

5. Henry Broadhurst, M.P., who died at Cromer, 11Th October, 1911, at the age of seventy-one, worked in his early days as a stonemason, and helped to build the Houses of Parliament. He remembered being high up in the clock tower in cold weather with scarcely enough clothing to protect him, yet he afterward sat in the House as Under Secretary for the Home Department. An interesting piece of furniture in his home was a cabinet with the mallet and chisels which he used as a mason, ever reminding him of what he was. Each spiritual builder would do well to remember his origin, “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2: 3), and continually say, “but by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

6. Dr. Guthrie was pleading for his Ragged Schools when a man rose, and said, “You expect to make decent folks of those people? The very rags on which your feet step as you go along the street are better than they!” Filled with indignation the doctor waved a piece of notepaper before his audience, and said, “Is not this paper made out of those very rags? If the paper mill can make white paper out of cast-off rags, Jesus can transform the most unlovely into His blessed image, for ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’” (1 Tim. 1:15).

7. General M’Clellan, America, when he had been appointed major-general of the Union Army, wrote to his wife: “I do not feel any different from what I did yesterday. Indeed I have not yet donned my new uniform. I am sure that I am in command of the army, however, for the President’s order to that effect now lies before me.” It is exactly the same with us who are “justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1). It is not a question of feeling but of fact.

8. Edward Lloyd, the famous tenor, once sang in a friend’s house. At the conclusion of the song a clergyman, who was evidently unaware of the identity of the singer, approached him. “Really, sir,” he remarked, “you should not waste your voice like this. We need another tenor in our choir, and I shall be happy to give you £30 a year. Think it over!” “The world knoweth us not; it doth not yet appear what we shall be” (1 John 3:1, 2).

9. James Chalmers, after long years of hardship and difficulty, said: “Recall the twenty-one years; give me back all its experience, give me its shipwrecks, give me its standings in the face of death, give it me surrounded with savages with spears and clubs, give it me back again with spears flying about me, with the club knocking me to the ground—give it me back, and I will still be your missionary!” “More than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).

10. Herbert Spencer, the great thinker, philosophized about himself, philosophized about this world, philosophized about everything; then in his dying moment asked that only one word might be cut on his tombstone, and that word, “Infelicissimus”―most unhappy. If our faith is not in a crucified, risen Christ, “then are we of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19).

11. Aristotle was a great philosopher. He proclaimed, “Happiness is man’s greatest good.” What did he say in the face of death? “I was born in sin. I have lived unhappily. I die in doubt. Cause of causes pity me!” How different to Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7, 8.

12. Dr. Elder Cumming, the famous Scottish preacher, prayed a prayer which may well be repeated. It was: “Oh, God, when we read Thy Word, may we listen; when we listen, may we hear Thy voice; when we hear it, may we know; and when we know, may we follow. Amen.” “Hear and do” (Phil. 4:9).

13. Lord Lister. ―When King Edward VII. shook hands with the great surgeon after the operation of 1902, he said, “Lord Lister, I know well that if it had not been for you and your work I should not have been here to-day.” How many rescued from “so great a death” (2 Cor. 1:10) and planted on the golden strand will say the same of our Lord Jesus Christ.

14. Martin Luther said: “Once upon a time the devil came to me, and said, ‘Martin Luther, you are a great sinner, and you will be damned! ‘Stop! stop!’ said I, ‘one thing at a time. I am a sinner it is true, though you have no right to tell me of it. I confess it. What next?’ ‘Therefore you will be damned.’ ‘That is not good reasoning. It is true I am a great sinner, but it is written, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief,” therefore I shall be saved. Now, go your way.’” “The devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

15. Sir Walter Scott. ―The following extract from Lockhart’s “Life of Sir Walter Scott” gives the true version of an incident often quoted: “After again enjoying the Bath chair for perhaps a couple of hours out of doors, he desired to be drawn into the library and placed by the central window, that he might look down upon the Tweed. Here he expressed a wish that I should read to him, and when I asked from what book, he said, ‘Need you ask? There is but one.’ I chose the 14th chapter of St. John’s Gospel; he listened with mild devotion, and said when I was done, ‘Well, this is a great comfort. I have followed you distinctly, and I feel as if I were yet to be myself again’” (2 Tim. 3:16). Not fiction, but fact at last!

16. Mrs. Pearsall Smith, the author of “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life,” was once approached by a lady who had an only child, who said, “I do not care to pray ‘Thy will be done,’ because I am afraid God will take away my little boy, or will send me some other heavy trial.” To which Mrs. Smith replied, “Supposing your child should come to you some morning, saying, ‘I want to be and do just what you desire today,’ would you say to yourself, ‘Now is my opportunity to make this child do all the disagreeable duties I want done. I will just take advantage of his willingness to please me by cutting off his pleasures to-day and keeping him at hard discipline?’” “No, no,” said the mother, I would give him the best day I could possibly plan. “And can you think,” said Mrs. Smith, “that God is less just and loving than you?” (Matt. 6:32).

17. Charles Garrett said: “I was at a railway station with a friend, and looking at a couple of engines. As we were talking the engine-driver came up, and I remarked, ‘We have just been admiring the engines; very splendid ones they are. I should think they are just alike.’ The man looked at me significantly. ‘Yes, they are much alike outside; but that one there has no fire burning, and it cannot even move itself; but this one here has the fire burning and the steam up, and I am just going to jump upon it, and you will see it run away with the whole train behind it.’ Well, I thought, there is just that difference between the formalist and the true Christian” (Matt. 25:10).

18. Sir Robert Ball says the microscope teaches us that there are animals so wonderfully minute that if a thousand of them were ranked abreast they could easily swim, without being thrown out of order, through the eye of the finest cambric needle ever made. “Yet each of the minute creatures is a highly organized number of particles, capable of moving about, of finding and devouring food, and of behaving in all respects as becomes an animal as distinguished from a fragment of unorganized matter.” The human mind is utterly incapable of realizing the structure of these little creatures, and of fully appreciating their marvelous adaptation to the life they are destined to lead. “Who hath created these things?” (Isa. 40:26).

19. Epictetus, the famous Stoic philosopher, sought to explain the nature of the Divine Being. When his hearers replied, “We cannot understand what He is,” his reply was, “Were I able fully to set forth God, I would either be a god myself or God would cease to be what He is.” “He that cometh must believe that He is” (Heb. 11:6).

20. Adolph Saphir, the eminent Hebrew Christian teacher, said: “If I were to live my life over again I would spend less time in service and more time in prayer.” “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). “In everything by prayer” (Phil. 4:6).

21. Frederic the Great once said to his chaplain, “Chaplain, I am a busy man, and I want you to put the argument for Christianity into one word.” “Sir,” said the chaplain, “the Jew” (Deut. 4:31). A world-wide witness to the truth of God’s Word.

22. Will Crooks, M.P., at a public meeting in Yorkshire, said “that a single boy or girl was of more value to the world than any great Dreadnought.” This should encourage Sunday school teachers to “by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

23. Dr. Payson, when visiting a sick saint, asked, “Do you know why God lays people down upon their backs?” No, the sufferer said he had never thought of it, Payson replied, “I can tell you. It is just that they may look straight up.” “Look up” (Luke 12:28; Titus 2:13).

24. Sir Richard Sutton, when Ambassador to Prussia, was taken by Frederic the Great to see his regiment of giants. Said he, “Do you think that any regiment in the English army could fight my men, man for man?” “Well, your Majesty,” said Sir Richard, “I cannot tell; but this I know, half the number would try it.” “Add to virtue courage” (2 Peter 1:5).

25. Dr. Talmage, when a young man, was inclined to be rather skeptical. One day, after he had asked an old minister “Why this, and how that,” the aged man said, “Talmage, you must let Almighty God know some things you don’t know.” He wisely acted on the advice, got out of his skeptical questions, became a true Christian, and he preached to thousands for many years (Rom. 11:3, 3).

26.Baron Rothschild, who was supposed to be the richest man in the world, was once asked, “Are you happy?” “Happy!” he answered, “when just as you are going to dinner you have a letter placed in your hand saying, ‘If you don’t lend me five hundred pounds I will blow your brains out!’ Happy, when you have to sleep with pistols under your pillow? No, indeed! I am not happy!” (Rom. 5:1).

27. Professor Henry Drummond told of visiting a house in the country where one of the inmates was deaf and dumb. Along with a friend the mute climbed a neighboring hill and conversed by the finger-alphabet. Drummond watched with a powerful telescope, and being well versed in the sign language, was able to relate their conversation to them on their return. A picture of Psalms 139:2, “Thou understandest my thought afar off.”

28. Dr. Doddridge, when in Northampton, was greatly interested in an Irishman who was convicted of sheep stealing, and condemned to death, according to the law of that day. Doddridge did everything he could to save him, but in vain. When the man was being driven in the death cart to the place of execution, he asked that they should stop at Dr. Doddridge’s house. This was done, and when Dr. Doddridge came out the man said to him: “Dr. Doddridge, every drop of my blood loves you, every vein of my heart loves you, because you tried to save me.” Our Friend died for us and “delivered us from so great a death” (2 Cor. 1:10), hence “we love Him” (1 John 4:19).

29. Edward, the Black Prince. ―At the Battle of Cressy, where Edward, the Black Prince, then a youth of eighteen years of age, led the van, the king, his father, drew up a strong party on a rising ground, and there beheld the conflict, in readiness to send relief when it should be wanted. The young prince being sharply charged, and in some danger, sent to his father for succor; and as the king delayed to send it, another messenger was sent to crave immediate assistance. To him the king replied, “Go, tell my son that I am not so inexperienced a commander as not to know when succor is wanted, nor so careless a father as not to send it.” Is our Father less considerate? “Like as a father pitieth” (Psa. 103:13). “Your Father knoweth” (Matt. 6:8).

30. John Ruskin often awakened his guests at Brantwood early in the morning by knocking at their door, and inquiring, “Are you looking out?” When, in response to this summons, they opened their window-blinds their eyes were charmed by the unique view. “Looking unto Jesus” (Heb. 12:2).

31. Aeschylus, the celebrated Athenian soldier and poet, was condemned to death by the Athenians. As he was about to be led forth to execution, his brother, who had lost his hand in noble service for his country, appeared in court and held up the stump to the gaze of all. The judges saw the mark of his sufferings, remembered his sacrifice, and pardoned the guilty brother. With the scars of Calvary on His holy Person Christ appears in Heaven for us (Heb. 9:24).

32. Sir Alexander Simpson, M.D., the eminent Edinburgh physician, relates that once when on a visit to Kingston, Out., some friends took him an excursion on the St. Lawrence River. The Speaker of the Canadian Parliament, who was of the company, made me take notice, as we sailed out from the town, that the first imposing building we were passing was a distillery. Nearby was an infirmary, then a lunatic asylum, then a prison, and after these a cemetery, the end of all the others. “But after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

33. Joseph Haydn, the great musical composer, was once talking with two of his friends on the subject of sorrow and depression, and one said, “When I feel down, when I feel gloomy, I take to my wine; that cheers me up.” The other said, “When I am gloomy and sad, I take to my music, and go and hear music.” Hadyn said, “When I am gloomy and sad, I take to praying, I go apart and have a season with God, and that gives me good cheer.” “Is any merry? let him sing” (James 5:13). “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (Phil. 4:6).

34. Dr. Parker. ―Someone said to the great City Temple preacher, “It is a great mystery to me why Jesus should have chosen Judas. I cannot understand it; can you?” “There is a far greater mystery to me than that,” replied the doctor. “What is it?” asked the other. “That Jesus should have chosen me,” was his clever and sincere answer (1 Cor. 1:27, 28).

35. Horace Greely was once accosted by a half-drunken congressman who staggered up, and exclaimed, “I am a self-made man.” Horace replied that he was glad to hear it “for,” said he, “that relieves God of a great responsibility.” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6).

36. Sir Moses Montefiore, the Hebrew philanthropist, had as the motto of his family, “Think and Thank.” In the old Anglo-Saxon language thankfulness meant think-fullness. Thinking of all God’s goodness draws forth gratitude. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psa. 103:2).

37. Adam Clarke, the famous commentator, when a draper’s assistant, was asked by his employer to stretch the cloth to make the required number of yards. He refused, was dismissed, set to study the Bible, hence his monumental Commentary which has helped thousands. “Them that honor Me, I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30).

38. Clement Scott, who for over forty years was a dramatic critic, gives this expert testimony: “The theater, as it stands today, the theater, be it understood in its inmost sense, is emphatically not one of the forces which make for righteousness;” and again, “I say that there is no school on earth so bad for the formation of character, or that so readily, so quickly, and so inevitably draws out all that is worst in man or woman as the stage.” After this testimony, who will raise the question, “Should Christians patronize the theater?” (Phil. 4:8).

39. The Countess of Huntingdon was walking in her garden one day near to where a workman was repairing part of the garden wall. She spoke to the man about his soul, but the word seemed to have little effect. Years after, while speaking to another workman, she said, “Thomas, I fear you have not yet looked to Christ for salvation.” “Your ladyship is mistaken,” replied the workman, “I have looked, and I am saved.” “How did it happen?” inquired the countess. “It was while you were speaking to James, my fellow-workman, when we were repairing the garden wall.” “How did you hear?” “I was on the other side, and heard your words through a hole in the wall.” “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

40. Sir Isaac Newton, after one of his greatest discoveries, exclaimed, “Glory be to God, who has allowed me to catch a glimpse of the skirts of His garment.” “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa. 19:1).

41. Robert Moffat. ―F. S. Arnot, the African pioneer missioner, asked the veteran African worker, Robert Moffat, what was the first requisite for work abroad. He replied, “The first is patience, the second is patience, the third is patience.” “Ye have need of patience” (Heb. 10:36).

42. Henry Martin once exclaimed: “If I ever see a Hindu converted to Jesus Christ, I shall see something more nearly approaching the resurrection of a dead body than anything I have ever seen.” It is computed that there are today a million or more native Christians in India. “What hath God wrought!” (Num. 23:23).

43. Colonel Roosevelt, U.S.A. President, liked to leave the White House at times and make informal calls on his friends. One night he strolled up to Attorney-General Moody’s house and rang the bell. The negro butler peered out cautiously and asked, “What you all want?” “I should like to see Mr. Moody.” “Mr. Moody ain’t in to nobody.” “Oh, I guess he will see me. Tell him the President is here.” “The President?” said the butler, suspiciously. “Yes, the President.” The butler pulled the door almost shut. He looked at Mr. Roosevelt’s slouch hat with a disdainful eye, and inquired scornfully, “President of what?” Each Christian may well say “Heirs” of what? (Rom. 8:17).

44. Mark Rutherford in his book upon John Bunyan has observed: “His English has been a puzzle to some, but it is easy to see whence it comes. If we take the first three hundred words, not of one of his theological treatises, but of his relation of the imprisonment, excluding proper names, there are only five words which are not in the Authorized Version. The language of the Bible is, in fact, sufficient for nearly everything, excluding science, that a human being need know or can feel.”

“Then let me love my Bible more,

And take a fresh delight

To read its wondrous pages o’er,

And meditate by night.”

John 5:39.

45. Alexander the Great had a soldier, a disreputable fellow, in his army of the same name. One day Alexander went up to him and told him plainly that he had either to give up that name or cease to disgrace it. Dare any of us by our lives disgrace “that worthy Name” (James 2:7).

46. Prince Consort, the husband of Queen Victoria, commonly called “Albert the Good,” constantly repeated “Rock of Ages” upon his deathbed. “For,” said he, “if in this hour I had only my worldly honors and dignities to depend upon I should be poor indeed.” “Build upon rock” (Matt. 7:25). “That Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4).

47. Baron Rothschild was once asked at the end of a fatiguing session to what place he was going―to Homburg, or to Kessengen, or to Karlsbad. “To none of these places,” he replied. “I never want a cure, because I never drink wine; wine to me is a poison.” “Always abounding” (1 Cor. 15:58) is the best “cure” for any Christian.

48. Huber, the celebrated naturalist, tells us that if a wasp discovers a deposit of honey, or other food, it will return to the nest and impart the good news to its companions, who will then sally forth in great numbers to partake of the food which has been discovered. “He first findeth his own brother” (John 1: 41). “Go ye into all the world” (Mark 16:15).

49. Seton-Thomson, the great student of wild animals, states that the leaders of the flock gain and hold their position as leaders not from any authority over the flock, but from the fact that they have shown themselves wisest in finding the best pastures, and most skillful in guarding against enemies. The flock has learned to trust them. The true shepherd will “feed the flock of God,” and thus secure for himself the recognition of the sheep (Acts 20:28).

50. James Albery, a well-known comedy writer of the later Victorian time, came to be very dissatisfied with his career, for he wrote the following “epitaph” on himself:

“I reveled underneath the moon,

I slept beneath the sun;

I lived a life of going-to-do,

And died with nothing done.”

Satisfaction can alone be found where “Christ is all” (Col. 3:11). “He finished His work” (John 17:4).

51. Commander Wolfe, expiring on the heights of Quebec, in the midst of the battle, heard the cry, “They run, they run!” “Who run?” said he. “The enemy,” they told him. Then he turned and died triumphantly. Our Captain cried, “It is finished” (John 19:31), and dying gained the victory. “They overcame” (Rev. 12:11).

52. Dr. Jowett. A business man was asked if he had heard this famous preacher, and replied, “Yes; and it cost me £2000.” On the night he heard the great preacher he met the Lord Jesus Christ, and realizing that there were certain things in his life and business which were inconsistent with the Christian life, he gave them up, and that was the cost. “And counteth the cost” (Luke 14:28).

53. C. H. Spurgeon, nearing the close of life, replied, “Tranquil and happy, though very weak. My theology now is very simple. I can express it in four words. I don’t say they contain all you should preach or that they are sufficient to live by, but I know they are enough to die on. Now, what are they?” After a pause, he said, slowly: “JESUS DIED FOR ME.” How like the apostle in Galatians 2:20 and 2 Timothy 1:12.

54. Dr. Barnardo was very fond of relating an amusing story of how a young pickpocket justified his reputation. The lad had been brought into the doctor’s room, and began to tell Dr. Barnardo some of his exploits as a thief. At last Dr. Barnardo said to him, “I don’t believe you are telling me the truth. Wait a few minutes while I finish these letters, and then I will see what we shall do with you.” The boy sat silent while the doctor hastily proceeded with his correspondence. A quarter of an hour passed, and then the boy asked in the most innocent way, “Can you tell me the time, sir?” Dr. Barnardo looked up from his writing, and said, “Certainly it is―.” And then he found his watch-chain had no watch at the end of it. With a very puzzled look on his face, he said, “Why! whatever has become of my watch?” The thief turned smilingly to Dr. Barnardo, and said, “Is this your watch?” and held it up. “Perhaps you’ll believe a feller another time,” said the young pickpocket, who had thus proved his skill. “Known by his doings” (Prov. 20:11). HYP.

55. Chas. Kemble. ― “Sir,” said Kemble, the tragedian, to a preacher, “when you read the sacred Scriptures, or any other book, never think how you read, but what you read.” “Jesus stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). If this were remembered, what an improvement there would be in the public reading of the sacred Word.

56. Sir Charles Napier. ―At the Battle of Meeance an officer, who had been doing good service, came to General Sir Charles Napier and said: “Sir Charles, we have taken a standard!” The General turned sharply round upon him, and said, “Then take another!” “Go forward” (Ex. 14:15). “Greater works than these shall ye do” (John 14:12).

57. Jay Gould, the American millionaire, used to go and hear D. L. Moody preach. A fellow-millionaire said to him, “You go and hear D. L. Moody! you don’t believe in his theology.” “No,” replied Gould, “but he does.” It was a treat to the millionaire to hear a man preach who could say, “I believe, and therefore have I spoken” (Psa. 116:10). “We speak that we do know” (John 3:11).

58. Bishop Tucker, of Uganda, left the secluded artist’s studio for the work of Christ. He had been painting the picture of a poor woman, thinly clad, and pressing a babe to her bosom, wandering homeless on a stormy night in a dark, deserted street. As the picture grew, the artist suddenly threw down his brush, exclaiming, “Instead of merely painting the lost, I will go out and save them” (Mark 16:15; 1 Cor. 9:22).

59. Eugenie, a Lutheran Princess of Sweden, was very interested in the building of an hospital, and when it was found that it would take a great deal more money to finish it than was expected, she sold her diamonds in order that she might give the money that was needed to complete the building. One day after the hospital had been built the princess went to visit the patients who were being treated in the different wards. As she stood beside the bedside of one of the patients, tears of gratitude filled the eyes of the sick man as he thought of the kindness of the princess who stood before him. Suddenly the princess exclaimed, as she saw his tears, “Oh! now I see my diamonds again!” “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

60. R. C. Chapman, the Barnstaple patriarch, was once asked, “Would you not advise young converts to do something for the Master?” “No,” replied the veteran; “I would urge young Christians to do everything for the Master.” “In everything by prayer” (Phil. 4:6). “Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

61. Sir Joshua Reynolds tells us of the profound disappointment with which he first beheld Raphael’s great picture of the Transfiguration at the Vatican. It was only as he came again and again, only as he lingered over it and dwelt upon it, till the picture took possession of him, that he at last perceived its grandeur and its harmony. Well commends Perowne “Of all books in the world, the Bible is one which will not yield up its riches except to the diligent.” “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39).

62. Demonax, the philosopher of Athens, visited a man bereaved of his son. He said, “I am a wizard and I can bring up the spirit of your child, if only you will name to me three human beings who have never sustained any bereavement.” The mourner hesitated long, and at last confessed that he could not think of one. “Then,” said Demonax, “you ridiculous person! Do you fancy yours is the only intolerable experience, when you see no one exempt from bereavement?” “If ye be without chastisement, then are ye...not sons” (Heb. 12:8).

63. Abraham Lincoln. Dr. Dixon relates this remarkable incident. “While Private Darby, a Confederate soldier, was lying on the battlefield at Sharpsburg, he handed his Bible to a tall man who came along, and asked him to please send it to his mother, whose address he would find on the fly-leaf. ‘No,’ said the tall man; ‘my dear boy we will nurse you into health, and you shall take the Bible to your mother yourself.’ The tall man was Abraham Lincoln, who had the authority to order others to give the best attention to the wounded soldier, and in due time he was well enough to travel home. Private Darby had given up to die, but Abraham Lincoln was able to cure him. And every sinner who gives up to die may be cured by the Great Physician, if he is willing to commit his case completely into His hands” (Rom. 5:6).

64. Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, was so astonished at the social results of Christianity as preached by the missionaries in New Zealand that he wrote in his diary, “The story of the missionary is the wand of the enchanter.” “We never saw it on this fashion” before.

65. Richard Baxter, the author of “Calls to the Unconverted,” and “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest,” when dying said to one who visited him, “I have pain, for there is no arguing against one’s senses; but I have peace; I have peace.” “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

66. Lord Collingwood, who died at sea, said, in reply to anxious inquiries from Captain Thomas, “No, Thomas, I am now in a state in which nothing in the world can now disturb me. See how comfortably I am coming to my end.” “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his” (Num. 23: 10).

67. Robert Bruce when fleeing before his enemies came to a poor old Highland woman’s house, and asked for a night’s lodging. “Who are you?” said she. “I am a stranger and a traveler,” said the king. “All strangers and travelers are welcome here,” said she, “for the sake of one.” “And who is that one?” said the king. “Our good King Robert the Bruce,” said she, “who, though he is hunted by hounds and horns, I acknowledge to be the rightful king of all Scotland.” She enthroned him in her heart, and acknowledged him as her rightful king. So with the Christian in the day of his Lord’s rejection (Mark 8:31; Luke 17:25).

68. The Emperor of Constantinople arrested Chrysostom and tried to make him recant, but he shook his head. The Emperor said to his attendants, “Put him in prison.” “No,” said one of them, “he will be glad to go, for he delights in the presence of his God in quiet.” “Well, then, let us execute him,” said the Emperor. “He will be glad to die,” said the attendant, “for he wants to go to Heaven; I heard him say so the other day. There is only one thing that can give Chrysostom pain, and that is to make him sin. He said he was afraid of nothing but sin.” What a motto for us all, “Rather die than sin.” “Striving against sin” (Heb. 12:41)

69. Dr. Parker, the great preacher, was once asked for the best reply to attacks upon the Bible. “Circulation,” was his answer. The scattering of the Bible is the best evidence of its power. “He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6).

70. Dr. Grenfell, of Labrador, told how as a medical student at the London hospital he entered a mission place in the east end. An elderly man was praying at great length and wearying the people. A young man said, “Shall we sing a hymn while our brother finishes his prayer?” That young man was D. L. Moody. Dr. Grenfell added, “I stayed after that, and determined that life should be worthwhile for me.” “Not to live after the flesh” (Rom. 8:12).

71. Sir Sven Hedin, K.C.I.E., the famous explorer, has written a statement which is reproduced in the Bible Society’s monthly magazine. “Without a strong and absolute belief in God and in His almighty protection,” he writes, “I should not have been able to live alone in Asia’s wildest regions for twelve years. During all my journeys the Bible has always been my best lecture and company” (Psa. 119:105; Jer. 15:16). Yet it is called an effete book!

72. J. W. Turner, painter of the famous picture, “Fighting Temeraire.” A lady, looking at one of Turner’s pictures delineating some scene of Nature, said to the artist, “Mr. Turner, I cannot see in Nature what you put in your picture.” “Don’t you wish you could, madam?” said the artist quietly. Only to the eye of the artist does the full glory of Nature reveal itself, and it takes the opened eye of the Christian faith to see the beauty and the glory of God’s spiritual Kingdom. “Because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). “Open mine eyes” (Psa. 119:18).

73. Andrew Fuller, one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society, once pleaded the cause of the society in his native village, and one of his former school-fellows waited on him at the close of the service, and said, “Since it is for you, Andrew, I’ll give ₤5.” “If it is for me,” said Mr. Fuller, “keep it.” “I beg your pardon, Andrew,” said his friend. “Of course it is for Christ; and, since it is for Him, I’ll make it ₤10.” “For Christ’s sake.”

74. Rowland Hill, the famous preacher, in alluding to the excuses of the Papists for keeping the Bible as much as possible from the people, because there were some things in it “hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:16), said as he bent forward, leaning one elbow on the desk and putting on his look of peculiar archness, “What would you think of a father whose little boy should come to him hungry, and say, ‘Father, I want some meat,’ and he should reply, though he had a good joint in the cupboard, ‘No, my son, I won’t give you any meat, because you can’t eat all the bone.’” The way of life is put so simple “that a wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein.”

75. Sir Isaac Newton was anxious to discover a certain optical problem, so he gazed continually at the sun in its noonday splendor. When he finished his observations Sir Isaac returned home, only to see the sun everywhere. It seemed to be on his furniture, the clothes of his friends, the very food he ate. Everywhere was the sun, and it was several days before his eyes had lost the vision. Paul saw his Sun on the Damascus road; it ever after filled his vision. “At midday, O king, I saw... a light from Heaven above the brightness of the sun” (Acts 26:13).

76. Richard I. was taken prisoner, and for some time his subjects lost all trace of him. His place of imprisonment was at last discovered by one of his faithful followers, who played his lute around the walls of every likely castle until his master, hearing the familiar strains, was able to respond with his instrument, after which his ransom was arranged. The human race has been led captive by the prince of this world, but the Gospel is a message of “liberty to the captive” and an “opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isa. 61:1).

77. The Duke of Wellington. ―In the Peninsular War the Iron Duke bade one of his officers attempt a feat which seemed almost impossible, and for which only a handful of men could be spared. “I’ll go sir,” was the reply, “if you will give me a grip of your conquering hand.” And with that grasp tingling in his blood the officer accomplished his mission. We need something like this in these days when the way seems dark and perilous! “Hold Thou me, and I shall be safe” (Psa. 119:117).

78. Dr. Chalmers, the great Scottish divine, prayed, “O God, make the most of me that Thou canst make for Thy glory.” “The God of peace sanctify you wholly” (1 Thess. 5:23).

79. Ira D. Sankey, when introduced to a new baby by the fond mother, got over the difficulty experienced by all by saying, “Well, this is a baby!” Even Jeremiah could not have said, “It is a falsehood” (Jer. 37:14, m.).

80. Jenny Lind, whose personal piety was as noteworthy as her voice, once made the remark, “It is not me they admire, but my voice; and that cannot make me happy though it gives them delight.” Was this not the spirit of the Christ seekers of John 6:26?

81. Henry Varley said in the presence of D. L. MOODY, “The world has yet to see what God will do in and through the man who is wholly yielded to Him.” Moody took it to heart, and the world knows the result. “Yield yourselves unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

82. General Pizarro, in his earlier attempts to conquer Peru, came to a time when his followers were about to desert him. Drawing his sword he traced a line with it from east to west. Then, turning towards the south, “Friends and comrades,” he said, “on that side are toil, hunger, nakedness, the drenching storm, desertion and death; on this side ease and pleasure. Choose each man; for my part I go to the south. So saying he stepped across the line.” “Choose ye” (Josh. 24:15).

83. Ian Maclaren went into the Salon and there saw two pictures. “One picture,” he afterward wrote, “represented a king lying on his bed. He had just died, and his servants, who a moment before had flown at his word, were engaged in rifling his caskets and his wardrobes. What do you think was the legend beneath? ‘William the Conqueror.’ Such a victory! Just a moment dead, and his own servants were despoiling him. The other picture represented a man lying in a rocky tomb, also dead; but the angels were keeping watch, and to that tomb, now empty, all ages and all generations are coming. He was the great and mighty Conqueror, and His ‘the victory which overcometh the world’ (1 John 5:4). It behooves all to inquire―On which side am I now, and which for Eternity?

84. Peter the Great, in his dying moments, felt remorse respecting his cruel conduct to his son Alexis, whom he had deprived of everything. He was exhorted to pray, and said, “I believe, Lord, and confess; help thou mine unbelief.” Calling for writing material, he endeavored to put his wishes upon paper; but all that could be deciphered was, “Restore all to―.” Better, like Mary the contrite, “do it aforehand” (Mark 14:8).

85. Caroline Herschel, the sister of the great astronomer, night after night stood by his telescope and conversed concerning the wonders he saw. Sometimes on winter nights this faithful sister would write until the ink froze on the pen. During the day she spent many hours making calculations. Thus for forty years did she work with her brother. How much has been due to unknown sisters, wives, mothers, and other women “servants of the Church” (Rom. 16:1, 4, 6, 12).

86. Arno C. Gaebelin, New York, says: “They were building near Chicago a big church building for a certain denomination, which in creed is Evangelical. The pastor of that church is a higher critic, a man who has no use for redemption by Blood and none whatever for the inspiration of the Bible. While the structure was going up the workmen put up at the entrance a big sign, ‘Danger! Keep out!’ This is what ought to be put in front of any building where ‘the faith once for all delivered unto the saints’ (Jude 3) is denied and where a false Gospel and false doctrines are taught.” “From such, turn away” (2 Tim. 3:5).

87. Sir Astley Cooper, visiting Paris, was asked by the chief surgeon of the Empire how often he had performed a certain wonderful feat of surgery. “Thirteen times,” said he. “Ah,” was the reply, “but I have done it 160 times.” At which Sir Astley stared in blank amazement. “How many times did you save the patient’s life?” continued the curious Frenchman. “I saved eleven out of thirteen,” said the English surgeon; “How many did you save out of 160?” “Ah, monsieur,” was the reply, “I lose them all! but the operation was very brilliant.” Not quantity, but quality counts with God. “To give every man according as his work shall be.”

88. Dr. Pusey was right in this statement: “It has been for thirty years the deep conviction of my soul that no book can be written on behalf of the Bible like the Bible itself. Man’s defenses are man’s word...the Bible is God’s Word, and by it the Holy Ghost who first spoke it still speaks to the soul that closeth itself not against it.” “If any man will do His will, he shall know the doctrine” (John 7:17). The Bible needs no defense.

89. Sir George Gray. J. A. Froude tells us in his “Oceana” of a visit he paid to Sir George Gray, the then Governor of New Zealand lie was talking to the gardener, trying to find out what his tastes were. Did he like fishing, shooting, riding, etc.? and the answer was always in the negative. “Then what do you like?” asked Mr. Froude, a little impatiently. “I like being servant to Sir George Gray,” was the answer. Everyone who “serves the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:24) should have the same “like,” for He is worth serving.

90. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman related how, at one of his meetings, a man rose and said: “When I was a boy a Sunday school teacher invited her class of boys to her home, and during the evening taught them to play cards. Out of those seven boys, two are vagabonds, two fill drunkard’s graves, two were hung, and I am left; and if the law knew where to find me I would not be here tonight.” An aged woman arose, sobbing, and said, “Oh, my God; I am that Sunday school teacher,” and she fainted. “None liveth or dieth unto himself” (Rom. 14:7). “Lest they also come into this place” (Luke 16:28).

91. Robert Ingersoll, the renowned American infidel, was calling on Bishop Phillips Brooks. He noticed at the end of the interview a magnificent celestial globe with raised figures beautifully made to represent the planets and stars. Ingersoll was charmed with the globe, and turned it round again and again. “That is just what I want,” he said. “Who made it?” The Bishop, recalling Ingersoll’s arguments against the creation of the world by God, said, “Who made it? Why, nobody, of course. It just happened!” How magnificent the words, “In the beginning, God created” (Gen. 1:1), and the simple disciple says, “God has said it, and I believe it.”

92. Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, said he was never more rebuked than when a dull but plodding boy, whom he had rather sharply chided for not making more progress, meekly replied, “Why do you speak angrily, sir? Indeed, I am doing the best I can.” “Do with all your might” (Eccl. 9:10).

93. General Gordon, the hero of Khartoum, drew up for himself these four great principles: (1) Entire self-forgetfulness. (2) The absence of all pretension. (3) The refusal to accept as a motive the world’s praise or disapproval. (4) To follow in all things the will of God, and to stay the soul on Him. He must have studied 2 Timothy 3.

94. Marshall Villars, the French officer, after the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, sent a deputation to compliment Marlborough on his victories in Flanders. “The secret of my success,” he answered, “was simply this―I made a hundred blunders; my adversaries made a hundred and one.” It is still truer as stated in the Old Book, “None of the men of might have found their hands” (Psa. 76:5).

95. Dr. J. Stuart Holden, of London, relates; “Some few years ago I was visiting the Niagara Falls. We descended into the ‘Cave of Winds’ where the great cataract sweeps past with a roar that is absolutely deafening. I remarked to the attendant what a deafening noise he had to spend his time in. His answer was, ‘I never hear the noise. When I first came I thought I should never be able to bear it, but I have become so accustomed to the roar that I never hear it now.’” “He that being often reproved...shall be destroyed” (Prov. 29:1).

96. General Von Moltke, probably the greatest of modern strategists, was in bed when the news came that the French had declared war against Germany. An aide-de-camp awoke him with the intelligence, upon which Von Moltke’s sole comment before going to sleep again was, “Second pigeon-hole on the right, first tier.” There the amazed aide found a bundle of papers containing mobilization plans and an outline of the campaign against the French—everything that was needed was ready. Another great organizer could say, “I am ready” (Rom. 1:15).

97. Oliver Wendell Holmes was once asked the question, “Has Christianity failed?” “I think, rather,” was the reply, “it has never been tried.” “Make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Tim. 3:5).

98. Napoleon the Great had a Marshall who rode up to him and said, “General, I fear the battle is lost.” Napoleon coolly looked at his watch and replied: “Time for another battle. Summon the army to a fresh charge.” “Quit you like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).

99. George Herbert says: “When the parson preacheth he procures attention by all possible art. Sometimes he tells them stories, and sayings of others, according as his text invites him, for them also men heed and remember better than exhortations, which though earnest, yet often die with the sermon.” “So we preached, so ye believed” (1 Cor. 15:11).

100. Dr. John Abernethy, the eminent surgeon of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. “Oh, doctor,” cried a sickly, gouty patient, “what would I not give to get well! What shall I do, what can I do?” “Live on sixpence a day―and earn it,” said the doctor. “No one could get much gout out of that.” “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).

101. John Bright, the famous Victorian orator, was conversing with a gentleman known for his wickedness: “I should like to come back to this world in fifty years to see what changes have happened in England,” said the gentleman to Mr. Bright. “My good sir,” replied Mr. Bright, “if you don’t mend your ways you may be glad of any excuse to come back.” “There is no work nor desire in the grave whither thou goest” (Eccl. 9:10).

102. Michael Angelo once showed a friend an unfinished piece of sculpture in his studio. Calling upon him again after a lapse of time, the friend was surprised to see apparently little progress. The great master showed him how he had rounded a limb here, smoothed a roughness there, put in a touch of expression yonder. “But these things are trifles,” said his friend. “Yes,” replied the great master; “but trifles go to make up perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” The “littles” mean ruin (Prov. 6:20) or rejoicing (Luke 19:17).

103. Ebenezer Erskine lay dying, one of his friends expressed the hope that he would have a “blink” to bear him up in his great pain. Said the old saint: “I know more of words than of ‘blinks.’ “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). The Covenant is my charter. If it had not been for the Blessed Word, my hope and strength had perished from the Lord.”

104. Colporteur Pero was selling his Bibles in South America. A well-meaning Catholic lady at Brembate tried to convert him from the error of his colportage ways by telling him in all good faith a tale of a Bible seller, like himself, whom one night the Devil carried off, body and soul, in his clutches. The priest had told her so. “So my books must be books the Devil DOES NOT LIKE!” exclaimed Colporteur Pero, “else he would never have snatched the Bible seller away!” The dear lady’s embarrassment may be safely left to the imagination of the reader. The Devil “was a liar from the beginning.”

105. Signor Caruso, the great singer, once told the story of an incident that happened when he was motoring. “My car broke down,” he says, “and while the chauffeur was repairing it I entered a farmhouse to get warm. Chatting, with the farmer in the kitchen before the stove, he asked my name. I told him modestly that I was Caruso. At that he threw up his hands, and exclaimed, ‘Caruso! ―Robinson Caruso, the great traveler! Little did I expect to see a man like you in this humble kitchen!’” “If a man thinketh himself to be something, when he is nothing” (Gal. 6:3).

106. Jenny Lind, the famous singer, who charmed the world, and adorned the profession, was once asked by a young lady, as she sat on the sea beach: “What made you leave the opera, Madame?” The songstress had been reading the Bible, and the sun was setting in majestic glory over the waves. Jenny Lind replied: “Because, my dear, every day I was thinking less and less of that” ― pointing to the sunset― “and nothing at all of that”―pointing to the Bible. Those who ever heard her sing the solo, “I know that my Redeemer liveth,” will never forget the tone of personal certainty, founded on faith, with which she uttered “I know” (Job 19:25).

107. Lord Coleridge was once asked by a lady if he was afraid of ghosts, and his reply was, “No, madam, I have seen too many of them.” So let us not be afraid of new theories concerning the Bible, for we have heard so many of them during years past (Matt. 24:5, 6).

108. John Wesley was conducting an open-air service in the Chesterfield Market Place, when a constable interfered, and took him off to appear before the magistrate. Turning to his friends, Wesley said: “Sing a hymn whilst I’m gone. I shall soon be back,” and they gave out a couplet from Dr. Watts’ hymn:

“Why should the children of a King

Go mourning all their days!”

“If God be for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31).

109. Charles Page Eden, Dean of Oriel College, had some heavy complaints against the college cook brought to him by the undergraduates. The Dean sent for the offender, recapitulated his several delinquencies, and threatened him with dismissal. “La, Mr. Eden!” rejoined the cook, in a confidential tone, “it’s no manner of use attending to what the young men tell you about my dinners. Why, you know, Mr. Eden, they come just in the same way to me and complain about your lectures!” “Physician, heal thyself” (Luke 4:23) is wise advice.

110. King Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, addressed a Public Meeting at the Mansion House, London, convened to commemorate the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. In the course of his remarks, the Prince read the following extract concerning the West Indies: “Throughout the Colonies the churches and chapels had been thrown open, and the slaves had crowded into them on the evening of 31St July, 1838. As the hour of midnight approached, they fell on their knees, and awaited the solemn moment, all hushed, silent, and prepared. When twelve o’clock sounded from the chapel bells they sprang to their feet, and throughout every island rang glad sounds of thanksgiving to the Father of all, for the chains were broken, and the slaves were free” “If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

111. Bishop Brent said many true things. Here is one: “It is no argument against the love of God that the world is a world of pain, provided, as we know to be the case, that God Himself has elected to suffer more than the greatest sufferer” (Heb. 2:9, 10; 1 Peter 1:11).

112. Wm. Colgate, a name now famous world-wide in connection with soap, left home because the family was so poor. He started for New York City and on the tow path an old canal boat captain asked him where he was going, and had a word of prayer with him. When they arose from their knees the old captain said, “William, what can you do?” “Make tallow candles and soft soap,” he replied. “Well,” said the captain, “Give your heart to God and ten cents out of every dollar you earn, and maybe God will make you a great soap maker someday.” Young Colgate did this, and then increased to fifteen cents on a dollar and then to twenty-five and on up until he was giving half his income to God’s work. Before he died, it is said, he gave his entire income to carry on God’s work in the world. “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38).

113. Dr. Talmage, the American preacher, relates an account of an interview he had with Mr. W. E. Gladstone. He says: “‘I asked him if the years had strengthened or weakened his Christian faith.’ We were racing uphill. He stopped suddenly on the hillside and regarded me with a searching earnestness, a solemnity that made me quake. Then he spoke slowly, more seriously. ‘Dr. Talmage, my only hope for the world is in the bringing of the human mind into contact with Divine revelation. Nearly all the men at the top in our country are believers in the Christian religion. The four leading physicians of England are devout Christian men. I myself have been in the Cabinet forty-seven years, and during all that time I have been associated with sixty of the chief intellects of the century. I can but think of five of those sixty who did not profess the Christian religion, but those five men respected it. We may talk about questions of the day here and there, but there is only one question, and that is how to apply the Gospel to all circumstances and conditions. I can, and will, correct all that is wrong.’”

“I am not ashamed of the Gospel” (Rom. 1:16).

114. Hallam Tennyson speaks of an incident told to his father by Dr. Dabbs. A villager, ninety years old, lay dying, and had so much pined to see his old bed-ridden wife once more, that they had carried her to where he lay. He pressed his shrunken hand upon her hand, and in a husky voice said to her, “Come soon,” and shortly after passed away himself. It was true faith, for it could not even conceive the possibility of the cessation of being. To such “at evening time it shall be light” (Zech. 14:7).

115. Silas Hocking in his “Book of Memory” tells a story of two Cornish miners who had been persuaded to attend a service, and who were discussing the sermon. “‘Why, Bill,’ said one of them, as far as I can make out from the sermon this morning, there ain’t no such place as Hell. ‘That seemed to me what the preacher said, anyhow,’ Bill replied. ‘But, Bill,’ said the other, with consternation in his voice, ‘if there ain’t no such place as Hell, what’s to become o’ we?’” They knew they were not fit for Heaven, and if “no Hell,” where? Rest assured it is one or the other (Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:19-24; Rev. 20:13).

116. John Ruskin wrote on Good Friday, 1852: “One day last week I began thinking over my past life, and what fruit I had had of the joy of it, which had passed away, and of the hard work of it; and I felt nothing but discomfort, for I saw that I had been always working for myself in one way or another....Then I thought of my investigations of the Bible, and found no comfort in them either (this was about two in the morning); so I considered that I had now neither pleasure in looking to my past life, nor any hope, such as would be my comfort on a sick-bed, of a future one. And I made up my mind that this would never do. So, after thinking, I resolved that, at any rate, I would act as if the Bible were true; that if it were not, at all events I should be no worse off than I was before; that I should believe in Christ and take Him for my Master in whatever I did; that assuredly to disbelieve the Bible was quite as difficult as to believe it; and that the best mystery was that which gave me Christ for a Master. And when I had clone this I fell asleep.... When I rose in the morning, though I was still unwell, I felt a peace and spirit in me I had never known before.”

117. Geleazius, a gentleman of great wealth, who suffered martyrdom at St. Angelo, in Italy, being much entreated by his friends to recant, and thus save his life, replied, “Death is much sweeter to me with the testimony of Truth, than life with its least denial.” “They loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:11).

118. Prof. A. Fleischmann, although a professed agnostic, was unscrupulously reviled some years ago, simply because he declared that “Evolution was in the nature of things utterly unproved and unprovable,” a fact which too many people today wish to conceal. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God” (Heb. 11:3).

119. Joshua Reynolds, the great painter, closing his lecture on art, said: “And now, gentlemen, there is but one name which I bring to your attention, it is the name of Michael Angelo.” So the true preacher can sum up all his preaching with the one Name, for “there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

120. William Penn. This extraordinary man, one of the original bulwarks of the society called Quakers, and the founder and legislator of Pennsylvania, was the son of Admiral Sir William Penn, and was born 1644 and died 1718. Charles the Second in 1681 Conferred by patent on Penn and his heirs the province of Pennsylvania, so called from his own name. Penn wrote in the most affectionate terms to the Indians, expressing his wish to hold the lands not only by the king’s patent, but also by their consent and love. “Peace-makers” were appointed to prevent expensive lawsuits. He settled the administration of the colony on the firmest basis of justice, and taught the people, by example, as well as precept, the advantages of diligence and economy, and the happiness of sobriety and order. He left Pennsylvania in 1684 with the affection of the settlers and the veneration of the Indians, and returned to England with his wife and family. “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). “What doth the Lord require, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God” (Mic. 6:10).

121. The Duke of Wellington, after one of the great victories, was approached by the conquered officers who came to deliver their swords to him. One of them began to say how proud they were to be able to surrender them to so noble a general as the Duke of Wellington. But the conqueror at once stopped him with the words, “Gentlemen, I do not want your flattery, I want your swords!” So Christ spoke to the young man who addressed Him as “Good Master” (Mark 10:17).

122. Dr. Theodore Cuyler was calling one evening on a wealthy member of his congregation, where at least the father was not a Christian. As he was leaving the house, the parents called him into the nursery to look at two beautiful children asleep. As he saw them, he exclaimed, “Oh, what a trust God has committed to you to train these precious little ones for Heaven!” That exclamation put the father under conviction, and was the means of bringing him to Christ (Eph. 6:4).

123. Princess Christian. In Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, there is a memorial to Jenny Lind below the bust of Handel, whose noble music she interpreted so finely. When Princess Christian unveiled this memorial―which also bears the words: “I know that my Redeemer liveth”―the aged husband of Jenny Lind, who had survived her, was present. By a happy inspiration, during the ceremony, the organist played some of the music from Mr. Otto Goldschmidt’s oratorio, “Ruth,” surprising and delighting the composer.

124. The Earl of Kintore, a British nobleman of rather blunt manner, but of sincere and deep piety, had a number of friends dining with him, among whom were three clergymen of the Episcopal Church of which the Earl was a member. Summing up the substance of the debate which followed, he made the following pertinent remarks: “You, sir,” (pointing to one of the clerics), “have said much about ‘She’―the Church, and what ‘she’ teaches. And you, sir” (pointing to the second), “have said a great deal about ‘It’―the doctrine; but this man” (indicating the third party), “has been speaking about ‘Him,’ Himself, the Lord Jesus―and I confess I like what he said the best.” “That I may know HIM” (Phil. 3:10).

125. Von Moltke, the great military leader, had a text inscribed in the chapel which he built at Kreisau, wherein lie his body and that of his wife. It is, “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). That love was manifest on Calvary. “Greater love hath no man than this” (John 15:13).

126. Dr. Joseph Parker, the famous London preacher, once preached a sermon at the opening of a chapel. “Oh,” said somebody who heard it, “you paid a pretty sum for Dr. Parker’s sermon. I daresay it cost you ₤25 at the very least.” “That was the exact sum that passed between us, was the reply of the person to whom the remark was made. “And that is what you call giving the Gospel of Christ free to everyone that asketh for it?” “Precisely,” replied he who knew; “that is just what Parker did. He gave us the sermon, and he gave us the ₤25 too.” “Free offerings” (Amos 4:5).

127. John Williams, when an apprentice in London, made an appointment with another lad to spend a certain Sunday evening in folly. He was hurrying along the street to meet his companion when he met his master’s wife. “Where are you going?” said she, and he told her. Then the good woman said: “That would be a wrong way to spend the Sabbath; come to chapel with me.” He went. The preacher spoke from Mark 8:36. The lad heard the voice of God and obeyed it. He became a Christian, then a student of the Bible, and in the end the great South Sea missionary and martyr, John Williams.

128. William Carey, before his call to the Mission Field, used to go about from village to village preaching. One day a friend came to him and said: “Mr. Carey, I want to speak to you very seriously.” “Well,” said Mr. Carey, “what is it?” The friend replied: “By your going about preaching as you do, you are neglecting your business. If you only attended to your business more, you would be all right, and would soon get on and prosper; but as it is, you are simply neglecting your business.” “Neglecting my business,” said Carey, looking at him steadily, “My business is to extend the Kingdom of God, and I only cobble shoes to pay expenses.” “Business first.” like his Master (Luke 2:49).

129. Sir Christopher Wren, the builder of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, in his old age found great “consolation of the Holy Scriptures; was cheerful in solitude, and as well pleased to die in the shade as in the light.” God’s Word gives “peace” in life (Rom. 5:1) and “prospect” in death (Col. 1:27).

130. John Hyatt had served the Lord many years, and had often said in preaching: “If I had a hundred souls, I would trust them all to Christ.” He lay dying. A fellow-worker whispered to him, “If you had a hundred souls would you commit them to Christ now?” With a convulsive effort he replied, “A million.” “Endureth all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).

131. William Carey, the great Indian Missionary, lay a dying. At his bedside much had been said in praise of Carey—his preaching and translation work, his successes, etc. When at length there was a pause, Carey feebly but solemnly replied: “You have been speaking,” said he, “a good deal about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey. I beg of you that, when I am gone, nothing may be said about Dr. Carey. Don’t talk about Dr. Carey. Speak, I beg of you, all you can about Dr. Carey’s Saviour.” “Preach Christ” (1 Cor. 1: 23). “I will draw” (John 12:32).

132. Dr. Chalmers, the great Scottish Divine, began his ministry in Kilmany. His fine eloquence and moral earnestness could not keep the farmers and plowmen awake. But after his new light and spiritual fire, there was a remarkable change. One day he preached from the text, “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). At the close two young men, Alex. Paterson and William Eadie, met. One asked, “Did you feel anything strange today?” The other replied, “I never felt myself an undone sinner till today.” Said the other, “Strange, it was the same with me!” They walked along and entered a wood, and kneeled at a tree and gave themselves to God. The spot became famous. They came to call it “The Trysting Tree,” and multitudes were led to visit it and pray under its shade. The experiences of “Calvary” (Luke 23:33) and “Peniel” (Gen. 32:30) work wondrous changes in lives.

133. Lord Kitchener, the great British soldier, was approached by a collector of famous autographs for his signature. “Go and make a name for yourself,” was the courteous but conclusive reply. “Urge boys and girls not to build on another man’s foundation” (Rom. 15:20), but to “Trust in God, and launch out for themselves.”

134. General Gordon. In Khartoum there sits on a dromedary the figure of Gordon with his face set toward the wide desert of the Soudan. A traveler asked a guide whether the statue ought not to have faced the city. “Oh, no, sir,” he replied, “they set him looking, not toward the palaces where he lived, nor toward the Nile where he might have escaped, but toward the Soudan for which he died; and he is waiting, sir, for morning to dawn over the Soudan.” “The Morning cometh” (Isa. 21:12)

135. Sir Francis Drake. If you go down to Plymouth on the Hoe you will see the statue of this great admiral, who opposed the Spanish Armada, but his name is not on the front of it. With fine insight they have put something else there, something about our Lord: “He blew with His winds, and they were scattered” (Jer. 49:36). From our southern shores to the Shetland Islands the mighty ships were driven on the rocks by the tempest:

“And the fleet of the foemen of England found not one but a thousand graves:

And he that would number and name them, must number by name and by tale the waves.”

136. Alfred the Great was retreating after his defeat by the Danes, when a beggar came to his little castle at Athelney, and requested relief. His queen informed Alfred that they had but one small loaf remaining, which was insufficient for themselves and their friends, who were gone in search of food, though with little hope of success. The King replied: “Give the poor Christian one half of the loaf. He that could feed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes can certainly make the half-loaf suffice for more than our necessity.” The poor man was accordingly relieved, and Alfred’s people shortly afterward returned with a store of fresh provisions. The joy of doing good, the sweet reaction of another’s happiness, and the approving smile of Heaven upon the heart. “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38).

137. Sir Francis Drake, the great navigator and admiral, received a letter from his father, closing with these words: “Make much of the Bible that I do here send thee with all the rest of my godly books.” “Thy Word is very precious” (1 Sam. 3:1).

138. Pompey the Great, when he could not prevail with a city to billet his army with them, persuaded them to admit a few weak maimed soldiers; but those soon recovered their strength and opened the gates to the whole army. And thus it is that the Devil courts us only to lodge some small sin―a sin of infirmity or two―which being admitted, soon gathers strength and sinews, and so subdues us (Rom. 7. 8).

139. George Muller, of Bristol. To one who asked the secret of his service, Mr. Muller replied: “There was a day when I died, utterly died;” and, as he spoke, he bent lower, until he almost touched the floor. Continuing, he added: “Died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will, died to the world, its approval or censure, died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.” “I have heard of Thee with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee. Wherefore, I abhor (dissolve) myself in dust and ashes” (Job 42: 5:6). “Study to show thyself approved unto God” (2 Tim. 2:15).

140. Lord Nelson. Just before the Battle of Trafalgar, in which the gallant Nelson lost his life, he was engaged in giving instructions to his officers. When he inquired of Admiral Collingwood where his captain was, he was told that he and Capt. Rotherham were not on good terms with each other. Nelson exclaimed, in tones of kind reproach: “Terms! Not on good terms with each other!” and then, sending a boat for Capt. Rotherham, he led him as soon as he arrived to Collingwood. Placing their hands together, he pointed to the enemy’s ships, and looking them both in the face, uttered the simple words: “Look, yonder is the enemy.” It was enough; the two officers forgot their disagreements, and fought side by side till victory crowned their heroism. “Let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1).

141. Christina Rosetti, the devotional writer, told Katherine Tynan that she never dared to step on a scrap of paper on the ground, lest perhaps it should have the Holy Name written or printed thereon. “With reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28).

142. Cornelius Vanderbilt. “How happy you must be,” said someone to the American railway king, “with all those millions!” “Happy!” he replied, “why, I have not an hour’s happiness in my life. Consider: I cannot eat or drink more than other men, I cannot wear more clothes, I only require one bed to sleep in. All the rest is not only superfluous, it is the cause of perpetual trouble. My millions cause me ceaseless anxiety day and night.” “Wise men die, likewise the fool” (Psa. 49:10).

143. Lord Palmerston met Mr. Day, the head chimney sweep for the Houses of Parliament, in one of the lobbies. He stopped and spoke, whereon Day, an earnest Christian, said, “Lord Palmerston, I pray for you every day of my life.” “I thank you,” responded his lordship, “I believe in prayer.” Thereupon Day expressed a desire to pray with him. They retired to a private room, knelt, and Day prayed. On rising, Lord Palmerston said, “I have had many a bishop as my guest, but you are the first man that has ever prayed with me and for me personally.” “Pray one for another” (James 5:16).

144. General Delarey, during the closing stages of the Boer War, was sitting with some of his friends round the camp fire. They were talking of Lord Roberts, and of his welcome home. One thought he would receive the thanks of Parliament; another that he would get an advance in the peerage; and a third that a great sum of money would be voted to him; others emphasized the popular welcome he would receive in London. The Ber General, who had been silent hitherto, then asked what any of those things would be worth to the great Field Marshal compared with the loss of his son: “I alone can enter into his feelings,” said Delarey, “because I, too, have lost my only son in this war, and I know that Lord Roberts would gladly forgo all his honors if he could only recall that boy of his to life.” “He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32).

145. Stradivarius, at Cremona, marked every violin he made with the Name of Jesus. Was that why they have become so famous. “The Name above every name” (Phil. 2:9).

146. The King of France ordered the Prince de Conde his choice of three things: first, to go to Mass; second, to die; third, to be imprisoned for life. His answer was: “With regard to the first, I am fully determined never to go to Mass; as to the other two, I am so perfectly indifferent, that I leave the choice to your Majesty.” “All are yours” (1 Cor. 3:22).

147. John Wilkes, a character in his day, was asked by a Roman Catholic priest: “Where was your religion before Luther?” “Have you washed your face this morning?” asked Wilkes. “Of course I have,” said the priest, rather mystified. “And where was your face before you washed it?” asked Wilkes, calmly. “Christianity begins with Christ, not with Luther.” Christ is all (Col. 3:11).

148. Dr. Donald Fraser, after a report of mission work in India, was approached by a sheep farmer in the West of Scotland, who said: “Man, did I hear ye say that India had a population o’ two hundred and fifty millions?” “Yes, that’s true.” “Aweel,” went on the Scot, quite warmly, “what a gran’ thing it wad be if ye could persuade them to wear flannel!” “Do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

149. Jenny Lind, the world-famed vocalist, during one of her visits to America called on John Ericcson, a fellow-countryman who had settled in the United States and won great fame as an inventor. He lived a secluded life, and denied himself to visitors. Jenny Lind sent up her card, but Ericcson, not apparently recalling her identity, did not appear. Then the songstress began to sing one of the ancient Swedish lullabies with which mothers in Scandinavia sing their children to sleep. The closed door opened at the sound of the golden notes, recalling childhood’s happy days, and out came John Ericcson, with tears in his eyes, to greet and thank Jenny Lind. It was one instance of how music can open the door of the heart. “Therefore did my heart rejoice” (Acts 2:26).

150. Mrs. Isabella Bishop, the world-wide traveler, has said that “in Asia sin is enthroned and deified and worshipped, and there is scarcely a single thing that makes for righteousness in the life of unchristianized nations.” The remedy is Romans 1:16.

151. Madame Malibran, a celebrated Italian vocal performer, was upon one occasion the subject of more than usual admiration, and was congratulated by one present upon the fact, when she immediately burst into tears, crying, “I am but a poor opera singer, and I am no more.” She knew it was the opera singer they admired, not herself, a similar spirit to that of Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15.

152. John Howe, the great Puritan writer, says: “If a man walked continually with shoes on, the soles of the shoes would in time wear out; but if he walked on his bare feet, the soles of his feet would never wear out. Now, how is this? Because there is no life in the soles of the shoes, but there is life in the soles of the feet, and in this way the wear and tear is repaired.” “Hath life” (1 John 5:12).

153. Savonarola, the Italian patriot, preaching on Haggai, declared that the Lord would give Florence a new Head, exclaiming: “This new Head is Jesus Christ; He seeks to become your King! O Florence, then wilt thou be rich with temporal and spiritual wealth,...the wings of thy greatness shall spread over the world.” He mistook the place and misreckoned the time. “Jesus shall reign” in Jerusalem o’er the earth, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33).

154. The Duke of Wellington was urged to purchase a farm in the neighborhood of Strathfield aye, which lay contiguous to his estate, and was therefore a valuable acquisition—to which he assented. When the purchase was completed, his steward congratulated him upon having had such a bargain, as the seller was in difficulties, and forced to part with it. “What do you mean by a bargain?” said the Duke. The other replied, “It was valued at 1100 pounds, and we have got it for 800 pounds.” “In that case, said the Duke, “you will please to carry the extra 300 pounds to the late owner, and never talk to me of getting bargains.” “Just and equal” (Col. 4:1).

155. John Brown of Haddington, author of Notes in the well-known Family Bible, wrote: “Many a comely person I have seen, but none so comely as Christ; many a kind friend I have had, but none like Christ in loving-kindness and tender mercies” (Psa. 63:3).

156. Adam Smith, author of “The Wealth of Nations,” was once in the company of a gentleman at Dalkeith Palace, who spoke with a good-humored, cynical tolerance about some vicious deed. Smith controlled himself till the man had left the room, and then broke out: “We can breathe more freely now; that man has no indignation in him.” “None of us liveth unto himself” (Rom. 14:7).

157. Alexander the Great received a note one day which stated that his favorite physician intended to poison him. The doctor was with the Emperor when the note came, and was about to hand to Alexander some medicine. As the royal patient took the cup from the doctor’s hand he showed the letter to the physician and immediately drank the medicine, thus showing his perfect confidence in him. “I know whom I have believed” (2 Tim. 1:12).

158. Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, London, was asked publicly by a Secularist lecturer: “What did Providence do for the Martyr Stephen when he was being stoned to death?” Parker prayed for help, and then replied: “God enabled Stephen to say, ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge’ (Acts 7:60), a greater miracle than deliverance by legions of angels.” The reply electrified the hearers. “But this answer,” says Parker, “was not mine. It was given me by the Holy Spirit.”

159. Madame Adelina Patti—then a young beginner in the world of music—had sung at an evening party and was overwhelmed with extravagant compliments by the company. Later in the evening, the young singer found herself seated by an elderly lady, who spoke with the discrimination of an experienced musician as to her singing. Madame Patti was puzzled, and a little piqued by the measured eulogy. At last she exclaimed, “But who can you be, to speak with all this experience?” “I am Jenny Lind,” was the quiet reply, to the overwhelming amazement of Patti. Experience counts (Rom. 5:4).

160. Woodrow Wilson, when President of me United States, made this remarkable statement: “The most dangerous thing in the world is to get off where nobody knows you.” “He took his journey into a far country” (Luke 15:13).

161. Dr. Thompson, of Trinity, the celebrated “Master,” and the terror of dons and undergraduates alike, on one occasion had his likeness painted, and on being shown the finished article, which only too faithfully immortalized his expression, he remarked: “Is it possible that I regard mankind with such contempt?” Look at your portrait (Rom. 3:10-19).

162. Dr. Horatius Bonar, the eminent Edinburgh hymn writer, once made an examination of 253 converts, under his own labors, with the following results: The number under 20 years was 138; between 20 and 30, 85; between 30 and 40, 22; between 40 and 50, 4; between 50 and 60, 3; between 60 and 70, 1; over 70, not one. “Those that seek Me early” (Prov. 8:17).

163. Bishop Tucker says, twenty-one years ago Bagandu was a scene of heathenism and savagery, but such practices are impossible today. In 1890 there were only 200 Christians in the territory; now there are 70,000. In 1890 they had only one Church, today there are 1700. Then there were few children under educational instruction, today we have over 50,000 children on our day school registers. “What wonders God hath wrought” (Acts 15:12).

164. Lady Egerton of Tatton had written to the beautiful and witty Sheridan Duchess of Somerset, asking her for the character of a footman. Was John Smith clean in his person, good-looking, honest, sober, conscientious in his work, and so on, a whole string of questions, ending up with: “Is he virtuous? and can he be trusted with the maids?” This was the Duchess’s answer: “The Duchess of Somerset presents her compliments to Lady Egerton of Tatton, and begs to say in answer to her questions concerning John Smith, that if he possessed one-half of the qualities enumerated by Lady Egerton of Tatton, he would not be leaving the Duchess’s service. The Duchess would have married him.” “Not as though we were already perfect” (Phil. 3:12).

165. Louis IX of France used to have candles made three feet long, and to have read the Bible while the candles lasted. Many Bible neglecters might copy his example, and thus “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39).

166. Sir Moses Montifiore, the famous Jewish financier, with his wife, visited Jerusalem in 1827. On leaving, she wrote: “Farewell, Holy City!” we exclaimed in our hearts. “Blessed be the Almighty, who has protected us whilst contemplating the sacred scenes that environ thee!” Doubly blessed will be “the City of the Great King” (Matt. 5:35) when the King of kings returns to her.

167. Donald Ross, the sturdy Scots evangelist, replied to a friend who was wearied with the sameness of some conference meetings he had attended: “You ask a question, Why is there so little fresh at these conferences? I answer: 1, Lack of consecutive study of the Word of God by the preachers. 2, Lack of godliness among them. If they were going on with God, they would be discovering new things every day. 3, Laziness.” “The hand of the diligent maketh rich.” (Prov. 10: 4).

168. Frances Ridley Havergal tells us how that soon after she had found the Saviour, she went to a Young Ladies’ School, where not another Christian was to be found. At first she felt sure she could never confess Christ in the midst of so many worldly-minded people. But on praying it over she felt it was a case as she says of “nailing my colors to the mast.” The fact that she was the one Christian in the school only helped to make her more earnest and more watchful in her ways. “A good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).

169. Hugh Price Hughes, a well-known London Methodist minister, was attacked by an eminent lawyer, an M.P., who wrote in The Times, saying that Mr. Hughes was preaching a Gospel which could not be proved in any Law Court in the land by the laws of ordinary evidence. Mr. Hughes replied: “If the lawyer will arrange a judge and jury in any Court in London, I will in twenty-four hours’ notice produce 500 men who will enter the witness box and prove by the ordinary laws of evidence the truth of the Gospel which I preach” (Rom. 1:16). “Five hundred at once” (1 Cor. 15:6).

170. Alex. Grant, pioneer missionary to Straits Settlements and China, once got up in a meeting in Singapore, read solemnly Habakkuk 3:17: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall... yield no meat: the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: YET WILL I REJOICE IN THE LORD.” Pausing a moment, he said: “What could the Devil do with a man like that?” and sat down. A sermon in a sentence.

171. John Bunyan was in the height of his usefulness as a preacher in and about London, and the bishop of the metropolis had a curiosity to see him. The coachman of the bishop was a frequent hearer of Bunyan, and the bishop had told him that whenever in riding out of town, he should chance to meet Mr. Bunyan, he wished to see and speak with him. One day as John was driving his lordship in a portion of the suburbs, Bunyan was seen plodding his way on foot, with his bundle under his arm, going to preach somewhere in the outskirts. “Your grace,” said John, “here comes Mr. Bunyan.” “Ah!” said the bishop; “pull up the horses when you get near him, and let me speak to him.” They were soon side by side, the horses were checked, and the bishop bowed, saying: “Mr. Bunyan, I believe?” “Yes, your grace,” courteously responded Bunyan. “Mr. Bunyan,” said the bishop, “I am told that you are very ingenious as an interpreter of the Scriptures; and I have a difficult passage in mind, about which critics are in dispute, and of which I should be glad to have your views. It is St. Paul’s message to Timothy: ‘The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee; and the books, especially the parchments. “Well, your grace,” replied Bunyan, “it is allowed, I believe, by all, that Timothy was a bishop of the primitive Church, and Paul, as all agree, was a traveling preacher. It appears to me that this may have been designed in future days, to teach that in primitive times the bishops were accustomed to wait on the traveling preachers; whereas, in our days, the bishops ride in their coaches, and the traveling preachers, like Paul, are obliged to go on foot.” A ready answer (Col. 4:6).

172. Napoleon the Great once boasted: “God is on the side of the heaviest artillery,” but at Waterloo he found that he was mistaken, for the 160 guns of the English overcame the 250 guns of the French. “Put not your trust in princes” (Psa. 146:3).

173. Lord Palmerston was once speaking to a famous French statesman on the comparative merits of European soldiers. “French soldiers are the bravest in the world,” claimed the Frenchman. “Ours are not the bravest in the world,” replied Lord Palmerston, “but they are brave for a quarter of an hour longer than any others.” True bravery is recorded in 2 Timothy 4:7.

174. Dr. A. T. Pierson, the eminent teacher, said, that when collecting funds for a special object, a wealthy man said to him: “If I had to preach your funeral sermon, I should take for my text, ‘And the beggar died.’” “I should not in least object to that,” said Dr. Pierson, “if you only finished the verse, ‘And he was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom’” (Luke 16:22).

175. King George III. of England, when crowned, partook of the Lord’s Supper. As the Archbishop handed to him the bread, he removed his crown; he then asked the Queen to remove hers also; but being told it was so fastened it could not be easily removed, the King replied: “Let it be understood that the Queen partakes of the bread, not as a Queen, but as a Christian.” “That worthy Name” (Rev. 4:11).

176. Rowland Hill. A benevolent person gave Rowland Hill a hundred pounds to dispense to a poor minister, and thinking it was too much to send him all at once, Mr. Hill forwarded five pounds in a letter, with simply these words within the envelope― “More to follow.” In a few days’ time, the good man received another letter by post—and letters by post were rarities in those days; this second messenger contained another five pounds, with the same motto― “And more to follow.” A day or two after came a third and a fourth, and still the same promise― “And more to follow.” Till the whole sum had been received the astonished minister was made familiar with the cheering words, “And more to follow.” “Much more” (Rom. 5:15).

177. Dr. Baedeker, who did such a noble work in Russian prisons, died at Weston-super-Mare, in 1906. He continually repeated near the end: “I am going to see the King in His beauty.” (Isa. 33:17).

178. C. H. Spurgeon. After Mr. Charlesworth, the master of the Orphanage, left the Congregationalists and joined the Baptists, someone said to him in Mr. Spurgeon’s hearing: “So you have changed your views, Mr. Charlesworth?” “Oh, no,” said Mr. Spurgeon, quick as a flash, “he has only cleaned his windows.” (Rev. 3. 18).

179. Bishop Hedding, of New York, once addressed a missionary candidate thus: “Have you considered that you will have to go away from home and friends, and be among strangers and enemies?” “I have,” replied the young man. “Have you considered that you must leave your native land, with all its institutions and privileges, and be a foreigner in a strange land where everybody will regard you with suspicion and prejudice?” “I have considered it all,” said the preacher. “Have you considered that in that land your health may fail, you may be prostrated by malarias and fevers, you may die prematurely by disease or violence?” “Yes,” continued the young man, “and if I had a thousand lives I would give them all to Jesus. Bishop, please don’t ask me any more questions, but send me, send me!” (Phil. 3:8).

180. The Empress Eugenie. Mr. Canton tells the following concerning the widowed French Queen: “One unusual colportage incident occurred in the summer of 1863. At a well-known watering-place a colporteur saw coming towards him a brilliant group of ladies, among whom one took marked precedence. Her manner was so gracious that the colporteur approached her with the Bible in his hand. She stopped, and, taking the Book, opened it in several places, while she graciously listened to his simple and ardent commendation of the Divine Word. ‘I know the Bible and appreciate it,’ she said at length, as she gave him back the volume. ‘I possess it already, and that is the reason why I do not buy a copy. ‘Then kindly saluting him she passed on with her suite. This great lady was none other than the Empress.” “Oh how love I Thy law” (Psa. 119:97).

181. Bishop Hall made this apt allusion: “The Christian must be like the sun; but he must not be like Hezekiah’s sun, which went backwards; nor like Joshua’s sun, which stood still; but he must be like David’s sun, which “rejoices as a giant to run his race” (Phil. 3:14).

182. Major Whittle, the well-known American evangelist, said to Dr. Pearson: “Brother Bliss and I are fully convinced that God would use you mightily if you were wholly consecrated to Him.” The words deeply impressed Dr. Pearson, and after deep searching of heart he was led to surrender himself unreservedly into the hands of God, and from that self-same day God wondrously blessed him. “A living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1).

183. Pastor Theodore Monod says: “A man passing out of the hall picks up a £5 note and says, ‘I will give the Lord £1, and keep the rest.’ But conscience smites him, and he says, ‘I will give £4 and keep £1.’ But again conscience says, ‘It is not yours.’ He then says, ‘will consecrate all to the Lord.’ But even this would not be a very grand thing, for, after all, it would be but a ‘reasonable act’” (Rom. 12:1, 2).

184. Thomas Newberry, a scholar of repute, editor of the Englishman’s Bible, once sat in a drawing room surrounded by some forty well-known Christians. A long and tedious question was propounded about “the preoccupation of Palestine by the Israelites.” All waited in silence, the great man shook his head, and said: “I don’t know.” Grace to acknowledge ignorance is grace indeed. Paul could say, “I know not” (1 Cor. 1:16).

185. Baron Rothschild one day sat as a beggar in the studio of a famous French painter. A gentleman came in, and not knowing who “the beggar” was, as the “get up” was so perfect, took compassion on him and gave him a piece of silver money. Ten years after, that same gentleman received a letter from Baron Rothschild, enclosing a check for 10,000 francs. The letter ran thus: “Sir, you gave me a silver coin one day in the studio of a certain French artist. I have employed it, and today return with many thanks your kind gift, with the interest of same. A good action always brings good fortune. James de Rothschild.” “Let everyone...for good” (Rom. 15:2).

186. Quentin Matsys, a great Flemish painter, used to sign his pictures and add three words, “As I can.” The Saviour said something like this (Mark 14:8).

187. John Wesley had a very short method with certain infidels in his day. His proposition was simply as follows: “The Bible must have been written by angels or by men. We may leave angelic authorship out of the question, and it remains that it was either written by good men or by bad men. Well, let us suppose that it was written by bad men, the answer to that proposition is that bad men neither would nor could have written so good a Book. Then let us try the other proposition, that it was written by good men. Well, then, if the Bible is not true, it is impossible to conceive that good men would or could have written so bad a book; for if the Bible is not true it is the most stupendous fraud ever perpetrated on the human race, and good men could not, nor would not, perpetrate such a fraud even in the interests of truth, morality, and religion. We are therefore shut up to the one natural conclusion left us―that the Bible is true, having been written, as it purports to have been by ‘holy men moved by the Spirit of God’” (2 Peter 1:21).

188. Mr. Mitchelsen, an early pioneer in missions, who left his home to carry the Gospel to the New Hebrides, says: “When our ship drew near to the Island on which I desired to land, the natives swarmed down to the seashore armed to the teeth. The captain of the vessel said, ‘Mr. Mitchelsen, I dare not take the responsibility of landing you unarmed in a scene like that.’” Mr. Mitchelsen replied: “‘But, captain, it was for these very people I left my home and friends; and now, if some sailor will volunteer to row me in a boat, I must land among them.’ This was arranged, and standing in the front of that boat I held up the open Word of God as we drew near to the cannibals) Finding that I was not armed, they allowed me to land; the boat and ship departed, but God and His Word remained. I soon learned their language, and God blessed His Word to many of these savages, and many times I have had the joy of sitting down with many of them at the Lord’s Table on the same spot on which their cannibal feasts were kept.” “Here am I, send me” (Isa. 6:8). “Your labor is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

189. D. L. Moody once said: “Christians are the world’s Bible, but many of them sadly need a revision.” They need the “transforming” of Romans 12:2.

190. The Earl of Essex gave out these instructions in 1596: “Every ship shall, towards the evening, seek to come as near as conveniently she may, to speak with the Admiral of the Squadron, to know his pleasure, what course he will keep” (James 4:8). “The evening sacrifice” (Psa. 141:2).

191. Jeremy Taylor, author and divine, wrote these strong words as to the way of sin: “First, it startles him, then it becomes pleasing, then easy, then delightful, then frequent, then habitual, then confirmed. Then the man is impenitent, then obstinate, and then he is damned.” “Sin when it is finished” (James 1: 15).

192. Lewis Carol. When Lord Redesdale was at Oxford, the mathematical lecturer at Christ’s College was C. L. Dodgson, in whose identity was bound up, all unsuspected, that of the author of “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland.” Queen Victoria was so struck with “Alice” that she commanded Sir Henry Ponsonby to write and compliment the author, adding that she would be pleased to receive any other book of his. Greatly flattered, Lewis Carrol sent her his “Syllabus of Plane Algebraical Geometry.” As great a contrast as “law” and “grace” (John 1:17).

193. Thomas Alva Edison, the famed inventor, when at school was frequently at the bottom of the class. One day he heard the teacher say he was “addled,” and that it was not worth while keeping him at school. “I was so hurt that I burst out crying, and went home and told my mother about it. Then I found out how great a blessing a good mother was. She brought me back to the school, and angrily told the teacher that he didn’t know what he was talking about, that I had more brains than he had himself. In fact, she was the most enthusiastic champion a boy ever had, and I determined right then that I would be worthy of her, and show her that her confidence was not misplaced.” “As one whom his mother comforteth” (Isa. 66:13). How often has that been true of the encouragements of childhood.

194. Sir Henry Havelock, the hero of the Indian Mutiny, has these words inscribed on his tomb: “He feared man so little, because he feared God so much.” “Fear God” (Rev. 14:7).

195. Woodrow Wilson, the American President, wrote: “I spoke at a school not long ago where almost all were the sons of very rich people. I told them I looked on them with a great deal of pity. ‘Most of you fellows,’ I said, ‘are doomed to obscurity. You will not do anything. You will never try to do anything.’” “Be ambitious to work” (1 Thess. 4:11, R.V. margin).

196. John Wigham Richardson, of Messrs. Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., the Tyneside builders of the “Mauretania,” directed that he should be buried in a wicker basket coffin, and that the words, “Mihi quoque stem dedisti” (To me also Thou hast given hope) should be engraved upon his tombstone. The inventory of his estate amounted to £92,000. Yet only in Christ had he “hope” (2 Thess. 2:16).

197. The Shah of Persia, who died in 1907, left a careful inventory of his jewel treasures, showing that the precious stones collected by him are valued at about ten millions sterling. The collection contains a number of unrivaled diamonds and other stones. A sword with a diamond-covered scabbard is valued at a quarter of a million sterling. Yet he “left” it all, for “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27).

198. Antoinette Sterling, the famous singer, when in Australia and America, made a point of visiting any great prison. On one occasion, the governor of the prison who was escorting her through the gloomy place, was asked by her if she had seen all the prisoners. “No,” he said, “not the men who are dangerous.” “May I sing to them, even if I do not see them?” asked Madame Sterling. “Certainly; there is no objection to your doing so.” Accordingly, a group of hardened criminals were astonished to hear quite close to them the notes of simple songs coming to them in their cells. They were moved beyond expression by the singing, which had recalled to them the days of innocence and early childhood. Eccles. 12:1 came to the mind of many.

199. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, said: “Satan the hinderer may build a barrier about us, but he can never roof us in.” “I will look unto the Lord” (Mic. 7:7).

200. Sir William Muir has said of Islam: “The sword of Mohammed and the Koran are the most stubborn enemies of civilization, liberty, and truth, which the world has yet known.” Yet they shall be conquered (1 Cor. 15:25).

201. C. H. Spurgeon, visiting the Borough Market, was presented by a salesman with six dozen bunches of turnips for his orphans, the man adding: “I hope someone else will send the mutton.” Almost at the same time as the turnips arrived a Surrey farmer sent a sheep which he fattened specially for the orphans. Coincidence or over-ruling Providence—which? God was in it (Phil. 4:19).

202. T. H. Bainbridge, head of the famous drapery firm of Bainbridge & Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne, had to undergo an operation, from which he died. He sat down and wrote his testimony thus: “I am now face to face with the possibility of death. It is, therefore, a solemn moment. I have been a very unprofitable servant. I have no hope except in a penitent trust in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. The first verse of the hymn ‘Just as I am’ represents, I trust, my attitude to Jesus Christ, on whose promise, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out’ (John 6:37), I now rely for salvation. T. H. Bainbridge.”

203. John Ruskin says: “If you stand by that ugly rubbish heap outside the city you will see nothing but clay, sand, soot, and foul water; but if under favorable conditions that mass of foulness were exposed to the light and heat of the sun, and to the disintegration and the reintegrating forces of nature, what would happen? The sand would be transformed into opals, the clay would become sapphires, the soot would be changed into diamonds, and the foul water be drawn up to the clouds by the light and heat of the sun, and would return in due course in the pure snowflake.” So with the sinner and conversion. “Out of the pit” (Psa. 40:2).

204. Richard Baxter. When near the end of his earthly career, the godly man was asked “how he was?” He replied, “Almost well; better than I deserve. But not so well as I hope to be.” “By grace I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

205. Sir Percy Scott said to a friend: “Before I made my first speech my father said, ‘Speak up. If you’ve anything to say, people will listen. If you haven’t, they will go on talking. But speak up.’” (Psa. 116:10).

206.Victor Hugo, the world-famed French author. For brevity nothing can beat the correspondence between Victor Hugo and his publisher on the issue of “Les Miserables.” Very busy, but anxious to know how the book was selling, Hugo sent the publisher a card marked simply “?” The reply came back, “!” “God’s great “?” is in Jeremiah 27:13.

207. C. H. Spurgeon more than once told this story: “My grandfather was a very poor minister, and kept a cow, which was a great help in the support of his ten children. But the cow took the “staggers” and died. ‘What will we do now?’ asked my grandmother. ‘I cannot tell what we shall do now,’ he replied, ‘but I know what God will do. God will provide for us in some way, of that I am quite sure. He knows that the children need milk and food.’ The next morning he received twenty pounds from the fund for the relief of ministers. He had never made application for it, yet the Lord knew and sent it.” “My God shall supply all your need” (Phil. 4:19).

208. John Newton, the well-known hymn writer, whose mother trained him piously, but died when he was seven years of age, went to sea and became an African Slave Trader, and a great adept in vice; but he could not shake off the remembrance of a mother’s prayers and instruction. He was saved and became a preacher of the Gospel, and wrote good books and hymns. Through him Claudias Buchannen was blessed, who labored in the East Indies. He also wrote a book which was called “The Star in the East,” which first attracted the attention of Adoniram Judson to the great need of the East Indies, and through his instrumentality many were won for Christ, and all this fruit was the outcome of a mother’s prayers. “When he is old he will not depart”

209. F. S. Arnot. An old African woman who had been brought to Christ, thus confessed her faith to Mr. Arnot: “My hands are His, my feet are His, my head and my heart, my all are His.” “Ye are Christ’s” (1 Cor. 3:23).

210. General Sherman wrote to General Grant during the American Civil War: “I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got into a tight place you would help me out of it if alive.” “Bring my soul out of prison” (Psa. 142:7).

211. Robert Chapman, the Barnstaple patriarch, on being asked whether he found the Scriptures as full and as fresh as when he commenced studying them fifty years ago, replied: “My dear brother, I find I am but touching the fringe of a vast expanse.” “Thy judgments are a great deep” (Psa. 36:6).

212. Ralph Erskine, the famous divine, told of a lady in his congregation who found her first, communion a day of Heaven on earth, and those afterward more cold, and asked why? “Perhaps, madam, the first one you looked to Jesus, and afterward looked to Ralph Erskine, which may explain it all.” No disappointment in “Looking unto Jesus” (Heb. 12:2).

213. Silvester Horne. The Rev. W. Kingscote Greenland relates a story of Rev. C. Silvester Horne, that magnetic personality, whose early death was so great a loss to all the Churches. “Greenland,” said Mr. Home, “did you ever preach to old men and women?” “Oh, bless my soul, yes.” “No, but I don’t mean a graceful allusion. Did you ever advertise a special sermon for old people?” “No, I think that is the only thing I’ve never done?” “I did it,” said Mr. Horne. “Just before I left Kensington I advertised a sermon to old men and women, and we never had so many walking-sticks and respirators in the Church before or since. Now, tell me what I preached on.” “Oh,” said Mr. Greenland, “Come unto Me all ye that are weary” (Matt. 11:28). “No.” “At eventime it shall be light?” “No.” “What was it, then?” “Well,” said Mr. Home, “I took as my text ‘He went out into the market-place about the eleventh hour and said, Go ye also and work in my vineyard’” (Matt. 20:4).

214. Dr. Somerville, of Glasgow, when asked, as ne often was, who the new baby was like, invariably replied: “It is just like Adam.” And he was right (1 Cor. 15:22).

215. John Jones of Shepherd’s Bush was employed by a noble lord when he was converted, and felt impelled to go and preach. Respectfully telling his master, the peer, the answer came back: “Jones, you will go to the dogs.” “It is better, my lord, to go to the dogs than go to the Devil.” Instead, he was delivered “from the power of Satan” (Acts 26:18).

216. The Duke of Wellington had a favorite cook, who went with him into the Battle of Waterloo. As the enemy seemed to be winning, she was urged to flee. “No, I will not fly,” she replied; “I have served the Duke while he has fought a hundred battles, and he has never yet failed to come to his dinner! Never!” The Duke came, with an appetite. A greater than the Duke “never fails” (Zeph. 3:5).

217. King Edward VII, as Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone of a memorial at Lucknow, in 1875. Heroes of the fight were gathered from far and near. One old warrior, almost blind, cried out, “Let me see him.” The Prince, hearing, ordered him to be brought near, when he exclaimed, “I thank Heaven I have lived to see this day the Prince’s face.” Both Prince and warrior are now in Eternity. I wonder if they “see the King in His beauty” (Isa. 33:17).

218. Prince Emile, of Hesse Dramstadt, who led 1000 Hussars in Napoleon’s March on Moscow, on the retreat was left with 10, when he became exhausted. The chronicler reports: “The gallant fellows carried their officer to an old hovel of a shed used to shelter cattle, which gave but poor protection from the pitiless blast that was then raging. When the prince awoke next morning, he felt refreshed, and seeing soldiers’ cloaks upon and beneath him, the thought darted into his mind, ‘My men have stripped themselves of their cloaks to make me comfortable,’ and immediately springing up and looking around, he saw his ten hussars huddled together, cloakless and frozen to death.” This was ten for one, but “greater love” tells of “one for ALL” (John 15:13; Rom. 5:18).

219.Charles Wesley said, “I look on the world as my parish.” Preached at 85, and died saying, “The best of all is ‘God is with us’” (Rom. 8:10).

220. Captain Samuel Brooks, who crossed between Liverpool and New York over 600 times, probably more than any other man, declared: “There was less danger on a first-class liner than on an express railway train, and he felt safe at sea.” “He arose and rebuked the sea” (Matt. 8:26).

221. Theodore Monod, the eminent French preacher, telling the story of Blind Bartimeus to his younger brother, said: “If you had been blind, what would you have asked for?” At once the boy replied: “A nice little dog and a string to lead me about.” So sinners are satisfied with their state and desire not “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

222. Dr. John Clifford. Speaking of “robes” led to this story of a suggestion made at the National Free Church Council, that the President in each year should wear his robes. Someone asked, “Supposing the President has more than one degree, which gown shall he wear?” The question was put to the incoming President, Dr. Clifford, with the remark, “I suppose the President will wear the gown in which he is most comfortable.” Dr. Clifford replied that if he was to wear the gown in which he was most comfortable it would be his nightgown. Needless to say there was no more talk of wearing gowns. “The best robe” (Luke 15:22).

223. Dr. W. Graham Scroggie. At the meeting in Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh, to celebrate his obtaining the degree of “Dr.” from the University, he told a story of Taos. SPURGEON, who had been visiting a small Baptist Church in an outlandish place, where the congregation had long been burdened by debt. By a desperate effort they had managed to clear off the debt, and an office-bearer of the church, relating to Mr. Spurgeon what had happened, and the joy of the gathering at which the debt was finally cleared, in his enthusiasm said: “In fact, sir, everything went off without a ‘itch,” to which Mr. Spurgeon replied, “I presume you mean it was up to the scratch.” “The words of the wise are as goads” (Eccl. 12: 11).

224. Madam Patey, a celebrated prima donna, was singing on the stage, “The Banks of Allan Water.” Just as she reached the words, “There a corpse lay she,” the gifted artist tottered and fell to the stage in a huddled heap, and died. “We know not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).

225. Captain Webb, who first swam the English Channel, set out to swim the Rapids of Niagara. “Its all luck, and the end—I don’t think about that, I’ll take my chance.” He entered the water at four o’clock on 24th July, 1883; four days afterward his lifeless body was found a mile and a half below Lewiston, New York State. “O that men would consider their latter end” (Deut. 32:29; Heb. 9:27).

226. Charlotte Elliott, the well-known hymn writer, asked before she died if she would like this favorite verse widely circulated, replied: “Yes, I should like everybody to have them,” and selected the text to appear at the head: “HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO” (Heb. 4:13).

“Lord Jesus! make Thyself to me

A living, bright reality;

More present to Faith’s vision keen

Than any outward object seen;

More dear, more intimately nigh,

Than e’en the sweetest earthly tie”

227. Sir Edward Burne-Jones, British artist, was painting his famous picture, “The Star of Bethlehem.” A young lady, entering his studio, gazed for some time at the masterpiece, and exclaimed: “But, Sir Edward, was the story true?” “It is too beautiful to be untrue,” the great artist instantly replied. The beauty of that Birth, that Life, that Death has charmed earth for ages, and will charm Heaven forever (Rev. 5:13).

228. Lady Lawrence, wife of Sir Henry Lawrence, was sinking under her last illness in 1854, and sent a tender message to John Nicholson, afterward the hero of Delhi: “Tell him I love him dearly as if he were my son. I know that he is noble and pure to his fellowmen, that he thinks not of himself; but tell him that he is a sinner, that one day he will be as weak and as near death as I am now,” and ended by begging him to “read but a few verses of the Bible daily.” “Thy Word is a light unto my path” (Psa. 119:105)

229. Bendigo (whose real name was Wm. Thompson), the famous prize fighter, converted under Richard Weaver, has on his tombstone, a crouching lion, and the words:

“In life always brave, fighting like a lion,

In death like a lamb, tranquil in Zion.”

230.Queen Victoria had as her favorite hymn “Lead, Kindly Light,” Lord Ronald Gower, a special friend, ventured to inquire as to her favorite text. She wrote: “Love suffereth long and is kind. Love faileth not. V.R.I., 1891” (1 Cor. 13:4, 8).

231. David Rea, the Irish evangelist, used to tell of an Irishman taken to see Niagara and failed to wonder at the mighty Falls. “Why,” said he, “in my country the water runs down! Now, if it had been running up it would have been something to wonder at!” “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6).

232. John Lambert, one of the martyrs of Smithfield, London, burned in a most cruel manner in 1538, after addressing words of wisdom to his king and his persecutors, lifted his finger aflame with fire and cried: “None but Christ! None but Christ!” “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12).

233. Wm. Lincoln, of Beresford Chapel, London, used to point out that Acts 11:26 should read, “called of God Christians.” Whether called by enemy or friend, it is like the old woman’s loaf. An infidel, hearing her pray for a loaf, brought one, and slipped it inside the door. Calling next day, he inquired if the prayer had been answered. “Yes, the Lord sent a nice big loaf.” “Now, there you are wrong, for I brought it.” “Never mind,” said the old dame, “if the Devil brought it, the Lord sent it.”

234. George Whitefield, the famous preacher, contemporary of the Wesleys, was an enthusiast. A shipbuilder was once asked what he thought of his preaching. “Think!” he replied; “I tell you, my dear sir, every Sunday that I go to my parish church I can build a ship from stem to stern under the sermon; but, under Mr. Whitefield I cannot lay a single plank!” He evidently remembered the injunction, “Preach to reach, not some, but each.” “As ye go, preach” (Luke 9:60).

235. George Muller was approached by an American visitor, who said: “I so enjoyed your sermon, I may never see you again here, but I shall meet you up yonder.” The saintly old man lifted his head and replied: “I shall see His face, I shall kiss His feet.” “We shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

236. J. L. Toole, the famous actor, who died from degeneration of the spinal cord, at Brighton, in 1906, had lost his wife, son, and daughter. He said: “Sometimes in the midst of a farce, when the theater is in roars of laughter, I cannot help thinking of them all, and I feel heartbroken and lonely.” “Each heart knows its own bitterness” (Prow. 14:10).

237. The Duke of Argyll (VIII), after having an interview with Elizabeth Fry, the prison worker, wrote: “She was the only really very great human being I have ever met, with whom it was impossible to be disappointed. She was in the, fullest sense of the word a majestic woman. I understood in a moment the story of the prisons―the words that came to my mind when I saw her were: ‘The peace of God that passeth all understanding.’” (Phil. 4:7).

238. Dr. Sloan, Provost of St. Andrews. As he and Sir Douglas Haig waited together to receive the freedom of St. Andrews, Sir Douglas said: “We have won in this great war, not because of the greatness of our numbers, the strength of our finances, the brilliance of our leadership, but because of the character of our soldiers. The reason for this character is that the Church has built it into the people during generations of education and influence” (Christian World, July 3, 1919).

239. Peter M’ Kenzie, the famous Methodist preacher, was being shown over Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks, London. Coming to one object his guide said, “This is the chair in which Voltaire sat and wrote his Atheistic blasphemies.” “Is that the chair?” said Peter, and without asking permission, he stepped over the cord, sat plump down on the chair and sang as only a real old Methodist could (Dan.2:44).

“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Doth his successive journeys run;

His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

Till moons shall wax and wane no more.”

240. W. D. Dunn, the veteran evangelist, who heralded the Good News for 60 years, used to tell how the House of Commons tore up three petitions because of the omission of one sentence: “Your humble servants.” The Syro-Phoenician woman put it in: “Yet the dogs” (Matt. 15:27).

241. C. H. Spurgeon wrote many terse couplets.

None more terse or more true than this:

“It takes more grace than I can tell,

To play the second fiddle well”

“Esteem each other better than ourselves” (Phil. 2:3).

242. General Gordon. His tomb bears these striking words regarding the great hero. The tablet records that he “at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor, his sympathy to the suffering, and his heart to God.” “Yield yourselves unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

243. St. Augustine had his own method of giving hints to his friends, Near the table where the visitors dine, he had these words:

“He that is wont to slander absent men, May never at this table sit again.”

“Speak not evil one of another” (James 4:11).

244. Rudyard Kipling was very sick in New York. The nurse watching him saw his mouth moving; he seemed to be whispering, and she bent down to hear what he said, and she heard, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. “Oh,” she said, “Mr. Kipling, I thought perhaps you needed something.” “Yes,” said Mr. Kipling, “I do need something; I need my Heavenly Father, and that is all I need just now.” “The Father seeketh such” (John 4:23).

245. Robert Louis Stevenson. The B.F.B.S. report of February, 1910, cites these words from Stevenson: “Written in the East, these characters live forever in the West; written in one province, they pervade the world; penned in rude times, they are prized more and more as civilization advances; product of antiquity, they come home to the business and bosoms of men, women, and children in modern days. Then is it any exaggeration to say that the ‘characters of Scripture are a marvel of the mind?’” “Thy testimonies are wonderful” (Psa. 119:129).

246. Lord Bacon well said: “The worthiest persons are generally attacked by slanderers, as we generally find that to be the best fruit which the birds have been picking.” Slandereth...him will I cut off” (Psa. 101:5).

247. Augustus Caesar, the Roman Emperor, promised by proclamation a great sum of money to any one that should bring him the head of a famous pirate. When the pirate heard of this he brought it himself to him and laid it at his feet. Caesar not only pardoned him for his former offenses, but rewarded him for the great confidence that he had in his mercy. Thus doth God pardon and reward all rebel sinners who come to Him (Eph. 2:13).

248. Pastor Hsi, the well-known Chinese worker, one day had a New Testament given to him, and he went to his room to read it. He was so fascinated that he fell on his knees, still reading. As he read he became aware of the overpowering presence of Christ. Suddenly in a moment of transcendent faith he exclaimed, “He has enthralled me, and I am His forever.” “I am His...He is mine” (Song of Sol. 2:16).

249. Henry J. Heinz, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, president of the sauce, pickle, and preserved food firm bearing his name, made the following statement in his will: “I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will as the most important item in it a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which were the usual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith.” “Through faith inherit promises” (Heb. 6:2).

250. Brownlow North belonged to one of the noble families of England. As a wild, reckless spendthrift; he sat playing cards, when suddenly the voice of God’s Spirit spoke to his heart. He thought he was about to die. He sprang up from the table, threw down his cards, and rushed to his room. He thought at first, “It won’t do to pray while the maid is in the room.” But he was so deeply in earnest that he did not mind anybody. He dropped down by his bed and called upon God for Christ’s sake to forgive his sins. That was the man who was so used by God in Scotland and other parts of the British Isles in 1859-61, “Is not this a brand plucked?” (Zech. 3:2).

251. Captain Dawson, a hard-working officer of the Inniskilling Dragoons, thus writes from personal experience: “Conversion is a changed life. It is not merely saying, I believe, or I am this or that. It is the conversion of the whole man to God, or it is nothing at all” (2 Cor. 5:17).

252. Lord Ellanborough. A pompous peer once remarked during a speech in the Upper House: “My Lord, I put the question to myself.” And Lord Ellenborough is reported to have interjected, “What a silly answer you must have got!” “Keep thyself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22).

253. Charles, Duke of Burgundy, who was slain in battle by the Switzers at Nantz, in 1476, had a jewel of very great value, which being found about him, was sold by a soldier to a priest for a crown in money; the priest sold it for two crowns; afterward it was sold for seven hundred florins, then for twelve thousand ducats, and last of all for twenty thousand ducats, and set into the Pope’s triple crown, where it is to be seen at this day. Yet there is something “more precious than rubies” (Prov. 3:15).

254. Professor Reynolds, of Cheshunt, on opening his daily paper, used to say: “I always like to see the way in which my Heavenly Father is governing the world.” Why, the newspaper today is a leaf of corroboration. It is an illuminating commentary upon Holy Writ. What is happening in history, as you read it in the Times or any other paper, is God’s corroboration of the great and wonderful teaching of the prophets. “There is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets” (Dan. 2:28).

255. T. Sidney Cooper, R.A., who exhibited regularly in the Royal Academy, and died in his 100th year, said: “You ask me what I think of the Bible. It brought me to see I was lost in sin, and had no power to save myself. It showed me how I must get God’s forgiveness for all my iniquity. It told me the Door of Mercy was open, and salvation was to be freely had. It showed me the wonderful Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through His precious Blood all my sins are washed away. ‘For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Cor. 5:21). I read the Bible daily, and would recommend your readers to do the same.”

256. Lord Kelvin, the famous Scottish scientist and inventor, said: “If you think strongly enough you will be forced by science to the belief in God. Science positively affirms creative power” (John 1:3; Col. 1:16).

257. Henry Carr, of CARR & Co., biscuit manufacturers, Carlisle, for more than thirty years an earnest Gospel preacher, wrote home from the shores of Galilee: “Never before have I so vividly realized the presence of Him whose footsteps have forever made this shore holy ground” (John 4:3; 7:9).

258. Dr. R. W. Dale, the famous preacher, of Manchester, was asked by a Roman Catholic priest when he meant to cease from so much preaching and public work and look after preparing his soul for the future.” The Doctor replied, “I have given my soul to Christ to look after, He can do it much better than I can.” “I have committed...to Him” (2 Tim. 1:12).

259. President Roosevelt, U.S.A., inspecting Ellis Island, came across an old German woman. They tried to explain that he was President. Kaiser, Chief, and other words were used before she understood. Grasping the idea, she produced a dollar note, looked at the Indian in full war paint thereon (at that time), then exclaimed, “No, no, you can’t fool me.” “Judge not according to appearance” (John 7:24).

260. Professor Stuart Blackie, of the University of Edinburgh, was hearing a class in which one man rose with his book in the wrong hand. He began an explanation, and the professor thundered, “Take your book in your right hand and be seated.” The student held up his right arm, and it was off at the wrist. The great man hesitated a moment, then he went to the student and put his arm around him, and with tears streaming from his eyes, said, “I never knew about it. You will forgive me?” It ended in the conversion of that young man. The story was told afterward at a Bible Conference, and after the meeting a man came forward, and raised up his right arm: it ended at the wrist. He said: “I am the man. Professor Blackie led me to Christ, but he never would have done it if he had not put his arm around me and made the wrong right.” “Love...is kind” (1 Cor. 13:4).

261. John Wesley was traveling with a General who was angry with his servant. On the servant’s asking forgiveness, the General replied, “I never forgive.” “Then, sir,” said Wesley, “I hope you never sin.” “Forgive as the Lord hath forgiven” (Eph. 4:32).

262. Elizabeth Fry. Shortly before her death, in 1845, this noble woman said to her daughter: “Since my heart was touched at seventeen years old, I believe I never have awakened from sleep, in sickness or in health, by day or by night, without my first waking thought being how I might best serve my Lord.” “Ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:24).

263. Sir Evelyn Wood died in his eighty-second year. Beginning life in 1852 as a midshipman in the Navy, he ended as a Field-Marshal of the British Army, and on two occasions he won the Victoria Cross. Among his last words, uttered a few hours before his death, were, “My God, my King, my country.” Later he murmured, “I see my Saviour,” and passed away. “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

264. Dr. W. P. Mackay, author of “Grace and Truth,” was approached by a skeptical young man. “Sir, I don’t believe there is a God,” he said. Dr. Mackay smiled and said: “I was thinking that if all the grasshoppers on earth were to croak, ‘There is no sun,’ it would not alter the matter.” The Bible declares, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God” (Psa. 14:1), and that settles the matter. A short while after he returned, admitted his folly, and was savingly blessed.

265. John Selden, whom Milton described as the chief of learned men in England, declared: “I have surveyed most of the learning that is among the sons of men; yet at this moment I can recall nothing in them on which to rest my soul, save one word from the sacred Scriptures, which rises much to my mind: ‘The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.’” (Titus 2:11-13).

266. Dr. Moon, inventor of the Moon System of reading for the blind, said: “God gave me blindness as a talent to be used in His service, that I might see the needs of those who could not see.” “Given thee from above” (John 19:11).

267. George Washington, first President of the United States, was noble in life and majestic in death. “He raised himself up, and, casting a look of benignity on all around him, as if to thank them for their kindly attention, he composed his limbs, closed his eyes, and, folding his arms upon his bosom, expired,” saying: “Father of Mercies, take me to Thyself” (2 Cor. 1:3).

268. William Paterson, founder of the Bank of England, was a member of the Paterson family of Bannockburn. He was born in 1655 at Tinwald, in Dumfriesshire, and educated at Glasgow University. In 1691 submitted to Parliament a plan for establishing a national bank. The scheme took effect in 1691, and the influence of the new project―the Bank of England―was soon very great. “Wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense” (Eccl. 7:12).

269. King Frederick VI, of Denmark, traveling through Jutland, entered a school. “Well, youngsters,” said he, “who are the greatest kings of Denmark?” “Canute the Great, Waldemar, Christian IV,” was at once the response. Prompted by the teacher, a youngster replied, “Frederick VI.” “What great act did he perform?” Neither scholar nor prompter could name one, and the child hung her head. “Be comforted, my child,” said the king, “I can’t name one either.” “Before honor is honesty” (Prov. 15:33).

270. John Wanamaker, the American merchant prince, on being asked why he went to Church, replied: “You might just as pertinently inquire, ‘Why do I eat?’ or ‘Why do I sleep?’ I find one is just as necessary to my well-being as the other. I could eat well and sleep well, and yet be a very miserable man without the spiritual uplift that comes only from an attendance upon things divine. Then, again, it is a great privilege to touch shoulders with the earnest Christian men who are interested in promoting Christ’s Kingdom upon earth” (1 Thess. 2:12).

271. King Archelaus. A prating barber asked King Archelaus how he would be trimmed? The king replied, “Silently.” Surely in much talk there cannot choose but be much vanity. “Swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19).

272. Sir Horace Vere, late Baron of Tilbury. When in the Palatinate, a council of war was called, and there being a debate whether they would fight or not, some Dutch lord said that the enemy had many pieces of ordinance planted in such a place, and, therefore, it was dangerous to fight. Vere replied, “My Lords, if you fear the mouth of a cannon, you must never come into the field.”

273. Daniel Webster, American Statesman and Orator: “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. The miracles which He wrought establish in my mind His personal authority, and render it proper for me to believe whatever He asserts. I believe, therefore, all His declarations, as well when He declares Himself to be the Son of God as when He declares any other proposition. And I believe there is no other way of salvation than through the merits of His atonement” (Heb. 9:22; Exod. 30:10).

274. Matthew Arnold. As a result of his experience as an Inspector of Primary Schools, Mr. Arnold said that the English Bible introduces the only element of true poetry―the one elevating and inspiring element that enters into the education of multitudes in our land. The protest against excluding it from our schools has come from every quarter. It reaches every class and influences all sorts and conditions of men as nothing else in literature can. “True from the beginning” (Psa. 119:160).

275. George Stephenson and his son Robert were amongst the greatest engineers of their day, and Robert is reputed to have been even a greater engineer than his famous father. He was an eminent pioneer in railway and bridge-building. Amongst his great works was the well-known Britannia Tubular Bridge across the Menai Straits, which he erected at a cost of £234,450. Writing of his wife’s death on October, 1842, he said: “My dear Fanny died this morning at five o’ clock. God grant that I may close my life in the true faith, and in charity with all men.” He died having accomplished many wonderful things, but trusting in the one who alone is Almighty.

276. Gounod said to a young friend: “At your age I used to say ‘I;’ at 25 I said, ‘I and Mozart;’ at 40, ‘Mozart and I;’ now I say ‘Mozart.’” Paul said, “Not I, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

277. Alexander Balfour, merchant and philanthropist, of the great shipping firm of Balfour, Williamson & Co., Valparaiso and Liverpool, when advised by the doctor that death was imminent, calmly said: “Well, doctor, the call must come to each of us sooner or later; the great thing is for us to be resting on the Rock of our salvation” (Psa. 62:2; 1 Cor. 10:14).

278. Josiah Mason, the famous maker and improver of steel pens, began the business of life at eight years of age, selling cakes on the street. He became one of Birmingham’s merchant princes, and his gifts to the city reached nearly half a million pounds. He had a deeply religious nature, and never failed to attribute his various openings in life to the intervention of a Higher Power.

279. Sir Berkeley Moynihan, the eminent Yorkshire surgeon, made some remarkable revelations concerning the ravages of cancer at Bradford on January 29, 1928, when he launched the campaign against the disease. Among them were: One person in every six is a cancer victim. In the last 20 years the death-rate from cancer has increased 20 per cent. 50,000 people die from the scourge every year in England and Wales. 500,000 is the annual world toll of the disease. “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27).

280. Rowland Hill, the famous preacher, was going down a street when he saw a drove of pigs following a man. “This,” says Hill, “excited my curiosity so much that I determined to follow. I did so; and, to my great surprise, I saw them follow him to the slaughter-house. I said to the man, ‘My friend, how did you induce the pigs to follow you here?’ He replied, ‘I had a basket of beans under my arm, and I dropped a few as I came along, and so they followed me.’” “And so it is,” added Hill, “that Satan has the basket of beans under his arm; and he drops them as he goes along, and what multitudes he induces to follow him to an everlasting slaughter-house!” “Led captives by his will” (2 Tim. 2:26)

281. Sir Alan Cobham, the famous airman, said: “Many years ago a panel of doctors said that anyone would risk heart failure if he dared to travel at 60 miles an hour. And now today we have a young man doing over 300 miles an hour and finishing with a smile.”

282. George Hitchcock, of the drapery firm of HITCHCOCK, WILLIAMS & Co., made the following statement: “I conceive it is my duty, as God gives me grace to do it, to sanctify everything in the Lord. If God has brought these young men under my influence, I believe that to be a talent from Him, which I am to use for His own glory.”

283. Madam Patti, the great singer, after marrying Baron de Cederstrom, went to Cannes post office where her letters were to be called for on the honeymoon. Producing her visiting card, the postal official demanded an old envelope or some better certification of who she was. All failing, she struck up, “A voice loving and tender.” A crowd soon gathered, and “It’s Patti,” was cried by all, “There’s none but Patti could sing like that!” “Known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:2).

284. The Duke of Wellington. Once, when the Duke of Wellington remained to partake of the sacrament at the Parish Church, a very poor man knelt down by his side. Someone whispered to the poor communicant to move further away, or to wait till the duke had received the elements. But the eagle eye of the great commander had caught the meaning of the touch and whisper. He clasped the old man’s hand to prevent his rising, and said firmly and reverentially: “Do not move; we are all equal here.” “With God...no respect of persons” (Rom. 2:11).

285. Huntington Stone, after the death of his father, Mr. Thos. Stone, became the head partner in Messrs. Peek; Frean & Co., and for many years took a leading part in the business, exercising control over the counting house, etc., and it was often noticed that every morning when he entered his private office he would stand in one corner of the room engaged in prayer to God for help and guidance upon the day’s work; and it is well known by a large circle of friends how he spent himself and his all for the furtherance of the Gospel in other lands, and especially where Christ had not been named.

286. Prince Consort. Queen Victoria, in speaking of her late beloved husband, said: “He was such a one that I would gladly have walked barefooted round the world with him.” “Heirs together” (1 Peter 3:7).

287. Michael Angelo, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, in a brief will, said: “I commit my soul to God;... I die in the faith of Jesus Christ and in the firm hope of a better life” (Rom. 6:22; Dan. 12:2).

288. Allan Gardiner. When his dead body was found beside the boat, a hand was rudely drawn on the rocks, pointing to the 62nd Psalm: “My soul, wait thou only upon God,” etc.

289. Christina Forsyth, missionary to Fingoland, little more than a year after marriage, had her husband drowned through his saddle shifting in mid stream. Two Dutch Presbyterians called to inform her. One of them had written on a slip of paper: “Thy Maker is thy husband” (Isa. 54:5), which he handed to her, and proved as great a comfort as their kindly words.

290. Sir John Franklin’s Last Hours. “He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?” (Mark 4:40). On the 19th of May, 1845, Sir John Franklin sailed from Greenhithe in command of an expedition for the discovery of the Northwest Passage. Months and years passed, and no tidings of the voyagers reached England. Between 1848 and 1854 no less than fifteen expeditions were dispatched by England and America in search of the missing crews. Traces of the ships were found in 1850, and at last the remains of Franklin and his gallant men were discovered, far up in the Polar regions. Among these remains was a leaf of the “Student’s Manual,” by Dr. John Todd, the only relic of a book. From the way in which the leaf was turned down, the following portion of a dialog was prominent: “Are you not afraid to die?” “No.” “No? Why does the uncertainty of another state give you no concern?” “Because God has said to me, ‘Fear not. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee’” (Isa. 43:2). This leaf is still preserved in the museum of Greenwich Hospital, among the relics of Sir John Franklin.

291. Lord Macaulay said: “I think prompt payment is a moral duty; knowing, as I do, how painful it is to have such things deferred.” “I am debtor” (Rom. 1:14). “Owe no man anything” (Rom. 13:8).

292. Abraham Lincoln, America’s famous president, had as a motto: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to the light I have.” “While you have the light, believe in the light” (John 12:36).

293. Felix Neff was walking in a street of Lausanne. He accosted a supposed acquaintance with these words: “Friend, what is the state of your soul?” The stranger turned. Neff saw he had addressed the wrong man, and apologized. Yet God carried home the word. Three or four years afterward the stranger came to Neff and said, “Your question led to serious reflection, and now I find it is well with my soul.” “His ways are past finding out” (Rom. 11:33).

294. Richard Baxter, of the “Saints’ Everlasting Rest,” was particularly fond of the verse: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). He used to say, “That word whosoever is the most comforting in the whole Bible. If God had said that there was mercy for Richard Baxter, I am so great a sinner that I would have thought He meant some other person of the same name. But when He says ‘whosoever,’ I know that that includes me, the worst of all Richard Baxters.”

295. C. M. Alexander, the colleague of Torrey and Chapman, relates the following story: “An old colored man over in our country was talking about trusting the Lord and doing whatsoever the Lord commanded him. The old man was standing close by a brick wall, and a man standing near said, ‘Now, look here, uncle, if the Lord should tell you to jump through that wall, would you do it?’ The uncle said, ‘If the Lord should tell me to jump through the wall, I’d jump, because I’d know by the time I got there, there would be a hole for me to get through.’” “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

296. Archbishop Cranmer. It was wont to be said of Cranmer: If you would be sure to have Cranmer do you a good turn, you must do him some ill one; for, though he loved to do good to all, yet especially he would watch for opportunity to do good to such as had wronged him “Do good to them that hate you” (Matt. 5:44).

297. Colonel Charteris, of infidel fame, on his deathbed cried out: “I would gladly give thirty thousand pounds to have it proved to my satisfaction that there is no such place as Hell!” Where were the scoffers and infidels then? “The wicked shall be turned into Hell” (Psa. 9:17).

298. Francois Coillard, the African missionary and explorer, writes in his diary, that in contrast to the grass huts of the natives, his house seemed so strong, that the natives remarked: “The white man built as if he were never going to die.” “Pilgrims and strangers on the earth” (Heb. 11:13).

299. Captain Hedley Vicars, the hero of the Crimea, was waiting the arrival of a brother officer in his room, in Nov., 1881, and idly turning over the leaves of the Bible, his eye caught the well-known words, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Closing the book, he said, “If this be true for me, henceforth I will live, by the grace of God, as a man should live who has been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.” That was the great turning-point. “Old things then passed away. All things became new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

300. Lord Macaulay. In Trevelyan’s “Life of Macaulay,” he states that in 1814, when a boy of 14, he wrote thus to his mother concerning the defeat and imprisonment of Napoleon on lonely St. Helena: “I cannot conceive a greater punishment to Bonaparte than that which the Allies have inflicted on him. How can his ambitious mind support it? All his great projects and schemes which once made every throne in Europe tremble are buried in the solitude of an Italian isle. How miraculously everything has been conducted! We almost seem to hear the Almighty saying to the fallen tyrant, ‘For this cause have I raised thee up, that I might show in thee My power.’” (Ex. 9:16).

301. C. H. Spurgeon was once passing down a mean street in London, when he saw a notice in a broker’s window: “Wanted: 4 Tons of Bones.” “Yes,” said the witty preacher, “backbones, for I know a good many Christians who require them.” “Having done all to stand” (Eph. 6:13).

302. Aeschines, perceiving every one give Socrates something for a present, said unto him: “Because I have nothing else to give, I will give thee myself.” “Do so,” said Socrates, “and I will give thee back again to thyself, better than when I received thee” So God accepts “our bodies” (Rom. 12:1) that He may transform them into “the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29).

303. Abraham Lincoln was approached by the father of a boy who had been condemned to be shot. After persistent efforts and appeals, the President said: “I am going to pardon that boy.” The father, knowing something of the arts of war, said: “President, you are only trying to get me away, then my boy will be shot!” “Go,” said Lincoln, “if your son lives till I have him shot he will be as old as Methuselah.” He promises, and He must perform (Rom. 4:21).

304. C. H. Spurgeon, in his last address in Exeter Hall, London, preached on “Thou shalt call His Name JESUS” (Matt. 1:21). In broken accents in the last peroration he exclaimed: “Let my name perish, but let Christ’s Name last forever. JESUS. Crown Him Lord of All! You will not hear me say anything else. These are my last words in Exeter Hall for this time. Jesus, Jesus, JESUS. Crown Him Lord of All,” and he almost fainted as he sat down in the chair.

305. Professor Max Muller, Orientalist and philologist, Gifford lecturer, etc.: “How shall I describe to you what I found in the New Testament? I had not read it for many years, and was prejudiced against it before I took it in hand. The light which struck Paul with blindness on his way to Damascus was not more strange (than that which fell on me) when I suddenly discovered the fulfillment of all hopes, the highest perfection of philosophy, the key to all the seeming contradictions of the physical and moral world.”

306. William Shakespeare, the poet of all lands and ages, wrote in his will: “I commend my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting” (Luke 18:30).

307. John Bacon, R. A., the eminent English sculptor, left the following inscription, written by himself, for his monumental tablet: “What I was as an artist seems to me of some importance while I lived; but what I really was as a believer in Christ Jesus is the only thing of importance to me now” (John 17:3; Jude 21).

308. Earl Cairns. “I am indeed a happy man, but I do not think my furniture and food have much to do with it. Every day I rise with a sweet consciousness that God loves me and cares for me. God has pardoned all my sins for Christ’s sake, and I look forward to the future with no dread” (Jer. 34:5; 2 Peter 3:14).

309. Dean Hook. In his life it is recorded that he used to make scarcely audible comments on passages read in Church. On hearing, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” he observed, “A very hard thing to do.” On this portion being read, “Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only,” he remarked, “That is just as difficult” (James 1:22).

310. Napoleon the Great. In the “Anthology of Jesus,” by Sir James Marchant, K. B. E., LL.D., these are given as the correct words of Napoleon: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded His empire upon love; and, at this hour, millions of men would die for Him.” “In all things...pre-eminence” (Col. 1:18).

311. Dr. James Denney, the great preacher and theologian, author of a standard work on “The Death of Christ,” said to a man whom God had conspicuously used in winning young men and women to Christ, “What is the secret of your success?” “The Gospel, sir,” replied my friend. “And nothing else?” queried the distinguished principal. “Nothing else, sir.” The principal agreed, saying, “You need nothing else.” “Neither is there Salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12).

312. Sir Christopher Wren, the great architect, wrought at more than fifty churches in the City of London, and also his supreme masterpiece, St. Paul’s, during one of the great crises of English history, the revolution and deposition of James 2. In his old age he said—for he was a man of true and simple faith—“If I glory, it is in the singular mercy of God, who has enabled me to begin and finish my great work, so conformable to the ancient model.” He must have had before his mind the pattern and words of another “Master Builder” (1 Cor. 3:10).

313. D. L. Moody. Mr. Kimball, who was the means of his conversion when seventeen years old, states it thus: “I found Moody in the back part of the building, wrapping up shoes. I went up to him at once, and, putting, my hand on his shoulder I made what I afterward felt was a very weak plea for Christ. I simply told him of Christ’s love for him, and the love Christ wanted in return. It seemed that the young man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, and there, in the back of that store, he gave himself and his life to Christ.” What an encouragement to soulwinners to “do likewise” (Luke 10:37).

314. Andrew Carnegie. Mr. James Logan, executive head of the United States Envelope Company, told me recently that he was in Mr. Carnegie’s house the day the great iron master made his gift of ten thousand dollars to the cause of peace. “It is a great thing to do, Mr. Carnegie,” said Mr. Logan. “Your heart must be thrilled this day. What a wonderful thing it is to have both the desire to give and the money to gratify!” And then Mr. Carnegie confessed that there was no thrill in the giving. “I sign my name to this piece of paper,” he said, handing Mr. Logan the paper containing the official statement of his gift. “It is taken from this desk, handed to a man who removes certain securities I have never seen from a vault I have never visited to some other vault. I shall never know that I have given anything. There will be no change in my living. I shall have to go without nothing as a result of what you are pleased to call my generosity. In giving I go through a ceremony that does not stir the heart.” True Giving, “As every man purposeth in his heart so let him give” (2 Cor. 9:7).

315. W. Makepeace Thackeray uttered the following wise words, often badly quoted: “We sow a thought and reap a word, we sow a word and reap a work, we sow a work and reap a habit, we sow a habit and reap a character, we sow a character and reap a destiny.” “Whatsoever a man soweth” (Gal. 6:7).

316. John Hambleton, the converted actor, who labored so ardently in Britain and Australia, failed to get a crowd at an open-air meeting. Actor-like, he pulled off his coat, rushed up the street shouting, “FIRE! FIRE!” to be followed by a running crowd. Stopping, he turned, and exhorted them to “Flee from the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7). The zeal was right, whether the wisdom was equal to it or not.

317. Robert Bruce, of Kinnaird, on his deathbed asked for the Bible, but finding he was not able to read, he said, “Cast me up the eighth chapter of the Romans, verses twenty-eight to thirty-nine,” much of which he repeated, particularly, “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord,” and caused his finger to be put upon them, which was done. “Now”, said he, “is my finger upon them?” They told him it was. Then he said: “God be with you, my children; I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my Lord Jesus Christ this night,” and straightway gave up the ghost without one groan or shiver (Rom. 8:39).

318. John Berridge, a devoted clergyman of the 17th century, has one of the most unique epitaphs. It reads: “Here lies the earthly remains of John Berridge, late vicar of Everton, and an itinerant servant of Jesus Christ, who loved his Master and His work, and after running on His errands for many years, was caught up to wait on Him above. Reader, art thou born again? No salvation without the new birth. I was born in sin, February, 1716. Remained ignorant of my fallen state till 1730; lived proudly on faith and works for salvation till 1754; admitted to Everton Vicarage, 1755; fled to Jesus for refuge, 1756; fell asleep in Christ, January 22, 1793.” He certainly left “a reason of the hope that was in him” (1 Peter 3: 15).

319. William Burns, of China, one of her first missionaries, died out there. When his belongings reached home, they were all in one trunk. A little girl watching them being unpacked, exclaimed: “He must have been very poor!” Yet One greater by far was poorer by far (2 Cor. 6:10).

320. Henry Dyer, well-known English teacher and traveler abroad, after a journey extending to some 13,000 miles, said, “he never felt any fear, because he ever felt the Lord Jesus with him.” On sea, on land, in native abode or great liner he claimed the promise, “I am with you,” and “He goeth before you” (Matt. 28. 7:20).

321. Mark Antony held up the blood-stained garments of the murdered Julius Caesar. The people of Rome were so incensed, that they went to the houses of the murderers, and piling tables and stools against the doors, set them on fire, and consumed them in their dens. What a contrast to the Gospel message: “The very spear that pierced Thy side drew forth the blood to save” (John 19:34; Rom. 5:8).

322. Dr. Hertz, British Chief Rabbi, speaking on “The Bible as a Book,” made the following remarkable statement: “Shakespeare’s works have been translated into thirty-five or forty languages; the Bible into four hundred and fifty. Alone among books, the Bible has created languages and laid the foundation of literatures. Nearly every European language began with a translation of the Bible.” “I hope in Thy Word” (Psa. 119:81; Jer. 15:16).

323. Martin Luther. It is recorded in his life that he saw in one of the Romish Churches a picture of the Pope, and the cardinals, and priests, and monks, and friars, all on board a ship. They were all safe, every one of them. As for the laity, they were struggling in the sea, and many of them drowning. Only those were saved to whom the good men in the ship were so kind as to hand out a rope or a plank. That is not the teaching of Scripture. “One died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14), not for a select few. “God will have all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4). Christ is not the Christ of caste, or class, but the Christ for all.

324. John Milton uttered these wondrous words: “The martyrs slew the powers of darkness, through the invincible power of darkness.” “When I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Out of weakness were made strong” (Heb. 11:34).

325. George R. Geddes, one of the cleverest at facing any circumstance that we ever met, once stepped on to a vacated Liberal outside platform and began: “Now, you Liberals, these are Liberal days, and we are going to talk of Liberal things,” ending with, “The free gift of God is Eternal Life” (Rom. 6:23, R. V.). Holy ingenuity rightly used is a valuable asset.

326. Algernon Sidney, who assisted William Penn in drafting the Constitution of Pennsylvania, was tried before Judge Jeffreys for denouncing the vice of King Charles’s Court, and executed in 1683, on Tower Hill. As he knelt with his head upon the block the headsman said to him: “Are you ready, sir? Will you rise again?” “Not till the resurrection,” was the calm and fearless answer; “strike on!” “All shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).

327. Joseph Parker, on the fortieth anniversary of his pastorate of the City Temple, London, said: “Looking back upon all the checkered way, I have to say that the only preaching that has done me good is the preaching of a Saviour who bore my sins in His own body on the tree, and the only preaching by which God has enabled me to do good to others is the preaching in which I have held up my Saviour, not as a sublime example, but as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

328. Brownlow North, before he was converted, lead an irreligious life. Some years after, at Inverness, a letter was handed to him just before preaching, accusing him of being “a miserable hypocrite,” reminding him of what he had once been, and daring him to preach what he called the Gospel. He took as his text 1 Timothy 1:15, emphasizing the words, “sinners, of whom I am chief.” He told the people about the letter, and said: It was all true; it was all forgiven; and since God had forgiven such a sinner, there was no sinner in the wide world too bad for God to forgive.

329. Buddha is said to have made this statement: “I am the supreme, I will have no further transmigrations; this is my final existence.” How different the words of the Risen Christ (Matt. 28:18-20).

330. Fred. S. Arnot, the African missionary, quoted the proverb to a native: “One man may lead a horse to the water, but ten cannot make him drink.” Instantly the African replied: “Ah, massa, but you lead ten horses to the water and one of them will drink.” Even concerning the chief apostle it is said, “Some believed” (Acts 28:24).

331. Donald Ross, a Scottish pioneer evangelist, preaching one night, turned to hypocrites. “What is a hypocrite?” he exclaimed. Lifting one of the old-style wigs from his bald head, and laying it on the table, he exclaimed, “That’s a hypocrite!” “Beware of hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1).

332. Dr. James Martineau, one of the most eloquent and devout Unitarians, confessed that the hymns which moved his heart were not the German and Latin hymns, but those of CHARLES WESLEY, because they thrill and vibrate with spiritual emotion. These are the hymns with sin, salvation, the Blood, CHRIST, and Heaven and Hell, and the hymns which have and do stir hearts today. “I, if I be lifted up” (John 12:32).

333. George Muller, of Bristol, was on board a Transatlantic steamer, and there was a dense fog on the St. Lawrence. The captain had been on the bridge for twenty-four hours, and had never left it. Mr. Muller came to him and said, “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on Saturday afternoon.” The captain looked at him as if he were beside himself, and replied, “Don’t you see the fog, sir?” Mr. Muller promptly answered, “My eye is not on the fog, but on the God who controls every circumstance of my life. Let us go down into the chart-room and ask Him to disperse the fog.” They went, and Mr. Muller prayed. The captain was about to pray, when Mr. Muller’s hand was laid on him, and he said. “Captain, you need not pray; the fog is going.” Sure enough, the fog was lifting, and George Muller kept his engagement at Quebec that Saturday afternoon. “Ye shall ask... it shall be done” (John 15:7).

334. Phillips Brooks sings: “Whate’er thou lovest, man, that too become thou must; God, if thou lovest God; dust, if thou lovest dust.” “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).

335. Alex. Grant, a pioneer missionary to the Straits Settlements, was once heard in his room exclaiming: “You old rascal,” “You old sinner.” Knowing the godly character of this man, a fellow-worker wondered who was intruding, only to find that the true saint was describing himself thus as a sinner. He felt like one of old, who said: “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18).

336. Napoleon the Great, wanting to annihilate an enemy retreating across a frozen lake, ordered his soldiers to fire cannon balls and break the ice. But the balls merely glided over the surface of the ice. Then the ingenious general cried, “Fire upwards,” and down came the thundering balls, cracking the ice, and drowning most of his foes. The Christian should learn to fire “upward” in prayer. That brings down the blessing. “Whatsoever ye shall ask” (Matt. 21:22).

337. Charles Dickens explains why he never became a spiritualist was because he once attended a seance and asked the medium to call up his friend, Lindley Murray, a man who was a great scholar and highly intelligent. When the supposed spirit came, Dickens asked him if he were really Lindley Murray, and the spirit replied, “I are.” “You are a liar,” said Dickens, “because if you were Lindley Murray you would use good grammar.” The Spirit specially warns against “seducing spirits, and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1).

338. Thomas Olivers, who wrote the hymn, “Lo! He comes with clouds descending,” was in his younger days a wicked and dishonest man. He was brought to see his sin and danger, and became a changed character. About this time he had some property left him. He bought a horse, visited every person whom he had defrauded, paid every farthing he owed, with interest, and asked pardon of all whom he had wronged. “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doeth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic. 6:8).

339. D. L. Moody, the famous evangelist, preached to no less than 100,000,000 persons. We know the Church in Glasgow where 101 souls were saved in one night. How many “children given” must he meet in Heaven. “Behold I and the children” (Heb. 2:13).

340. David Brainerd, the devoted missionary, who died in 1747, at the age of 32, set forth to reach the Susquehanna, Delaware, and other Indians of America. The only interpreter he could find was a drunken Indian, at times so intoxicated that he could hardly stand. Yet scores were converted, for was there not a Sovereign God, a devoted saint, and the Message of Life above and beyond the defiled channel? (Rom. 9: 21; Rom. 11:33).

341. The Rt. Hon. John Morley, author and politician probably the most cultured unbeliever of our day, passed away in his 85th year. As his body was being reduced to ashes in the Golder’s Green Crematorium, his friend, Mr. Asquith, read these words from the Book of Wisdom in the Apocrypha: “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.” Much more suitable would have been the words from Holy Writ: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

342. Daniel O’Connell, the Irish patriot and leader, at a monster gathering at Bandon, Cork, in December, 1839 (about the time of the engagement of young Queen Victoria to the Prince Consort) expressed the loyalty of Irishmen thus: “Oh! if I be not greatly mistaken, I’d get, in one day, 500,000 brave Irishmen to defend the life, the honor, and the person of the beloved young lady by whom England’s throne is now filled. (Exulting and protracted cheers.) Let every man in the vast and multitudinous assembly stretched out before me who is loyal to the Queen, and would defend her to the last, lift up his right hand. (The entire assembly responded to the appeal.) There are hearts in those hands. I tell you, if that necessity required, there would be swords in them!” If things have been different in Ireland since, there is ONE who shall yet have a far greater acclaim by “millions of millions” (Rev. 7:9).

343. Wm. Hoste, B.A., London, gives this trite definition of Purgatory: “An imaginary place, where souls are said to be purged from sin in flame of fire; which, even if it existed, would be useless for the believer, and powerless for the unbeliever.” Only one Sacrifice can “purge sins” (Heb. 1:3).

344. Dr. Adolph Saphir, the eminent Hebrew Christian scholar and teacher, thus clusters the fact of “fallibility”: “If you have a fallible Christ, you have a fallible Father; and if you have fallible Scriptures, you have a fallible Holy Ghost.” The Trinity and the Word of God stand or fall together (Heb. 9:14; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 22:16-20).

345. Dr. A. J. Gordon tells how an aged man, pointing to a picture of a sweet face hanging on the wall, said to him, “There she is; we lived together fifty years, and now she is gone; but I never knew what communion with Christ was till I lost her.” In Job 28:1 we read: “A place for gold where they fine it,” and if we are to be made choice vessels we must sooner or later go to that place. “In death not divided” (2 Sam. 1:23).

346. F. N. Charrington, the converted brewer, was passing the “Rising Sun” public house in East London, when at the door a woman with little children cried to her husband: “Oh, Tom, do give us some money, the children are crying for bread.” The man knocked her and the children into the gutter. Mr. Charrington, on looking at the sign, saw the word “CHARRINGTON,” and he adds, “That man knocked down his wife, and he knocked me out of the liquor traffic.” “Cease to do evil, learn to do well” (Isa. 1:16, 17).

347. Bishop Watts-Ditchfield. His biographer relates that when a child he was one day in the house of a very old woman, who asked him to read a framed text, “Thou God seest me” (Gen. 16:13). Then she said, “When you are older, people will tell you that God is always watching you to see when you do wrong, in order to punish you. I do not want you to think of it in that way, but I want you to take the text home, and to remember all your life that God loves you so much that He cannot take His eyes off you.” It is a text of comfort, not of terror. Look it up.

348. Principal Rainy, a great leader of the United Free Church of Scotland, wrote to a friend: “For myself, when I come to die, I think it will be with this prayer in my heart, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” (Luke 18:13).

349. Bishop Ellicot, of Commentary fame, makes this trite remark: “However large the Divine element in salvation, it must in the end be apprehended by faith, which is an act of free will.” “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8).

350. Cecil Rhodes, the great South African millionaire-statesman, left among his documents this written statement: “If there is a God and He cares for men, then the most important thing in the world for me is to find out what He wants me to do, and then to go and do it.” “I delight to do Thy will” (Psa. 40:8). “Go ye” (Matt. 28:19).

351. Hudson Taylor, founder of the C. I. M.; used to say to the Christians that they should be so happy that they could sing, “Praise God” inside an empty flour barrel. One day his wife said: “Now, Hudson, practice what you preach; our barrel is empty. Put your head in and sing, ‘Praise God.’” The wise man replied: “I will do it on one condition, that you put yours in with mine.” They two did so, and sang the Doxology inside the empty meal barrel. God rewarded them then, and times after, with a “supply of all their need” (Phil. 4:19).

352. Charles Wesley wrote in one of his hymns:

“’Tis a truth I long to know,

Oft it gives me anxious thought,

Do I love my Lord or know,

Am I His, or am I not?”

In order to show the absurdness of regularly singing such a hymn, with the New Testament so full of assurance, a visitor suggested that some of the chapel leaders should go home and sing:

“’Tis a truth I long to know,

Oft it gives me anxious thought,

Do I love my wife or no,

Am I hers, or am I not?”

You know what the result would be. “He that hath the Son hath life” (1 John 5:12). “Ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

353. Bernard Pallissy, the famous Huguenot noble and potter, came to years of adversity. Then he wrote: “I have fallen on my face, and, adoring God, cried out to Him in spirit, What is man that Thou art mindful of him” (Psa. 8:4).

354. John Fletcher, of Madeley, had been for some time exercised about spiritual things when, in his 26th year he heard a sermon on Romans 5:1. That night after reading and prayer, he was helped by the promises given in Psalms 55:22 and Deuteronomy 31:8, and he went peacefully to rest with the promise of John 14:13 as his assurance.

355. Gipsy Smith, the famous evangelist, himself tells how “as a gipsy boy I went about the villages of Cambridgeshire selling clothes-pegs, tin pans, baskets, and other oddments. When a woman bought anything, I used to say: ‘Can I sing for you?’ She would say: ‘What can you sing?’ and then I would sing, ‘Who’ll be the next to follow Jesus?’ or ‘My Jesus, I love Thee.’” The Lord has used him to the blessing of thousands.

356. W. H. M’Laughlin, contractor, Belfast, well-known in Christian circles, used to quote a choice verse which we have seen in no collection. It ran:

“His path on earth was lowly,

He was a working man,

Who knows the poor man’s sorrows,

So well as Jesus can?”

“Is not this the Son of the carpenter” (Matt. 13:55). “A Man of sorrows” (Isa. 53:3).

357. Sir C. S. Sherrington, President of the British Association, supposed to be the most learned company in the world, in the course of an address at the opening meeting of the Association at Hull, said: “We all know that after a few minutes without oxygen or a few more with chloroform the physical and the nervous events will lapse together. The nexus between the two sets of events is strict. For comprehension of its nature we still require comprehension of the unsolved mystery of the how of life itself.” Would the Old Book not help the scientists. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4).

358. John Wesley, who did “exploits” (Dan. 11:32), but had no use for novelties, often declared: “It is not new things we need, but new fire.” The apostles got it (Acts 1:5; 2:3), and 3000 were converted in one day (Acts 2:41).

359. C. H. Spurgeon, who died in 1891, made 5 counts against Modernism. (1) The Atonement scouted; (2) Inspiration derided; (3) the Holy Spirit degraded; (4) Punishment for sin a fiction; (5) the Resurrection of Christ a myth. Had he lived other 50 years he might have made 50 instead of 5 counts, “Hold that fast which thou hast” (Rev. 3:11).

360. Gustave Dore, the eminent French painter, once found himself at the frontier without a passport. He appealed to the Customs office as Gustave Dore, the pamter. The officer invited him into his room. “Make me a sketch,” said he. Dore drew the scene which had just occurred outside, so lifelike that the officer exclaimed, “Pass, Gustave Dore; no one but a great artist could do that.” “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:16).

361. Dr. Alexander Whyte, of Edinburgh, touching at family reading a portion about the Cross, stopped and whispered to his four-year-old son: “Do you know what a cross is, my boy?” “Oh, yes, father,” was the reply; “its just the thing we climb on when we go to Heaven.” “Ah, my little boy,” he continued, “when you are as old a sinner as your father you’ll know experimentally the truth of your words.” The doctor knew something about Galatians 2:20.

362. Prebendary Webb-Peploe, the distinguished London divine, learning on one occasion, that a very ignorant and bad man had been converted at one of his services, and was dying, visited him, and asked what had been the means of his conversion. He answered: “Well, you remember, sir, when that organ squeaked, and you couldn’t work it, you said, ‘We will sing without the organ ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me,’ and how you did bellow that tune, and it just went bang through me, and I was converted!” “That Rock” (1 Cor. 10:4) made known with heart still tells.

363. Dr. Samuel Johnson, so we are informed by Dr. Brocklebank, near the end said: “Believe a man dying—there is no salvation but in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.” Christ “appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26).

364. Baron Rothschild was approached by a young man starting business for a loan of money. “I won’t loan money, but I will do better, take my arm,” and the two marched before the men of wealth. As a friend of Rothschild the young man had as much as he wanted, and flourished in business. “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

365. Dr. Alex. Whyte, of Edinburgh, once faced a meeting of the city’s outcasts. He stood and looked at them with his heart in his eyes, and astonished them by saying that he had found out the name of the wickedest man in Edinburgh, and he had come to tell them who he was. Then, bending forward, he whispered, “His name is Alexander Whyte!” “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I (not you) am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15).

366. Dr. J. H. Jowett, renowned preacher of New York and London, speaking of ‘Liberty,’ said: “Liberty was infinitely precious to our fathers, because it bore the marks of sacrifice. It was crimsoned with the red stain of their own blood. We are inclined to hold our liberties cheaply because they cost us nothing.” “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free” (Gal. 5:1).

367. Major Malan had been holding meetings with the bluejackets on a warship. One day a man greeted him on deck with a smile, and when asked if he had been a listener to the Word of God, he said: “Yes, sir, indeed I have, thank God! I was the biggest blackguard on this ship, sir, and any man will tell you the same. But, thank God, that’s all at an end. It was the night you talked to us of the Pearl of Great Price. I have found that Pearl! I have found it!” Probably the simile was wrong, for Christ found “the Pearl of great price” (Matt. 13:46), but the sailor also found something of great price. “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

368. John Wesley had a very pretty wit and a shrewd way of reproaching people. Once a somewhat slatternly girl ran out to “bless” him. “Young woman,” he said, “your blessings would be of mere value if your face and apron were cleaner.” “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners” (James 4:8; Matt. 23:26).

369. Sir John Simon, M. P., tells the following story: “A friend of mine went to a certain workhouse, and, after being shown over the building, was told by the Master that beer was given to the inmates in their special Christmas treat. ‘Beer?’ said he. ‘But what do you give to the teetotalers?’ ‘Teetotalers!’ replied the Master. “Why teetotalers don’t come here!’” “The drunkard... shall come to poverty” (Prov. 23: 21; Heb. 2:15).

370. Von Herkomer, the artist, tells how he witnessed the casting of a bell. “The master bell-caster, with moist eyes spoke of the moment when the molten metal was allowed to flow into the mold; how a fervent prayer was said by him and his workmen before the peg was removed. All depended on the one complete casting; no tinkering can ever make the note right if in that first cast it fails.” “By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14).

371. Dr. Chas. Wm. Elliott, for forty years president of Harvard University, when he had celebrated his 90th birthday, gave these maxims: “How to live long—Go to Church. Give your mind exercise as well as your body—really think. Exercise regularly, eat in moderation, take a full allowance of sleep. Avoid indulgence in luxuries and habitual use of any drug whatsoever―not only of alcohol, but of tobacco, tea, and coffee.” The Divine recipe in Ephesians 6:3 is shorter.

372. D. L. Moody was consulted by a lady inquirer, who was very much afraid that if she became a Christian she would not “keep on.” Pointing to the clock on the mantelpiece, Moody said: “That clock takes one tick at a time. During a week the ticks total into millions, but a wise clock does not think of the millions, but of the next tick.” The lady afterward accepted Christ and sent Mr. Moody the clock as a present for the lesson she had learned. “I the Lord, will water it every moment” (Isa. 27:3).

373. John Bunyan, of Pilgrim’ s Progress fame, wrote: “The woman of Canaan also, that would not be daunted, though called dog by Christ (Matt. 15:26), and the man that went to borrow bread at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) were great encouragements to me.”

374. Wm. Cowper, the poet, sums up thus:

“The Cross, once seen, is death to every vice,

Else He that hung there, suffered all His pain,

Bled, groaned, and agonized, and died, in vain.”

“Glory... save in the Cross” (Gal. 6:14).

375. J. R. Caldwell, Editor of The Witness, wrote: “There is a joy and gladness in the service of the Lord now that no other life affords; and its joys are pure: they leave no sting behind, no bitter regrets.” “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph. 6:24).

376. Pliny, the eminent Roman, gives this sensible advice: “Accustom yourself to master and overcome things of difficulty; for if you observe the left hand for want of practice is insignificant, and not adapted to general business; yet it holds the bridle better than the right—from constant use.” “They overcame... by the Blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11).

377. J. N. Darby, teacher, author, poet, landing at a certain country station to take the meetings, was met by a number of brethren with a carriage. Judging that this was exceptional treatment, he inquired: “With whom do the preachers usually stay?” “With this brother,” singling out an aged farmer. “Then I am going with him,” and go he did, leaving the carriage and extras for someone else. “Condescend to men of low estate” (Rom. 12:16).

378. Lord Frederick Hamilton, in “The Days Before Yesterday,” thus describes the services at Crown Court, London: “Dr. Cumming invariably preached for over an hour, sometimes for an hour and a half; and yet I never felt bored or wearied by his long discourses, but really looked forward to them. This was because his sermons, instead of consisting of a string of pious platitudes, interspersed with trite ejaculations and irrelevant quotations, were one long chain of reasoned argument.” “The preacher was wise” (Eccl. 12:9).

379. Thomas Alva Edison, the famous inventor, said: “I once figured out that if all the eggs of a single codfish were hatched into fish, which should in turn hatch all of their eggs, in a very few years the whole earth would be buried under many feet of codfish.” But there is a Power overruling all things on the earth, above the earth, and under the earth. Ephesians 1:11 makes this clear.

380. Dr. Thos. Goodwin was approached by a repentant sinner, named Marshall, who told him of his failures and his sins. “But,” replied Goodwin, “you have not confessed the greatest sin of all―you have not believed in Jesus Christ as the Saviour from it all.” This and this alone is the simple work of God: that “ye believe in Him whom God hath sent” (John 6:29).

381. D. L. Moody told about two friends of his who were unsettled by the death of all their children. In Syria they saw a shepherd lead his flock to a stream. He crossed, and called to the sheep to follow, but could not get them to respond. So he went back, took a lamb under each arm, and crossed. Then the old sheep followed at once, and he led them to newer and fresher pastures. “He shall gather the lambs with His arm” (Isa. 40:11).

382. Hay Macdowall Grant, a North of Scotland worthy, greatly used in the Lord’s work, at the end of his life said: “I have passed through darkness and horror such as no words of mine can describe; and I have found that friends have failed to help me, doctors have failed, man has failed, and I myself have failed. But I have proved it now, and so I can say it with the utmost confidence―Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails.” “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).

383. Dr. Chalmers, an eminent Scottish Divine (not the great Dr. Chalmers), was returning home on horseback late at night, when he observed a light in a lonely farmhouse on the moor. Hearing the call of need, he found the farmer’s wife dying, pointed her to Christ, and just as the morning dawned she passed away. He wrote: “I found one in the kingdom of darkness, late at night she entered the kingdom of grace, and just as morning light dawned she passed into the Kingdom of Glory” (Col. 1:13; 2 Peter 1:11).

384. General Roberts, brother of Field-Marshal Roberts, told how their father was brought to Christ at the age of ninety-two through this verse: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isa. 1:18).

385. Dannamaker, the famous German sculptor, executed a bust of Christ which was purchased by Napoleon. As a companion, he ordered a bust of Venus. “Nay,” said Dannamaker, “no man who has had a vision of Christ can desecrate his tools to anything lower.” “That in all things HE might have the pre-eminence” (Col. 1:18).

386. Dr. J. Stuart Blackie, the Edinburgh Professor, said: “The best preventative against idleness is to start with the deep-seated conviction of the earnestness of life. Whatever men say of the world, it is certainly no stage for trifling; in a scene where all are at work, idleness can lead only to wreck and ruin.” “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” (Matt. 20:6).

387. Sir William Robertson Nicoll, founder of The British Weekly, tells how at the close of a service the preacher explained to Nicoll that in the pulpit he depended not on elaborate preparation, but upon the Holy Ghost, to which Nicoll replied, “Well, after listening to you today, I am afraid I must modify my views about the power of the Holy Ghost.” Trust, but boast not. “Ashamed in this confident boasting” (2 Cor. 9:4).

388. C. T. Lipshytz, founder of the Barbican Mission to the Jews, London, left this attestation: “I place on record my deep sense of the Divine goodness and mercy whereby I was brought forty years ago to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour and Redeemer. While my people, the Jews, as a race have disowned the Revelation of God in Christ, and thus have set at naught the Incarnate Son by whom the Invisible Father was declared among men, it was graciously given to me to realize in Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah promised to Israel and expected during long ages. My only trust and hope for eternal bliss is in the Blood and righteousness of Christ. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

389. King Edward VII. Two men arrested in Lambeth London, were charged with uttering counterfeit coins bearing the head of King Edward VII, but dated 1916, six years after the death of the King. How true the words, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

390. Dean Swift depicted Time thus: “Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time, as we say, by the forelock, for when it is once past there is no recalling it.” “The time is short” (1 Cor. 7:29).

391. William A. Pinkerton, head of the famous U.S. Detective Agency, with 3000 employees, who tracked the robbers of the Bank of England of ₤100, 000; the famous Gainsborough portrait of the Duchess of Devonshire, and many others, was run to earth by the King of Terrors at Los Angeles. A reminder to us all that “it is appointed... once to die, and after this the Judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

392. King Louis Philip, the French king. “Shall we fire?” was the question which a general addressed to the king, as his palace was besieged. “No, not yet—not yet,” was the reply. Shortly after, the castle being about to surrender, the King said, “Fire!” “No,” said the general, “it is too late!” The Empire was lost! “Now is the accepted time” (2 Cor. 6:2).

393. Dr. Jowett, of Westminster Chapel, expressed to his friend, Dr. Berry, his difficulty in knowing how to act in a certain situation. “What would you do if you were I?” he asked. “I really don’t know”, said Berry. “What day is today?” “Tuesday.” “When must you give an answer?” “Friday.” “Wait on the Lord,” (Psa. 27:14) said Berry. And on Friday the answer came.

394. Lord Carnarvon, after long years of exploration in Egypt, whilst visiting the tomb of Tutankhamen, who died 3000 years ago, was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito, blood poisoning supervened, and after weeks of lingering he died at Luxor. The ancient tomb was sealed up till next season. There is a moment in which “all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and come forth” (John 5:28, 29), the King of old and the lord of today will assuredly arise!

395. Preb. Webb Peploe, than whom no man knew his Bible better, stated that there are over 1900 instances of such expressions as “The Word of the Lord came” in the Old Testament alone (Gen. 15:1; Hos. 1:1; 2 Chron. 11:2).

396. Mark Twain, the American humorist, quaintly put the idea of “speculation” thus: “There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate―when he cannot afford it and when he can.” Doubtless remember, “Your Fa liter knoweth” (Matt. 6. 8).

397. Savonarola, the Italian martyr, wrote thus: “Never think that God’s delays are God’s denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius. If there be no enemy, no fight; if no fight, no victory; if no victory, no crown.” “Let patience have her perfect work” (James 1:4).

398. Ernest Renan, the French infidel philosopher, whose centenary was celebrated in 1923, wrote a “Life of Jesus” from a purely human standpoint It created a stir at the time, but was described by W. E. Gladstone as “a piece of trumpery.” Christ reigns, the Bible triumphs, and Renan’s work is well-nigh forgotten. “I am alive for evermore” (Rev. 1:18).

399. Sir Wm. Robertson Nicoll, founder of The British Weekly, was one of the ablest literary men of his generation. His knowledge was most extensive, his memory abnormal, yet his head was not large. This led his memoralist to remark:

“And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,

How one small head could carry all he knew.”

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom” (Jer. 9:23).

400. Charles Darwin, the great naturalist and propounder of evolution, opened a reading-room for the benefit of the village of Doune, in which he lived, but when J. W. C. Fegan, of the Boys’ Homes, had a mission tent there forty years ago, Mr. Darwin was so impressed with the fruits of the mission that he handed the reading-room over to Mr. Fegan, and Gospel services have been held in it ever since. “The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16).

401. Dr. Chalmers, the eminent Scottish divine. says: “You must do as well as you ever can whatever God gives you to do; that is the best passible preparation for what He may want you to do next.” “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do” (Acts 9:6),

402. King George V, during his tour of the British Industries Exhibition in London, in 1928, stepped on to a penny-in-the-slot machine and found he weighed 10st. 10 lbs. I wonder what he will weigh in the greatest testing (Dan. 5:27; 2 Cor. 5:10).

403. Sir William Joynson-Hicks, M.P., speaking at the Annual Meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society, said: “Think of what the Empire would be tomorrow if in every home there was a copy of the Bible that was read, studied, and loved by every member of the family. It would be a different Empire. It would be a different world.” “Turned upside down” (Acts 17:6)

404. Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, was once told that he was quite a common-looking man. “Friend,” he replied gently, “the Lord loves common-looking people best. That is why He has made so many of them.” “The common people heard Him gladly” (Mark 12:37). “The poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the Kingdom” (James 2:5).

405. John Wesley. The Wesleyan University claims to have found the autograph will of John Wesley, dated 27th April, 1768. He leaves his books to his brother Charles, and to his traveling preachers his watch, his gowns, and a bureau are also disposed of, but there is no mention of the “two silver spoons” so often quoted as being in his will. “As poor, yet making many rich” (2 Cor. 6:10).

406. Dr. W. T. P. Wolston, evangelical doctor of Edinburgh, was once called from a very urgent case because his house was on fire. On the way a messenger met him and told him it was the next door house. “Oh, thank God,” exclaimed the doctor on the spur of the moment, yet afterward questioned his heart as to “Who is my neighbor” (Luke 10. 29). “Look... every man on the things of others” (Phil. 2:4).

407. Robert Leach, of Manchester, who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, 19 years after died as the result of slipping on a piece of orange peel in Auckland, N.Z. He escaped the great and was caught in the little. The effect of “little things” is given in Proverbs 6:10; 24:33.

408. Dr. Johnson’s words to Boswell are strong, yet they are in many cases correct: “Sir, no man is an atheist, except in the sense that a dog is an atheist, because he has not brains enough to think.” “The fool hath said... No God” (Psa. 14:1).

409. Sir Monier Williams, contrasting the Bible with the Mohammedan Koran, the Hindu Vestas, the Buddhist Tripitaka, the Confucian book, etc., said: “These non-Christian bibles are all developed in the wrong direction. They all begin with some flashes of true light, and end in utter darkness.” “Thy Word is a light” (Psa. 119:105).

410. Henry Ward Beecher, the great American preacher, made this striking simile: “A grindstone that had no grit in it, how long would it take to make an ax sharp? And affairs that had no pinch in them, how long would they take to make a man?” “Tribulation worketh patience” (Rom. 5:3).

411. R. L. Stevenson. Dr. Halford Cowles, who met Stevenson in his student days, and in Samoa at the end of his days, writes: “Shortly before his death, Stevenson said there had been occasions when he had spoken against white missionaries and their works, but having lived for four years in Samoa, and knowing the value of their work, he wished to say that the missionaries were the best men who had ever visited that part of the world.” “Your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

412. Edward Last, a minister who has devoted a good part of his time to personal soul-saving, with considerable success, tells how a critic once said to a most successful evangelist, “I don’t like the way you conduct your after-meetings and get decisions.” “Neither do I,” replied the evangelist. “I would like a better way. How do you do it?” “Oh, I don’t do it at all,” said the objector. “Well,” retorted the evangelist, “I like my way better than yours.” “By all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

413. The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, in resigning the Premiership of the English House of Commons, to his young colleague, thinking of the dangers of “high estate,” said: “Rosebery, take care of your soul.” Good advice at any time to any person. “What all... if a man lose his own soul” (Matt. 16:26).

414. H. J. Pomeroy, a missionary in Nigeria, died of blackwater fever, Nov. 13, 1925. Near the end he said to the English nurse: “Christ is enough, He has been enough for me. He will be enough for you,” and sang, “Hallelujah! Thine the glory” right through in a voice tremulous but clear. “Hallelujah” is the Heavenly note (Rev. 19:1, 3, 6).

415. Blondin, the tight-rope expert, who crossed Niagara on a rope, giving his exploits on a Northern shipyard, approached a young worker and offered to take him on his back. The brave young man cleared off as fast as his legs would carry him. He may have believed Blondin could carry him, but he was not prepared to trust him. “I will trust and not be afraid” (Isa. 12:2).

416. John Pearce, London, attained his 80th birthday on Jan. 29, 1927. Commencing in a small way to give 4d. meat pies to carmen and others, he gradually developed the “J. P. Restaurants.” He compiled this acrostic on his 80th birthday: “Eternal life is the gift of God―I will never leave thee―God shall supply all your need―He shall direct thy path―Thy will be done―Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” Readers of 8 or 80 could turn up the texts.

417. John Newton (not the Olney John Newton). In a corner of the churchyard at Montgomery, Wales, is a space known as “The Robber’s Grave.” There, in repose, are the remains of a young man named John Newton, who was hanged in 1821 at Montgomery for highway robbery. In token of his innocence he asserted: “The grass for one generation at least will not cover my grave.” The writer (another John Newton) saw the grave in 1924, and it is still uncovered, although the grass, 103 years after the burial, is slowly encroaching over the spot. Whether his earthly judge was right or not, “the Judge of all the earth” will “do right” (Gen. 18:25).

418. Chrysostom (or golden mouthed), an eloquent father of the Church, declared that “the source of all our evils is our ignorance of the Word of God” (Rom. 10:3).

419. Charles Darwin. The story of a change at the end of his days, put into circulation by Lady Hope, is denied by the son and daughter of the late scientist. Much as we should have wished it to be true, we believe it to be imaginary. “Known by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16).

420. Mrs. Bothamley, for 43 years a worker in the Soldiers’ Home founded by Miss Daniels, passed to her rest at the London Soldiers’ Home, Buckingham Gate, February 25, 1925, at the age of 77. What the labors of “honorable women, not a few” (Acts 17:12) have meant to sailors and soldiers who can tell?

421. Sir Robert Armstrong Jones, the physician, writing in The Practitioner, on the use of tobacco, tells of a lady (?) who smoked more than 50 cigarettes a day, until stopped by giddiness and the expense. Whilst not condemning smoking in the aged, he concluded, “Tobacco smoking is injurious to growing youth in any form.” Better for old and young to “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).

422. “General” Wm. Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, has been so often adversely criticized, that we are pleased to cite this story: “One day a man quite unknown called at Head-quarters and said he wanted to give a donation of a thousand pounds. On being asked how he had come to be interested in the Army and its work, he replied: ‘Some time ago I was walking down Aldersgate Street, and I noticed on the other side of the road a costermonger loading sacks of scrap-iron on to a barrow. One of the sacks was apparently too heavy for him to lift, and a tall man wearing a silk hat stopped and put up the sack for the old costermonger and said a word to him. I was so much interested that I asked a policeman who was nearby to tell me who it was that had assisted the costermonger.’ “Oh, don’t you know?” said the policeman, “that’s General Booth.” “Well,” I said to myself, “if that is the spirit of the Salvation Army, then I shall help it as soon as I have opportunity.” “To do good... forget not” (Heb. 13:16).

423. Joseph Malins, founder of the Order of Good Templars in England, died at the ripe age of 81. Crossed the Atlantic 40 times in the Cause. A lover of the Lord. Thank God for all who seek to rid mankind of the curse of strong drink, but the best cure, after all, is the New Birth (Hab. 2:12; John 3:3, 7).

424. Dr. David Livingstone, who did so much for Africa, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, received this unique recognition from Punch:

“He needs no epitaph to guard a name,

That men shall prize while worthy work is done;

He lived and died for good, be that his fame,

Let marble crumble, this is LIVING-STONE.”

425. The Duke of York, speaking at the Annual N. Z. Dinner, in London, suggested that the 4 bright stars on the New Zealand Arms stood for: Loyalty, Virtue, Beauty, and Destiny. Four good things for any country or individual to stand for, and probably as abundant in New Zealand as elsewhere. Yet the chief of these is “Destiny,” applicable to residents in New Zealand and elsewhere. After this brief span is past, will my destiny be in “gloom” (Jude 13) or “glory?” (1 Peter 5:10).

426. John Wannamaker. Someone asked the great emporium owner, “How do you get time to run a great Sunday School with 400 scholars, with the business of your stores, Postmaster-General, and other obligations?” Instantly he replied, “Why, the Sunday School is my business. All other things are just things. Fifty-five years ago I decided that God’s promise was sure, ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you’ (Matt. 6:33).”

427. M. Nachim, the veteran Jewish Superintendent of the London Missions of the British Jews Society, was knocked down by a motor lorry on Dec. 7, 1927, and died, aged 90. In 1854, when in Constantinople, a little daughter of Dr. Stern asked him, “Do you love Jesus?” Confused, he replied, “I do not know Jesus, my child, and therefore I cannot love Him.” At once the child replied, “Then Mamma and I will pray for you until you do love Jesus.” Two years later he professed and was baptized, and continued steadfast to the end. “A little child shall lead them” (Isa. 11:6).

428. Joseph Cowen, M.P., for Newcastle-on-Tine, one of its most famous M.P. ‘s, aptly explained his change of favor with his political chief by the text: “There arose another king, which knew not Joseph” (Ex. 1:8).

429. Sir Charles J. Owens, Director of the Southern Railway, recently gave this brief but definite testimony: “My experience is that the only real and solid happiness in life comes from a definite assurance of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

430. Queen Victoria was approached by an octogenarian, one of her friends near Balmoral: “May I ask your Majesty a question?” “Certainly.” “Will your Majesty meet me in the Paradise above?” The Queen answered, “Yes, by the grace of God and the all-atoning Blood of Christ, I’ll meet you there.” We feel assured that both are now members of the Heavenly Choir singing the “New Song” (Rev. 5:9).

431. Dr. W. H. Griffith Thomas told how two Christian women, one of whom was called “Auntie Cook,” once told D. L. Moody that they were praying for him, and on his asking, feeling somewhat nettled, “Why are you praying for me? Why don’t you pray for the unsaved?” they replied, “We are praying that you may get the power.” The result was not long in being seen, in his being specially empowered by the Holy Spirit for service. “Ye shall be endued with power” (Luke 24:49).

432. Sir James Bird, Chief Clerk to the L. C.C. (London County Council) was acting as guide to an American Diplomat, who came to London to see the workings of the L. C. C. After having been shown round for two days, he said to Sir James: “If there is any question you would like to ask, or anything I can do for you, let me know.” “Well,” quietly replied Sir James, “there is one thing I should like to know. How do you stand in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ?” A little surprised, after making sure that the door was shut, the Diplomat replied: “I have traveled around for three years, and that is the first time I have had such a question put to me.” An interesting heart to heart talk followed, the result of which will be seen in the glory. “Be ready” (1 Peter 3:15).

433. John Sargent, R. A., the famous portrait artist, who was found dead in bed in his home in Chelsea, had his spectacles on his forehead, and a volume by Voltaire the atheist by his side. A sad way to enter Eternity. To “die the death of the righteous” (Num. 23:10) we must live the life.

434. Arthur Garstin, founder of the well-known firm, A. Garstin & Co., manufacturers of leather goods, Alders-gate Street, London, ended his pilgrim days on Dec. 18, 1926. Born in 1848, converted as a lad of sixteen, when crossing Oxford Street. In a busy street, in a moment he “passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

435. Douglas Russell, the veteran poet of Westonsuper-Mare, certifies that D. L. MOODY, himself, and a dozen more were praying in a hayloft in Willow Park, Dublin, in 1872, when HENRY VARLEY uttered the memorable words: “The world has yet to see what God is prepared to do with a man wholly surrendered to Him.” Mr. Moody confessed that the words had a great effect on his life. “Yield yourselves unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

436. Sir James Young Simpson, Bart., M.D., Edin.; D.C. L., Oxford; one of Queen Victoria’s physicians in Scotland, born in Bathgate, Scotland, in 1811, appointed professor in Edinburgh when only twenty-nine, introduced the use of chloroform 1847, made important contributions to science of obstetrics, anticipated discovery of Rontgen-rays, died 1870, put his conversion in few words thus: “I looked, and saw Jesus, my Substitute, scourged in my stead, and dying on the Cross for me. I looked and believed, and was forgiven” (Isa. 45:22).

437. Queen Shuts-ad, the Sumeran dignitary, who reigned about the time of Abraham, has recently been discovered in her tomb, with an abundance of gold, and treasure unheard of at that age. One item alone tells its tale: “The Queen wore a tight-fitting necklace of lapis and gold, and a cloak entirely covered with beadwork, vertical rows of beads in gold and lapis, carnelian and agate, with a border of beads set in horizontal groups of ten and fringed with dangling gold rings.” Confirming the very early mention of gold in Genesis 2:11: “There is gold.”

438. W. E. Gladstone. In his famous Midlothian Campaign, an old Scotsman at the back of a monster gathering was heard shouting: “I dinna hear a word, but it’s gran’, it’s gran’.” “Praise the Lord and laud Him” (Rom. 15:11).

439. Mrs. Searle, author of the touching story, “Cripple Tom,” and others, passed away at Umtala, Africa, at the age of 77. Converted in early youth, she said to the medical man trying to alleviate her sufferings: “Doctor, I am not going to my Saviour empty handed, for I have loved Him and worked for Him from a girl.” “Behold I and the children whom Thou hast given me” (Heb. 2:13).

440. General Gordon, the Hero of Khartoum, oft expressed himself in his favorite verse thus:

“We read Thee best, in Him Who came

To bear for us the Cross of shame,

Sent by the Father from on High,

Our life to live, our death to die.”

Very much like Paul’s testimony in Galatians 2:20.

441. G. C. E. Reffell, a native of Sierra Leone, educated at the High School there, then in Britain, returned with degrees seldom equaled by white men. He is M.A. (Durham); B. Sc. (Newcastle-on-Tine); M. B. S. D. med. (Durham); L. S. T. M., F. R. S. T. M. (London); D. P. H., R. C. P. and S. (England); and Fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health (London). Who suggested that the black man is inferior to the white? Not John in Revelation 7:9, 14.

442. Stephen Grellet, after much waiting on the Lord to show him His will, believed that he was directed by the Spirit to take a long journey into the backwoods of America and preach the Gospel to some woodcutters who were felling the forest timber. He went direct to the place told him in his prayers. When he got there he found the timber cutters had gone away deeper into the forest. Finding a large shanty that appeared to have been used for the meals of the men, he entered, stood up and preached the Gospel, finished, and returned home, supremely happy in having done the will of God. Years after, a man stopped him on London Bridge, told how he heard the message outside and was converted. “In due season ye shall reap” (Gal. 6:9).

443. Prince Consort, husband of Queen Victoria, visiting the Royal Exchange, London, Queen opening, noticed a blank stone in front, and suggested the text: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof” (1 Cor. 10:26), which may be seen any day. It applied to merchant princes, Royal princes, and all.

444. J. G. Whittier, the American poet, writes thus of God’s knowledge:

“Ours is the seedtime; God alone

Beholds the end of what is sown;

Beyond our vision, weak and dim, The harvest time is hid with Him.”

“Declaring the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:10).

445. Napoleon the Great, after conquering almost all Europe, looked at a map of Europe with the British Isles colored red, placed his finger thereon and said: “Were it not for that red spot I would soon conquer the world.” That “red spot” landed him on St. Helena. A mightier Apollyon might put his finger on a place called Calvary and say the same, but “the Cross it standest fast, Hallelujah” (1 Cor. 1:18; Gal. 2:20; Heb. 12:2).

446. W. W. Cassels, Church of England Bishop of Western China. One of the remarkable band known as the “Cambridge Seven,” who left positions of influence and went out to China as C. I. M. Missionaries in 1885, like the other six remained faithful to his call, and continued on active service to the end. During his 40 years in China he had many escapes from brigands, shipwreck, drowning, etc. “Them that honor Me, I will honor” (1 Sam. 230).

447. Bishop Whittle was told by an Indian: “One day another Indian came to my wigwam. He said to me he had heard you tell a wonderful story at Red Lake; that you said that the Great Spirit’s Son had come down to earth to save all the people that needed help; that the reason the white mail was so much more blessed than the red man was because he had the true religion of the Son of the Great Spirit; and I said I must see that man.” He traveled 150 miles, found a converted Indian, heard the good news, and finished, “Now my heart sings for joy” (Isa. 12:3; 1 Peter 1:8; Jude 24).

448. Alex. Stewart, an eminent teacher in Glasgow, used to illustrate “The Spirit in us” (Rom. 8:9) and “Us in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25), by the fact of a poker in the fire and the fire in the poker at the same time.

449. D. L. Moody left behind him an active Gospel Church in Chicago. A new place has been built to seat 4000, with buildings adjoining, and with the use of amplifiers 7000 can hear the preacher at one time. The total cost is over £180:000. “Their works do follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

450. Thomas Paine, the author of “The Age of Reason,” came to England after the American Revolution, escaped to France, returned to America in 1802, where he died in 1809. In 1819 his body was brought to England by Wm. Cobbett, but it has been missing since 1847. “The wicked shall be silent in darkness” (1 Sam. 2:9; Job 18:5, 6).

451. Diocletian, the Roman Emperor, in 303, inaugurated the most terrific onslaught the world has known upon the Book. Every Bible almost was destroyed, myriads of Christians perished, and a column of triumph was erected over an exterminated Bible with the inscription: “Extincto nomine Christianorum” (The names of the Christians have been extinguished). And yet in the year 325 Constantine enthroned the Bible as the Infallible Judge of Truth in the First General Council. “The Word of our God shall stand forever” (Isa. 40:8).

452. Commissioner Samuel Hurren, in taking over the leadership of the Salvation Army’s forces in Great Britain, said: “I stand by the Bible, by the whole Bible. I believe it was written by holy men of old as the Spirit gave them utterance. I stand by the God that the Bible reveals—immeasurably good and pure and just. I stand by the Christ of whom the Bible tells, born in a manger in Bethlehem, crucified on Calvary for the sins of the world, risen from the dead, and seated now on the right hand of the Father. I believe that man has no hope apart from the sacrifice of Calvary. He may be rich and learned and moral, but all his righteousnesses are but filthy rags in the sight of God” (Isa. 64:6). A very good creed for all true salvationists (Jude 3).

453. Eglon Harris, for some 40 years a missionary in Mexico, used to show as one of his treasures, a photo of 96 men, all converted Mexicans, a bright, intelligent group. They are coming “out of every kindred... and nation” (Rev. 5:9).

454. Paul Kanamori, sometimes called the Moody of Japan, when visiting Britain and America, told how he was caught in Modernist wiles and how he was delivered therefrom. Without commending all his sayings and doings, he is doubtless a remarkable Japanese. Is it not a shame that Japs come to Britain to defend the Bible? (Matt. 8:11).

455. John G. M’ Vicker, a well-known worker in the latter part of the ‘59 Revival, was giving an account of blessing―60 souls in this town, 50 in that, 100 in another, and so on. Each time he recounted figures the voice of Jeremiah Meneely behind cried “Halfers,” then he explained, that if M’ Vicker did the preaching, he did the praying. So with others. “Fellow-helpers” (3 John 8; Col. 4:7). “Every man his share” (1 Sam. 13:20).

456. Mirza Norollah, a worker among Jews in Persia, who died in London, aged 63, was converted through a copy of the New Testament given to his father, Dr. Norollah, as Court Physician to the Shah of Persia, suffered much persecution, yet did a good work, and was greatly respected in Teheran. Thus “out of every nation” they gather to form the immeasurable multitude (Rev. 5:9; Psa. 22:27).

457. Frederick Stanley Arnot, the successor of Livingstone, when reaching the country ruled by the great Msidi, was sent for by that chief. On presenting himself, he saw the chief, his principal wife, and his sister. “Your wife, Mr. Arnot,” said the chief, conferring the highest honor he could, to give his wife’s sister to the traveler. Knowing that a refusal might mean instant death, Arnot thought, prayed, and then said: “We Englishmen never marry until we consult our mothers,” and got time to consult his, with the expected refusal. The answer was typical of the man. “It shall be given to you in that same hour what ye shall speak” (Matt. 10:19).

458. Oliver Cromwell possessed one of the earliest watches. It was made by John Midnall, in 1625, belonged to Oliver Cromwell, and was about the size of an ostrich egg. Ostriches are cruel and forgetful birds (Job 39:14).

459. John Brunton, a well-known evangelist, used to illustrate the abuse of Hyde Park preachers by one who with fist freely outstretched quoted “It is I,” as “Hit his heye,” and almost suited the action to the words (Matt. 14:27).

460. Herr Hugo Stinnes died at Charlottenburg, Germany, April 10, 1926. He is said to have been the ruler of ₤500,000,000, and controlled 1340 companies, and had 1,500,000 employees. Among his concerns were 250 factories, 250 coal mines, 100 banks, and 70 newspapers. Surely he was as near gaining “the whole world” as any human, yet if after all “he lost his own soul” (Matt. 16:26), what avails now?

461. Josephus, the ancient Historian. Professor W Emery Barnes issues a pamphlet with the title, “The Testimony of Josephus to Jesus Christ.” It has long been the custom to call in question the passage in Book 18 of The Antiquities (ch. 3, sec. 3, in the popular Whiston Edition). Dr. Barnes says: “As an early Jewish witness, Josephus supplies testimony of a unique kind to some of the outward facts of the beginnings of Christianity, and he blocks the path to those who try to think that ‘there is no historic reality’ in the figure of Jesus the Christ.”

462. Francesco Spiera was a distinguished lawyer of Citadella, near Padua, in the sixteenth century, who professed the Reformed faith and bade fair to win Italy by his learning and eloquence. He was arraigned for heresy and, after a sore struggle with his conscience, was terrified into submission. In the Church of Citadella, before a gathering of two thousand, he wrote his recantation. As he took the pen in his hand, conscience, the voice of the Holy Spirit, said: “Spiera, lay down the pen;” but he wrote on. Then, as he prepared to sign, the voice said: “Spiera, put not thy seal to this;” but he did it. He went home absolved of heresy, but forsaken of God, and died in despair. Even for a coward there is hope, if he has the courage to confess and believe (1 John 1:9).

463. G. N. Barnes, M. P., recently stated that it 1924 Britain spent £150,000,000 on bread, and £307,000,000 on strong drink. A curse rest on all who “giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest a bottle to him” (Hab. 2:15).

464. Mary Slessor did a noble work in Calabar. Yet it is reported that, out of 24 pairs of twins born in the district, 10 pairs were put to death according to the ancient custom. “Custom” coiled round the Romans (Acts 16), is it wonder that it chains the heathen?

465. Sir Arthur Keith, President of the British Association, says: “I am absolutely confident of the conquest of disease. The only thing that scientists will probably never conquer is old age, and perhaps it is as well that that should be so. Our knowledge of man’s body increases every year. Whether it be this year or next, or the year after, I am certain that we shall find the diagnosis and cure of cancer.” The Old Book made known this impossibility (Heb. 9. 27). Pray that the hoped for cure may be realized (Phil. 4:6).

466. Dr. Dick Wilson, Professor of Semitic Philology in Princetown Theological Seminary, author of “Is the Higher Criticism Scholarly?” made this remarkable affirmation at the Annual Meeting of the A. N.B.C.: “I scientifically believe the Bible to be true on the evidence of ancient documents, MSS., and translations. I believe in the Bible not only in my heart, but from my head, on the ground of what I consider absolutely scientific evidence.” “The Word...shall stand” (Isa. 40:8).

467. Gandhi, the remarkable man who leads millions of Indians, paid a tribute to Christianity by his very suggestions of Reform. He said: “(1) I would suggest that all Christians, missionaries and all, live more like Christ. If you come to us in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, then we cannot resist you. (2) Do not adulterate Christianity; give it to us in its rugged simplicity and its high demands, and live out the life; then we cannot resist you. (3) Put your emphasis upon love, for love is a central thing in Christianity.” What greater testimony to Christ and Christianity than this by the foremost Hindu! “Christ... the pre-eminence” (Col. 1:18).

468. Lady Darwin daughter-in-law of the famous Charles Darwin, said: “I think men are beginning to make monkeys of themselves.” “Worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13).

469. Dr. Samuel Johnson, of Dictionary fame, said to a young gentleman who visited him on his dying bed: “Young man, attend to the voice of one who has possessed a certain degree of fame in the world, and will shortly appear before his Maker: Read the Bible every day of your life.” “The Bereans...searched the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).

470. R. C. Chapman, the Barnstaple Patriarch, who died in his 100th year, on coming downstairs one morning, was asked how he was. “I have a great load,” he replied. “A load? Mr. Chapman,” was exclaimed in surprise. “Yes,” said the veteran, “He daily loadeth us with benefits” (Psa. 68:19).

471. John A. Kensit, son of John Kensit, who was killed in Liverpool, paid visits to Lourdes, the Romanist center, and Keswick, the Evangelical center. In Lourdes he tried but could not buy a Bible anywhere, in Keswick every stall and most individuals had Bibles. In Lourdes Mary was everywhere adored and exalted, in Keswick it was Christ in speech and song, day after day. In Lourdes images abounded, in Keswick not one was visible. “The Lord doth put a difference” (Ex. 11:7; 1 Cor. 6:9; Rev. 21:8).

472. Dr. Parker, the first and greatest of City Temple preachers, was ever ready with an answer. On one occasion a lady, as she passed out, put a sovereign in the plate, and bowing to the Doctor, said, “The widow’s mite, doctor.” Dr. Parker, equal to the occasion, bowed, and then gently said, “But the widow, we are told, gave two mites, madam.” Whereupon the lady took out another sovereign, and gave that also. “The widow’s two mites, doctor,” she said. “But, madam,” said Parker, with a twinkle of his flashing eyes, “we read that the widow gave all her living.” There was no further response. It is better not to claim to follow Bible characters unless we are prepared to “follow fully” (Num. 14:24; Rom. 15:19).

473. Dame Nellie Melba, the world-famed songstress, says: “Good-bye is, of all words, the saddest and the most difficult to say.” Yet it must be finally said to friends, to life, to earth, for “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10, R.V.).

474. John M’Neill, his large evangelistic meetings, often-spoke on David and Goliath. Commenting on the verse, “And the stone sank into his forehead” (1 Sam. 17:49), he queried, “Why did it sink into his head?” waited a moment, then added, “Because it was empty.” “The wicked boasteth (Pea. 10:3; 52:1).

475. Alexander Larsen, the Dutch scientist, has established the fact that there is such a thing as a lightning flash invisible to the human eye. These flashes were recorded by a specially arranged camera, but not by sight. Who said they would not believe what they could not understand? “Blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed” (John 20:29).

476. Dr. Herbert Jones, presided at the British Medical Association at Bradford, said that the expectation of life had increased enormously as the result of medical reform. Some 25 years ago the favorite topic was, “What shall we do with our boys?” The same boys were now inquiring, “What shall we do with our grandfathers?” The Bible answers: “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man” (Lev. 19:32; Prov. 16:31).

477. David Baron, the world-renowned Hebrew Christian teacher, author of many Bible works, was born in Russia, brought up strictly as a Jew, a diligent student of the Talmud, but was still unhappy. Guided by God to H—, he met a Jew and a Gentile, both followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Shortly after he got possession of a Bible. This opened his eyes, and at last he bowed the knee and prayed, “O my God, if Thou canst not save me in any other condition bet faith in Jesus, be pleased to give me that faith, and help me to love that most precious Name, which I have so long hated and despised.” That prayer was answered; he arose a converted Hebrew. “O Lord, the hope of Israel” (Jer. 1:14. 8; John 3:10; Gal. 6:10).

478. D. L. Moody was asked if we would know each other in Heaven, and replied, “It is not likely that we will be nice Foolish in Heaven than on earth.” We know each other here, therefore “we shall know as we are known” there (1 Col. 13:12).

479. Lord Lawrence, the distinguished Indian soldier and statesman, when prayer for rain was spoken of as useless, said: “We are told to pray and that our prayers will he answered, and that is sufficient for me.” “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Tim. 2:8).

480. Wm. Tyndale, who was strangled and his corpse burn at the stake in the Netherlands, received a glowing comment in The Times, and the Oxford University Press celebrated the 400th Anniversary of the issue of Tyndale’s New Testament by issuing a copy of his first attempt to print the English Bible in 1525. What has accrued from one man’s efforts? “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Eccl. 9:10).

481. Billy Bray, “the King’s Son,” thus describes his conversion in Nov., 1823: “I said to the Lord, ‘Thou hast said, “They that ask shall receive, they that seek shall find, and to them that knock the door shall be opened,” and I have faith to believe it’ (Matt. 7:7; Luke 11:9). In an instant the Lord made me so happy that I cannot express what I felt. I shouted for joy. I praised God with my whole heart for what He had done for a poor sinner like me; for I could say, the Lord hath pardoned all my sins.”

482. Mrs. Luffe, of the “Adventures of Sister Abigail,” left her brother’s house one winter night, and was proceeding homewards when a man rushed from a vacant piece of ground, and, seizing her from behind, demanded to know what her handbag contained. “Twenty cents.” “And what have you in that bundle?” (referring to a small parcel that she carried.) “Only a little fruit, which you can have.” Producing her Bible, she said, “This is the most precious thing I possess, for it tells me that ‘God so loved, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth,’—and could not finish.” Four years afterward the man returned, having been converted through the text (John 3:16).

483. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American President, a few days before the close of his life, heard a person suggest that Jefferson Davis, the defeated President of the Southern Confederacy, ought to be hanged. Lincoln answered quietly: “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (att. 7:1). A good verse ever to have before us.

484. Dr. Dinsdale Young, of the Central Halls, Westminster, who preaches to the largest congregation in London, visited and preached in the chapel of the little village of Scragglethorpe, in Yorkshire, where he delivered his first sermon at the age of 15. Born in Corbridge-on-Tyne, he is 65, yet holds large audiences week by week, and keeps to “the old Paths” (Jer. 6:16; Jude 3).

485. Lord Guthrie. In the “Life of Lord Guthrie,” one of the most famous Scottish Judges, by Sheriff Orr, K. C., occur these words: “My experience has been that the happiest people I have ever known, the people who seemed to get the most out of life in all its varied aspects, have been the most religious people.” “Happy is that people whose God is the Lord” (Psa. 144:15).

486. Queen Alexandra. One of the remarkable things about her death was that the Visitors’ Book, which had been in use for thirty-five years, was completely filled the day she died. Two visitors called to sign the book, and it was noticed that only two spaces were available, and then the long record of kings, queens, politicians, and other illustrious and unknown visitors was completed. So a larger Record will one day be completed, and some names “not found” there (Rev. 20:15).

487. Bishop Butler lay adying, and called for his chaplain and said: “Though I have endeavored to avoid sin, yet from the consciousness of perpetual infirmities, I am still afraid to die.” “My Lord,” said the chaplain, “you have forgotten that the Lord Jesus Christ is a Saviour.” “True,” was the reply, “but how shall I know that He is a Saviour to me?” ‘My Lord, it is written: ‘Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out’” (John 5:37). “Yes,” said the dying Bishop, “and I am surprised that though I have read that Scripture a thousand times over, I never felt its virtue till this moment. Now I die happily.” “Who gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

488. Kate Douglas Wiggin (Mrs. Riggs), the famous authoress, left a fortune of ₤100,000 made from books, plays, and films. It would be interesting to know what she found in the Land of Recompense. “If in this life we have only hope” (1 Cor. 15:19).

489. Fright-Lt. Kinkead, making an effort to travel 300 miles per hour over Southampton water, on March 12, 1928, dived to death, seaplane and airman sinking fathoms deep in the water. 20 minutes after bidding farewell to friends in the venture, he was instantly hurried into Eternity. Truly, “We know not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).

490. The Right, Hon. Cecil Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia, was travelling in a compartment with Bramwell Booth, when Mr. Booth said: “Mr. Rhodes, are you a happy man?” Seriously he replied, “Happy? I―happy? Good God, no!” Mr. Booth replied, “The only place where we can find real happiness is down at the feet of the crucified Saviour, because it is there we can be free from our sins.” How different to 1 Peter 4:14.

491. Lord Dawson, of Penn, the King’s Physician, in 1928 stated that 3 years ago he investigated the drink bill of the great restaurants of London, patronized by anything between 10,000 and 40,000 customers a day, and found that only a quarter took alcohol, and that mostly beer or light wine. Renewed inquiries indicate a further decrease from 7 to 17 percent in different places. “Look not on the wine when it is red” (Prov. 23:31).

492. The Hon. William Jennings Bryan, more than once candidate for the U.S. Presidency, in his remarkable book, “In His Image,” writes: “The fact of Christ cannot be denied. Christ lived; that is admitted. He taught; we have His words. He died upon the Cross, that we know, and we can trace His blood by its cleansing power as it flows through the centuries. Judged by His lite, His teachings, and His death, and the impression they have made upon the human race, we conclude that He was Divine, and that He has justified the titles bestowed upon Him. No other explanations can account for Him.” Believe Me for My work’s sake” (John 14:11).

493. Sir Henry Havelock, the renowned General, rose at four o’clock, if the hour for marching was six, rather than lose the precious privilege of communion with God before setting out. “My God, early will I seek Thee” (Psa. 63:1; Isa. 26:9).

494. S. Baring Gould, author of the well-known hymn, “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” died in his 90th year. As a curate he fell in love with a mill girl, GRACE TAYLOR, had her educated, married her, and lived happily for 48 years, she dying in 1916. “GRACE” in more ways than one thus triumphed. “God giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6).

495. Giotto, Italian painter and sculptor, in his famous picture on the wall of the Arena Chapel at Padua, represents envy as long-eared, that she may catch every breath of rumor that may hurt a neighbor; as serpent-tongued, ready to poison names and reputations; and this serpent-tongue, coiling back on herself, stings her own eyes. The figure of envy stands in flames. “Envy slayeth the silly one” (Job 5:2; 1 Tim. 6:4; 1 Peter 2:1).

496. Dr. W. Y. Fullerton, the Baptist Missionary Secretary, said: “I remember speaking to a group of young men who were trifling on a very solemn occasion. I ventured to say to one of them―I was younger in those days, and ventured more than I would now ― ‘I know when you will find God.’ ‘Do you?’ he said, ‘I wish you would tell me.’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I can tell you to the odd half-minute.’ They listened, and the Word of God had effect. ‘Then shall ye find Me, saith the Lord, when ye search for Me with all your heart.’” (Deut. 4:29).

497. Robert C. Chapman, Barnstaple, who lived till he was 99 ½ years of age, trusting alone to his Heavenly Father for most of that time, once received ₤100 on condition that he reserved it for himself. He replied, “My dear donor, you surely would not deprive an old man who has trusted alone his Heavenly Father for 70 years from having this privilege to the end. If the gift is unconditional it will be gladly received.” The donor willingly conceded, and by 9 o’clock that night every penny had gone in small sums to workers abroad. “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38).

498. Canon Liddon, in 1878 suggested that the great bell of St. Paul’s Cathedral should have a name. He suggested “Paulus, Doctor Gentium,” and for a motto the words, “Vae mihi, si non evangelizavero” (“Woe unto me, if I preach not the Gospel”). His proposal was carried out, but we fear the motto has not been as loyally adhered to (1 Cor. 9:16).

499. George H. Dean, Sittingbourne, famed throughout Kent as a great industrialist, employed many hundreds in field and factory, was converted at 30, and set the Lord always before him. It was he who had the text “GOD IS LOVE” (1 John 4:8) affixed on the weather-vane of one of his stables, indicating that whichever way the wind blew the text was still true.

500. Sir Joseph Burn, in an address to the Industrial Welfare Society in London, in 1928, said: “People in this country are living to a far greater age than ever they did before. During the last few years the advance has been extraordinary.” Yet, Sir Joseph, the 90, 95, 100, and in rare cases 105 in this country, are nothing to the 930, 912, 905, 840, 895, 960, 365, 969, 777 mentioned in Genesis 5:5.

501. Dr. C. E. Appleton, founder of The Academy, wrote in words which seem almost prophetic of his own early death: “Wondrous miracle of Divine Omnipotence, that this poor flesh and blood I bear about me, often pained, always decaying, too weak, it may be, to bear up against the winters of threescore years and ten, shall be so purified, strengthened, glorified, as never to decay. We shall be like Him, not in His own unspeakable glory, but still like Him” (1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:49).

502. F. N. Charrington, formerly of Charrington’s Brewery, long famed for his labors among the poor in the East of London, when a young man, was asked by Wm. Rainsford (son of the well-known Marcus Rainford) to read the 3rd of John at night. He promised, read on till he came to the last verse: “He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life.” He tells how, “That was the turning point in my life. Through this verse I was brought to Christ and received assurance of salvation” (John 3:36).

503. Rowland Hill, the famous divine, used to say: “I like short, ejaculatory prayer; it reaches Heaven before the Devil can get a shot at it.” “God is in Heaven... therefore let thy words be few” (Eccl. 5:2),

504. Dr. Handley Moule, Bishop of Durham, never said a more true saying than this: “A Saviour not quite God is a bridge broken at the further end.” “In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9).

505. Robert Moffat’s Home at Kuruman, where he lived for fifty years, and where Livingstone met Mary Moffat, is to be put in a state of repair as the Moffat Rest Home for Missionaries. Saintly influence lasts long. “After he had patiently endured” (Heb. 6:15).

506. C. H. Spurgeon, at a time of downgradeism, being urged to defend the Bible, cried, “Defend the Bible? I would just as soon attempt to defend a lion. I say―let it loose: it will defend itself.” “The word; that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).

507. Justin Martyr confesseth that he left philosophy and became a Christian scholar through the admiration that he had to behold the innocent and godly lives of the primitive Christians, hearing them pray unto God for the good and welfare of those who, to the utmost of their power, endeavored to ruin them. “Beholding your order” (Col. 2:5).

508. Wm. Hoste, B.A., well-known teacher in London, tells how at the great Memorial Service in Hyde Park, in May, 1919, an addition was made to John 15:13, thus: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his country.” The last words are neither in the text nor in God’s plan, for apart from faith in Christ none shall enter the kingdom (John 3:3, 7).

509. Dr. Cyril Jackson, Dean of Christ Church, sat late one night discussing with Bishop Horsley whether God would be most easily reached by the exercise of intellect or affections. The Bishop, who advocated intellect, at last cornered, exclaimed: “Then my whole life has been one great mistake.” “The love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Cor. 5:14).

510. Max Muller, the great philologist, desired to achieve fame. After he was made a member of almost every learned society in Europe, he wrote: “The dream of the reality was better than the reality of the dream.” “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2).

511. Robert Ingersoll, the famous infidel, sending one of his atheistic books to an aunt, wrote in the title page: “If all Christians had lived like Aunt Sarah, perhaps this book would never have been written.” “Press your bodies a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). “By their fruits” (Luke 6:44).

512. Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister in Queen Victoria’s reign, used to say: “No one has a greater respect for the Christian religion than I have, except when it comes to interfering with our private lives.” Yet that is just what God means to affect. “Keep thyself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22). “Study to show thyself approved unto God” (2 Tim. 2:15).

513. Dr. W. Y. Fullerton tells how at Vadso, in the extreme North of Norway, on Jan. 18 each year the people climb the hill to see the sun rise after months of night. A little rim is seen at first and no more, but the people know that tomorrow and days after, the sun will shine in all his strength. “Yet a little while” (Heb. 10:37). His Coming is “as certain as the dawn” (Hos. 6:3, J. N. D.).

514. Mary Slessor of Calabar, the Scottish missionary, wrote: “I did not use to believe the story of Daniel in the lions’ den, until I had to take some of these awful marches, and then I knew it was true, and that it was written for my comfort. Many a time I walked along praying, ‘O God of Daniel, shut their months,’ and He did” (Dan. 6:22).

515. Dr. H. E. Fosdick, one of the most advanced of Modernists, made this strange admission: “The saddest sight in this generation is of the men and women who have run away from their old-fashioned faith and have ended up with no faith at all.” Blindness must surely have fallen on critics who so completely fail to recognize their own handiwork. “Blind leaders of the blind” (Matt. 15:14).

516. Dr. Andrew Bonar, the Scottish Divine, made this sad admission: “I look for the world and I find it in the Church. I look for the Church, and I find it in the world.” The Scriptures say: “Love not the world” (1 John 2:15). “Come out” (2 Cor. 6:17).

517. Holman Hunt’s great picture, “Christ, the Light of the World” hung on the wall. A little boy said: “Daddy, why don’t they let Him in?” After an explanation, he said, “Daddy, I’d open the door; wouldn’t you, daddy?” This led the father to think, and finally to “open and let the Saviour in.” “I am the Door” (John 10:9).

518. John Michael one of the Martyrs, being told by the cruel Bonner of the pain connected with burning, and how hard it must be to endure it, with a view of leading the martyr to recant, he nobly replied, “If I had as many lives as I have hairs on my head; I would lose them all in the fire, before I would lose Christ.” Like Paul he aimed, not at losing, but at “winning Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

519. Dr. Handley Moule, Bishop of Durham, confessed: “When my Lord Jesus became a living and unutterable necessary reality to me, I remember that one of my first sensations of profound relief was: He absolutely trusted the Bible, and though there are in it things inexplicable and intricate that have puzzled me so much, I am going, not in a blind sense, but reverently, to trust the Book because of Him,” “I will trust, and not be afraid” (Isa. 12:2).

520. Sir Michael Costa, the celebrated music conductor, was holding a rehearsal. As the mighty chorus rang out, accompanied by hundreds of instrumental performers, the piccolo player ceased playing, thinking perhaps that his contribution would not be missed amid so much music. Suddenly the great conductor stopped, and cried out, “Where is the piccolo?” The sweet shrill tones of this smallest instrument of all were missed by the keen ear of the master musician, and he sought to know why. So God takes note of the smallest. “Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father” (Matt. 10:29) “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:30).

521. St. Jerome called The Book, composed of 66 Books, “the Divine library.” Therein is sufficient to guide from infancy to infinitude (2 Tim, 3:15 and 17).

522. Dr. Burrow wisely said: “Christian combines the most absolute pessimism about man’s power, with an unquenchable optimism as to what―in God’s hands―he may become.” The Chief of Sinners said: “By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

523. Mirabeau, the genius of the Revolution, as an obscure man rose up to address the French Convention, turned round to his neighbor, and eagerly asked, “Who is that?” The other, who had been in no way interested by the address, wondered at Mirabeau’s curiosity. Whereupon the latter said, “That man will yet act a great part;” and added, on being asked for an explanation, “He speaks as one who believes every word he says.” believed, and therefore have I spoken (2 Cor. 4:13).

524. Victor Hugo wrote: “A few drops of water, more or less, prostrated Napoleon.” He meant that the battle of Waterloo was begun at eleven o’clock in the morning, because there was rain on the previous night, and Napoleon could not move his artillery over the heavy mud-plain until near noon, and that five hours’ delay turned the fate of Europe; for Blucher did not arrive with his allies till the forces of the Iron Duke were all but defeated. “He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth” (Job 12:15); “He sendeth rain” (Matt. 5:45).

525. Harry Moorhouse, the well-known preacher, was once walking near a Lancashire town, and seeing boys and girls engaged hi a “Bubble Chase,” thought to impress them with a lesson therefrom. Drawing near a little chap who was jumping, clutching, and holding as a treasure one of the largest balls, he asked him to give it up; but no, careful as if his ball was a ball of gold, with hollowed hands he held it tight. After much persuasion, Mr. Moorhouse got him to open his hands, and describes his disappointment, as with opened empty hands he exclaimed in his own dialect, “I’ve nowt.” “We brought nothing into the world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7).

526. Mark Twain quaintly put many things. Nothing more so than when he said, “I had a splendid education, but the worst of it is that so much of it wasn’t so.” “Professing to be wise, they become fools” (Rom. 1:22).

527. Marshall Foch, before he won the first great battle of the Name, reported: “My center is giving, my left wing is retreating; the situation is excellent, I am attacking.” “Go forward” (Ex. 14:15).

528. Philip of Macedon, having obtained the honor of an unexpected victory, was observed to look very much dejected. On being asked the reason, he replied that the honors which were obtained by the sword might also be lost by the sword. “They that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matt. 26:52).

529. Charles H. Judd, of the C. I. M., when he went East, could not have found one follower of Christ in Japan. Ere he left some years later there were 60,000 Christians in that land. So mightily have they increased that at the time of the earthquake Dr. Inwood stated that “there were one million Japanese homes shaping their daily lives by the teachings of the Lord Jesus.

530. Jonathan Edwards. There were two well-known men in America in the eighteenth century, father and son, both named Jonathan Edwards. Both were clergymen, and the grandsons of clergymen. Both were pious men, famous scholars, and tutors for equal periods in their respective colleges. Both took up the pastoral work carried on before by their maternal grandfathers, and both were dismissed on account; of peculiar religious opinions. Both were again settled over congregations much attached to them, and both published in their leisure time works of considerable literary value. Both left their parishes in order to be presidents of a college, and both died shortly after the change. There was but one year’s difference in the respective ages at which they died, one being 56, the other 57. Strangely enough, both preached, on the first Sunday of the year in which they died, from the same text of Scripture: “This year thou shalt die” (Jer. 28:16). Wonderful coincidences happen in real life. Why not similar coincidences in the past ages of the Bible

531. Dr. Erasmus Albert, called Mark of Brandenburg, desired Luther to set down a method of preaching before the Prince Elector. Luther said, “Let all your preaching be in the most simple and plainest manner; look not to the Prince, but to the plain, simple, gross, unlearned people, of which cloth the Prince also himself is made.”

532. Martin Luther. “If I,” continued Luther, “in my preaching, should have regard to Philip Melanchthon and other learned doctors, then should I do but little good. I preach in the simplest manner to the unskillful and that giveth content to all. Hebrew, Greek, and Latin I spare until we learned ones come together, “If ye have respect to persons ye commit sin” (James 2:9; Acts 10:34; 1 Peter 1:17).

533. Ebenezer Erskine died 1754, aged 73. During his last illness, a friend calling on him, said, “Sir, you have given us many good advices, pray what are you now doing with your own soul?” “I am doing with it,” said he, “what I did forty years ago; I am resting upon that Word, ‘I am the Lord thy God’ (Ex. 20:2), and on this I mean to die.” “In righteousness shalt thou be established” (Isa. 54:14).

534. Lord Chesterfield started in life determined to gain the applause and favor of the world. Born to rank, wealth, and talent, he rose, till at last he was termed “the high priest of the world’s vanities.” The bubble burst, and here are his own Words― “I have enjoyed all the pleasures of the world. I appraise them at their real value, which is in truth very low.” “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2; 12:8).

535. Victorinus, a great man at Rome, who had many rich heathen friends and relations, was converted, and repaired to a friend of his, also a convert, and told him secretly that he, too, was a Christian. ‘I will not believe thee to be a Christian,’ said the other, “until I see thee openly profess it in the church.” “What,” said Victorinus “do the church walls make a Christian?” But directly the answer came to his own heart, “Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father” (Mark 8:38)

536. Dr. Judson, of Burma, was once asked, “Do you think the prospect bright of the speedy conversion of the heathen?” “As bright,” he replied, “as the promises of God.” “All His promises are... yea and amen” (2 Cor. 1:20).

537. R. C. Houston, an American prophetic student, issued a remarkable series of charts showing how the 70th Week of Daniel began in September, 1924, and would end with Armageddon in Autumn, 1931, ushering in the Millennium. We have not heard of the “beginning,” so doubt the “end.” Beware of date-fixers! Mark 13:32 early settles that point.

538. H. R. L. Sheppard, the Vicar who made St, Martin’s-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, famous on the wireless, thus speaks plainly about infant sprinkling: “Cannot we once and for all get rid of the idea that the intention of infant baptism is to rescue a child from the wrath of God, and that there is some magical regeneration about it from which an unbaptized child is necessarily exempt? Even baptized human nature is not necessarily regenerate.” “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3, 7).

539. Lord Clive was, born of comparatively poor parents, and founded the British Empire in India. Proceeding there as a clerk, he rose in position, till “wealth was heaped upon him in piles” ―one pension alone being worth £30,000 a year. At last, this big bubble of power burst, and he who had conquered so many provinces, was unable to subdue his own spirit, for the soldier of fortune terminated his life by his own hand. Another man was ruined by the abuse of “power” (Dan. 2:37).

540. C. H. Spurgeon told of a man who had two dogs. He liked them to go in and out of the house freely, therefore he had two holes cut in the door. He was asked the reason for this, and he answered, “The little hole is for the little dog, and the big hole for the great dog.” Then said one, “But the little dog might have gone through the same hole as the big dog, surely!” “There,” said he, “I never thought of that!” The dying thief, a big sinner; and the good Nicodemus, a little sinner (as men count); both entered Heaven by the same “Door” (John 10:9).

541. Henry Dyer, a well-known Bible Teacher in the eighties, used to say: “Methodists, plenty of fire and nothing to cook. Brethren, plenty to cook, and no fire!” “Grace and Truth” (John 1:17) should ever be combined.

542. H. G. Wells, in his Outline of History, with much of which we disagree, says this: “The truth is the Galilean has been too great for our small hearts.” True, O Wells, for He is in all things “pre-eminent” (Col. 1:18).

543. Charles Darwin said: “Man is descended from a hairy quadruped, furnished with a tail and pointed ears, probably arboreal in its habits, and an inhabitant of the old world,” On another occasion Darwin made the statement direct and specific that man is descended from the monkey. You will find this statement on page 221 of the Collier’s Edition of “The Descent of Man.” “In the beginning God created” (Gen. 1:1).

544. John Bunyan had a great dread of spiritual pride; and once, after he had preached a very fine sermon, and his friends crowded round to shake him by the hand, while they expressed the utmost admiration of his eloquence, he interrupted them, saying, “Ay, you need not remind me of that, for the Devil told me of it before I was out of the pulpit!” “Let another praise thee” (Prov. 27:2).

545. Bernard Shaw, never an enthusiast for churches, in the St. Martin’s Review suggested that if people found themselves deprived of churches, they would find they had been deprived of a necessity of life. Hence he advised the closing down of churches in the belief that, as an inevitable consequence, better ones would take their places. “I have learned by experience” (Gen. 30:27).

546. Rabbi Katz, of New York, who is one of the chaplains of Sing Sing, recently let it slip that 16 per cent of the prisoners there are Jews, and that 10.6 per cent of all prisoners in the State are Jews. Considering the proportion of Jews in the state population, that would seem to be a very large proportion of lawbreakers. Let us not get the idea that the Jews do not need the Gospel in order to make them law-abiding citizens. All “must be born again” (John 3:3, 7).

547. Fred T. Lane, a veteran pioneer, stated that when he went to Central Africa all was naked heathenism. When he left for furlough one thousand black brothers and sisters assembled to bid farewell with him as “a brother beloved in Christ” (Philem. 16).

548. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said: “Sometimes friends ask me to recommend them a book upon the Holy Spirit. My reply is, ‘Read John’s Gospel, chapter 15 to 16,’ for there you have weighty statements concerning the Holy Ghost from the lips of the Master Himself.”

549. F. W. Barker, a Norfolk Christian farmer, used to tell of a meeting for thanksgiving for rain, after weeks of drought, when drenching torrents of rain had flooded the fields. One of the old farmers said, “Lord, we thank you for the rain, but these showers are ridiculous.” “How do ye say, We are wise” (Jer. 8:8). “The righteous wisely considereth” (Prov. 21:12).

550. Princess Alice, as a little girl, wandering in the grounds of Balmoral Castle, was approached by a dignitary of some kind, who inquired, “And who are you?” The girl naively replied, “I am nobody, but my mother is Queen Victoria.” So each child of God can say, “I am nobody, but my Master is ‘the King of Glory’” (Psa. 24:8 and 10).

551. John M’Alpine, a Scottish Evangelist, tells of a Christian woman who was very irritable. Seeing a piece of paper left on the table she got quite excited, picked it up, meaning to scold someone. On reading it she quickly left the room. It was a leaf of a tear-off calendar with the text, “Ye have need of patience” (Heb. 10:36). She afterward confessed how the “Word in season” (Isa. 50:4) had laid hold of her and helped her.

552. Napoleon Bonaparte, from an obscure office found himself with the crown of France upon his brow. Kingdoms were broken by him, and boundaries altered at his pleasure. But almost in the zenith of his power, the bubble began to burst amid the snows of Russia, and the colder chills of his heart; its vanishing power continued, till he found himself at last a captive on the barren rock of St. Helena. “How are the mighty fallen” (2 Sam. 1:19).

553. Wm. Jay, an eminent Independent preacher, gave this quaint advice: “Seek for such things as would be likely to strike and stick.” “Words as goads” (Eccl. 12:11).

554. Bishop Wilkins made this remark worthy of consideration by all preachers: “The greatest learning is to be seen in the greatest plainness. The more clearly we understand anything ourselves, the more easily can we expound it to others.” Paul used “great plainness of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12).

555. Dr. Rush, a well-known Preacher in days gone by, asked one of his congregation, “What sort of a sermon do you like?” “I like, sir,” replied Mr. Morris, “that kind of preaching which drives a man into the corner of his pew, and makes him think the Devil is after him.” “Your adversary, the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

556. Abraham Lincoln used to speak of a boat that plied the Mississippi, which had such a big whistle that every time it was blown they had to stop the boat to get up steam. Reminds us of some loud-blowing atheists, and even some trumpet-blowing preachers, whose noise is their greatest asset. “Let another praise thee” (Prov. 27:2).

557. Winston Churchill, in The World Crisis, thus focuses the evils of the Great War: “All the horrors of the ages were brought together... Every outrage against humanity or international law was repaid by reprisals... The wounded died between the lines; the dead moldered into the soil. Merchant ships and neutral ships and hospital ships were sunk on the seas, and all on board left to their fate or killed as they swam...Cities and monuments were smashed by artillery; bombs from the air were cast down indiscriminately; poison gas in many forms stifled or scarred the soldiers; liquid fire was projected upon their bodies; men fell from the air in flames, or were smothered, often slowly in the dark recesses of the sea.” Yet some tell us the world is getting better, whereas the Scriptures say, “Evil men... shalt wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13), and the above confirms this statement.

558. Abraham Lincoln said he had no difficulty in finding men who would shed the last drop of blood for America. His difficulty was finding those who would shed the first drop. “How much more the blood of Christ” (Heb. 9:14).

559. Sir George Williams, the founder of the Y.M.C.A., had a favorite question for all candidates for Home Mission work: “Can you preach to an audience of one?” Ah, that is more difficult than it seems! The Great Preacher preached one of His great messages to one (John 4:19 and 39).

560. Dr. Sargent states that at a slave-market in one of the Southern States, at which he was present, a smart, active, colored boy was put up for sale. A kind master who pitied his condition, wishing him not to have a cruel owner, went up to him and said, “If I buy you, will you be honest?” The boy, with a look that baffled description, replied, “I will be honest whether you buy me or not.” “Ye should do that which is honest” (2 Cor. 13:7).

561. George Herbert, English Poet and Divine, of Trinity College, Cambridge, built a new church at Layton Ecclesia, near Spalding, and by his order the reading pew and pulpit were a little distant from each other, and both of an equal height; for he would often say, “They should neither have a precedency nor priority of the other; but that prayer and preaching, being equally useful, might agree like brethren, and have an equal honor and estimation” “Rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

562. John Goodbarne, a local preacher, while in business at Nottingham, had, one Whit-Sunday, all his weekend takings in the house, to the amount of about ₤30. He debated the wisdom of going to chapel and leaving so much money at home, but finally made up his mind to go, having thought of a plan for keeping his money safely. He wrapped the coins up in a dish-cloth and put it in the sink. On his return he found that his house had been broken into, the place in which he usually kept his money rifled, but the dish-cloth lay in the sink intact. “Them that honor Me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30).

563. Dean Vaughan has wisely said: “Many a Christian worker’s activities are the grave of his spiritual life.” Our hands may be so full that our hearts get empty (1 Cor. 15:58).

564. Samuel Butler. Among his many wise sayings will be found the following: “Repentant tears are the waters on which the Spirit of God moves.” “Ye sorrowed to repentance” (2 Cor. 7:9).

565. Alex. Marshall, author of that remarkable Gospel booklet, God’s Way of Salvation, in exhorting to large-heartedness, used to cite a man who prayed, “Lord, bless me and my wife, our John and his wife, us four and no more, Amen.” After all, are many prayers not greatly circumscribed? “Pray for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1).

566. H. R. L. Sheppard, the impatient parson, tells of a guide at Sorborne who said: “This is the hall where the doctors of divinity have disputed for 400 years.” “Indeed,” said a visitor, “and what have they settled?” Only one place where divinity is settled, “Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven” (Psa. 119:89).

567. Sir Wm. Robertson Nicoll, founder of the British Weekly, pictured the widow’s son on the eve after being quickened by the Saviour, asking his mother to tell him details. She would begin about his father dying, his own dying, the weeping, and the funeral procession, coming to the uttering of the word, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise!” the son sat up and said, “Mother, I heard that! I know the rest!” (Luke 7:14). Every true child of God has “heard that!”

568. Dr. R. A. Torrey says: “My father used to tell a story when I was a boy that there was said to be a physician in the village where he was brought up, who had in his office a jug, and into that jug he put a little of every kind of medicine he had in his office ― a little bit of calomel, a little bit of ipecac, a little bit of quinine, a little bit of everything else, and whenever a patient came in, and he did not everything know just what was the matter with him, he would shake up that jug and give him a spoonful out of it, saying, ‘There is something in there that will meet his case anyhow.’” “Whosoever” (John 3:16 Rom. 10: 13; Rev. 22:17).

569. Oliver Cromwell gave a piece of advice to his soldiers which most preachers would do well to take to heart. It was “fire low.” “Preach so as to reach” not one, but “each.” “So we preach” (1 Cor. 15: 11).

570. Alexander the Great, who mastered the world in twelve years, at the age of 32 Sat on a hill overlooking the city, and wept because he found no more worlds to conquer. “If he shall gain the whole world” (Mark 8:36).

571. Diogenes, the cynic philosopher. At the festival of Olympia, Diogenes saw some young men of Rhodes arrayed most magnificently. He exclaimed, “This is pride!” He afterward met with some Lacedaemonians in a mean and sordid dress; whereupon he said, “And this also is pride!” “Pride do I hate” (Prov. 8:13).

572. Dr. Darwin, nephew of the great Charles Darwin, of “evolution” fame, in closing his presidential address on “The Riddle of the Universe” to the Royal Society assembled in Cape Town, in 1905, uttered these remarkable words: “After all, the riddle of the universe remains unread.” Why did these men of renown not turn to the only Book which solves the riddle in these words: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). “God spake―world’s were” (Heb. 1:2).

573. Mark Twain. Samuel L. Clemens, better known by his pen-name of “Mark Twain,” the world-famed American humorist, after a long life of seventy-five years, on 22nd April, 1910, he was called to face the last great enemy Just before he died he signaled to his daughter to reach him his spectacles and his favorite book―Carlyle’s “French Revolution”―which she at once gave him. Scarcely had he adjusted the spectacles and opened the volume, when he lay back upon his pillow and passed from time into eternity. Would you like to close your days on earth with your eyes resting on the pages of some of the books of earth or on the lines of “the Book of books” ―lines which have brought comfort and cheer in the dying hour to countless numbers of the sons of men? “It is appointed” (Heb. 9:27).

574. J. N. Darby gives this threefold recipe for soul-winning: “Love of souls, love of souls, love of souls.” “The love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Cor. 5:14).

575. Dr. Dale, the famous Congregational preacher, said: “I often feel like saying to my congregation, ‘If ye love me tell me so.’” Have we individually said to the Lord Jesus: “Thou knowest that I love THEE?” (John 21:16).

576. Dr. Payson, when racked with pain, and near to death, exclaimed, “O what a blessed thing it is to lose one’s will! Since I have lost my will I have found happiness. There can be no such thing as disappointment to me, for I have no desire but that God’s will be accomplished.” “To do Thy will” (Heb. 10:7, 9).

577. Peter Hynd, of Troon, a well-known Scottish Bible teacher, coming from a conference, was asked if he had “declared all the counsel of God.” He replied, “Well, it took even an apostle the space of three years to do this, and I could scarcely be expected to declare all the counsel in half an hour” (Acts 20:27, 31).

578. Samuel Rutherford. An English merchant visited Scotland in the year 1650. On his return he was asked what he had heard. He answered, “Rare things. I went to St. Andrew’s, where I heard a majestic-looking man (Blair); and he showed me the majesty of God. After him, I heard a little fair man (Rutherford); and he showed me the loveliness of Christ. I then went to Irvine, where I heard an old man (Dickson), and that man showed me my own heart.” “Everyone unto his work” (Neh. 4:15).

579. Mr. M’Laren and Mr. Gustart were both ministers of the Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh. When Mr. M’Laren was dying, Mr. Gustart paid him a visit, and put the question to him, “What are you doing, brother?” His answer was, “I’ll tell you what I am doing, brother. I am gathering together all my prayers, all my sermons, all my good deeds, all my ill deeds; and I am going to throw them all overboard, and swim to glory on the plank of free grace.” “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given” (Eph. 3:8; Gal. 2:21; Titus 2:11).

580. Michael Angelo, in his working time, adopted this stratagem: He had a candle fixed to his cap, lest when at work the shadows of himself should fall on his work. “Never let the shadow of self fall upon your work. Preach Christ” (1 Cor. 2:2).

581. Archbishop Whately says: “It is difficult to maintain falsehood. When the materials of a building are solid blocks of stone, very rude architecture will suffice; but a structure of rotten materials needs the most careful adjustment in order to make it stand.” “If foundations be destroyed” (Psa. 11:3; 1 Cor. 3:10; 2 Tim. 2:19).

Some Testimonies as to the Word of God:

582. Bishop Ryle. “I feel no hesitation in owning that I believe in the plenary inspiration of every word of the original text of Holy Scripture. I believe the inspired writers were infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit, both in their selection of matter, and in their choice of words” (John 16:13).

583. J. Albert Bengel, the famous commentator, author of the Gromon. “Even the words of Scripture are inspired by God. The Spirit does not speak without words.”

584. Dean Burgon, critic of the Revised Version. “The Bible is none other than the Voice of Him that sitteth on the Throne. Every book of it, every chapter of it, is the direct utterance of the Most High.”

585. Prof. Hodge. “The line can never rationally be drawn between the thoughts and words of Scripture. That we have an Inspired Bible, and a verbally inspired one, we have the witness of God Himself” (2 Tim. 3:16).

586. Dr. Dallenger, the eminent scholar, wrote that the presence of the Bible in every home in England was one of the things that gave England a great superiority over other nations.

587. J. R. Green, the historian, records the effect of the translation of the Bible into English as amazing. And he said it changed the whole temper of the nation, and gave a new conception of life and man. “The Word of our God shall stand forever” (Isa. 40:8).

588. Archbishop Temple, receiving an apology from a fussy Canon, “I am so sorry, I went by my watch; I have the greatest faith in my watch,” retorted, “You don’t want faith in a watch, you want good works” (1 Peter 2:12).

589. John Wesley would not stay longer than one hour in any company unless there was fresh prayer at the end of the hour. “John Wesley’s conversation is good,” said Dr. JOHNSON, “but he is never at leisure. He is always obliged to go at a certain hour. This is very disagreeable to a man who loves to fold his legs, and have his talk out.” “Praying always” (Eph. 6:18).

590. Dr. Johnson. On one occasion Wesley dined with Dr. Johnson. He allowed one hour for dinner and another for conversation, and then rose to go, as there was no prayer proposed. “Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live” (Psa. 116:2).

591. Lord Kingsborough, who has made a special study of the aboriginal Indians in. America, states that the Mexicans, who reached a high state of civilization long before America was discovered by Europeans, have a record that the sun “stood still” for a whole day in the year which they call “seven rabbits.” Now, the year “seven rabbits” corresponds exactly with the time that Joshua and the Israelites were conquering Palestine (Josh. 10:13).

592. The Duke of Wellington, Commander-in-Chief of the British armies, was approached by an officer to complain of a general. The Duke listened in silence. Presently he inquired: “Did the general really say he’d hang you if the rations were not there by twelve o’clock?” “Yes, your Grace,” replied the officer. “Are you sure he said he would hang you?” “He did, indeed, your Grace,” replied the officer, thinking that a severe rebuke was in store for his superior. “Well,” said the Duke, “I know the general very well, and I know that he is a man of his word. If I were in your place I should take care to have the, rations there,” The officer went away, and the rations were there punctually at twelve o’clock. “My heart standeth in awe of Thy Word” (Psa. 119:161).

593. Thomas Vollans, of Selby, who joined the firm at the age of twelve, completed fifty-eight years as a solicitor’s clerk, and during the time was never known to be late. Of the Master it is said, “When the hour was come, He sat down” (Luke 22:14).

594. Rt, Hon. W. E, Gladstone, Premier of Britain, wrote: “I have been in public life fifty-eight years, and forty-seven in the Cabinet of the British Government. I have been associated with sixty of the master-minds of the country: and all but five of the sixty were Christians” “Not many mighty” (1 Cor. 1: 26), but some.

595. Dr. Scudder, with his son, was on board a steamship returning from India. He heard one of the sailors using very profane language. He at once said to him, “This boy was born and brought up in a heathen country and a land of idolatry; but, in all his life, he never heard a man blaspheme his Maker until now.” The man apologized, and turned away ashamed. “For every idle word” (Matt. 12:36).

596. John Milton, the author of “Paradise Lost,” wrote:

“Begotten Son, Divine Similitude,

In whose conspicuous countenance, without cloud

Made visible, the Almighty Father shines,

Whom else no creature can behold!

Transfused, on Thee His ample spirit rests.”

“Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Heb. 1:8),

597. Mendelssohn. A church officer in Switzerland was guarding a very precious organ that Mendelssohn had made, and his orders were to allow no one, unless he knew who he was, to touch it. One day a quiet stranger stepped in and asked if he might touch the keys. Before the officer had time to stop him, he had struck off a measure of marvelous harmony. The man stood amazed. “My orders are,” he said, “not to let anyone touch that organ. There must be something unusual about you.” He played on and on till the man laughed and then cried, and finally said, “You must be Mendelssohn himself, for nobody else has ever played like this.” “It is the Lord” (John 21:7).

598. Geo. Muller, of Bristol, by prayer and faith, without asking for a penny, received £1,500,000, gave away personally £84,000, and died leaving £160! “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6).

599. D. L. Moody made this plain statement: “You take the great doctrine of Substitution out of the preaching of Paul, Peter, John, James, Philip, and all other holy men, and you take out all that they preached. There does not seem to be one ray of hope for men that ignore the blessed subject of the Atonement” (Ex. 30. 10:15; Lev. 16. 10; Rom. 5:11).

600. Augustine says: “In Cicero and Plato, and other such writers, I meet with many things wittily said, and things that have a moderate tendency to move the passions; but in none of them do I find these words, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’” (Matt. 11:28).

601. Sir Walter Scott, of Abbotsford, wrote of the Bible:

“Within this wondrous Volume lies

The mystery of mysteries;

Happiest they of human race

To whom their God has given grace

To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,

To lift the latch, to find the way;

And better had they ne’er been born,

That read to doubt, or read to scorn.”

602. Dr. Jowett. “I once called upon a cobbler whose home was in a little seaside town in the North of England. He worked all alone in an exceedingly tiny room. I asked him if he did not sometimes feel oppressed by the imprisonment of his little chamber. ‘Oh, no!’ he replied, ‘if any feelings of that sort begin, I just open the door!’ And he opened the door leading into another room, and it gave him a glorious view of the sea. The little room was glorified in its vast revelation. To the cobbler’s bench there came the suggestion of the Infinite. This expresses my conception of our ministry as we encounter men and women in their daily lot. We are to open that door, and let in the inspiration of the Infinite! We are to go about skillfully relating everything to God.” “Make known” (Eph. 6:19).

603. Dean Inge, of St. Paul’s, London, author of many wise and unwise sayings, made this statement: “The Florentines flattered Savonarola until they found he meant business, then they burned him.” Not unlike a Greater than Savonarola (Luke 4:22 Then 29).

604. Dr. W. C. Poole, President of the World’s S. S. Association, stated that it was computed that there were 700 million persons in the world under 20 years of age, of which some 33 millions are in Sunday Schools. What a field for prayer and effort. “Train up a child” (Prov. 22:6).

605. Wm. Wheatley, for over 60 years Superintendent of St. Giles Christian Mission, Cripple gate, London, passed away in his 88th year. His efforts to save young lads from a life of crime were heroic and persistent, and had a national influence. “The love of Christ constrained him” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

606. Pharnaces, the son of Mithridates, the King of Pontus, sent a crown to Cæsar of the time he was in rebellion against him. Caesar refused the present, saying, “Let him first lay down his rebellion, and then I will receive his crown.” There are many who set a crown of glory upon the head of Christ by a good profession, and yet plant a crown of thorns upon His head by an evil conversation. “If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9).

607. Dr. Dinsdale T. Young describes his method of preaching thus: “My preparation for the pulpit is that method at which I have arrived after years of almost ceaseless preaching. I preach on at least one text every week-often two ― on which I never preached before. A text haunts me. I usually get the plan of the sermon quickly and jot it down on a half sheet of paper. I brood over day by day in my study, in the railway train, in the street. I consult every exegete and exposition I can reach (and I have 3000 books). I seek incessantly the light of the Guiding Spirit. Never a sentence do I write. I am absolutely extemporaneous as to language I prepare a plan with much more matter than I ever use, and I take the half-sheet on which it is inscribed into the pulpit with me.” “My preaching” (1 Cor. 2:4).

608. Dr. Horatius Bonar put the personal note thus: “I am only one, but I am one; I cannot do everything, but I can do something; And what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.” “By grace I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

609. Henry Ward Beecher, the American preacher, put oratory into his prayers. One newspaper described a prayer as “the greatest prayer ever presented to a Boston audience.” Too many prayers are thus presented, instead of a simple appeal to God. “Give ear unto my prayer, O God” (Psa. 55:1).

610. George Whitefield is said to have preached over a thousand times from the text, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3, 7), and to all kinds of audiences from the very roughest to that of the highest and noblest in the land. The effect of his preaching was so remarkable that great audiences are described as being “drenched in tears.” “How can I help weeping,” he said to them, “when you have not wept for yourselves;” and they began to weep.

611. Dr. W. Y. Fullerton, most famous of Spurgeon’s evangelists, makes a confession in his autobiography: “I was the shyest (referring to the improbability of him ever becoming a preacher), almost blushing at my own shadow; and in spite of my long experience and much preaching, though in accustomed ways I can face a congregation without a tremor, till this day I am still shy and nervous in new places and circumstances.” “He that feareth... is accepted” (Acts 10:35).

612. Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, three times Chancellor of the Exchequer and twice Prime Minister of Britain, seems to have studied the claims of Christ, for he uttered this striking testimony: “Had it not been for Jesus Christ, the Jews would have been known only as a high Oriental caste which had lost its country. Has not He made their history the most famous in the world. The wildest dreams of their Rabbis have been far exceeded. Has not Jesus conquered Europe and changed its name to Christendom? The time will come when countless myriads will find music in the songs of Zion, and solace in the parables of Galilee.” “His Name... Wonderful!” (Ise. 9:6).

613. Sir Wm. Crookes, F. R. S., made this remarkable admission: “I have known of cases in which too rash dabbling in Spiritism has had serious effects, ending in lunacy.” “Sorceress...shall have their part” (Rev. 28:1).

614. John Berridge, the quaint Puritan preacher, warned by the magistrate not to preach in a certain place, replied that in future he had determined to preach on two opportunities― “In season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). Would that many more saved sinners would do the same.

615. Hugh Macmillan said: “The grave is an underground avenue to Heaven, a triumphal arch through which spiritual heroes return from their fight to their reward, made conquerors, and more than conquerors, through Him that loved them; the dressing chamber in which the believer puts off his sordid and polluted garments and puts on his beautiful wedding robes, to arise and meet the Lord in the air” (1 Cor. 15:55).

616. Sir Henry Irving, Britain’s greatest actor, passed away a few minutes after reaching his hotel, and within half an hour of his leaving the stage. Before the curtain fell he had said with ranch feeling, “I do commend my cause to God... Into Thy hands, O Lord, into Thy hands.” Mesa, the last words of Becket, were the last to be spoken on the stage by the great actor. Half an hour later and the curtain of death had fallen, and so ended the life of a remarkable man. How different to Luke 22:46; Acts 7:59.

617. Dr. Jowett, the famous preacher of London and New York, writing on “Even in Sardis!” says: “It is always an arresting and pleasant surprise to see something beautiful in a most unlikely place. Some lover of beauty has grown a little clump of flowers on the Underground at the Mansion House Station. There are not more than twenty of them altogether, but there they are, raising their lovely forms in grim, black surroundings. The dark foil of the station walls sets them out in bold relief, and their presence is very startling.” “Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (Rev. 3:4).

618. Thomas Carlyle made this trite remark: “He who has no vision of Eternity will never get a true hold of Time.” “Things not seen... eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

619. John Ruskin, LL.D., the artist and author of world-wide repute, declared: “All that I have taught of art, everything that I have written, every greatness that has been in any thought of mine, whatever I have done in my life, has simply been due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily read with me a part of the Bible, and daily made me learn a part of it by heart.” “Thy Word is very pure” (Psa. 119: 140; 2 Tim. 1:5).

620. D. L. Moody. At a meeting a clergyman got up and said to D. L. Moody, “Would you be good enough to give us your creed?” And Moody, in his short, epigrammatic way, said, “Oh, yes, I will tell you; it is in print.” They expressed their gratification that it was already at their disposal, and asked where it could be obtained. He said, “It is the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah” (Isa. 53:6).

621. Lord Wolseley was in the trenches before Sebastopol, when the hospital staff were going round with stretchers to take up the killed and wounded. One of them said, “Here’s a dead un,” and was about to pass on, when a feeble voice was heard: “No, lift me up. I’m worth many a dead one. Give me air.” This young officer was later on known to fame as Lord Wolseley. Many men who are down and crushed by sin and Satan, want hands to lift them up into the light and air of Heaven. “Unto the uttermost” (Heb. 7:25).

622. C. H. Spurgeon, when he severed his connection with the Baptist Union, wrote: “Numbers of good brethren remain in fellowship with those who are undermining the Gospel, and they talk of their conduct as if it were a loving course which the Lord will approve of in the day of His appearing. We cannot understand them. The bounden duty of a true believer towards men who profess to be Christians, and yet deny the Word of the Lord and reject the fundamentals of the Gospel, is to come out from among them. Complicity with error will take from the best of men the power to enter any successful protest against it.” “Be separate... touch not the unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:17).

623. George Muller, of Bristol, said to Dr. A. T. Pierson: “My beloved brother, the Lord has given you much light, and will hold you responsible for its use. If you obey Him and walk in the light, you will have more, if not, the light will be withdrawn.” “While ye have the light” (John 12:36).

624. Samuel Rutherford’s last words were: “I shall shine, I shall see Him as He is, and all the fair company with Him, and shall have my large share. It is no easy thing to be a Christian. But as for me, I have the victory; and Christ is holding forth His arms to embrace me.” “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing” (Acts 7:56).

625. Zinovieff, whose name has been in many papers, connected with a certain letter, wrote to youthful Communists: “We will grapple with the Lord God in due season. We shall vanquish Him in His highest Heaven and wherever He seeks refuge, and we shall subdue Him forever.” ― The Times, December 29, 1924. “He that contendeth with the Almighty” (Job 40:2; Rev. 16:14).

626. John A. Clarke. A writer who accompanied him writes: “I went with this Central African worker to one of the largest geographical establishments in the kingdom to, select some maps for the native schoolroom. After looking at over two hundred maps from all the publishers, I remarked that the journeys of no emperor, no king, no traveler, no philosopher, no inventor, no millionaire had been chartered, only one man had a map all to himself even in the twentieth century— ‘the Travels of the Apostle Paul’ (2 Tim. 4:7, 8).

627. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan clears one important point when he writes: “The baptism of the Spirit is the primary blessing: it is, in short, the blessing of regeneration. When a man is baptized with the Spirit he is ‘born again.’ There is, however, an essential difference between that essential blessing and the blessing into which thousands of God’s people have been entering during recent years—the difference between the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit” (Baptized, 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3: 17; Filled, Luke 1:41:67; Acts 2:4; 13:9; Ephesians 5:18).

628. Augustine said: “Christ exclaimed, ‘Lazarus, come forth’ (John 11. 43). For He only wanted one person. Had He not said ‘Lazarus,’ the whole graveyard would have come forth, as all shall ‘come forth’ on the Day to come” (John 5:29).

629. Mackay of Uganda wrote of the Christians who were burned to death: “They met death bravely and with songs of praise. ‘Daily, daily sing the praises,’ sang these dear lads as the flames licked their bodies and scorched their flesh. The first martyrs had laid down their lives for the faith in Uganda.” “They loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:11).

630. Dr. W. T. P. Wolston, an Edinburgh Christian medical man of repute, pictured a fishing boat entering a Scottish harbor after a storm. The wife of one sailor sat at home, all ready, waiting for her husband. The wife of another faced the storm and spray on the pier watching for her loved one. Christians should net only “wait” (1 Cor. 1:7), but “watch” (Mark 13:37; Rev. 3:3), on the outlook, for their Lord.

631. Thomas Adams, in speaking of the three graces, faith, hope, and love, says: “As the three principal colors of the rainbow-red, yellow, and blue, representing heat, light, and purifying power-supply in their combination all the other colors; so, by a sort of moral analysis, faith, hope, and love lie at the foundation, or enter into the composition of all other Christian excellencies (Rom. 13:10).

632. Rowland Hill, the great preacher, once visited an intimate friend; and having left the house, a member of the family remarked that Mr. Hill had not a shirt on. “That is very strange,” said the mistress of the house; “but the next time he calls, I’ll ask him about it.” On his next visit, the question was asked: and he replied, “It’s quite correct: I went to see a poor man who was ill in bed, and as he was without a shirt, I gave him mine.” “But would it not have been as well if you had sent it on your return home?” inquired the lady. “I might have changed my mind,” said Mr. Hill; “besides, I thought my warm shirt was better than a cold one” (1 Cor. 13:4).

633. F. N. Charrington, of Great Assembly Hall, put his conversion to us this terse way: “I was heir to an inheritance of £250,000, but it was tainted with blood. I gave up that inheritance and found an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 1:4). More than 50 years of service have proved the genuineness of his turning from “beer” to the “Bible.”

634. Dr. J. A. Fleming, F. R. S., president of the Victoria Institute, expresses surprise that “in the place—Westminster Abbey―where, for 300 years, men and women of renown have been buried ‘in the sure and certain hope of a resurrection,’ an English Bishop should advocate as a new gospel, ‘belief in the monkey origin of mankind’” (Gal. 1:8).

635. Frances Ridley Havergal, in her last hours on earth, enjoyed great peace in the Lord. Among her words were: “God’s will is delicious; He makes no mistakes―I have peace, but it’s Himself I am longing for. Ever since I trusted Jesus altogether, I have been so happy. I cannot tell how lovely, how precious He is to me. God’s promises are so true. Not a fear.” “My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27).

Testimonies by Great Scientific Authorities

636. Sir. G. G. Stokes, President of the Royal Society, wrote: “I do not think there is any opposition between the account in Genesis, and what we learn from science.”

637. Paul Rader’s brother, a very eminent American chemist, declares there is not one chemical error in the Bible, and that is his scientific opinion after a profound study of the Old Book.

638. Dr. Christie, the eminent geographer, declares that in the whole of the Bible, after years of study, he has not found a single geographical error. “Every word of God is pure” (Prow. 30:5).

639. Guyot, an eminent professor of geology, writes: “The Bible narrative, by its sublime plan, its profound scientific accuracy, betrays the supreme guidance which directed the pen of the writer, and kept him throughout within the limits of truth.” “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21),

640. President Thiers, the great French statesman, said: “I invoke the Lord God, in whom I am glad to believe.” “Have faith in God” (Rom. 14:22).

641. Edmund Burke made this trite remark of the mischiefs that vex the world: “Most arise from words.” Yet “who can refrain from words” (Job 4:2, margin).

642. Joseph Milner, author of the well-known Church History, in his last sickness said, “There was a time when I should have been very unhappy to have had so little of sensible comfort; but I have seen reason to believe that one of the most acceptable exercises of the true Christian’s faith consists in patiently waiting God’s time, and relying confidently on His word. For many years I have been endeavoring to live from day to day as a pensioner on God’s bounty. I learn to trust Him, and He sends the manna without fail.” “He fed them with manna” (Deut. 8:3; Psa. 78:24).

643. Ramsay Macdonald, M.P., Ernest Bevin, Ben Tillett, and other known leaders (some of them Socialists), signed a declaration containing these striking passages: “It is our conviction that statesmanship will fail and political programs will prove futile as a solvent of social troubles, unless they embody the spirit and practice of Christ...In attaching our names to this manifesto we proclaim our belief in the Gospel of Christ as the final truth concerning the relationships of men one with another.” Wherever men “seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him,” like Paul we therein rejoice, “though He be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27).

644. Judge Parry, on passing a severe penalty upon a woman Shylock at Bermondsey, made the following plain comments: “The landlord who lets his slum property at an exorbitant rent, the tallyman who sells rubbishy finery to silly women at extravagant prices, the tout who foists a gaudy watch or a useless gramophone on a callow working lad, a quack doctor who sells his humbugging remedies in the market-place―all profiteers and ‘foisters,’ as our fathers called them―are guilty of the sin of usury and deserving of punishment.” “Usury,” or lending money at immoderate interest, is plainly condemned in Scriptures (Psa., 15:5; Proverbs 28:8; Ezek. 18:8).

645. General Gordon wrote, as he started from Cairo to Khartoum, “I go up with an Infinite Almighty God to direct and guide me; ant am so called to trust in Him as to fear nothing, and, indeed, to feel sure of success” (Gen. 17:1; Rev. 1:8).

646. T. Fowell Buxton wrote: “The longer I live, the more certain I am that the great difference between men, between the feeble and the powerful, the great and the insignificant, is energy, invincible determination. A purpose once fixed―then death or victory.” Paul said: “I determined” (1 Cor. 2:2).

647. Sir Frank Dawson, Astronomer Royal, writing on “The Sight of the Century,” which was observed at Giggleswick, in Yorkshire, at 6 a.m., on June 29, 1927, when, from the ground, and from an airplane at a height of 11,000 feet, the totality of the eclipse of the Sun was photographed, uses the word “Magnificent.” “Glorious things are spoken of Thee” (Psa. 87:3).

648. Cornell. A traveler, explorer, and big game hunter, was the discoverer of the alluvial diamond deposits at the mouth of the Orange River. He came to London with specimens of stones, had wealth almost beyond the dreams of avarice within his reach, when he was killed by a motor accident near the Marble Arch in March, 1921. To many a one within even a greater possession it could be said, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom” (Mark 12:34).

649. Thomas Telford, the builder of the Menai Suspension Bridge, a few months before his death, stated that for some time previous to the opening of the Bridge his anxiety was so great that he could scarcely sleep, and that a continuance of that condition must have very soon completely undermined his health. We are not surprised, therefore, to find that when his friends rushed to congratulate him on the result of the first day’s experiment, which decisively proved the strength and solidity of the bridge, they should have found the engineer on his knees engaged in prayer. A vast load had been taken off his mind: the perilous’ enterprise of the day had been accomplished without loss of life; and his spontaneous act was thankfulness. “Before honor is humility” (Prov. 15:33).

650. Methuselah, the oldest man, was contemporary with Adam for more than 200 years, and with Noah for about 600 years (Gen. 5:27).

651. Pastor David J. Findlay, of the St. George’s Cross Tabernacle, Glasgow, said: “There is far more joy in doing faithfully and well one bit of work than in scattering our energies over many.” “This one thing I do” (Phil. 3:13).

652. Dr. Henry Montgomery, of Belfast, looking back upon fifty years of continuous service as an evangelist, a missionary, and a minister of the Gospel, testifies that “The Lord hath done great things” (Psa. 71:19). And at the end of well-nigh sixty years found the Old Gospel―Ruin by the Fall, Redemption through the Blood of Christ, and Regeneration by the Holy Spirit―as powerful and as fitting in this age as ever it has been in the past. Preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, it still works its wonders. “The Gospel and the Power (Rom. 1:16).

653. Rudolph Valentino, the film artist who ascended to fame like a meteor, concerning whom much was said when he died in 1926; is now supposed to be replying to “spiritists” ―some demon impersonating him. When he died his last words were given as, “Doctor, do you know the greatest thing I am looking forward to?” “What is it?” asked the doctor. “It is the fishing review next month,” and he lapsed into unconsciousness from which he never recovered. Is this the person likely to send messages from the spirit world? How true 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 16:14.

654. Samuel Pearce, of Birmingham, being in London one weekday evening, and not engaged to preach, asked his friend where he could hear a good sermon? Mr. S. mentioned two places. “Well,” said Mr. P., “tell me the characters of the preachers, that I may choose.” “Mr. D.,” said his friend, “exhibits the orator, and is much admired for his pulpit eloquence.” “Well,” said Mr. P., “and what is the other?” “Why, I hardly know what to say of Mr. C; he always throws himself in the background, and you see his Master only.” “That’s the man for me, then, let us go and hear him!” “Let him speak My Word faithfully” (Jer. 23:28).

655. W. Y. Fullerton. At a dinner in his honor Mr. Fullerton said: “When C. H. Spurgeon sent me out on my evangelistic work he said, ‘I’ll guarantee you bread and cheese, and, if you die, I’ll bury you.’” “God is able” (Eph. 3:20).

656. Augustine was the originator of what has often been repeated. He said: “If God had designed woman as man’s master, He would have taken her from his head; if as his slave, He would have taken her from his feet: but as He designed her for his companion and equal, He took her from his side” (Gen. 2:21-24).

657. John Duxbury, the most popular reciter of his day, touring Canada and the United States, wrote: “I find the people eager to hear the recitals of the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress,’ ‘The Story of Joseph,’ “The Book of Job,’ and ‘Silas Marner.’” Evidently the Old Book is premier still even in the New World. “Holding forth the Word of Life” (Phil. 2:16).

658. Saladin, the famous Sultan of Egypt, when dying, gave to his soldiers a humbling lesson. Calling for his standard-bearer, he ordered him to take his winding-sheet upon his pike, and go out to the camp with it and tell the army, “That of all his conquests, victories, and triumphs, he had nothing now left him, but that piece of linen to wrap his body in for burial!” As “we brought nothing into this world, so it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7).

659. Captain Hedley Vicars, who fell before Sebastopol leading his company of 200 against an opposing force of 2000 with the memorable cry, “Men of the 97th, follow me!” will long rank as the young man’s hero. “It was in November, 1851, that, whilst awaiting the return of a brother officer to his room he idly turned over the leaves of a Bible which lay on the table. The words caught his eye, “The Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Closing the Book, he said, “If this be true, for me henceforth I will live, by the grace of God, as a man should live who has been washed in the Blood of Jesus Christ.” A noble decision, nobly maintained till promoted higher. Christ magnified in life and death (Phil. 1:20).

660. Dr. Lyman Beecher used to say “that the reason why he was so blessed to the conversion of men was, that he had so many pulpit reflectors, who lived out and diffused everywhere the Gospel.” “Let your light so shine” (Matt. 5:16).

661. R. L. Stevenson is the author of the famous lines:

“There is so much bad in the best of us,

And so much good in the worst of us,

That it hardly behooves any of us

To talk about the rest of us.”

“Love thinketh no evil” (1 Cor. 13: 5).

662. Professor Turner, of Sheffield University, has exhibited water boiling in a glass teapot, on a gas ring, which he declared is not a mere scientific novelty, but is being manufactured in Sunderland. He claimed that they had glass which one could hit with a hammer, plunge first into boiling and then into cold water without cracking. The sooner it is supplied to our homes the better. Will the “sea of glass” (Rev. 15:2) be of similar material?

663. Arthur Bourchier, the London actor-manager, who died rather unexpectedly in Johannesburg, near the end, queried, “Is this St. Peter come to unlock the gates of Heaven?” then just before lapsing into unconsciousness exclaimed, “Now let the curtain descend!” We had thought that men with a world-wide knowledge could have known that neither Peter, nor Paul, nor any other man could unlock that Gate. Jesus said, “I am the Door” (John 10:9). Apart from the Work of Christ none shall enter Heaven (John 3: 36).

664. Charles Simeon said concerning Henry Venn: “Scarcely ever did I visit him but he prayed with me. Scarcely ever did I dine with him, but his ardor in returning thanks, sometimes in an appropriate hymn, and sometimes in a thanksgiving prayer, inflamed the souls of all present, so as to give us a foretaste of Heaven itself; and in all the years that I knew him, I never remember him to have spoken unkindly of any one, but once; and I was particularly struck with the humiliation he expressed for it, in his prayer, the next day.” “Love... thinketh no evil” (1 Cor. 13:5).

665. Professor Tyndall, colleague of Faraday, made the following remark: “No one possessed of a sense of humor can contemplate without amusement the battle of evolution” “In the beginning God created” (Gen. 1:1).

666. Jonas Newton, when his memory was nearly gone, used to say, that whatever he might forget, he could not forget two things— “First, that he was a great sinner and secondly, that Jesus Christ was a Great Saviour” (1 Tim. 1:15). “To the uttermost” (Heb. 7:25 R.V.).

667. Queen Victoria, when called to sign her first death warrant, burst into tears. Lord Melbourne said, “Your Majesty knows that you have the prerogative of mercy.” “Then,” she replied, “let the sentence be changed to transportation for life.” “Love is kind” (1 Cor. 13:4).

668. Dr. Jowett listed two uncongenial thus: “There is nothing more uncongenial to me, as I move about amid the venerable stones and subduing presence of Westminster Abbey, than to hear the cold, heartless, wonderless recitals of the official guides. Yes, there is one thing more uncongenial still: to hear the great evangel of redeeming love recited with the metallic apathy of a gramophone. We must avoid cold officialism.” “Did not our heart burn” (Luke 24:32).

669. George Whitefield, preaching before the seamen in New York, had the following bold apostrophe in his sermon: “Well, my boys, we have a clear sky, and are making fine headway over a smooth sea, before a light breeze, and we shall soon loose sight of land. But what means this sudden lowering of the heavens, and that dark cloud arising from beneath the western horizon? Hark! Don’t you hear distant thunder? Don’t you see those flashes of lightning? There is a storm gathering every man to his duty! How the waves rise, and dash against the ship! The air is dark! The tempest rages! Our masts are gone! The ship is on her beam ends! What next?” The unsuspecting tars, reminded of former perils on the deep, as if struck by the power of magic, arose with united voices and minds, and exclaimed, “TAKE TO THE LONG BOAT!” “So we preach, so ye believe” (1 Cor. 15:11).

670. John Milton cried: “Let truth and falsehood grapple; truth never yet was worsted in an encounter with falsehood.” “No lie is of the truth” (1 John 2:21).

671. Sir J. M. Barrie tells of his mother adying, uttering as last words, “God” and “love,” adding: “God was smiling when He took her to Him, as He had so often smiled at her during those seventy-six years.” “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” (Rom. 14:13).

672. Sir Adolph Tuck, head of the Jewish firm of Raphael, Tuck & Sons, London, said to be the largest firm of Christian and Christmas Card publishers in the world, left a fortune of ₤321,638. He directed that any child marrying a person not of Jewish blood and faith should forfeit all interest under his will. We fail to see how this is Jewish consistency. Evidently John 4:9 holds good still, except when there is a profit.

673. Collins, the Freethinker, once met a plain countryman going to church. He asked him whither he was going. “To church, sir, to worship God.” “Pray, is your God a great or a little God?” “He is both, sir.” “How can he be both?” “He is so great, sir, that the Heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and so little that He can dwell in my heart.” Collins was so struck, that he afterward declared that the simple answer of the countryman had produced a greater effect upon his mind, that all the volumes which the learned doctors had written against him (Isa. 57:15).

674. John Wesley. A lady once said to him, “Suppose you knew that you were to die tomorrow night at twelve o’clock, how would you spend the intervening time?” “Why,” he replied, “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 my friend Martin’s, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at ten o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.” “They go from strength to strength, every one of them appeareth before God in Zion” (Psa. 84: 7, R. V.).

675. Henry Frowde, M. A., of Oxford University Press, in the 39 years of his control, issued some 25 million Scriptures. Good for one life. What will “the Harvest” be (John 4:35).

676. Gibbon, the historian, writes: “While the Roman Empire was invaded by open violence, or undermined by slow decay, a pure and humble religion greatly insinuated itself into the minds of men, grew up in silence and sobriety, derived new vigor from opposition, and finally erected the banner of the Cross on the ruins of the capital.” “He must increase” (John 3:30).

677. President Melyin G. Kyle, of Xenin Seminary, Georgia, U.S.A., lecturing at the Victoria Institute, London, said: “The civilization of the days of Abraham, which the Bible represents to have been on the plain at that time, is found to have been actually there, and the absence of any trace of civilization from that period down to 600 A. D. is in exact accord with the silence of Biblical history concerning this plain from the destruction of the city to the end of the history” (Gen. 12:1).

678. General Booth, founder and first head of the Salvation Army, who began work in the East of London, amidst much opposition and abuse, has a remarkable monument, in the form of a Memorial Hall and Training College, on Denmark Hill, London. The site covers 71 acres, and the building includes Large Hall, seating 1000; hostels for 350 women and 250 men cadets, hydropathic, hospital, etc., graced with a central tower rising 190 feet, with powerful electric light. “Let your light so shine” (Matt. 5:16).

679. J. G. Parry Thomas, a famous racing motorist, riding his specially designed motor “Babs,” with 450 h.p. engine, at the speed of 170 miles an hour on Pendine Sands, one link of the left driving chain snapped, and the chain whistling through the air tore the scalp off Mr. Thomas, smashed one of the front wheels, the car almost described a circle, turned over sideways, righted itself, nose-dived into the sand, and burst into flames. Doctors asserted that Mr. Thomas was killed instantly. “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam. 20:3), says the Old Book. Good to be “ready” (Matt. 24:44).

680. Horace Greely, American author and journalist, who founded the New York Tribune, says: “It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people.” “Stand fast in the liberty” (Gal. 5:1).

681. Baron de Joest, of Paris, died in 1887, leaving £100,000 to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It was said that “He belonged to seventeen different humanitarian societies, but showed little benevolence to man or beast during his life-time.” “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:16).

682. George Bernard Shaw wrote: “I am not a Christian, any more than Pilate was or than you are, gentle reader. But I am ready to admit, after studying the world of human misery for sixty years, that I see no way out of the world’s troubles but the way which Jesus would have found, had He undertaken the work of a modern practical statesman.” “Leaving us an example” (1 Peter 2:21).

683. Ramsay MacDonald. When Mrs. MacDonald was dying, her husband asked her if she desired to so anyone who could speak to her of that which was to come. “That would be but a waste of time,” she replied, “I have always been ready. Let us praise God together for what has been. He has been very good to me, in giving me my work, my friends, and my faith. At the end of the day, I go gladly to Him for rest and shelter.” “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you” (Isa. 66:13, 14).

684. Dr. W. H. Pope, of Northfield, U.S.A., says: “I know a lady to whom an agent was trying to sell an article for taking out stains. He was rubbing away, and meanwhile eloquently describing the merits of his goods. Soon the lady said, ‘I know something that will take out stains, too.’ ‘What is that?’ asked the man eagerly, not knowing but that some other dirt-killer had canvassed the town ahead of him. “The blood of Jesus Christ which cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). ‘Do you know anything about that?’ Do you suppose that man would demonstrate his goods again for six months without thinking of that ‘other something’ which could take stains out of a sinful heart?”

685. John Locke, English philosopher, said: “If you dig down far enough into earth, you come to water. If you bore down deep enough into life, you come to tears.” “I water my couch with tears” (Psa. 6:6).

686. Charles Dickens, whose works are standards in every language, declared in his will: “I commit my soul to the mercy of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and I exhort my dear children humbly to try and guide themselves by the teaching of the New Testament.” “I have committed” (2 Tim. 1:12).

687. Lord Dewar, the whiskey manufacturer, declared that his favorite drink was “ginger beer.” He said “It is not generally realized that people in the whiskey trade are the quintessence of sobriety.” The principle of Romans 2:21, 22 evidently could be applied thus: “Thou that sayest do not drink whiskey, dost thou make whiskey for man to drink?”

688. Samuel F. B. Morse. A gentleman who used to meet in the Astor Library, New York, Mr. Morse, the celebrated inventor of the electric telegraph, put to him one day this question: “When making your experiments, did you ever come to a stand, not knowing what to do next?” “Oh, yes, more than once,” he replied. “And at such times what did you do next?” “I may answer you in confidence, sir,” said the famous inventor, “but it is a matter of which the public knows nothing. Whenever I could not see clearly, I prayed for more light.” “In everything by prayer” (Phil. 4:6).

689. Pastor Hsi, a renowned Chinese Christian, had a wife who was one with him. When 30,000 cash were necessary to establish a refuge at Hoh-chan, she gave a package to her husband. On opening it, to his surprise, there was a “complete set of all the jewelry a Chinese woman values most―the gold and silver earrings and bracelets, the handsome hairpins, and other ornaments―her husband’s wedding gift.” As Hsi, with tear-dimmed eyes, looked on the ornaments, and then at his wife, she exclaimed: “It is all right. I can do without these. Let Hoh-chan have the Gospel.” Thousands of Christian women might “do likewise” (Luke 10:37), and be better here, and richer hereafter.

690. Sir Isaac Newton once said: “We count the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatever” (Psa. 119:140).

691. Rudyard Kipling, the famous poet, wrote:

“I have known Shadow,

I have known Sun:

And now I know

These two are one.”

“Sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:20).

692. John Wesley was once preaching in the open air when a strong, muscular butcher endeavored to annoy him, but in vain: at last he went up to him, with the intention of striking him on the head, and raised his arm for the purpose; but when his arm reached Mr. Wesley’s head, he merely stroked his hand down it, saying, “What soft hair he has!” “To hoar hairs will I carry you” (Isa. 46:4).

693. Capt. Charles Lindbergh, on May 20-21, 1927, in his monoplane, the “Spirit of St. Louis,” flew from New York to Paris, a distance of 3700 miles without a stop or a mishap. He was alone in his machine 33½ hours, surely a test of endurance. Yet a greater test awaited him in the terrific crowds who acclaimed him victor, in the banquets and feasting of Royal and other personages, in the enormous sums offered him to appear in public halls, and in the world-wide acclamation of praise. Elijah’s Heavenly plane carried him farther and higher and safer than this nine days’ wonders (2 Kings 2:11).

694. Major C. H. Malan told how, after reading Isaiah 53 to his men, verse 6 came “as a ray from Heaven” into his own mind.

“Then all MY iniquity―that means all my sins of omission as well as commission, all my sins, past, present, and future―all laid BY GOD ON CHRIST, all borne away, all forgiven. Oh, the joy! Oh, the peace! How I ran to my room, and, falling on my knees before God, praised and blessed Him and the Lord Jesus Christ! I have often since been grieved and distressed by sin, but I have never lost that ‘PEACE THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST’” (Heb. 4:9).

695. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, suffered martyrdom A. D. 167. When brought to the stake he desired to stand untied: “Let me alone,” said he, “for He who gave me strength to come to the fire will give me patience to endure the flame.” “Blessed is he that endureth” (James 1:12).

696. Dr. Chalmers called twenty-four times on an infidel, and on each occasion was rudely repelled. On the twenty-fifth time the door was opened, and the dying man wanted to see the one who loved his soul so much as to stand twenty-four rebuffs. The result was that he was caught in the Gospel net. “Consider Him... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Heb. 12:3).

697. Dr. L. W. Munhall, of Philadelphia, quotes the following testimony: “You cannot have Christ and the critics both; you must choose whom you will follow. I have known personally almost all the great scholars in the past thirty years in Germany, who are the Higher Critics, and not one of them believed in the Deity of our Lord.” “Choose ye” (Josh. 24:15; Heb. 11:25).

698. Miss Thompson, painter of the famous picture, “THE ROLL CALL,” was one of the first women in 1874 to have a picture hung in the Royal Academy. The hanging committee were averse to women artists, but when the cloth was removed, and they beheld the battle-stained warriors so vividly depicted, they stood up, raised their hats, and cheered for some minutes. What will it be when the greater “ROLL CALL” of the multitude, which no man can number, are manifest as “more than conquerors, through Him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

We had often wondered what they “more than” meant till we heard―

699. John Smith, a big Irishman, whose name should be famous, says, “What’s a Conqueror? ―a man who wins by fighting. What’s more than Conqueror? ―a man who wins without fighting. Hallelujah!” For―

“Jesus fought and wins the day,

Such a day was never fought;

Well His people now may say,

See what God, our God, has wrought.”

“He went forth conquering and to conquer” (Rev. 6:2; Heb. 2:14).

700. Dr. Zeller, of the Stuttgart Statistical Bureau, in 1906 gave the number of followers of Christ as 534,911,000. It must be nearer 600 millions now, and expands year by year. “He must increase” (John 3: 30).

701. George Brealey, evangelist of the Blackdown Hills, was asked, “Shall I write your life?” “It is all written,” was the answer, “and it will be read out in the morning” (Eccl. 6:12).

702. Dr. W. R. Hadwen, Gloucester, presented Mrs. S. Preston with a medal for 48 years’ service as Sunday School Teacher, 28 years of which were spent in Nelson Street School. “Thou hast borne and hast patience” (Rev. 2:3).

703. Wm. Law, the famous old divine, said: “When the first desire after God arises in thy soul, give all thy heart to it; it is nothing less than a touch of the Divine loadstone that is to draw thee out of the vanity of time into the riches of eternity.” “Yield yourselves unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

704. John Jones, a London preacher, who delivered 4000 addresses, had made arrangements to attend a cock-fight, but was requested by the butler (where he was in service) to stay in. He went to his room, shut the door, sat down, and thought. His eyes then lighted on a Bible his mother had given him. He sat down to read, and the Book opened at the 16th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. His eyes seemed riveted on the thirteenth verse, and reading on, he stopped at the sixteenth verse. He read it over and over again: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.” There was a great struggle in the conscience, and he said to himself: “Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.” John Jones was there and then born again, converted, regenerated, a new man in Christ Jesus; and though he had never prayed before, he prayed then, and his wish was that he might devote his life as a servant of God. Respectfully telling his master, a peer, the answer came back: “Jones, you will go to the dogs.” He replied, “It is better, my lord, to go to the dogs than go to the Devil.” “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve” (Josh. 24:15).

705. Zinzendorf said: “I have but one enthusiasm, it is HE, only HE.” “Jesus only” (Mark 9:8).

706.Thomas Carlyle said concerning the Christ of God: “JESUS OF NAZARETH! Higher has the human thought not reached; a symbol of quiet perennial, infinite character, whose significance will ever demand to be anew inquired into.” “The Pre-eminence” (Col. 1:18).

707. John M’Neill, the well-known evangelist, was giving addresses in the Royal Albert Hall, London. A lady of high degree had prevailed on an eminent scientist, who was frankly Agnostic, to attend. The Shepherd Psalm was the subject. The gentleman wrote to the lady afterward: “I have heard your preacher several times. All I will say is, from henceforth I am no longer Agnostic. The Shepherd has found His sheep” (Psa. 23; John 10:11).

708. Major C. H. Malan writes: “I was sitting, Bible in hand, in Ely station, when a train came in; and, “as it passed, the quick eye of the engine-driver caught sight of my Bible. By the smile which instantly crossed his face, I knew he loved the Book. So I went up to him, holding it up, and saying, ‘This is what takes us to the right terminus, my friend; is it not?’ ‘It is indeed, sir,’ he replied; ‘I’ve known that Book these ten years, and am very sorry I did not know it before.’” “Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22).

709. Principal Barker, lecturing in the Glasgow University on the effect of language and literature on national life and character, made a selection of 12 authors and the order of their effect on the Character of Britain, in the following order: 1, The Authorized Version of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and in the North the metrical version of the Psalms; 2, The Pilgrim’s Progress; 3, Shakespeare; 4, Paradise Lost; 5, Wordsworth; 6, Hymns of Wesley, Watts, and Cowper; 7, Burns’ poems; 8, Dickens; 9, Robinson Crusoe; 10, Gray’s Elegy; 11, Boswell’s Life of Johnson; 12, Sir Walter Scott. However we may differ as to others, we agree as to the first named―The Bible; and the second, Pilgrim’s Progress. “Where the Word of a (the) King is, there is power” (Eccl. 8:4).

710. The Duke of Luxemburg declared upon his death-bed, that “he would rather have had it to reflect upon, that he had administered a cup of cold water to a worthy poor creature in distress, than that he had gained a thousand battles” (Matt. 10:42; Mark 9:41).

711. Sir William Temple supplied the following: “The best rules to form character are, to talk little, to hear much, to reflect alone on what has passed in company, to distrust one’s own opinions, and value others that deserve it.” “Swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19).

712. J. A. Frowde, the eminent historian, gave this good advice: “Be honest with yourself, whatever the temptation; say nothing to others that you do not think, and play no tricks with your own mind. Of all the evil spirits abroad at this hour in the world, insincerity is the most dangerous.” “Serve the Lord in sincerity” (Josh. 24:14; Psa. 119:1; Phil. 1:10).

713. Billy Bray, the Cornish Methodist preacher was met by a member of the Society of Friends. “Mr. Bray,” said the Quaker, “I have often observed thy unselfish life, and feel much interested in thee, and I believe the Lord would have me help thee, so if thou wilt call at my house I have a suit of clothes, to which thou art welcome if they will fit thee.” “Thank’ee,” said Billy, “I will call; thee need have no doubt that the clothes will fit me. If the Lord told thee that they were for me, they’re sure to fit, for He knows my size exactly.” “The Lord knoweth our frame” (Psa. 103:14).

714. Dr. W. P. Mackay, author of the remarkable book, “Grace and Truth,” wrote: “When I was a young man one of my first difficulties was this: I can confess Christ tonight, I can say I am not ashamed to own my Lord; but what will happen tomorrow? I am sure to be tempted; shall I stand firm? Well, thank God, He put the thought in my mind, ‘I will wait till tomorrow comes, and He will enable me to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.’ Not to be strong in myself, but in my weakness to be strong in Him. I found as I went on that the Master had been before me, and that the difficulties had been provided for.” “He that keepeth thee will not slumber” (Psa. 121:3).

715. Professor Mackenzie said: “The God of Christianity is conceived at once as the infinite power revealed in nature and the source and end of the moral ideal.” “God, the Judge of all” (Heb. 12:23).

716. S. T. Coleridge, in his day “the lion of London literary circles,” thus wrote of the Book of books: “The Bible finds me at greater depths of my being than any other book.” “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psa. 139:23).

717. Newman Hall, the famous preacher, told that his father was in later years harassed by doubts as to his fitness for Heaven, and his son asked him at last, “Why, what would you do if you found yourself anywhere else?” The answer came decisively, “I should start a prayer meeting;” whereupon his son said with a smile, “Ah! you would do for no other place but Heaven.” “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament” (Dan. 12:3).

718. Dr. Chalmers, the famous Scottish divine, said: “Live for something! Do good, and leave behind you a monument of virtue that the storm of time can never destroy. Write your name in kindness, love, and mercy on the hearts of the thousands you come in contact with year by year, and you will never be forgotten. Your name, your deeds, will be as legible on the hearts you leave behind as the stars on the brow of evening. Good deeds will shine as the stars of Heaven” (Dan. 12:3; Matt. 13:43).

719. Lord Salisbury wrote: “To me, the central point is the Resurrection of Christ, which I believe. Finny, because it is testified by men who had every opportunity of seeing and knowing, and whose veracity was tested by the most tremendous trials, both of energy and endurance, during long lives. Secondly, because of the marvelous effect it had upon the world. As a moral phenomenon, the spread and mastery of Christianity is without a parallel. I can no more believe that colossal moral effects lasting for 2000 years can be without a cause than I can believe that the various emotions of the magnet are without a cause, though I cannot wholly explain them.” “He is risen” (Luke 24:34).

720. C. H. Spurgeon offered to pay the funeral expenses of anyone who died as a result of being immersed, held good in his lifetime, without costing him a penny. Had he lived till today the result would have been the same? “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22).

721. Jean Paul Richter, German author, wrote thus: “The life of Christ concerns Him who, being the holiest among the mighty, and the mightiest among the holy, lifted with His pierced hand empires off their hinges and turned the stream of centuries out of its channel, and still governs the ages” (Heb. 7:26).

722. Stuart Hodgson, a London publicist, declared that Faso rein cannot last. If the declaration of a Fascist minister forms the basis it certainly cannot. His words were: “Humanity for as consists solely of 42,000,000 Italians and of 10,000,000 Italians abroad; the rest do not count.” Philippians 2:4 declares the doom of such a selfish outlook.

723. Gaspard Peucer, of Bautzen, in Lusatia, was professor of medicine at Wittemberg, and married Melanchthon’s daughter, whose works he edited. He was for ten years imprisoned for his opinions, during which time he wrote his thoughts in the form of notes on the margin of some old books which were lent to him. Being refused the use of ink, he adopted the ingenious plan of burning the crust of bread, powdering it finely, and mixing it with some wine. He died, September 25, 1602. Man “hath found out many inventions” (Eccl. 7:29).

724. Lord Rosebery, the silver-tongued English orator, in pleading for the restitution of the “Auld Brig of Ayr,” uttered these burning words: “If Burns were to come in here, with his peasant shoes, his worsted stockings, his broad peasant’s face—aye, in the midst of his face these black globes of fire which contained a world of poetry and fire—suppose he came in today and asked you to save the auld brig for his sake, you would produce every shilling you had, get rid of your rings, jewelry, and personal adornment, and lay them at the feet of ROBERT BURNS!” If such concerning a man, what about the One who said, “For My sake” (1 Cor. 4:10; 2 Cor. 12:10; Eph. 4:32; Heb. 11:26).

725. R. W. Emerson, the Poet, summarized thus: ―

“There is no end in Nature,

Every end is a beginning;

Another round of God’s Divine spiral.”

“Be sober, and hope to the end” (1 Peter 1:13).

726. Lord Fisher, Admiral of the British Fleet, in one of those books of questions which used to be so popular indicated his favorite passage in literature. It is the last chapter of the Book of Job, verses 5, 6: “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

727. The Earl of Stair, speaking at the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh, said it was “an appalling fact that considerably more than one-third of the people belonged to no church.” If this in Scotland, famed for religious leaders, what about other lands? “They shall turn away their ears from the truth” (2 Tim. 4:4).

728. Alexander the Great, coming with his army against Jerusalem, Jaddus the high priest went out of the city to meet him, adorned with his priestly robes, an upper garment of purple embroidered with gold, and a golden plate on the foreside, wherein the Name of God was written. The sight was so grave and solemn, that the Emperor fell to the ground, as reverencing the Name that was thereon inscribed. Before the Man of Sorrows the soldiers fell to the ground” (John 18:6).

729. Andrew Carnegie, the famous American millionaire, who gave away seventy millions of money during his lifetime, died at Lennox, Mass., on 11Th August, 1919. Concerning him, T. P. O’Connor, writing in “M. A. P.,” says: I remember, as we drove down to the station on his four-in-hand coach, I was saying how I envied him his wealth, and he said, ‘I am not really to be envied. How can my wealth help me? I am sixty years old, and I cannot digest. I would give you all my millions if you could give me your youth and health. I’d gladly sell all to have half my life over again.’” True happiness is stated in Psalms 144:15; Proverbs16:20; 1 Peter 3:14.

730. D. L. Moody, asked by a new convert if he would have to give up the world, replied: “Just you give a clear testimony and the world will soon give you up.” “If... of the world, the world would love its own” (John 15:19).

731. Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, thus depicts life: “One’s age should be tranquil, as one’s childhood should be playful; hard work, at either extremity of human existence, seems to me out of place. The morning and the evening should be alike cool and peaceful; at mid-day the sun may burn, and men may labor under it.” “What is your life?” (James 4:14).

732. Lord Wm. Russell, of “the Rye House Plot,” in 1683, when on the scaffold about to be beheaded, took his watch from his pocket, and gave it to Dr. Burnet, who assisted his devotions, with this observation: “My timepiece may be of service to you: I have no further occasion for it. My thoughts are fixed on Eternity” (Isa. 57:15; Micah 5:2, margin).

733. Sir John Mason, Privy Councilor to King Henry the Eighth, made this declaration: “I have seen five princes, and have been privy-counselor to four. I have seen the most remarkable things in foreign parts, and been present at most State-transactions, for thirty years together; and were I to live my time over again, I would change the court for retirement, and the whole life I have lived in the palace, for one hour’s enjoyment of God; all things else forsake me, besides my God, my duty, and my prayers.” “Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

734. Queen Elizabeth rode through London on her way from the Tower to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. At one stage of her progress a beautiful boy, intended to represent Truth, was let down from a triumphal arch, and presented her with a copy of the Bible. This was received by the Queen with a most engaging gracefulness of deportment; she placed it in her bosom, and declared, “that of all the endearing proofs of attachment which she had that day met with from her loving subjects, this gift she considered as the most precious, as it was to her, of all others, the most acceptable.” “Wisdom is more precious than rubies” (Prov. 3:15).

735. Zeuxis, the famous painter, was observed to be very slow at his work, and to let no piece of his go abroad into the world to be seen of men, till he had turned it over and over, this side and that side, again and again, to see if he could espy any fault in it. And being once asked the reason why he was so curious, why so long in drawing his lines, and so slow in the use of his pencil, he made this answer: “I am long in doing what I take in hand, because what I paint, I paint for eternity” (Prov. 9:10).

736. Dean Swift once preached a charity sermon at St. Patrick’s, Dublin, the length of which disgusted many of its auditors: which, coming to his knowledge, and it falling to his lot soon after to preach another sermon of the like kind in the same place, he took special care to avoid falling into the former error. His text was: “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given, will he pay him again” (Prov. 19:17). The dean, after repeating his text, in a more than commonly emphatical tone, added: “Now, my beloved brethren, you hear the terms of this loan; if you like the security, down with your dust.” The quaintness and brevity of the sermon produced a very large contribution. This is evidently the original version of a story which has been much varied.

737. Shuter, the comedian, who had a great partiality for Mr. Whitefield, often attended his ministry. At one period of his popularity, he was acting in a drama under the character of “Ramble.” During the run of the performance, he attended service one Lord’s day morning at Tottenham Court Chapel, London, and was seated in the pew exactly opposite to the pulpit. While Mr. Whitefield was giving full sally to his soul, and in his energetic address, was inviting sinners to the Saviour, he fixed his eye steadfastly upon Shuter, adding to what he had previously said: “And thou, poor Ramble, who hast long rambled from Him, come you also; O end your rambling by coming to Jesus.” Shuter was exceedingly struck, and following Mr. Whitefield afterward into the vestry, said: “I thought I should have fainted, how could you serve me so?” “Man that wandereth from place to place” (Prov. 27:8).

738. Dr. Stuart Holden, of St. Paul’s, Portman Square, London, uttered this wise sentence: “The service which has been inspired by love means more to the Lord of Glory than you will ever know, until you enter His presence, and hear the thanks of His heart spoken by His own lips,” “Never man spice like this man” (John 7:46).

739. Professor Louis Agassiz, Swiss naturalist and Professor of Harvard University, said: “I will frankly tell you that my experience in prolonged scientific investigations convinces me that a belief in God adds a wonderful stimulus to the man who attempts to penetrate into the regions of the unknown.” “I am the beginning and the end” (Rev. 1:8).

740. Dr. John Conder. On his tomb in Bunhill Fields, in the City of London, is this inscription in separate lines: “I HAVE SINNED―I HAVE TRUSTED―I HAVE REPENTED ― I HAVE LOVED―I REST―I SHALL RISE―AND THROUGH THE GRACE OF CHRIST, HOWEVER UNWORTHY―I SHALL REIGN,” “He, which raised up Jesus shall raise up us also” (2 Cor. 4:14).

741. Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the Christian Endeavor Movement, which spread very rapidly in most Lands, died on May 29, 1927, at the age of 76. Converted when 16, ever interested in Sunday School Work, he started the first Christian Endeavor in the Congregational Church at Portland, Maine, where he was minister. With all its defects, the Christian Endeavor has helped many young folk, especially when led by an earnest Christian worker. Every Christian ought to be a Bible “endeavorer” (Eph. 4:3, 2 Peter 1:15).

742. Sir Robert A. Jones, in a lecture at Gresham College, London, in 1927, said that, “Insanity was recognized by the Egyptian Priesthood 2000 years ago,” thus confirming Daniel 4:25. He concluded with this remarkable statement: “The brain of man was very highly convoluted and contained nine thousand millions of neurons. Man was improving, his condition was improving, and he would eventually arrive at a high state of perfection. In the brain of man there was an infinite capacity for further development.” The Bible says different (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 6:5, 2 Tim. 3:8; Rom. 8:6).

743. General Foch, the Generalissimo of the Allied Armies, wrote concerning the Bible: “The Bible is certainly the best preparation that you can give to a soldier.” “As a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).

744. Admiral Haddock, a British Admiral of days gone by, lay a-dying. Calling his son, he thus addressed him: “Considering my rank in life and public services for so many years, I shall leave you but a small fortune; but, my boy, it is honestly got, and will wear well; there are no seamen’s wages or provisions, nor one single penny of dirty money in it.” “In all things willing to live honestly” (Heb. 13:8; Rom. 13:13).

745. Frederick C. Glass, the inveterate pioneer in Brazil, was the first to put into use an airplane for tract distribution. He thus reached the interior and widely separated places in this vast country with the Scriptures and Gospel messages. The Gospel aviator was one of the diligent band of colporteurs. They circulated more than 20,000 copies of the Scriptures in 1927. “Do exploits” (Dan. 11:28, 32).

746. King Oswald sat at table, when a fair silver dish, full of regal delicacies, was set before him, and he, ready to fall to, hearing from his almoner that there were many poor at his gate, piteously crying out for some relief, did not fill them with words, as, God help them, God relieve them, God comfort them, but commanded his steward presently to take the dish off the table, and distribute the meat, then beat the dish all in pieces, and cast it among them. This was true charity. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).

747. Professor Dana said of Genesis 1: “The first thought that strikes the scientific reader is the evidence of divinty, not merely in the first verse of the record and the successive facts, but in the whole order of creation. There is so much that the most recent readings of science have for the first time explained that the idea of man as the author becomes utterly incomprehensible. By proving the reverse true science pronounces it Divine, for who could have correctly narrated the secrets of eternity but God Himself.” “I have made the earth” (Isa. 45:12). “God created the Heavens and the Earth.”

748. Theodore Roosevelt, president of the U.S.A., declared: “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage that we move on to better things.

749. St. Jerome made this true Christian-like speech: “If my father should stand before me, my mother should hang upon me, my brethren should press about me, I would break through my brethren, throw down my mother, tread under feet my father, that I might the faster cleave unto Christ Jesus, my Saviour.” “Cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart” (Acts 11:23).

750. Joseph Ernest Renan, whose Vie de Jesus is recognized as the infidel record, wrote: “All history is incomprehensible without Christ. He is the incomparable Man to whom the universal conscience has decreed the title Son of God, and that with justice. To tear Thy Name from this world would rend it to its foundations. Between Thee and God there will no longer be any distinction.” “Equal with God” (Phil. 2: 6; John 5:18).

751. Henry VII, in derision of star-gazers, asked one (who had before prophesied of his death) this question: “What shall betide me this Christmas?” The cunning man, forsooth, answered, he could not tell. “What then, I pray thee,” quoth the king, “shall become of thee?” To this he answered, likewise, that he knew not. “Well then,” said the king, “I am, then, more learned in thy science than thyself; for I know that thou shalt be committed to prison, and there lie all this Christmas, for a juggling companion.” “Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1).

752. Billy Dawson, a Yorkshire preacher, famous in his day, once saw a half-witted lad trying to rub the name off the brass plate on a door. The more he rubbed the brighter the brass and the blacker the name, till Billy sang out:

“My name from the palms of His hands

Eternity cannot erase,

Impressed on His heart it remains,

In marks of indelible grace.”

None shall pluck them out of My Father’s hand and My hand (see John 10. 28:29; Isaiah 49:16).

753. F. Congreve, the poet, put 2 Corinthians 6:3 into this couplet:

“Defer not till tomorrow to be wise;

Tomorrow’s sun to thee may never rise.”

754. Professor Totten, a mathematician, declares that he has found traces of “an exceeding long day” in the records or stories of Egypt, Greeks, Chinese, and many other lands. It is found in the most reliable of chronicles, in Joshua 10:11-14.

755. Dr. Alfred Plummer, Master of University College, Durham, writes: “Baptiso is intensive from Bapto. Bapto, ‘I dip’; Baptiso, ‘I immerse.’ The recipients of Christian baptism were required to repent and believe. Not only is there no mention of the baptism of infants, but there is no text from which such baptism can be securely inferred.”

756. Dr. Handley Moule, late Bishop of Durham, cites this remarkable case: “Not many years ago a man, awakened to Divine faith and love, called to see his devout and holy pastor, and told his tale of peace and joy. ‘These are the fruits of your baptism’ (meaning sprinkling as an infant), was the response. But it appeared that the new convert, ‘born again to a living hope,’ had not been baptized, and came to seek the blessing of baptism.” Such a scholar as Dr. Moule thus admits the possibility of the “new birth” and entrance into the Kingdom apart from baptism (John 3:3, 7).

757. John Wesley contrived to give away more money in charity out of a small income, than any man perhaps of his time. His mode, as related by himself was this― when he had thirty pounds a year, he lived on twenty-eight, and gave away forty shillings: the next year receiving sixty pounds, he still lived on twenty-eight, and gave away thirty-two; the next year he received ninety pounds, and gave away sixty-two, the fourth year he received one hundred and twenty-eight, and gave to the poor ninety-two; and so on to the end of the chapter of this worthy man’s benevolence. On a moderate calculation, he gave away in about fifty years, twenty or thirty thousand pounds. “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

758. P. P. Rubens, the greatest painter of the Flemish School: “To the talents of a painter, added all the virtues of a Christian and the graces of a gentleman.”

759. Dr. Lyman Beecher was on his dying bed. A ministerial brother said to him, “Dr. Beecher, you know a great deal; tell us, what is the greatest of all things?” He replied, “It is not theology; it is not controversy; it is to save souls.” (Prov. 30:11).

760. A. Garstin, for long chairman of the Noon-day Prayer Meeting in Aldersgate, at his funeral service had his life described thus: He was A.G. without Christ for 16 years; A.G. in Christ in a moment through faith; A.G. for Christ for 59 years; A.G. with Christ forever and ever. “His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3).

761. Lord Palmerston, born on the 20th of October, 1784, was one of the most talented of our statesmen, a man who lent his noble powers in advocacy of the abolition of the slave trade. He expired in October, 1865, within two days of completing his eighty-first year. By the express desire of Queen Victoria he was interred in Westminster Abbey. Slaves of Satan, shackled hand and foot, are set free when they receive Him who won their freedom at the place called Calvary. “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

762. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, greatly gifted English poet, writer of “The Ancient Mariner,” was born at Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, on the 21St October, 1772. At one time he acquired the habit of taking opium, sometimes an incredible quantity, which well-nigh broke up his robust constitution and wrecked his mind. When near his end, he thus wrote to a friend: “On the very brink of the grave I solemnly bear witness to you that the Almighty Redeemer, most gracious in His promises to them that truly seek Him, is faithful to perform what He has promised, and has preserved, under all my pains and infirmities, the inward peace that passeth all understanding, with the supporting assurance of a reconciled God, who will not withdraw His Spirit from me in the conflict, and in His own time will deliver me from the Evil One.” “Able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him” (Heb. 7:25).

763. Quarles, in his quaint way, says: “Think not that a pleasure which God hath threatened; nor that a blessing which God hath cursed.” “The blessing” (Prov. 10:22).

764. D. L. Moody. On February 24, 1874, occurred the famous “101 Night,” when that number professed in a meeting of D. L. Moody’s in Glasgow. Many of them witnessed for long years. “He that winneth souls is wise” (Prov. 11:30).

765. Dr. F. B. Meyer, the famous preacher, of Christ Church, London, who died at Bournemouth, 28th March, 1929, at the ripe age of 82, is said to have preached 15,000 sermons. In his eightieth year he addressed 300 meetings, and celebrated his 81St birthday by preaching morning and evening. Surely a record. “As ye go preach” (Luke 9:60).

766. John Colville, M.P., for East Lanark, of the firm of David Colville & Sons, Dalzell Steel and Iron Works, Motherwell, etc., used to tell how one Sunday evening in 1874 he was enabled to cast himself upon the Saviour’s promise in John 6:37: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out,” and was saved. Rejoicing in the knowledge of sins forgiven he, both indoors and out of doors, “held forth the Word of Life.”

767. Sir Isaac Newton. Dr. Stukely one day, by appointment, was visiting Sir Isaac Newton. The servant told him he was in his study. No one was permitted to disturb him there; but, as it was near dinner time, the visitor sat down to wait for him. After a time, dinner was brought in—a boiled chicken under a cover. An hour passed, and Sir Isaac did not appear. The doctor ate the fowl, and, covering up the empty dish, bid them dress their master another. Before that was ready, the philosopher came down; he apologized for his delay, and added: “give me but leave to take my short dinner, I shall be at your service; I am fatigued and faint.” Saying this, he lifted up the cover, and without any emotion, turned about to Stukely with a smile: “See”, says he, “what we studious people are? I forgot I had dined.” “So that I forget to eat my bread” (Psa. 102:4; Isa. 49:15).

768. Gipsy Smith, the evangelist of fame, once asked a man if he were a Christian. “Yes,” the man replied; “28 years on and off.” “I guess more off than on,” quickly replied the Gispy. “If God be God, follow Him... If Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

769. Professor Darwin; a relative of Charles Darwin, delivered a lecture on “The Origin of the Universe” before the British Association at Cape Town, in 1905. He concluded with the words: “After all, the riddle of the Universe remains unread.” The simple believer says, “We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God” (Heb. 11:3).

770. Possidonius, in the Life of Augustine, tells us that the good father, going to teach the people of a certain town, took a guide with him to show him the way. The guide mistook the usual road, and ignorantly fell into a by-path, by which means he escaped ruin by the hands of the bloody Donatist, who, knowing his intention, waylaid him to kill him on the road. “All things work together for good” (Rom. 8: 28).

771. Paley, the philosopher, author of “Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy,” published in 1785, for the copyright of which he received £1000 (a large sum in those days) was born at Peterborough in 1743. He died in 1805. Amongst his writings was a remarkable dissertation on the human eye. “The examination of the eye,” he wrote, “ought alone to be a cure for atheism. There is to be seen in everything belonging to it, and about it, an extraordinary degree of care, an anxiety for its preservation, due, if we may so speak, to its value and its tenderness. It is lodged in a strong, deep, bony socket, composed by the junction of seven different bones hollowed out at their edges. Within this socket it is embedded in fat, of all animal substances the best adapted both to its repose and motion. It is sheltered by the eyebrows, an arch of hair which prevents the sweat and moisture from running down into it. The eyelid defends the eye, wipes it, and closes it in sleep.” Yet the human eye, Divinely formed, is eclipsed by God’s all-seeing eye! The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3).

772. Murillo, the famous painter, in one of his masterpieces in the Louvre pictures a kitchen filled with beautiful white-winged angels who are putting the kettle on to boil, carrying a pail of water, and doing the lowly work. “Are they not all ministering spirits?” (Heb. 1:14).

773. King Porus, when Alexander asked him, being then his prisoner, how he would be used, answered in one word, Basilikeios, that is, “Like a king.” Alexander again replying, “Do you desire nothing else?” “No,” said he, “all things are in this one word, ‘Like a king.’” Whereupon Alexander restored him again. “The high calling of God” (Phil. 3:14).

774. Chateaubriand (Francois Auguste), French statesman and naturalist, was born at St. Malo in 1768. Writing in relation to providence and the migration of birds, he says: “It is very remarkable that the teal, the wild duck and goose, the woodcock, the plover, the lapwing, which serve us for food, all arrive when the earth is bare; while, on the contrary, the foreign birds by which we are visited in the season of fruits administer only to our pleasures―musicians sent to heighten the delights of our banquet.” God, the Creator of the birds, gave them instinct. “Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming” (Jer. 8:7).

775. Rowland Hill, an earnest preacher and somewhat eccentric genius, sixth son of Sir Rowland Hill, was born August 23, 1745. In 1764 he was regarded by some as rather peculiar because he preached in villages, in prisons, in workhouses. He thus suffered, and was looked upon as a disgrace to his ancient family. For 50 years he was pastor of Surrey Chapel. The Sunday School there was the first of its kind in London. His preaching was peculiarly his own-thoroughly original. After hearing him on one occasion, Dr. MILNER, Dean of Carlisle, remarked: “Say what they will, it is this slap-dash preaching that does all the good!” Rowland Hill had a powerful voice when 79 years old. He died, April 11, 1833, and was buried under his own pulpit. “That I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

776. Ebenezer Elliott, the poet, who died in 1849, said as he neared the crossing of Jordan, “You see a strange sight, sir. An old man unwilling to die.” How different to Paul! “Having a desire to depart and be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23).

777. Keim, a renowned infidel of days gone by, said: “The whole fabric of Christianity is built upon an empty tomb,” meaning, “If Christ was not raised,” all the promises of Grace fall to the ground. Thank God, the triumphant note has sounded. “But now is Christ risen” (1 Cor. 15:13-20).

778. General Pershing, Chief of the American Army, in his message to his men had inserted over his signature these words: “Hardship will be your lot, but trust in God will give you comfort. Temptation will befall you, but the teaching of our Saviour will give you strength. Let your valor as a soldier and your conduct as a man be an inspiration to your comrades and an honor to your country” (Psa. 62:8).

779. Dr. John A. Hutton, editor of the British Weekly, writes: “It is simply the historical fact that Jesus Christ has spoiled life for us all—on the old terms! He has heightened the human tragedy. If we had never known Him, well, there is no end to the kind of things we might have done or might have been. But now that we have seen Him we can never again be as though we had not seen Him.” “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27).

780. George Borrow, who studied various matters concerning gipsies, and was the author of books relating to the life of these nomadic people, was born at East Dereham, Norfolk, in 1803. Proceeding to Spain, he translated the whole of the Gospel of Luke. Returning to England in 1839, he gave an account of personal adventures in a volume entitled “The Bible in Spain.” In 1844 he traveled in the Southeast of Europe, still interesting himself in the gipsies, who looked upon him as a real friend. He learned Romany dialects and songs, and labored in Gospel work. He died at Oulton, near Lowestoft, in 1881. Though “wanderers among the nations,” God’s “whosoever” includes gipsies. (John 3:16)

781. General Robert Lee, famous American soldier, writing of his aim in connection with the training of soldiers, said: “I shall fail in the leading object that brought me here unless these young men become real Christians” (John 1:12).

782. Handel, the great musician, had a great desire to die on Good Friday, hoping thus that he might rise at Easter to meet his Redeemer. His desire was accomplished. On the day week of his last appearance in public, on the anniversary of the production of “Messiah,” on Good Friday, 1759, the musician breathed his last. “He shall give thee the desire of thy heart” (Psa. 37:4).

783. President Garfield. The honorable but chequered career of James Abram Garfield was brought to a close, as President of the United States, when he was assassinated in July, 1881. In 1851 he made his way to the Eclectic Institute at Hiram, in Portage County, abruptly entered the Board Room, and exclaimed: “I want an education! Let me make the fires and sweep the rooms to part pay you.” The Board consented, and made him caretaker, with a free education. It is said that he “swept the floors to the entire satisfaction of the Board.” “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

784. Bernard Palissy, the potter, was born about 1510, in France, but nothing actually precise is known about his birth. Seeing a vase of Italian enameled pottery, he said within himself: “If I can make anything like that, there will be a fortune and distinction.” He struggled in poverty, through years of toil, before he produced enamel to stand intense heat. His dream of fortune and distinction was fulfilled. He joined the Protestants, and with them had a fiery trial on confessing Christ. Arrested in 1558, he was taken to prison in Bordeaux, but released. Then, denounced as a Huguenot, he was incarcerated in the Bastile in 1585, where he remained till his death in 1589. He had refused to recant, and was firm in his faith in Christ to the end. Thus, having “patiently endured,” he won Heavenly fortune and the distinction of a crown of righteousness, which fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven (2 Tim. 4:8).

785. Prince Bismarck, in a speech in 1895, said: “Seldom in my life have I been a happy man. If I count up the few minutes of real happiness which I have enjoyed perhaps they amount to 24 hours.” “We have peace with God” (Rom. 5:1).

786. Philip the Good. When some of his courtiers endeavored to incite Philip to punish a prelate who had used him ill, “I know,” said he, “that I can revenge myself; but it is a fine thing to have vengeance in one’s power, and not to use it.” “Glorify God for mercy” (Rom. 15:9).

787. Charles Knight, eminent as one of the founders of cheap periodical literature, painstaking and persevering as publisher, editor, and author, brought out the first Penny Cyclopaedia. The total cost of authorship and engraving of this work was no less than £42:000. The excise duty for the paper used in it (1846) was in addition £16,500. He issued his Pictorial Bible in 1838. His labors were abundant and his works multifarious. “Of making many books there is no end” (Eccl. 12:12).

788. Sir Harry Lee, of Ditchling, Oxford, had a mastiff which followed him to his bedroom, crept under the bed, and seemed so unwilling to leave that he was allowed to stay. About midnight an Italian valet entered the room to rob his master; out sprang the dog, kept him till the police arrived, and he was imprisoned. Under a picture of the dog the master had painted the inscription: “More faithful than favored.” “Mine eyes shall be on the faithful” (Psa. 101:6; Rev. 2:10).

789. E. P. Hammond, after an ocean voyage in 1886, wrote: “As we sailed from Victoria, in British Columbia, to San Francisco, on board the “Pacific,” we were often thrown in with the officers, and had constant opportunities of mingling with the crew.” A few weeks later, Captain Howell and his officers and crew and all on board (nearly 240 souls), with the exception of two, perished with the “Pacific.” If I had only known that in a few short days every one of those brave officers must appear before God in judgment, how much more earnest I should have presented the Gospel to them, and pleaded with them to “flee from the wrath to come” (Matt. 3:7).

790. Julius Caesar, to whom the shouts of the enemy were but sweet music, was mortally afraid of thunder, and would try to get underground to escape the dreadful noise. “Fear hath torment” (1 John 4: 18).

791. H. W. Longfellow penned this couplet;

“All common things—each day’s events,

That with the hour begin and end,

Our pleasures and our discontents

Are rounds by which we may ascend.”

“Call not common” (Acts 10:15).

792. John Newman, compared some sermons to a letter put into the post office without a direction. It is addressed to nobody, it is owned by nobody, and if a hundred people were to read it, not one of them would think himself concerned in the contents. Such a sermon, whatever excellencies it may have, lacks the chief requisite of a sermon. “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound” (1 Cor. 14:8).

793. The Duchess of Blenheim. In the early days of George II Childs’ Bank owed another bank £620,000, which must be paid by a fixed date. Unable to meet it, the bank sent a note to the Duchess of Blenheim, saying: “There is but one person who can save us, you, our patron, and to you we turn in our need.” She sat down and wrote a check for £700,000, which arrived just in time to save the situation. There is only One to whom you can turn in your need. “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4: 12).

794. Dr. F. W. Boreham, of Australia, who is best known to English people for his numerous writings, told how the natives of New Zealand had never seen a Bible before 1814, and at that time they had the reputation of being the most savage, the most ferocious, and the most blood-thirsty cannibals on the earth. But when he went to New Zealand in 1894―eighty years after the Bible’s first arrival―there was no cannibalism, and all that ferocity, which had almost decimated the people because of the racial feuds, had passed away. The Maoris were now courteous and educated, and occupied many important positions in the life of the land. “It is sanctified by the Word of God” (1 Tim. 4:5).

795. Adelaide Proctor, authoress of “Legends and Lyrics,” wrote:

“Blessed are those who die for God,

And win the martyr’s crown of life,

Yet he who lives for God may be

A greater conqueror in His sight.”

“My faithful martyr” (Rev. 2:13).

796. Dr. Silvester Horne was present with his father when he was dying. In the flashes of consciousness granted his father, he looked up and said, “I want spiritual rest.” “Do you?” I asked. “Yes,” he said, throwing himself back on the pillows with a look of content, he said, “And I shall get it.” No one could have seen him when death came without being certain that he “got it.” “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psa. 116:15).

797. Francis Junius, learned theologian and philologist, belonged to a noble family in Bourges, some distance from Paris. He was born in 1545. In 1565 he was minister of the French Huguenots in Antwerp. On one occasion he was preaching to his flock in a room overlooking the market-place, where at the very instant several Protestants were suffering martyrdom, and the light from the flames in which the brethren of the faith were burning, was flickering on the panes of glass at the room where the Gospel meeting was being held. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12).

798. Marshall Ney, celebrated warrior, son of a soldier, received a better education than most of Napoleon’s marshals. After signal exhibitions of bravery and many narrow escapes, he fought like a hero at Waterloo―where five horses were killed under him. Covered with blood, he was torn from the saddle, declared a traitor by the Bourbonists, and taken to Paris. Condemned to death, the “bravest of the brave,” as he was called, broke into tears in bidding farewell to his wife and family. He met his end calmly when shot in the garden of the Luxembourg. “Ney was an honest and patriotic man,” wrote an historian, “and erred only where it was difficult for the most upright not to err.” “They err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Isa. 28:7).

799. President Jefferson, leader of the Southern forces in the American Civil War, hoping to retain a few States, sent a map with a suggestion that certain should be left to the Southerners. Abraham Lincoln looked at the map, and replied, “Gentlemen, this Government want all.” So with Christ― “your bodies and your spirits are His” (1 Cor. 6:20).

800. Lord Nelson. In an engagement with the French he managed to capture a man-o’-war. The officer in command, on coming into the presence of Nelson, held out his hand as if to greet the victor. “No,” replied the hero of a hundred fights; “give me your sword first, and then your hand!” Was Nelson right? Should he have taken the friendly hand, and then accepted the sword? “I count all but dung and dross” (Phil. 3:8).

801. William Juxon, Bishop of London, born in 1522, was one of the chaplains to Charles I, and attended him during his trial. “I have a good cause,” said the king. As he prepared for the block, Juxon said, “There is, sire, but one stage more, which is a very short one. It will carry you from earth to Heaven.” “I go,” replied the king, “from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown, where no disturbance can be.” “Yes,” said Juxon, “a good exchange.” That was the king’s last speech. As he bared his neck, Juxon remarked, “A temporal to an eternal crown―a good exchange!” “By Me kings reign” (Prow. 8:15).

802. Dr. Kidd, of Aberdeen. His grandson tells how that great man prayed. “In the darkness of a cold winter morning I have once and again heard him rising while the rest of the household was hushed in slumber. I listened while he patiently lit his fire, not with the ready help of lucifer matches, but with flint and steel eliciting a spark; then he began to breathe out his soul in the most earnest tones at the Throne of Grace; the utterances of his devout heart were not audible to me, who was in an adjoining room, but, youngster as I was, I felt awed as I heard the sound of prayer that often became wrestling, and I knew that the man I revered was doing business with God.” “We will give ourselves to prayer” (Acts 6:4; James 5: 16).

803. Immanuel H. Fichte, German philosopher and atheist: “Till the end of time all the sensible will bow low before Jesus of Nazareth, and will humbly acknowledge the exceeding glory of this great phenomenon. His followers are nations and generations.” “Every knee shall bow” (Phil. 2:10).

804. Dr. S. Parkes Cadman tells the story of a very fluent speaker but poor liver, who, in a revival meeting boasted: “My feet are on the rock—I’m standing on redemption ground.” “No, you’re not!” shouted a voice from the back of the hall; “you’re standing in a pair of boots you haven’t paid for,” “Boasting himself to be somebody” (Acts 5:36).

805. Lord Coleridge when at Oxford was never at a loss for the right word in the right place. When as a young Fellow of his College (Exeter) it was his duty to read the lessons in chapel, he once made the mistake of reading the second lesson for the first, and, discovering his error, was unable to conclude in the correct way. He could not say, “Here endeth the first lesson,” it being the second, nor could he say, “Here endeth the second lesson,” as it was the first. However, after a moment’s hesitation, he rose to the occasion, and was ready with a suitable word. “Here endeth the wrong lesson,” he enunciated. “O Lord, Thou hast seen my wrong” (Lam. 3:59).

806. Dr. Robert Morrison, the renowned missionary to the Chinese, has a notable epitaph on his tombstone: “I have sinned, I have repented; I have trusted; I have loved; I shall rise, and, through the grace of God, I shall reign.” He must have realized, in his lifetime, the personal importance of special portions of God’s Word, such as (1) Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15); (2) Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21); (3) His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord (Psa. 112:7); (4) He that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him (John 14:21); (5) The dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thess. 4:16); (6) They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17).

807. Dr. Andrew Bonar wrote in his journal: “The thought that every week there is something of Pentecost going on in the earth has been unspeakably sweet to me this evening. What if the Lord’s people were no more than half a million, I see that to keep up that number there must be about 200 souls saved every week. How busy is the Spirit of Christ! How God loves the world still!” (John 3:16).

808. Nathan Rothschild, the wealthy Jewish banker, giving a dinner in the finest house in London, heard the comment of one of his wealthy guests, “You must be a happy man, Mr. Rothschild,” and exclaimed, “Happy! I happy! Would you be happy if you had a letter placed in your hands as you are going into dinner, asking ₤500 or have your brain blown out? No, sir; no one can call me happy.” Yet the poorest saint on earth can be called “happy.” (Prov. 16:20).

809. Bilney, the Martyr. In the reign of Henry VIII, was a student at Cambridge. He became anxious about his soul. He became possessed of a New Testament. When he saw the words, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1: 15), he stopped, read again, believed in Christ, and was saved. He afterward stated: “This one sentence, through God’s inward teaching, did so rejoice my heart that I found peace and lost my despair.”

810. H. F. Witherby, a well-known London printer, author, and Christian worker, in his “Gospel of our Salvation,” records that at a village shop an illiterate woman would carefully mark on her door how much each customer owed her. One of her customers was not only troubled about her sins, but by the chalk marks against her name. “I will go to the shop,” says the writer, “and see what she has against your name.” The debt was paid and the marks rubbed out. God graciously owned the homely illustration, and the woman saw that her sins, like the chalk marks, were blotted out. Jesus, having paid the sinner’s debts at the Cross of Calvary, God says to the believing sinner, “I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins” (Isa. 44:22).

811. C. H. Spurgeon said to his son, Charles: “My son, if God has called you to be a missionary, your father would be grieved to see you shrivel down into a king.” “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10).

812. Dr. Torrey had this question handed to him at a meeting: “If you are as great as you pretend to be, can you walk on water? Don’t dodge this!” The doctor at once replied, “Yes, my friend, I can walk a good deal better on water than on “whisky.” “Jesus said, Give Me water to drink” (John 4:7; Judges 4: 19; Prov. 20:1).

813. Dan Crawford, of “Thinking Black,” depicting the types of visitors to Africa, writes: “There have been two schools of African explorers, the swash-buckling, armed-to-the-teeth type of man, and the good old “Ingerasa,” or Livingstone type, who understood the natives and lived amongst them, learnt their speech, and got to know the Negro, point of view.” “God hath made of one blood” (Acts 17:26).

814. Thomas Carlyle, the great essayist and historian who was born at Ecclefechan, in Scotland, in 1795, made a name of world-wide fame by his books, “Sartor Resartus,” “Heroes and Hero Worship,” “The French Revolution,” etc. Listen to his dying testimony in 1881: “You will think me far gone and much bankrupt in hope and heart―and indeed I am; as good as without hope and without fear: a gloomily serious, silent, and sad old man, gazing into the final chasm of things, in mute dialogue with death, judgment, and eternity” (Eph. 2:12).

815. Sir Edward Pellew, in command of the Indefatigable at Plymouth, was driving to dine with a friend when he was informed that the Dutton, an East India vessel, had gone ashore. He at once made his way to the wreck, and then found that all her principal officers had deserted the vessel in the time of danger. “Then if no one else will go, I will go myself,” he exclaimed. A rope was fastened to his body, and he was drawn to the ship. Two boats from his own ship now made for wreck. A cradle was made, and all the persons on board were landed. Not a casualty occurred. “And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land” (Acts 27:44). “By all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

816. Abraham Lincoln. During the American War someone wrote: “I am praying that God may be on our side. Lincoln replied, “I have no desire to have God on my side. What I want is to be on God’s side.” “Art thou for us, or for out; adversaries?” (Joshua 5:13, 14).

817. Dr. A. J. Gordon wrote: “Though our task is not to bring all the world to Christ, our task is unquestionably to bring Christ to all the world. One of the most fatal errors of the time is that ministers undertake to be feeders of men, instead of fishers of men. One cannot be fed upon the Gospel until he has been renewed.”

818. Lysimachus, on account of extreme thirst offered his kingdom to the Getae to quench it. His exclamation when he had drunk, says Bishop Home, is wonderfully striking: “Ah, wretched me! Who, for such a momentary gratification, have lost so great a kingdom!” How applicable this to, the case of him who, for the momentary pleasures of sin, parts with the kingdom of Heaven! “No man can serve two Masters” (Matt. 6:24).

819. Frederick Hoffmann, celebrated German physician descended from a family engaged for two centuries m the practice of medicine, enjoyed a celebrity only second to that of the illustrious Boerhaave. Hoffmann’s method of cure was very simple. “If you wish to preserve your health,” he declared, “avoid doctors and medicines!” He died at the age of 81. “In vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured” (Jer. 46:11).

820. Dr. R. W. Dale, the famous divine, preaching on “Tarry until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49), remarked: “While our own piety is so weak and worthless that we are always in trouble about our own salvation, of course little can be done. Free, hearty, and earnest work for Christ is simply impossible while this state of things continues. Napoleon would never have swept the kings of Europe from their thrones if he had been the general of army of invalids; and the great battle of Truth and Holiness will never be won till there is a manliness, a courage, and a freedom about us; “that at present we have little enough of.”

821. Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I, was found dead with her head resting on the Bible, which was open at the words, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).

822. Gurnall wrote: “Few ships sink at sea: they are the rocks and shelves that split them. Couldst thou get off the rocks of pride and unbelief, and escape knocking on the sands of fear of man, love of the world, and the like lusts, thou wouldst do well enough in the greatest storm that can overtake thee in the sea of this world.”

823. Dr. Lightfoot. The Westminster Divines had the question of baptism under discussion in 1643; 24 voted for immersion, 24 for sprinkling, the casting vote given by Dr. Lightfoot, the chairman, fixed sprinkling in the Westminster Standards of the Presbyterian Church. A great issue to hang on “one man” (John 11:50; Rom. 5:12).

824. The Duke of Albemarle, distinguished as a hero in naval and military service, was particularly known for his personal courage. When the Dutch fleet approached Chatham, the Duke, thinking they would land, exposed himself to the hottest fire. He was warned of the danger to which he exposed himself. “Sir,” replied the Duke, “if I had been afraid of bullets, I should have quitted this trade of a soldier long ago.” “Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people” (1 Chron. 19:13).

825. John Milton. About three years after the appearance of “Paradise Lost” ―his greatest work―Milton’s “Paradise Regained” was produced. This work, we are told, originated from a hint suggested by one Elwood, a Quaker, who, on Milton’s reading to him the manuscript of “Paradise Lost,” exclaimed: “You have now only to write ‘Paradise Found!’” The dying thief, in spirit, produced his Epic on the Cross, where he displayed his marvelous God-given intellect in being able to write “Jesus” on his heart as he uttered the words, “Lord remember me;” and Jesus said unto him, “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” “Paradise Regained!” (Luke 23:42, 43).

826. W. E. Gladstone made this confession: “All that I think, all that I hope, all that I write, all that I live for, is based upon the Divinity of Jesus Christ, the central joy of my poor wayward life.’ “God our Saviour” (1 Tim. 2:3).

827. Charles Simeon, of Cambridge, on his dying bed, after a short pause, looked round with one of his bright smiles, and asked, “What do you think especially gives me comfort at this time? The creation. Did Jehovah create the world, or did I? I think He did? Now, if He made the world, He can sufficiently take care of me.” “He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

828. Sir Charles Lyell, examining a piece of pottery dug up from the Nile mud, calculated that it would take 13,000 years to form the stratum of mud in which it was found. Afterward a brick was dug up from several feet below the pottery. It bore the name of Mehemet Ali and the year-date 1818! Being heavier, it had sunk quicker, and the antique pottery thus looked rather young. “My Word shall come to pass” (Num. 11:23).

829. Frances Ridley Havergal, of blessed memory, reveals the secret of her career in the record which she has left behind. “It was on Advent Sunday, December 1873, that I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration. I saw it as a flash of electric light; and what you see you can never un-see. There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness. God admits you by the one into the other.” “Yield yourselves unto God” (Rom. 6:13).

830. Abraham Lincoln, whose untimely death on 15th April, 1865 shocked the world, made this noble confession: “The spectacle of that crucified One which is before my eyes is more than sublime―it is Divine. When I went to Gettysburg and looked upon the graves of our dead, I then and there committed myself to Christ. I DO LOVE JESUS.” Near the end of his life he confessed far more―himself a sinner needing a Saviour; his beholding that Saviour dying for him on Calvary; his committal of himself to the Saviour and his love for his Lord. “If any man love not―Anathema” (1 Cor. 16:22).

831. John Wesley said to his preachers: “Your business is not to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that Society, but to save as many souls as you can.” “By preaching, to save” (1 Cor. 1:21).

832. M. Delagrange, the famous aviator, who met his death at Bordeaux on making a flight at Doncaster in boisterous weather, declared: “If I have to break my neck—well, it must be some day! Nobody will ever say Delagrange was a coward!” “Be strong and of good courage” (Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:6).

833. Professor Henry Drummond, who had long lost his early evangelical faith in the mists of “science falsely so-called,” when in his last illness said to Sir Wm. Dawson, the well-known Christian geologist: “I am going away back to the Book, to believe it and receive it, as I did at the first. I can live no longer on uncertainties. I am going back to the faith of the Word of God.” “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).

834. Dan Crawford, of Luanza, paid this tribute to Livingstone: “It was a thrilling day for me when, long ago, I marched through the long grass to the sacred spot where the great David Livingstone died. The grass was very tall, and ran away into the distance. There before me I saw the three pot-stools where the weary old man, Livingstone, had boiled his last cup of tea. There was the tree under which his heart was buried, and the inscription cut on the trunk by his faithful boys.” “I will make you a name” (Zeph. 3:20).

835. Thomas John, a Welsh revivalist preacher, who lived and preached and died in his own beloved country, had a Heaven-born soul but a very plain face. On one of his preaching tours, astride his little pony, he passed down a lonely road in semi-darkness. It was very cold. He wore a long coat, and was heavily muffled. Nothing but his long nose and staring eyes appeared in the twilight. A carriage was passing, and its occupant, as the horses shied, shouted out: “You are enough to frighten the Devil!” “That’s my mission, sir,” and he passed on. “Treasure in an earthen vessel” (2 Cor. 4:7). “Weighty in mind, bodily weak” (2 Cor. 10:10).

836. David Livingstone was called by the natives, “A tadi na fikondu,” which means, “the man with no toes,” because he wore boots, and therefore his toes were not visible. “Men which are expressed by their names” (Num. 1:17).

837. Dr. Morrison. “So you mean to convert China,” said the shipowner in whose vessel the doctor took his passage from his native country to the land of the heathen. “I convert China! No,” replied the doctor; “not I, but God will.” And God honored the message. “Them that honor Me, I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30).

838. Hannibal, after gaining one of his great victories, his friends advised him to pursue the fugitives to Rome and enter into the Capitol a conqueror. But from some unaccountable reason he refused, when one of the Carthaginians passionately exclaimed, “Hannibal, you know how to gain a victory, but not how to use it!” “Turn the battle to the gate” (Isa. 28:6).

839. Henry Goodwin Rooth, one of London’s Stipendiary Magistrates, who died at his home at Hampstead, had the reputation for patience, shrewdness, and justice in carrying out his duties. “I think a magistrate,” said he, “must be a very human being. He must bear in mind that no one is perfect, and that if his own character were analyzed it might be found wanting in many respects.” Though there is no man that sinneth not (1 Kings 8:46), yet every believer in the Lord Jesus has forgiveness of sins―justified from all things (Acts 13:39), and made complete in Christ (Col. 2:10).

840. Sir Peter Lely, celebrated painter, came to England from Soest, in Westphalia, in 1618, and imitated the works of Vandyck, whom he succeeded as sergeant painter to the king. It was to him that Cromwell remarked, “I desire you will use all your skill to paint me truly, and not flatter me at all; but mark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts, and everything as you see me; otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it!” Lely gave a true likeness. The picture of fallen humanity, given in the Scriptures, is figuratively “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores” (Isa. 1:6).

841. Agrippina, the mother of Nero, on being told “that if ever her son came to be an Emperor he would be her murderer,” made this reply, “I am content to perish if he may be Emperor.” “A foolish man despiseth his mother” (Prov. 15:20).

842. Marshal Leboeuf, Minister of War, declared at the opening of the Franco-German War that “everything was ready, even to the last gaiter button,” had to telegraph 10 days later that his troops could not advance as they were short of bread. “Lest our boasting... be in vain” (2 Cor. 9:3).

843. Robert Blatchford, writing in the Daily News on “Where are the Dead?” arouses attention because of his confessed change of opinion. Speaking of a man who told him that his wife was waiting for him in a better land, Mr. Blatchford says: “I think I belong to his class, and I think that the majority of those who hope for a future life are really hoping for a reunion with those who have drunk their cup a round or two before, and one by one crept silently to rest” (Rev. 14:13).

844. Philip Henry, approached by a young man who said, “Sir, how long should a man go on repenting? How long, Mr. Henry, do you mean to go on repenting yourself?” What did old Philip Henry reply? “Sir, I hope to carry my repentance to the very gates of Heaven. Every day I find I am a sinner, and every day I need to repent. I mean to carry my repentance, by God’s help, up to the very gates of Heaven.” “Of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15).

845. Mr. Deakin, Prime Minister of Australia, after his return from London for the Coronation of King Edward, asked what impressed him most. “One night,” replied Mr. Deakin, “I had been to a great function. It was midnight. I was making my way home, and I turned aside into a narrow, dark alley. There, on a doorstep, I saw a little lad aged about twelve with his arm round a little girl of three. The lad had taken off his coat and wrapped it round the child, and with his cap he had covered her feet. Of all that I saw during my visit to London that picture will ever be strongest in my memory.” “With brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10).

846. John Calvin said: “My death will prove what people will not believe of me in my life.” He died as poor as he had lived. “As poor, yet making many rich” (2 Cor. 6:10).

847. Robert Chapman, the Patriarch of Barnstaple, when nearly 100, said: “I am very happy. I have both a legacy and a gift.” “Well, you are fortunate. What are they?” he was asked. Quoting Christ words, “Peace I leave with you,” he added, “That is the legacy,” “My peace I give unto you―that is the gift” (John 14:27).

848. Robert Stephen, a Veteran missionary in China, reports that in the British Legation, Peking, a piece of wall which withstood the attack of the Boxer rioters is left in its war-worn condition, and bears a tablet, “Lest we forget.” So in every place where saints gather to remember the Lord, the emblems re-echo the words to the hearts of His own: “Lest we forget.” “This do in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22: 19; 1 Cor. 11:24).

849. Sir Christopher Wren, considered the greatest of English architects, was born at East Knowle Rectory, Wiltshire. Called upon to make a survey of old St. Paul’s Cathedral, he proposed to rebuild it; but the Great Fire of London burnt it down before that could be accomplished. Then he designed the new St. Paul’s, now considered the noblest cathedral built for Protestant worship. Wren erected over 50 other Churches in the city. Saved sinners have a building of God, “an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).

850. George Whitefield, the great preacher, was a native of Gloucester, England, and was born on 16th December, 1714. At the age of sixteen he says: “I began to fast twice in the week for nearly thirty-six hours together, prayed many times a day, received the Sacrament every Lord’s Day, fasting myself almost to death all the forty days of Lent, during which I did not go less than three times a day to public worship, besides seven times to private prayers, yet I knew no more that I needed to be born again, born a new creature in Christ Jesus, than if I never was born at all. Mr. Charles Wesley put a book in my hand whereby God showed me that I must be ‘born again’ or be lost” (John 3:3-7).

851. John Burns, M.P., after Parliament had granted him £200,000 for the unemployed in December, 1907, remarked, “What could this do in the face of £3,000,000 a week which the people themselves spend on drink, betting, and gambling?” “Your sins have withholding good” (Jer. 5:25).

852. P. P. Bliss. The hymn, “Almost Persuaded,” was suggested to him after hearing a sermon by Mr. Brundage, who, as he finished his discourse, said, “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.” “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28).

853. John Stuart Mill, described by Gladstone as “the saint of rationalism,”; “Whatever else may be taken away by rational criticism, Christ is still left, an unique figure, not more unlike all His persecutors than all His followers, even those who had the direct benefit of His personal teaching.” “Pre-eminent” (Col. 1:18).

854. Edmund Hammond Hargraves, discoverer of the Australian goldfields, was born at Gosport in 1816. He went to California in 1849, after being a squatter in Australia, and was there struck by certain geological conditions similar to those he had seen. Returning to Australia he made the discovery of goldfields, for which the legislative council of New South Wales voted him £10,000. He returned to England in 1854. “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold” (Prov. 16:16).

855. Joe Barker, famous both as a Christian and infidel lecturer in turns, at the end of one of his lectures, thought he had abolished the Bible and demolished Christianity, he asked for anything else to explain away. A miner, fresh from the bowels of the earth, stepped forward and said, “Explain me. Up to nine months ago I was a swearer, a drunkard, a wretched husband, as my mates well know. Nine months ago I went into a little meeting-place, accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour, and my mates here will witness to the revolution in mouth, in life, in home, in the mine during these nine months.” Barker had to admit the fact of the change, but declined to explain the cause. Barker died abroad, fully restored to the Lord.

856. Dr. Wilbur Chapman was induced to alter his mode of preaching by the words of D. L. Moody to him: “You are making a mistake in your ministry. What you are doing does not count for much; your preaching―I say it with all kindness―does not win souls.” “So we preached, so ye believed” (1 Cor. 15: 11).

857. Robert Hooke, eminent mechanical and natural philosopher, born at Freshwater, Isle of Wight, in 1635, assisted Robert Boyle in his chemical researches, and was the originator of many useful inventions. He died in his eighty-seventh year, and was buried in St. Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate Street. So engrossed was he with inventions and theories that for the last two or three years of his life he never undressed or went to bed. “Yet there is no end of all his labor” (Eccl. 4:8).

858. James Hargreaves, inventor of the carding machine and the spinning jenny, was an artisan whose home was at Stanhill, near Blackburn, Lancashire. He contrived the jenny, for spinning, about the year 1765, but had to work it in secret, so strong was the prejudice of the work people against machinery. But the large quantity of yarn taken by his family for sale to a factory excited suspicion. His house was broken into, and his machinery and furniture destroyed. He then left the district, gained his living as a yarn manufacturer, and died at Hockley in April, 1778. “There is that is destroyed for want of judgment” (Prov. 13:23).

859. Professor Huxley. “A friend of mine,” wrote Dr. Adam, “was acting on a Royal Commission, of which Professor Huxley was a member. One Sunday he and the great scientist were staying in a little country town. ‘I suppose you are going to Church?’ said Huxley. ‘Yes,’ replied my friend. ‘But what if you stayed at home and talked to me on religion?’ ‘No,’ was the reply, ‘for you are too clever for me.’ “But tell me what religion has done for you.” Dr. Adam’s friend did stay at home, and earnestly said what God had done for him―all that Christ had been to him. Tears gathered in the eyes of the agnostic as he sadly exclaimed, “I would give my right hand if I could believe that―but I can’t.” “Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life” (John 5:40).

860. Professor James, of Harvard, once reproved a pompous student thus: “You are a freethinker, I perceive. You believe in nothing.” “I only believe what I can understand,” the sophomore replied. “It comes to the same thing, I suppose,” replied the professor. “The fool hath said... no God” (Psa. 14:1).

861. Pompey had nearly achieved a victory over Caesar and his host, but after having shut them up in their entrenchments he had sounded a retreat and withdrawn from the field of action. Caesar, seeing how near to destruction he had come, said to his friends, “This day victory would have been declared for the enemy if they had a general who knew how to conquer.” “More than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

862. Alexander the Great sent to Phocion a hundred talents as a mark of appreciation of his character, but he refused to receive them. When the messengers told him that Alexander looked upon him as the only honest and good man, he begged that he might always be allowed to retain that character. He knew the danger of being rich, and would rather be a poor man and contented than bring contempt upon his name by allowing wealth to turn him from a course of virtue. Riches without grace to use them aright constitute a sore temptation to their possessor, and prove the truth of that Scripture, “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare” (1 Tim. 6:9).

863. George Whitefield, in a sermon he preached at Haworth, having spoken severely of those professors of the Gospel who, by their loose and evil conduct, caused the ways of truth to be evil spoken of, intimated his hope that it was not necessary to enlarge much upon that topic to the congregation before him, who had so long enjoyed the benefit of an able and faithful preacher; and he was willing to believe that their profiting appeared to all men. This roused Mr. Grimshaw’s spirit, and, notwithstanding his great regard for the preacher, he stood up and interrupted him, saying, with a loud voice, “Oh, sir! for God’s sake, do not speak so; I pray you, do not flatter. I fear the greater part of them are going to Hell with their eyes open.” “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

864. Dr. Jowett, at Northfield, went to conduct a camp meeting of enthusiastic mission workers. They prayed: “Oh Lord, we thank Thee for our brother; now, Lord, blot him out!” “I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2).

865. W. E. Gladstone, referring to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, writes that: “Nations had reached that latest stage of sensual iniquity which respects neither God nor man.” (Look up Genesis 13: 13; 18:26; Isaiah 3:9; Lamentations 4:6; Matthew 11:23; Revelation 11:8).

866. Dr. Clark, the founder of the Christian Endeavor movement, states that he has it on excellent authority that Mr. Gladstone, when lying on his deathbed, in bidding farewell to Lord Rosebery, solemnly said to him: “Rosebery, take care of your soul.” Surely this was excellent advice from the dying statesman to his friend and political colleague. “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

867. William Huskisson, advocate of free trade, who held various Government appointments, was at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830. When a special train reached Parkside, Mr. Huskisson approached to greet the Duke of Wellington, who was in one of the carriages. A cry was raised, “Get in!” Grasping the carriage door, he was swung on one side, and an advancing engine crushed him. He shortly after died in great agony. “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Sam. 20:3).

868. Henry Hudson, English navigator, skillful and intrepid, sailed from the Thames in 1610 in a vessel of 55 tons. After passing the shores of Iceland and Greenland, with a crew of 23 men, he entered a strait leading to the westward, known on our charts as Hudson’s Bay and Strait. Preparing to return to England in the Spring of 1611, a cruel plot was carried into execution by his mutinous crew, led by a despicable man whom Hudson had befriended. Hudson, his son, and a few others were turned adrift in an open boat, with a small stock of provisions. Nothing more was heard of the brave explorer. He and those with him must have perished. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).

869. John Brown, of Haddington, had a pupil who spoke disparagingly of the smallness of his pastoral charge. His instructor remarked, “It is as large a congregation perhaps as you will want to give an account for at the Day of Judgment.” “Every one of us must give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12).

870. Ernest Duke of Saxe-Gotha, visiting a minister, noticed that his Bible was not much used, and placed a bank-note therein, advising the minister to read the Bible. A year later he called again, found the note just where he had placed it, drew the attention of the preacher to it, and again exhorted him to use the Book. “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39).

871. A. Rendle Short, B.Sc., F.R.C.S., Bristol: “Believers are not in a majority in any secular calling, and the scientist who does not believe in the God of Revelation is under a strong, if even an unconscious bias, to find an explanation for things that will work without a Creator.” “In the beginning God created” (Gen. 1:1).

872. John Howard, the great philanthropist (born, 1726, died, 1790), copied the Divine example of Christ, and “went about doing good.” He was led to form the benevolent design of visiting all the prisons throughout England, for the purpose of alleviating the miseries of the prisoners. He received the thanks of the House of Commons for these philanthropic services, all voluntary labor. Having traveled throughout Great Britain and Ireland, he extended his visits to foreign countries, journeying three times through France, four times through Germany, five times through Holland, twice through Italy, once through Spain and Portugal, and also through Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and part of Turkey, occupying a period of twelve years. Though possessed of considerable means, he lived a most abstemious life, and died in Russia, where, it is said, “his grave was not unwatered by a tear.” A monument in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, truthfully records “that he trod an open but unfrequented path to immortality.” “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect clay” (Prov. 4:18).

873. Dr. John Murray, a scientist of repute, states that if the earth were leveled, there is as much water as would cover it to a depth of 2 miles. How easy then the Flood, when “every living substance was destroyed upon the face of the ground” (Gen. 8:17-23).

874. George Whitefield challenged John Wesley to produce his “holiness” man. Wesley brought a godly old class-leader and admitted he was as near perfection as he could find. Picking up the glass of water from the table and pitching it in the man’s face, “perfection” soon went. A drastic test, but “perfection” should have stood it. “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other” (Matt. 5:39).

875. Captain Peel, an heroic officer in the Crimean War, performed an almost unexampled act of instantaneous bravery. Gunpowder was being stored away in a magazine when a shell dropped into the midst of it. Then a stentorian voice called out: “The fuse is burning!” Instantly; as the narrator tells us, Captain Peel made a spring, seized the shell, and threw it over the parapet; where it burst without hurting anyone. “A wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment” (Eccl. 8:5).

876. Alois Senefelder, the inventor of lithography, was born at Munich in 1771. Being of an inventive mind, and desiring to bring his compositions before the public, when printing was costly, he practiced on a piece of fine white stone, found in the district, etched on it, and obtained impressions. Being poor, and not married, he lived with his mother, who one day asked him to make out the washing bill. Having no paper, he wrote the bill on a piece of the stone (using a modification of the wax-ground used in etching), and laid it on one side. Soon after the ink was so firmly set that he thought it possible a strong acid would eat away the stone and leave the writing in relief. Thus he discovered the process known as lithography. Job had somewhat similar ideas when he wrote, as recorded in the nineteenth chapter: “Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and led in the Rock forever! For I Know that my Redeemer liveth!”

877. Professor Tholuck, of the University of Halle, was asked, on his fiftieth anniversary, what he regarded as the greatest blessing, apart from the gift of Christ as Saviour, that God had ever bestowed upon him, and his reply was: “A conviction of sin.” “He will convince of sin” (John 16:8).

878. Dr. Caesar Malan on his death-bed was calm and smiling as he anticipated the presence of his Saviour. The doctor said to his son one day on leaving him, “I have just beheld what I have often heard of but what I never saw before. Now I have seen it, as I see this stick I carry in my hand!” “And what have you seen?” “Faith, faith!” he answered. “Not the faith of a theologian, but of a Christian! I have seen it with my eyes.” “Kept by power... through faith” (1 Peter 1:5).

879. Thomas Alva Edison, the great American inventor, was in his youth sacked from his post as telegraph operator. Night operators were required to tap the word “Six” to the Superintendent every hour as evidence that they hadn’t gone to sleep. Young Edison soon invented a gadget which automatically gave the signal and allowed him to doze in comfort. For this offense he had to flee from the wrath of the authorities! It was a fortunate incident; for in his state of release he was able to register 1500 patents. “He shall do exploits” (Dan. 11:28).

880. Michael Faraday. One of the greatest physical philosophers of the nineteenth century. Commencing life as a bookbinder (at the age of 13), he served his apprenticeship and became associated with Sir HUMPHREY DAVY; then, after years of scientific investigation of chemical and electrical mysteries, confessed that he had realized that Truth which had till then been hid from him―the Truth as it is in Jesus (Eph. 4:21). Standing by the death-bed of the brilliant scientific genius, a friend said to him: “What are your speculations now?” “Speculations!” exclaimed Faraday. “I have none. No speculations now. I know whom I have believed. My soul rests upon certainties.” “That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of Truth” (Prov. 22:21; 2 Tim. 2:15).

881. Abigail Cochrane was famed as a pauper. Born in Greenock in 1807, imbecile from her birth, she was pauper from the cradle to the grave, dying in Kilmacolm at the age of 84. Said to have cost the public purse about ₤3000. Yet she was included in John 3:16.

882. Dr. J. A. Harker, F.R.S., in “Science and Religion. Seven Lectures of Men of Science,” writes: “If asked for my opinion, I should say that the casual deliverances of certain types of religious leaders in the plenitude of their wisdom from pulpit and scribbled in the newspapers and magazines, have probably done far more within the last ten years to undermine the cause of Christianity in England than all the combined efforts of the few men of science who may have expressed themselves as hostile.” “Foes of his own household” (Matt. 10:36).

883. Dr. Handley Moule, in Chrisius Consolator, tells of an English singing master who trained a promising pupil till he thought she was “fit.” Taking her to an old master to hear her sing, all the veteran said was, “She wants one thing.” With volume, technique, and most requisites, the trainer wondered what was lacking. “She just wants a broken heart,” said the sage. She lacked sympathy, pathos, fellow-feeling. This may explain the sorrow, suffering, trial, bereavements, etc., which “work for good” (Rom. 8:28), and shall sweeten the song by and by.

884. Horace Bushnell, who afterward became the great American theologian, was at Yale University as a tutor, and was the most popular tutor in the University. Men who idolized him said: “There’s Horace Bushnell, the most popular tutor in the University; he isn’t a Christian, so what is the use of being a Christian?” One day he went to his room, wrestled with the subject, and finally knelt down and offered up this prayer: “Oh, God! if there be any God, show me whether Jesus Christ is Thy Son or not; and if Thou wilt show me that He is, I will accept Him and confess Him.” It did not take the Heavenly Father long to show him; and Horace Bushnell came out on the side of Christ, and almost every student in Yale University was converted. “When it pleased God... to reveal His Son in me” (Gal. 1:15).

885. Lord and Lady Aberdeen, who celebrated their golden wedding on November 7, 1928, attended by Earl Balfour and five of the seven bridesmaids, have ever stood on the side of Christianity. Lord Aberdeen has preached many times, as well as been Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Governor General of Canada. “Not many,” but some “mighty” are still being “called” (1 Cor. 1:26).

886. Dr. Mason, of Burma, was anxious to find a man who would be willing to go to the wild Bghais, a tribe which had never yet been visited. Shupau, a boatman, was asked whether he would go for four rupees a month. “No, teacher,” he replied, “I could not go for four rupees a month, but I could do it for Christ.” He went, was much blessed, baptized 1000 of them, and established some forty churches. “God be thanked that... ye have obeyed from the heart” (Rom. 6:17).

887. John Newton, the poet, declared: The trials we have to undergo in the course of a year might be compared to a great bundle of fagots, too large for us to lift. God does not require us to carry them all at once. He mercifully unties the bundle, and gives us first one stick and then another to carry. But we increase our burdens by carrying yesterday’s stick over again and adding tomorrow’s burden before we bear it.” How much happier if we lived in the light of Matthew 6:34: “Take no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

888. Charles Kingsley said in Westminster Abbey on November 30th 1874. “Christ comes to us in many ways. But most surely does Christ come to us, and often most happily, and most clearly does he speak to us―in the face of a little child.... So often, as in Judea of old, does He take a little child and set him in the midst of us, that from its simplicity, docility, and trust—the restless, the mutinous, and the ambitious may learn the things which belong to their peace—so often does he say to us, ‘Except ye be changed and become as this little child, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me. For I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls’” (Matt. 11:29).

889. Robert G. Ingersoll, American infidel orator, “For that Name, Christ, I have infinite respect and love. To that great and serene Man I gladly pay my homage of admiration and my tears.” “Forget not the voice of thine enemies” (Psa. 74:23).

890. Dr. Johnson. In the Kensington Museum there is a picture of the doctor waiting outside in the ante-room of nobility or royalty to take his turn for an audience. The Lord our God, the King of kings, will give us an audience at any moment of the day, and, meeting with us, will bless us there. “He that keepeth Israel shall not slumber” (Psa. 121:4).

891. Admiral Cornwallis, a seaman ready for any emergency, succeeded to the command of the Canada on the resignation of Sir George Collier. When the vessel put out to sea, expecting a conflict on the water, a mutiny broke out in consequence of some accidental delay in the pay. The crew signed a round robin, declaring a gun should not be fired until they were paid. Cornwallis at once piped the men on deck, and thus addressed them: “My lads, the money cannot be paid till we return to port, and as to you are not fighting-well, I’ll clap you alongside of the first large ship of the enemy I see!” With one consent the men all returned to their duty. “Is it a time to receive money?” (2 Kings 5:26).

892. J. Russell Howden, B.D., Vicar of Southborough, speaking in the Great Hall at Tunbridge Wells, on April 5, 1925, with (Revs.) Barclay Buxton, T. H. Groves, K. E. Bevan, J. Mountain, and many well-known residents on the platform, said: “Every man’s utterances should be tested by the Word of God... There was something which he was going to say which he hoped would not be considered unkind. This was that there was no heresy which had done more harm than the heresy of baptismal regeneration. One could be baptized with water without being baptized with the Holy Ghost.... We had got to remember that Christ died for the ungodly―not for this class or that class, but for the ungodly; and perhaps the regular church-goers needed Him as much as any of them.” “Ye must be born again” (John 3:3-7). “Buried... by baptism” (Rom. 6:4).

893. Dr. Payson said not many hours before he died: “God has deprived me of one blessing after another; but as everyone was removed, He has filled up its place. Now, when a cripple, I am happier than ever I was before.” “Saved out of all his troubles” (Psa. 34:6).

894. William Edward Lecky, the Irish enthusiastic historian of rationalism, wrote concerning Christ in “the days of His flesh” (Heb. 5:7): “The simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortations of moralists.”

895. George the Third, in one of his excursions during the hay harvest in the neighborhood of Weymouth, passed a field where only one woman was at work. His Majesty asked her where the rest of her companions were. The woman answered, “They are gone to see the king.” “And why did not you go with them?” rejoined his Majesty. “I would not give a pin to see him,” replied the woman; “besides, the fools that have gone to town will lose a day’s work by it, and that is more than I can afford to do. I have five children to work for.” “Well, then,” said his Majesty, putting some money into her hands, “you may tell your companions who are gone to see the king that the king came to see you.” “Thine eyes shall see the King” (Psa. 33:17).

896. Sir Robert Walpole, when in the height of his power as Prime Minister, had some point to carry in which the Bishops were concerned. He expected powerful opposition from that quarter. The. Archbishop of Canterbury was indebted to him for his exaltation, and as he had often made the warmest protestations of gratitude, Sir Robert determined to put him to the test. The prelate’s remark in conversation with the statesman was: “He need only ask anything in his power to grant.” Sir Robert desired that he would closely confine himself to his palace on a certain day. A report was then spread that his Grace of Canterbury was suddenly taken ill—and even lay at the point of death. As every one of the lawn fleece, expecting preferment, desired to please him, the bill passed without any difficulty. “All things edify not” (1 Cor. 10:23).

897. Reader Harris tells of one of the best-known German agnostics, Professor of Literature in the Heidelberg University who, nearing his end, opened his eyes and said, “Good God, there is a future life!” and fell back a corpse. “Man dieth and....where is he” (Job 14:10).

898. P. B. Power, at one time a noted preacher and author, said: “God will have His people in affliction deal with Himself; and to this end He presented Himself in the pillar of fire, when all around was dark. Our power consists in the fact of His presence, in connection with us; our security in the fact that He will be with us until the day dawn.” “Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

899. John Eliot, the apostle to the Indians, was, in his eighty-sixth year (the day of his death), found teaching the Indian alphabet to a child by his bed-side. “Why not rest from your labors?” said one standing by. “I have prayed to God,” was the answer, “to render me useful in my sphere, and now that I can no longer preach, He leaves me strength to teach this poor child.” “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age” (Psa. 92:14).

900. Lord Craven lived in London when the last great plague raged. His house was in that part of the town called Craven Buildings. On that sad calamity growing epidemic, his lordship, to avoid the danger, resolved to retire to his seat in the country. His coach-and-six were accordingly at the door, the baggage put up, and all things in readiness for the journey. As he was walking through the hall with his hat on, his cane under his arm, and putting on his gloves, in order to step into his carriage, he overheard his negro (who served him as a postillion), saying to another servant, “I suppose, by my lord’s quitting London to avoid the plague, that his God lives in the country, and not in town.” The speech struck Lord Craven very sensibly, and made him pause. “My God lives everywhere, and can preserve me in town as well as in the country. I’ll e’en stay where I am.” He immediately ordered the horses to be taken off from the coach, and the luggage to be brought in. He continued in London; was remarkably useful among his sick neighbors, and never caught the infection. “Them that honor Me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30).

901. John MacBeath, well-known Baptist minister, and author, London, said: “Our Lord can gather all our life up out of the mess of man’s patching and scheming, into the glory of Divine ordering. I may not always see Him, but I can walk by faith in the dark if I know that he sees me.” “Being not weak in faith” (Rom. 4:19).

902. J. H. Brooksbank, of Leighton Buzzard Baptist Chapel, in Bedfordshire, on Sept, 4, 1927, announced his intention to resign the pastorate, and immediately followed with the intimation: “The choir will now sing, ‘Oh, give thanks unto the Lord,’” The audience smiled, as did the announcer, when he realized what he had done. Titles of hymns and anthems should be watched at special services of any kind. “All things decently” (1 Cor. 14:40)

903. Sir Henry Havelock as a young officer in the Indian Army was always diligent in the instruction of his men in spiritual things; and a fine testimony was home to them by Sir Archibald Campbell, who in an emergency had ordered up some men of another corps, but they were not prepared for the call after a carouse. “Then call out Havelock’s saints,” he exclaimed; “they are always sober and can be depended on, and Havelock himself is always ready.” The saints got under arms with promptitude, and the enemy were at once repulsed. “Be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1).

904. Richard Cecil was convinced of the truth of Christianity by the living example of his mother, and that led him to Christ. One night, as he was lying upon his bed contemplating the character of his holy mother, he said: “I see two unquestionable facts. First, my mother is greatly afflicted, in circumstances, body, and mind; and I see that she cheerfully bears up under all by the support she derives by constantly retiring to her closet and her Bible. Secondly, that she has a secret spring of comfort of which I know nothing; while I, who give an unbounded loose to my appetites, and seek pleasure by every means, seldom or never find it. If, however, there is any such secret in religion, why may I not attain to it as well as my mother? I will immediately seek it of God.” “I have given you an example” (John 13:15; 1 Tim. 4: 12).

905. Sir Benjamin Hall, first Commissioner of Works, in 1856 gave the name to “Big Ben,” the clock in Westminster Tower, heard by 15,000,000 listeners every day. “That all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Tim. 4:17).

906. David Frederick Strauss, author of German “Life of Jesus,” and other attacks on Christ and Christianity: “Christ stands alone and unapproached in the world’s history. No perfect piety is possible without His presence in the heart.”

907. Thomas Edison, the great inventor, when 80 years of age, and stone deaf, thought that the increasing noises of civilization will end in every one being deaf. We have had so many prophecies of what would be in 100 years, and so many things never expected have appeared in the last 100 years, that we take little stock in any man’s forecast. One certainty we believe: “He which testifieth these things saith, ‘Surely I come quickly!’” (Rev. 22:20).

908. Dr. Alexander Whyte said of his first experiences of a Sunday School teacher: “Though I was a little chap, scarcely reaching up to his knees, I could see quickly at first that he had not much interest in his teaching.” But there was a change. “When the revival came, it played upon my teacher, and I saw some change had come over him, and instead of showing little interest in his work, he did not get enough of us now, and was always ready to put himself to any trouble to teach us.” “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

909. John Walker, D.D., distinguished Christian and naturalist, was born in the Canongate, suburb of Edinburgh, and at ten years of age had a good knowledge of the classics. He loved God, and he loved God’s nature also. “I have been from my cradle,” he wrote to his friend, Lord Kames, “fond of vegetable life; and though I like my species and the rank I hold in creation, I declare I would sooner claim kindred to an oak or an apple tree than to an ape!” Dr. Walker wrote a fine work entitled, “Remarkable Trees in Scotland.” He died on the 22nd of January, 1804, aged 73. Of all the trees mentioned in the Scriptures, the finest and most remarkable are the Tree of Righteousness (the Lord Himself) and those called Trees of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord (Isa. 61:3).

910. President Grant, of Log Cabin fame, once made his remarkable declaration: “To the Bible we are indebted for all our prosperity in the past; to it we must look for our safety in the future.”

911. John G. Whittier, the American poet, wrote:

“I know not what the future hath

Of marvel or surprise,

Assured alone that life and death

His mercy underlies.”

“All things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28).

912. John L. Baird, the inventor of Television, and friends, sat in a room in London, and talked to, whilst seeing friends in a room in Glasgow, 402 miles apart. Movements of face, arms, and body were clearly visible. Seeing across the 3000 miles of the Atlantic to New York will come next, then the 13,000 miles to Australia. Yet one sight remains the sole right of one Person (1 Sam. 16:7; Gen. 16:3).

913. William Harvey, writer and anatomical demonstrator on the action of the heart, was born at Folkestone, Kent, in 1578. Envied by those who could not value his doctrine, he was at first greatly traduced. He died in Essex in 1657. When making his discovery, Harvey declared that the heart served as a sort of cistern, from which the blood was ejected by the act of inspiration, and to which it reverted in the act of expiration. God, in His Record of Researches, couples the heart with the brain (Rom. 10:10).

914. Benjamin Franklin tried to convince the farmers of his day that plaster enriched the soil. All his philosophical arguments failed to convince them, so he took plaster and formed it into a sentence in a field by the road-side. The wheat coming up through those letters was about twice as rank and green as the other wheat, and the farmer could read for months in letters of living green, the sentence: “This has been plastered.” The contention of Franklin was proved by the more luxurious growth of the wheat. The same thing is brought out in the Christian life. It is not the “say” of the profession, but the saintliness of the practice which shows the reality of faith in Christ. “As becometh saints” (Eph. 5:3).

915. Justin Martyr, who sealed his testimony with his blood in A.D. 166, has no less than 30 unmistakable quotations from the New Testament in his writings, besides being full of Scriptural phraseology. “Every word of God is pure” (Prov. 30:5).

916. Commodore F. G. Bourne, head of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, made the greatest wedding gift we have ever heard of to his daughter, Miss Bourne, on her marriage to A. D. Thayer, insurance dealer. 8,000,000 was passed on jointly to wife and husband as a surprise bequest. Yet a greater and more endurable gift is available for you and for all (Rom. 6:23).

917. Dr. Samuel Johnson was so accustomed to say always the truth, that he never condescended to give an equivocal answer to any question. A lady of his acquaintance once asked the doctor how it happened that he was never invited to dine at the table of the great. “I do not know any cause,” said Johnson, “unless it is that lords and ladies do not always like to hear the truth, which, thank God, I am in the habit of speaking.” “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15; Psa. 34:13).

918. Benjamin Jowett was the famous Master of Balliol College. George Curzon, an undergraduate, wrote:

“First come I. My name is Jowett,

There’s no knowledge but I know it.

I am Master of this College.

What I don’t know isn’t knowledge.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7).

919. Wm. Fetler, of the Russian Missionary Society, speaking in the Town Hall, Bournemouth, gave some startling facts as to “Bolshevism.” He said: “They promised Paradise, but today the children are as near Hell as children have ever been. In Moscow alone 30,000 children are atheists, thieves, immoral, and degraded. Not a single teacher in a Russian school today was allowed to tell the children that there is a God; the teachers were bound to teach that there is no God, no eternity, and that the Bible is a fable.” “Worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13).

920. James Anthony Frowde, English historian, who imbibed skeptical ideas, and in 1849 published “The Nemesis of Faith,” wrote: “The most perfect being who has ever trod the soil of the earth was called the Man of Sorrows.”

921. Dr. Andrew Bonar, of Glasgow, left 2 Thoughts with God’s people in sickness. (1) They might do a great work by prayer. (2) It was really promotion to be on the mountain top with Aaron and Hur, rather than in the valley with Joshua. “He heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Prov. 15:29).

922. Martin Luther said: “I have so much business to do today that I shall not be able to get through it with less than three hours’ prayer.” Now most people would say, “I have so much business to do today that I can have only three minutes’ prayer; I cannot afford the time.” But Luther thought that the more he had to do, the more he must pray, or else he could not get through it. “In everything by prayer” (Phil. 4:6).

923. Sir Thomas Abney, the friend of Dr. Watts, was not more distinguished by his hospitality than his piety. Neither business nor pleasure interrupted his observance of public and domestic worship. One illustration will suffice. Upon the day that he entered on his office as Lord Mayor of London, without any notice he withdrew from the assembly at Guildhall after supper, went to his house, there performed family worship, and then returned to the company. “Thou and thy house” (Acts 16:31).

924. Dr. Alexander Duff, a name associated with evangelization of India, a native of Pitlochry, a village at Moulin, Perthshire, was born in 1802. About 1824, when the Church of Scotland decided to establish a mission in India, Dr. Duff was appointed to that post, and he sailed in a vessel called the Lady Holland. But when off the Cape the ship was wrecked, and Duff lost all his books with the exception of Baxter’s Polyglot Bible. Untrammeled by regulations, Duff was able to educate the young natives. Conversions took place, and the Gospel was thus spread by native agency. “Thou hast taught them the good way”. (2 Chron. 6:27),

925. J. F. Millet, painter of “The Angelus,” which was sold for over ₤22,000, said: “The Psalms are my breviary. It is there I find all I paint.”

926. Sir Henry Havelock, of Indian Mutiny fame, lay dying. Relying on the merits of the Redeemer, in whom he had trusted with unwavering confidence, he was enabled to look forward with cheerfulness. He repeatedly exclaimed: “I die happy and contented.” Calling his son to him, he said, “See how a Christian can die.”

927. Oliver Cromwell visited Glasgow in 1650, after the battle of Dunbar. Zachary, a faithful Divine, spoke with vehemence and denunciation from the eighth chapter of Daniel. “Shall I pistol the scoundrel?” whispered an officer to Cromwell. “No, no,” said Cromwell. “I’ll manage him in another way;” whereupon he invited Mr. Boyd to dine with him. Explanations then led to a covenant of peace. “Have peace one with another” (Mark 9:50).

928. Stephen Grellett tells how, when he was a confirmed unbeliever, and under no kind of religious concern, he was arrested by what seemed an awful voice, saying, “Eternity! Eternity! Eternity!” A great sense of sin came upon him, and he prayed long for mercy. He withdrew from company, and spent most of his time in retirement, and in silent waiting upon God. From that time his life-story was a long record of faithful and fruitful Christian service. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Heb. 10:31).

929. Dr. Howard A. Kelly, the well-known surgeon, of Baltimore, U.S.A., whose testimony has often been quoted, says: “I found long since that as I allowed the pressure of professional and worldly engagements to fill in every moment between rising and going to bed, the spirit would surely starve. So I made a rule, which I have since stuck to in spite of many temptations, not to read or study anything but my Bible after the evening meal, and never to read any other book but the Bible on Sunday. I do not exclude real Bible helps which always drive one back to the Bible, but I never spend time simply on devotional books.” “Search the Scriptures... they testify of Me (Christ)” (John 5:39).

930. Demosthenes, being inclined to a particular sin, yet resisted it, because, he said, he would not buy repentance so dear. An example for all when tempted to sin. “Whoso committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34).

931. Francois Pierre Guizot, French historian and critic: “I believe in God, and adore Him. I have a firm belief in the history contained in the Old and New Testament, and in the regeneration of the human race by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Heb. 9:28).

932. Dr. Hudson Taylor, founder of the C.I.M., declares: “We want men who love God supremely and souls next. We want men, not only willing to do, but also to suffer the will of God; men of faith, who can afford to despise the world, and look forward to the surpassing glory in store.” “Henceforth... the crown” (2 Tim. 4:8).

933. Augustine, walking by the sea-side meditating on the doctrine of the Trinity, observed a child pouring the water of the sea into a shell, which had a hole in the middle of it. “What are you doing?” said Augustine. The child answered, “I am putting all the sea into this shell.” “Thou playest the child indeed,” said the father; “Can a shell, thinkest thou, comprehend all this sea?” “And so do you, sir,” rejoined the child, “who would by reason comprehend the Trinity” (Heb. 9:14).

934. Father Haynes, a colored preacher, is the real author of a story told with many variations. For some time after the publication of his sermon on the text, “Thou shalt not surely die” (Gen. 3:4), two reckless young men having agreed together to try his wit, one of them said, “Father Haynes, have you heard the good news?” “No,” said Mr. Haynes, “what is it?” “It is great news,” said the other, “and if it be true, your business is done.” “What is it?” again inquired Mr. Haynes. “Why,” said the first, “the Devil is dead.” In a moment the old gentleman replied, lifting up both his hands and placing them on the heads of the young men, and in a tone of solemn concern, “Oh, poor fatherless children! what will become of you?” (John 8:44; Acts 13:10; Jude 9).

935. Samuel Rutherford, the Scottish saint, made this contrast: “I never knew by my nine years’ preaching so much of Christ’s love as He hath taught me in Aberdeen by six months’ imprisonment.” “Thou wilt save the afflicted people” (Psa. 18:27).

936. Quarles, the quaint, writes: “Dost thou want things necessary? Grumble not, perchance it was a necessary thing thou should’st want. Endeavor lawfully to supply it; if God bless not thy endeavor, bless Him that knoweth what is fitted for thee. Thou art God’s patient; prescribe not thy physician” (Jer. 8:22).

937. Socrates, the ecclesiastical historiographer, reports a story of one Pambo, a plain ignorant man, who came to a learned man, and desired him to teach him some Psalm or other. He began to read unto him the thirty-ninth Psalm, “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.” Having passed this first verse, Pambo shut the book, and took his leave, saying, “That he would go and learn that point first (Psa. 39:1).

938. John Arrowsmith, a Puritan minister and writer, born at Gateshead-on-Tine, was one of those whom Cromwell’s “Triers” examined, “to see if the grace of God was in him, before presentation to a Church.” He was commended by this body for “his holy and unblamable conversation, his knowledge and utterance, able and fit to preach the Gospel,” and was accordingly accepted. Good if such “triers” were in vogue today. “Hold fast the form of sound words” (2 Tim. 1:13).

939. John Berridge used to say that he could come to Christ with greater confidence for salvation, from reading such passages as: “Whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely” (Rev. 22:17), than he could have done if it had been written that Christ Jesus came into the world to save John Berridge. “For there might have been several John Berridges, and how should I have known whether it meant me or not? But if Christ came to save sinners, even the chief, He name to save me, and I am included in the ‘whosoever will,’ which excludes none. Therefore I am able to come to Jesus through these precious promises, and thus find comfort and peace to my soul.”

940. Lord Roberts, of Kandahar, who gained the Victoria Cross in the Indian Mutiny, speaking at Woolwich, said: “I am proud to belong to the army of Queen Victoria, but prouder still to belong to the army of the King of kings” (Rev. 17:14).

941. Matthew Arnold, the famous English poet essayist: “Christ came to reveal what righteousness really is, for nothing will do except righteousness, and no other conception of righteousness will do except Christ’s conception of it―His method and secret” (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 2:21; 1 John 2:1).

942. J. W. Fletcher, of Madley, having rendered some services to Lord North, the Prime Minister, during the American War, received a polite communication from that nobleman, desiring to know if he stood in need of anything which it was in his power to bestow. Mr. Fletcher modestly replied: “He was sensible of the minister’s kindness, but he only wanted one thing, which he could not grant him, and that was more grace.” “He giveth more grace” (Jas. 4:6).

943. John Wesley thus details his conversion: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate St., where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, and in Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 3:20-24).

944. John M’Neill, the popular Scottish evangelist divine, once traveling from Glasgow to London, little knew that as he sat down to lunch a pair of eyes were centered upon him. Tired of profession, the watcher said: “M’Neill shall be the test. If he orders Scotch whiskey I’ll conclude that all are hypocrites.” M‘Neill said: “A bottle of stone ginger.” The watcher said: “Thank God, there is reality in religion after all.” Made inquiries, and was converted, and has been known to the writer for years. The true Christian principle is in 1 Corinthians 8:13, “Lest I make my brother offend,”

945. S. W. Partridge, founder of the publishing firm bearing his name, once said: “Time-wasting is, perhaps, the commonest form of prodigality, and the least censured, too.” “Remember how short my time is” (Psa. 89:47).

946. Josepho, a young Russian scientist, along with others, has had machines named “Photomatons” placed inside his studio in Broadway, New York, in which, on putting a shilling in the slot, eight photos in different poses of the individual were supplied. A company has bought the patent for £200,000, and intend placing “Photomatons” in most towns. Like “Ford’s” or “Woolworth’s,” they may soon cover the earth. The truest photo of you they will not produce. It may be read gratis in Romans 3:10-19.

947. Luke Hansard, born at Norwich in 1752, whose name survives in the reports of Parliamentary debates, known as Hansard, repaired to London in his youthful days to seek his fortune, with only a guinea in his pocket. Having served his apprenticeship in a Norwich printing office, he worked as compositor in the office of Mr. Hughes, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, then printer to the House of Commons. Noted for skill, industry, and probity, Hansard was taken into partnership, and afterward became the well-known Parliamentary printer. “Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a Book!” (Job 19:23).

948. Dr. D. M. Stearns. At the close of a service in Germantown, U.S.A., a stranger accosted the doctor with: “I don’t like your preaching. I do not care for the Cross. I think that instead of preaching the death of Christ on the Cross, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the Teacher and Example.” “Would you be willing to follow Him if I preach Christ the Example?” replied Dr. Stearns. “I would,” said the stranger; “I will follow in His steps.” “Then,” said Dr. Stearns, “let us take the first step; ‘Who did no sin.’ Can you take this step?” The stranger looked confused. “No,” he said, “I do sin, and I acknowledge it.” “Well, then,” said Dr. Stearns, “your first need of Christ is not as an Example, but as a Saviour.” And this is every man’s first need (see Romans 3:23-26).

949. Cyprian, when on his road to suffer martyrdom, was told by the Emperor that he would give him time to consider whether he had not better cast a grain of incense into the fire, in honor of idols, than die so degraded a death. The martyr nobly answered: “There needs no deliberation in the case.” “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve” (Josh. 24:15).

950. Sir Sven Hedin. Amongst the autograph letters in the possession of the British and Foreign Bible Society is one from this distinguished Swedish explorer, who traveled in disguise across Tibet. This is what he says of God’s Book: “Without a strong and absolute belief in God and in His Almighty protection, I should not have been able to live alone in Asia’s wildest regions for twelve years. During all my journeys the Bible was always my best lecture and company.” As in Joshua 1:8.

951. Dr. A. Rendle Short, Bristol, writes: “Delicate, timid folk, men and women, boys and girls, have been baptized before now, and are still being baptized in the open air, in the face of a hostile crowd, and sometimes in icy waters. But such brave resolutions and fearless witnessing is part of the Cross which every follower of Christ with any conviction in his soul must take up sooner or later if he is to be a disciple at all, and shames the apathy of those of us who think we prefer a pleasanter way to that described in the Scriptures.” Cleave to the “Scriptures of Truth” (Dan. 10:21).

952. Harriet Beecher Stowe coming from America at the time when the emancipation of slavery so stirred the heart of the Glasgow Anti-slavery Society and others, noticed along the banks of the Clyde ivy taking hold of stone walls. A note was made of it, and the writer of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” wrote: “This clinging and beautiful tenacity has given rise to an abundance of conceits about fidelity, friendship, and woman’s love. It might also symbolize that higher love, unconquerable and unconquered, which has embraced this ruined world from age to age, silently spreading its green over the rents and fissures of our fallen nature, giving ‘Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness’” (Isa. 61:3).

953. Lord Ashley, before he charged at the battle of Edge Hill, made this short prayer: “O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day: if I forget Thee, do not Thou forget me.” “Yet will not I forget thee” (Isa. 49:15).

954. Lord Howe, when captain of the “Magnanime,” ordered a negro sailor to be flogged, and gave him such a lecture before the flogging that the negro exclaimed: “Master, if you flogee, flogee; or if you preachee, preachee; but no preachee and flogee, too.” “I would that thou wert cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15).

955. George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, was born in 1624 at Drayton, in Leicestershire, the son of a weaver. His first imprisonment was in 1648, for opposing the preacher in the “great steeple house of Nottingham.” In 1650 he was sent to prison on a false charge of blasphemy, when Bennet, the magistrate, acted with violence. On Fox bidding him “tremble at the Word of the Lord,” the term Quaker was at once applied to the Society. After much persecution, Fox died in peace in 1690. “Felix trembled” (Acts 24:25).

956. President Lincoln. When it was announced to Lincoln that he was nominated for the Presidency, it was expected that healths would be drunk in wine. But Lincoln said: “Gentlemen, we must pledge our mutual healths in the most healthy beverage God has given to man; it is the only beverage I have used or allowed in my family, and I cannot conscientiously depart from it on the present occasion.” Would that many other “rulers” would do the same. “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).

957. Harry Lauder, the famous Scottish comedian, says: “I was sitting in the gloamin an’ a man passed the window. He was the lamplighter. He pushed his pole into the lamp and lighted it. Then he went to another and another. Now I couldna see him. But I knew where he was by the lights as they broke out dean the street, until he had left a beautiful avenue of light. Ye’re a’ lamplighters: They’ll know where ye ‘ve been by the lights. The first burst of light that the world had was the lamp lit by Jesus, or rather, He was the Light Himself. He said truly, ‘I am the Light of the world,’ (John 8:12).”

958. Mark Guy Pearse, the famous preacher, was the one to whom the old fisher gave his three rules: 1, Keep yourself out of sight. 2, Keep yourself further out of sight. 3, Keep yourself still further out of sight. The fisher of men says, “Not I, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

959. Diogenes, being asked at a feast why he did not continue eating, as the rest did, answered him that asked him with another question, “Pray, why do you eat?” “Why,” says he, “for my pleasure.” “Why so,” says Diogenes, “do I abstain for my pleasure.” “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5).

960. John Howard, philanthropist and examiner into abuses in prisons, was a Londoner, born September 2, 1726. Between 1773 and 1733, Howard traveled over 40,000 miles on missions of mercy, and died on the 20th of January, 1790, after attending, as physician, a person attacked with malignant fever. “He died a martyr after living an apostle.” A faint type of Him who gave Himself—for our sins (Gal. 1:4).

961. Thomas Beecham, of Beecham’s Pills. In 1842 a humble man in St. Helen’s commenced making pills. It is said he frequently stood on a stool in the market place and sold his wares in the usual style. The business has so developed that it has been bought by Mr. Hill for £1,200,000, amalgamated with the Veno Drug Company, and floated as “Beecham’s Pills, Ltd.,” with a capital of £2,250,000. “From small beginnings great enterprises rise,” or as the Old Book puts it, “Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth” (James 3:5).

962. Sir George Back, naval officer, in the British service, distinguished as an Arctic explorer, endured great hardship while he and his party made an exploring tour on the Polar seas. He thus records officially his experience when the thermometer fell to 70° below zero. “With large logs of dry wood on the fire, I could not get the thermometer higher than 12° below zero. Ink and paint froze. The skin of the hands became dry, cracked, and opened into unsightly gashes. On one occasion, after washing my face within three feet of the fire, my hair was actually clotted with ice before I had time to dry it.” “Who can stand before His cold?” (Psa. 147:17).

963. George Herbert quaintly said:

“Who goes to bed and does not pray,

Maketh two nights of every day.”

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).

964. The Shah of Persia, in the day of his glory, was famed for his “Peacock Throne.” Its frame was entirely of silver, encrusted all over with diamonds. At the back a star of brilliants. It was estimated to be value ₤5,000,000. Yet he had something of greater value― “his soul” (Matt. 16:26).

965. John Wesley, accosted on Hounslow Heath by a highwayman, emptied his pockets of the few coins, and showed him his saddlebags filled with books, then added, solemnly, “My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life. If ever you do, remember, ‘The Blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth from all sin.’” When Wesley, turned gray, preached in a village, a man came forward and said: “To you, dear sir, I owe my salvation.” “Nay, nay,” replied Wesley. “Not to me, but to the precious Blood of Christ” (1 John 1:7; Col. 2).

966. Samuel Morley, M.P., in presiding at a lecture delivered by Paxton Hood in the City of London on “Gladstone: the Man and the Minister, his Place and Power,” testified that, “more than anyone living, Mr. Gladstone’s life and labors had been to him like an inspiration. He had watched Mr. Gladstone under every conceivable phase. That great statesman had always given clear evidence that he had conscience enough to see whether another course might not be a wiser course for the country...” “A good conscience” (1 Peter 3:21).

967. The Prince of Wales has a remarkably good memory, and it is necessary that he should have. Sometimes during his travels the Prince would say: “I’ve met you before somewhere; where was it?” or “We’ve met before at so-and-so. Nearly always he was right. But there was one instance where he was wrong, and that was with an ex-naval commander to whom he said, “Hallo, what are you doing here? Let’s see, where was it we last met?” “Nowhere, sir,” answered the commander with sailorly breeziness. “We’ve never met before in our lives.” “Son, remember” (Luke 16:25).

968. Dr. Prideaux, one of the greatest scholars who ever lived, earned his way through college by scouring pots and pans. “By the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).

969. Sir Albert Spicer, a Christian leader, of the paper firm of “Spicers,” at a presentation on his 80th birthday, said: “I might get depressed, but I don’t allow myself. I recall that the will of God Omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah!” A “Hallelujah” on the 80th birthday is a good note to sound (Rev. 19:1).

970. Col. Blood made an attempt to steal the Royal Crown from the Tower of London. With three friends they struck down the keeper and made off with the Crown. The keeper’s son, who had just returned from sea that morning, turned up at the crucial moment, the thieves were charged, captured, and punished. “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).

971. Thos. Alva Edison, rightly famed as America’s greatest inventor, on his 81St birthday answered many questions asked him. Regarding Eternity he said: “Fifty-fifty one way or the other is my present belief on life after death.” As the Morning Post observes: “It seems a rather abrupt and summary way of disposing of a faith that has consoled and inspired Christendom for 2000 years.” Every humble believer in Christ can say, “We know that if our earthly house were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands” (2 Cor. 5:1).

972. Pierpont Morgan, the American multiple millionaire, who left over ₤,20,000,000, made a remarkable statement in his last will and testament. The testimony is as follows: “I commit my soul into the hands of my Saviour, full of confidence that having redeemed it, and washed it with His most precious Blood, He will present it faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father. I entreat my children to maintain and defend at all hazard, and at any cost of personal sacrifice, the blessed doctrine of complete atonement of sin through the Blood of Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone” (Heb. 9. 22; 1 John 1: 7). No blood―no Remission.

973. Rowland Hill, the old divine, used to say: “I like short, ejaculatory prayer; it reaches Heaven before the Devil can get a shot at it.” Many workers might take note. “Let thy words be few” (Eccl. 5:2).

974. Canon Battersby went to Oxford to a conference there. When he came back he was asked what he learned that he did not know before, and he said, “I learned the difference between a struggling faith and a resting faith.” “Peace... with faith” (Eph. 6:23).

975. Dr. Torrey, when in Chicago, was sent for in a hurry to see a dying man in a tenement. He hastened and climbed the dark stairways, bent over a terror-stricken face on a pallet on the floor, and began to speak the words of eternal life. “Suddenly,” he said, “I was startled to notice that I was repeating the words of John 3:16 into the ears of a corpse!” Will he receive a “recompense” for this visit? (Heb. 11:26).

976. Michael Baxter, founder and editor of the Christian Herald, was one of the worst offenders in fixing dates for the Lord’s Coming, which were falsified. A brother named Kennedy, of Dumbarton, went up to him and said, “Mr. Baxter, I heard you say the Lord would come in 66, and He didn’t; then you said 71; then you said 84, and He is not here yet! How do you explain it?” The old prophet just straightened himself up and said, “Truth’s progressive,” and kept on prophesying and selling the Herald. Mark 13:32 surely warns us to beware of date-fixers.

977. Griffith John, missionary to the Chinese, was in 1875 preaching in a chapel at Hankow when a notorious Chinaman named Lin Kin Shan entered. “Pastor John,” said he, “is this true, that Jesus Christ can save a man from his sins?” “Perfectly true.” A deadly catalog was mentioned. “Yes, He will forgive you and save you if you believe in Him.” “Lin,” says Griffith John, “was then and there converted, visited his native village, preached to his clansmen, conversions took place, and idols were thrown into a stream. Until he was changed, most of his time at Hankow had been spent in riot and debauchery.” “Clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). “Go home... and tell how great things” (Mark 5:19).

978. Isaac Newton, notable as a great philosopher and mathematician, was descend, from a well-known family near Grantham, Lincolnshire. It is recorded that he studied the Bible longer, and with more intense application than any other book. He died in his eighty-fifth year. “The wise and their works are in the hand of God” (Eccl. 9:1).

979. MacGregor, chief of the clan of that name, who fell, wounded by two balls, at the battle of Prestonpans. Seeing their chief fall, the clan wavered, and gave the enemy an advantage. The old chieftain, beholding this effect of his disaster, raised himself upon his elbow, while the blood gushed in streams from his wounds, and cried aloud, “I am not dead, my children; I am looking at you to see you do your duty.” “The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him” (Psa. 33:18).

980. Joseph Addison, one of the luminaries in the constellation of British poets, sought to reclaim the young Earl of Warwick, his son-in-law, and, when dying from dropsy and asthma, sent for him. The young man, who seemed altered for the better, said: “Dear sir, you sent for me. You have some commands? I shall hold them most sacred.” Grasping his hand, the dying philosopher answered: “See in what peace a Christian can die!” The poet’s last words. The pulse ceased to beat, and Addison expired. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (Eccl. 12:1).

981. The. Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone, three times Prime Minister of Britain, declared: “If I am asked what is the remedy for the deeper sorrows of the human heart, what a man should chiefly look to in progress through life as the power that is to sustain him under trials and enable him manfully to confront his afflictions, I must point to something which in a well-known hymn is called ‘The Old, Old Story,’ told in an old, old Book, and taught with an old, old teaching, which is the greatest and best gift ever given to mankind... Talk about questions of the day; there is but one question, and that is the Gospel. It can and will correct everything that needs correction. My only hope for the world is in bringing the human mind into contact with Divine revelation.”

982. Bishop Hall, commenting on the text, “My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil” (Matt. 15: 22), said: “I doubt whether she had inquired after Christ, if she had not been vexed with her daughter’s spirit. Our afflictions are... the files and whetstones that set an edge on our devotions.”

983. Sir Arthur Blackwood, Chief Secretary to the G.P.O., took Pastor Frank White into a little inner room at Willis’s Rooms, in the West End of London, and said: “There, under that chandelier, at a ball, I surrendered my heart to Christ. The date was June 27th 1856. That was the last ball to which I ever went. The next time I entered Willis’s Rooms, six years later, was to preach the Gospel.” “Your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).

984. Dr. Barnes; Bishop of Birmingham, and his Evolution Theory, led to the following amusing incident: “Two small ears heard about the Bishop of Birmingham’s support of the theory that man had evolved front an apelike stock. Shortly afterward the owner of the ears was at the Zoo with his father. After watching the lighthearted antics of the monkeys for some time, the youngster said: “Daddy! Fancy all these poor monkeys having to be bishops!” Far better keep to the old, tried, and what will yet be the triumphant theory― “So God created man in His own image... male and female created He them” (Gen. 1, 2:17).

985. Guiseppe Garibaldi was born at Nice. His mother, to whom he was greatly devoted, was an amiable and pious woman. When in his full manhood, with singularly keen intellect, and health of body and mind, he wrote: “I am not superstitious, yet I will affirm this: that in the most terrible incidents of my life, when the ocean roared under the keel of the ship, tossing us about like a cork, and when bullets were whistling around us like hail, I seemed to constantly behold my mother praying for me, and I felt that no harm could happen when such holy prayers ascended to Heaven.” The patriot evidently knew something of the Lord’s new commandment. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another” (John 13:34).

986. George Muller, of Bristol, read the Bible through more than 100 times. Reading the Book written by “Holy men” (2 Peter 1:21) certainly produces the like. Read it whether you understand it or not.

987. Lord Iddesleigh spoke thus of truth: “Truth is the great mark at which we ought to aim in all things—truth in thought, truth in expression, truth in work. Those who habitually sacrifice truth in small things will find it difficult to pay her the respect they should do in great things.” “Let not truth forsake thee” (Prov. 3:3).

988. Lord Haddo, afterward fifth Earl of Aberdeen, wrote: “We ought to ask ourselves, not how much we must give, but how much we must keep; thinking how much we can deny ourselves, and how many things we can do without; and then, after providing for really necessary expenses, giving away the rest.” “The Lord loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

989. Baron Stowell, brother of Lord Eldon, was born at Heworth, a village on the Tine, in October, 1745. After taking his place among the peers of the realm, Stowell visited his old grammar school. The woman who showed him over the class-rooms, explaining the improvements, was quite impressed when the peer presented her with sixpence. People gave him the character of being “decidedly stingy.” He died on the 28th of January, 1836, at the age of 90, and left £200,000. “The mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled” (Isa. 5:15).

990. Martin Luther made it clear that it was against his wish and intention that a church should bear his name. “I pray you,” he said, “leave my name alone, and do not call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine. I have not been crucified for anyone. Paul (1 Cor. 3: 5, 6) would not that any should call themselves of Paul, nor of Peter, but of Christ. How, then, does it befit me, who am but miserable dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of Christ? Cease, my dear friends, to cling to these party names and distinctions―away with them all! Let us call ourselves Christians, after Him from whom our doctrine comes.” “Called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:25).

991. Albert Midlane, the author of “There’s a Friend for Little Children,” told of a little girl who wanted to take her Bible to Heaven, because if Jesus asked her why she was there she would point to His own words, “Come unto Me” (Matt. 11:28).

992. C. Silvester Horne, the famous London divine, in his Yale Lectures on Preaching, says: “The charm of Christianity is not in its antiquity, but in its novelty; not in the fact that it is aged and revered, but in the fact that it is eternally young.” “Be not weary in well doing” (2 Thess. 3:13).

993. Lord Russell caught Piggott, of the famous Parnell trial, by asking him to write “livelihood, likelihood, proselytism, hesitancy.” Piggott wrote and handed the paper. He had written “hesitency” as in the forged documents. The fatal “e” gave the clue. 48 hours later he was flying to Madrid. “He that offendeth in one point is guilty of all” (James 2:10).

994. Earl Haig, O.M., Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during the War, “a great soldier and a great gentleman.” After walking in the morning, motoring in afternoon, through heart failure he collapsed suddenly whilst undressing on January 30, 1929, and was dead before a doctor could be got. Aged 66. His last words were: “I shall be all right soon.” Surely a lesson for all to “Be ready” (Matt. 24:44), and a reminder that “we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of God” (2 Cor. 5:10).

995. George Muller said that in 1844, five individuals were laid on his heart, and he began to pray for them. Eighteen months passed away before one of them was converted. He prayed on for five years more, and another was converted. At the end of twelve years and a half, a third was converted. And forty years later he was still praying for the other two, without missing one single day on any account whatever; but they were not yet converted. He felt encouraged, however, to continue in prayer; and he was sure of receiving an answer in relation to the two who were still resisting the Spirit. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2, R.V.).

996. Dr. James Wills, an eminent Glasgow minister, cited the testimony of a leading Hindu, who said: “If I were a missionary, I would not argue. I would give the people the New Testament, and say, ‘Read that!’” “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39).

997. Charles Simeon, in his closing days, when words came slowly, said: “I am in a dear Father’s hands―all is secure. When I look to Him” (he spoke with singular solemnity) “I see nothing but faithfulness―and immutability―and truth; and I have the sweetest peace―I cannot have more peace.” “Great peace have they that love Thy name” (Psa. 119:165).

998. King Edward VII, when he shook hands with the great surgeon after his operation in 1902, said: “Lord Lister, I know well that if it had not been for you and your work I should not have been here today. How many, rescued from “so great a death,” and planted on the golden strand, will say the same of our Lord Jesus Christ? (2 Cor. 1:10).

999. Benjamin Franklin, the great American statesman and philosopher, was born at Boston, New England, on the 17th January, 1706, and died on the 17th April, 1790. He held many public posts, but made it a practice to give away all the money he received for official duties. “He was incorruptible as a statesman,” wrote a biographer, “and always illustrated by his own example the doctrine he was so fond of preaching, that his country should be served, for honor and not for profit.” “Not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Tim. 3:3).

1000. Dr. Torrey, when pastor in the Moody Church, Chicago, reports that a twelve-year-old girl died, and her mother went to Dr. Torrey and said: “Oh, I don’t know whether Mabel is a Christian or not. I have been intending to speak to her definitely, but I have put it off, and now it is too late.” The Sunday School teacher of the girl came and made the same confession. An intimate older friend had had the same leading, and had disobeyed the leading. “Here were three people the Holy Ghost had been trying to get the use of to lead a soul to Christ,” said Dr. Torrey, and all had failed Him!” “Be of good courage” (Prov. 27:14).

One Thousand Acts and Facts

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One Thousand Acts and Facts Concerning Remarkable Persons