Vacuum—Spiritual.
A schoolboy answered the question: “What is a vacuum?” thus: “A large empty place where the Pope lives.” It is to be feared that it is a large empty place where many Christians live!
Vessel—Another.
One day, when the celebrated chemists Michael Faraday, was absent from his laboratory, a workman accidentally knocked a silver cup into a jar of acid. He was greatly perplexed; it was an utter mystery to him where the cup had gone. When Faraday returned and heard about it, he threw some chemicals into the jar and the silver was precipitated. He recovered it and sent it to a silversmith, where it was recast into a beautiful cup.
Victory—Using a.
One of Hannibal’s generals said to him: “You have the secret of winning victories, but not the secret of using a victory that has been won.”
Warning Spurned.
A warning was sent from S.S. California to the ill-fated Titanic of the presence of icebergs. But the wireless operator on the Titanic refused to take the warning because he was busy with his accounts.
Warning—Timely.
Years ago there was an earthquake in Japan, and an old man who had been through many earthquakes looked toward the sea and saw a wave 30 or 40 feet high rise up and recede from the land. Knowing what it meant, he raced out of the village to the high ground where the rice shocks were and set fire to them. When the people saw their fields burning they rushed up, and were about to stone him. “Look!” he said, pointing to the village. They looked and saw it submerged by the waves. If they had not been brought out by the burning fields they would all have been drowned. The old man soon found himself the hero of the village.
Ways—Different.
Years ago (in 1895) two young Poles, who had emigrated to America, left the Romish Church. One of them met a Christian, who gave him some Gospel papers which were the means of leading him to Christ. He became an active worker for Christ among the Poles in U.S.A. His name was Treckojenski. The other met a man who gave him evil political literature that filled him with hatred of everything that bears the name of God. He was Leon Czolgosz, the murderer of President McKinley.
Ways of God.
A little child’s pity for “that poor man” (a criminal) is aroused. She can’t believe her dear, kind father, who is the judge, will punish him. But he says: “Can’t you trust me to do what is right?” She says, “Yes,” and is told that one day she will understand.
Ways of God.
I saw the other day a painting of a large boat laden with cattle that were being ferried across an angry, swollen river in time of storm. The artist had so cleverly pictured the dark, threatening clouds and the play of the treacherous, jagged lightning that I immediately concluded that the freight of poor, dumb cattle was marked for destruction. But the title of the picture was simply, “Changing Pastures.” Many times we imagine that God’s plans mean disaster and affliction, but He is simply “changing pastures,” for our good.
Wealth of Heaven.
Very poor people occupy tenements, the backs of which overlook the Royal Mint, in London, with its perpetually flowing money. “I once remarked,” said a Christian, “to an old couple, that while a wall separated them from the millions of the Mint, no such barrier separates them from the wealth of heaven,”
Weights.
Alexander the Great was marching on Persia, and it looked as if the great empire was about to crumble, as later it did, before his armies. There was a critical moment, however, which nearly resulted in disaster. The army had taken spoils of gold, silver, and other treasures in such quantities that the soldiers were literally weighed down with them. Alexander gathered all together in one great pile and set fire to them. The soldiers were furious, but it was not long before they realized the wisdom of their leader. It was as if wings had been given to them—they walked lightly again. The campaign proceeded to victory.
Weights.
Two parties in the town of Chamonix prepared for ascent of Mont Blanc. One young Englishman disregarded all the counsel of guides, and loaded himself with a case of wines and delicacies, a camera, notebooks and a blanket. Off he started with his party. Six hours later the second party started. At the inn where they spent the first night they found the case of wine. Further up they found the camera and books. Still higher, the blanket. At the top they came to the young man, exhausted. He had encountered storms and had had to lay aside his ‘weights.’ Some, when they find they can’t reach the top with their loads, let the ideal go, and settle down on a lower level.
S. D. GORDON
Wiles of Satan.
When the partridge or the corncrake is rearing its young, the parent bird tries to divert the attention of anyone who intrudes too near. She will flutter close to your feet, and tumble over in her flight as if she could easily be caught, but all to decoy you away. Follow her slowly or quickly, and the little deceiver’s end is gained.
Witness—Secret of Christian.
A husband brought home a matchbox as a souvenir for his wife. It was phosphorescent, supposed to glow in the dark. He turned out the light, but there was no shining. He concluded that he had been cheated. The wife looked it over next day and found some fine lettering: “If you want me to shine at night, keep me in the sunlight through the day.” So she put it out in the sunshine. After dark she brought it in, turned out the light, and there was a brilliant glow.
Witness—Worth While.
A young man told his Army chaplain that when he knelt to pray the other men laughed loudly and threw boots at him. “Well, suppose you leave praying till you are in bed, and then silently lift up your heart to God.” A week or two later they met again. “Did you take my advice?” asked the padre. “For one or two nights I did, but it seemed to me like denying my Savior, so I did as before—knelt at my bedside.” “And what followed?” “Not one of them laughs now, and all the lot, fifteen, kneel and pray too.” “I felt ashamed of the advice I had given,” said the padre telling the story.
Word—Keeping one’s.
Runjeet Singh, one of India’s warrior princes, had laid siege to the fortress of Kussak. His plans had been made, guns and men had been placed in position, and the word of command given that the place was to be taken by storm. The fortress of Kussak stands high on the spur of a mountain range. For hundreds of years brave chieftains, with their vassals, had maintained their independence in spite of repeated attacks. The onslaught of Runjeet Singh’s army was resisted as bravely as those in bygone days had been. Weeks passed, and the beseigers had made no headway. At last Runjeet Singh gave up hope of success by ordinary means. So he sent a message to the lord of Kussak, undertaking to treat him with princely honors if he would surrender, and promising to give him certain villages for a possession.
The lord of Kussak, however, did not want villages. He desired to maintain his independence and to guard his mountain stronghold. But there was one difficulty that confronted him, namely, the failure of his water supply. They had neither wells nor springs in the fortress. They had large tanks to catch the rain, but of what use were they when no rain had fallen for months? The tanks were almost empty. The garrison could not hold out without water. What should they do?
There was no sign of rain. So at last the lord of Kussak sent an envoy to Runjeet Singh, promising to surrender the following morning.
That very night, however, the clouds gathered in the sky and the rain began to fall. Before morning dawned the tanks were filled to overflowing. The soldiers came to their commander and said: “Don’t let us surrender; we have plenty of water now.”
Sadly, but firmly, he answered: “I have promised, and I must keep my word.” And at the time fixed he marched out with his troops and surrendered to Runjeet Singh.
It was a brave and honorable act. The keeping of the promise meant loss. But he had given his word and would not go back on it.
If God commends His servants for keeping their word it is because in this they resemble Himself. If Samuel was mentioned as ‘honorable,’ it was because his word was to be depended upon.
Working with the Sovereign.
In the days of Queen Victoria a small boy was left one day in charge of a hillside hut near Balmoral, used by the royal hunting parties. Proud of thus working for the Queen, he carefully followed the instructions he had received, and when a lady appeared to prepare a meal for some of the guests, he helped most diligently. When all was ready, the lady said: “That will do, my boy, but before you go I wish to give you my photograph,” and handed him a sovereign. He thus discovered that he had not only been working for the Queen, but she had been working with him. He carries with him the image of his fellow-worker, and afterward reckoned that sovereign was worth more than fifty times its intrinsic value.
World—Getting it Right.
Did I ever tell you the story of little John? He had a wonderful box of bricks. These bricks, when formed in the right order, made an outline map of the world. One day John’s uncle, who was on a visit, saw the bricks and tried to put them together, but although he tried to do so many times, he failed, and at last gave up the task as hopeless.
Then John suddenly appeared on the scene. He soon got the map right. “How’s it done?” asked uncle. “Well,” said little John, “it’s simple enough. At the back of the bricks is an outline drawing of a man’s head, and I know that if I get the man right then I get the world right.”
World—Influence of.
An eagle was hovering over Chautauqua Lake, and its graceful flight was watched by several persons. Suddenly it darted with lightning swiftness towards the water. There was a clash, and a splashing of feathers and fins, then the great bird rose in the air with a maskinonge two feet or more in length, and weighing probably 10 lbs., still wriggling in its talons. When at a height of about 1,000 ft., the bird, still clinging to the fish, began to sink slowly toward the lake again, gaining speed as it descended and finally fell with a splash into the water. Later, the bird and fish were found together, dead. The eagle had evidently found the fish too heavy to carry, but had been unable to withdraw its claws, and as its strength gave way, it sank into the water and was drowned.
World—Influence of.
Bees, though they live amid honey and wax never let anything sticky touch their wings.
World—Influence of.
Bishop Taylor Smith had a young friend who showed him a piece of copper, and asked: “Do you know what this is?” “A piece of copper hammered out,” replied the Bishop. “It is a penny I put on the rail and watched to see what would happen when the train went over it.” The image of the king was destroyed, and the coin made useless. Angels are watching to see if we let the world go over us, and with what result.
World—Influence of.
In the story of Sinbad the Sailor, a magnetic rock lifted its head just above the surface of the water and silently unfastened every clamp, and drew out every bolt from the ship’s side till it went to pieces and sank. The world does this; draws out every clamp of holy resolution, and leaves the life a wreck.
World—Influence of.
Members of a party going down a coalmine saw a perfectly white flower. A man threw a handful of coal dust on it; not a particle adhered. It had a wonderful natural enamel on it, to which not the smallest particle would stick.
World—Influence of.
The earth seems to spoil everything that touches it. The clouds drift across the sky gorgeous to behold, but when they touch the mountain tops they change to a dreary drizzle. The snow descends as a shower of pearls, but the earth turns the white beauty into slush. The sea far away is crystal in its clearness but, as it touches the shore, it is fouled with slime and weed.
World—Ways of.
“What is the world? A wildering maze,
Where sin has traced ten thousand ways
Her victims to ensnare;
All broad and winding and aslope,
All tempting with perfidious hope,
All ending in despair.”
Worship.
“My wife and I stood looking down on Niagara Falls. We noticed that from below a fine spray, or mist, rose up, that actually reached the spot where we stood on the ledge above the Falls. I said to my wife: ‘This is like worship: God’s mighty love and grace pouring down upon us; then our love and praise ascending back to Him the Source of all our blessing.’”
H. A. IRONSIDE