5291 To Destroy Louis XVII
Louis XVI and his beautiful wife were killed on the scaffold during the revolution. Their son, who was already registered in the rolls as Louis XVII, was taken prisoner.
The people wanted revenge of a worse kind. The child was not only to be kept a prisoner and forever deprived of his right to reign, whatever good in him was to be destroyed.
And so, they placed him under the tutelage of evil men who trained his mind to evil thoughts, his heart to evil designs, and his lips to speak all sorts of evil words. But now and again, the unhappy boy would grasp for higher things and exclaim in anguish: “I can’t say it, I can’t do it, for I was born to be a king!”
5292 Roosevelt, Jr., Only A General!
Waiting to board a plane, on which he had a reservation, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., overheard the piteous plea of a private at the ticket window: “I’m going overseas in three days. I want to see my Ma before I go. I can go home and back only if I travel by plane!” It was explained to him that every seat on the plane was taken.
Just then, Brigadier General Roosevelt stepped forward and said, “I’ll surrender my seat to him!” “But,” protested a fellow officer to the general, “this is a matter of rank!” “That’s right,” quickly replied General Roosevelt, “he’s a son, I’m only a general!” God conferred the highest honor upon us when he called us sons!
—Walter B. Knight
5293 If Children, Then Heirs
Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached a great sermon from a very short text. The text consisted of only four words: “If children, then heirs.” (Rom. 8:17). The truth and force of those words came through as the expositor stripped them of what they did not say.
The words did not say, if creatures, then heirs. Many people think that we are in the family of God, but the Bible does not say that we are heirs just because we are His creation. Neither does the text say, if children of Abraham, then heirs. That is what many Israelites believed. They thought they were automatically children of God because they were children of Abraham. However, to some of them, Jesus said, “Ye are of your father, the devil.” (John 8:44).
The text also ruled out baptism, church membership, confirmation, and other works and rites. We must be spiritually born into God’s family. If children, even “the poor of this world (are) … heirs of the kingdom.” (Jas. 2:5).
—Bible Expositor
5294 Master Of The House
Moody once pictured a reception room in a private residence at an early morning hour. It was entered by a man who proceeded to open the shutters and put things right. No one needed to be told that he was a servant. Shortly after another man entered. He walked around the room examining the portraits, paintings and ornaments as if they were new to him; and finally taking a book sat down to read. Evidently he was a guest.
Next came rushing into the room a rollicking boy of sixteen. After a bright “good morning” to the guest, he darted into the library, overhauled the mail lying there on the table, hurried into the dining room to see if breakfast was ready, lifted one or two covers to see what was to be served, and then, hearing familiar footsteps in the reception room, he rushes there and flings himself into the arms of the master of the house, who had just given the guest a warm handshake of welcome, but to this boy gave a hug and a kiss. No one needed to be told that this boy was the son.
—Bomberger
5295 Empress Refuses To Flee
The Empress Theodora, when implored to fly from Constantinople during an insurrection, replied, “They who have reigned should never survive the loss of dignity and dominion; may I no longer behold the light when I cease to be saluted with the name of Queen.”
5296 Are You Worth Saving?
Bishop Moore tells the story of a little boy who was swimming one day in a lake when suddenly he suffered some type of physical difficulty and could swim no farther. The boy struggled for his life. He had gone under twice, when he felt the strong arm of a man lifting him. The man had seen the little boy’s desperate plight and had swum out to save him. The man took the boy safely to shore and, after making certain that everything was well, turned to leave. The little boy said, “Thank you, sir, for saving my life.” The man replied, “You’re welcome, son. See to it that you are worth saving.”
Bishop Moore said that he has never forgotten those words, for he was that boy whose life was saved by a man who didn’t even leave his name.
A good question for the Christian to ask is, “Am I worth saving?” God in Christ has made a large investment in the life of each of us, and He has every right to expect a return of His investment.
—Gospel Herald
5297 His Brother Was Spurgeon
It is related of the late Mr. Spurgeon that on one occasion he found a boy on the streets, ragged and hungry. Taking him with him home, the good pastor fed and clothed him, and then, kneeling down, prayed for the friendless boy as only he could pray. Several times in the prayer he referred to the Almighty as “Our Father.”
When the prayer was finished the boy said, “Did you say “Our Father”?” “Yes, my boy, your’s and mine.” “Yes,” was the reply, “then we are brothers.” “Yes,” gravely replied the pastor, and then he talked to him of the Lord Jesus Christ, and finally, on taking leave of him, gave him a letter to a certain boot dealer for a pair of boots.
A few days after, Mr. Spurgeon was passing the boot shop, when the dealer saw him and called to him. “I had a strange thing the other day,” he said. “A boy came into the shop and asked for a pair of boots, saying that his brother had sent him, and when I asked him who his brother was he said you were.” “That is right,” said Mr. Spurgeon, “and he is your brother, too, and if you like we will share the cost of the boots.”
5298 Ulysses’ Proof
The story is told of Penelope, being annoyed by suitors, after Ulysses had been gone ten years. Thinking him to be dead, she at last promised to marry the one who should shoot an arrow through twelve rings with the bow Ulysses had used. In the meantime, Ulysses arrived disguised as a beggar and came to the place of the trial. One by one the suitors stepped forth, but found they were unable to bend the bow.
Then spoke Ulysses, “Beggar as I am, I was once a soldier and there is still some strength in these old limbs of mine. Let me try.” The suitors jeered him, but Penelope consented for him to try. With ease he bent the bow, adjusted the cord to its notch and sped the arrow unerring through the rings. It was Ulysses! Penelope threw herself into his arms.
—Prairie Overcomer
5299 Colored Strand In Rope
Large corporations usually have quantities of supplies and physical property scattered over wide territory—a railroad company, for instance. One of the serious problems is to find ways of marking things so that they can be identified in case of theft. Many of the thefts from which a large corporation suffers are pretty trivial in themselves. The property value alone is small. But it is important to be able to trace stolen stuff, prove ownership, and secure conviction, thus putting an end to the thief or junk dealer who makes a business of buying plunder.
In England the railroad companies have an interesting way of marking all their rope. Into every foot of it, at the cordage factory is twisted a single colored strand. This is not much thicker than a pack thread, and not noticeable until the rope is cut. But then it furnishes most damaging proof, and cannot be removed without destroying the rope itself.
Each English railroad company has its own private identification mark: one a red thread, another green, and so forth. Such identification marks are not put into rope in this country where the corporations buy large quantities. The device originated, it is said, in the British navy. Every scrap of rope made for the Admiralty, from a lashing to a hawser, has running through it a tiny strand of bright blue.
—Success Magazine
5300 Officer Living “Above” Natives
W. B. Knight in his Master Book of New Illustrations, recounts the following story: “Dr. Louis Evans tells of a man who entered the hut of a British officer in Africa and found his friend clad in a formal dinner jacket and before him the appointment of a formal dinner. Surprised at this dressing for dinner in the midst of a lot of African savages, the friend expressed fear of the officer’s sanity.
But he received the explanation that once a week the custom of dressing for dinner was followed because the officer felt that he must not adopt the customs and standards of the natives of Africa. He belonged to the Empire of Britain and he determined to live according to the codes of British conduct no matter how his heathen neighbors lived.” So also the Christian belongs to a different empire.
5301 “I Am Now Emperor”
Frederick the Great, before he became “the Great,” was seated with his boisterous companions, and they were drinking and hallooing, and almost imbecile, when word came to him that his father was dead, and consequently the crown was to pass to him. He rose up from among the boisterous crew, and stepped out and cried, “Stop your fooling; I am Emperor!”
5302 “I Am Caesar”
Julius Caesar, the great Roman emperor, when sad because of some disaster in the empire, was wont to say, “Think that thou art Caesar!” which would put him in a more joyous condition.
—Spencer
5303 Queen’s Creation
When Queen Elizabeth visited Lord Bacon at his house in Hertford soon after she had created him Chancellor of England, she remarked that “this house is too small for a man like you.”
“Madam, it is your Majesty’s fault,” replied Bacon with a bow, “for you have made me too large for the house.”
5304 The Psylli And Snakebites
The Psylli, according to Pliny, were so characteristically endowed with immunity from snake-bite, that they made it a test of the legitimacy of their children. They would expose their newborn babes to the most venomous serpents assured that if their paternity was pure Psylli, they would be unharmed.
Of this tribe was the ambassador Hexagon, who, boasting of his powers before the Roman consuls, submitted to the crucial test by being enclosed in a vessel swarming with poisonous reptiles. Legend says that he was not hurt.
—Walter Baxendale
5305 Epigram On Salvation (Child of God)
• Since we are born into God’s family we should bear family resemblance!
• We are God’s very own, being redeemed by Him. Every Christian therefore should wear a sign in his heart “Not for Sale!”