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wanted. “ I m ust n e t be discouraged, he said, “ I am doing Christ’s work. B earing G reat Sorrow P aul could bear up under g reat sor rows and could express g reat joy. “The measure of our being,” says one, is our capacity for sorrow or joy.” Cap tain Conder speaks of th e shadow cast by Mount Hermon, being as much as seventy miles long a t some periods. Was it no t the very greatness of Christ •in P aul th a t made his joys and griefs equally unique?” Golden Text Illu stra tio n “A godly m inister, escaping from his persecutors, w ent into a hay-loft and hid him self in th e hay. The soldiers w ent into th e place, pricking and th ru sting w ith th e ir swords and bayo nets, and th e good man even felt th e cold steel touch th e sole of his foot, and the scratch which was made re mained for years; yet his enemies did no t discover him. A fterwards, a hen came and laid an egg every day hard by th e place where he was hidden, and so he was sustained as well as pre served un til it was safe for him to leave his hiding-place.” C. H. Spurgeon. A Christian woman on a dark street in New York was approached by a man who asked if she was alone. “No, sir,” said th e lady. The man dropped behind. P resently he said, “ I though t you said you were not alone.” “ I am not, sir,” was her reply. There was a note of sarcasm in Ms voice as he re marked, “ I do no t see any one, who is your company?” “The Lord Jesus Christ and His holy angels,” was her reply and w ith the briefest possible pause, he said, “Madam, you keep too good company for me. Good n igh t.” •S&- m How P a u l’s Nephew Saved H is Life. Acts 23:12-24. Memory Verse.— “The Lord stood by him , and said, Be of good cheer.” Acts 23:11.
heaven on earth , looks through the storm of disparagements:—nay, he bold ly stares death in th e face, though never so ugly disguised.” This was Paul. A Russian disciple was impris oned for preaching th e Gospel, bu t la ter on, a paper was p u t in Ms hands to sign; he could go free if he agreed to give up preaching. He took th e paper, and to re it into shreds, saying: “ I would ra th e r ro t in prison th an agree to he silent.” “Methinks they are casting roses before me,” said one of th e Scottish m arty rs as they were piling up th e fagots to bu rn him. B ible Illu stration s How should we act when persecuted? As our Lord did. “He was reviled and reviled not again; suffered, and th re a t ened no t.” I Pet. 2:23. “Love your enemies and pray for them th a t persecute you,” Matt. 5:44. "If ye are reproached for th e name -o f Christ, blessed are ye.” I P et. 4:14. Get Beady fo r th e T esting Time P au l was ready no t only to suffer, b u t to. die a t Jerusalem . In th e dark days of England, when Lord Roberts was asked if he was ready to tak e supreme command of .the forces in South Africa, he replied, “My lord, for nineteen years, I have led an abstem ious life in th e hope of th is day.” A C hristian Never Discouraged Never once do we h ear P aul express ing a note of discou ragem en t.' I t is always “Fo rg etting those things which are behind,” le t us press forw ard w ith Him. When George Moore was collect ing for th e many charitab le in stitu tion s he helped, he m et w ith many rebuffs from men rolling in w ealth, b u t u tterly bound up in selfishness, and u tte rly re gardless of th e m isery of th e ir fellow- creatures. This sickened him for th e day, and he went home tire d of his work. But he retu rn ed to his work next day, un til he made up th e sum he
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