last time. She had to be torn from his embrace. In the days that followed she spent every penny of money and every ounce of strength seeking a pardon. All was in vain. A fter his death, she begged the governor to let her have the body for a proper burial. The gov ernor refused her request. I t was just several months later when she herself was gravely ill. Before dying she sent word to the governor, begging that her body might be laid close to that of her son. Imagine not being ashamed to have her grave pointed out as that of the mother who had one of the most notorious criminals the state of Ver mont had ever seen! In God’s Word, the prophet asks the question, “Can a mother forget her child?” Yet, as great as this love is shown to be, it cannot begin to compare with that which God has extended to us, in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. “We love Him because He first loved us, and gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” * It's smart to pick your friends, but not to pieces. * * * SHOOTING AT SA INTS During the F ren ch and English War, Admiral Phipps was in charge of the British fleet anchored outside Quebec, awaiting the coming of land forces. He was to remain there quietly until he could proceed to the city in a planned attack. Being an ardent non conformist, and arriving early, for some reason he was annoyed by the sight of the statues of saints which adorned the roof and tower of a cathe dral near the shoreline. He ordered guns of his ships to fire upon them. How many he actually hit or destroyed, no one knows. History does record, how ever, that when the infantry finally arrived, and the signal for the real at tack was given, Admiral Phipps was out of ammunition. Now he was pow erless against the enemy because he had used up his shells shooting at the saints. What a picture of the church today! It is tragic that so many peo ple seem to think their calling in life must be talking about others and run ning or shooting them down. How this pleases the devil if he can get Chris- * *
W ING S OF FAITH Although he had been an agnostic throughout life, with death approach ing for a certainty, the wealthy unbe liever sat down early one morning in his luxurious garden to contemplate his future. There he noticed a snail climbing up the stalk of a plant. Slowly it made his way to the top whereupon it could go no further. I t reached out its feelers but, with no place to go, it had to head back down. The man thought to himself, “My life’s like that snail. I’ve reached the ultimate on earth, but yet I have nothing to which to hold. I can only go down.” The snail needed wings as the man lacked the wings of faith. When by God’s grace we receive Jesus Christ as Saviour, He gives us the power to soar above the material things of this earth to dwell with Him in heavenly places. What of the Christian’s future as we face an other new year? The Scripture assures us, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things Which God hath pre pared for them that love Him.” * Advice it something that the wise don't need and what fools won't take. * * * A MOTHER'S LOVE Because of a certain boy’s wicked father it was no wonder that the lad turned to crime. He had been taught everything that was evil. The man had stolen his son from his wife so that she could not find him. A fter the par ent’s death he went from bad to worse. Finally, he was arrested for murder. When the trial opened, it was brought out that he had killed five other peo ple. Throughout the city the under standable cry was for justice by the death penalty. The courthouse had to be guarded carefully for the indigna tion was so intense. The youth’s white- haired mother by now had found her boy and got as near her wayward son as possible. Every vntness with con demnatory words seemed to hurt her more than the accused. When the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, a great shout went up. The mother fainted. A fter the sentence of death had been passed, the mother threw her arms around her son and kissed him for the 28 * *
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