THE KING’S BUSINESS
612
(5) Fulfill the conditions “ Follow Me,” and you will fill your net. ( 6 ) You can prove the worth o f His Word, by obeying it.
(7) We want the W ord not only in our heads, but in our hearts. ( 8 ) The devil deludes by perfuming his bait. Learn a lesson.
PERTINENT ILLUSTRATIONS
By W . O NE has said that “the virtue o f Chris tianity is obedience,” and another said, “Let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience—examine not why it is com manded but observe it because it is com manded. True obedience neither procrasti nates nor questions.” Obedience to the Will o f God is the secret o f living and serv ing. Obedience Implies Honesty. —A young man while working in a store was tempted to keep a piece o f money which he found behind the counter. His fellow clerk had found such stray pieces around and had kept them, and laughed at his friend for handing in this stray piece. But when the years had tested both characters, it found one at the head of a large department store, while the other was a defaulter behind prison bars. He was not obedient to his employer because he was not honest. Obedience Implies Faith. —Hudson Tay lor, the founder o f the China Inland Mis sion, was once going down the coast o f China in a boat, when a great typhoon struck them and nearly upset the ship. One o f the sailors, who knew Mr. Taylor’s life o f prayer and obedience to God, said, “Don’t you worry, this boat will not go down with Hudson Taylor on board/’ Obedience Implies Submission. —A gov ernor o f a prison once said that it made him tremble to hear a boy say to his mother, “ I 'won’t,” for it seemed to him that the lad had already started on his way to sin and misery. Surrender your will to God. Rev. John Newton once said, “ If two angels came down from heaven to execute a divine command, and one was appointed to rule an Empire and the other to sweep
H. Pike. a crossing, they would feel no inclination to change employment. The call to go would uffice.” Obedience Implies Courage.— The story is told o f General Dix attempting to get into Fort McHenry without his uniform.. The order had been given to the guard not to allow anyone to pass without a uniform. When General D ix exclaimed, “ But don’t you see that I am General D ix?” “Yes,” said the guard, “but if General Dix wishes to get into the fort he had better put on his uniform.” The General commended the guard for his obedience and returned for his coat. Obedience Implies Confidence. —It is told o f one that if he were commanded by his superior to put to sea in a ship which had neither mast, tackling, nor any other furni ture, he would do it. When asked how hd could do it without hazard to his discre tion, h e, answered, “the wisdom must be in him that hath power to command, not in him that hath power to obey.” Obedience Brings Reward. —A darkey came to Stephen Gerard and asked for a job. Mr. Gerard asked him if he could move some stones over to the other side of the lot. He said, “Yes,” and all day he worked and moved the stones. When he came the next morning, he asked Mr. Gerard what to do. Mr. Gerard said, “You can move those stones back today.” The third day he came again asking what to do and again he was told to move the stones over again; and he did it. The fourth day Mr. Gerard sent him down to the dock to bid on coffee, for he said, “ He is faithful.” .He went and was introduced as Mr. Gerard’s agent, and men took their hats off to him. He was rewarded for his obedience.
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs