THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
820
Maximus in 235-7. The seventh, which was th e most dreadful ever known, be gan in 250 under Decius. The eighth under Valerian in 257. The n in th under Aurelian in 274 and the te n th under Diocletian in 303. In th is dreadful per secution, which lasted ten years, houses filled w ith Christians were set on fire. Whole droves of men and women were tw isted together w ith ropes and cast in to th e sea. I t is related th a t 17, 000 were slain in one month. . In th is fiery’ ordeal no fewer th an 144,000 Christians died by violence, besides 700,000 th a t died by banishments. These figures are according to Beaumont. Devotion to Christ— The Spanish poet, Calderon, tells of a beautiful Roman girl named Daria, who lived in th e early ages of Christianity. She belonged to th e nobility, and was of a very proud ar.d h augh ty natu re. In her pagan sta te she used to say th a t she would never love till she found someone who would die to prove his love for her. One day she heard the Gospel preached. Christ was upheld as th e Crucified Re deemer. H er h ea rt was a t once touch ed. She found a t last someone whom she could indeed love for He had proved His love by dying for her. She was converted, and became one- of th e meek est and most devoted of th e early Christ ian saints. She finally died a m a rty r’s death to prove her love to Him. Golden Text Illustration-—An A ustral ian m issionary tells a th rilling sto ry of his experience of th e Divine faith fu l ness when on a lonely and dangerous journey. ' All was safe and easy on his outward way, b u t on retu rn ing , he had in tru sted to him a large sum o f money. A footpad and bushranger Was in th e secret to lie in w ait a t a lonely spot with in ten t to m urder and rob him. But th e trav eler in his fear and anxiety, dis mounted, and prayed and talked aloud w ith God. Thus the robber thought th ere m ust be two men, when he only expected one; and his life was preserv ed. .
liberty. Thus Igna-
LESSON tius, in his epistle ILLUSTRATIONS to th e persecutors Wm. H. P ik e oi the church, glor ied, s a y i n g , ‘The wild beasts may grind me as corn be tween th e ir teeth , b u t I shall by th a t tim e become as choice bread in th e hand of my God.’ ” “Pew ships sink a t sea: it is th e rocks and shelves th a t split them . Couldst thou get off th e rocks of pride and unbelief, and escape knocking on th e sands of fear of man, love of the world, and th e like lusts, thou wouldst do well enough in th e g reatest storm th a t can overtake thee in th e sea of this world,” said Gurnall. “ The Church,” said Leighton, “ has sometimes been brought to so low and obscure a point th a t, if you can follow h er in history, it is by the track of her blood; and, if you would see her, it is by th e ligh t of those fires in which her m arty rs have been burnt. Yet h ath she still come through, and survived all th a t w rath, and still shall, till she be made perfectly trium p h an t.” Bible Illu stration s— I Sam. 22:3-23:29, David persecuted by Saul. Dan.-6:1-28, Daniel persecuted by th e P ersian offi cials. Jer. 38:1-13, the persecution of Jerem iah by King Zedekiah and th e princes. Acts 4; 5:12-42, the courage of these early Christians was food for P au l’s faith in th is tim e of need. Steadfastness in th e P ace of Opposition. M ultitudes were seized in Nero’s time. They were covered w ith the "skins of wild beasts and to rn to pieces by dogs. They were fastened to crosses w rap ped in combustible garm ents and fired to ligh t his gardens. This was th e first persecution of the early church. The second was under Domitian in 95 A. D. when 40, 000 Christians perished. The th ird persecution was under Tro ja n in 100 A. D.. The fou rth under Antonius. The fifth began in 127 under Severus. The sixth in th e reign of
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