November 2014 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

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November 2014 Signs of the Times Email Newsletter

The Signs of the Times newsletter is a collection of stories and quotes from past issues ofSigns and These Times.

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     A wealthy old gentleman residing in London on one of his birthdays invited his servants into the house to receive presents.

     “What will you have,” said he, addressing the groom, “this Bible, or a five-pound note?”

     “I would take the Bible, sir, but I cannot read; so I think the money will do me more good,” replied the hostler.

     “And you?” he asked the gardener.

     “My poor wife is so ill that I sadly need the money,” responded the gardener with a bow.

     “Mary, you can read,” said the old man, turning to his cook, “will you have this Bible?”

     “I can read, sir, but I never get time to look into a book; and the money will buy me a fine dress.”

     Next was the chambermaid, but she had one Bible, and did not want another.

     Last came the errand boy. “My lad,” said his kindly benefactor, “will you take these five pounds and replace your shabby clothes by a new suit?”

     “Thank you, sir, but my dear mother used to read to me that the law of the Lord was better than thousands in gold and silver. I will have the good Book, if you please.”

     “God bless you, my boy, and may your wise choice prove riches and honor and long life unto you.”

     As the lad received the Bible and unclasped the covers, a bright gold piece rolled to the floor. Quickly turning its pages, he found them thickly interleaved with bank notes, while the four servants, discovering the mistake of their worldly covetousness, hastily departed in chagrin.—Selected, Signs of the Times, February 27, 1893.

Quote: “If a hive be disturbed by rash and stupid hands, instead of honey it will yield bees.”—By Emerson, Signs of the Times, March 1, 1899.

 

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     King Frederick of Prussia, when he was out riding one day, saw an old farmer, who was plowing a field and singing cheerfully over his work.

     “You must be well off, old man,” cried the king. “Does this acre belong to you on which you so industriously labor?”

     “No, Sir,” replied the old man, who of course had no idea that he was speaking to the king; “I am not so rich as that. I plow for wages.”

     “How much to you earn a day?” asked the king.

     “Eight groschen,” returned the man.

     “That is very little,” said the king. “Can you get along with it?”

     “Get along, yes, indeed, and have something left.”

     “However do you manage?”

     “Well,” said the farmer, smiling, “I will tell you. Two groschen are for myself and my wife; with two I pay my old debts, two I lend, and two I give away for the Lord’s sake.”

     “This is a mystery which I cannot solve,” said the king.

     “Then I must solve it for you,” replied the farmer. “I have two old parents at home, who kept me and cared for me when I was young and weak and needed care. Now that they are old and weak, I am glad to keep and care for them. That is my debt, and it costs me two groschen a day to pay it. Two more I spend on my children’s schooling. If they are living when their mother and I are old, they will keep us, and pay back what I lend. Then with my last two groschen I support my two sick sisters, who cannot work for themselves. Of course I am not compelled to give them the money; but I do it for the Lord’s sake.”

     “Well done, old man,” cried the king, as he finished. “Now I am going to give you something to guess. Have you ever seen me before?”

     “No,” said the farmer.

     “In less than five minutes you shall see me fifty times, and carry in your pocket fifty of my likenesses.”

     “This is indeed a riddle which I cannot guess,” said the farmer.

     “Then I will solve it for you,” returned the king; and with that he put his hand into his pocket and pulling out fifty gold pieces, placed them in the hands of the farmer.

     “The coin is genuine,” said the king, for it also comes from our Lord God, and I am His pay-master, I bid you goodbye.”

     And he rode off, leaving the good old man overwhelmed with surprise and delight.—Unknown, Signs of the Times, February 22, 1877.

Quote: “Compassion is the basis of all morality.”—By Arthur Schopenhauer, These Times, June 1972.

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     I never tire of the story of Charles Lamb who, on a certain occasion, was talking with a circle of his friends about Jesus and others of the exalted men of history. Lamb was arguing that the Nazarene in His short but glorious life reached heights of spiritual dignity and beauty not reached by other men. “For example,” said Lamb, “what would we do if Shakespeare came into this room? We would all rise to our feet. But what would we do if Jesus came into this room? We would all fall upon our knees.”—By Kenneth J. Holland, These Times, February 1973.

Quote: “A good temper is like a sunny day, it sheds its brightness on everything.”—Unknown, Signs of the Times, June 13, 1900.

 

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     John Hayne was a young man much given to the use of profane and reckless speeches, and when the village pastor was talking to him about his soul’s welfare one day, and asked him if he was not grateful for the offer of salvation, he said, “No, why should I be? I didn’t ask to be saved.”

     “Well, you will have to ask, or you will not share in the unspeakable blessing,” replied the minister, and noticing a look of surprise now stealing over the young man’s bold face, he continued, “A young relative of mine was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, and for hours was in a state verging upon unconsciousness. After lying a long time on the damp ground he became aware that there were voices near him, and although he could not move as much as one of his fingers, or his eyelids even, he thought he felt a hand softly placed upon his heart. Then he became aware that a nurse, he knew that it was a woman by her voice, was pleading with the regimental surgeon, who was on the field, to make one more effort to save some poor fellow’s life. Presently he realized that he was the object of her solicitude.

     “ ‘He is so fine looking and so strongly built,’ said the nurse. ‘His natural vitality must be great; besides, sir,’ she continued in a reverent tone, ‘he may have a wife, or a mother, or a sister praying for his safety now.’

     “ ‘It’s no use to spend time over him,’ said the surgeon gruffly, ‘but if you wish to stay by him you can. I can do nothing for him, and must move on. Remember, if you remain, you will run the risk of being left alone here in the night on the field.’

     “ ‘Very well,’ replied the nurse bravely, ‘I will take the risk, and shall do all in my power to resuscitate and save this poor fellow, and only immediate attention can avail now.’

     “Presently the soldier became conscious that his jaws were being gently forced open, and that some powerful stimulant had been given him. It was not long before he revived sufficiently to be carried to the hospital, and in good time he entirely recovered. His life had been saved through the prompt and faithful efforts of that devoted nurse.

     “Now what if I should tell you,” continued the pastor as he earnestly looked into the face of the young man who had just made the coarse and flippant speech, but who was all attention now—“what if I should tell you that the soldier was ashamed of the noble young woman who risked so much to save his life—that he subsequently went about bragging that he had never asked her to save him—that he had not the least acquaintance with her—that he refused to acknowledge even that she had been of any service to him, and never mentioned her name except in a slighting, reviling way?”

     “I should say that he was a mean, contemptible ingrate,” replied John Hayne, impulsively. “He was not fit to live; his life was not worth saving.”

     “Very well,” said the pastor, “but this nurse only by a little temporary sacrifice of comfort on her part, at the same time being in the pay of the government, was the means of prolonging the soldier’s paltry life for a few brief years in this world of care and sorrow. Jesus Christ, the divine Lord, suffered on the cross and died for you to redeem you from sin, and now offers to make you an heir of eternal life. And yet I have never known you to speak of Him or of those who love and try to follow Him, with common respect even.”

     “My dear sir,” replied John Hayne, “I have never looked at this thing in that light before. Of course an ungrateful person is the meanest person living. I promise as much as this now: I will never use the Lord’s name lightly again.”

     The pastor did not press the subject any further at that time. He had set the young man to thinking. Not long afterwards John Hayne was converted, and he says that little lesson on ingratitude brought him to a saving knowledge of Christ.—By Annie A. Preston, Signs of the Times, October 27, 1881.

 

Quote: “In borrowing trouble people need no security, but the interest rates are high.”—By Charles G. Bellah, Signs of the Times, April 15, 1930.

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     During the war, many churches were kept open twenty-four hours a day so people could come into the quietness of the sanctuary and pray for ones on the battlefront. A godly caretaker in one of these churches observed a lad who came in every day for about ten minutes to pray. After several weeks of this, the boy came in and instead of remaining for ten minutes, continued on his knees for two hours.

     The caretaker, thinking he might be ill, spoke to him about his long period of devotions and received this reply: “For weeks I have been praying for my father at the front. Each day I came here for a few minutes to ask God to bring him home safely, and this morning he came home safely, so I hurried over here to thank the Lord for answering my prayer.”

     Let us beware of the human tendency to forget to render gratitude to God for answered prayer.—Unknown, These Times, November 1967.

Quote: “Difficulties are the things that show what men are.”—By Epictetus, These Times, November 1966.

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Compiled by Dale Galusha. Please pass this newsletter on to others.