We are weak, but thou art strong, Bless and make us thine. Thou didst for our sins atone; Bless and make us thine. When our race on earth is o'er, Then our feeble tongues shall raise When at home in heaven with thee! DECISION, "Lord, I will follow thee, "Young man, dost thou speak truth! -Annie. The Three Hebrew Children. NE of the grandest stories to be found in the Bible is that which tells us of the brave doings of the three Hebrew young men called Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, and which is recorded in the book of Daniel. As our young friends will recollect reading, they had when boys been carried away from their own coun try as captives to Babylon. In company with their friend Daniel they were sent to school to become acquainted with all the knowledge of that time. And it is clear that they diligently set themselves to the tasks before them. They knew, as well as we, that where there are no pains there will be no gains, and that he who would eat the kernel must crack the nut. They lived plain, studied hard, and in course of time they were promoted to posts of honour and distinction. After some years had passed away, King Nebuchadnezzar, who was a great man in his way, took it into his head to make a new god for the people to worship. Mechanics and smiths of all sorts were set to work, and, after a deal of chiselling, and hammering, and filing, and fitting up, the god was finished, and was then carted away to a great plain, and put upon a pillar Co cubits high. And it was appointed on a certain day that all the great men of the land should meet together, and, at the sound of music, they should fall down and worship this god. At length the day arrived, the crowd had assembled, and amongst them were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We can fancy them standing in deep silence, now looking at their haughty monarch, then at the golden image, then at the fiery furnace. Presently the music struck up and the multitude fell down upon their knees in adoration. But these three young men stood with unbent knee. The King was at once in formed of their disobedience, and in a rage he asked them if it was true that they had not bowed down to the image he had set up. He then tells them that he will give them one more chance, but, if they still are disobedient, he declares he will cast them into the fiery furnace, which has been heated seven times hotter; and then asks them who is the god that shall deliver them out of his hands. They replied in the noble words printed round our first engraving. They told him that they were not careful to answer him in the matter, that furnace or no furnace they would not worship an image, for this was contrary to the law of the living God who made heaven and earth. And you know the sequel of the story, how they were cast into the furnace, and how wonderfully God delivered them. Now this grand story is full of lessons both for children and grown up peo ple. And one lesson that we ought to learn from it is this, that it is a noble thing to boldly do what is right, and leave all the results to God. Now this is what these young men did. It must be remembered that they were men of rank, men of influence, and they knew that by disobeying the King they would sacrifice everything. And besides this loss there was the fiery furnace blazing before them. But perhaps some of our young friends are ready to say, That it is easy for people to be bold if they know that the fire will not burn them. Yes, but they did not know this. They put two cases before the King: they said, our God is able to protect us, and, if you harm us, it will be because He permits you; anyhow, we are sure that He will not forget us, and that He will watch over us for good. This was one case, then, on the other hand, God might not deliver them, He might permit them to be martyrs for Him, as He had permitted many others, and if He should do so, what then? Would this make it right to bow down to the image? Was their covenant with God this-so long as all goes well with us in this world we will serve Thee; but if we get into trouble on account of our religion, then we will forsake Thee. They did not reason thus. The question of the furnace did not enter into the argument at all. Were it heated ten thousand times hotter, it could not change right into wrong, nor wrong into right. And herein was the nobility of these young men ; it is this grand, if not, this readiness to meet the consequences whatever they might be, which elevates them to the rank of martyrs. Now, our young friends must remember, that men still have to suffer for doing right. The path of duty may be the path of peace and worldly success; but. if not if it be the path or persecution and worldly loss, still we must boldly walk the path of duty. We frequently hear it said that honesty is the best policy, and so it is in the long run; but, if not, if honesty led to the workhouse, well, the godly man must say, I'll still be honest. And so of truthfulness. We have heard of young men being dismissed by their masters, because they would not tell lies to the customers they had to serve; and if any of our young friends are ever threatened with some punishment for telling, the truth, let them remember they should do right, they should speak the truth; learn to say, "Well, I believe that strict truthfulness of speech will in the long run be helpful to me even in worldly things, but, if not, if being truthful blocks up my way and keeps me poor still I will be truthful, come what may." Ever act in this spirit and God's blessing will ever rest upon you. He who postpones the hour of living to Gcd is like the rustic who waits till the river shall have passed away. |
