60. Infidelity

Infidelity

DYING TESTIMONIES OF INFIDELS.—Voltaire, addressing his doctor, said, “I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life.” The doctor answered, “Sir, yon cannot live six weeks.” Voltaire replied, “Then I shall go to Hell, and yon will go with me;” and soon after expired. Spira, an Italian apostate, exclaimed just before death, “My sin is greater than the mercy of God. I have denied Christ voluntarily; I feel that He hardens me, and allows me no hope.” Charles IX, who gave orders for the massacre on St. Bartholomew’s Day, expired, bathed in his own blood, whilst he said: “I am lost forever; I know it.” Newport.—”Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell and damnation!” Hobbes.—”About to take a leap into the dark!”

INFIDEL AND SERPENT.—A converted man, once an infidel, said to a friend: “One Sabbath morning while in South America I went into the woods in search of game. After a while I sat down on a log. My attention was drawn to a neighboring tree by the cries of a bird, which was fluttering over her nest, apparently in great distress. On looking round I saw a snake creeping along toward the tree, with his eye fixed on the bird and her nest. Presently I saw the male bird fly quickly away, as if anxious to get something. In a little while he returned with a twig, covered with leaves, in his mouth. Perching near the nest, he laid the twig very carefully over his mate and her young, entirely covering them, and then, taking his place on one of the topmost branches of the tree, he awaited the arrival of the enemy. By this time the snake had reached the tree. Twisting himself around the trunk, he climbed up; then gliding along the branch till he came near the nest, he lifted his head as if he were going to dart upon the poor bird. He looked at the nest for a moment, and then, suddenly throwing back his head, made his way down the tree as fast as he could and went off. Climbing up the tree, and examining the leaves of the twig, which had been such a shield and defense to that helpless bird, I found that it had been broken off from a bush which is poisonous to the snake, and which it is never known to touch. In a moment the question arose in my mind: Who taught this bird its only weapon of defense in such an hour of danger? And quick as thought came the answer, None but God.

INFIDEL AND FLOWER.—An unbeliever, in Texas, read that “God works according to the rules of geometry.” “I always thought,” said he to himself, “that things were made by chance. Is there a rule about everything?” Just then he saw close by a sweet little flower known as the “Texas Star.” He picked it up and began to examine it. He counted the petals; he found there were five. He counted the stamens; there were five of them. He counted the divisions at the base of the flower; there were five of them. Then he examined another flower. It was the same with that. Another and another were examined. It was the same with all. There were five petals and five stamens, and so on, in every case. “How is this?” he said to himself. “If these flowers were made by chance, some of them would have three petals, and some two, and some none. But now they all have five; never more, and never less. Here is work done by rule. If it is done in this way, there must be some one to do it. And who can that be? Oh, I see.” And then he picked up the little flower and kissed it, and said, “Bloom on, little flower; sing on, little birds; you have a God, I have a God; the God that made these made me.”