“A Young Hero.” Thirty years ago a boy had given his heart to the Saviour. He had been confirmed and joined the church. The next day he went to school. Some of the wild boys of the school heard that he had joined the church, and they made up their minds to have some fun with him about it. At recess time they formed a ring about him, and cried out:
“Oh! here is the good boy, Charley! He is going to be a Christian!”
And what did Charley do? Did he feel ashamed and try to steal away? Did he get angry, and hit, or kick, or speak cross to them? No. But he calmly looked the rude boys in the face, and said, in a manly way: “Yes, boys, I am trying to be a Christian. And isn’t that right?”
The boys’ consciences told them he was right. They felt ashamed. The ring was broken up at once, and Charley had no more trouble.
He was preaching by his example.
“A Beautiful Illustration.” Mary Duncan was a little girl, only four years old, who was trying to be a Christian. This incident shows us that even at that early age she was beginning to preach, and do good by her example.
One day she was playing with her little brother. In a fit of anger he struck her in the face. But instead of screaming out, or striking him back, she quietly turned to him the other cheek; and said, “There Corie, now strike that!” The uplifted hand was dropped. The tears came into her brother’s eyes. He kissed her, and said—“Forgive me, sister, and I’ll never strike you again.”
When Mary was asked what led her to do so, her reply was that she had heard her papa read out of the Bible, at prayers that morning, what Jesus had said about it.
And so if we try to be like Jesus, we may be helping to keep his last command, and to preach the gospel—by our example.