Pride must fall. When Bonaparte was about to invade Russia, a person who had endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, finding he could not prevail, quoted to him the proverb, “L’homme propose, mais Dieu dispose;”—man proposes, but God disposes; to which he indignantly replied, “I dispose as well as propose.” A Christian lady, hearing the impious boast, remarked, “I set that down as the turning point of Bonaparte’s fortunes. God will not suffer a creature, thus with impunity, to usurp his prerogative.” It happened just as the lady had predicted. Bonaparte’s invasion of Russia was the commencement of his fall.
Profanity. The famous Dr. Johnson never suffered an oath to go unrebuked, in his presence. When a libertine, but a man of some note, was once talking before him, and interlarding his stories with oaths,—Johnson said, “Sir, all this swearing will do nothing for our story; I beg you will not swear.” The narrator went on swearing; Johnson said, “I must again entreat you not to swear.” The gentleman swore again, and Johnson indignantly quitted the room.
Trust in Providence. An honest, industrious countryman, in England, had often been brought, by want of employment, into very straitened circumstances; but still he experienced, as he thought, many interpositions of Providence in his favor. In conversing once on the subject of God’s taking care of his people, the man observed, “It is very easy to talk of trusting in God with plenty of provision in the house and money in the pocket; but I do not call that trust! I call it ready money.”
A Word in Season. A pious physician once told a very troublesome patient that it was absolutely necessary he should be bled, to which, however, the man had the strongest objection. Upon hearing this, he sprang up in his bed, and exclaimed impatiently, “God bless my soul.” The doctor said solemnly—“Amen.” The patient was exceedingly struck by the word, thus uttered: he became quiet and said, “Doctor, you have turned into a prayer, what I meant only as an exclamation; you may do with me what you like.” What a striking illustration of the text, “A word spoken in due season, how good is it!”
A delicate Rebuke. As the Reverend Mr. H. was travelling in company with some gentlemen who had accidentally joined him on the road, one of them who was very much given to ridiculing ministers of the gospel, after he had proposed several insulting questions, addressed him thus: “I suppose you are a preacher, sir.” “I am, sir,” was the reply. “And pray, sir,” said the scoffer, in a swelling manner, “what do you preach to the people?” “Why, sir,” replied Mr. H., “I sometimes admonish my hearers to avoid foolish and impertinent questions.” The company could not refrain from laughing; they commended the preacher for his seasonable reply, and Mr. H. was no more troubled by his unpleasant companion.