Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
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352. When President Edwards came to die, his last words,
after bidding his relations good-by, were : "Now, where is
Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing Friend?" And,
so saying, he fell asleep.
353. "Pastor Jacobs, of Cambridgeport, could, when necessary,
administer reproof very forcibly, though the gentleness of his
character was always seen in the manner in which it was done.
Some young ladies at his house were one day talking about
one of their female friends. As he entered the room he heard
the epithets 'odd' and 'singular' applied. He asked and was
told the name of the young lady in question, and then said
very gravely: 'Yes, she is an odd young lady; she is a very odd
young lady. I consider her extremely singular.' He then added
very impressively : 'She was never heard to speak ill of an absent
friend.' The rebuke was not forgotten by those who heard it."
354. "Colonel Byrd, of Virginia, fell into the hands of the
Cherokees, and was condemned to death. In the tribe was a
chief that had before been his friend. At the approach of the
executioners he threw himself upon his intended victim, saying,
'This man is my friend ; before you can get at him you must
kill me,' which saved him."
355. When this church was being built I became acquainted
with one of the carpenters—a plain man—who worked upon it,
and I had many chats with him afterwards. That day, being a
Christian (sometimes I am not one), when I met him, as he
came down the street, I stopped and spoke to him, and shook
hands with him. And giving me, as I noticed, a peculiar look,
and keeping hold of my hand, he said : "Now, sir, you do not
know how much good this does me." "What?" said I. "Well,
your speaking to me and shaking hands with me," said he ; "I
shall go home to-night, and say to my wife, T met Mr. Beecher
to-day.' 'Ah!' she will say; 'what did he say?' And the children
wilt look up too. And I will tell them, 'He stopped and
shook hands with me, and asked if I was getting along well.'
And they will talk about that for a week. You have no idea
how much good it does a plain man to be noticed, and to be
made to feel that he is not a nobody." H. W . Beecher.
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