Bible Truths Illustrated by J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

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BIBLE TRUTHS ILLUSTRATED
tains and nobles, I shall be monarch of the world, the gifts I
have parted with will come back to me with an increase of a
thousand-fold." So Christ sacrificed all for the joy set before
Him of establishing a kingdom of subjects who should render
grateful homage by presenting all for His service.
519. In Mr. Wyatt Gill's "Jottings from the Pacific" he tells
us of a common sailor who settled on the island of Niutao, "as
missionary on his own account" This eccentric individual,
having first won over the chief, proceeded to convert the
heathen natives "with a loaded revolver and some bowie-knives."
Mr. Gill gives us the result of this "propaganda by force" in a
sentence. This is all he says : "He failed, and in disgust left the
island." Yet let us not single out this strange buccaneer missionary
for undue blame. The weapons of his warfare were
carnal truly, yet, in the employment of them, he was but copying
a system which only slowly has ceased from active operation
amongst ourselves. Happy are we to-day in having embraced
the better way. Sometimes it may seem slow to the world; but
it is sure, and its results abide, enduring even the stress of
persecution.
William Pearce.
520. I remember, when in Wales, seeing the men working in
the quarries there. A man is suspended by a rope half-way
down the stone quarry, and I have seen him there for a length
of time boring a hole in the rock; and after spending much care
and toil and time in boring the hole to a sufficient depth, I have
seen him fill it with some black dust, and if I did not know
what power lodged in that black dust, I should say, "What a
fool that man was to spend so much time in boring a hole in
the rock, and then fill it up again !" But I know that black
dust is powder. There is a wonderful explosive power in it.
And then, when he has filled the hole with powder, he has
applied his fuse and lighted his match, and while the fuse was
burning in the direction of the powder he has taken the opportunity
of fleeing to a distance by climbing up the rope to the
mountain-top. Well, that is the kind of work being done with
the object of extending the kingdom of our Lord in heathen
lands. At present our missionaries are preparing the way. They
are cutting a hole into the very rock of heathendom, and they
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