Among the last words of the dying Dr. Tyng was this beautiful motto, Stand up for Jesus. They should be written in letters of gold, and placed
in a silver frame in every home.
It may be easy to stand up for Jesus among his friends, but to stand up
for him and defend him among his enemies sometimes requires great
courage. I will give an instance that illustrates this statement.
Three Christian young men, finely educated, and consecrated to Christ
and his cause, who held high government offices, were commanded to
attend the dedication of a great image, or idol, which the king had made.
This idol was about ninety feet high, and nine feet broad, covered with
gold. When everything was in readiness, the king, with absolute power in
his hands, caused it to be proclaimed to every one in that vast assembly,
that when certain instruments of music sounded, every man should bow
before that image, but if, for any reason, any one should refuse, he should
be thrust alive into a burning, fiery furnace. This would be a trial of the
faith and courage of these Christian young men.
Will they now give up, and bow before this image, or stand up for Jesus,
and trust all in Gods hands? Human prudence would say to them, What
harm will it do to get on your face before this image, and pretend to
worship it? But God says, Thou shalt worship no God but me. The
young men decided to be true to God, whatever might be the
consequences. When the music sounded, all but these three fell down
before this image. There they stood, in the dignity of the Christian
character. All eyes turn towards them in pity.
Foolish young men? was the cry. Your religion has brought you into
trouble.
But, dear friends, when religion brings a man into trouble, it always brings
him out. When Satan brings a man into trouble, he always leaves him
there. Some difference!
After the king knew the young men understood the penalty of refusing,
and still persisted, he ordered the furnace heated hotter than ever before,
and the three young men were bound in their coats and hats, and thrown
into it. The king, perhaps, called his cabinet together, and said to them:
These were very fine men and fine officers. I never saw a wrong thing in
them before. I am sorry to lose them, but must be obeyed.
After a little, the king, with his counsellors, I suppose, went to the
furnace, perhaps to see the cinders of those foolish Christians. But,
instead of this, they saw four men walking loose in the fiery furnace, and
Jesus was one of them. They called them out, and lifting their hats, found
that the smell of fire was not upon their garments, nor a hair of their heads
singed. What a change in the kings mind about their God and their religion.
They stood up for Jesus.
The king then made a decree, that every people, nation, and language
which speak anything amiss against the God of these men, shall be cut in
pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other
God that can deliver after that sort.
By this one act of standing up for Jesus among his enemies, in meekness
and fear, these three Christian young men not only glorified God among
all nations, but built for themselves a memorial that will last, not only
through all time, but one that will endure forever in heaven.
Let me ask all who read these pages, to adopt as your motto, wherever
you go, in business, in pleasure, in youth, or old age, living or dying, I will
stand up for Jesus.
A. B. Earle, From: Incidents Used… In His Meetings, published in 1888.
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