Ne Plus Ultra (As HMS Richards told it)
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★Some years ago a Spanish man found a coin in Florida. It bore the date 1796 and the Latin words Plus Ultra. There was a time when the Legend of the coins of Spain bore one more word, Ne Plus Ultra.
Why was it changed? In those early days Spain controlled both Sides of the Straits of Gibraltar; and the two promontories, one on the African shore and the other on the European shore. They were called the Pillars of Hercules. Her coins were stamped with a representation of these two great outposts of the Western World, the last known habitable part of the earth toward the west at that time.
On the scroll over the Pillars of Hercules appeared the words, Ne Plus Ultra “No More Beyond.” But when Columbus sailed into the Western Horizon and discovered the New World, everything was changed.
Spain became a mighty empire with lands beyond the sea, the mines of Peru, Mexico, and the sun-drenched hills of California. Then the the stamp of the coins was changed to Plus Ultra “More Beyond”.
Before Christ came into this world despair and death was written on the graves of men, Ne Plus Ultra, “No More Beyond”. But Jesus came to do away with death.
Through the gospel of Jesus Christ which brings life to the physically dead and the spiritually dead the coins of our life can now read Plus Ultra “More Beyond! O friend he who has the Son has life within him. He who died with the though he may sleep in the dust for a little while when Jesus comes the Son of glory will give a call and this call like Lazarus, like Jarius’s daughter, like Eutychus will spring forth to life with immortality to be forever with Jesus.
What do you say friends.
The point
Spain's coins were stamped "No More Beyond" at the edges of the known world, but changed to "More Beyond" after Columbus discovered new lands. So Christ changed death from "no more beyond" to endless life for believers.
Alternate wording
Ne Plus Ultra223 words
Some years ago a Spanish man found a coin in Florida. It bore the date 1796 and the Latin words Plus Ultra. There was a time when the stamp of the coins of Spain bore one more word, Ne Plus Ultra.
Why was it changed? Much of the world was not yet discovered then, Ne Plus Ultra (no more beyond).
But when Columbus sailed into the Western Horizon and discovered the New World, everything was changed. He discovered that there was more beyond what was found. Then the stamp of the coins was changed to Plus Ultra “More Beyond”.
Before Christ came into this world despair and death was written on the graves of men, Ne Plus Ultra, “No More Beyond”. But Jesus came to do away with death.
Through the gospel of Jesus Christ which brings life to the physically dead and the spiritually dead the coins of our life can now read Plus Ultra “More Beyond! O friend he who has the Son has life within him. He who died with the though he may sleep in the dust for a little while when Jesus comes the Son of glory will give a call and this call like Lazarus, like Jarius’s daughter, like Eutychus will spring forth to life with immortality to be forever with Jesus.
What do you say friends.