The Lunacy of Disunion

A visitor to one of our county asylums was being conducted over the premises by the governor. On going the rounds he was forcibly struck with the strong physique of many of the men and with the comparatively small number of officials who were employed to maintain order and discipline. “What would happen,” he asked the governor, “if a revolt were to break out in the asylum and all these strong able-bodied men were to combine against the authority of the small number of officials?”

“My dear sir,” replied the governor, “lunatics “lunatics never combine “ (1 Cor. xii. 14-20).-WILLIAM WARD. FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE Faith, hope and love may be likened to three threads of silk: purple and silver and gold. Look at these P The Art of Sermon Illustration and tell me if you can into how many forms of fabric they may be woven by the cunning hand of the artificer from the spools on which they have been wound.

Do you suppose that you can interpret, from looking at them, what infinite combinations can be wrought out of them? The artist brings his palette, and here are the red, the yellow and the brown, the whole range of colours. Now look at this palette, and you may say, “There is the brown, there is the yellow, and there is the red,” but does that give you any conception of the painting which may be produced from them by a Titian, a Rubens or a Turner?

What infinite forms and tints can come out of that little scale of colours! So no man can tell what vast disclosures and combinations and developments shall come out of these graces of faith and hope and love (1 Cor. xiii. 13).-H. WARD