WHY KINGS WEAR CROWNS.
"FATHER," said Charlie, "why do kings wear crowns?"
"To distinguish them from the rest of the world, I suppose," answered his father. "You see, my boy, in old times, when very few people knew how to read, they had to be taught everything in pictures. So the king took care to dress himself in a purple robe, and to put a crown of gold upon his head, that every one might know he was king.
Thus, the crown came to be the sign of royal power; and the first thing a new king did was to secure the crown, and have himself crowned king as soon as possible. Thus, the king and his crown have become so united in people's minds that we often talk of the crown as if it were a person. The crown, we say, did this or that, meaning the king or queen did this or that. But there were smaller crowns worn in ancient times, were there not, Tom?"
"Yes, father. In the Greek games, the victors wore crowns of laurel and pine, and even of parsley."
"Those crowns made of green leaves were the crowns to which the Apostle Paul alluded, when he said, 'They do it for a corruptible crown' (that is, a crown that will fade away in a few days), 'but ye for an incorruptible.' Thus, you see, my boy, a crown may be a sign of power or a sign of victory.
And such will be the heavenly crown. Those who are crowned with it will be kings and priests and victors. Let us earnestly strive to gain this heavenly crown."
THE DEVIL'S FOUR SERVANTS.
THE devil has a great many servants, and they are all busy and active ones. They ride in the railway trains, they sail on the steamboats, they swarm along the highways of the country and the thoroughfares of the cities, they do business in the busy marts, they are everywhere and in all places.
Some are so vile-looking that one instinctively turns from them in disgust; but some are so sociable, insinuating, and plausible that they almost deceive at times the very elect. Among this latter class are to be found the devil's four chief servants.
Here are their names:—
"THERE'S NO DANGER."
"ONLY THIS ONCE."
"EVERYBODY DOES SO."
"BY AND BY."
When tempted from the path of strict rectitude, and "There's no danger" urges you on, say, "Get thee behind me; Satan."
When tempted to give the Sabbath up to pleasure, and "Only this once" or "Everybody does so" whispers at your elbow, do not listen for a moment to the dangerous counsel.
If the Holy Spirit has fastened upon your conscience the solemn warnings of a faithful teacher or friend, and brought to mind a tender mother's prayers for your conversion, do not let "By and by" steal away your confidence, and, by persuading you to put away serious things, rob you of your life.
All four are cheats and liars. They mean to deceive you, and cheat you out of heaven.
"Behold!" says God, "now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." He has no promise for
"By and by."
—Christian at Work.