Review and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 2. (1/8/1901)

Review and Herald

Jan 8, 1901

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 8, 1901

EXALTED CHARACTER OF THE CANVASSING WORK

By Ellen G. White

MRS. E. G. WHITE

CANVASSING for our literature is a missionary work, and should be carried on from a missionary standpoint. Those selected as canvassers should be men and women who feel the burden of service, whose object is not to get gain, but to do the very work that needs to be done to enlighten the world. All our service is to be done to the glory of God, to give the light of truth to those who are in darkness. Selfish principles, love of gain, dignity, or position should not be once named among us.

Canvassers need daily to be converted to God, that their words and deeds shall be a savor of life unto life, that they may exert a saving influence upon those with whom they come in contact. The reason many have failed in the canvassing work is because they were not Christians; they did not know the spirit of conversion. They had a theory of how the work should be done, but they did not feel their dependence upon God.

Canvassers, remember that in the books which you are handling, you are presenting, not the cup containing the wine of Babylon, doctrines of error dealt to the kings of the earth, but the cup full of the preciousness of the truths of redemption. Will you drink it? Your minds can be brought into captivity to the will of Christ, and He can put His own superscription upon you. By beholding, you will become changed from glory to glory, from character to character. God wants you to come to the front, speaking the words He will give you. He wants you to show that you place an estimate upon humanity, humanity that has been purchased by the precious blood of the Saviour. When you fall upon the Rock and are broken, you will experience the power of Christ, and others will recognize the power of the truth upon your hearts.

To those who are attending school in order that they may learn how to do the work of God more perfectly, I would say, Remember that it is only by a daily consecration to God that you can become soul-winners. There have been those who were unable to go to school because they were too poor to pay their way. But when they became sons and daughters of God, they took hold of the work where they were, laboring for those around them. Though destitute of the knowledge obtained in school, they consecrated themselves to God, and God worked through them. As did the disciples when called from their nets to follow Christ, so they learned precious lessons from the Saviour. They linked themselves up with the Great Teacher, and the knowledge they gained from the Scriptures qualified them to speak to others of Christ. Thus they became truly wise, because they were not too wise in their own estimation to receive instruction from above. The renewing power of the Holy Spirit gave them practical, saving energy.

The knowledge of the most learned man, if he has not learned in Christ’s school, is foolishness so far as leading poor, bewildered souls to Christ is concerned. God can work with those only who will accept the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Among many of our canvassers there has been a departure from right principles. Because of a desire to reap worldly advantage, their minds have been drawn away from the real purpose and spirit of the work. Let none think that display and show will make right impressions upon the minds of the people. These things will not secure the best or most permanent results. Our work is to direct minds to the solemn truths for this time. When our own hearts are imbued with the spirit of truth, which is contained in the book we are selling, and when in humility we call the attention of the people to these truths, real success will attend our efforts; for the Holy Spirit, which convinces of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, will be present to impress hearts.

Our books should be handled by consecrated workers, whom the Holy Spirit can use as His instrumentalities. Christ is our sufficiency, and we want to present the truth in humble simplicity, letting it bear its own savor of life unto life.

Humble, fervent prayer would do more in behalf of the circulation of our books than all the expensive pictures in the world. If the workers will turn their attention to that which is true and living and real; if they will pray for, believe for, and trust in, the Holy Spirit, He will be poured upon them in strong, heavenly currents, and right and lasting impressions will be made upon the human heart. Then pray and work, and work and pray, and the Lord will work with you.

Every canvasser has positive and constant need of the angelic ministration; for he has an important work to do, a work that he can not do in his own strength. Those who are born again, who are willing to be guided by the Holy Spirit, doing in Christ’s way that which they can do; those who will work as if they could see the heavenly universe watching them, will be accompanied and instructed by holy angels, who will go before them to the dwellings of the people, preparing the way for them. Such help is far above all the advantages that illustrations are supposed to give.

When men realize the times in which we are living, they will work as in the sight of heaven. The canvasser will handle those books that bring light and strength to the soul. He will drink in the spirit of these books, and put his whole soul into the work of presenting them to the people. His strength, his courage, his success, will depend on how fully the truth presented in the books is woven into his own experience and developed in his character. When his own life is thus molded, he can go forward representing to others the sacred truth he is handling in the books for which he is finding a place in homes. Imbued with the Spirit of God, he will gain a deep, rich experience, and heavenly angels will give him success in the work.

To our canvassers, to all to whom God has given talents that they might co-operate with Him, I would say, Pray, O pray, for a deeper experience. Go forth with your hearts softened and subdued by a study of the precious truths which God has given us for this time. Drink freely of the water of salvation, that it may be in your hearts as a living spring, flowing forth to refresh souls ready to perish. God will then give wisdom to enable you to impart aright. He will make you channels for communicating His blessings. He will help you to reveal His attributes by imparting to others the wisdom and understanding which He has imparted to you.

May the Lord open your minds to comprehend this subject in its length and breadth, and may you realize your duty to represent the character of Christ by your patient courage and steadfast integrity. If you will take with you into the canvassing field principles of righteousness, you will be respected, and many will believe the truth that you advocate, because your daily life will be

as a bright light which gives light to all that are in the house. Even your enemies, as much as they may war against your doctrines, will respect you; and your simple words will have a power that will carry conviction to hearts.

LIFE'S MIRROR

By Madeline S. Brigham

THERE are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave, There are souls that are pure and true; Then give to the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow, And strength in your utmost needs; Have faith, and a score of hearts will show Their faith in your work and deeds.

Give truth, and your gifts will be paid in kind, And song a song will meet; And the smile which is sweet will surely find A smile that is just as sweet.

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn, You will gather in flowers again The scattered seeds from your thought outborne, Though the sowing seemed in vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave, 'Tis just what we are and do; Then give to the world the best you have, And the best will come back to you.

— Madeline S. Brigham.

I AND THE CHILDREN

By O. M. Hayward

O. M. HAYWARD

“BEHOLD I and the children which God hath given me.” Heb. 2:13. What a peculiar joy there is in a deep contemplation of these words! and what gratitude, admiration, and love they call forth from all who know Christ!

There is character in those words. They are characteristic of the matchless One who uttered them. The characteristic words of an earthly great man were: “I came, I saw, I conquered.” How differently those soldiers would have felt who returned, weary and wounded, from the battles had their leader said to his country: “I and the brave men you gave to go with me met the difficulties and overcame them.”

A mother goes out to arrange her flower beds and plant seeds. Her little ones, full of curiosity and expectancy, wish to “help.” In their enthusiasm they may displace the boundary stones, spill the seeds, and do more or less damage. When the father comes home at night, does the mother say: “I tried to fix up the lawn to-day, but the children were all in the way, as usual, and I could do nothing right”? There are many who might make such a report; but not the true mother. No matter how many plants had been ruined, or how many seeds spilled, or how many stones moved, or how many muddy little feet tramped on her skirts, her only report would be: “I and the children beautified the lawn to-day.”

Who does not know the gladness of the little ones to be thus recognized? Whatever their trials, mother bears the burden with them; and whatever her achievements, she shares with them the credit. So Christ relates himself to us; and see how far He carries us with Him: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same”—“I and the children” in structure. “He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren”—“I and the children” in likeness and nature. He “was in all points tempted like as we are”—“I and the children” in temptation. “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”—“I and the children” in citizenship. “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me”—“I and the children” in oneness and perfectness, sharing the Father’s love. “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth”—“I and the children” in sanctification.

“I am the light of the world.” “Ye are the light of the world.” “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you”—“I and the children” in ministry. “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion.”

Did you notice that word “behold”? It means “look,” “set your eyes upon.” John the Baptist said: “Behold the Lamb of God;” and the Lamb of God says: “Behold, I and the children.” On John’s part it was all Christ, but Christ presents himself to the Father as “I and the children.”

So through the childhood trials of the boy Jesus, on the hillside of Nazareth; through the days of toil in the carpenter shop; through the years of loving service to humanity in His public ministry; through the lonely watchings and the deep yearnings of that loving soul, so touchingly illustrated by that outburst of mingled sorrow and love, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . how often would I have gathered thee;” down through the shades of Gethsemane; through the cruel mockings and scouragings, and up the steeps of Calvary; in his death and burial, and, praise God, in his resurrection and ascension to “heavenly places,” always and ever it is the same—“I and the children.”

Brother, sister, are you almost discouraged? Do temptations come so stealthily upon you that you are well-nigh overcome? Are the trials greater than you can bear? Does darkness close in and oppress your soul? Do sorrows wring your heart and disappointments crush your spirit? Have you tried, and tried in vain, to rise above that crossgrain in your make-up, to overcome that evil tendency? Does it seem as if your efforts for God and the right are all failures? Do you feel like laying down the armor? Oh, take courage, take courage! Jesus Christ has been right there, and conquered. More than that, you have been there in Him (“I and the children”), and conquered. He has not left us part way. He has carried us through. Claim the victory in Him, and let your heart be continually a wellspring of praise.

WHAT IS HOME?

Home’s not merely four square walls, Though hung with pictures nicely gilded; Home is where affection calls, Filled with shrines the heart hath builded.

Home! go watch the faithful dove, Sailing ’neath the heaven above us; Home is where we’ve one to love, Home is where there’s one to love us.

Home’s not merely roof and room; Home needs something to endear it; Home is where the heart can bloom — Where there’s some kind heart to cheer it.

What is home with none to meet, None to welcome, none to greet us? Home is sweet, and only sweet, When there’s one we love to meet us.

— Selected.

Judge Not: Lines on Charity and Self-Examination

By Alice Cary

The glance that doth thy neighbor doubt, Turn thou, O man, within, And see if it will not bring out Some unsuspected sin.

To hide from shame the branded brow Make broad thy charity, And judge no man, except as thou Wouldst have him judge of thee. — Alice Cary.

SLATE PENCILS

SLATE pencils were formerly all cut from solid slate, just as it is dug from the earth; but pencils so made were objected to on account of the grit they contain, which would scratch the slate. To overcome this difficulty an ingenious process has been devised by which the slate is ground to a very fine powder, all grit and foreign substances removed, and the powder bolted through silk cloth in much the same manner in which flour is bolted. The powder is then made into a dough, and this dough is subjected to a very heavy hydraulic pressure, which presses the pencil out the required shape and diameter, but in lengths of about three feet. While yet soft, the pencils are cut into the desired lengths, and set out to dry in the open air. After they are thoroughly dry, the pencils are placed in steam baking kilns, where they receive the proper temper. Pencils made in this manner are not only free from all grit, and of uniform hardness, but are stronger than those cut out of solid slate. For these reasons they have superseded the old kind. In 1899 over twenty-five million of these pencils were made and sold by one American concern in Chattanooga.—Selected.

Sympathy and Tenderness Toward Others

“EVERY one who has been free to condemn or discourage, will in his own experience be brought over the ground where he has caused others to pass; will feel what they have suffered because of his want of sympathy and tenderness.”

DYING DAILY

By Delia Rees

Delia Rees, in Triumphs of Faith

It is the sense of necessity laid upon us that compels us always to find new strength and fresh hope and greater courage; in fact, it is only necessity laid upon us that opens the door to the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Notice the marvelous record: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, not forsaken; cast down, not destroyed; bearing in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be manifest (in the same body).

Oh, are these not crowning sentences, rich in golden paradoxy? Are you troubled on every side? A painful state is that. But look well; there is great peace and comfort at your hand.

Perplexed, and do not know what to do? Look earnestly and in faith; you are “not altogether without help or means,” as the margin has it.

There is a way of wisdom, and when you thoroughly arise to the occasion and shake yourself, you will find it.

Persecuted? Friends dropping off? But look the other way. He is nearer to you than ever—“not forsaken.”

Cast down? Your prospects blighted? Your faith almost shaken out of you? Hold steady; you are far from being destroyed. For we which live in Christ are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake. And why?—“That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in your mortal flesh.” For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace of God might be made known to you.

And because of this, let us faint not; for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, as we shall see by and by, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we learn to look for unseen things, and in thus looking find that which is eternal.

So much for our riches; but there is another phase of the matter of necessity and suffering that is equally, if not more, desirable than our gain, and it is stated in the words: “So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” This death in me, then, may work life in some one else also. This that has been so hard to bear, perhaps, has left behind wider possibilities of service for me. By my very necessities I shall come into closer touch with men and women about me, and my enlarged heart shall bear new and fresh supplies of the water of life to others.

Thank God! Then let us learn to take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake; for when we are weak, then we are strong.

Rapture of Holy Delight in the Life-Giving Blood

“Oh, the rapturous height Of that holy delight Which I felt in the life-giving blood! Of my Saviour possessed, I was perfectly blessed, As if filled with the fullness of God.”

Giving Warmth to Others Brings Joy

The dew of the night does not fall upon bodies that are slow to impart their warmth to others. Those who water others shall themselves be watered. Those who give the warmth of their own hearts to comfort others shall themselves be comforted. . . . To receive, we must give. To be happy ourselves, we must live to make others happy. Our own hearts will be filled with all joy and peace when we are ready to pour out all our desires and affections and efforts that others may share our joy.—“Our Father’s House.”

SUGGESTIONS ON MATTHEW 24 AND 25

By S. N. Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

THESE chapters comprise one continued discourse of our Saviour, given two days before the feast of the Passover, at which time the Son of man was betrayed and crucified. Matt. 26: 1, 2. The circumstances that called forth these chapters are of special interest to the Bible student.

The Saviour had for the last time left the temple, saying: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Matt. 23: 38, 39. The disciples failed to understand these words. They expected that Christ would sit upon the throne of David, in Jerusalem. They wanted to ask Him further, but felt restrained from doing so. As Jesus departed from the temple, His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. Could this massive structure be destroyed and left desolate? Could these stones, forty feet long, eight feet wide, and ten feet thick, cemented, some writers say, in the days of Solomon, ever be overthrown?

Jesus knew their desire to ask Him further, and so He said unto them: “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” As Christ sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” They now were emboldened to ask the question that they had desired to ask before.

In answering these questions the Saviour used selected words. He gave the disciples what they could bear. He did not answer their questions by taking up separately the destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming; but He mingled the description of these two events. Had He unfolded to them future events as He beheld them, they would have been unable to bear it. In mercy to them, He blends the two great crises, leaving the disciples to study out the meaning for themselves. He referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, but His prophetic words reached beyond that event to the final conflagration, when the Lord shall rise out of His place to punish the world for its iniquity, and when the land shall disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain.

The entire discourse was given, not for the disciples only, but especially for those who live in the last days of earth’s history. It was given two days before Christ’s death. As the destruction of the Jewish nation, because of their rejection of Him, their only hope, opened up before Him, He also saw the end of the world, which the destruction of Jerusalem foreshadowed. The Saviour, after admonishing them to take heed that no man deceive them, instructed them concerning several events that would take place consecutively.

Many would come in His name, saying, “I am Christ.” When the Jews had put Christ to death, they were in a condition to be deceived by the false Christs who should come. The part that the Roman government took in putting to death the Son of God, also prepared it for internal conflicts and external wars, until, as a united government, it would be no more. Nation would rise against nation; and kingdom against kingdom; and there would be pestilences, famines, and earthquakes in divers places. The judgment of God would come upon that nation until it would be destroyed; the people of God would be delivered up, killed, and hated of all nations; and many false prophets would arise to deceive many. Christ closes that line of events, in the fourteenth verse, by saying: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In about thirty years from that time the apostle, writing to the Romans, said (Rom. 1: 8): “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” And to the Colossians he said that the gospel had brought forth fruit in all the world; and even more than this, that it was preached to every creature that is under heaven. Col. 1: 5, 6, 23. Just before the second coming of Christ the gospel of the kingdom will again be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. It came to the Jewish nation. It will come to the world.

In the fifteenth verse the Saviour begins the history of the church and its persecutions. Again He brings the prophecy down to the second coming of Christ, when there shall be many false prophets and false Christs, representing themselves as the One that is to come. But the Saviour gives one test by which every false Christ may be known: “As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Any person representing himself as the Christ of the present dispensation, who does not appear in the clouds of heaven, as the lightning flashes from one part of the heavens to another, is a false Christ. Those two lines of prophecy reach to the end of this world’s history.

The twenty-ninth verse presents the signs in the heavens that precede the second coming of Christ—the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars. The mourning of the tribes of the earth as they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, the sending of His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, to gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, are most positively stated in the thirtieth and thirty-first verses. From the thirty-first to the thirty-fifth verses the Saviour gives the parable of the fig tree, to mark definitely the beginning of the last generation.

“When ye shall see all these things,” the signs mentioned in the heavens, “know that it is near, even at the doors.” This generation, the one that lives at that time, shall not pass until all things be fulfilled. The coming of the Lord was preached to take place in 1844. So the attention of the world was called to these signs as early as that date. From this time onward, the condition of the world and the dangers that await the people of God are given as follows: “As it was in the days of Noah, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be.” He does not leave the matter unexplained as to how it was in the days of Noah, but He states how it was before the flood, and how it will be in the closing scenes of this world’s history: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

The angel from heaven shut the door of the ark, shutting Noah in, seven days before the flood came. But the people that were destroyed by the flood did not realize that the door was forever shut to them, and that the flood was certainly coming, until the clouds gathered and the rain fell on the seventh day after Noah entered the ark. So in the end of this world. Instead of being seven days, it will be one year, and the people of the world will not know even then that probation has ended, until they see the flash as of lightning in the clouds of heaven, which reveals the coming of the Son of man. Then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn as they see Him coming. But when probation ends, there will be two in the field: the one will be taken by the plagues of God’s wrath, and the other will be left. Two will be grinding at the mill: the one will be taken, and the other left. The ending of probation will be as the muffled tread of the thief at night, no one knowing when it will be, and no one prepared but those who are watching.

“When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. Christ in the Revelation, looking forward to that time, declares: ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: . . . and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’

“The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state. Men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life, and mocked the warnings of impending judgment. ‘So,’ says the Saviour, ‘shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man’s destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy’s offer to guilty men.”

“‘Watch ye therefore; . . . lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.’ Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments,—it may be in that hour the Judge of the earth will pronounce the sentence, ‘Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.’” — “Great Controversy,” page 491.

(To be concluded.)

The Inexhaustible Sources of Gratitude and Peace

“It is the greatest discovery that a man ever makes in the longest life of study, experiment, and prayer that the infinite and exhaustless sources of gratitude, contentment, and peace are all open and accessible to him every moment.” All the treasures of earth could not make him as rich as does “the permission to drink to the full, and drink forever, from the river of God’s pleasures. . . . That mighty stream flows along every man’s path, beside every man’s door.”

Self-Denial and the Flesh Against the Spirit

By S. O. James

VERY few err on the side of self-denial; for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and man is prone to forgetfulness, indifference, and unbelief. S. O. JAMES.

Sowing for Physical and Spiritual Health

By David Paulson; W. S. Sadler

David Paulson & W. S. Sadler

AUTO-INTOXICATION, OR HOW A MAN MAY POISON HIMSELF

THAT the human system either manufactures poison or transforms healthful food substances into poison has been vaguely understood from time immemorial. But it has been left for the modern scientific observer to demonstrate to a mathematical certainty the source of nearly all these toxic substances, their nature and absolute quantity, as well as their particular effects on the human body. Bouchard, a French physician, has devoted almost a lifetime to solving this problem, and the substance of his conclusions is summed up in the following words: The human body is a laboratory of poisons; man has constantly before him the possibility of being poisoned; and the only reason he does not commit suicide by this auto-intoxication, or self-poisoning, is the fact that he possesses the ability to eliminate these toxic substances as rapidly as they are produced.

Every function of the human body seems to be subject to some rhythmic law. The human mind is at times clear and brilliant, at other times stupid and depressed. At times there is a sense of buoyancy in the nervous system, at other times a sense of weariness. The accompanying diagram illustrates this principle with reference to the amount of poison, the quantity of which varies from hour to hour.

Let A represent the line of health, and the wavy line B represent the line of poisoning. As long as the line of poisoning is a moderate distance below the line of health, the person will feel no inconvenience from the fact that a stream of poison is continually passing through his body, en route to the various organs of elimination. If, on the other hand, by various indiscretions, the line of health is allowed to drop down, or the quantity of bodily poisons is increased, then at times the patient will have a feeling of lassitude, irritability, and other minor disturbances. Diagram 2 illustrates this relation.

When we realize that it is only a question of time, varying from a few minutes to a few hours, until death would occur if the elimination of poison should entirely cease, then it can be readily appreciated how easy it would be for the poison line to rise entirely above the line of health, when “serious times” would come to the patient. Diagram 3 illustrates this condition.

SPIRITUAL AUTO-INTOXICATION, OR HOW LIGHT BECOMES DARKNESS IN THE SOUL

Many important and vital truths have been developed concerning the body as a poison factory—how the individual contains within himself the possibilities of self-destruction by means of the poisons made within. These great truths concerning the poisoning of the body have their counterpart in the spiritual world. There is just as truly a moral auto-intoxication of the soul as there is a physical auto-intoxication of the body. There is a remarkable parallel between the self-poisoning of soul and body.

This stream of self-poisoning we will call spiritual darkness, or moral poisoning. Many Christians fear persecution, fear what man will do unto them; others are similarly fearful of what God will do unto them; but man’s greatest moral dangers have their source within the soul. The spiritual nature must protect itself against spiritual poisons by maintaining a high moral resistance, or else the soul soon gravitates to the condition that might fittingly be compared to the body of a man who is rapidly committing suicide by physical auto-intoxication.

To increase the sources of moral poisoning, and at the same time lower the spiritual resistance, means nothing more nor less than moral suicide—backsliding, and ultimately spiritual death. When a man is sick, he has backslidden physically; when his soul is sick, he has backslidden spiritually. The realm of the spiritual is just as real as that of the physical. Effects never come without causes in the spiritual world any more than they do in the physical. The man or the woman who is backsliding spiritually should begin a strict self-examination “to see whether they be in the faith;” for there is just as surely a literal cause for spiritual lethargy as for physical indisposition.

Copyrighted, 1900, by David Paulson and W. S. Sadler.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

“HANG up a pincushion in the kitchen.”

“One keep-clean is worth a dozen make-cleans.”

“A cork soaked in oil makes a good substitute for a glass stopper.”

“Try a little baking soda and hot water when cleaning kitchen utensils.”

“To sweeten a musty cask throw in burning coals, and then cold water.”

“Flowerpot stains may be removed from window sills with fine wood ashes.”

Calicoes, ginghams, and chintzes should be ironed on the wrong side.

Flannel should be ironed as little as possible, with a moderately hot iron.

Paper, rolled into the form of a cone, will keep plants from freezing unless the room gets very cold.

Clotheslines are made much more durable by being boiled for ten minutes, before they are used.

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