Earlier text: Unbelief and Its Relation to SinTHE DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER.
By Roderick S. Owen
ALL intelligent creatures must be granted a probationary time in which to develop characters, by the exercise of the power of choice. All creatures, I say, because, since God is no respecter of persons, this opportunity must be extended to all if granted to one. That it was granted to the angels is shown by Jude 6: “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Here we have a “first estate” brought to view, in which the angels were granted the power to follow their own wills, and some of them did so contrary to God’s will, thus bringing upon themselves condemnation. “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Gen. 2:16, 17. In this man was given the power to eat or to refrain from eating as he saw fit, while the consequences of each course were clearly set before him. But some are inclined to deny man’s free moral agency, deny his having power to choose; and yet every man knows that never a day passes in which he does not exercise this power. In fact, the daily round is made up of acts which are but the expression of choice made. While some may deny choice in theory, no one dare do it in practice. Thus their own conduct gives the lie to their theory, for they will punish their children for wrong actions, will sit upon juries, and condemn men for misdemeanors. In short, they hold every one about them responsible for his actions. But if they have no power of choice, they are not responsible, for responsibility always accompanies the power of choice, for no one should be held accountable for his actions if he has no power to do otherwise. This principle is recognized everywhere. The parent, because he is supposed to control the actions of his child, is held responsible for what the child does. But when the child becomes of age, the control passes from the parent, the child now choosing and acting for himself. There is a transfer of the power of choice, and with it a corresponding transfer of the responsibility. Then the child himself is called to account for his actions. Between two machinists, the one an infidel and the other a Christian, the following conversation is said to have taken place:— “Now, we have just completed this engine,” said the infidel, “and if it doesn’t do good work, are we to blame, or is the engine?” “Why, we are, of course,” replied the Christian. “That is just it,” responded the infidel. “So God made man, and if man does not do good work, God is to blame and not man.” “Well,” said the Christian, “if God gave man no more brains and no more power to choose than we have given to that engine, then you are right. But God has made man intelligent, and has given him the power of choice, hence man is responsible.” But it is evident that during the time of choosing God can not control the man. This is not a diminishing of God’s power, but simply a suspension of its operation in order that the man may choose, and this will continue during the probationary period, for at its close God has placed a judgment, in which his power again takes hold of the man and calls him to account for his choice. The facts are concisely stated in Isa. 65:12: “Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.” Since God has placed us on probation to form characters, and since this end can be attained only by the exercise of choice, it is evident that God must place before us two ways in order to render a choice possible. One of these ways must be right, the other wrong; for if both are right, so that to follow either will ultimately bring us to the same end, there would be no real choice. The right way must be in harmony with God’s will; the wrong way must be out of harmony with him. The one will be good, the other will be evil, or sin. Thus we see that, to render it possible for man to choose, God must make it possible for sin to exist. This does not make him the author of sin, for sin is not a thing created, it is simply a condition, the condition of being out of harmony with God. Therefore that creature who first makes a choice contrary to God’s will, becomes thereby the author of sin. While character is formed by choosing, the6strength of the will depends upon the pressure under which the choice is made. It is because of this principle that God permits us to be tried and tempted. And in view of this we are admonished to “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1: 2-4. So at the very foundation of character building lies this idea of trial. The strength developed in every trial will depend upon the strength of the temptation, and the rapidity of growth will depend on the frequency of the test. Then let Satan and the hosts of evil assail us with the fiercest temptations; let them come in like a flood; let them descend upon us like the mountain avalanche; if we only stand firm, trusting in God, each assault, each encounter with the enemy, will lift us higher, and higher, and bring us nearer and nearer to God. In the last generation we are told that God will make a short work, and cut it short in righteousness. Yes, for at the last Satan will be permitted to deluge the earth with strong, almost overmastering, temptations. He will be allowed to work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth.” As the rain and the sunshine cause both the wheat and the tares to grow, so these temptations will rapidly develop both good and bad characters, and the inhabitants of the earth will be speedily ripened for the harvest. The important question for us to settle is whether we will be wheat for the Master’s garner or tares for the fire. In view of this fact, let us begin at once, while probationary time still lingers, to make only right choice by rejecting all evil thoughts and retaining all good ones. For if the thoughts are right, the life will be; for as a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.” “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” “And to whom sware He that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Heb. 3:12, 18, 19. Unbelief stops the current of God’s mercy from running; it closes the orifice of Christ’s wounds, that no healing virtue will come out. “He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” Matt. 13:58. It is subtle in its nature, so that it sometimes exists and we are unconscious of its presence. When we offer a prayer for anything according to the promises of God, and we are surprised to find our prayers answered, unbelief is working in our hearts. Unbelief is the mother of all sins. It is Satan’s seed that he plants in the heart, expecting it to become a mighty tree capable of bearing all kinds of evil fruit. “Take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.” If the heart was kept right, it would be as natural to believe as for the plant to grow in the spring. It is always well to know the source of disease; then it can be attacked in its own fortress. If unbelief originated in the mind, we could meet it with argument. But since it is a product of sin in the heart, we must meet it there, not by argument, but by the word of God. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” On this text is said by an eminent Christian:— “This is an eternal truth, which you can not too much reflect upon, that reason always follows the state of the heart; and what your heart is, that is your reason. If your heart is full of sentiments of penitence, and of faith, your reason will take part with your heart; but if your heart is shut up in death and dryness, your reason will delight in nothing but dry objections and speculations.” Of the heathen it is stated that the origin of their darkened condition was that “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.” Most of the infidelity of our day comes from the same cause. More skepticism may be traced to the neglect of secret prayer than to the arguments of the most talented infidels. Men first depart from God, then they deny him. Then follows the fruits of unbelief, which are all Satanic in their nature. “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” Isa. 7:9. Unbelief is displeasing to God. “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” Heb. 11:6. “He that believeth not God hath made him a liar.” 1 John 5:10. To make God a liar is to not retain him in the knowledge or affections. The source, the heart, has become so contaminated that Christ can find no place within. He is driven out. “They Could Not Enter In.”
Unbelief raised a barrier which shut out Israel from the promised blessing. Because of unbelief they could not enter. It may be the same with us. A legion of angels may be passing by your house, with the richest blessings for you; but if you do not believe the good news that they are coming, you will not go forth to meet them. Christ may be ever so near, and yet we receive no benefit unless we learn to trust him. In studying the conditions of Israel in their unbelief we may learn some of its causes with ourselves. The first outbreak of this great body after they started from Egypt was in the Wilderness of Sin. See Exodus 16. There was no bread to satisfy their hunger. The hastily prepared provisions which they brought from the land of bondage were gone, and their kneading troughs were empty. “And the whole congregation murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness.” They murmured. They were so shortsighted that they thought their words of reproof were only against Moses and Aaron. They did not think they were doubting God, but thought they had just reasons for finding fault with these leaders. But it was Christ against whom they murmured. He was the Leader that was directing Moses and Aaron. These men were not responsible for the lack of bread, for they were obeying the direction of Jesus Christ. How often do men and women at the present time manifest the same unbelief by murmuring against those whom the Lord has chosen to lead in his work! We may not think it a very serious thing, but “take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.” The second outbreak was at Rephidim. Exodus 17. There was no water to quench their thirst. While the scorching sun poured down its penetrating rays upon their heads, and their feet trod the dry, sandy bed of the brook, instead of looking to the Lord for help, they gave way to the terrible sin of unbelief. They again murmured against Moses and wished themselves back in Egypt. They did not deny the deliverance of the past, nor that God was able to help them now. But they could only see the human, and charged all the blame upon their fellow-men. How often we go over the same road! We are loud to praise the God of heaven for some great blessings of the past, yet we are murmuring because we do not see something done to-day. We charge it all upon some unfaithful leader, as though God was hindered by frail humanity. If we keep on traveling this road, we will perish in the wilderness, as did unbelieving Israel. It hardens the heart. The hardest heart was once tender and susceptible of impression. The chalk which now holds the fossil shells was once soft like clay. So, likewise, the murderer once shuddered when as a youth he crushed the worm. Unbelief gradually hardens the heart. The writer at one time saw a human being whose body was partly ossified. The muscles and flesh had become hardened like bone, so that there was neither feeling nor elasticity. This work of ossification had been going on for years. At first he did not dream that his whole body would be like one solid bone, but as years went by, he soon realized his sad condition and the inevitable doom that awaited him. It was a slow death. And thus it is with the heart of unbelief. The constant hearing of truth without obeying it has planted the small seed in the heart, and the hardening has begun. The knowing to do good, and doing it not, the cherishing of the unholy thing, and the refusing to confess our wrongs to God, all harden the heart and advance the growth of unbelief. “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore fear.” Those that permitted their hearts to be filled with unbelief, finally perished in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb saw the promised land. Can we fare any better? “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, . . . shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” Rev. 21:8. Not only will this be their end, but Christ said they are condemned already. See John 3:18. Then how earnestly we should seek the Lord for faith to believe his word! Unbelief looks at every molehill of difficulty as a mountain. Faith casts the mountain into the sea, and rests securely on the naked promise of the Lord. Unbelief says, “It can not be done; it is impossible to accomplish what the word says.” Faith accepts of no denial, but says, “All things are possible to him that believeth.” The Bible from God.
By W. F. Hillman
Evidences of Its Divine Inspiration.
Every intelligent man sees and acknowledges in deed, if not by the words of his mouth, the being and creative attributes of the Almighty. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” Ps. 19:1. All nature, on land and in ocean, by day and by night, in the stillness of the calm and in the roar of the tempest, in light and in darkness, from the7infinitesimal germ and tiniest flower to the countless worlds that swiftly speed in their appointed orbits through the universe—all nature tells of a Being infinite in power, wisdom, and goodness. “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Rom. 1:20. God has implanted in every human being a conscience, which, if not seared by sinning, authoritatively urges to do the right and to shun the wrong. He has also implanted in every rational mind an intuitive judgment by which we know some fundamental truths more certainly and emphatically than can be known from any process of reasoning. For example, we know that we live and move; that the whole is greater than any of its parts, yea, that it is equal to the sum of all its parts; that we are free moral agents, that is, have the power of choice; that we are sinful creatures, and deserve punishment; that every one of us needs a helper, a saviour, mightier and better than is any human being. Intuitively we believe that it will be well with us if we always do what is right, but every one knows that he fails so to do. If God be so great and wise as all nature emphatically testifies that he is, will he not in some way provide a saviour for us? Will he not be as merciful as he is great? Is he not as gracious as he is wise? Neither nature nor intuition positively tells us this. O, that God would reveal himself to us as One able and willing to save from sin! Surely the all-wise and good Creator will reveal to us what we so much need to know. Many books claim to be of divine origin. Shall we believe any of them to be God-inspired? God might give us a more specific revelation of his character, and of our relations to him, than nature gives, but whether he has done so can not be positively told by nature or intuition. Much less can it be told in what manner such revelation would be made—whether in thunder tones or in the quiet of peaceful sleep, or in some unthought-of way. But if the Almighty should reveal himself to us, such revelation would surely be in harmony with his character as manifest in his works, and would be given in a way that would not be derogatory of himself. Whatever special revelation he may give to us will clearly show us that which we specially need to know, namely, what we must do to be saved. As we carefully and candidly examine the Bible, we more and more see that it meets all our needs. The heavens do not so clearly and grandly manifest God’s glory as does this Sacred Volume. Intuition, as compared with the clear light of revelation, only just begins to show us our sinfulness and God’s abhorrence of everything unholy. While the Author of the Bible respects our moral freedom, and makes no effort to compel belief, yet he furnishes evidence so abundant, and so well fitted to every mind, in every condition of life, that all are sinners, lost and undone, and that we need the Saviour revealed—so clearly is this revealed that no person will doubt the divine inspiration of the Bible if he will candidly and thoroughly investigate this subject. The Bible reveals as the most marked characteristic of Jehovah that most blessed of attributes, love. How frequently and emphatically we are told that God is “merciful and gracious, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Ex. 34:6, 7. No other pretended divine revelation so attractively, harmoniously, and gloriously sets forth God’s character as does the Bible. There is power in electricity. We may have read and believed unquestionably that street cars are propelled by such power, before we had any definite ideas as to just how the power might be applied. Because we, short-lived creatures, could not tell beforehand how the all-wise Creator could reveal himself to us in words, it is no evidence that we can not perceive that word to be divinely inspired, if such revelation be given. According to the Bible, God has revealed his thoughts and purposes in regard to man in many ways,—by direct communication with Adam, and other holy men of old; by the thunder tones of Mount Sinai; by dreams and visions; by moving upon men to write his thoughts, and attesting to their inspiration in various ways, especially by miracles and prophecy; by the special gifts of the Holy Spirit; and most fully and graciously by the incarnation, life, teachings, death, and resurrection of his well-beloved Son, our adorable Redeemer. Who else than the heavenly Father would have thus made known his will? Whatever pertains to salvation from sin, to a future life, to our relations to God—truths that every rational being most needs to know, and which can not be found out from nature or intuition,—these are the truths for which the Bible was given. These are so variously, abundantly, and harmoniously blended with the facts of history and the laws of nature which we may to a certain extent learn from outside of the Bible, that it is evident that the one omnipotent and all-wise Being who created us and all else that we see, is also the real Author of the Bible. Did our knowledge of God depend on external nature alone, we might seriously question our understanding of it; did it depend upon our intuitive knowledge, we, so insignificant and polluted by sin, might well fear lest our intuitions were faulty; but when all nature around us, our own physical and mental being, and those wonderful writings which we know of as the Holy Scriptures, like three competent and independent witnesses, all testify of God’s greatness and goodness, of man’s sinfulness, and of many kindred truths, we can but conclude that the Bible is from God. Its Evidences, Fruits, and Unity.
The Bible claims to be divinely inspired. “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him.” Rev. 1:1. “And God spake all these words.” Ex. 20:1. If it be what is thus claimed, good will result from it. If these claims are false, it will be productive of evil, for a corrupt tree can not bring forth good fruit. Matt. 7:18. But everybody knows that those who study, and live in accordance with the teachings of, this blessed Book are good people. Civilization and all its refining influences are sure to follow the prevalence of Bible knowledge. This is universally true of individuals, and hence of communities and of nations. Two chief means by which God has authenticated his servants are miracles and prophecy. If one be cast into a fiery furnace and comes out unscathed, if another heals by a word diseases that by ordinary means are incurable, if still another restores the dead to life, all who witness these things know that these men are indeed the servants of Jehovah. As time passes and the miracles of such men are more and more forgotten, their teachings are more and more called in question. But if God’s servants foretell events scores and hundreds of years before they take place, events that no one expects, and that mere fancy would not be likely to even suggest, as these minutely told prophetic events are accurately fulfilled, and that, too, by persons who knew nothing of the things predicted, the evidence grows more and more convincing that those prophecies were divinely inspired. If with those prophecies we find doctrines so interblended that to separate them is to destroy both, we must conclude that the doctrines also are divinely inspired. Such is the case with the Bible, but not with other pretended revelations, except so far as they are manifestly taken from the Bible. The Holy Bible, the Christian Scriptures, teaches more history, and more reliably, than any other book of its size devoted wholly to history. It teaches more genuine biography, more and truer morality, and more and better of much else, than other books of greater size, devoted entirely to these subjects. Not only so, but its teachings are more readily comprehended by everybody—by the scholarly and by those who can scarcely read, by princes and by peasants, by philosophers and by the feeble minded. Whence its superiority to other books in these respects?—Because divinely inspired. The Bible is a collection of sixty-six different books, written by thirty or forty different persons, living at different times during sixteen centuries, in different countries, in different circumstances in life,—princes, poets, philosophers, warriors, shepherds, fishermen, in prison, and on the throne, and with different immediate objects in view; yet with all this strange diversity, all its teachings harmonize with one another, and with what we otherwise learn of the Creator. Moreover, there is running through this wonderful Book prophecies, allusions, and more direct information in regard to the one central Figure of the whole book, the Son of God, who became man, who did such works and imparted such knowledge as has never had a parallel, and who died of a broken heart on the cross, that we might receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in him. Whence this wondrous unity and these marvelous teachings of the Holy Scriptures? The Creator and Upholder of all must have moved these men to write as they did. Would you know what the Bible really teaches?—Do not expect to fathom the infinite riches of a God-inspired Book by cursorily reading it once or twice, especially if you give more heed to the opinions of those who reject it than to the book itself. Seek daily and diligently to understand it; take no interpretation as authoritative that you do not see to be correct; live up to all the light that you have; pray earnestly that its Author will open your eyes to see its blessed truths, that you may do them, and you will know its doctrine. Then will your life make known its blessedness more convincingly than tongue can tell. “Blessed Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.”
The Book Shall Teach You: Read, Believe, and Live
By Cowper
THE remedy you want I freely give: The Book shall teach you—read, believe, and live. —Cowper. “WE EAT TOO MUCH BY HALF.”
By Sereno E. Todd
When passing through the last days of boyhood, I frequently heard an intelligent Quaker remark, “We eat too much by half.” As he was very abstemious in all his habits, he lived to an old age and died while in comparative health, just as an apple fully ripe falls from the stem when it has developed to complete maturity. After having taken observations for more than fifty years, with reference to the wise observation of my Quaker friend, I am fully persuaded that, as a general rule, the Quaker’s maxim is correct. Still, it can not be denied that a goodly number of people do not eat a sufficiency of nourishing food to keep the functions of the body in a healthy and robust condition. But the usual practice is downright gluttony. Untold numbers of both sexes, both old and young, gorge their stomachs, two or three times daily, with heavy and greasy food; and then they fly to enormous doses of “Pain Killer,” or some other poisonous nostrum, with which to rouse the energies of the stomach and compel them to throw out the hurtful and useless mass of heavy food which can not be appropriated to any desirable purpose. When the veins are swollen with blood and every pore of the flesh is filled with the juices which have been extracted from rich food, if more nourishment is forced into the stomach, the mass will not be digested, for the reason that the tissues of the body have no use for any more material to repair the natural waste. Hence, the contents of the stomach give uneasiness and more or less pain, because the process of digestion is arrested. The food was not needed. Consequently it has become an enemy in the stomach, which must be ejected. All through life I have observed, when at social gatherings and at some other places, that, while I would eat only so much as my digestive apparatus could manage with comfort, many people at my side would swallow plateful after bowlful, until they could not coax the appetite to take any more; then they would be sick for a half month. In years past I have worked in the harvest field cradling grain or raking and binding, and at making and securing hay, with men who did not perform as much hard labor as I, while they would gorge their stomachs with heavy food three times daily, and take two lunches between meals, while I would take a bowl of bread and milk, a couple of9eggs, and some baked apples or stewed pears, and work hard all day, with very little fatigue and discomfort. When laborers at my side would swallow a quart of switchel every hour, and complain bitterly of the excessive heat, and fatigue almost unendurable, I would take a piece of ice in my mouth or swallow only a few spoonfuls of water at one draught. I ate very little meat and heavy food; yet I could pick up two of these excessive meat eaters (one under each arm) and carry them off. I have in mind scores of people, both male and female, who are always on the sick list, from no other cause than gorging their stomachs with enormous quantities of heavy food, such as meat, fish, and eggs, when they would feel well, happy, and cheerful if they would subsist on a plain and simple diet, taken in small quantities. The human stomach is an organ of the body consisting of many exceedingly delicate and sensitive parts, as delicate as the human eyes. When too much food of any sort is forced down into this delicate receptacle, every part will rebel, and cease to act, similarly to a balky horse when the load is too heavy for him. Then, as soon as the stomach can not digest the contents, nor expel the unwelcome enemy, congestion will be superinduced and death will follow in a short time. Many persons can not understand why it is that to-day one kind of food can be eaten with excellent relish and thorough digestion, without pain or discomfort, whereas to-morrow that same sort of food will not digest, but will simply lie like a stone in the stomach. The true reason is the stomach has been overloaded, or the energies of the stomach are not able to digest its contents. When a person feels well and strong, the stomach will digest all that a normal appetite will take at one meal. But when the appetite is not keen, then beware what you eat. There is very little danger of starving when the appetite is not keen. My wife and I frequently omit supper when the appetite is indifferent; and we always feel better and more refreshed the next morning than if we had eaten a supper that our systems did not need. Most people eat too much heavy food. If a person is weak and feeble, the energies of the stomach will also be feeble. It is impossible to compel, or make, the feeble stomach digest heavy food. We seldom take any medicine. When either of us feels ill, we eat nothing for one or two days. Then we feel well, without any medicine.—Journal of Hygiene. JOTTINGS FROM EUROPE.
By H. P. H.
THE past summer has been one of more than usual stir in Europe. A large number of tourists have appeared, especially from America; the transatlantic steamers have been much crowded. In its harvest and business, the year has been a good one. In addition to the usual national and international questions which so much perplex statesmen and legislators, and which will not stay settled, there have been extraordinary celebrations. First in order and importance came the opening of the Kiel Canal, calling together representatives and gunboats from the leading nations of the world. A leading point of interest at this celebration was that point in the German emperor’s speech which alluded to the great array of gunboats as a guaranty of the peace of the world. Cicero wondered how one augur could look another augur in the face without laughing; so we wonder how the emperor can make such statements in apparent candor before such a vast array of war elements, and while he and his associates are straining every nerve in war preparations. A point of special observation during this celebration was the attitude of the French representative. While the German emperor made him the object of special attention, he in turn was quite reserved. The fact that the French representative participated in the celebration at all is severely criticised in France; and it now appears that her participation was partly due to a blunder of the French minister at Berlin, who was too ready to comply with Germany’s invitation; later, a similar mistake was made with reference to the Sedan celebration, in consequence of which there is a loud demand for the recall of the minister. All the apparent good accomplished by the grand union of nations at the Kiel celebration, and the special effort to establish more friendly relations with France, was more than undone by the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the battle of Sedan. The battle of Sedan being the decisive one of the Franco-Prussian war, its celebration was the celebration of the victory of the Germans over the French in that war. Germany made a great ado on this anniversary; the tide of her joy ran high, and her festivities are without a parallel in recent years. But Germany’s demonstration was unwise, if not hazardous. The degree of her unbounded rejoicing measured the depth to which she reopened the wound of sensitive France. The desire to foster peace with her neighbors would have led Germany to pass the event unnoticed. To the outside observer, her celebration looked like willfully irritating a wounded foe who is steadily gathering strength for revenge. The Lord said of a certain king, “And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands; but he shall not be strengthened by it.” Dan. 11:12. As with this king in the prophecy, so Germany’s exultation over her victory will not strengthen her; but it will stir up her powerful enemy, and deepen her desire for revenge. Germany should not ignore the fact that France is to-day in a condition far in advance of that of 1870. Taught by the severe lesson of Germany, she has been reorganizing her forces; her army is now in a much better condition and several fold more numerous. France is altogether another power to-day; and she knows it. In addition to this is her alliance with Russia, which greatly adds to her increased self-confidence. Place with this the fact that armed peace under present conditions is harder to maintain than war, and the question arises, How is peace so long kept up? While this question puzzles the politician, it is plain to the student of God’s prophetic word. The Lord has a work to be done in the earth before the end; and until that work is accomplished, his restraining hand is upon the governments of earth. When that restraint is removed, the great war forces so long held back will suddenly break forth, and throw the world into a condition never before witnessed. The leading topics in continental journals are the great fall maneuvers and sham battles. These actions are as near actual war as it is possible to make them. As sort of reply to Germany’s Sedan celebration, France indulged in extensive maneuvers with a large army in the Vosges, near Alsace. On the other hand, Germany institutes extensive maneuvers in Alsace. Every summer this play war seems to take on greater proportions, even little Switzerland dilating with the rest. Everything indicates that the time is near when the final struggle will begin. But while this dread event is so full of woe and disaster to the worldling, it will be the dawn of everlasting bliss to the child of God: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1. H. P. H. Constantinople, September 27. WHERE THE PROHIBITION PARTY STANDS.
By Editor
It has been said by Prohibitionists that the party did not indorse the principle of the union of church and state. We were once an eyewitness to the fact that the state convention of New York repudiated a resolution indorsing the idea, yet at the same time adopting a rest-day plank which logically included it. They have, however, this year come out on the religio-political platform straight and square. After attempting to demonstrate that “Christian men who prize the sabbath [Sunday] as a hallowed institution” have nothing to hope for in the maintenance of a state Sunday law, the Voice, the leading Prohibition paper of the country, in its issue of October 24, thus concludes a two-column article, the last paragraph of which is in black-letter capitals:— “What, then, shall a Christian voter do?”
“We answer: Let him cast his ballot so that it will stand out to be seen of all men as a declaration against the opening of saloons on Sunday, either by Local Option or any other means; and not only against it on Sunday, but on other days as well. And he can do that only by voting for the ticket of the Prohibition party, whose platform contains this clear-cut declaration:—
“2. We accept as the expression of our political ideal the unanimous declaration of the Supreme Court that this is a Christian nation, and we call upon the people of the state to repudiate and consign to oblivion any political party that shall propose to submit a commandment of the Decalogue to the local option of corrupt cities.”
If this crystallized into government and law does not mean as complete a union of church and state as ever existed during the Dark Ages, language can not frame it. But it is what we may look for more and more. The old parties will yield when the pressure becomes strong enough. THE Catholic Mirror says some very good things deprecating the extravagance of flowers at funerals, but closes thus:— “Catholics should not range themselves with those who offend good taste by pursuing to extravagance this pagan custom. The money thus wastefully spent might be more wisely used in masses for the departed, and thus be of real and lasting service to them.”
But what about the pagan festival of the goddess Eastre, over which our Catholic friends make such display? and “masses for the dead,” what are they but pagan in origin? ONLY TO-DAY.
By Susan Coolidge
YESTERDAY now is a part of forever,
Bound up in a sheaf which God holds tight,
With glad days and sad days and bad days which never
Shall visit us more with their bloom and their blight,
Their fullness of sunshine or sorrowful night.
Let them go, since we can not relieve them,
Can not undo and can not atone;
God in his mercy forgive, receive them.
Only the new days are our own.
To-day is ours—and to-day alone.