THE prophet Daniel was an illustrious character. He was a bright example of what men may become when united with the God of wisdom. A brief account of the life of this holy man of God is left on record for the encouragement of those who should afterward be called to endure trial and temptation.
When the people of Israel, their king, nobles, and priests, were carried into captivity, four of their number were selected to serve in the court of the king of Babylon. One of these was Daniel, who early gave promise of the remarkable ability developed in later years. These youth were all of princely birth, and are described as "children in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them." Perceiving the superior talents of these youthful captives, King Nebuchadnezzar determined to prepare them to fill important positions in his kingdom. That they might be fully qualified for their life at court, according to oriental custom, they were to be taught the language of the Chaldeans, and to be subjected for three years to a thorough course of physical and intellectual discipline.
The youth in this school of training were not only to be admitted to the royal palace, but it was provided that they should eat of the meat, and drink of the wine, which came from the king's table. In all this the king considered that he was not only bestowing great honor upon them, but securing for them the best physical and mental development that could be attained.
Among the viands placed before the king were swine's flesh and other meats which were declared unclean by the law of Moses, and which the Hebrews had been expressly forbidden to eat. Here Daniel was brought to a severe test. Should he adhere to the teachings of his fathers concerning meats and drinks, and offend the king, and probably lose not only his position but his life? or should he disregard the commandment of the Lord, and retain the favor of the king, thus securing great intellectual advantages and the most flattering worldly prospects?
Daniel did not long hesitate. He decided to stand firm in his integrity, let the result be what it might. He "purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank."
There are many among professed Christians to-day who would decide that Daniel was too particular, and would pronounce him narrow and bigoted. They consider the matter of eating and drinking as of too little consequence to require such a decided stand,—one involving the probable sacrifice of every earthly advantage. But those who reason thus will find in the day of Judgment that they turned from God's express requirements, and set up their own opinion as a standard of right and wrong. They will find that what seemed to them unimportant was not so regarded of God. His requirements should be sacredly obeyed. Those who accept and obey one of his precepts because it is convenient to do so, while they reject another because its observance would require a sacrifice, lower the standard of right, and by their example lead others to lightly regard the holy law of God. "Thus saith the Lord" is to be our rule in all things.
Daniel was subjected to the severest temptations that can assail the youth of to-day; yet he was true to the religious instruction received in early life. He was surrounded with influences calculated to subvert those who would vacillate between principle and inclination; yet the word of God presents him as a faultless character. Daniel dared not trust to his own moral power. Prayer was to him a necessity. He made God his strength, and the fear of God was continually before him in all the transactions of his life.
Daniel possessed the grace of genuine meekness. He was true, firm, and noble. He sought to live in peace with all, while he was unbending as the lofty cedar wherever principle was involved. In everything that did not come in collision with his allegiance to God, he was respectful and obedient to those who had authority over him; but he had so high a sense of the claims of God that the requirements of earthly rulers were held subordinate. He would not be induced by any selfish consideration to swerve from his duty.
The character of Daniel is presented to the world as a striking example of what God's grace can make of men fallen by nature and corrupted by sin. The record of his noble, self-denying life is an encouragement to our common humanity. From it we may gather strength to nobly resist temptation, and firmly, and in the grace of meekness, stand for the right under the severest trial.
Daniel might have found a plausible excuse to depart from his strictly temperate habits; but the approval of God was dearer to him than the favor of the most powerful earthly potentate—dearer than even life itself. Having by his courteous conduct obtained favor with Melzar, the officer in charge of the Hebrew youth, Daniel made a request that they might not eat of the king's meat, or drink of his wine. Melzar feared that should he comply with this request, he might incur the displeasure of the king, and thus endanger his own life. Like many at the present day, he thought that an abstemious diet would render these youth pale and sickly in appearance, and deficient in muscular strength, while the luxurious food from the king's table would make them ruddy and beautiful, and would promote physical and mental activity.
Daniel requested that the matter be decided by a ten-days' trial, the Hebrew youth during this brief period being permitted to eat of simple food, while their companions partook of the king's dainties. The request was finally granted, and then Daniel felt assured that he had gained his case. Although but a youth, he had seen the injurious effects of wine and luxurious living upon physical and mental health.
At the end of the ten days the result was found to be quite the opposite of Melzar's expectations. Not only in personal appearance, but in physical activity and mental vigor, those who had been temperate in their habits exhibited a marked superiority over their companions who had indulged appetite. As a result of this trial, Daniel and his associates were permitted to continue their simple diet during the whole course of their training for the duties of the kingdom.
The Lord regarded with approval the firmness and self-denial of these Hebrew youth, and his blessing attended them. He "gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams." At the expiration of the three years of training, when their ability and acquirements were tested by the king, he "found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."
The life of Daniel is an inspired illustration of what constitutes a sanctified character. It presents a lesson for all, and especially for the young. A strict compliance with the requirements of God is beneficial to the health of body and mind. In order to reach the highest standard of moral and intellectual attainments, it is necessary to seek wisdom and strength from God, and to observe strict temperance in all the habits of life. In the experience of Daniel and his companions we have an instance of the triumph of principle over temptation to indulge the appetite. It shows us that through religious principle young men may triumph over the lusts of the flesh, and remain true to God's requirements, even though it cost them a great sacrifice.
What if Daniel and his companions had made a compromise with those heathen officers, and had yielded to the pressure of the occasion, by eating and drinking as was customary with the Babylonians? That single instance of departure from principle would have weakened their sense of right and their abhorrence of wrong. Indulgence of appetite would have involved the sacrifice of the physical vigor, clearness of intellect, and spiritual power. One wrong step would probably have led to others, until, their connection with Heaven being severed, they would have been swept away by temptation.
God has said, "Them that honor me, I will honor." While Daniel clung to his God with unwavering trust, the spirit of prophetic power came upon him. While he was instructed of man in the duties of court life, he was taught of God to read the mysteries of future ages, and to present to coming generations, through figures and similitudes, the wonderful things that would come to pass in the last days.
The Signs of the Times
"Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:12.
VOLUME 8. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, FIFTH-DAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1882. NUMBER 37.
LIGHT AT EVENTIDE.
By Eben E. Rexford
THE day has been dark and doleful,
A day of wind and rain,
With the sound of ghostly fingers
Upon the window-pane;
And never a gleam of sunshine
The cold gray sky has crossed
In this day for sad remembrance
Of what our lives have lost.
Weary with vain regretting
For things that could not be,
Weary with counting over
The graves in memory,
I oped the Book of comfort
And in its pages read
What one of the grand old prophets
In time of trouble said.
I heard, like a voice from Heaven,
The royal singer's song
Of faith in Eternal Goodness
To triumph over wrong.
The day may be wild with tempest,
But in patient trust abide,
And remember the sweet old promise
Of light at the eventide.
And lo! as I read the chapter
So dear to the weary heart,
I saw the clouds at sunset
Like curtains swing apart.
And it seemed like a glimpse of Heaven,
That touched my eyes like balm
As I sat in the sunset glory
Repeating the sweet old psalm.
—Eben E. Rexford.
The Folly of Delayed Action
He that waits for an opportunity to do much at once, may breathe out his life in idle wishes, and regret, in the last hour, his useless intentions and barren zeal.
Preaching by Example
He preaches well that lives well.
Nature and Extent of Coming Judgments
By Editor
Now that there is to be, at some period of time, an utter destruction of all the inhabitants of the earth, no one who reads the prophecies can deny. Had we the privilege of framing the testimony to our own liking, it would be impossible to present it in language more clear and emphatic. I will now notice a few points in these passages which will serve the twofold purpose of showing the identity of these with certain events spoken of in the New Testament, and of locating the chronology of these judgments, or fixing the time of their execution.
1. This warning is to be given—not because the day of the Lord is nearly expired, nor yet because it is come, but—because the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, and hasteth greatly. The people are to be warned of those events which are to transpire when that day is ushered in. And this shows that these judgments are identical with those spoken of in the Revelation, which will be inflicted in close connection with the coming of the Son of man. See the promise to the church of Philadelphia. "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Rev. 3 : 10, 11.
2. This alarm is sounded when a great battle, or universal war, is pending. It is said in the time of the sixth plague, "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." And that this coincides with the others in time, and is fulfilled at the second advent, is proved by the next verse, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth." Rev. 16 : 13, 15.
3. The kings and nations shall certainly drink of the wrath of God. Even if they refuse, their refusal is of no avail; it is too late. This threatening must be identical with that of the third angel's message of Rev. 14 : 9-12, which refers to the plagues (under which the great battle will be fought), in which it is said they "shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation." By comparison, we learn that Eze. 9 : 5, 6, is parallel with these, where this order is given to them that have the slaughter weapons: "Let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women." These all refer directly to the time when the Saviour ceases to plead with the Father in behalf of sinful men, and judgment without mercy is made manifest.
4. The voice of God is heard from on high in the midst of these awful scenes. In the description quoted from Jer. 25, it is said, "The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation;" "he shall give a shout as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth." When Joel foretold the gathering of all nations, and all the heathen to the valley of Jehoshaphat, he said, "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake." Joel 3 : 15, 16. In the book of Revelation, we are informed that this takes place at the closing of the plagues. "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done." Rev. 16 : 17. Jesus says, as quoted, when the sixth vial is poured out, under which the nations are gathered to battle, "Behold, I come quickly." Therefore all must admit that the pouring out of the seventh and last plague, when the voice of God is heard, is in immediate connection with the coming of Christ. And of this time, the Saviour said, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven." Matt. 24 : 29, 30. But the prophet says it is the voice of God from on high that shakes "the powers of the heavens," and with this agree the words of Paul, "For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." Heb. 12 : 25, 26.
Again, the prophet says, "They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth." Isa. 2 : 19. See verses 10-12, 17-21; also chap. 13 : 6-13. And with these agree the words of John, "And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand." Rev. 6 : 14-17. And Paul shows that the wrath of the Lamb is manifested at his coming, 2 Thess. 1 : 7, 8. And thus it is clearly proved that all these judgments come on the earth at the second advent, and not afterward.
5. When these judgments come, God's people will be delivered. It has been claimed that there are exceptions to these general declarations, which is true only if the righteous can be said to form an exceptional class. But I think the claim is not just; instead of the righteous being exceptions to these declarations, they are a separate class, to whom these declarations will not apply. And there are no exceptions of the wicked. There can be only two classes—the righteous and the wicked. The Scriptures do not teach that there is a class between those who are under the law, and those under grace. There is no recognized middle ground between condemnation and justification and there is no justification except through faith in Christ. And if vengeance be taken "on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," of course they only will escape who know God and obey the gospel.
When the Lord says "he will plead with all flesh," it is to "give them that are wicked to the sword." Jer. 25 : 31. He will "lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isa. 13 : 9. Again, when the earth is utterly emptied, "the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." Isa. 24 : 6. Those these few men are, may be learned from verses 13, 14. When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice; they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. The righteous will sing for the majesty of the Lord when the judgments of God are made manifest upon the nations. Rev. 15 : 1-3. The few men are not "left" upon the earth, else the earth would not be made waste and "utterly emptied," but they are left from the burning.
The prophet Joel says, "The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and earth shall shake." Jeremiah, speaking of the same time and event, says, he shall "shout against all the inhabitants of the land." But Joel adds, "But the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." Daniel had a view of the same overthrow of theudgment, and to him the angel said, "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. This is when Michael stands up, or reigns. It is therefore evident that this deliverance takes place at the coming of Christ, and not at any future time. Proof on this point might be greatly enlarged from the New Testament, but it cannot be necessary.
EDITOR.
Wealth and Contentment
HE is a great simpleton who imagines that the chief power of wealth is to supply wants. In ninety cases out of a hundred it creates more wants than it supplies. Money and contentment do not always go hand in hand.—Ex.
Jerusalem Our Mother.
By William Covert
BY ELD. WILLIAM COVERT.
FROM the time that it was revealed that Christ should bring salvation to man, a period of about four thousand years intervened before his introduction as the Messiah to the Jewish people. But during this period all the manifestations of God's glory and his grace were made in view of the great truth that the Son of God had become surety for man. And during this time a typical service was established in an earthly temple, in Old Jerusalem. Here, for a time, was the glory of God manifested. 1 Kings 8: 10, 11. This connection was forever severed in the midst of the covenant week. Dan. 9: 27; Matt. 23: 37, 38. The Lord's glory was removed from the temple in Old Jerusalem, and the word spoken by Christ was fulfilled: she was left desolate and forsaken. His own presence and power had been manifested in her, but it will no more comfort and bless this forsaken city.
But there is a Jerusalem above which must have been the theater of Christ's glory before it was manifested in the metropolis of Judea. See Gal. 4: 22-31. I will offer some thoughts which suggest themselves to my mind in reading John 14: 1-3; Jude 6; and Isa. 58: 1-8.
The heavenly city is the bride of the king's Son. Matt. 22: 1, 2. Yet he had been united to this bride at one time before the celebration of the nuptials mentioned in this parable. Doubtless Christ, the maker and husband of this city, had often assembled the heavenly host within her jasper walls even before Satan's revolt. There the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy. There were the habitations of angels, and there their "first estate." But on account of their sympathy and co-operation with the chief of sinners they were expelled from their heavenly abode, thus leaving their mansions unoccupied. Soon after this event Adam and Eve were overcome by the wicked one, and it then became necessary that the Son of God should enter upon the plan of redemption. In order to accomplish this, he must identify himself more closely with the children of men, and thus in time he transferred a measure of his glory to the earthly Jerusalem. In this manner the heavenly city is forsaken for a small moment. See Isa. 54: 6-8. As Sarah the wife of Abraham's youth, felt grieved in spirit at Hagar for a time, thinking she had gained the affections of her husband, so Jerusalem above is represented in the allegory as aggrieved, reproached, and put to shame. As Hagar and Ishmael were cast out of Abraham's family because of their skepticism and jealousy in regard to the child of promise, so Old Jerusalem and all her skeptical sons were rejected when Christ's glory is again manifested in the heavenly city.
As Hagar had for a time supposed that her son was heir to Abraham's property, so had Old Jerusalem concluded that her sons were entitled to all of God's blessings. Yet how vain her hopes! How transient her glory!
But glorious things are spoken of the city of God. Instead of having only household servants in which to glory, she is to have a mother's love. Every mansion is to be occupied by her own happy sons and daughters. Although she is longing for the time when her children can enjoy a mother's presence, she has the consolation of knowing that they are only away at school, and that they are being taught by her Lord. Isa. 54: 13. She is invited to sing while the place of her tent is being enlarged. Her husband possesses both skill and means to make the reception of her children an occasion of songs and thankful joy. Though she has stood for ages yet she is New Jerusalem. New to her Lord and new to her children. Well may we "rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her," and "be delighted with the abundance of her glory." For the Lord "will extend peace to her like a river." We "shall be borne upon her sides and dandled upon her knees." She is "created a rejoicing and her people a joy." Her children will eat the fruit of life and drink at the fountain of youth. Thus will the thought of "mother" be enshrined in our hearts forever, for we shall dwell long in the land which our "Father" shall give us.
True Criticism and Fault-Finding
That is not criticism that does not point out excellencies as well as defects; it is simply fault-finding.
"Bring Us Not over Jordan."
By H. S.
VERY different from this was the prayer of Moses. It was a great grief to him that his feet could not tread the promised land. His earnest petition was: "I pray thee, let me go over, and see the great land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon." But he must be content with a distant view of it from the top of Pisgah. But it was the request of the children of Reuben and the children of Gad that they might be allowed to stop short and dwell on the hither side. When they had come to the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, they said unto Moses: "Let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan." And the reason given for this request was because they had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw that that land was a place for cattle. They cared more for that land than they did for Canaan, that had so long been the land of promise to them and to their fathers. They despised the pleasant land.
And thus has it always been, and still is with respect to great numbers. Their hearts are set on their earthly possessions, and they allow them to keep them from Heaven. They set a higher value upon these than they do upon durable riches; and in the pursuit and enjoyment of them they run the risk of losing an heavenly inheritance. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God?" How many, by their eagerness to gain them, neglect the one thing needful, and are damned in destruction and perdition! And how many that thus are but "scarcely saved," escaping as with the skin of their teeth. So was it with Lot when, for the sake of his cattle, he chose the plains of the Jordan, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. And in the Saviour's parable of the great supper, when the invitation was given, "Come, for all things are now ready," one of those that were bidden said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them. I pray thee have me excused." With one man it is riches in one form, and with another in another. It may be cattle, or farms, or stocks, or gold and silver, it all amounts to the same thing. It is the accursed love of the world in some of its alluring forms. It hinders them from giving that attention to their soul that its importance demands, and the result is that it debars them from Heaven. Virtually their prayer is, "Bring us not over Jordan." They cling to earthly things, and the final result is that these become their only portion. There is need for the caution, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness."—H. S., in Advance.
How He Became Satisfied.
A GREAT many boys mistake their calling, but all such are not fortunate enough to find out in as good season as did this one. It is said that Rufus Choate, the great lawyer, was once in New Hampshire making a plea, when a boy, the son of a farmer, resolved to leave the plow, and become a lawyer like Rufus Choate. He accordingly went to Boston, called on Mr. Choate, and said to him: "I heard you plead in our town, and I have a desire to become a lawyer like you. Will you teach me how?"
"As well as I can," said the great lawyer. "Come and sit down." Taking down a copy of Blackstone, he said: "Read this until I come back, and I will see how you get on."
The poor boy began. An hour passed. His back ached, his head ached, his legs ached. He knew not how to study. Every moment became a torture. He wanted air. Another hour passed, and Mr. Choate came and asked:—
"How do you get on?"
"Get on! Why, do you have to read such stuff as this?"
"Yes."
"How much of it?"
"All there is on these shelves, and more," looking about the great library.
"How long will it take?"
"Well, it has taken me more than twenty-five years."
"How much do you get?"
"My board and clothes."
"Is that all?"
"Well, that is about all I have gained as yet."
"Then," said the boy, "I will go back to the ploughing. The work is not near as hard, and pays better."
An Eighty Pound Hailstone.
The Scientific American quotes the following from the Salina (Kansas) Journal. It would seem that in the terrible storms that are now occurring, God is giving a warning of the end. The account given below reminds us of the treasures of the hail, "which God has reserved against the time of trouble." See Job 38:22, 23; Rev. 16:21.
"Considerable excitement was caused in our city last Tuesday evening by the announcement that a hailstone weighing eighty pounds had fallen six miles west of Salina, near the railroad track. An inquiry into the matter revealed the following facts: A party of railroad section men were at work Tuesday afternoon, several miles west of town, when the hail-storm came upon them. Mr. Martin Ellwood, the foreman of the party, relates that near where they were at work hailstones of the weight of four or five pounds were falling, and that returning toward Salina, the stones increased in size, until his party discovered a huge mass of ice weighing, as near as he could judge, in the neighborhood of eighty pounds. At this place the party found the ground covered with hail as if a wintry storm had passed over the land. Besides securing the mammoth chunk of ice, Mr. Ellwood secured a hailstone something over a foot long, three or four inches in diameter, and shaped like a cigar. These "specimens" were placed upon a hand car and brought to Salina. Mr. W. J. Hagler, the North Santa Fé merchant, became the possessor of the larger piece, and saved it from dissolving by placing it in sawdust at his store. Crowds of people went down to see it Tuesday afternoon, and many were the theories concerning the mysterious visitor. At evening its dimensions were 29 x 16 x 2 inches."
Make It Short.
A STORY is told of a school, the pupils of which, on the eve of a summer vacation, got very weary of the long speeches with which the committee entertained them. When the president of the board of trustees at last arose to address them, he commenced by saying, "Well, children, what sort of a speech shall I make?" and then halting a little, as if waiting for an answer, while gathering up his thoughts, to his surprise, up went a little boy's hand, in a distant part of the room. Thinking that there might be an idea behind it which could be turned to good account, he invited the owner of it to speak out; but was somewhat taken aback when the boy said, "Make a short one!"
He proceeded to act upon the suggestion, to the great satisfaction of the children.
It requires great wisdom to speak short, and sometimes still greater wisdom not to speak at all. We remember a missionary meeting where an effort was being made to raise funds for the purpose of scattering gospel light and truth. At this meeting, after an earnest appeal had been made, and we thought that the prospect was fair for raising two or three thousand dollars, one or two men arose, and instead of offering their own liberal subscriptions, made speeches which seemed lengthy and tedious, exhorting other people to give money, some of which they might, perhaps, have given themselves. But before they had finished, the interest and enthusiasm of the meeting was so dead that it was utterly impossible to resuscitate it. We should judge that these speeches damaged the subscriptions to the extent of perhaps five or ten dollars a minute. Some man, complaining of the high price, at Niagara Falls, said that it cost a dollar to pay a man for opening his mouth and another dollar to get him to shut it. In this case, we judge that a dollar invested in shutting each of these mouths would have been a very profitable investment, so far as the interests of the collection were concerned. Blessed is the man who speaks short, for he shall be asked to speak again; and when work is to be done, and a number of persons are to speak, the man who wearies the audience, and absorbs an undue proportion of time, needs to be instructed in the simple elements of common sense, as well as to be reminded of the command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."—Selected.
Judged by Deeds
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.—Longfellow.
Not Worth Minding.
WHAT a world of trouble, time, and nerve irritation would be saved, if boys, and men too, would learn to never mind trifling annoyances. Only the other day we overheard one boy telling another what a third boy had said about him, and urging him to “lick him.” “Oh,” said the second boy, “’tisn’t worth minding. He knows it aint so, and I won’t stoop to his level by taking any notice of it.” We inwardly thought, “That’s a very wise head on young shoulders.”
It reminded us of two men, one of whom started on a foot journey of one hundred and fifty miles or so. Two days later, the other man followed in the same road, and on the fourth day overtook the first one. The latter remarked: “This is the worst and slowest road I ever traveled. There is the greatest lot of snarling, barking little dogs I ever saw, and it has taken half my time to drive them off.” “Why,” said the second man, “I didn’t pay any attention to them, but came right along as if they weren’t there.” Half the time of many boys and men is wasted in fighting trifles.
A certain circuit judge was always sure of meeting some cutting or sneering remarks from a self-conceited lawyer when he came to a certain town in his rounds. This was repeated one day at dinner, when a gentleman present said: “Judge, why don’t you squelch that fellow?” The Judge, dropping his knife and fork, and placing his chin upon his hands, and his elbows on the table, remarked: “Up in our town a widow woman has a dog that, whenever the moon shines, goes out upon the steps and barks away at it all night.” Stopping short, he quietly resumed eating. After waiting some time, it was asked: “Well, Judge, what of the dog and the moon?”—“Oh, the moon keeps on shining,” he said.—Sel.
Jonah's Successors.
THERE can be no doubt that Jonah has his successors in the ministry. There are those who would like to run away from their appointed work because of its trials. Here is a case in point: A minister who served a large congregation, came home one day in great trouble, and told his wife that he was almost out of heart, and felt very much like resigning his place, and giving up his work.
“And what makes you feel that way?” responded his wife.
“Well,” said the minister, “everything seems to be going wrong. It is so difficult to keep people interested in religion, and so many seem to be almost wholly indifferent.”
“So you would like to have everybody and everything just right, would you?” said the wife.
“That is it.”
“Very well,” continued the wife, “then you could resign; then your work would not be needed. But as things are, you should hold firmly your place, for the reason you have given is just why you should work on.” He was not the first minister that was prompted to do right by the common sense and grace of his wife.—Baptist Weekly.
Civil Rights of Negroes.
By Editor
The Methodist comments on the fact that its African brethren are beginning to stand up for their rights with the vigor and dignity that afford the best promise of their winning them. The recent case of Bishop Payne is in point, where the conference at which he was expected to preside marched in a body to the office of the railway on which he had been insulted, and exacted an apology and such reparation as the case admitted of. Another case is that of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Conference that recently met at Poughkeepsie, which appointed a committee to wait upon the officers of a steamboat company whose underlings had denied the courtesies that were there due to one of the Bishops of the Church, one of its college professers, and several of their ministers. The committee secured an apology.
A Good Prayer.
All church-goers may profitably pray this prayer, offered by a South Sea Islander just as the meeting was breaking up: "O God, we are about to go to our respective homes. Let not the words we have heard be like the fine clothes we wear, soon to be taken off and folded away in a box till another Sabbath comes round. Rather, let thy truth be like the tattoo on our bodies, ineffaceable till death."