Signs of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 7. (2/17/1888)

Signs of the Times

Feb 17, 1888

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 17, 1888

General Articles.

By Ellen G. White

"YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE."

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."

IN the time of ancient Israel the priests critically examined every offering that was brought as a sacrifice. If any defect was discovered in the animal presented for the service of the sanctuary, it was refused, for the Lord had commanded that the offering should be "without blemish." We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God; and should we not seek to make the offering as perfect as possible? God has given us every instruction necessary for our physical, mental, and moral well-being, and it is the duty of every one of us to bring our habits of life into conformity with the divine standard, in every particular. Will the Lord be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer? "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." If you do love him with all your heart, you will desire to give him the best service of your life, and you will be constantly seeking to bring every power of your being into harmony with the laws that will promote your ability to do his will. You will not feel satisfied to present to your merciful heavenly Father an offering enfeebled by indulgence of appetite and passion. You will plead for divine help and healing. And the grace of Christ will enable you to overcome your perverted appetites, and begin a work of reformation in your life. You are not to follow the customs of the world. "Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Every faculty of our being was given us that we might render acceptable service to our Maker. When, through sin, we perverted the gifts of God, and sold our powers to the prince of darkness, Christ paid a ransom for us, even his own precious blood. "He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them." And shall we waste the energies that he has ransomed at such infinite cost, by disregarding the laws of life and morality?

Look at the world to-day. Misery and pain exist on every side; and the heart grows sick, beholding the untold suffering of humanity. The dead and the dying are continually before our eyes; but we cannot charge this to our heavenly Father. Man has brought this upon himself through sinful disregard of the laws of God. The most reckless habits are formed and practiced by the world, in regard to eating, drinking, and dressing. Suffering, disease, and premature death follow in the train of lawless, inconsiderate customs. In these matters of vital importance, men and women follow their impulses, without consulting reason, or considering the experiences of others. What a perverted appetite may crave, that they must have. Whatever the fashion may be, that they must follow, no matter how disastrous the result; but God would have us live in accordance with law, so that, whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we may glorify God and benefit our fellow-men.

If we are the servants of Christ, we must fight against the evils of this degenerate age. While lawlessness of all kinds is sweeping over our world like a flood, we must take a decided stand on the requirements of the Bible, or we shall be swept away into moral and physical ruin. We must have moral strength to place ourselves, with firm determination, in opposition to the iniquity that abounds, or we shall be overcome. It is our privilege to understand the laws of this wonderful structure, the human habitation, that God has given us. Mind and body should be preserved in the best possible state of health that we may take up our work in the world. I know that much can be done toward building up a good condition of health. I have had five shocks of paralysis, and God, in his mercy, has raised me up, to take my place in the work he has given me to do, and to try to benefit others by my experience. Light was given me, and I saw the reason for my feeble health. I was astonished that I had so long remained in ignorance in regard to the laws of life. My habits were out of harmony with the conditions that are necessary to health. My food had not been of a proper kind to give vitality and strength to the system. It was highly seasoned, and stimulating rather than nutritious. The physicians said that I might die at any time, and I resolved that if I died, I would die in attempting to correct my injurious habits of life. I resolved to place myself on a platform of strictest temperance. I did not use tea or coffee or any kind of intoxicating wine or liquor, so I did not have these habits to overcome; but I had used flesh and spices, eating hearty meals three times a day. I had to educate myself to enjoy the simple, healthful grains and fruits that God has provided for the wants of man. But I found that all the sacrifice I had to make was doubly repaid in renewed health of body and mind. I had used pepper and mustard in my diet; but these should not be put into the human stomach. The delicate membrane becomes inflamed, the healthy tone of the stomach is lowered, and the appetite is perverted, the taste loses

its discernment, and the delicious flavors of grains, vegetables, and fruits become insipid and unpalatable.

I see that in this country wine and beer, as well as tea and coffee, are placed upon your tables. Could you realize the injurious effects of these things, you would banish them from your board. Luxurious living and the use of wine and beer corrupt the blood, inflame the passions, produce disease, and hasten you to your graves. The faculties are benumbed. The moral perception is blunted, and the mind becomes incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong; the animal passions are strengthened, and gain supremacy over the intellectual and spiritual nature.

This fact is illustrated in the case of Nadab and Abihu. The Lord had kindled a sacred fire, from which the priests were to take coals, for the burning of incense before the Lord. They were not to use strange fire in the services of the sanctuary; but, under the effects of strong drink, the sons of Aaron lost all sense of sacred things. They kindled their incense from common fire, and disregarded the commandment of God. The Lord did not excuse their sin because they had unfitted themselves for their sacred duties by indulgence in drink. They were cut off from the congregation of Israel. God's dealing with these transgressors should be a warning to the children of men to-day. You are to offer to God a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. As these intoxicants are used, the same effects will follow as in the case of these priests of Israel. The conscience will lose its sensibility to sin, and a process of hardening to iniquity will most certainly take place, till the common and the sacred will lose all difference of significance.

I have been invited here and there to come and take tea with certain families. I was glad to have an opportunity to talk with these friends; but I could not countenance their hurtful practice of tea-drinking. I could not partake of this beverage with them, or give my influence to encourage this unnecessary and injurious habit. After freely partaking, the effects of tea-drinking may be discovered. The face becomes flushed, the eyes brighten, a new vigor is manifested, and the mind seems unnaturally active. Tea is a stimulant, and its exhilarating effects are neither lasting nor beneficial. The same is true of coffee. I have heard people declare that they could not live without their coffee. They were languid and dispirited, and were unfit to take up the tasks of the day, but after they had had their coffee they felt revived and encouraged; but this feeling of strength was only due to the stimulant they had taken. They were, in reality, just as unfit for their tasks as before and had only spurred up their flagging energies. When the influence of coffee had passed away, they were left as much in need of another cup as before they had taken the first cup.

We want a work of reformation in our land. There are thousands who can testify to the benefits of discarding these luxuries, and drinking from nature's pure fountain. Why should we go to China and Japan for the products of a backward civilization? Why not banish the narcotic bean and the poisonous herb, and come into harmony with the sanitary laws of the Bible? If we are pursuing a course of action that brings weakness upon us, how can we present to God a holy offering, a living sacrifice? We are required to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves; but we are failing of this high requirement, if we are unfitting ourselves by hurtful habits for rendering acceptable service to our Maker and to our fellow-men. How can we think deeply and seriously on the plan of salvation, if our minds are clouded, our nerves unstrung, and our bodies full of pain and disease? If we are knowingly transgressing the laws of health, God cannot sustain and comfort us with his grace. This would only encourage us in wrong-doing. We must put our feet in the path of righteousness, and make all the efforts we can to walk uprightly, and then we may appropriate the rich promises, and we shall realize that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

We must be fitting up for the society of Heaven. We want to have a right to the tree of life. We want to enter that city where nothing that defileth shall ever come. Our characters must reach the standard of holiness. Every thought and habit must be brought into harmony with the will of God. Jesus came to our world to be our Saviour and example, and it is in his name alone, that we may gain the victory over perverted nature. He overcame in man's behalf, and through his grace we may become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." He "suffered, being tempted" for forty days, in the lonely wilderness, he endured fasting and temptation that man might have help to overcome the cravings of appetite, and live, not by bread alone, "but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He stood in his integrity, a conqueror, and through him the sons of Adam may also be overcomers. Those who put their energies against the sinful indulgence of appetite, will have his divine aid and sympathy, and "he that endureth unto the end shall be saved."

WHAT PLEASES GOD.

By Paul Gerhardt

WHAT God decrees, child of his love, Take patiently, though it may prove The storm that wrecks thy treasure here, Be comforted! thou needst not fear What pleases God.

The wisest will is God's own will; Rest on this anchor, and be still; For peace around thy path shall flow, When only wishing here below What pleases God.

The truest heart is God's own heart, Which bids thy grief and fear depart; Protecting, guiding, day and night, The soul that welcomes here aright What pleases God.

Then let the crowd around thee seize The joys that for a season please, But willingly their paths forsake, And for thy blessed portion take What pleases God.

Thy heritage is safe in Heaven; There shall the crown of joy be given; There shall thou hear and see and know, As thou couldst never here below, What pleases God. —Gerhardt.

"WHAT IS TRUTH?"

By C. P. Bollman

THIS question, whether originally asked in good faith or in derision, is of the utmost importance to every one of us; and sooner or later it will force itself upon our individual attention. We may feel that we do not care to consider it now; but let us beware lest we put it off till we have in our hearts no love for the truth, and no disposition to seek after it. The time is not far distant when all such will be given over to "strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thess. 2:11, 12.

This question, "What is truth," may be answered very briefly: God's word is truth. The prophet Isaiah exclaims, "O Lord, thou art my God; . . . thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." The psalmist bears testimony that the law of God is the truth; while in his prayer to the Father, the Saviour says: "Sanctify them through the truth; thy word is truth." The Scriptures warrant us, then, in believing that all that God has spoken, or has inspired men to write, is the truth, whether it be in command or in revelation. There are probably few, comparatively, in so-called Christian lands who deny, in explicit terms, that the words of God are true; but in effect very many do deny this very thing. "The carnal mind is enmity against God;" it is full of unbelief and rebellion. The wise man said, "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions;" and in nothing have men shown themselves more cunning and perverse than in perverting the word of God, and in making it of none effect by their traditions and theories.

The apostle tells us that "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear;" but men discredit the simple, unvarnished Bible account of creation and teach that the worlds were formed of pre-existent matter!

How long the matter had existed, and what first brought it into existence, even the wisest of them find themselves utterly unable to explain; the origin of matter is something of which they are absolutely ignorant. But believers in the word of God can reverently say: "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made." "He spake and it was; he commanded, and it stood fast."

Men may try to reason out creation, but they fail. They may attempt to comprehend the Infinite, but they are invariably forced to answer Zophar's question in the negative: "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection?" It is true that "the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork;" yet now, as anciently, men esteeming themselves wise become fools, and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. Nature indeed tells us that there is a God; but revelation alone teaches us what he requires at our hands, and how we may approach and serve him acceptably.

"Without faith," we are told, "it is impossible to please" God; so all that come unto him "must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him." But how can we believe this unless we believe the revelation which he has given us of himself in both Old and New Testaments? Thousands profess to believe that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," who cavil at and doubt some of the very statements of the Old Testament which are indorsed by Christ and his apostles.

Christ said, "Before Abraham was, I am;" he knew, therefore, of the truth or falsity of the Old Testament scriptures; and yet he indorsed the very things which he most doubted to-day.

Take for instance the writings of Moses; no part of the Bible has been more bitterly assailed by infidels, or more weakly defended by Christians, than has his account of the creation, the flood, and the exode; and yet no part of the Scriptures was ever more heartily indorsed by our Saviour. He even made belief in the writings of Moses a test of faith, for he said: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." And again he places the seal of truth upon the Mosaic narrative of the flood when he says: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be," etc.

Thousands who profess the utmost faith in Christ, and in the New Testament generally, feel that they must apologize for Moses and other Old Testament writers. They stop and hesitate, and blush, and stammer if the days of creation are spoken of, or if Joshua's battle with the Amorites, when the day was lengthened, is mentioned, or if allusion is made to the crossing of the Red Sea; they are ashamed to avow their belief in these things as the Saviour did whom they profess to follow. Multitudes profess to believe in an intelligent, all-wise and all-powerful God, who rules the universe, and yet they quail before the assaults of infidelity, and too often tacitly admit that after all God could not do the things which the Bible tells us that he did do! They have no real faith in God, and yet profess to believe in his Son Jesus Christ! But how can such persons have any real faith in Christ? for "if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Christ did rise from the dead, but we know it only by faith, just as we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; and if we doubt the account of creation, of the fall, of the flood, and of the exode, how can we believe the record that God has given us of his Son?

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen;" and that which picks and chooses in the word of God, and believes this and rejects that, is not faith. The gift of God for the salvation of man, the incarnation, and death of Christ, are the most wonderful things recorded in all the Bible; and he who believes or professes to believe these things and refuses to believe the facts recorded in the Old Testament is surely governed by caprice rather than by reason. The plan of salvation is so intimately connected with the creation, the garden, the fall, the flood, and the exode that if they are not true, it is not true. We must believe the record that God has given us of these things, or else we can have no real faith in the record that he has given us of his Son Jesus Christ. If we recognize God as the intelligent Creator and Ruler of the universe, we can easily believe all that the Bible tells us of him, but if we regard him as only the embodiment of laws over which he himself has no control, how can we have faith in him as the author of the plan of redemption, the loving Father who gave his Son to die for us? C. P. BOLLMAN.

WRONG FELLOWSHIP.

By Horatius Bonar, D. D.

FELLOWSHIP between faith and unbelief must, sooner or later, be fatal to the former. "I would thou wert either cold or hot," has a deep significance for us. Truth is truth, and error is error. There the case begins and ends. The blending of light and darkness can at the best only produce twilight, not noon. We may tamper with doubt, may trifle with certainty, and we may succumb to public opinion, but what will the end be? Has the one great oracle spoken? Has it spoken accurately and intelligibly? If it has, our only honest position is acceptance of its utterances. Every revealed truth has a distinct personal claim to be believed, however offensive to the taste or spirit of the age. We are apt to forget that error is sin; that truth does not reverse itself; that inspiration and non-inspiration are opposite poles admitting of no medium; that infidelity ought not to cloak itself under the name of candid inquiry; and that candid inquiry should beware of being landed in unbelief, perhaps, before it is aware.

There are some who are cowardly enough to trifle with, or nibble at truth, but not bold enough to fling it away. It would be well for us to remember that not merely accepted error, but undervalued truth, has often made havoc of a church and shipwreck of a soul. Much of the teaching of the present day is not in the direction of certainty, and men feel that to be tossed to and fro with curious speculations will make but a poor life for them. Meanwhile revelation remains to us, and, when human thinkers have spent themselves, it will re-assert its authority and power. The cross still stands, and with it Jehovah's eternal purpose of grace—grace finding its way to the sinner through the righteous channel opened by the death of the divine Substitute. —Horatius Bonar, D. D.

“NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.”

By Canon Farrar

OUR Lord was pleased with the candor, the wisdom, the enthusiasm, of the young man’s reply. It was his special tenderness, it was his immense love, that he would never break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax. In his infinite holiness, in his heavenly innocence, he did not loathe the leper’s touch or the harlot’s tears. Though these scribes and Pharisees would have embittered to the very dregs any life less noble than his, he could praise even his worst foes, and kindly and gently said to the scribe, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of Heaven.” To such a nature as that of the scribe—a nature not ungenerous, if very faulty; not unenlightened, though much misled—how precious, how healing, must these words have been! Oh, let us not be so afraid of words of honest praise and hearty encouragement! They re-inspire the fading effort; they re-invigorate the trembling arm; they fall like the dew of heaven upon the fainting soul.

The sunbeam touches the mountain, and at its touch the heavy load of winter, which the hurricane could not dislodge, melts and slips insensibly away, and where but yesterday was snow, to-day is green grass and gentian flower. It is even so with words of sympathy, which are so rare, alas! while they can cheer or bless, but which, when they are useless, fall thick and fast over the buried dust. But Christ was not thus jealous of making anyone a trifle happier. He knew how to give needed encouragement and generous praise. “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona;” “Behold an Israelite indeed;” “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel;” “She hath done what she could;” “Thou art not far from the kingdom of Heaven!”—such are a few of Christ’s words of approval. It is something to abstain from slander and censoriousness, and the hard luxury of injustice; something to be like that good man who passed everything which he had to say of others through the three sieves: Is it just? Is it necessary? Is it kind? But it is more to be like Christ, to be generous and cordial, to have “the glow of sympathy” with “the bloom of modesty,” not to be too vain to appreciate, not to be too envious to help and cheer.—Canon Farrar.

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE WAY OF SALVATION.

By H. C. Holloway

WHEN the prophet Elisha told Naaman how he could be cured of his leprosy, he was slow to accept the offer, though he was fully conscious of his disease. The remedy was simply, “Wash and be clean.” This, however, did not please the leper; he expected to be cured in some way corresponding to his standing and importance. He looked for some demonstration and personal attention from Elisha himself. It appeared too simple a thing to Naaman to go and wash in Jordan in order to be cleansed from his leprosy. There was too little of show about it, not enough of ostentation. This offended his pride and he said, “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and be clean?” After all, is there not some other way by which I may be cleansed, than the one the prophet of Israel prescribes? So cries the proud mind of the flesh.

This historic narrative suggests the chief obstruction in the way of many accepting the remedy provided for their cleansing from the leprosy of sin, viz., their pride. It is this pride that takes offense at the simplicity of the gospel mode. There is so little that appears about it; an obscure, unwitnessed thing; there is no special demonstration about it; no recognition of dignities; all so different from what the proud heart craves.

Though the simplicity of the gospel is the leading feature as giving offense, yet this feature is really the glory and power of the gospel remedy. The power lies greatly in its simplicity. St. Paul tells us that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. If what men need for salvation were such a strange, intricate, and mysterious, scheme that few could comprehend, it would be shorn of much

of its power. All can understand it who will. The facts in the gospel, vital to its efficacy, are intelligible as the words, “Go, wash, and be clean.” “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” . . . .

Then, this so simple and intelligible remedy is not remote. It is near. “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

How feasible, too, is the gospel salvation; practical to all who hear. There is no great thing to be done, or by money and influence to be done. The smallest in position, and those who have nothing, stand an equal chance with the mightiest and the most opulent, because no great thing is to be done, no price is to be paid. In the simplicity of the gospel way of salvation, then, is its God-like feature.—Rev. H. C. Holloway, D. D.

SIN THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW.

By Augusta W. Heald

1. WHAT is sin, and how may it be known? “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20.

2. If there were no law could there be any sin? “For where no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15.

3. What is the natural condition of all men? “The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Ps. 14:2, 3.

4. What does the apostle say of those who claim that they have not sinned? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8.

5. What is the condition of sinners? “For we ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” Titus 3:3.

6. Whom do they serve? “Ye are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” John 8:44.

7. How does Satan gain such power over man?—He enters into the heart and instigates the thoughts and actions. See Luke 22:3, 4.

8. What is the testimony of inspiration as to the heart of man? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jer. 17:9.

9. What does Christ declare proceeds from the heart? “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these things come from within, and defile the man.” Mark 7:21-23.

10. What alone separates us from God? “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isa. 59:1, 2.

11. What is said of the man who breaks only one commandment? “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10.

12. Does every law involve a penalty?—It is a legal axiom that a law without a penalty is of no force.

13. What is the penalty for sin? “For the wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23. “The soul that sinneth it shall die.” Eze. 18:4.

14. Since all have sinned, what is the condition of the world before God? “What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Rom. 3:19.

15. Should a righteous man fall into sin, will his former goodness avail him anything? “But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned; in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” Eze. 18:24.

16. Is it not even worse with him than before? “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” 2 Peter 2:20, 21.

17. Is there hope for the sinner if he turn from his transgression? “Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” Eze. 18:27. “None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him; he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” Eze. 33:16.

18. What gracious words does the Lord address to sinners? “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” Eze. 18:31, 32.

19. Is it easy to break away from this bondage of sin and live a holy life? “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Rom. 7:18, 19. Is there a child of Adam striving after holiness who has not had this experience? Paul when beholding himself in the perfect mirror of God’s holy law, realized his defects and deformities of character, and exclaimed, “O, wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?” Rom. 7:24, margin.

20. In whom alone is victory? “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57. AUGUSTA W. HEALD.

“LEARN OF ME.”

By Frank Hope

THE religion of Jesus Christ is not all poetry, neither does true piety evaporate in mere sentimental gush; it means work, hard work. Christ says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me.” The yoke is an emblem of work. When a pair of oxen are yoked up they have a pretty good understanding that some solid, steady work is required of them. The Romans made their war-prisoners pass under the yoke, to show that they had become their slaves. This is what Paul regarded himself when he accepted this yoke of Christ—“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.” Not only this, but he became a slave to every man for Jesus’ sake. Says he, “I made myself a servant unto all.” “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” And when Paul says he was a debtor he means he was their slave; and this is the position that every true Christian ought to take. A slave to those who know not Jesus.

“Learn of me.” Jesus was a worker, he did more work in a given time than any man on the earth. He went about doing good. Travel-stained and dusty, weary and footsore, he went from city to city preaching the glad tidings of salvation, and healing all those who were sick; occasionally taking a few moments’ rest during the heat of the day, in such welcome places as Jacob’s well, other times vainly seeking solitude in the lonely mountains. Even during the watches of the night his retirement was disturbed by some anxious questioner, or the burden of his work was so heavy upon him that he would spend the entire night in prayer, and at the dawning of day again commence his arduous labors. Surely the Son of man had not where to lay his head. Badgered by scribes and Pharisees, worried by curious questioners, and beset by crowds of sufferers, he was under a continual strain of work for fallen man. And shall those who claim to be his followers stand by and merely desire to feel happy and have a good time. The question is, “What are we doing for Jesus?” There’s a battle to be fought, souls to be saved, the down-hearted to comfort, and the fallen to raise. Then let us learn of our poor weary Saviour, and take up our cross and follow him.

Another lesson that we learn of Jesus is obedience. Love caused him to keep the law. Says he, “I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” And those who wish to have the love of Jesus must also keep the commandments. Says he, “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” for “if ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” And the great apostle of love tells us that “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” And when people claim wonderful love for Jesus and are all the time knowingly breaking his law, we know that whatever they are, they are not Bible Christians, and that the ultra sanctification and holiness that places them above obedience to the requirements of God must be a deception of the devil. FRANK HOPE.

Human Speculation Versus Bible Truth

MERE human speculations in religion have no “Thus saith the Lord” attached to them. What God says in his Word we can trust, and we had better do so with the most absolute and unquestioning exercise of faith. He who does this will have very few questions to ask beyond those which God himself has answered. His mind will move quietly, serenely, and happily along the track of Bible thought.

Victories Over Self

THE deepest joy comes to the soul, not from external conquests, but from victories achieved over self.

SEARCH thine own heart. What paineth thee?

Search Thine Own Heart

SEARCH thine own heart. What paineth thee In others, in thyself may be; All dust is frail, all flesh is weak; Be thou the true one thou dost seek.

PRAYERLESS PRAYERS.

By Christian at Work

Though this may be a contradiction in terms, it is not so in fact. There are millions of what may properly be characterized as "prayerless prayers." Such are all those prayers that are mere form. All genuine prayers proceed from the heart. There is a real desire to obtain what is asked for. There is a felt need of the blessing sought. There is something of the earnestness of Jacob, when he said: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Often is God mocked in prayer by "a solemn sound from a thoughtless tongue." There are the words of prayer, but the thoughts are wandering, like the fool's eyes, to the ends of the earth. There is no sense of God, to whom the prayer is professedly addressed. The prayer repeated by a parrot would be just as pleasing to God, and even more so; for, in such a case, there would be no mockery.

And those prayers are prayerless in which nothing is asked for. Such was the prayer of the Pharisee in the temple. His whole prayer was taken up in thanking God that he was not as other men were, and in boasting of his good deeds. There was not a single petition in the prayer. He had no felt need, and he desired no supply. God was displeased with him, whilst he looked with favor upon the humble publican, whose prayer, though more brief, was hearty and sincere.

It is not surprising that so many prayers are unanswered. It is not at all surprising that they do not come up for a memorial before God. It is not the expectation of those that offer them that they will. When they offer them, it is with no expectation that they shall receive an answer, and they look for none, nor are they disappointed that it does not come. They would be surprised were they to receive an answer. They did not mean what they said. They had no real desire for what they asked. They had no thought of what they were saying when they prayed. Their words were but a "chattering noise." Their prayers were prayerless prayers.

CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY.

It is well to cherish the sympathetic spirit as we move among the bereaved and disappointed of earth. Even though we may sometimes fail to receive one response to our sincere outgoings of heart from the objects of our sympathy, there is ample reward in that which we ourselves gain. Prayer is more real and effectual while the heart is kept tender in this way. Our own sorrows are more easily borne when we lose sight of ourselves in helping others. The great Burden-bearer seems nearer to us then, and the longing for a purer clime, where sorrow and pain are unknown, is deeper and richer. It is better to go to the house of mourning than of feasting. The unregenerate heart may wonder that it is so, but the children of God declare it to be a fact.

We doubt if anyone can come to fullness of experience in divine things, who is unwilling to engage in ministry for others walking in shadows and in need of help.—N. Y. Christian Advocate.

PETER'S EXPERIMENT.

By Thomas S. Doolittle

"THERE seems," as another says, "to have been some ambition and vainglory in Peter. Not only would he outdo the other disciples, but like Jesus, he would walk on the water." Always impulsive, sanguine, and ready to run risks, Peter thought he could do this, just as afterwards he believed himself capable of standing by his Master, even through false accusation and death. He put his Lord to the test by saying, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." And his Lord put him to the test by answering, "Come."

And Peter, so long as he looked straight to Christ, and exercised lively, unfaltering faith, was borne by a divine, miraculous power safely upon the bosom of the sea. But when his attention was distracted by the boisterous roar of the elements—the wild, battling winds and tumultuous waves, then his faith gave out, and he began to sink. And Christ, designing to show him his weakness, his need of continued help from a higher power, his folly in rashly forfeiting trust, and in undertaking what was really the offspring of spiritual vanity, allowed him to go partially down.

But when Peter, in terrible agony of soul, and now sincere, humble, contrite and believing, uttered the great cry, "Lord, save me!" Jesus stretched forth his hand immediately and caught him. Christ does not delay in the work of salvation. He answers the prayer of faith as soon as it is uttered. But he wants our faith to be full and complete. In all fidelity, he rebuked Peter for doubting. It is doubt that kills.—Prof. T. S. Doolittle, D. D.

SEEK THE SPIRIT'S GUIDANCE.

By A. F. Schaufler

JESUS teaches that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to lead men into all truth. Men are more willing to discuss with each other about truth than they are to ask for the guidance of the Spirit. Ten people discuss theater-going to one who prays about it. There is no trouble about guidance if only we want to be guided. The trouble lies here—that we want to lead, not to be guided. Thus we fall into the ditch, and possibly lead someone else there also. No one need miss the right road for lack of light. But many miss it because they shut their eyes and go ahead. We pity men physically blind, and put out our own spiritual eyes, and refuse the healing touch of the divine Spirit. Let it be understood that God has made abundant provision for our guidance in the smallest matters.

Our whole spiritual life and our eternal welfare are utterly dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit. We see then how solemn a thing it is to "grieve" the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are "sealed," and how suicidal a thing it is to "quench" the Spirit. The world of the lost is filled with spiritual suicides. Were a suicidal mania to affect any town the world would be filled with horror, yet this is exactly what the angels see is happening everywhere. To stop this and to restore life is the work of the Holy Spirit.—A. F. Schaufler.

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