THE work of soul-saving is to be carried forward by aggressive warfare, in the midst of opposition, peril, loss, and suffering. The life of a Christian is compared to the life of a soldier. "Thou therefore endure hardness," Paul wrote to Timothy, "as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Soldiers engaged in battle have to meet difficulties and hardships. Coarse food is given them, and that often in limited quantities. They must make long, weary marches, day by day, over rough roads and under the burning sun, camping out at night, sleeping perhaps on the bare ground, with only the canopy of heaven for a covering, exposed to drenching rains and chilling frosts, hungry, faint, exhausted, now standing as a target for the foe, now in deadly encounter. Thus they learn what active service means.
The idea that Christ's followers can be excused from the conflict, meeting no trials and at all times enjoying the comforts and even the luxuries of life, is a fearful mistake. The Christian life is a battle and a march, calling for aggressive warfare, perseverance, and endurance. It is not mimic battles in which we are engaged. This is no make-believe conflict. We have most powerful adversaries to meet. Those who serve under the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel will be given difficult work, which will tax every power of the being. They will have painful trials to endure for Christ's sake. They will have conflicts which will rend the soul. But if they are faithful soldiers, they will say, "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
"I have fought a good fight," Paul declared. His words to the Corinthians describe the conflict that he endured: "In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."
Not all who enter the army can be generals, captains, sergeants, or even corporals. Not all are called to bear the care and responsibility of leaders. There is hard work of other kinds to be done. While there are but few officers, it requires many soldiers to form the rank and file of the army; and its success depends upon the fidelity of every soldier.
An army would be demoralized if the soldiers did not obey the orders of the leader. They must act in concert. Union is strength; without union efforts are meaningless. Whatever excellent qualities a soldier may possess, he can not be safe and trustworthy if he claims a right to act independently of his fellow comrades. This independent action can not be maintained in the service of Christ. The soldiers of the cross must move in concert.
He who enters Christ's army must obey His orders. He has placed himself under the Saviour's leadership, and he is to give Him willing obedience. He is to speak no word, perform no act, that would misrepresent the high and holy principles by which the kingdom of heaven is to be governed.
WHICH IS THE TRUE SEVENTH DAY?
By Abdiel
Man's Supposition, or God's Word?
THE Herald of Gospel Liberty, of Dayton, Ohio, published by the "Christian" denomination, has in its issue of June 22, the following question and answer:
The Seventh Day.
DEAR DR. SUMMERBELL:—The advocates of a seventh-day Sabbath assume that our present Saturday is the successor in regular order of the seventh day upon which "God ended His work . . . and He rested . . . from all His work which He had made," and also the regular successor of the Mosaic Sabbath.
With all the changes of calendar to which the human reckoning of time has been subject since the creation, is it possible to maintain that the week is the same now as then, and that what we call Saturday has always been the seventh day?
H. G. COWAN.
Answer.
The question of Brother Cowan is an exceedingly practical one; for, unless the Saturday people can prove incontestably that the week of seven days has been kept undisturbed through the decades, centuries, and thousands of years, and through all captivities, changes of calendar, language, government, and civilization, their own argument, from their own point of view, has no force. We have no proof beyond slight probability that the seventh day of Genesis, first chapter, was the seventh day of Moses' time. There was a long stretch, thousands of years, before the exodus from Egypt, soon after which the Decalogue was given, from the events of the first and second chapters of Genesis (where the seventh day was spoken of); and to maintain that through that whole period, in which there was no Jewish nation, and no Decalogue to emphasize a seventh day, the seventh day was accurately noted, is very difficult. We know of too many confusions of calendars, and too many changes of calendars in historic times and in literary periods for us to admit that it is certain that there were no changes in the thousands of years before the historic period.
Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. But if every person is to keep his accurate seventh day, mankind will be observing all the days of the week; the distribution produced by two causes:
(1) Men are born on all the days of the week; and each one must have a partial week to begin with,10who was not born on the first day. If it be objected that it would destroy the Sabbath day for each man to observe his own seventh, preventing the community from uniting in worship or in rest, it is the very point we make: We should unite in the count of the community, and with it worship and rest; because the "Sabbath was made for man."
But the true spirit of obedience is ignored by the Saturday men, who ignore the calendar of their own birth (which they can prove), to accept the calendar of their own small sect (which they can not prove), thus preventing a common day of worship and rest, which is so necessary for man.
(2) In a voyage around the world a Saturday man will unhesitatingly skip a day of the week, or repeat a day of the week; because of the fact that he gains or loses a day, according to which way he goes around.
If the Saturday man can thus change his calendar, when he goes around the world, to prevent his Saturday from being the Sunday where he arrives, or from being Friday where he arrives, and to enable him to have the same seventh day as his Saturday, should he not modestly admit that the rest of us have a right to make our seventh day to harmonize with the worship-needs and with the rest-needs of mankind in general?
This common Sabbath argument is absolutely certain; but the Saturday man's count is very uncertain.
Statements like the above are often made, and with such seemingly plausible assurance as to deceive the uninstructed. For all such who believe God's Book (for upon that we rely) we reply briefly:
I. The Institution of the Sabbath.
God fixed the week in the beginning, by His threefold act of making the Sabbath, namely, His rest, His blessing, His setting apart the day. Gen. 2:1-3. He made the Sabbath—the seventh day—for man, therefore appointed it for him in the beginning.
II. At the Exodus.
Did mankind forget the Sabbath during the first decades, centuries, and thousands of years, so that, as Dr. Summerbell says, "we have no proof" "that the seventh day of Genesis" "was the seventh day of Moses' time?" Let us see:
A Preposterous Thing.—It is exceeding improbable that a community or a nation should forget the day of the week. There are many instances of an individual forgetting the day of the week; there are a few cases where a family has been led astray; but who ever heard of a neighborhood forgetting its order of the days! or a township! or a county! It would be preposterous that a whole nation should forget! Any or all could wilfully depart from observance of a day, but no one believes that the order of the days would be forgotten.
The Testimony of Languages.—The records of the week of all the oriental nations which have come down to us, far antedating the Jewish nation, attest to the truthfulness of the Biblical record, showing that the origin of the week dates back to primeval times where the book of Genesis places it. Before us as we write hangs "A Chart of the Week," prepared and compiled by the late Rev. William Mead Jones, D.D., an antiquarian of London, assisted by some of the most noted linguists of the world, embracing one hundred and seven oriental and ancient languages and fifty-three European languages and authorities, prepared by the well-known linguist, Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte. This chart gives in nine columns the name of the language used, the name of the week, and the name of each of the days of the week. All of the one hundred and sixty languages and dialects confirm the week of seven days; and one hundred and seven of the one hundred and sixty count the seventh day the end of the week, and most of the one hundred and seven show the seventh day to be a sacred day. These languages range from those of Russia on the north to far Annam, Burma, and Java, embracing Shemitic, Hamitic, and Japhetic. They are an undesigned, yet the more striking, evidence to the Biblical week, and its order of days.
God's Witness of Miracle.—But even admitting that the day of the week could have been lost between the Creation and the Exodus (a preposterous thing!), we are not dependent on human guesswork or conclusion to set us right. He who gave the week and established the order of the days has preserved the day; and when He called Israel from Egypt to make that nation the depository of His truth, He anticipated just such subversions and perversions of that truth as we have before us in this article from the Herald we are now considering; and, therefore, He fixed the Sabbath day by a threefold weekly miracle of the manna, which continued for forty years, during which there could possibly be no mistake as to the definite day of the Lord's rest day, or Sabbath. See the whole of Exodus 16, and especially verses 4, 5, 22-30, 35. Jehovah Himself spans the centuries, and establishes by His own miraculous power this mighty pillar of witness to the identity of the week and the order of the days from Creation to the Exodus. Then He guarded that day by a holy commandment placed in the very heart of His unchangeable law. Ex. 20:8-11.
III. Jesus Christ.
In the life of Christ,—in His teaching concerning the law (Matt. 5:17-20; Luke 16:17), in His example in the observance of the Sabbath (Luke 4:16; John 15:10), in the inspired record of His burial and resurrection (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1, 2), we have indubitable witness to the perpetuity of the week and the identity of the Sabbath. The Sabbath comes just before "the first day of the week," and is enjoined by the commandment. Luke 23:56. The Son of God, in whom dwelt all fulness of wisdom and knowledge, knew the Sabbath day and confirmed its identity by His teaching and example.
IV. Subsequent Witnesses.
Since the time of Christ we have:
The Testimony of Astronomy.—Eclipses have been recorded for hundreds of years before Christ. The records of these eclipses correspond with present calculations, showing there has been no loss of time.
The records of nations under different laws and widely separated have the same week and the same order of the days of the week.
From the second century, when error began to lift its hydra head in the temple of truth, men began to observe the first day of the week as a holy day. They are still doing it, and there is no disagreement among them as to the day.
The Jews.—From the time of Ezra the Jewish body called first "The Great Synagog," and afterward, "The Sanhedrin," down to the year A.D. 300, in regular succession announced the Jewish calendar to all the Jews in the world. The Babylonian Academy did the same thing from A.D. 200 to 1,000. The Jews have been scattered all over the world, in every country, but wherever they have gone there has no difference ever arisen among them as regards the day. Those inclined to observe it have had no difficulty in observing it anywhere in the world.
From these witnesses there is absolute certainty that the present week is identical with creation week, and that the present, seventh-day Sabbath from set of sun to set of sun is identical with the original seventh-day Sabbath, instituted in the first Biblical week of time, established by continuous miracle for forty years at the Exodus, observed by Jesus Christ and His disciples, and confirmed by astronomy, by religious and secular history, and by common sense ever since.
The dropping or the adding of a day in going around the world is seen and acknowledged by men of common sense, scholarship, and candor, to be a necessity, inasmuch as one gains or loses a day in going against or with the sun. The Sunday man also does it. No man in doing this changes his calendar; he brings himself into harmony with the calendar. The calendar has not changed; he has changed, and he merely corrects that change.
One thing can not be made too emphatic: no general change of calendars in the past has ever affected the day of the week. These changes have affected the month and the year, but never have changed the divine week. That still stands, unchanged and most certain.
One thing more: God asks no man to make his own sabbath, or to keep a seventh day from his birth. All this is utterly beside the question, and Dr. Summerbell must know it. It is a hiding of counsel by words without knowledge. God commands us to observe His holy day, not one of our own choosing. To say that we can not know what this is, is to charge God with folly or injustice. Rather, "let God be true," as He is, tho it prove every man a liar. ABDEL.
FIFTY REASONS FOR SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
By D. T. Bourdeau
By D. T. Bourdeau.
FIFTIETH. We observe the holy Sabbath because the Catholic Church tells the truth when she certifies that it is the only Biblical weekly Sabbath; that there is no Bible proof that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week by divine authority; and that the Sunday-sabbath rests on tradition. And we are thankful that the leaders of the Catholic Church have furnished us such testimonies as the following, which have led many of us to study the Sabbath question thoroughly and decide in favor of the ancient Sabbath:
Testimony of a Catholic Priest.
You pretend to be a Protestant and desire to follow the Bible as your only rule of faith, so far as religious doctrines and practises are concerned, and still you observe Sunday, which is without Biblical foundation, and rests on the tradition and authority of the Catholic Church. You ought to completely renounce our tradition and Sunday and observe the ancient Sabbath, or adopt our tradition and our doctrines founded on it, and continue to observe Sunday and return to the Catholic Church.
These pointed words were addressed to the writer at St. Régis, Lower Canada, in 1856, and led him to search the Scriptures for light on the subject of the Sabbath and to pronounce himself for the seventh-day Sabbath.
Testimony of Father Enright.
Show me one [of the sects] that claims or possesses the power to make laws binding on the conscience. There is but one on the face of the earth—the Catholic Church—that has power to make laws binding upon the conscience, binding before God, binding under pain of hell fire. Take, for instance, the day we celebrate—Sunday. What
right have the Protestant churches to observe that day?—None whatever. You say it is to obey the commandment, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." But Sunday is not the Sabbath according to the Bible and the record of time. Every one knows that Sunday is the first day of the week, while Saturday is the seventh day and the Sabbath, the day consecrated as a day of rest. It is so recognized in all civilized nations. I have repeatedly offered $1,000 to any one who will furnish any proof from the Bible that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep, and no one has called for the money. If any person in this town will show me any scripture for it, I will, to-morrow evening, publicly acknowledge it and thank him for it. It was the Holy Catholic Church that changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, the first day of the week. . . . By their solemn act of keeping Sunday, they [the Protestants] acknowledge the power of the Catholic Church. The Bible says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," but the Catholic Church says, "No, keep the first day of the week," and the whole world bows in obedience.—Extract from a lecture delivered at Harlan, Iowa, Dec. 15, 1889, and reported by the "Harlan American."
Another Testimony.
Another work entitled, "Why We Are Catholics and Not Protestants," translated from the English by a priest of the clergy of Paris, bears this testimony:
Ques. When Protestants do servile work on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, do they follow the Holy Scriptures as the only rule of faith?
Ans. On the contrary, they have to justify the manner of acting only on the authority of tradition. In working on Saturday they violate a commandment that God has never clearly abrogated: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
Q. Is the sanctification of Sunday as a day of rest clearly expressed in Scripture?
A. Certainly not; and yet Protestants regard the sanctification of that particular day as essential to salvation. To say that we sanctify Sunday because Jesus Christ rose from the dead on that day, is to say that we act without scriptural foundation, and we might as well say that we ought to sanctify Thursday because it was on that day that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and entered into His rest after the work of redemption.
Still Another Testimony.
In a work entitled, "Abridgment of Christian Doctrine," we find these words:
Ques. How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
Ans. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Because by keeping Sunday they acknowledge the church's power to ordain feasts and to command them under sin; and by not keeping the rest by her commanded they again deny, in fact, the same power.
Seeing that the Holy Scriptures are sufficient to make us "wise unto salvation" and "perfect for every good work;" that it is by them we have eternal life (2 Tim. 2:15-17; John 5:39, etc.); that God only has the right to create religious institutions and to enjoin them upon mankind; seeing that it is nowhere said in the Bible that God has changed the Sabbath, and that the Bible never calls the first day of the week the Sabbath or the Christian Sabbath, and never gives us to understand that that day is the Lord's day, and that Jesus Christ and the primitive church kept that day as a day of rest, or as a memorial of the resurrection of our Lord; and seeing that there is not in the Bible a law commanding us to observe the first day of the week, and that it is a Biblical fact that where no law is, there is
no sin or transgression (Rom. 4:15, etc.); we do not think that we are guilty before God if we do not observe the day in which God commenced creating our world, and that He gave to man as one of "the six working days." Eze. 46:1; Ex. 20:8-11. Will God condemn us in the day of judgment for not having done what He has never told us to do, and what Jesus Christ and the primitive church have never done? Will He in that great day enter into judgment against us because we observe the holy Sabbath that He Himself kept in the beginning, and when He was on our earth, that His holy prophets and early Christians observed, and that His immutable law commands us to keep holy or sanctify?11The fact that our Lord was raised from the dead on the first day of the week has nothing to do with this question, seeing the Bible does not make of this fact the foundation of a new Sabbath. And the fact that the Christians of Troas met once to break bread on the first day of the week (Acts 20) does not annul the law enjoining the observance of the seventh day, nor the irrefutable truth that the primitive church observed the ancient Sabbath. Nor does this or any other Biblical fact make of the first day a new sabbath or Lord's day. If the act of breaking bread on a day makes it a sabbath or Lord's day, then we should also keep Thursday, for it was on Thursday night that our Lord brake bread in instituting the eucharist. Is it for man to multiply sabbaths at his will and call them divine institutions?
MATTHEW.
By F. D. Starr
BY F. D. STARR.
WE have now reached a very interesting point in our investigation of the books of Holy Writ. The period to which kings and prophets and wise men had looked forward has now come, and the light of the new dispensation shines with a luster far exceeding that of the old. It is new light, tho not a new kind of light, for all the light of revelation must necessarily be the same kind of light. The light of the moon is the same kind of light as that of the sun, for the moon shines with light borrowed from the sun. So the light of the former dispensation was a light reflected from the great luminary of this dispensation. "The people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up."
"The path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." In proceeding from the Old Testament to the New, we follow on to know the Lord and discern that His going forth is prepared as the morning. The four gospels doubtless constitute the most familiar and the most helpful portion of the sacred Scriptures, and Matthew, the first in the series, occupies the first position not only in the order in which it is found in the Scripture canon, but in the positions it occupies in the hearts of those for whose benefit these holy books were written. The story of the "Star of Bethlehem" is the central point of attraction. How many thousands there are who remember so vividly the words taught them by a mother's lips:
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."
These delightful words vibrate upon our hearts and in our ears with a melody unequaled by the harmonies of earth. It pleased God to have the earthly history of our divine Redeemer written by four different men, two of whom belonged to the inner circle of companionship of our Lord, Matthew and John, who were numbered among the chosen twelve, and two of whom, Mark and Luke, were ardent believers, tho not numbered among the twelve apostles. Thus we have two witnesses from within, and two from without, that distinguished band, all bearing united testimony to the same great facts concerning our Lord.
To enter into detail concerning the contents of the different chapters of the book of Matthew, would require too much space to be attempted here. A brief examination would require more space for each chapter than can be devoted to the entire book in this series of articles.
It is very interesting to note the reason given for the various events in the history of our Lord. Let us notice a few of the passages where this appears. In Matt. 1:22, concerning the miraculous birth of Jesus we read: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." The reason is "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet." Jesus was born in Bethlehem because it was so written by the prophet. Matt. 2:5, 6. The infant Saviour went down into Egypt that the words of the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son" might be fulfilled. Verses 14, 15. The mothers, weeping for the murdered innocents, were simply fulfilling the words of the prophet. Even the dwelling-place of the Saviour was chosen in reference to the prediction of the prophet: "He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." Thus it is evident that the Lord wants us to understand that the New Testament is not contrary to the Old, but that in the very minutest particular, He will see that the words of the prophets will be carried out.
Another item that shows this will be found in Matt. 7:12, in the Sermon on the Mount. Several years ago the writer listened to a discourse from words found in that verse, "Therefore all things whatsoever we would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them." Said the speaker: "This is the teaching of the Gospel [and surely it is gospel]." Then he went on to contrast the Gospel with the law, saying: "This is very different from the instruction given under the law." But what saith the Scriptures? Let us read the entire verse: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." So this principle, the Golden Rule, is not only gospel, it is the law and the prophets. God has not one rule of morality for one age of the world and another rule for another age. The teachings of the Gospel harmonize with those of the law and the prophets.
The divine life, all the way from the manger to Calvary, is laid out before us so plainly in this book that none of us can be without excuse in the final day. According to the closing verse of this gospel, all things that Jesus taught His disciples are to observe till the close of time. He taught us to obey His Father's commandments, and hence we are to observe them all. By His grace this can be done.
THE SHOUT OF THE RANSOMED.
HISTORY tells us that one day the armies of Xerxes shouted all at once, and the vociferation was so mighty that the birds flying through the air dropped as tho they were dead. O, what a shout of triumph when all the armies of earth and all the armies of heaven shall celebrate the victory of our King—all at once and all together: "Hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Hallelujah! for the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ."—Times of Refreshing.
THE SPIRIT OF SACRIFICE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP.
1. What are we instructed to do when we enter the courts of the Lord to worship?
"Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength, ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship Jehovah in holy array; tremble before Him, all the earth." Ps. 96:7-9.
2. How did ancient Sabbath offerings compare with those of other days of the week? — They were twice as great. See Num. 28:2-6, 9, 10.
3. Upon what does the acceptableness of the offering depend? — Upon the spirit of sacrifice rather than the amount of the offering, as taught by our Lord in Mark 12:41-44.
4. How did David look upon the matter of an offering for the Lord?
"And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah my God which cost me nothing." 2 Sam. 24:24.
5. What command does the Lord give concerning those who have this spirit of sacrifice?
"Gather my saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." Ps. 50:5.
6. What admonition did the Saviour give His followers?
"Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which He possesseth." Luke 12:15.
7. What rule does Paul give in the matter of offerings to the Lord's work?
"Let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper," etc. 1 Cor. 16:2. They were to give according to their ability.
8. In addition to the matter of tithes, in what other matter have the people been remiss?
"Will a man rob God? yet ye rob Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? — In tithes and offerings." Mal. 3:8.
9. Having greater light than the ancients, what is our duty?
"To whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more." Luke 12:48.
10. Read the instruction given by our Lord to the rich young man, and His teachings concerning the possession of riches. The narrative and the teaching will be found in Luke 18:18-27.
POSSIBILITIES OF MISSION WORK.
By C. B. Shafer
[C. B. Shafer, in Word and Way.]
POSSIBILITIES?—Possibilities?—Yes, that is the right word. Possibilities, not probabilities. Possibilities do not always become probabilities, the reason of which is that those who have the resources at their command to convert possibilities into probabilities, yes, into absolute facts, are not sufficiently interested to put forth the effort necessary to accomplish the end.
Mission work is for the purpose of pointing the world to Christ, and is, therefore, pre-eminently the work of His followers, individually and as churches.
The Bible declares that God gave His Son to the world, and that His Son came into the world to bring salvation to our sin-ruined race. When He had finished His work on earth by giving Himself a sacrifice for sin, He then committed to His followers the evangelization of the world, commanding them to preach the Gospel to all the world.
Our Lord has said to us, "Ye are the light of the world." Therefore, "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." "Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost his savor, it is thenceforth good for nothing." Are there any good-for-nothing members in the churches? Will their Lord say to them, "Well done, good and faithful servant," or will He say to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me"?
Let not the drinking member, nor the member who can enjoy a game of cards, nor the member who cheats his fellow, nor the member who will not pay his debts, nor the member who never attends church nor contributes to the support of the cause of Christ, think that he will ever lead a soul to Christ. He will be sure to lead them the other way, and he will also be sure of his reward, that of an unprofitable servant.
A life devoted to the glory of God and the highest good of man is a power before which Satan himself must quail and retreat in confusion. "One shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight." The Lord has so declared it. Why don't we do it?—Lack of consecration, lack of spirituality, lack of all the requisites that are necessary to thoroughly furnish us unto every good work.
Another potent factor is liberality toward the work of God. Stinginess and Christianity are entirely incompatible, and yet there are some church members whose poor, little, shriveled, stingy souls can be so completely wrapped up in a dollar bill as to forever hide from them the favor of their Lord and Judge! Pitiful objects! The Lord loves a cheerful and liberal giver, but pronounces the stingy man and the miser idolaters.
And let not the demure, long-faced, sanctimonious church member expect to exert a savory influence in the community. "Religion never was designed to make our pleasures less."
Rejoice in the Lord, and be of a glad countenance; and let the people know that Christianity makes glad the heart, and causes the soul to rejoice with joy unspeakable.
One of the child-wives of India. The grandmother of the babe is but twenty-five years old.
Love is the basic principle and foundation stone of Christianity. God so loved the world that He gave His Son to redeem the world. Christ so loved the world that He gave Himself a sin-offering for the world. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranatha—let him be accursed from the presence of God forever. "God is love."
The gift of Christ is the expression of His love. Our Lord's sacrifice of His life in our behalf is the manifestation of His love for us.
Love is the force that impels heart action, and stimulates man to noble deeds. Love is the bond that cements one to the object loved. Love is the greatest attribute of God and of His Christ, and He has made love the test of our spiritual connection with Him. Tell me that a man loves his Lord, and yet will do nothing for His glory and honor? It is a mistake. Tell me that a man loves his fellow, and will do nothing toward supplying his greatest need—that of giving him the Gospel of eternal life? It is a fallacy. Love rules the heart, and binds it to the object loved.
NYASSALAND MISSION.
By T. H. Branch
[T. H. Branch, in South African Missionary.]
OUR Sabbath meetings are well attended; in fact, I may say better than at any time since we came to this mission. The attendance includes the men and women, as well as the young people, from the neighboring villages. They come regularly, rain or shine. Many of the old women come to the mission to have Mrs. Branch teach them the Word of God, and also how to sing. This is one feature of the work for which we have long hoped and prayed—that the old13people might become interested in their soul's salvation. We have often gone to their villages to try to help them, and now they come of their own free will.
Our Sabbath-school is full of interest. We sing a good deal in both English and Chemanja. The time never lags from beginning to end. It is interesting to note the good attention the real old men and women give while Malinke explains the lesson to them. You should hear them try to sing. Sometimes they have the tune, and sometimes no tune at all; but how they do try!
Every Sabbath afternoon the boys go to the villages to preach to the people, and many are reached in this way who might not otherwise hear the Word. My prayer is that as the result of these efforts some sheaves may be gathered for the Master's garner.
THE PURE IN HEART.
By Eliza H. Morton
BY ELIZA H. MORTON.
LIKE a lily white and pearly,
Like the surf upon the sea,
Like a cloud of fleecy beauty
Is the heart of purity.
And the thoughts are high and holy
Of the soul that soars above,
Of the heart from sin all spotless
Like the wings of snowy dove.
But the garments that are shining
Are the garments of the Lord,
And, if we would have that covering,
We must seek the help of God.
All the promises emblazoned
On God's earthward-bending bow,
All the blessedness of glory
Soon the pure in heart shall know.
In the home of sinless beings,
In the mansions made of gold,
Sights and scenes of heavenly splendor
Will the pure in heart behold.
