Review and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 37.
DENY THYSELF, AND TAKE UP THE CROSSPage 1
“DENY THYSELF, AND TAKE UP THE CROSS.”
By Ellen G. White
In the nineteenth chapter of Matthew is recorded the case of the rich young ruler. This young man's tastes and desires were not offensive, but favorable to the growth of spirituality. As he saw Jesus blessing the little children, he was convinced that this must be a good man. He was sure that he could live in perfect harmony with him. Hastening to the Saviour, he knelt before him, and said, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” “Why callest thou me good?” Christ asked. “There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” He saith unto him, “Which?” Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” “The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” He had been flattered for his amiable traits of character. He was willing to do good things, and he flattered himself that by his integrity in dealing with his fellow men he was fulfilling the law. The perfection of character he thought he possessed, ranked him in the same state spiritually as was Paul when, touching the letter of the law, he thought himself blameless. But no human standard can save a soul from death. God's standard must be seen, acknowledged, and followed. “If thou wilt be perfect,” Christ said, “go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Jesus needed the co-operation of just such men, whom God had intrusted with his goods. It is God's plan that those to whom he has given money or houses or lands shall act as his faithful almoners, relieving the sufferings of their fellow beings, and in this way winning them to the Saviour. By helping the Saviour to help the needy, suffering ones around him, the young ruler would indeed have been laying up treasure in heaven. The test had come to him. What would be the result? When he heard Christ's words, “he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Jesus tested the young ruler by a true standard,—the law of righteousness,—which requires man to love his neighbor as himself; and the ruler proved himself to be destitute of love for either God or man. He thought himself perfect, but he was weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and found wanting. He was alienated from God; for he regarded that which God had given him in trust as of far more value than heavenly treasure. He went away sorrowful, because he could not selfishly retain his possessions and at the same time have the pleasure of following Christ. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And when his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?” They expected the young ruler to do as Matthew had done, and because of his refusal they were sorrowful and dejected. Jesus said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” To-day the Holy Spirit works upon some who are not as self-confident as this young ruler. There are men and women who are truly converted, as was Paul. He says, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. . . . For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” If the rich young ruler had seen by the light of the commandment that he was sinful; if, like Paul, he had honored God by obeying the commandments in spirit and in truth, his sinful nature would have been slain by the law, and he would have laid hold of eternal life. “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” A great work needs to be done in our churches. The members are not prepared for the coming of the Lord. God's law needs to be written in mind and heart. Many, like the rich young ruler, when tested and tried, will refuse to deny self, to take up the cross and follow Christ. When the test comes to a man, and he refuses to obey, he shows that he is unregenerate in heart, whatever may be the outward propriety of his conduct, or whatever belief he may claim to have in the truth. He needs to have the law brought home to his conscience, that he may see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. He must die to self. Until self is crucified, he can not know what spiritual holiness is. The question was asked by Christ, “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Man sells himself cheaply when he spends his life in securing worldly advantages; for in the ambition to secure earthly estate, God is forgotten, and he reaps loss to all eternity. His money and lands can not pay a ransom for his soul. Better, far better, to have shattered hopes and the world's denunciation with the approval of God, than to sit with princes and forfeit heaven. “Ye can not serve God and mammon,” Christ declares. The young ruler represents many in our world to-day. God has intrusted his goods to them, that they may advance his kingdom by planting the standard of truth in places where the message has never been heard. But they do not carry out God's purpose. The words, “Deny thyself, take up thy cross, and follow me,” cut directly across their cherished plans, and they refuse to obey. God's messages come to his people, but they have not been, and are not yet, willing to receive them. He is testing them as he was testing the young ruler when he said to him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” God calls upon his people to turn from the earthly to the heavenly,578to yield up to him his own. Nothing that they have is theirs; they themselves are not their own; for God's word declares, “Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” There is no caste with God. Those who believe that there are certain principles to which the poor must adhere, and from which the rich are exempt, are under a fatal delusion. There is not one standard for the poor, and another for the rich. God does not call upon one to do all the self-sacrificing, while the other lives according to his own ideas and plans. It behoves us at this time to live as if in sight of eternal realities, to lose sight of self, to tear out of the heart every fiber of selfishness. If rich men keep the commandments of God, they will do the work that needs to be done for those whom Christ purchased with his blood. In this way only can they follow Christ. In order to save suffering humanity from perishing in sin, he left the royal courts and came to the earth. Laying aside his kingly crown and royal robe, he resigned his high command in the heavenly courts, and for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich. When God intrusts man with riches, it is that he may adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour by using his earthly treasure in advancing the kingdom of God in our world. He is to represent Christ, and therefore is not to live to please and glorify himself, to receive honor because he is rich. When the heart is cleansed from sin, Christ is placed on the throne that self-indulgence and love of earthly treasure once occupied. The image of Christ is seen in the expression of the countenance. The work of sanctification is carried forward in the soul. Self-righteousness is banished. There is seen the putting on of the new man, which after Christ is created in righteousness and true holiness. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” God is a rich provider. He is a fountain of inexpressible love; and he desires all his servants to remember that, as his faithful servants, they are to use his bountiful provisions to relieve the necessities of suffering human beings whom he has bought with the blood of his only begotten Son. A SONG OF TRUST.
By Gertrude Benedict Curtis
I CAN not always see the way that leads
To heights above;
I sometimes forget He leads me on
With hand of love;
But yet I know the path must lead me to
Immanuel’s land,
And when I reach life’s summit, I shall know
And understand. I can not always trace the onward course
My ship must take;
But, looking backward, I behold afar
Its shining wake,
Illumined with God’s light of love; and so
I onward go,
In perfect trust that he who holds the helm
The course must know. I can not always see the plan on which
He builds my life;
For oft the sound of hammers, blow on blow,
The noise of strife,
Confuse me till I quite forget he knows
And oversees,
And that in all details with his good plan
My life agrees. I can not always know and understand
The Master’s rule;
I can not always do the tasks he gives
In life’s hard school;
But I am learning with his help to solve
Them one by one,
And when I can not understand, to say, *— Gertrude Benedict Curtis, in Chicago Standard. COMPREHENSIVENESS OF GOD'S PURPOSES.
By H. F. PHELPS.
H. F. PHELPS.
(St. Paul, Minn.) THE mind of man is very narrow. We are inclined to look at this world, and view the things that are in it, as if God's thoughts centered in this world alone,—that is, being the one lost sheep that had strayed from the fold, must be brought back again because of its own value, and for the value of the souls in it. Not so with God. He takes in the universe. He saw no value in us that would by any means compensate him for what he has done for us. He only saw what he could make out of us, by his almighty power. In his eternal purpose, this world is a very small thing. This is so; for we read that “the nations are as a drop of a bucket.” And “all nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him as less than nothing, and vanity” (Isa. 40 : 15, 17) when compared with the countless millions of intelligences in other worlds. Therefore we conclude that all that God has done for this world, has been performed not only for it, but for the universe of worlds. And this being so, it is well for us to remember that all the worlds, even the entire universe of worlds, are interested in the ultimate of this one lost sheep. Not only so, but as the ninety and nine in the parable (Luke 15 : 4) were left in the wilderness until the lost sheep was found, so all the worlds were left in the wilderness of suspense and uncertainty, even as regards their own destiny, until this lost world should again be safely housed in the fold. The entry of sin affected the entire universe of God. That is to say, the destiny of all the worlds, as well as that of this world, was placed in jeopardy by the rebellion of Satan. This must be so, for the purpose of Satan was that the “mystery of iniquity” should supplant the “mystery of Jesus Christ.” And in the contest that arose, the victor, of course, would take the universe. And so it is written that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” 2 Cor. 5 : 19. Nor was this all, but by the blood of his cross, peace was again to be restored throughout the universe of God, and all things in heaven and in earth be brought back again into a state of reconciliation to the eternal purpose of God. Col. 1 : 20. Then if they were, by the blood of his cross, to be reconciled to God, of course they were in some measure unreconciled. Not that any other world went away into rebellion and sin; but they did not see clearly the justice and wisdom of God in his dealings with his creatures. There was a mystery about it, which they did not comprehend. And, indeed, it is called a mystery,—“the mystery of Christ,”—the “mystery of the gospel.” Eph. 3 : 4; 6 : 19. And it was the willingness of the Creator in following this world in its fall, his willingness to come and suffer with this world, to drink with the world its cup of sorrows, and sufferings, and woe,—his condescension in even being compelled to serve with the sinner in his sins (Isa. 43 : 24),—his willingness even to give his own life for the world, not only living in the world, sharing its burden of woe, but even going to the cross, bearing the weight of sin in his own body, and dying of a broken heart,—it is this that fully reconciles all these worlds to the purpose of God. There is another thought that seems to bring us into a closer relationship to other worlds; and that is the thought that they, too, suffer with us; as it is written: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Notice! the whole creation, and that is the whole universe, “travaileth in pain together,” waiting for something. For what?—“The redemption of our body.” Rom. 8 : 22, 23. And this redemption of the body takes place at the second coming of Christ, in the clouds of heaven. 1 Cor. 15 : 51–55; 1 Thess. 4 : 14–18. So “the whole creation,” even all the universe of God, though now reconciled by the blood of his cross, are still in waiting till the second coming of our Lord to this earth, when he will restore all things. And we have reason to thank the Lord that, though this is a mystery, yet it has been “revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” Eph. 3 : 5. And the revealing, and the working out of this mystery, were also with respect to the intelligences of other worlds as well as of this. For we read again: “To the intent that now,” at this very time, the church of Christ might make known to all the governments in the worlds above, the manifold wisdom of God. Verse 10. And all this was done “to make all,”—not all men merely; for the word “men” is a supplied word. It means men; but it also means more than men in this world,—“to make all,” even all the universe of God, “see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Verse 9. And to all these, “God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles [nations]; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1 : 27. And so it is that Christ, being in all his works, is to be seen in man, working to turn him away from himself to God. Then why should we not let him do it? And now, as it was by the death of the Son of God, who was Creator of all, even by the blood of his cross, that, through the church, by faith in Christ, God would at last bring all the universe to his feet to the acknowledgment of the love and wisdom of God in the final accomplishment of his eternal purpose, we, certainly, for whom in a special sense all this was done, ought to be reconciled to God. For at the last, the word will be fulfilled, that “every creature” in all the universe will join in one song of “blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever, and ever.” Rev. 5 : 13. And to you, dear reader, is given the inestimable privilege of being reconciled to God in all things, in heart and in soul; and at the last to join in that song of universal joy, and everlasting praise to God and the Lamb. Will you accept? and accept now? “Love suffereth long, and is kind.” THE EVERLASTING MEMORIAL.
By Horatius Bonar
Up and away, like the dew of the morning,
Soaring from earth to its home in the sun,
So let me steal away, gently and lovingly,
Only remembered by what I have done. My name and my place and my tomb, all forgotten,
The brief race of time well and patiently run—
So let me pass away, peacefully, silently,
Only remembered by what I have done. Not myself, but the truth that in life I have spoken;
Not myself, but the seed that in life I have sown,
Shall pass on to the ages— all about me forgotten,
Save the truth I have spoken, and the things I have done. So let my living be; so be my dying;
So let my name lie, unblazoned, unknown;
Unpraised and unmissed, I shall still be remembered—
Yes, but only remembered by what I have done. Murmurers Should Use Their Knees
By Breeden
If murmurers would use their knees more, and their tongues less, everybody would gain by the exchange.— Breeden. “MAN’S inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.” Because the world misuses and maltreats us, should we return it to them in kind? May we become morose and sour and crabbed? Is it wise to “get square,” to retort, and be revengeful? Jesus, having loved his own, loved them unto the death. For curses he gave blessings; for buffetings and scourgings he gave love. He prayed for the forgiveness of his persecutors — pleading that they did not know what they did. The world, and the church as well, is full of ingratitude. It does evil for good, it does not appreciate, it neglects its faithful servants, and speaks evil of them. What shall they do? Render railing for railing, be vindictive, severe, and retaliate? — By no means. If they smite you on one cheek, turn to them the other also; if they take your coat, give them your cloak; if they compel you to go a mile, go with them twain. Never think of rendering evil for evil. Good for evil is the thing; and the more evil the more good. This is not natural? — By no means. Timon, of Athens, is an ideal of Shakespeare, but not of the Holy Ghost. Jesus of Nazareth is His model, His ideal man. He is our pattern, our example. His is to take of the things of God, and make them known unto us. He teaches us all things. — The King’s Messenger. “BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.”
By William P. Pearce
This is such a pungent, positive, personal statement that one with less timidity than its author fears to explain and apply it to an intelligent audience like this. But it is God’s word, and Paul tells Timothy that all of that word is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Tim. 3:16. Most of the modern-day preaching seeks to please, rather than profit. It is an awful indictment, but it is no less true. Somehow ministers court applause; we like audiences with itching ears, who enjoy wit, elocution, or an ostentatious parade of learning and philosophy; but, God helping me, I would speak at this time as Paul exhorted, with “great plainness of speech” (2 Cor. 3:12), with this one thing in view—the conversion of sinners. I would preach as if it were my last effort with sinners standing on the very trapdoor of perdition, and clergymen before the tribunal with garments dyed with the blood of the lost, and behind me the Almighty, crying: “If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Eze. 33:8. The words of the text take us to the trans-Jordanic territory during the wanderings of Israel. This section was the most fertile part of Palestinian regions. Here the “fat bulls of Bashan” grazed, and the tribes of Reuben and Gad came to Moses, and said: See here, Moses, this country just suits us. Having many cattle, we could not find a finer location. “If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.” The audacity! Secede and bring the anger of God upon Israel?—Nay; but let us compromise. “If ye will arm yourselves to go before the Lord to the war, and every armed man of you will pass over Jordan before the Lord, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, and the land be subdued before the Lord: then this land shall be unto you for a possession before the Lord. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.” Num. 32:20–23, R. V. I wish you to note that— If you wish to know its definition, turn to 1 John 3:4, and read: “For sin is the transgression of the law.” If you wish to know its effects, take note of every weed, every storm, every tear, every pain, every murder, every death. If you wish to know its character, take note how it will dog the footstep, and at the right time expose every culprit. Nothing is so merciless a telltale. Nothing in its effort at self-concealment so exhibits itself. The angels in heaven conspired against the Almighty, but their sin sent them into a hopeless exile. Eve fondled it, but like a viper, it drove its poisonous fangs into her bosom, and ruined her race. Cain borrowed its weapons, but the blood of Abel secured the attention of the omnipercipient God. Achan went into partnership with it, but the buried treasure spoke to all Israel. David sipped its sweets, but the death of the illegitimate child brought bitterness. Gehazi smiled upon it, but it answered by a leprous frown. Ananias bargained with it, but it robbed him of life as well as of money. Judas embraced it when he kissed the Master, but it wove a hangman’s noose and used it. Cleopatra espoused herself to it, but it treated her to a cup of poison. In the transposed words of another, it stole the purple robe of Alcibiades, and gave him the robe of the slave. It was a worm in the bud in Bacon’s heart, the moth and rust that consumed the mind of Byron, and the vandal that grew by rapine and murder in the soul of Shelley. But you say: “Stop! Has not the enormity of the sin something to do with it?”—No; emphatically, no. My Bible says nothing about degrees or colors. Your sins may be small; but it is just such sins that curse humanity. ’Tis the little leaks that sink the ship, the little germs that strike individuals with the worst kind of diseases, the little thefts that lead to the penitentiary, the little passions that nerve one to murder, the little doubts that laugh at religion, little “not yet’s” and “don’t care’s” that blast eternity for thousands. It is your “little,” dirty words; your “little,” dishonest methods; your “little,” nighttime revels; your “little,” secret sins; your “little” doubts, that lead to dark-stained crimes. But remember each one knows no mercy. It may exhaust every means, but it never abandons. It is, as Bunyan said:— “The living worm, the lasting fire;
Hell soon would lose its heat, could sin expire.”
I wish you to note again that sin is— CERTAIN IN ITS DETECTION.
“Shall find.” What a positive assertion! Finite minds can not draw up a stronger guaranty than this. It does not say when, nor how, nor where, but shall. Plutarch tells of a Spartan youth who stole a fox, hid it under his coat, and chose to let the animal tear out his bowels rather than to discover his theft. In this manner he was found out. I read of a Chicago detective capturing a pickpocket. He had an ingenious trap into which the thief thrust his hand when picking the pocket, and it caught him like a rat in a trap. Found out! Several years ago a young man slew his brother, and for many months was thought innocent; but when his brother’s head was brought into court, the sightless eyes seemed to look through him, the silent mouth to speak to him, and he confessed his guilt. Found out! A man was employed to whiten the walls of a room; the fluid used was colorless until dried. Being left alone, he opened a drawer, examined a pocket-book, and handled the papers, but finding no money, placed all things as they were, forgetting that twelve hours’ drying would show the marks of his wet fingers, and thus expose his guilt. Found out! In Sing-Sing is a burglar serving a fourteen years’ term. He broke into an artist’s home at New Rochelle, and carried off many valuables. The only clue to the thief was his footprints clearly marked in the dust on the floor of the piazza. He had taken off his shoes so as to make no noise; and, as he wore no stockings, the marks on the soles of his feet were as clearly marked on the dust as a seal impresses itself on paper. The artist made a careful drawing of the footprint, and when, later, the sole of the foot of an arrested suspect was compared with the artist’s drawing, it was found to correspond exactly. He frankly confessed. Found out! When a boy, I was a weaver in an elastic factory. At one time I noticed that my full bobbins disappeared, and empty ones took their place. I was anxious to find out who would resort to such a method, so I had the bobbin-girl make me some extra large bobbins. They were of white cotton, but about a quarter of the way down I had her tie a black thread several yards in length. I set the pin-holder on my loom, and seeing that everything was in order, went out. When I returned, my bobbins were gone, and smaller ones were in their place. I did not need to wait long. The weaver behind me, a man of about fifty years, was in difficulty. He had filled his shuttles with my bobbins, and after a few minutes’ absence returned, to find that his beautiful white elastic had an inch or two of black interwoven, which cost him much time and labor to remove. His sin found him out; and in its detection, sin will find out every sinner. It will sting the conscience, pain the heart, mark the character, curse the life, and unless forgiven make death sad and eternity awful. I wish you to note again that sin is— PERSONAL IN ITS APPLICATION.
“You.” Etiquette says, “Present company excepted;” but God’s word does not stand on etiquette. When it says others, others it means; and when it says you, it means you. It is well enough to talk of Bible characters, and historic characters, and social characters, but my text is as pointed as an arrowhead, and as personal as it is possible for it to be. “Be sure your sin will find you out.” I would ring out the warning cry to every guilty person of whatever social standing. You liar, who would warp, distort, and crush truth to meet your ends: you slanderer, who would murder the reputation of another to advance your interest: you blasphemer, who take the name of the Father and the Son to elaborate your utterances: you inflated person, beneath whose decorations of pride is a heart as vain as mortal fool can cultivate: you worshipper of Mammon, “who, disdaining all commerce with heaven and the future, and knowing no Bible but your ledger, make gold your god and gain your shrine:” you miser, who hoard up every dollar your covetous fingers can get a hold on; who shut up the bowels of compassion and lock the door of sympathy to those in need: you extortioner, who drive, with a lash worse than scorpion thongs, men and women to the wall; who demand unlawful interest and foreclose mortgages when you get a chance: you thief, who would secretly steal, put your property in your wife’s name to avoid paying your creditors, or “break,” as it is called, paying a certain per cent when you could and should pay one hundred cents on the dollar: you adulterer and adulteress, who violate the marriage vow, and with the subtlety of your master, the devil, revel in the infatuation of vice: you lawyer, who defend a client whom you know is in the wrong: you physician, who resort to malfeasance to cover up the sins of those who parley with the baser passions: you pleasure-seeking church member, who would rather sit over a game of cards, or watch an indecent play, or be entwined in the arms of another on the dance floor, than go to that “monotonous prayer-meeting:” you hypocrite, who, under580the mask of a Christian profession, will go to church, yet secretly enter the saloon and the immoral den; who can pray if necessity require, but will not pay your debts; who like the society of God’s people when convenient, but who will pander and joke with the vilest when needing their votes,—all you children of ungodliness, remember that, as God liveth, those very sins will find you out. They will expose some of you on earth, and all of you in that day which God has foreordained—that day when there will be no deeds of amnesty, no compensatory arrangements, no prayers heard, no sins forgiven, no stains washed away, no guilt expunged, and no bail allowed. No, the light of judgment will fall on all, will reveal all, will test all. Then hidden sins will be revealed, conscience will lift up her voice and weep, the injured will make their accusations. And in God’s name tell me how will you be able to refute them? How? Tell me what will you do then? What will you say then? What will you learn then? What?—This truth of God’s infallible word: “Be sure your sins will find you out.” But in closing, let me speak of— teaching this lesson, that, instead of allowing sin to be our detective, we should detect sin. Instead of sin finding us out, we should find out sin. Instead of sin destroying our souls, we should destroy sin. In other words, we should have vengeance upon it wherever and whenever we find it; for it is the cause of every sad heart and tear-stained eye; the cause of the murder of Heaven’s best Gift, and the banishment of sinners to hell’s worst place. But I have great comfort to offer. There is forgiveness and cleansing. There is a Saviour who saves from sin. “My friends, I have something for sale,” cried Rowland Hill as Lady Ann Erskine drove up in her carriage when he was preaching outdoors. “My friends, I have something for sale; it is the soul of Lady Ann Erskine. Is there anyone here who will bid for it? Ah, do I hear a bid? Who bids?—Satan bids. Satan, what will you give for her soul? ‘I will give riches, honor, and pleasure.’ But stop; do I hear another bid?—Yes, Jesus Christ bids. Jesus, what will you give for her soul? ‘I will give eternal life.’” Turning to Lady Ann Erskine, he said: “You have heard the two bids; which will you take?” And Lady Ann fell on her knees, and cried out, “I will have Jesus.” That is it, sinner—Jesus. That is he whom I wish you to have to-night—Jesus. That is he who can forgive sins, blot out sins, and save the sinful soul—Jesus. Walk up these aisles, thou Lamb of God; knock at each heart’s door, thou sinless One; speak to these who reject thy counsel. Stretch forth thy hand and open each blind eye, that all may see thee—thee who didst die, but now livest—thee whom angels revere and devils fear—thee who savest all who come to thee. O Jesus, Jesus, thou Son of God, save some one here to-night. O Jesus, Jesus, thou Prince of Peace, impart peace to some soul to-night. SOWING FOR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH
By David Paulson; W. S. Sadler
David Paulson & W. S. Sadler THE MINERAL ELEMENTS IN FOOD.
CHEMICALS AND DRUGS CAN NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF FOOD.
We often find children in the slums of our large cities who are fed upon bread made from the cheapest flour, from which the proteid and mineral elements are practically absent. The bones of these children become so soft and pliable that hideous deformities are readily developed. This is caused by the absence of organic lime from their diet, which the human system requires for the formation of bone in the growing child. The prolonged absence of necessary mineral constituents from our food, soon produces results that clearly indicate that the human system does not have the power to manufacture minerals from non-mineral food elements, but must secure the same, properly organized by nature. The common attempt to substitute a deficiency of live salts in the food by the use of dead minerals, is merely imposing an extra task upon the system by compelling it to eliminate them. Common examples of this erroneous idea are:— 1. The Iron Mania.—There is perhaps no more deep-seated delusion than the notion entertained by many that it is possible to grind up a portion of a plowshare, and by feeding it to a child, have it transformed into blood. Large quantities of various forms of iron are annually poured into unwilling stomachs, as the result of such an erroneous education. The blood at any one time contains only about forty-five grains of iron. See Schafer's Physiology. Therefore, if the system could absorb and utilize iron in the form in which it is found in the various “iron tonics,” it would certainly require but little, and very few doses, to supply the entire amount needed, even if the blood were wholly lacking in this element. As a matter of fact, there is occasionally a noticeable improvement after taking some of these iron compounds. The class of persons who need more iron are ordinarily those who are suffering with indigestion. In such cases, more or less of the proteids, which should have been digested in the alimentary canal and used to build up the body, are left there to decay; and among other substances formed by this decomposition, is a gas called “hydrogen-sulphide.” This gas is hungry for minerals, or, to use a chemical expression, has a great affinity for iron; it therefore readily combines with the living iron that is found in the food that is eaten. But this robs the system of a necessary food element; for when the iron has entered into combination with the sulphur gas, it can not be used in the system. Therefore in such cases, when the physician prescribes iron, the sulphur gas seizes more readily this dead mineral substance; and thus the natural iron taken in with the food escapes this chemical destruction, and can perform its legitimate functions in the system. See Bunge's Physiological Chemistry, page 96. The rational as well as the more sensible method is to correct the dietetic habits of the individual, and to starve out the germs by placing him upon a fruit diet for several days. If a room catches fire, it is absurd to throw upon the fire combustible material, with the supposition that by so doing the fire will be satisfied, and so will not burn up the house. It would be much more sensible to put out the fire than merely to treat the effects. 2. The Phosphate Delusion.—Because one half of all the mineral substances that are found in the brain is composed of phosphates, it has been supposed that if a person will purchase of the druggist, and take, medicines containing phosphates, these will in some way serve to build up the brain. But brains and nerves can not be built up so easily. The structure of the brain has to be built up from natural foods, and its activities must be prompted by something more substantial than artificial phosphates. 3. The Lime Deception.—About three fourths of all the mineral salts that are found in the body are composed of some combination of lime, the majority of which is deposited in the bones. The growing child who has soft bones is particularly in need of food that is rich in lime. The food that nature intended for him, namely, milk, contains from one to two per cent of lime in a natural condition. A common error that many mothers make is that of supposing that they can furnish more lime to the child by giving him lime water to drink, than by giving him milk. This is a mistake, because a pint of milk contains twenty-five grains of lime, while the same quantity of lime water contains only nineteen grains. See Bunge's Physiological Chemistry, page 111. The yolk of egg contains about the same quantity of lime as does milk; because nature stows away in the egg all the lime that the young chick will require for the formation of its bones up to the time when it shall have been hatched out of the shell. Wheat contains a trace of lime; peas, beans, and lentils about one tenth of one per cent; and the potato, the same. 4. The Salt Question.—All the fluids of the body contain a certain amount of chloride of sodium (common table salt); while the solid substances of the body, as the muscles, liver, etc., contain a large percentage of potassium salts. Calcium, or lime, is found in the bones and the dentine of the teeth; iron is principally found in the blood, and phosphates in the nerve tissues. Of these various salts, common table salt is the most abundant, there being about six ounces of this mineral salt in the body at any one time. Half an ounce is daily carried off by the secretion of the kidneys, so in less than two weeks the body's store of salts would disappear, if more were not supplied. IS THERE ANY REASON FOR THE COMMON USE OF TABLE SALT?
Sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt, is the only mineral element that it is customary to add artificially to our food. Dr. Bunge, the581great German chemist, has made some observations upon this subject, which led him to the conclusion that when a person eats foods that are particularly rich in potassium salts, the potassium salts combine with the sodium salts already present in the blood, a new substance resulting, which can not be utilized by the body, and so is merely eliminated. Potatoes contain about two and one-fourth per cent of potassium salts; vegetables are also universally rich in this substance; while, on the contrary, rice contains only one twenty-fifth as much as the potato. The same is true of wheat, although containing a little larger quantity. It is a matter of common experience that those with reasonably normal tastes do not desire to add any considerable quantity of salt to rice, wheat preparations, or fruit, but invariably desire to add it to vegetables. There can be no doubt, however, that common table salt is eaten with the various vegetables far in excess of the quantity that is needed properly to balance the amount of potassium salts that is found in these foods. It is injurious to the health to force the eliminating organs to dispose of a great excess of these mineral elements. Therefore we should avoid using salt to excess with any food, and as far as possible select, for our dietary, fruits, grains, and nuts, which do not create any particular necessity for the addition of artificial salts. THE PATENT MEDICINE EVIL.
It is a deep-seated error, which is very prevalent in the human mind, that somehow or other the elixir of life can be concentrated and stored up in a bottle, if only it be compounded with some vile and noxious substance, and the whole thing sold under some striking name. The sale of this multitude of bitters, tonics, etc., has become enormous, due to the tremendous advertising that their promoters have given them. The reason for this extensive advertising is plain: a dollar bottle of these compounds ordinarily contains but two or three cents' worth of some mineral salts, many of which are extremely harmful and irritating to the already overworked eliminating organs. It seems strange that rational beings will suppose that they can steadily violate nature's laws, and then in some way atone for their violation by swallowing a few teaspoonfuls of some highly colored fluid. Copyrighted, 1900, by David Paulson and W. S. Sadler. Gratitude Leaves No Room for Lament
By French
WHEN thou hast thanked thy God
For every blessing sent,
What time will then remain
For murmurs or lament?
— French. The Holy Spirit Saves from Cowardice
“The Holy Spirit can not live in the heart of a coward. When he abides, men and women become brave and true and noble and unsordid and unselfish. Cowardly Peter becomes a moral giant when He comes in to abide. Whoever is a spiritual coward, will be made a heroic power when He is received. He saves from cowardice.”