AFTER the death of Abimelech, the usurper, the Lord raised up Tola to judge Israel. His peaceful reign presented a happy contrast to the stormy scenes through which the nation had been passing. It was not his work to lead armies to battle and to achieve victories over the enemies of Israel, as the former rulers had done; but his influence effected a closer union among the people, and established the government upon a firmer basis. He restored order, law, and justice.
Unlike the proud and envious Abimelech, Tola's great desire was, not to secure position or honor for himself, but to improve the condition of his people. A man of deep humility, he felt that he could accomplish no great work, but he determined to perform with faithfulness his duty to God and to the people. He highly valued the privilege of divine worship, and chose to dwell near the tabernacle, that he might oftener attend upon the services there performed.
Devotion and humility have ever characterized the men with whom God has intrusted important responsibilities in his work. The divine call to Moses in the desert found him distrustful of self. He realized his unfitness for the position to which God had called him; but having accepted the trust, he became a polished instrument in the hand of God to accomplish the greatest work ever committed to mortals.
Had Moses trusted to his own strength and wisdom, and eagerly accepted the great charge, he would have evinced his entire unfitness for such a work. The fact that a man feels his own weakness, is at least some evidence that he realizes the magnitude of the work appointed him, and this gives room for hope that he will make God his counselor and his strength. Such a person will move no farther nor faster than he knows God is leading him.
A man will gain power and efficiency as he accepts the responsibilities which God places upon him, and with his whole soul seeks to qualify himself to bear them aright. However humble his position or limited his ability, that individual will attain true greatness who cheerfully responds to the call of duty, and, trusting to the divine strength, seeks to perform his work with fidelity. He will feel that he has a sacred commission to battle against wrong, to strengthen the right, to elevate, comfort, and bless his fellow-men. Indolence, selfishness, and love of worldly approbation must yield to this high and holy calling.
Engaged in such a work, the weak man will become strong; the timid, brave; the irresolute, firm and decided. Each sees the importance of his position and his course, inasmuch as Heaven has chosen him to do a special work for the King of kings. Such men will leave the world better for their having lived in it. Their influence is exerted to elevate, to purify, and to ennoble all with whom they come in contact, and thus they help to prepare their fellow-men for the heavenly courts.
Tola governed Israel twenty-three years, and was succeeded by Jair. This ruler also feared the Lord and endeavored to maintain his worship among the people. In conducting the affairs of the government he was assisted by his sons, who acted as magistrates, and went from place to place to administer justice.
To some extent, during the latter part of Jair's reign, and more generally after his death, the Israelites again relapsed into idolatry. The sacred record states, "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him."
The divine judgments followed close upon the transgressions of Israel. The Ammonites made war upon them in the east, and the Philistines in the west. Other nations, also, united with these in the oppression of Israel, until they seemed again to be shut in by relentless foes. In the days of prosperity, God's people had forsaken him, and now he seemed to have forsaken them, and they knew not which way to turn for help. Thus was again fulfilled the word of the Lord by the mouth of Joshua, that the heathen nations, if not promptly destroyed, would prove to Israel as snares for their feet, and as thorns in their eyes.
When the sins of a nation are punished, the innocent often suffer with the guilty. Among apostate Israel, the Lord still had faithful servants. These labored to show Israel their transgressions, and that all their troubles were but the results of their apostasy. But the words of warning seemed for a time to fall unheeded.
We repeat what has been so often said before, that among the people of God to-day are dangers similar to those that well-nigh destroyed Israel. The command, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," was spoken from Sinai for every soul that should live upon the earth. We can no more free ourselves from the claims of God's law than we can hide from his all-seeing eye. Its precepts reached every case, and its claims rest upon all the children of men to the close of time.
Idolatry has separated the people of God from him; he has not the first place in their thoughts and affections. Professed Christians fail to realize their accountability to God. They forget that he is ever present, to assert his supreme authority, and to take cognizance of all their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.
Satan once presented all the attractions of the world to Christ, to allure him from the path of duty. Having failed in this, the arch-deceiver tries the same device with the followers of Jesus, and meets with much better success. Thus Satan receives the devotion which God claims. How many employ all the Creator's gifts merely to glorify themselves. How many set their affections upon their worldly possessions, or seek above all else the applause of men. How many choose the atmosphere of vanity and worldliness, rather than that of sobriety, purity, and godliness. They are so far from God that they cannot discern the true value of eternal things. And there are some who glory in their unbelief, making this an excuse for their defects of character. Unbelief is the idol which they worship. They willfully grope in darkness constantly diffusing mist and fog to shadow their own path and the path of others. But still the voice from Sinai sounds in our ears, addressing this class no less than all others, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Many who profess to be the disciples of Jesus seem as indifferent and careless in their religious life, as though no responsibility rested upon them to deny self and bear the cross. They do not realize their duty, by personal example and earnest effort to help others to follow in the same path. God would be to us the very help we need, if we would make him first, and last, and best, in all the purposes and events of life. Every plan devised should bear the high signet of Heaven, rather than the seal of worldly commendation.
The reason why so many are walking in darkness is that they pursue a path which leads directly away from God. Christ came to give the world an example of a pure and perfect life. He sacrificed himself for the joy of saving the lost. Whoever follows Christ will work the works of Christ. Pride and selfishness will not be cherished, every sinful indulgence will be put away, the soul temple will be cleansed from every idolatrous shrine. Until this shall take place, we cannot claim to be free from Israel's great sin of idolatry.
CHRIST'S PASSION.
By Johann Heermann
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.
Beloved Jesus, what law hast thou broken
That such harsh judgment o'er thee should be spoken?
What is thy guilt? For what crimes apprehended?
Wherein offended?
Why art thou scourged, thy brow with sharp thorns crowned?
Smitten, insulted, by thy friends disowned?
With vinegar and gall thy parched lips plied?
Scorned, crucified?
Do I not know the cause of all these torments?
Oh yes! my guilt hath stained thy holy garments.
Lord Jesus, I this fearful suffering merit,
Yet thou dost bear it.
Thou kindest Shepherd, so thy flock to cherish,
That not the weakest lamb should stray and perish,
To pay his servant's debt the Master suffers,
His dear life offers.
Yes He, the Holy One and Just, committed,
Condemned; and man, frail guilty man, acquitted,
Who long defied his law, him he reclaimeth,
In death redeemeth.
O priceless love, and measureless! The Giver
Of life, a martyr He, us to deliver
From wrath; and on the cross e'en interceding
With wounds all bleeding.
Eternal One, great King of light and glory!
How can I rightly spread the wondrous story
Of sacrifice so pure, that mortals even,
May enter Heaven.
I cannot grasp it, reason is too feeble
To comprehend a love which made thee able,
For mortals thus to suffer every anguish,
Death's sting to vanquish.
Lord, I am all unworthy, sore distressed
With grief, yet is my heart no more oppressed
With sinful lust; from this will I endeavor,
To keep me ever.
But even this is not within my power,
Thy cross must be before me every hour;
Without the guidance of thy Holy Spirit,
I naught can merit.
Unto thy glory I would bring as offering
My all;—no cross, no trial, toil, no suffering,
Not death itself can tempt me now to leave thee,
Or willing grieve thee.
And yet I must still be thy heavy debtor,
How gladly would I come unto thee fitter;
Naught but thy grace and mercy can protect me,
Thou'lt not reject me.
Lord Jesus, when I reach thy kingdom holy;
And stand before thee crowned, my heart then truly
Shall praise the boundless love which hath received me,
Yea died to have me.
—Johann Heermann, 1630.
The Sunny Side of Life
By Spurgeon
HE who climbs above the cares of the world and turns his face to his God, has found the sunny side of life. The world's side of the hill is chill and freezing to a spiritual mind, but the Lord's presence gives a warmth of joy which turns winter into summer.—Spurgeon.
The Moral Possibilities of Infancy
A BABE cannot possibly commit sin; but then, on the other hand, a babe cannot possibly perform a good act; it can only be—as long as it remains a babe—a creature in whom the possibilities of right and wrong-doing exist. Who, then, even among the most disheartened of responsible beings, can reasonably desire, as some souls do, to become mere babies—nobodies, indeed, as to moral and spiritual things?—Sel.
Is Sin Eternal? No
By John Norton Loughborough
IS SIN ETERNAL? NO.—12
BY ELDER J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH, OF SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.
THE Canon inquires, "Do the dead sleep?" Bible writers, in more than one hundred places, have spoken of death as a sleep, and not only so, but a sleep which cuts off all hope of future life except through the resurrection of the dead. St. Paul says, "For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor. 15:16-19. On the word perished, in the above text, Dr. Bloomfield says, "As if he had said, There is an end of them and all their hopes." That the dead sleep is shown also by the following scriptures: 2 Sam. 7:12; 2 Chron. 26:23; Job 7:21; 14:12; Ps. 76:5; Dan. 12:2; Acts 13:36; 1 Thess. 4:13-15, etc.
The Canon speaks as though Lazarus and those raised with Christ came from Paradise. The Scripture writers say nothing of their coming from Paradise. The grave is not Paradise by any means. He further enquires, "Where is Paradise? Every expression concerning it is too vague for us to venture upon localization. It is spoken of as a descent, a being in the lower part of the earth. It was underneath the earth that the Jews fixed the place of the departed. It is more likely that it is within our atmosphere, and the apostle's description of the 'cloud of witnesses' by which we are surrounded lends some color to this view. We are treading on firmer ground when we ask, What is Paradise? It is described under various names, each indicating darkness and mystery. In the Hebrew it is called sheol, in the Greek, hades, and in the English version of the Bible this is somewhat confusedly translated hell, from an old Saxon word hel-am, meaning a hidden or concealed place. 'Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.' 'In hell he lifted up his eyes.' 'He descended into hell.' In each of these instances, as in many others, the word is hades, translated into the old Saxon word 'hell or hidden place.'
The reader will observe that the above definition of Paradise is based on the supposition that it is the state of the dead. It seems to me this definition will not bear the test of Scripture. He has stated that Paradise is called in the Hebrew, sheol, and in the Greek, hades. Does he mean to tell us that paradise is a translation of those Hebrew and Greek terms? His language at least conveys that idea. I turn to my Greek Testament and find in every case where the word Paradise occurs in the English New Testament it is not hades, but paradeisos, or its equivalent; neither do we find an instance in the Old Testament where the translators have translated sheol by the word Paradise, or that in the New, have they in one single instance translated hades Paradise. It is true, however, that the words sheol and hades are the words for the state of the dead, but is it so certain that Paradise is the state of the dead that it may be asserted without Scriptural proof? The simple fact that the Jews, after mingling with the Babylonians and other nations, accepted some of their pagan ideas of a "nether world" of consciousness for the pious and wicked dead is not sufficient proof, being contrary to the Scriptures.
Dr. Campbell says, "Before the captivity, and the Macedonian and Roman conquests, the Jews observed the most profound silence upon the state of the dead, as to their happiness or misery. They spoke of it simply as a state of silence, darkness, and inactivity. But after the Hebrews mingled with the Greeks and Romans, they insensibly slided into their use of terms, and adopted some of their ideas on such subjects as those on which their oracles were silent."
It seems from the testimony of Prideaux, that even the Egyptians did not get their ideas of the immortal soul by their association with Jews, but that Pythagoras went to Babylon and after remaining there twelve years, "The most important doctrine he brought from thence to Egypt was that of the immortality of the soul."
If, as Dr. Campbell states, the Jews had mingled pagan ideas with their religion, it will not do to decide upon the doctrines of Scripture simply by their sentiments, even if they are found in Josephus.
The question now fairly before us is, What and where is Paradise? St. Paul speaks of it in so familiar a manner we should conclude he thought we would know what he meant by the term, "I knew a man in Christ . . . . caught up into the third heavens . . . . caught up into Paradise." 2 Cor. 12:2, 4. From these words we learn that paradise is up (not down in hades); we learn also that it is the "third heavens." What shall we understand by the third heavens? In the record of creation we learn that God made a firmament that divided the waters above from those beneath it, "and God called the firmament heaven." Gen. 1:8. As St. Paul was caught up, this would be heaven number one. For the second heaven we read the words of the Psalmist: "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars, which thou hast ordained." Ps. 8:3. Calling the planetary system the second heavens, still upward the "third heavens" or paradise must be the dwelling-place of God. It is farther "up" than "our atmosphere" which the Canon suggested was Paradise.
For further testimony on the location of Paradise we will look at the testimony of St. John in the Revelation. Christ being the speaker, says, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Rev. 2:7. It seems from this that Paradise is where the tree of life is located. As to the location of that tree we find testimony in the same book. "In the midst of the street of it (the New Jerusalem), and on either side of the river was there the tree of life." Rev. 22:2. In the same chapter he says, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates into the city. Verse 14. The tree of life being in Paradise, and in the city of New Jerusalem, we conclude that the New Jerusalem is in Paradise. This city is called "The tabernacle of God." Rev. 21:3. If Paradise is the New Jerusalem it is not the place of the dead, for the dead "go down into sheol," but Paradise is "up" in the "third heavens," and so is "Jerusalem which is above," Gal. 4:26. Both St. Peter and St. Paul testified of David that he was "asleep," "dead and buried," and "not ascended into the heavens." See Acts 2:29, 34; 13:36. Our Saviour also said to Mary, on the morning of his resurrection, "Touch me not for I am not yet ascended unto my Father." St. John 20:17. He had not been to Paradise, but he had been to hades, to sheol, to the state of the dead.
It will doubtless be urged at this point that Paradise must refer to the state of the dead, because Christ told the thief on the cross that he should be in Paradise with him that day. I do not so understand Christ's words to the thief. The request of the thief was, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke 23:42. Christ was not then coming into his kingdom. It is when he returns, at his second coming, that he receives the kingdom. At the time of his ascension he was the nobleman going "into a far country to receive the kingdom." It is when he returns that he will have "received the kingdom." Luke 19:11-15. That is the time of "his appearing and kingdom." 2 Tim. 4:1.
It is true that the answer of Christ to the thief, as punctuated in the authorized version, makes Christ say, "I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." This punctuation is of course man's work and not a part of inspiration. As now punctuated we see it makes this Scripture contradict the words of Christ to Mary. He had not been to his Father,—had not been to Paradise. If we punctuate the text as suggested in the margin of Griesbach's Greek Testament all is plain. He places the comma after to-day. It then reads, "Verily I say unto thee to-day, thou shalt be with me in Paradise." This would then be the meaning of Christ, I make you the promise to-day, that you shall be with me in my kingdom, yea, in the Paradise of God, in the city of New Jerusalem, where the throne of God, the tree of life, and the river of life are found. It does not then relate to the state of the dead, but to the future immortal kingdom of God, to that state of things which is to be after the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
Theories of men borrowed from paganism may teach that hades is a place of consciousness, but what saith the Scripture regarding sheol and hades? In the words of Solomon we read, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave (sheol) whither thou goest." Eccl. 9:10. Sheol then is a place of utter unconsciousness. This is very evident if we look at his previous statement as to the result of death. "This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward [It does not say they never will be rewarded. They will be rewarded at their resurrection, but they have no reward while dead] for the memory of them is forgotten. [They are not then, while in sheol, so keenly burned by memory as the Canon would have us understand, for their memory is gone]. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; [If memory is the test of identity, and love, or hatred, or envy, or thoughts and knowledge are essential to conscious existence, then surely the dead are unconscious, for, in that state, the dead are devoid of all these faculties] neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Eccl. 9:3-6. This latter statement is not that they shall have no portion in that future kingdom of God which is to be "under the whole heaven," Dan. 7:27, but it is proof that the dead know nothing of what is now taking place. As stated in the book of Job, respecting one who has died, "His sons come to honor and he knoweth it not; they are brought low but he perceiveth it not of them." Job 14:21.
The Canon reasoned that Paradise must be in our atmosphere, because St. Paul says, "We are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses." Heb. 12:1. St. Paul is not stating, in this chapter, that Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, Samuel, David, and a multitude as innumerable as the stars of heaven or the sands of the sea are literally surrounding us and bearing their testimony to us, for as we have just read from the wise man they are dead, and so have no portion in anything that is done under the sun. To the careful reader of St. Paul's testimony (Heb. chap. 11 to 12:1) it distinctly appears that his idea is this: Through faith in God's word we learn of the mighty acts of God in response to the faith of his worthies in the past, having given a summary of the wonderful dealings of God with his people and their deliverance from fire, sword, lions, etc., he speaks of these manifestations of God's power and mercy as a cloud of witnesses encouraging us to have faith in him. He says, "Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us [the sin of unbelief] and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Heb. 12:2. As versified by another,—
"Where now with pain thou treadest, trod
The whitest of the saints of God!
To show thee where their feet were set,
The light that led them shineth yet.
"The foot-prints of the life divine,
Which marked their path, remain in thine;
And that great life, transfused in theirs,
Awaits thy faith, thy love, thy prayers."
CHARITY.
WHATEVER plans of liberality we may have before us, it is well not to procrastinate, but to embrace the first opportunity of executing them. When Mr. Baxter lost a thousand pounds, which he had laid up for the erection of a school, he used frequently to mention the misfortune as an incitement to be charitable while God gives the power of bestowing, and considered himself culpable in some degree for having so long delayed the performance of a good action, and suffered his benevolence to be defeated for want of quickness and diligence.
Dr. Tillotson (afterward Archbishop) gave the most exemplary proof of his charity. The revocation of the Edict of Nantz having driven thousands of the Huguenots to England, many of them settled at Canterbury, where their posterity still continued. The king having granted briefs to collect alms for their relief, Dr. T. was peculiarly active in promoting their success; and when Dr. Beverige, one of the Prebendaries of Canterbury, refused to read the briefs, as being contrary to the rubric, he was silenced by Dr. T. with this energetic reply, “Doctor, Doctor, charity is above rubrics.”
351A wealthy merchant having lost by one shipwreck to the value of $7,500, ordered his clerk to distribute $500 among poor ministers and people; adding, that if his fortune was going by $7,500 at a lump, it was high time to make sure of some part of it before it was gone.
Of Dr. Samuel Wright it is said that his charity was conducted upon a rule; for which purpose he kept a purse, in which was found this memorandum: “Something from all the money I receive to be put in this purse for charitable uses. From my salary as a minister, which is uncertain, a tenth part—from occasional and extraordinary gifts, which are more uncertain, a twentieth part—from copy money of things I print, and interest of my estate, a seventh part.”
When a gentleman who had been accustomed to give away some thousands was supposed to be at the point of death, his presumptive heir inquired where his fortune was to be found. To whom he answered that it was “in the pockets of the indigent.”
When some bedding was to be given away to the poor at Olney, a poor woman carried home two pair of blankets, a pair for herself and husband, and a pair for six children. As soon as the children saw them, they jumped out of the straw, caught them in their arms, kissed and blest them, and danced for joy. That same woman, the first night she found herself so comfortably covered, could not sleep a wink, being kept awake by the contrary emotions of transport on the one hand, and fear of not being thankful enough on the other.
A poor cottager, within a few miles of London, who had a wife and six children, was seized for his rent; and whilst the poor woman was imploring the mercy of the officers, a person came by, and inquiring into the cause of her distress, immediately discharged the debt, amounting to eleven pounds, and walked away. For this timely and truly generous action, the distressed family were indebted to a tradesman on Ludgate Hill. The name is concealed, but the action shall not be forgotten.—Sel.
THE IMPENITENT'S DESTINY.
THE DOCTRINE OF ANNIHILATION BY A REFORMED EPISCOPAL MINISTER.
MUCH interest has been excited among the attendants of St. John's Reformed Episcopal church in this city by a series of sermons by the rector, the Rev. J. D. Wilson, taking bold ground against the doctrine of eternal punishment. Mr. Wilson is recognized as one of the ablest thinkers in the Chicago pulpit, and his expressions on this subject have made some stir among his brother clergymen, some of whom look upon them as heterodox and dangerous, while others admit that they have long privately held similar views. A reporter of the Tribune has obtained from Mr. Wilson the following brief abstract of his argument, which in his sermons was fortified by numerous proofs from Scripture as well as from reason. He was very reluctant to express his views for publication, having a strong dislike to anything like notoriety or sensationalism, but had no hesitation in affirming his convictions. He said:—
I hold the view commonly called "conditional immortality,"—i. e., eternal life exists only in union with Jesus Christ. The argument will be from reason and Scripture.
1. Reason—First—There is a difference between right and wrong; believers and sin. They ought to be viewed differently by God and treated accordingly.
Second—It is evident that in the present state of things vice is not always punished nor virtue always rewarded. Hence a rectification is to be looked for,—a time of retribution.
Third—In what will that retribution consist? I answer: in such punishment as shall be just and right, ending with extinction. Eternal torment is not just. It is excessive, and a just God cannot inflict it. Moreover, eternal torment implies eternal sinning, and eternal sinning involves a defeat of God. It would make the devil as powerful as God, and virtually says there are two Gods, one of evil and one of good.
Fourth—All existing life in plants and animals shows that all such life has possibilities, but the attainments of those possibilities does not always follow. All blossoms are possible fruits, but only some come to fruition. All eggs are possible animals, but only some attain their destiny. So all men are possible immortals, but some fail to reach immortality.
Fifth—We cannot by reason prove man immortal; the best we can do is to prove that he is capable of immortality.
II. Revelation—But reason cannot prove much one way or other. God knows what is before us, and has told us all we need to know. Hence we are to look to the Bible for satisfactory information.
First—The Bible uniformly promises life only to the righteous.
"This is life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus."
"He that hath the Son hath life."
"He that believeth on the Son hath life."
"Wages of sin is death; gift of God is eternal life," etc., etc.
Second—The doom of the wicked is "destruction," "perdition," "everlasting death," "second death," "to be burned up," "made as though they had not been," "to vanish," etc.
No deviation from these distinctions can be found anywhere in the Bible. Some texts however need attention.
Matt. 25, last verse: "These . . . to everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."
Here "punishment" is shown to be just as long as "life,"—i. e., eternal. But the punishment is destruction, which is complete, entire, final, and without remedy.
If it be objected that destruction cannot be properly called everlasting, I answer the Bible called it so. "They shall be punished with everlasting destruction," etc.
Mark 9:42: "Unquenchable fire." This means fire which cannot be put out till it does its work,—vide Isaiah, 24:10; Jer. 17:27; Ezek. 20:47; Rev. 14:10. "Smoke going up forever." This refers to some punishment upon the Beast before the Judgment Day, and means total destruction. Rev. 20:10: "Tormented for ever and ever." This is the devil, not men.
Revelation 20:12, and following verses, portray judgment. All who are not admitted to life are burned up, ended, destroyed. No sin is left anywhere in God's universe. God becomes all in all.
If it be objected that the soul cannot be destroyed, I answer: "Fear him which can destroy both soul and body in hell."
This is a very brief and very bold statement, but to a diligent student of the Bible, who compares text with text, it will show that from the day that death was threatened to the sinning Adam, the Bible is uniform in presenting the truth. John 3:36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life."
I think the notion of the necessary immortality of souls came into the church from Paganism through Neo-Platonism in the third century.—Chicago Tribune.
AMUSEMENTS.
The law of Christianity is not an iron-clad asceticism. Holiness signifies wholeness, wholth, or health; and health breeds innocent mirth. Recreation is not only innocent, it is absolutely indispensable. Martin Luther relieved his stern battles with the Pope by cheerful songs, and by decorating Christmas trees for his children. Gladstone, the king of living statesmen, recreates with his axe; Spurgeon, the king of living preachers, recreates with his games; the saintly McCheyne with his gymnastic poles and bars. These were men, not angels.
No man lives who must not work, and who may not play. But what is recreation? We reply: It is everything which re-creates what is lost in life's daily frictions or fatigues. Whatever makes the body healthier, the mind clearer, and the power more vigorous, is Christian recreation. To deny ourselves this is hazardous; to restrain others from it is an infringement on Christian liberty. We lay down this principle, that whatever pleasure or play tends to improve the body, mind, and spirit, is right; but whatever play or pleasure inflames the evil passions of our nature, is a sinful amusement. The one is right; the other is wrong. The one, like pure water, refreshes and strengthens; the other, like alcoholic beverages, excites a morbid appetite, inflames the passions, and poisons the soul. Recreation is the Creator's pure water; sinful amusement is Satan's brandied beverage.
The theater, in these days, asks for suffrages and support of church members. But its advocates always present to us, in argument, an ideal play-house, whose actors are virtuous people, whose dramas conform to Christian morality and which rigidly excludes every kind of sensual temptation. Such a Puritanic theater would be entitled, at least, to respectful treatment from the church. But every person of common sense that knows the actual average American theater is no more like this ideal play-house, than the average Pope is like St. Peter, or the average politician is like Abraham Lincoln. A Puritanic theater would become bankrupt in a twelve-month.—Rev. T. L. Cuyler, in the Evangelist.
HAVING IT LIGHT.
Many people regard religion very much as they regard small-pox. They desire to have it as light as possible, and are very careful that it does not mark them.
KEEP YOUR TROUBLES SACRED.
By Editor
A worthy wife of forty years’ standing, and whose life was made up of sunshine and peace, gave the following sensible and impressive advice to a married pair of her acquaintance. The advice is so good and so well suited to all married people, as well as those who intend entering that state, that we here publish it for the benefit of such persons:—
Preserve sacredly the privacies of your own house, your married state, and your heart. Let no father or mother, sister or brother, ever presume to come between you two, or to share the joys or sorrows that belong to you two alone. With God’s help build your own quiet world, not allowing your dearest earthly friend to be the confidant of aught that concerns your domestic peace; let moments of alienation, if they occur, be healed at once. Never, no never, speak of it outside, but to each other confess, and all will come out right. Never let the morrow’s sun find you at variance. Review and renew your vow; it will do you good, and thereby your souls will grow together, cemented in that love which is stronger than death, and you will become truly one.—Golden Censer
INDIFFERENCE OF THE CHURCH.
By John Cox
THAT the church professing Jesus' name, the church that ought to be conformed to things above in tastes and hopes, should be so little affected by, and feel so little delight in the prospect of the Lord's coming, demands the most minute inquiry. One reason may be found in the indisposition there is in all our minds naturally, to be conversant with things future and invisible, so as to be affected by them. The present is with us; and it is hard to leave these, and to look at "the things not seen, which are eternal;" this is a higher attainment than at first imagined. To do this, we need a counteracting principle, raising us above the present and visible into the future and invisible; this lever must have somewhat whereon to rest; or else all efforts will be inefficient. Grace hath found both these; the principle is faith, its resting-place is God's word; and it is only by taking hold of this that the soul can rise. "He that testifieth these things saith, surely, I come quickly." Faith is nothing more than so to believe the words of God, as to be affected by them, and influenced to act as they require.—John Cox.
CASTING ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM.
By Sarah F. Smiley
In the summer of 1878 I descended the Rhigi with one of the most faithful of the old Swiss guides. Beyond the service of the day, he gave me unconsciously a lesson for my life. His first care was to put my wraps and other burdens upon his shoulder. In doing this he asked for all, but I chose to keep back a few for special care. I soon found them no little hindrance to the freedom of my movements; but still I would not give them up until my guide returning to me where I sat resting a moment, kindly but firmly demanded that I should give up everything but my alpine stock. Putting them with the utmost care upon his shoulders, with a look of intense satisfaction he again led the way. And now, in my freedom, I found I could make double speed with double safety. Then a voice spoke inwardly, "Ah, foolish, willful heart, hast thou indeed given up thy last burden? Thou hast no need to carry them, nor even the right." I saw it all in a flash, and then as I leaped lightly on from rock to rock down the steep mountain side, I said within myself, "and even thus will I follow Jesus, my Guide, my Burden-bearer. I will cast all my care upon him, for he careth for me."—Sarah F. Smiley.