Earlier text: V. O. COLEAt a recent prayer-and-testimony meeting, some one spoke of the blessings of the study of the Sabbath-school lessons on the life of Christ. Then one after another rose, and told how the study had brought a greater fulness of faith and joy into the life. It is because the study of the life of Jesus in his Holy Word is more than the study of a true narrative of his life and work on earth for us. The Holy Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit. And the words are living words. They give not only the true history, and repeat the true sayings, of Jesus; but there are in these words, received by faith, the life and power that transform the soul. The hymn speaks truly,—
“Sweet Book! in thee my eyes discern
The image of my absent Lord;
From thy instructive page I learn
The joys his presence will afford.” As we study it with our hearts, the whole story is alive. The voice of Jesus still speaks pardon and peace to the sinner, and we hear his invitation to lay every burden down and find rest. Neesima, of Japan, one of the earliest converts in that heathen land, had put in his hand a strange book, in Chinese characters. It was the Gospels. He read. And he says: “As I read, I was taken captive by the story of His life.” It is in order that we may live with this life daily, and abide in him continually, that God has given to us his holy Word, that “liveth and abideth forever.” Let us exalt the Word. “Thou hast magnified thy word,” says the psalmist, “above all thy name.” It is the only means of sustaining the spiritual life. Man shall live “by every word . . . of God.” We can no more get on physically without eating bread than spiritually without daily feeding on the bread of life by the Word. It is food to the soul, and the water of life. We must study the Bible, and live with it as our daily companion. Only as we minister the Word to others, may we bring to them the help that they must have. Every gift in the church, whether of apostle or prophet, teacher or evangelist, is given but to lead us into the green pastures of Holy Scripture. The Word is our defense, and the weapon of our warfare. It is our hope and our life. Feed upon it; drink from its living fountains; handle it; look upon it; breathe in the soul, the spirit, of it; let its voice ever sound to hearing ears; and as we find it the word of our own salvation, we shall find also the power and the grace to obey the command, “Preach the word.” A Japanese missionary, Miss Dooley, has written a fitting prayer-hymn for the gospel worker:— “Father, we have thy Word,
That which our ears have heard,
Sent forth from thee.
With voice and life, we pray,
May we, to souls astray,
What thou dost bid us say,
Speak faithfully.
“Christ, who our lives hast bought,
Who our lost souls hast sought,
We turn to thee;
And by thy cross of shame,
This, this, the prayer we frame,
May we, in thy dear name,
Speak faithfully.
“Thou Spirit, Tongue of Fire,
To whom bends each desire,
We wait on thee;
Thou hast our spirits sealed,
Thou hast to us revealed
The Sword, and we would wield
It faithfully.
“Lord God, unto our hearts
Thy Word its life imparts;
We pray to thee,
That we thy quickening Word,
Thy healing, living Word,
Thine everlasting Word,
Speak faithfully.” The Key to Our Victory
By C. M. S.
THERE are blessed assurances in the Word of God to the remnant people. The Spirit which indited that message of warning and hope looked down through the experiences of the followers of Christ to the end of time, and seeing what he did, spoke courage and hope and consolation to those who had a purpose to be true to God, and yet who trembled at the thought of the experiences through which they must pass. Says the prophet:— “I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country. . . . They shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts; Let your hands be strong, . . . and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.” Zech. 8:7-12. When the tempest of oppression rages, it is but natural that human hearts should quail; but these words contain more than a promise for that time. They are a command as well—“Let your hands be strong.” He who gives the command has power to make strong, if hearts are willing and wills are obedient. We may not have reasoned it out; but when we fear, we do virtually doubt God’s ability to triumph over sin, and take us with him to share in the triumph. If we are sure that everything is all right, we do not fear. Let us, then, trust God. In doing so, our doubts will vanish, our fears will take wings, our hopes will rise, and we shall then have in our souls a foretaste of the blessedness of the everlasting victory. God expects us to do that, and so he declares:— “Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by my name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. . . . Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth; every one that is called by my name.” Isa. 43:1-7. What if the dragon be wroth, and go to make war with the remnant (Rev. 12:17), who “keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus,” we have the sure pronouncement of our unswerving Lord that “it is the remnant that shall be saved.” Rom. 9:27. Therefore let not our courage fail, our faith waver, nor our strength diminish. The key to our power and our victory is our perfect faith in the verity of his Word, and unfaltering obedience to his commands. C. M. S. True Christian Unity
By F. M. W.
CHRISTIAN unity is a Bible doctrine. It is taught by the great Head of the church in his prayer for his disciples, as recorded in John 17:20, 21: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” The Father and the Son are separate personal beings, but they are one in spirit and one in purpose. While each member of the church possesses his own individuality, God designs that these separate units composing the church-membership shall be blended together in one united whole. This can be done, not by the surrender of individuality and the casting aside of individual responsibility, submitting the conscience and mind to the judgment of another, but by each recognizing Christ as the Head, and his13Spirit as the controlling, guiding impulse. Says our Lord to his disciples: “One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” In his epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul declares: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Each believer is to recognize that while Christ is his head, his brethren with him compose the body. He should, therefore, labor to preserve such harmonious relations to the other members of the body that there shall be concert of action. While he should pray for the leadings of God in his own experience, he should recognize that God teaches and directs his brethren likewise. He should, therefore, seeks for the leadings of God, not alone through the exercise of his own mind, but in the light which God has given to his associates. Says the apostle Peter: “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” The one who is in the greatest danger of self-deception is he who lifts up his judgment above the judgment of his brethren, and wilfully chooses the impressions and leadings of his own mind, contrary to the convictions of those with whom he is associated. The apostle Paul exhorts the church at Corinth: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Such unity as this can come to the church of God only by humble submission of each soul to Christ and submission of each to the other. A common faith, a common purpose, with humble prayer for divine guidance in every detail, and with a humility which leads each to esteem other better than himself, will bring this perfect unity into the church of God. This is the unity for which Christ prayed, a unity of love and not of hate, of loving submission and not of forced subjection. It differs from the worldly type, in that selfish considerations play no part in it. This true Christian unity is widely different from that held before us as the model by many religious teachers of the present day. Much is said of church federation and unity of Christian effort. Such unions are usually sought and advocated on the basis of one church subordinating itself to the beliefs of another in religious faith, the subjection of the weaker to the stronger, without regard to the merits of the faith held or surrendered. The Roman Catholic idea of unity is the subordination of every church to Roman Catholicism, to the recognition of the Pope of Rome as the visible head of that church. This is well illustrated in the recent words of Cardinal Gibbons in a sermon in the Baltimore Cathedral on December 4, as reported in the Washington Post of that date. Expressing appreciation of the efforts being made by some of the Protestant Episcopal Church toward church unity, he says:— There can not be unity of faith, however, if there is to be more than one church, or if there is to be more than one head. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ never intended that there should be many churches, because in Holy Writ he always said, in speaking of the church, “One shepherd and one fold.” To have perfect church unity and harmony, we should be bound by the same tie of faith, should listen to the voice of one shepherd, should fly from all false prophets as the sheep fly from the wolf. My dear brethren, common sense alone, without divine revelation, ought to impress upon us the absolute necessity of unity of faith. All this is well and good, and if the cardinal stopped at this point in his remarks, we might even conclude that he was arguing for the one true unity enjoined by the Scriptures of truth; but not so. His next statement shows the source to which he is looking for the unity of Christendom. He does not believe in that unity which subordinates every man to Jesus Christ, recognizing him as Head, and all his disciples as brethren; nor yet the unity which makes each member of the church subject to one another; but in a unity which recognizes one central controlling power, and that power the Roman Catholic hierarchy; and one human head over the church, and that head the bishop of Rome. He adds:— Where only can this unity be found? — My brethren, in the Holy Roman and Catholic Apostolic Church, of which the Pope of Rome, the representative of Christ, is the head. This is Rome's conception of unity, and not only Rome's conception but the conception of many a would-be reformer who is advocating the principle of church federation at the present time. Each favors unity, provided his particular church is recognized as the church, and the principles for which he stands, as the basis of faith and doctrine. This union is a purely human, selfish conception,— a conception which makes might right, which subordinates the minority to the majority, the weaker to the stronger. Through all the history of the past this has been the method by which Rome has enforced the doctrine of unity. It has been the unity of fear, not love; of force, not of willing subjection; of worldly wisdom, not the unity of the divine Spirit. That the Roman Church has even maintained this unity is questioned by every page of history. Deflections from her membership have been enormous. The contentions and janglings between her monks and various church orders, and even between contending popes, each claiming to be the legitimate successor of St. Peter, have been unparalleled in the history of any religious movement. If she has succeeded in holding together, under one head, the larger portion of her following, it has been by appeal to force, or to superstition, or to selfish principles. There can be no true unity outside of that which comes from the operation of the Holy Spirit. That unity recognizes the supremacy of no human judgment, no man as spiritual master, no committee of men as infallible in judgment. But it recognizes the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler of life and conscience, and the members of his body equal in their several spheres. This is the unity enjoined by the Holy Scriptures, and for this unity every disciple of Christ should devoutly pray and earnestly labor. A Day of Prayer and Fasting
By Arthur G. Daniells
At the recent General Conference Committee Council held in Washington, our great need of special and immediate help from the Lord was felt so keenly that it was thought best to appoint Jan. 21, 1911, as a day of special prayer and fasting for divine help. The need and the purpose were expressed by the council in the following recommendation:— We advise the Mission Board to proceed as rapidly in the expansion of its missionary operations as the funds in its treasury will warrant; and, further, considering the great need of efficient laborers, and especially of able ministers of the Word, to enter the cities, we suggest that the General Conference Committee set apart a day for earnest prayer and fasting, to the end that the Lord of the harvest may send forth his Spirit and qualify laborers to meet the urgent demands of the hour, and that he may also so move upon the hearts of the people that sufficient means may be quickly supplied to enable us to greatly enlarge our mission work, both at home and abroad. We suggest that Sabbath, Jan. 21, 1911, be the day thus set apart for prayer and fasting. From the wording of this recommendation it will be seen that the pressing need expressed is for consecrated, efficient laborers, and an abundance of means to enlarge our home and foreign missionary operations, and to do the soul-winning work in the cities that we are called to do. The purpose of setting apart a day of prayer and fasting is to lead all our people to study our situation and responsibilities as they are at this time, and to make united, earnest supplication to the Lord for the help we need. In doing this we are following the course God's people have pursued from most ancient times. These seasons of prayer and fasting were observed by the people in every instance to obtain from God needed help. Sometimes they were facing grave calamities because of their sins. At other times they were threatened with utter destruction by the heathen. At other times they were in great need of special help of various kinds to do the work appointed them by the Lord. Jesus fasted and prayed forty days at the beginning of his ministry, for the wisdom and power he needed for that work. The apostles and early Christian churches prayed and fasted for deliverances and victories. To-day the people whom God has called to finish his work on earth may well take the time, and make the effort required, to observe, as we should, seasons set apart for special supplication and abstinence from food, that we may obtain the help we so sorely need from God. More will appear in our papers regarding this; but may I here, at this time, earnestly request all who read this note to begin at once to prepare mind and heart for earnest, effectual prayer when the appointed day comes? If this is done, we shall surely see the salvation of our God. A. G. DANIELLS. Death of Elder E. R. Williams
By R. C. Porter
ELDER E. R. WILLIAMS, president of the Cape Colony Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, South Africa, was born in New York State. His parents moved to Michigan when he was a child. He died very suddenly near Worcester, about one hundred nine miles from Cape Town, on Sunday, November 20, aged forty-three years. Brother Williams was well known in both America and Africa, having labored in city work in America and in official work in Africa. At the close of the Claremont Union College year, he came to Claremont to attend the commencement exercises, and to confer with the Cape Conference Committee with reference to future plans of work. Elder D. C. Theunissen had requested the organization of a church at Worcester, so it was thought best for Elder Williams to go there and organize the church, and visit some other churches, en route for Ladybrand, Orange Free State, where he would join Elders D. F. Tarr and D. H. Groenewald in starting a tent-meeting. Accordingly, Brother Williams went to Worcester, spent the Sabbath, and organized the church. He then decided to go on his bicycle to Wellington, Malmesbury, where his sons were canvassing, before proceeding on his tour up country, which would separate him from them for some time. The day was hot, and the distance was about sixty miles. He left Worcester about ten in the morning, and evidently rode quite fast a distance of nine miles, when he fell by the roadside stricken with apoplexy, occasioned by overheat and the bursting of a blood-vessel in the brain. A passing farmer found him, and proceeded at once to arrange for the removal of the body to the undertaker's in Worcester. Brother Clark and the canvassers at Worcester learned the sad news, and from there brought the remains to Maitland Cemetery, near Cape Town, for burial. There he now rests, beside other fallen missionary comrades, awaiting the call of the Life-giver to his eternal reward. The funeral was a very sad occasion on account of the suddenness of the calamity, which was deeply felt by the many friends who were present, and all the more because Sister Williams and Hugh could not be reached in time to attend. A memorial service was held in the church at Claremont on Sabbath, November 26, after the arrival of the family. Elder Williams will be greatly missed in this field and in his home on account of his kindness of heart, which endeared him to his fellow laborers as a brother, and to his family by the closest ties of earthly kinship. While the field mourns with the family our great loss, we have the fullest confidence that soon we shall meet him, when the message has finished its mission. He fell at his post in the triumph of faith, in the midst of his most active labors, and at a time when he was laying plans for a vigorous campaign in response to the Lord's call to work the cities. Sister Williams and four boys, the eldest nineteen years and the youngest eighteen months old, are left to mourn their loss. While we humbly bow in loyal submission to the will of God beneath the heavy stroke that has fallen upon us, we arise in faith to close up the ranks, and press the battle more vigorously until the work is finished, and the Master returns to bid all who are faithful in their labors to enter into rest. Our International Bible Training School
By Ole Andres Olsen
RECENTLY I spent a few days at Brooklyn, N. Y., with our International Bible Training School. From the standpoint of numbers, show of buildings, and other things that are looked for in a school, this training-school is a small affair. Our school is two small flats in a tenement house, our enrolment is sixteen, and our class recitations are conducted in the schoolroom in the basement of the German church. Nevertheless this small beginning has great significance. The enrolment of sixteen represents eight different nationalities. Part of the time is used in study and recitation, while another part is employed in active work in the city, the students going out with our literature among the various nationalities. With only two or three exceptions, these students have had no previous experience in actual field work. The reader can realize what a difficult task it is for inexperienced persons to take up work with our literature among the various nationalities in a great city. Therefore we feel greatly encouraged by the good experiences they are having, and the willingness we find among the people to buy. In this respect the results are more than our highest expectations. The greatest difficulty we have met with is that the supply of foreign literature in the branch office of the Review and Herald in New York City ran out so fast, and it takes considerable time to get a new supply from Europe. We are also in need of more literature in various languages; this is a matter of the greatest importance, and must have immediate attention. The Lord has surely gone before us in a providential manner, opening the way for the presentation of the truth among the many nationalities of this great city. The work among the Italians is making interesting progress. Meetings are now being conducted in New York and Brooklyn with a good interest. We are also meeting with success in the Slovak-Bohemian work both in Newark, N. J., and in New York City.15The Hungarian part of the work has been moving rather slowly; but at the present time there is an encouraging increase in the attendance at the meetings and a desire to hear the truth. The work is also opening among the Russians. Elder A. Boettcher has invitations to speak in several churches among them. In fact, he can not begin to answer the calls that come to him for work among these various nationalities. Brother H. R. Johnson is also giving special attention to assisting in the Italian part of the work in connection with giving Bible instruction in the school. Both Brethren Boettcher and Johnson feel very much encouraged by the outlook. It is evident that as we take these forward steps, the providence of God is opening the way more rapidly and more favorably than our highest expectations. In this we also see the fulfilment of what the Lord has been telling us,—that if we would but go forward, and take up the work, the providence of God would go before us and open the way. We greatly rejoice in the success that the Lord is giving us in this difficult task. We ask the prayers and the sympathetic interest of our people for the work among the hundreds of thousands of these many nationalities that are groping in darkness in our great cities. We hope the time will soon come when we shall be able to open a similar work in other large cities in this country. THE right of the state to eliminate the saloon has sometimes been questioned, and that, too, by people who really oppose the use of intoxicating liquors. When there is considered, however, the influence of the saloon upon the community, the fact that it stands as the greatest menace to orderly conduct, and contributes not only to the downfall of man morally, but affects in a very large and direct degree his civil acts as well, the right of the state to eliminate the saloon from the community can hardly be questioned. The Herald and Presbyter thus comments upon this point:— The question of the saloon is not the question of the use of intoxicating liquors by the individual. It is the question of tolerating, in a community, a place where men congregate to drink, and, in a maudlin condition, utter profane language, tell bawdy stories, and concoct all sorts of mischief, and from which they come forth to infest the streets, and to make themselves nuisances. Because the saloon is a menace and a nuisance, it must go; and every man or woman who cares for the good order of society, and wants to see a better day for those who are now making themselves the mudsills of humanity, must be found among those who are seeking to banish the saloon from the face of the earth.
Special Course for Ministers and Bible Workers
By M. E. Kern
“The time demands greater efficiency and deeper consecration.” And surely there never was a time when there were such urgent calls for well-qualified laborers as now. With unwarned millions in the regions beyond, and with the great cities of the home land calling for help, surely it is a time to pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers. “With such preparation as they can gain, thousands upon thousands of the youth and those older in years should be giving themselves to this work.” Our schools are God’s appointed agencies for the training of workers. The Foreign Mission Seminary has from the first given special attention to the training of mature young people who can spend but a short time in school. The success of last year’s special course, and the unprecedented demand for ministers and Bible workers, not only for foreign lands but for the great cities in the East, has led the board of managers to provide for a similar course this year, beginning January 23, and continuing eighteen weeks. HISTORIC AND PROPHETIC REVIEW.—This is an advanced class in the study of the great truths of the third angel’s message. The class is planned especially for those who have had some experience in the work, or who have taken the regular Bible and history work in one of our training-schools. BIBLE DOCTRINES.—A study of the doctrines of the Bible by topics. Designed for Bible workers, nurses, canvassers, and all who need a thorough grounding in the fundamentals. PASTORAL TRAINING.—This is a class for the training of ministers. Attention is given to all that pertains to the preacher’s work. One day each week is given to public speaking in the class, and the students do practical work in holding meetings and conducting Bible studies in and about the city of Washington. BIBLE WORK.—The long-neglected work of training Bible workers is now taken up vigorously by the Seminary. An experienced teacher and Bible worker is giving her whole time to the training of young women for city work. Readings are prepared, and plans of work studied, in connection with regular class work, and one day each week is given to practical work in the city of Washington. REFORM EPOCHS.—This class will study the Protestant Reformation and the French Revolution. These great epochs in the history of Europe and of the Catholic Church should be thoroughly understood by all who take part in the work of the last great reformation. GENERAL HISTORY.—Those who have never studied history, and desire a briefer course, may study the Roman16empire, the Middle Ages, and the modern age, in the general history class. SPECIAL ENGLISH.—Next in importance to the truth itself is the manner in which it is communicated. How often has the work of God been marred by the careless and incorrect use of the English language! This class will be adapted to the needs of those who take it. The fundamentals will be reviewed, and attention will be given to the correction of common errors in spoken and written language. JOURNALISM.—An advanced class in English for those who desire special instruction in writing for the press. GREEK.—Many a progressive minister has a worthy ambition to know the language in which the New Testament was written. A thorough knowledge of Greek is a great advantage to the Bible student. Such a knowledge can not be obtained in eighteen weeks, but we have arranged to have the teacher of Greek in the Fireside Correspondence School teach this subject in the special course, and the students will have the privilege of going right along by correspondence when they leave the school. This is a great opportunity. HYGIENE, SANITATION, ACCIDENTS, AND EMERGENCIES.—These are subjects that should be understood by the gospel worker, that he may properly care for his own body, help others to understand the laws of health, and assist those who are in distress. Classes are also in operation in hydrotherapy, which can be taken by those who already know something about the subject. BOTANY.—This regular Seminary class is open to special course students. BOOKKEEPING.—A very practical subject for Christian workers is bookkeeping. A good knowledge of the fundamentals can be obtained in eighteen weeks. DENOMINATIONAL HISTORY.—The advent movement itself is a wonderful sign of the soon coming of Christ. Every worker should understand the providences of God in connection with the rise and progress of this message, and the place in the work of God on earth which it occupies. LECTURES.—One hour each school day is given to lectures on “Denominational Organization and Work,” and “The Bible Versus Human Philosophy.” These lectures, by men who stand at the head of our denominational work, are a special feature of the work of the Seminary. MISSIONS.—For those who are especially interested in foreign missions, there are classes beginning in the study of the far East, India, Africa, Latin America, and Mohammedan fields. OTHER CLASSES.—Aside from the classes mentioned, all the regular literary, scientific, or mathematical classes are open to special course students. (1) Workers who desire better equipment. To many who are new in the work, a course of systematic study and practical training under an experienced teacher will do much to insure success. (2) Mature persons, whom God is calling to leave secular pursuits to enter his work, and who are not provided for in our union conference training-schools, will be welcome here. (3) Graduate nurses who need a few months of earnest and systematic Bible and history study to enable them to enter the Bible work. All whom God is now calling should respond to such special opportunities for preparation. The regular expenses at the Seminary are about $17.50 a month, and one hour’s work each day. Opportunity can be given to a few to earn part of this by extra work. For further information address the undersigned at Takoma Park, care Seminary, Washington, D. C. Among the Last Letters Elder J. C. Little Wrote His Wife
By J. C. Little
CHARKULLI, July 29, 1910. “This is the first opportunity that I have had out here in the jungles to write you a letter, so I will start in when we left Gopalgunge, day before yesterday. We left somewhat after two o’clock, and after an hour or so found ourselves in a stretch of rice-fields, reaching as far as we could see in the distance, and covered from two to several feet deep with water. The villages were quite thickly dotted over the fields, and looked as if the ground had been thrown up for the houses to be built on.
“We had thought we would get to Patriahghatta by evening; but somehow we made slow progress, as a rain-storm came on about dark, so we stuck down some bamboo, tied the boat to them, and prepared to spend the night. The boys lighted a fire in the end of our boat, and also in Brother Podar’s, and proceeded to cook dinner, as none of us had had anything to eat since about noon. Brother Podar had prepared our breakfast before eleven; for some reason Brother Watson did not get around in time, so I waited till twelve, and then decided not to wait any longer, as I had eaten nothing that day except two mangoes, which I had bought on the steamer; but just then Brother Watson came in, so we ate together. Well, we had dinner that night about eight o’clock. I felt no untoward results.” “The next morning, long before I got up, they were well on the way to Patriahghatta, getting there about eight or half past. We first visited a brother and his wife and two little girls, one ten and the other five years of age. They are the only Christians in their little village, but there is a large family of Christians half a mile away. As the first brother has no boat, he does not see them very often. There is another family of Hindus living next to him, and that makes up their little village. Patriahghatta is made up of about a hundred of these villages, some of them being large, and some small like this little one.” “The next place that we visited was the large family referred to, about half a mile away. This family is in fairly good circumstances; but not having had a visit from our people for five years, since L. G. Mookerjee lived in Gopalgunge, before he went to America, they had given up the truth. We had a meeting with them, and organized a Sabbath-school there. They promised to obey the truth, and said that if regular work could be carried on by a worker, a number of Hindus would be converted. The poor people are like sheep without a shepherd. They have a number of young people, and want a school.” “Then we went to visit a young brother and his wife and little child, also his wife’s mother, who is with them. Though alone, they had been faithful to the truth. We had a meeting with them, then left Brother Podar’s boat, and went on about a mile to see another brother. Baroda stayed behind to prepare breakfast. We found this brother, with his wife and five children, ranging in age from a boy about eighteen to a baby about a year and a half old, and we had a little meeting with them. They also will join, as far as they are able, with the above Sabbath-school. By the time we had returned, it was after noon, and we had our breakfast. We then started for Jamilla, which we reached shortly before dark. Here Brother Darak, who was baptized at our conference, is living, with his family, and some others also who are following the truth to a greater or less extent. There are a number of children and young people here, and they want a little building that can be used as church and school. We held a meeting there this morning, and about twenty-five persons, besides children, were present. We organized a Sabbath-school.” “We just arrived here before I began this letter, which was a little before twelve o’clock, and our breakfast will be ready soon. We got some milk and eggs taken from the cow, so it ought to be on the way this morning; saw the milk boys good. Eggs are rather hard to get, or have been thus far. We have been kept in so close on the boat that at every possible opportunity we have gotten off and walked; but last night was our first opportunity to get a good walk. Then we used a brother’s yard to tramp back and forth in for about an hour.” Seoul, Korea
By Rufus C. Wangerin
It is now decided that we shall remain in Seoul for at least another year. Our plans were to locate in some new station south of here, but all our efforts to get away have been fruitless. We shall have to wait until funds can be secured to buy and build. Language study keeps us busy most of the time. We have had a splendid series of meetings during the past month. We had a good interest and fair attendance to the last. One week ago Sabbath, our whole company, sixty-two in all, in a special car, rode singing to the Han River, where Elder C. L. Butterfield baptized thirteen dear souls with whom we had labored during the past year. This filled all our hearts with joy. Elders as Pastors
By E. K. Slade
FAITHFUL, godly men are needed as elders in our churches. I do not know what could have a greater influence for good or for evil, as the case may be, in connection with the movement with which we are connected, than the sort of men who serve as elders in our local churches. An elder is not simply an officer placed in a position to be recognized as a head; but a true elder stands as a spiritual leader and guardian of the flock. All that a true shepherd should be in the way of protecting, feeding, and safely leading his flock, the elder, in a spiritual sense, is to be to the church. Many elders have been contented to have the responsibility placed upon them, but they have failed to bestow the kind of labor required upon members of the flock who were in danger. There are many in our churches who should be labored for in a kind and careful way; there are also those who should be counseled, and cautioned, and even corrected, in a kindly spirit; but too often cases needing such help are neglected until they have wandered far away, and complications come in until there seems to be no remedy for the condition that exists. Prompt and proper labor by an elder and such associates as he might call in, would no doubt save many who drift away. With such care, too, many defeating church difficulties might be avoided, which bring a reproach upon the cause, consume the valuable time of our ministers, and bring discouragement to many souls. The importance of the elder’s work has been underestimated. The strength that his faithful work should bring into the cause has not been fully realized. Where there is a wide-awake, intelligent, consecrated, and caretaking Christian elder, there is a prosperous church. A whole conference of such churches will represent a state of prosperity meaning much to the cause. The elder who acts as a faithful shepherd, giving much time to prayer and to faithful personal labor for his flock, is filling a place of great importance in connection with this closing work, and he may be sure that his labors will not be in vain. No faithful elder will be contented to see members of his flock habitually remaining away from public services, and coming far short of what should be required of church-members, without promptly investigating their cases, and laboring for them with a love that wins. Usually the one wanderer calls for more solicitude and painstaking labor than do the ninety and nine that seem to be safe within the fold. Too many times it is taken for granted that the younger members of the flock are perfectly safe, when they should have special care. Shepherds are required not only to feed the sheep, but also the lambs. Many times the lambs receive so little attention that we could with no reasonable expectation hope for them to stand. If you have accepted the eldership in one of our churches, dear brother, you have consented to enter upon a work that affords splendid opportunities for laboring for souls, and for advancing the cause that we all love. May the Lord make you a true shepherd of the flock. E. K. SLADE.