Review and Herald, Vol. 28, No. 26.
Apostolic, Versus Modern, PreachingPage 1
Apostolic, Versus Modern, Preaching.
WHEN the apostle Paul came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews, he went in unto them as his manner was, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. There is something suggestive in this. Paul was desirous of convincing the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, and so he pursued the only plan likely to attain that object, he reasoned with them. But that was not all. The style of his reasoning demands our attention. He reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. He did not reason about the Scriptures. He reasoned out of them, a very different thing. It is quite common to reason about the Scriptures. It is not quite so common to reason out of them. Many infer from certain pre-conceived ideas, that the Scriptures teach thus and thus, but it is not every one that is prepared to back his opinions by a Thus saith the Lord. I met a case of that sort some time ago. Conversing with a man, I found he believed in the world's conversion. I asked him what scriptural authority he had for believing that, and the gist of what he said amounted to this, that the gospel was from God, it had done much good in the world already, and therefore, it was destined to convert the whole world at last. The reasoning was not very sound at best, but it had this fatal defect that it was not out of the Scriptures, it was only about them. The truth of the second coming of the Lord is frequently treated in the same manner. When we press the importance of attending to that truth, and point out that the Scripture tells us to watch, wait, and look for the Advent of Jesus, we are frequently told that if we are prepared for the coming of death, we are prepared for the coming of Christ. The reasoning may be plausible, but it is not sound. It is at best only an inference. It is not taken out of the Scriptures. It is interesting to notice what the Scriptures say upon this subject, and what was the style of apostolic preaching so far as that is put upon record. For example, we are told that Paul and Barnabas came to Salamis and preached the Word of God in the synagogue of the Jews, Acts xiii, 5. Here was reasoning out of the Scriptures with a witness. They preached the Word of God. They did not preach about the Word of God, they preached the Word of God itself. Neither did they preach what learned men said about the Word of God. They preached the Word of God itself. There was no lack of commentation in those days any more than there is in ours. We read for example of one Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, and a man had in reputation among the people, and we know that Paul was acquainted with him, for he was brought up at his feet. But we do not find that when he came to Thessalonica he reasoned out of the writings of Gamaliel, he reasoned out of the Scriptures. Nor when he came to Salamis did he preach Gamaliel, he preached the Word of God. What does this mean? It means that his aim was to let his hearers know what the Word of God contained. I do not imagine that Paul came to the Word of God with a ready-made theory and then set to work to call texts, and string them together in order to give that theory an appearance of Divine sanction. Such things have been done, are now, but such was not the manner of him who was wont to reason out of the Scriptures. He was not accustomed to preach the opinions of Paul of Tarsus. He took another plan, he preached the Word of God. Perhaps an example of his preaching will best show how he handled this matter. He came to Antioch in Pisidia, and according to his custom, went into the synagogue, and upon being invited, he arose and spoke. You will find his sermon given at some length in Acts xiii, and as a sample of apostolic preaching, it is worthy of study. Men of Israel, he says, and ye that fear God give audience, and then he goes on to tell them—what? Why, what their own Scriptures contained. Reminding them that God chose their fathers, delivered them out of Egypt, and brought them into the land of Canaan, he first refers to the reign of the judges, then to the erection of the kingdom in the person of Saul, the son of Cis, and then to the establishment of the royal house of David. Having traced their own history thus far, he then tells them that of David's seed God had according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus. After a brief reference to John the baptist, as the forerunner of Jesus, he makes them aware of the vast importance of the coming of Jesus to themselves in these words, “Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.” He then refers to the conduct of the rulers, and of Pilate in crucifying Jesus, carefully taking note that they fulfilled what was written of him in the Scriptures, and then he speaks of his resurrection and the evidence of it. Having thus rehearsed these scriptural and historical facts, he proceeds to show that God in sending Jesus had fulfilled his promise to the fathers, of which he gives several proofs, and concludes by telling them that through Jesus was preached unto them forgiveness of sins, and warning them from the Scriptures of the awful danger they would incur if they rejected the Saviour. Such is an outline of the sermon, and when we consider it, what is the idea that presents itself to our minds. It is this, that Paul was preaching the Word of God, and nothing but the Word of God. He was doing with the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, what he did with the Jews of Thessalonica, he was reasoning with them out of the Scriptures. The whole address is an appeal to scripture and to fact. There is nothing of the nature of an essay in it. He preaches the word of God, not the opinions of man. He does not reason about the Scriptures, he reasons out of them. But this is not all. We are told what the effects of this sermon were, and we find that they were twofold. “And,” it is said, “the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God.” Here was a blessed result and one well worthy of our attention. Paul was a great orator. It is true that speaking of himself he says that his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible, but that saying was the result of his humility. His speech was far from being contemptible. He is spoken of by ancient historians as an excellent speaker. But we are not told that the people crowded to hear him. They came for another and far nobler purpose; they came to hear the Word of God. If what the Scriptures say about Paul lets us see how preachers ought to preach, the statement here made teaches us how hearers ought to hear. The preacher should preach the Word of God, and the people should come to hear it. But there was another effect produced by Paul's preaching, “When,” it is said, “the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” It is very clear from this statement that it was not the Word of God the Jews wanted. Had Paul come in his own name they would have revered him, but seeing that he came in the name of Christ, they rejected him. And in rejecting Paul, they rejected more than Paul, for we are informed that when they acted in this manner, Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, “It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken unto you, but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” There is something very suggestive in these words. Paul and Barnabas preached the Word of God to these Jews, and they rejected it. And what followed? That they thereby passed judgment upon themselves as being unworthy of everlasting life. That was not Paul's doing, it was theirs. It was they themselves that condemned themselves to perdition. All unwittingly they passed the sentence of condemnation upon themselves. But mark how they did it. It was by putting the Word of God from them. It was, be it carefully noted, by rejecting not the word of Paul, but the Word of God. I think it would be well if ministers would pay attention to this fact. I have more than once heard preachers say from the pulpit that their hearers would be responsible to God for202every sermon that they heard. The saying is subject to considerable limitation. I entertain much too low an opinion of the general run of sermons to give it a universal application, and greatly doubt if any man incurs much responsibility by listening to a dreary essay, read in a monotone. I remember hearing one minister of my acquaintance making that assertion, and yet some time afterward he complained to me that some of his hearers thought they had got a great triumph over him when they found that he took his ideas from Matthew Henry. Now we do not read that men judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life because they put Matthew Henry's Commentary from them. They only do so when they put away the Word of God. And the Commentary of Matthew Henry is not the Word of God, neither does it in every case give a correct exposition of that Word. For example, we are told in Daniel ii, 34, that the stone smites the feet of the image, and breaks them in pieces, and the inspired commentary gives us to understand that this symbolizes what the kingdom of Christ will do to the kingdoms of the earth, for it is said, “it shall break in pieces, and consume all these kingdoms.” Verse 44. But Matthew Henry says that it shall wear away these kingdoms, which is quite a different thing. Now as according to his own confession, my friend was preaching Matthew Henry rather than the Word of God, I doubt if he was justified in saying that his hearers would have to answer to God for every sermon that he preached them. And the same line of remark applies to more than him. If Paul had preached Gamaliel to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia would he have been justified in saying that they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life because they put away his word? The preaching of Commentators is the bane of the Christian church. We hear a great many complaints in the present day about the poverty of the pulpit and the much poor matter which is enunciated there. I do not wonder at it. How can men preach good sermons if they depend upon others for their thoughts? Let a man pursue that course for any length of time, and he becomes a mental slave. God may have given him a measure of originality and a capacity for searching into truth and making it plain to others, but of what avail is such a priceless gift if he subjects himself to the will of another? He is cramped, cribbed, confined within the limits of that other's opinions, and cannot think for himself. He cannot exert his God-given powers. Matthew Henry, or Adam Clarke, or Thomas Scott sit heavy upon his soul. Says a Presbyterian minister of my acquaintance to another, “Do you know that Matthew Henry is against you?” Of course his meaning was that, therefore, that other must be in the wrong. Says a Methodist minister to me, bringing out a volume of Wesley's works, what time we were discussing the subject, if I remember aright, of the world's conversion, “That's what Wesley says,” and so of course the matter in his opinion was settled. “What is your opinion of this passage?” asked an acquaintance of mine of a Methodist preacher. “Adam Clarke says so and so,” was the answer. “I would not like to differ with Dr. Chalmers,” said a Scotch lady in a solemn tone of voice, as if such an act of independence had been closely allied to sacrilege. And so the world wags. Matthew Henry, John Wesley, Adam Clarke, Thomas Chalmers, and such like reign supreme, and their word must not be disputed. They govern the pulpit, the pulpit rules the pew, and so the church is subjected to a terrene instead of a celestial influence. The noble Bereans tested the teaching of an inspired apostle by the Word of God, and were commended for so doing, but the man who in our day would venture to do the same thing with Adam Clarke or Matthew Henry, would run some risk of having his orthodoxy called in question. This is an evil state of matters. Water drawn fresh from the spring is pleasant and refreshing, but if it stands long in an earthen vessel it becomes vapid. So with preaching. The Scripture is a well of living water, sparkling, sweet, refreshing, good. The Commentary contains a portion of that water mixed with earthly matter. Go direct to the spring. But alas, many have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.
—Advent. Herald. I tremble as I ask,
Is my name there?
Once on a brighter day
I seemed to hear him say,
“Cast off thy care,
My triumphs share,
My blood has sprinkled thee divine,
And thou, poor mourner, art forever mine.” An answer I must have—
Is my name there?
O, if thou wilt respond
And say, “It is,” what fond
Delights I’ll share!
What burdens bear!
No cross too heavy for the load
Of him whose name is written with his God. Surely upon Thy hands,
O Son of God,
And on that crimson tide
That stained Thy pierced side,
The thorn, the rod,
The pathway trod
Up Calvary’s heights, thy name was traced,
In living light that can not be erased. No intelligent person can carefully examine the Bible without being convinced that it bears the impress of the Mind that controls the destiny of mankind. The history of the world is but a repetition of scenes that passed before the prophet’s vision. Babylon with her strong walls, her majestic columns, her hanging gardens, her unparalleled wealth, extent, and grandeur, has fulfilled the dreariest predictions of Isaiah. Nineveh, with her frowning towers and colossal structures, has her history in the sad pictures of Nahum. The story of the Arabian nation is briefly told in the wonderful prophecy concerning Ishmael. The succession of the Persian, Grecian, and Roman monarchies, the establishment of the Papal kingdom, the dispersion of the Jews and their unhappy destiny, exhibit the wonderful scope and accuracy of the prophet’s vision. The ships of Tarshish have howled for Tyre, and the ocean sings above her a perpetual dirge. Capernaum, once exalted to heaven, is brought down to hell. The foxes have walked upon Zion. The prophecies of Jesus the world is fulfilling. Humanity itself is a prophecy. To the inconsiderate no doctrine seems so improbable as that of the resurrection of the dead. Says the geologist, the time was when the whole earth was a creation of inert, dead matter. Whence then the living tides that people and re-people its vast area? A resurrection! “From dust thou art.” Our very existence is prophetic of the day when those that sleep in the dust shall hear the voice of God. The discoveries of modern science are prophetic. “The earth,” says Peter, “and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Only a one-hundredth part of the earth’s diameter, says the geologist, is in a solid state; the rest is fire. “The disappearance of some stars,” says Prof. Vince, “may be the destruction of that system at the time appointed by the Deity for the probation of its inhabitants,”. The tempest, the volcano, and the earthquake are prophecies: each speaks of a coming day. Dies iræ, dies illa,
Solvet sæclum in favilla. It was morning in Lisbon, and the sun dissipating the fog, shone brightly out on the broad expanse of picturesque dwellings, spires, and towers. The air was calm and warm. The streets filled, the marts of trade bustled, the people thought only of their pursuits and pleasures. Suddenly a subterranean thundering began. Six minutes passed, and the city was a ruin, and sixty thousand human beings were buried beneath it in a common grave. Such scenes are prophetic foreshadowings. “What manner of persons ought ye to be?”—N. Y. Independent. Once upon a time, Frederick, King of Prussia, surnamed “Old Fritz,” took a ride, and espied an old farmer plowing his acre by the wayside, cheerfully singing his melody. “You must be well off, old man,” said the King; “does this acre belong to you, which you so industriously labor?” “No sir,” replied the farmer, who did not know that it was the King. “I am not so rich as that; I plow for wages.” “How much do you get a day?” asked the King. “Eight groschen,” said the farmer. “This is not much,” replied the King; “can you get along with this?” “Get along, and have something left.” The farmer smiled, and said: “Well, if I must tell you, two groschen are for myself and wife; with two I pay my old debts; two I lend; and two I give for the Lord’s sake.” “This is a mystery which I cannot solve,” replied the King. “Then I will solve it for you,” said the farmer. “I have two old parents at home, who kept me when I was weak and needed help; I keep them; this is my debt toward which I pay two groschen a day. The third pair of groschen, which I lend away, I spend for203the children, that they may receive a Christian instruction; this will come handy to me and my wife when we get old. With the last two groschen I maintain two sick sisters whom I would not be compelled to keep; this I give for the Lord’s sake.” The King, well pleased with this answer, said: “Bravely spoken, old man! Now I will give you something to guess. Have you ever seen me before?” “Never,” said the farmer. “In less than five minutes you shall see me fifty times, and carry in your pocket fifty of my likenesses.” “This is a riddle which I cannot unravel,” said the farmer. “Then I will do it for you,” replied the King. Thrusting his hand into his pocket, and counting him fifty new gold pieces into his hand, stamped with his royal likeness, he said to the astonished farmer, who knew not what was coming: “The coin is also genuine, for it also comes from our Lord God, and I am his steward.” The Lesson of the Water-wheel.
Listen to the water-mill;
Through the live-long day—
How the clinking of its wheel
Wears the hours away.
Languidly the Autumn wind
Stirs the greenwood leaves,
From the field the reapers sing,
Binding up their sheaves;
And a proverb haunts my mind,
As a spell is cast,
“The mill can not grind
With the water that is past.” Autumn winds revive no more,
Leaves that once are shed,
And the sickle can not reap
Corn once gathered;
And the ruffled stream flows on
Tranquil, deep and still,
Never gliding back again
To the water-mill.
Truly speaks the proverb old,
With a meaning vast,
“The mill can not grind
With the water that is past.” Take the lesson to thyself,
Loving heart, and true,
Golden years are fleeting by—
Youth is passing, too;
Learn to make the most of life,
Love, while love shall last;
“The mill can not grind
With the water that is past.” Work, while the daylight shines
Man, of strength and will;
Never does the streamlet glide
Useless by the mill—
Wait not, till to-morrow’s sun
Beams upon the way,
All that thou canst call thy own
Lies in thy to-day;
Power, and intellect, and health,
May not always last;
“The mill can not grind
With the water that is past.” Oh! the wasted hours of life;
That have drifted by—
Oh! the good that might have been,
Lost without a sigh—
Love, that we might once have saved
By a single word,
Thoughts conceived, but never penned,
Perishing unheard;
Take the proverb to thyself,
Take, and hold it fast,
“The mill can not grind
With the water that is past.” Clinching a Sermon.
By Sel.
I HEARD a sermon once from a venerable itinerant preacher on benevolence. I thought the effort very lean, but one thing impressed me a little. “Go,” said he, “and do something after I have done preaching. Have it to say when I come back four weeks hence, that you have done something, and my word and God’s word for it, you will be a better and a happier man.” I knew a poor widow living on the edge of some woods about a mile from my home. Her husband had been dead two or three years, and with three helpless little girls she had a hard conflict with poverty. I had often spoken kindly to her, and thought my duty ended when the words were uttered; but when the sermon of the old white-headed preacher was done, the resolution was formed to go and do something. Next day I visited the cellar, and measured out a bushel of potatoes, a bushel of apples, and a variety of other things, and having put them into a wagon, started for the cottage of the widow. A load of wood for which I paid three dollars, preceded me. An hour’s drive brought both loads in front of the house, and when my explanation was given there were wet eyes and warmer hearts in both parties. The widow wept for joy and the children joined in while I, finding my feelings too much for my strength, had to give way also to tears. The act was one that gave me a new spiritual start; and when the preacher came back I thought the discourse one of the most eloquent I had ever listened to. The change was in myself, not in him or his preaching.—Sel. Union with Jesus.
By John Matteson
“He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” The great secret of all true happiness and success lies in a constant union with our Saviour. If a branch of the vine is separated from the stem it withers very quickly. Likewise when our union with Jesus is in any way disturbed, it injures our spiritual life; and if that union ceases, we cease to be the children of God. But the more we become acquainted with Jesus, pray to him, trust in him, love and obey him, the more our disposition will be moulded after the mind of Jesus, and we shall bring forth much fruit. The disciples of Jesus bore much fruit, some more and some less. Paul sounded the gospel trumpet to the ends of the earth. He preached more, wrote more, suffered more, and gained more souls than any other apostle. And besides this he labored with his own hands both for himself and those that were with him. I stand amazed! I bow in holy admiration! I drop a silent tear and mourn because of my own debility and the degenerate age in which we live. How deep have we fallen! Our bodies are debilitated. Our minds beclouded. Our faith, oh, how weak! Yet, after all, it was the union with Jesus that made Paul abound in every good word and work. Is it not possible for us also to abound in good works? Must we always live at this poor, dying rate? Can we not also enjoy the smiles of Jesus in these last perilous times? Yes, blessed be God! Jesus is the same yesterday, to day, and forever. Even in these last days have we seen the patience of the saints developed. Faithful soldiers of the cross have lifted up the gospel banner and given the trumpet a certain sound. Some have sacrificed their property, others their health and strength, in the cause, and a heavenly work has been wrought in the hearts of many. Some of those have died in the triumph of faith, and others are still waiting for the coming of the Just One. And now a reform is going on which will prepare us for the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the loud cry of the last message. But this is an individual work. Let none rejoice in it except those that are willing to join it. Many of us who say it is a good work have only half begun the reformation. We need more firmness to carry out the principles of the law and the gospel in our conversation, in our deal with our neighbors, in our family, and in our meetings. It is no use to thank the Lord for the Testimonies in the church, and then forget or disregard the same. Dear reader, if you want to be more zealous and firm, abide in Jesus. Go to him for wisdom and strength, and you can have it. Many think if their circumstances were only different from what they are, they could serve the Lord better. But very often their circumstances are no better because they are backward in religion. They often put more trust in man than in God! They do not cast their burdens on the Lord. They do not feel that he has a tender care for them. And often our very burdens are the rod of our kind heavenly Parent, correcting his wayward child. Then if we do not like so many stripes, let us try to be good. And this we can be only when we can be in Jesus. Others are afraid to sacrifice. They can always find means to make themselves comfortable, or increase their property; but they can find little or nothing to help the cause of God. And how difficult it is for such to find any object for their benevolence. “The people at the printing office charge such high prices for their papers and tracts. They make money on their books. And Bro. Aldrich wants to get rich, for he makes always such urgent calls for money when any one is behindhand.” Brethren, we need more union with Jesus. Come, let us make a covenant with him by sacrifice. Let us give a little more of our time in devotion to the Lord, and a little more of our means. Then the Lord will reward us accordingly. The mighty God of Jacob can easily bless us in health and strength, in the house and on the field, in numerous different ways. But he can also curse us and take away all temporal and spiritual prosperity, until nothing but bitterness fills our soul. Brethren take time to pray; take time to worship; take time to live right before God, and prepare for Heaven. Abide in Jesus. Humble yourselves and confess your sins before him. Trust him and love him. Then you will also bear more fruit to his glory, until we may meet and dwell forever with the saints in the kingdom of Jesus. Poy. Sippi. Wis. Nov. 12, 1866. Consumption.
By John Wilson
As the word consumption is a terror to mankind, I have thought that my experience with that disease, might be of benefit to some. It is generally thought that when a person is taken down with this much-dreaded disease, death is certain. This is not always the case. By strict obedience to the laws of health, and a trust in the promises of God, even the consumptive may get better. One year ago last April, I was taken down with the bronchitis, which ran into the consumption. I consulted an eminent physician. He thought I was past help. I constantly grew worse till fall, when I was taken with hemorrhage of the lungs. I had ten, the last leaving me very weak. But in answer to the faithful prayers of God's people, and by strict obedience to the laws of health, my life was spared, but I was very low with a constant cough through the winter. I had one more hemorrhage in the spring. I then called for the elders and they followed the directions of James v. 13, 14. The Lord heard prayer and blessed us. I was greatly strengthened and encouraged, but was again brought under the power of the enemy and seemed to grow worse for a while. But my trust was still in God, and my efforts were to live hygienically; and I began to gain. My cough ceased; and in July last, I began to labor. I have been steadily improving since that time, and am now able to do a moderate day's work. I have reason to praise God for the light on the health reform. I have been very strict in my diet, and have eaten only two meals a day. My treatment has been, water, air, exercise, and rest. God has blessed the means and I am now recovering my health. And I mean, by the grace of God, to try to live to his glory here, and with all the redeemed be counted worthy to enter that land where there will be no sickness, sorrow, or death. One Sabbath morning, the Rev. Richard Watson, when engaged in preaching, had not proceeded far in his discourse when he observed an individual in a pew just before him rise from his seat, and turn round to look at the clock in front of the gallery, as if the service were a weariness to him. The unseemly act called forth the following rebuke: “A remarkable change,” said the speaker, “has taken place among the people of this country in regard to the public service of religion. Our forefathers put their clocks on the outside of their places of worship, that they might not be too late in their attendance. We have transferred them to the inside of the house of God, lest we stay too long in the service. A sad and ominous change?” Proposed Union of the Greek and Roman Churches
The Greek patriarch of Constantinople, is reported to be negotiating with the pope for the union of the Greek and Roman churches. Napoleon favors it, and his scheme involves the transfer of the papal seat from Rome to Jerusalem. There is something in this that appeals to the imagination, and if it is practicable, it will be a great thing for the pope. Rome Reportedly to Join Italy
It is reported that when the French troops evacuate Rome, the Romans will immediately vote in favor of being annexed to Italy. Comfort in Patient Endurance
“It is comfortable,” says Philip Henry, “to reflect upon an affliction borne patiently, an enemy forgiven heartily, and a Sabbath sanctified uprightly.” How Manifold are Thy Mercies.
By D. B. STAPLES
How good the Lord is to the children of men. “He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” But how little do the most of us realize his goodness, long-suffering, and tender mercy. How tenderly he watches over his own children, those who love and fear him. What a fatherly care he ever manifests toward those who try to do his will. I have not been half thankful enough for the mercies, blessings, and privileges with which I have been favored, and to-night I have been blessed with another sweet, precious privilege. I thank God that my lot has been cast in so pleasant a place, where I am permitted to meet from time to time, with some of the chosen people of God. I am aware that there are many who are not thus blessed. I can sympathize with them. At our little prayer-meeting, through the goodness of God, Bro. Shaborn was permitted to be with us, and though we were but few in number, yet the Lord was with us by his Holy Spirit; and while our dear brother was presenting to us the Christian's duties, taking Paul's stand-point as given in his letter to the Colossians, chap. iii. 14, “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfection,” his remarks came home to my heart with great force. 1. Where this bond of perfection or love should begin. At home in the family, from thence it would emanate toward our brethren and sisters, and thence to our neighbors and friends, and thus on, till it embraced the whole human family. May God enable us to carry out this great principle of love, which Paul says is above all, and stands at the head of all Christian graces. And truly if the countenance is an index to the soul, I think we may confidently expect to see, by the grace of God, an advance step in this direction, by those at least who were present; and as love begets love, others will follow in the wake. Some of us have been making an effort in this direction; and now we hope to make greater progress. We were also reminded of what Paul further says about charity, or love, to his Corinthian brethren, “Charity suffereth long and is kind.” It must be elastic and well mixed with kindness. This was truly meat in due season to me, because I am trying to reform in this direction, and I have received fresh courage. Bless the Lord! What though some may have a companion, or children, or brothers, or sisters, or friends, who do not endorse our views, who do not give place to these great truths in their hearts, and perhaps oppose and ridicule! “Love suffereth long, and is kind.” Ever bear this in mind. Oh, what a glorious theme is love! God is love. My prayer shall be, Lord imbue my heart with love, let it permeate my whole being. May the Lord aid me, and all the dear brethren and sisters here and elsewhere, to “put on charity.” D. B. STAPLES.
Johnstown Center, Wis. On Faults and Forgiveness
“He that tells you of others’ faults, will tell others of yours.” “Forgive us our debts,” is the prayer of every selfish person, but he makes every one who owes him, pay to the uttermost cent.