1. What is one of the apostle’s final injunctions?
“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.” Verse 10. Note 1.
2. What are we to put on?
“Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Verse 11. Note 2.
3. With whom is our warfare?
“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Verse 12. Note 3.
4. In view of this, what does he again enjoin them to do?
“Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.” Verse 13. Note 4.
5. How are they to stand girded?
“Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Verse 14. Note 5.
6. How is the Christian soldier to be shod?
“And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Verse 15. Note 6.
7. What is to be his shield?
“Withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.” Verse 16. Note 7.
8. What is the protection for the head, and the weapon of offense?
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Verse 17. Note 8.
Note and Comment
1. “Be strong.”—Literally, be made powerful. The Christian soldier’s strength is in his God. He may be as strong as Samson; but unless he obeys the Master, he will be made as weak as was Samson when he disobeyed. God not only exhorts to strength, He is willing to give it. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Again: “Let him take hold of My strength, . . . and he shall make peace with Me.” “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you.” Men are made strong by feeding upon the Word, by exercising the strength which they obtain by prayer to God, keeping the channel of life open between themselves and the great Giver.
2. “The whole armor.”—We are not to leave off any part of it. The soldier must be clad with the armor of God—the apostle makes it emphatic—and only so can he stand against the wiles, not of humanity, but of the devil.
3. “Our wrestling is not.”—The men that fight in this world usually fight against their own flesh and blood. The pugilist in the ring knows something of the man that he is to meet, endeavors to do all that he can to learn his tricks, and to get all the tricks he can that the other man knows nothing about. So it is with the wrestler; so it is with the great armies that are put in the field. But it is not so with the Christian. His fighting is not with men like himself. He might in such case have equal part and chance in winning the victory, but his foes are greater than that. They are not flesh and blood, but they are the principalities, the mighty angels which fell. They are the powers, these that Satan has sent abroad into the world. They are the world-rulers of this darkness, Satan’s agents who are determining and molding and fashioning the world and worldly governments so as to make it the more difficult for the children of God. His spiritual hosts of wickedness profess to be in the heavenly places, and Satan himself is the “prince of the power of the air.” In every form, in every way, by every wile which the master of iniquity has used in all the ages, will he still seek to destroy the people of God, and the only way by which the subtle and powerful foe can be met is by the exceeding power of God clothed in His armor.
4. “Wherefore.”—Wherefore take the whole armor; take it that ye may be able to stand in the evil day. It may not be to-day, and may not be to-morrow; but it may be next day, and it may be this day. We do not know when the enemy will attack, we do not know when he will let us rest for a while; those who are prepared for the now, and for the hour, will be prepared for all his attacks. Consequently the armor is not to be laid aside. The soldier himself is to wear it day and night. Having done all on his part, then he may well stand.
5. “Stand . . . girded.”—If he is to stand, he must have on the various parts of the armor, and first of all the apostle places truth. That is the girdle of the loins. That it was which held all the armor in proper place, so as to enable the soldier to fight. Without truth, all the other parts of the armor may be false. All of them may be wrongly bound, and the girdle will break; and the soldier will be slain, or disabled, by his own weapons, unless he have truth for the girdle. “Breastplate.”—The breastplate covers the heart. Righteousness must be in the heart first of all. Only as it is in the heart is it worked out in the life.
6. “Having shod your feet.”—Not with shoes of war are the feet of the messengers of Christ shod. They do not come to bring war. He does not send them out into the world to carry with them war. Men may war against them, and war against the message which they bear, but they themselves must bear the message of peace. The gospel is the gospel of peace to sin-discouraged hearts; but that peace is based in righteousness, and it must be first of all with the throne of God, peace which the world does not give, and peace which the world can not take away. This is the message of peace which God’s soldier is to carry.
7. “Shield of faith.”—The shield was formed of metal, or tough rawhide, held on the arm of the soldier in front of him, which caught the darts or arrows hurled or shot by the enemy. The Christian has the shield of faith. Faith grasps Jesus Christ, his blessed Lord, and faith puts Christ and the invulnerable Word between him and the enemy which may meet him, but he can endure all his darts. It is Christ, in such case, that the enemy is to meet, and the soldier fights with his Master.
8. “The helmet.”—Salvation is placed in the helmet, and the helmet covers the head. In the modern religion of the day, salvation is generally placed in the heart, and is a matter of feeling. There are thousands who will tell you that they are saved, and they know they are saved, because of the feeling which they have in the heart. But next week they are downcast because they do not have the feeling there. Christ is the same, God’s salvation is the same, His terms are the same, but the feeling is changeable. What is indicated in placing salvation in the helmet, the helmet covering the head, the seat of the mind? It seems very clear to us that God would have His children understand that the hope of salvation is an intelligent hope, and the helmet of salvation indicates that the child of God knows that God will save, because he knows that he himself complies with the requirements of the Master, and he knows that the Master’s word can not fail. “The sword.”—This is the only weapon of offense which the Christian has. All these others are armors of defense. They clothe and cover the vulnerable parts from the enemy. But he may use the sword, which is the word of God,—the sword of the Spirit. He will find of necessity that many times it will have to be turned in his own heart, and slay the foes which are in the town of Mansoul, which may have yielded to Prince Diabolus. With this he will also meet the enemy when he comes from without. Even so our Lord met him, and when the devil’s temptations came to Him, they were met each time with “It is written.” “Thy word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”
“The Earth Was Filled with Violence”
By T.
Photograph by Underwood & Underwood
Upon a certain occasion, the Master was asked the questions by His disciples, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Matt. 24: 3.
In the discourse which He presented in answering these questions we find these words:
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matt. 24:37-39.
Thus we have the authority of the great Teacher for the fact that the world at the time of His second coming will be in the condition that prevailed just before the Flood in the days of Noah. The conditions then called for the destruction of the world by water; and according to God’s plan as expressed by Peter, “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3: 7.
The Master specifically mentions some of the conditions that prevailed in the time of Noah. They were “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,” right up to the very day that
Noah entered into the ark; and the text says they “knew not until the Flood came.” In other words, they were going on with the ordinary affairs of life; they were all absorbed in its work, its pleasures, and its frivolities, and so much so that notwithstanding the fact that Noah, the preacher of righteousness, had been earnestly giving them the warning sent from God, still they did not know what was coming. But they might have known if they had taken pains to heed the warning.
The conditions that existed in the time of Noah, and which the Master says will be repeated just before His second coming, are more fully set forth in the sixth chapter of Genesis, where that particular time is under consideration. The text says:
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Gen. 6:5, 11-13.
Man’s “wickedness was great.” “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” and “the earth was filled with violence.” Twice over is this statement made, showing that the conditions of violence in that time must have been very intense. Now just so surely as God’s word is true, and just so surely as the Lord Jesus has the infinite power of viewing the future and disclosing conditions through His attribute of prophecy, just that surely may we know that as the end approaches, violence will be one of the world-wide conditions upon this planet.
We would not have any one get the idea that we are affirming a theory or that we are forming speculations. We are presenting the teaching of the divine word of the infinite Christ. He has uttered the prediction. Now the thing for us to do is to study what He says, and compare His sayings with the actual facts. Of course this prophecy in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew that we are considering is only one of the many prophetic declarations in the word of God, and all these declarations are harmonious in telling us that we are living in the very end of this world’s history, and that the next great event is the second coming of Christ in person. When that event is pending, according to the words of Christ Himself, the conditions will be as they were in the days of Noah, and the Word is explicit in saying that in that time there was violence in the land.
We need only refer to the pictures on this and the following page to show that the conditions prevailing everywhere are uttering their premonitions of the violence and rioting that is slumbering in society in all parts of the world. Of course if these pictures represented scenes that were isolated or very uncommon it would not become us to make mention of them or to say that they were in any way significant. But those scenes in Paterson, New Jersey, are merely representative of conditions that are world-wide. A bitter strike in Cincinnati has just been settled. Another very stubborn one is in progress on the Pacific Coast. Then there is the difficulty in Virginia. And we may pass on to England, to Spain, to France, to Germany, to Japan, and all the other countries of the globe.
Men, women, and children in the Paterson, New Jersey, bread line established by the “I. W. W.” for feeding the Paterson mill strikers and their families
These turbulent contentions are temporarily settled only to break out elsewhere in a more determined way, and the subject-matter for violence and warlike strife is becoming more and more pronounced and more and more prevalent in every part of the world. We are, so to speak, in the very beginning of these things; and these conditions will get worse and worse until the situation finally will be such that it will demand the personal presence and the omnipotent power of the great Creator to bring it to an everlasting end. The word of God is clear upon this. We should recognize its great notes of warning; and recognizing these notes of warning, we should prepare for the issue that lies before us. For if we are prepared for it, the great event of the second coming of Christ is the happiest, the most glorious, and the most to be desired of anything that has ever visited our planet. He who is the desire of all nations is about to come; and for those who are ready, He will be their glorious Redeemer, and will bring them the joys and the powers of immortality. T.
Education in Sex Hygiene
By T.
WITH the above for a heading, the Journal of the American Medical Association has the following strikingly significant and important paragraphs:
“Recognition of their responsibility has resulted in a marked awakening of physicians to their obligations as leaders and teachers in the science of keeping well. The essence of preventive medicine is education, and physicians, by virtue of their training, experience, and ideals, ought to be leaders and teachers. Yet until within a few years their responsibilities were not recognized in the prevention of venereal disease and education in the hygiene of sex.
“The earlier policy of silence and repression in regard to these matters is fast changing not only on our part but on the part of parents and educators. The sinister menace of venereal disease can hardly be overestimated. In the United States 770,000 males reach early maturity annually. At least 60 per cent, or 450,000 of these young men, will at some time become infected with venereal disease, 20 per cent before the age of 22, 50 per cent before 25,11and over 80 per cent before they pass 30. This is the morbidity among males reaching 16 in any one year. Each succeeding year adds a similar group to the aggregate.
“Syphilis and gonorrhea undoubtedly surpass in prevalence all other infectious diseases combined, and their immediate and disabling effects fall most heavily as the most active and productive period of life. Gonococcus infection alone is responsible for 80 per cent of all deaths from inflammatory diseases peculiar to women, 75 per cent of all special operations on women, and over 60 per cent of all the work done by gynecologists; 50 per cent or more of these infected women are left irremediably sterile, besides the number whose offspring are still-born, premature, weakly, diseased, or mentally defective.
“Considering the terrible ravages of these diseases and their wide prevalence, our efforts at preventive measures have been woefully inadequate. The community and state assume immense burdens in the care of victims of such conditions as deaf-mutism, mental defectiveness, general paralysis, blindness, and many others. Yet the prevention of a large percentage of these conditions by prevention of syphilis and gonorrhea receives but meager attention. If bubonic plague had but a fractional percentage of the incidence of these diseases, all hands would be joined to drive it out. Cholera in a civilized country to-day is no such social and national menace as venereal disease. We appropriate great sums to fight certain epidemic diseases and to maintain a rigid quarantine against them, but we are only now beginning to wage warfare against diseases which are as dangerous as any epidemic disease and far more dangerous than many.”
“There are various points of attack in this problem and various closely related problems. But there is one point of attack in combating the spread of venereal disease which is justly regarded by many experienced workers as the most vital and strategic, and this is the education of the young. There has been an upheaval in pedagogic and social sentiment in the last few years regarding the question of sex-teaching in home, school, and college. Conventional prejudice against such teaching is giving way rapidly, and results are already beginning to appear. Educators are coming to believe that these subjects have a rational and vital place in the educational system.”
The figures in these paragraphs are authentic beyond question, for they come from one of the most dignified and trustworthy organizations of this great nation. The most learned, the most progressive, and the most moral of the physicians of the nation make up the backbone of the American Medical Association. And they have a reputation to maintain, and do not give out figures carelessly. When they tell us that 80 per cent of the male population is afflicted with venereal diseases, they base these figures upon the careful records that are made by reliable practitioners.
The Master has told us, in His word, that in the times just before His coming the conditions in the world would be as they were in Sodom and Gomorrah. We need only to read the records of those cities in the time of Lot to know the conditions that obtained there. They were loaded down with unspeakable vices.
We know that the education that the American Medical Association calls for, and that they are exerting their mighty influence to give, will do something in the way of stemming the tide of this evil. But we are in days when the moral barriers are broken down. Men have stood in the pulpit and taught their higher criticism until they have discredited, in the great mass of humankind, the high standards of morality expressed in the Bible. The standards of the Bible are no longer held as authority by the great masses. On the other hand we have voluptuous luxury and sensuality prevalent everywhere. The education through the theater, and in sensuous songs and literature, and in many other ways that might be mentioned, is breaking down the strong moral standard that this nation had fifty years ago. Things are advocated now as all right that twenty-five years ago would not have been tolerated at all, and these conditions are growing worse and worse.
It is the duty of parents, of teachers, of physicians everywhere to raise a voice of warning. Men of international reputations have joined in associations to assist in putting down this great social evil that the Journal of the American Medical Association proclaims against. They are alarmed over the situation. The voice of warning should be sounded everywhere; and in connection with the warning in regard to the prevalence of this evil, there should also be sounded the warning note in regard to all that it means. This world is rapidly becoming so corrupt that the visitation that was meted out to Sodom in the days of Abraham and Lot is hanging over it by a very brittle thread. God could not be true to Himself and to His great principles of righteousness nor to His plan of salvation and permit these conditions to continue.
T.
Corruption and the Coming of Christ
The governor of New York appointed an individual to investigate conditions in the penitentiary at Sing Sing. The gentleman has made his investigations and submitted his report. He says that he finds the most “frightful” conditions there. “Money has been wrung from persons seeking clemency for prisoners.” “If the commutations and pardons bought were always delivered,” he adds, “there would have been a glint of fairness in the transaction, but in some cases the goods were not delivered.” Official rottenness and grafting is abundantly charged throughout the report, and criminality of this class has come to be one of the great problems of this time. Men who are seeking to be honest and maintain the integrity of the nation find their hands more than full. If this outbreak in Sing Sing were an isolated case, it would not be so bad; but the conditions are general not only in this country but throughout the world. In view of the incontestable facts, how can sane men be so blinded as to believe that this world is getting better and better all the time? God’s word very plainly declares that the world will grow worse and worse until finally it will reach such depths of wickedness that it must of necessity be destroyed. Christ’s second coming is to put an end to all of this kind of wickedness, and the prophecies abundantly show that the time can not be delayed. But if the prophecies were not so clear upon this, we would know of a certainty that the arm of justice of the Almighty must soon strike. God could not be true to Himself and the principles of righteousness and do otherwise.
The Influence of Moderate Drinking
Mr. Roosevelt's slander suit against a Michigan editor has occupied considerable space in the papers, and resulted in his favor so far as overcoming the specific charges that were made against him is concerned. But in the trial, Mr. Roosevelt not only admitted but affirmed that under certain conditions and on certain occasions he did take certain kinds of intoxicating drinks. Mr. Roosevelt's name has been honorably and conspicuously before not only this nation but the world for many years. He is a man who has exerted a very powerful influence; and when these facts in regard to his habits were so prominently brought out in that trial, the liquor interests lost no time in getting out special advertisements in the which they use Mr. Roosevelt's name as high authority upon certain drinks, and they set him forth for an example of the kind of drinking man they prefer. They say that he is one who knows “just what and how much and when he should drink.” The claim has been made that the moderate drinker of high social standing exerts the strongest and the worst influence against temperance. How much better it is for a man to take a positive stand that he will not under any circumstances touch or taste any kind of intoxicating beverage! Then there is no question about his influence being on the right side. He will never have to think of young men who have tried to follow his example of moderate drinking and who have made wrecks of their lives, and broken the hearts of their relatives.
A Light Sentence for Poisoning Patrons
A druggist in New York City was recently sentenced to thirty days in jail for dispensing wood alcohol. It would seem that this was an exceedingly light sentence for such a crime. Wood alcohol is one of the rankest poisons, and this druggist was really administering the possibilities of sure death to his patrons. If severe penalties should be meted out to murderers who waylay and kill people, certainly to a druggist who is found guilty of grossly adulterating his drugs and medicines, the least sentence that could be given would be that he be forever debarred from having anything to do with the drug business. The love of money in this time is making a great deal of trouble everywhere.
Presbyterians on Infant Election
Our Presbyterian brethren, whenever they meet, usually seem to have to discuss the question of infant election. In their recent assembly in Atlanta they decided again, by a vote of 135 to 44, that “all infants dying in infancy are elect.” We wonder what difference that vote actually makes with such matters. If the Bible fully informs us in regard to such questions, the only thing necessary is to study the Bible text. If it does not inform us, why should we say anything upon the subject at all? In religious questions, we do not need creeds, but we do need to understand and know the divine Book.
