Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 29, 1881
General Articles.
By Ellen G. White
THE MOTHER A MISSIONARY.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
An important missionary field is opened before the mother. The humble round of duties which women have learned to regard as a wearisome task, should be looked upon as a grand and noble work. It is the mother's privilege to bless the world by her influence; and in doing this, she will bring joy to her own heart. She may make straight paths for the feet of her children, through sunshine and shadow, to the glorious heights above. Let the mother go often to her Saviour, with the prayer, Teach us, how shall we order the child, and what shall we do unto him? This simple petition, breathed from the heart of the finite, will find its way to the heart of the Infinite. If the mother will but heed with care the instructions already given in the sacred word, she will receive further light and knowledge as she shall have need.
It is only when she seeks in her own life to follow the teachings of Christ that the mother can hope to form the characters of her children after the divine pattern. In every generation there have been corrupting influences to blight and contaminate. Fashion and custom exert a strong power over the young. If the mother fails in her duty to instruct, counsel, and restrain, her children will naturally accept the evil and turn from the good. God would have parents enter upon their work with energy and courage, and prosecute it with fidelity. Whatever he has made it their duty to do, he will give them wisdom and strength to accomplish.
While they should, above all else, train their children for the future life, parents should by no means neglect to prepare them for the present life. The mother should study how she may best train her sons and daughters to become useful and happy members of society. She should remember that every habit formed, every thought or feeling cherished, every act performed, however unimportant, will either promote or hinder the accomplishment of this object. The Lord desires that we should enjoy the blessings with which he has surrounded us, and that in all the acts of our lives we should express our continual gratitude. We can do this, not by neglecting and abusing his gifts, but by putting them to a wise and noble use, by exerting a right influence over our fellow-men, by reforming wrong customs, instead of following them. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart." It is only in pursuing a right course that light and gladness attend our path.
Society is molded by the influence of the mother. She may be wholly occupied within the narrow limits of her home, apparently engaged in life's humblest duties; yet if she does her work as well as she may do it, in the fear of God, she is gaining greater victories than the leader of armed hosts. She may send forth from her home young men and young women strong in right habits and firm principles. The upright deportment and unblemished morals of her children will be a blessing to the church and to society.
God brought the Israelites from Egypt that he might establish them in the land of Canaan, a pure, holy, and happy people. In the accomplishment of this object he subjected them to a course of discipline, both for their own good and for the good of posterity. Had they been willing to deny appetite, in obedience to his wise restrictions, there would have been no feeble ones in all their tribes. Their descendants would have possessed both physical and mental strength. They would have had clear perceptions of truth and duty, keen discrimination, and sound judgment. But the requirements of God were disregarded then as they are disregarded now. The people were dissatisfied with the simple, wholesome food which had been provided by their Creator. Habits of self-indulgence brought the sure result,—degeneracy and decay.
God's commands are never designed to make men unhappy. They are the dictates of infinite wisdom, goodness, and love. While they secure the glory of God, they also promote the happiness of men. His restrictions are a safeguard against the pravities of heart and corruption of life. The appetites and passions, indulged without restraint, enslave and degrade the higher and nobler powers. Intemperance in eating and drinking leads to the indulgence of the animal passions. And those who, understanding the effect of their course, indulge appetite and passion at the expense of health and usefulness, are preparing the way to disregard all moral obligations. When temptation assails them, they have little power of resistance. This was the cause of Israel's continual backsliding; and it is the reason why there is so much crime and so little true godliness in the world to-day. The only path of safety is the path of daily restraint and self-denial.
Nothing but the power of God, combined with human effort, can accomplish the work of ennobling and uplifting our race. Had men been willing to learn the lessons which God had given them, successive generations would not have deteriorated so greatly in physical, mental, and moral power. Christ, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, had spoken again and to Israel for their good; but they had not heeded his voice. Again he appeared to Manoah and his wife with definite instructions concerning the course she should pursue to insure physical and moral health to her offspring. God had a work for the promised child of Manoah to do,—a work which would require careful thought and vigorous action. It was to secure for him the qualities necessary for this work that all his habits were to be carefully regulated. There are to-day many statesmen, senators, lawyers, judges, and others in responsible positions, whose physical habits have been, nearly all their life-time, at war with natural laws. At the outset of their career, these men may have possessed rare intellectual powers; but the precious gifts have been soiled and dimmed, and in too many cases buried in the mire of self-indulgence. He who will observe simplicity in all his habits, by restricting the appetite and controlling the passions, may preserve his mental powers strong, active, and vigorous, quick to perceive everything which demands thought or action, keen to discriminate between the holy and the unholy, and ready to engage in every enterprise for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity.
It is the mother's work to train, to educate, and to discipline. While she seeks to store the mind of her child with useful knowledge, let her fortify the young heart with good principles. There is missionary work to be done at home by the fireside. This important field is neglected because the difficulties to be met; because the work requires labor and self-denial. But will not the result compensate for the sacrifices made, the efforts put forth? Are souls in heathen lands more precious than souls at home? It is indeed a matter which should concern us, that in foreign lands young girls are growing up to wifehood and motherhood knowing nothing of their duties to themselves, to their children, or to God. But should we not at the same time give some thought to the fact that the girls of America are almost wholly destitute of that knowledge and training which would make them useful and honored as wives and mothers? Would that we could lead mothers who are now worshiping at fashion's shrine to become missionaries at home, training their children to become an honor to God and a blessing to humanity. Would not our Maker look upon such a work with approval?
There is a wide field of labor opened before every mother. If her work is wrought faithfully, in the fear of God, it will bring forth fruit unto eternal life. The mother's work should begin at home. This is the fountain-head from which her influence and usefulness should flow. If her duties here are discharged with fidelity, she will see all around her fields where she may work with the best results. And by-and-by those words from her Master will fall as sweetest music upon her ear—"Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
"SIMPLE CONCERNING EVIL."
By Editor
"I would have you simple concerning evil," says Paul writing to the Romans. It is better that we should live in childish ignorance both of the secret and the science of sin. There is no use of learning that which we intend to have nothing to do with, or of handling tools which we do not propose to use. We don't want even a bowing acquaintance with sin; for it will certainly improve the first opportunity to shake hands with us, and very soon call upon us in order to cultivate our acquaintance. "Be not deceived; . . . evil communications corrupt good manners." The sight of sin familiarizes us with its face, and so tends to lessen our abhorrence of it; and the least communication, whether by thought or by word, with evil, helps to lessen our aversion to that evil.434
It is not true in the matter of sin that familiarity breeds contempt. The shadow makes us acquainted with a substance. Therefore we are to "abstain from all appearance of evil."
And yet it is well for us to remember that just the opposite idea is very largely in vogue, even among Christians. We have heard such sayings as this: "I let my children go once or twice to the theater when they are young, so that they may know what it is, and so they will not be likely to care to go afterward, since their curiosity has become satisfied." And we heard of a Christian father saying, not long since, "I keep wine on my table in order that my children may become familiar with the taste and sight of it, and then they won't care for it when they grow up." That is certainly not according to the code of Paul and of Jesus Christ. "I would have you simple concerning evil." It is certainly just according to the satanic school of instruction; for that school lays out for a very gradual training in sin. The remoter senses of sight and hearing are first tamed, before a closer contact with taste and touch are attempted. "You can see a thing and hear a thing, and yet be far enough away for safety," it is said. And so the evil one concedes our proposition, and does not attempt to come nearer to us than an ear-shot at first, or closer than the longest range of eyesight. And he gets permission to hang alluring pictures all along the shop-windows, and to post the conspicuous signs of his trade upon the wayside, and to fling snatches of his music among the crowd upon the streets, and to breathe out the incense of his worship in the smoke and odors of conviviality, which emanate from fashionable resorts of pleasure.
As yet he has come no nearer than sight and hearing and smell. The senses of experience, taste and touch, have not yet been assailed. But these graduation into the higher degrees of evil is not hard, when once we have consented to become a candidate. It is not the hideous and repulsive features of evil which I most fear in our great cities. It is the artistic shapes, and the delicate outlines, and the most modest suggestions of impurity which are everywhere brought to the front. It is the rudimentary training in evil, the songs and sights and pictures and plays, which are just sufficiently tinged with suggestions of sin to make them apt teachers to thought and imagination, that are inclined to be led astray. The outposts of virtue and temperance are quietly captured from those who have been too careless to guard them, and in a little while the citadel is stormed, and the enemy comes in like a flood.
The college of evil, alas, graduates a larger portion of those that enter upon her earlier courses than the college of good; and for the reason that she graduates downward instead of upward. The natural desires and affections are like water: they run down hill easily enough; but it takes a constant pumping and a powerful lifting to make them run up hill. And the tempter only asks for a slight lowering of the grade of virtue, and a little rift in the obstructions to evil, in order that he may turn the whole current of a man's life downward. Ah! there is the thing to be dreaded in our social life—the endless arts and contrivances for rendering the young acquainted with evil. The neutral pleasures and enjoyments that serve as go-betweens to introduce men to positive sin, and mild fictions, and captivating plays, the barely questionable pictures and engravings, the just doubtful ministrants to taste and appetite—here, on this border-land of virtue, is where we need to build our forts and defences. We are greatly struck with the recent statement of a young man that there are houses which distribute certain mild cigarettes and certain neutral beverages among the clerks entirely gratuitously, simply from the conviction that they are thereby planting a crop of appetites which in a little while will yield them a rich harvest of customers. And that is good economy. "Whatsoever a man soeth that shall he reap." The great husbandman of evil is not going simply to attend to the harvest that grows spontaneously for his sickle. He is a great planter as well as a great reaper. "And while men slept," says Jesus, "the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat"—the invisible germs of evil concealed in the good seed of sin put into the true grain of righteousness. Never does he shock men by the sight of pure wickedness and unmixed sin. Every lie he propagates he conceals in the husk of truth. Every drop of poison which he instills he dilutes and dissolves with a vastly larger per cent. of pleasant nourishment. And he imposes on us because we think that a little grain of evil is harmless, provided it be overbalanced by a far greater proportion of good. Oh, to learn the great lesson that even the knowledge of evil is dangerous. And it is dangerous because it is a deceptive object, seen through a deceptive medium. If with pure reason and cool logic we could study sin, and analyze its secrets, it might be an advantage. But that is not the way in which men do look at it. For one who studies sin under the microscope of cold and unimpassioned reason, like the theologian Muller, there are ten thousand who study it with a heart inclined to evil. And "the heart," we are told, "is deceitful above all things," and therefore it is certain to be a poor student. It colors that sin with a hue of its own desires; it invests it with the charm of its own passions; it minimizes it with its own excusing affections. And thus the acquaintance with evil is a deceptive and misleading acquaintance, and an acquaintance which is almost certain to lead into fellowship and indulgence.
A great painter said, "I do not allow myself to look at a bad picture for fear my brush may take a hint from it." Would that such a rule were generally followed. A great university brings out an old Greek play, and all the city is stirred with excitement over its performance. The play is founded upon a grossly immoral story. But there is the lesson of retribution running through all the plot, and this is counted a sufficient reason for calling the young to witness it, and raising a great excitement in polite and literary circles over its rendering. An immoral story with great pomp and circumstances of art and scenic splendor, for the sake of the underlying moral! When was there greater need of emphasizing and enforcing these deep words of the apostle than now? "I would have you simple concerning evil."—The Watchword.
HOLD ON! HOLD IN! HOLD OUT!
Hold on, my heart! in thy believing;
The steadfast only win the crown.
He who, when stormy waves are heaving,
Parts with his anchor, shall go down.
But he whom Jesus holds through all
Shall stand, though earth and heaven fall.
Hold in thy murmurs, Heaven arraigning!
The patient see God's loving face.
Oh, bear thy burden, uncomplaining,
'Tis they who win the Father's grace.
He wounds himself who braves the rod,
And sets himself to fight with God.
Hold out, there comes an end to sorrow;
Hope from the dust shall conquering rise;
The storm fortells a sunnier morrow,
The cross points on to Paradise!
The father reigneth; cease all doubt;
Hold on, my heart, hold in, hold out.
—From the German.
THE COMING GLORY.
By W. L. Saunders
THE following is extracted from a sermon on "The Two Resurrections," by W. L. Saunders, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Cambridge, Ill. We copy from the Christian Herald.
THE SECOND RESURRECTION.
"The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." (Rev. 20:5). "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them; and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every man according to his works," (verses 11-13).
Daniel speaks of it as a "resurrection of shame and everlasting contempt." Jesus calls it "the resurrection of damnation." Those who die in their sins are to be raised, they are to receive their bodies back again, to receive punishment in the same body in which they sinned. Awful thought! Christ himself says, "These shall go away." From whom? From God, from Heaven, from hope, from peace. To what? "To everlasting punishment." Oh, friends! what solemn truths are these? Will you not ask your heart this moment, Which resurrection shall I share in?
How shall I leave my tomb?
With triumph or regret?
A fearful or a joyful doom,
A curse or blessing meet?
Now I hope it is clear to your minds from what I have shown you from the word of God: 1. that all are to be raised; 2. that the first resurrection takes place when Jesus comes; 3. that only those who died in Christ are to be raised when he comes; 4. that the resurrection of all the remaining dead does not take place till the close of the millennial age.
THE TRANSLATION.
Now, for a brief time, I will speak of another important event which the Holy Spirit tells us will occur in connection with the first resurrection of Old and New Testament saints, viz., the rapture or translation of living believers. In 1 Thess. 4:15, Paul writes: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent (or precede) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Not only have we this precious truth revealed, but God has furnished us with more than one literal illustration of that wonderful change which "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," will pass over each living believer when Jesus comes. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found because God had translated him, for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Heb. 11:15). Enoch was taken out of the world before the judgment of the flood came, a type of what Jesus promises to do for those who, like Enoch, have faith and walk with God. Elijah, also, was carried up bodily into heaven.
And then, consider our Lord Jesus Christ himself. In his resurrection we have a pledge of the resurrection of all who sleep in him when he comes,435and in our Lord's ascension we have a pledge of the rapture of those who are alive and believe in him. So that our Lord Jesus Christ is not only in his resurrection the first fruits of those who sleep, but in his glorious ascension bodily he is also the first-fruits of those who shall be alive and remain. Dear hearers, what a comfort is this for those who go down to death, as well as for those who remain. Christ's resurrection is a comfort for the dead, because they will not be forgotten.
Asleep in Jesus! Time nor place
Affects this precious hiding-place;
On India's plains, or Lapland snows,
Believers find the same repose.
And Christ's ascension is equally comforting to us, because in it we have a pledge of our translation, and that we shall not be forgotten.
Then when Jesus comes he will bring our friends with him. Many of you have lost friends. They died in the faith of Christ. Yes—they that sleep in Jesus, God will bring with him. Be of good courage, ye who are called to mourn; here is solid comfort for you. Jesus says: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." They shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Then will come that long-looked-for and happy hour when all the Old and New Testament saints shall be resurrected, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; then we shall meet the saint and his Saviour, and we shall indeed see him whom we loved on earth.
Oh, what a sight will that be! The Bridegroom meet the Bride, and receive the kiss of friendship. John forecasts this happy scene, (Rev. 19:6). "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!"
This was Paul's intense desire, to see each and every believer walking holy and blameless before God. To the Corinthian brethren he says: "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Cor. 11:2). My hearers, are you robed in this fine garment of Christ's righteousness? Can you say,
Jesus thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress,
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH.
Many interesting questions might be asked here relative to the rapture of living believers. But the Holy Spirit has not seen fit to answer all our questions. Some will ask, But where will the resurrected and translated saints be? "They will be forever with the Lord,"—that's enough. But where will they go? With the Bridegroom, of course. "These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Of course a large portion of the church will experience death and resurrection, but some will be alive when Jesus comes, and the world will be moving on the same then as now, with this difference, that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." (2 Tim. 3:13). And because latter-day iniquity abounds on every hand, as we see it to-day, "the love of many will wax cold" (Matt. 24:12), and many within the church will have the form of godliness, but deny the power. (2 Tim. 3:5).
Evil servants, who profess to love their absent Master, will say in their hearts, not "My Lord will not come at all," but "My Lord delayeth his coming;" and they will cease to watch and be sober. And what then? "The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him off (marg.) and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 24:51). And it will not be very long, for "He that shall come will come and will not tarry." Jesus says, "Behold I come quickly. Amen." The glorious day draws nearer and nearer, and when that solemn hour arrives the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Paul closes by saying, "Comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:18). Poor comfort this to an infidel, to a rejecter of God's dear Son. Poor comfort to all whose sins are not washed away by faith in the precious blood of Christ; but it is sweet comfort to you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled, and have laid hold of the hope set before you in the gospel. My dear Christian friends, what can be a greater incentive to a holy, active life than this thought, "My Master may come to-day?"
And be sure and remember, while you work for Jesus, what the Holy Spirit has said, "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19). The world lies guilty before God, never so guilty as to-day, because it never had so much gospel light; but God has made ample provision for all in Jesus, and all who will may come.
Oh for a trumpet voice,
On all the world to call;
To bid their hearts rejoice
In Him who died for all.
For all my Lord was crucified:
For all, for all my Saviour died.
"And now, little children, abide in Him; that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:28).
PERTINENT QUESTIONS.
THE following letter, which we take from the Review and Herald, was first sent to the World's Crisis for publication, but was not noticed by that paper. Since the paper advocates both sides of nearly everything else, it would have been no more than fair for it to have published this. The questions are very plain, and we think that our readers will have no difficulty in solving them for themselves:—
DEAR BRO. COUCH: I have been an interested reader of the Crisis for years. Its pages, filled with the stirring truths for these times, have been a source of pleasure and profit to me. But of late I see some things in regard to the Sabbath which perplex me a good deal.
The positions taken by the different writers on this subject do not seem to be as harmonious as those taken on the nature of man, the coming of the Lord, etc. For instance, one writer will claim that the Sabbath was simply a Jewish institution, a part of old Hagar, and was done away at the cross; while another stoutly maintains that the Sabbath, as an institution, was made for man, and the only change was in the time of its observance, which was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week. Not only so, but the same writer in the same article will frequently make contradictory statements. For example, in Crisis of March 30, 1881, Bro. Preble says that the Saturday-Sabbath was confined to the Jews, and no person was required to keep it outside of Palestine; "but let no one think (he says in the same article) that we are without a Sabbath in this dispensation; for the Sabbath was made for man."
This perplexes me. The Sabbath was made for the Jews only. The Sabbath was made for man. It seems to me that Christ referred to the ancient Sabbath when he said, "The Sabbath was made for man," for the Sunday-Sabbath did not then exist. I am puzzled to understand why Bro. Preble, as well versed in the Scriptures as we know him to be, should say that the Scriptures never required any one outside of Palestine to observe the old Jewish Saturday-Sabbath. Is it possible he has forgotten that the Lord's chosen people were required to keep it in the wilderness for forty years before they reached Palestine? Has he forgotten the gentleman that went out to gather sticks on the Sabbath day? Perhaps he thought with Bro. Preble that he was in the wrong latitude to observe the Sabbath.
But why call it the old Saturday Jewish Sabbath? Why not call it the old Sunday Jewish Sabbath; for if, as Bro. Preble claims, in different years it fell on different days of the week, it would surely come as often on Sunday as Saturday. Again, I am puzzled to know why Bro. Preble does not use Scriptural terms in speaking of the Sabbath. The Scriptures never say, The old Saturday Jewish Sabbath; but "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Quite a difference! Why does Bro. Preble step aside from the Scriptures to find a term of reproach for the Lord's Sabbath?
In Isa. 58:13, we read: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him," etc. Here we find that, 1. God calls the Sabbath his holy day; 2. He tells us to call it a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and 3. If we do so, we shall honor him; and it is a mystery to me that Bro. Preble and other writers in the Crisis refuse to do so, but stigmatize it as the old Saturday Jewish Sabbath, etc. It seems to me there is a lack of harmony between them and the will of God on the Sabbath question.
Again, I am perplexed that the old Sabbath was made for the Jews only, and the new Sabbath was made for the world. The ancient Sabbath was made for man. (Mark 2:27.) It was made in the beginning. (See Gen. 2:1-3.) But I have never found the Scripture that tells me the new Sabbath was made at all, or that God ever rested on it or blessed it, or commanded that it should be kept holy, or that any prophet or apostle observed it as a Sabbath, or taught its observance in any way. Perhaps Bro. Preble can give us light on these points.
But what is most perplexing of all is, Bro. Preble claims the first day to be the seventh day. Of course he believes, with everybody else, that Saturday is the seventh day of the week; then he has two seventh days in a week of seven days. How can this be? Surely Bro. Preble has things sadly mixed on the Sabbath question.
In conclusion I will say, other readers of the Crisis in this vicinity are perplexed in regard to these things, and some have already begun the observance of the ancient Sabbath; and one reason why they do so is because of the lack of harmony and consistency in the articles on the Sabbath that appear from time to time in the Crisis. Why cannot the brethren who write for the Crisis be as harmonious, consistent, and logical on the Sabbath question as on other Bible subjects? Will you please explain through the Crisis? Yours in Christ, I. R.
IS DEATH THE GATE TO GLORY?
That theory which claims that death transforms the saint into an angel, and transfers him to an angel's home, is subversive of the doctrine of a future resurrection, and either denies, or makes of no importance, the second mission of Christ to earth. If an angel's home can be gained without a resurrection; if eternal life and immortal glory can be gained without a resurrection, what need of a resurrection? If saints go to Christ at death, why need he ever come again? This theory makes death the door to glory. But did the inspired servants of God present death in this light. Nay, verily.
1. God threatened to chastise Moses for acting imprudently at the rock. Because of this Moses was told that he should not enter the land of Canaan, but should die before reaching it. That is, according to the immortal soul theology, God was to chastise Moses by not letting him enter Canaan, but sent him straight to Heaven. Would Moses not have been pleased with such chastisement? Would it not have been offering a premium for misdemeanor? Again, we see Moses climbing the rugged mount to get one glimpse of the land before dying. But Moses could have saved himself that trouble and labor, if he had only known (which some now pretend to believe) that his keen-eyed ghost was immediately to soar over that land and "view the landscape o'er."
How much of a chastisement would it be to a man who was laboring for a hundred dollars to be told that in consequence of a misstep which he had made, he should not have the hundred dollars, but should have a million dollars? Just as much as it would have been to Moses, who was laboring to enter Canaan, to tell him, in consequence of a misstep, he could not enter Canaan, but might go to glory.
2. Hezekiah, a man who had a "perfect heart," was informed that he should "die, and not live." Isa. 28. If he had believed that death was the door to glory, this would have been a cheering message to his soul; but "Hezekiah wept sore." Would a saint weep when told he should immediately go to Heaven? Is an entrance into Heaven to be dreaded? But hark! he prays death to be deferred. Thus, if death is the door to glory, he prayed that he might have the privilege of staying out of glory a little longer! In answer to this prayer God "added to his days fifteen years." That is, if death is the door to glory, God permitted him to stay out of glory fifteen years longer.
3. Daniel, "a man greatly beloved," and an inspired prophet of God, received intelligence that he must be put to death with the wise men of Babylon. Dan. 2:13. If Daniel had believed that death was the door through which his soul or ghost should fly directly to glory, would not this information have elated his heart with transporting delight? But how did it affect him? He goes to praying that he may be empowered with wisdom to reverse the decree that required his death. If death is the door to glory, Daniel is certainly praying to obtain the chance of staying out of glory! Is glory thus to be shunned? Finally prayer prevails, and Daniel's wisdom removes impending death; that is, if death is the door to glory, God gives Daniel wisdom enough to shut the door of glory against himself!—Sel.
BE TRUE.
By Horatius Bonar
Thou must unto thyself be true,
If thou the truth would teach;
Thy soul must overflow, if thou
Another's soul would reach;
It needs the overflow of heart
To give the lips full speech.
Think truly, and thy every thought
Shall the world's famine feed;
Speak truly, and each word of thine
Shall be a fruitful seed;
Live truly, and thy life shall be
A great and noble creed.
—Horatius Bonar.
A NEW VIEW.
A GROUP of young men, students in —University, gathered one evening in the room of a "new fellow," had met there by agreement to try by persuasion, ridicule, or flattery to induce him to join in an expedition they had planned for the following night.
The young man was cordial and polite, joining merrily in their lively talk, but when at last the "ruling spirit" ventured upon the real object of their call, he became cold and dignified, and declined most decidedly to accede to it.
"Come, now, this is too thin," exclaimed Smith, his anger rising, and throwing off all disguise; "we shan't take no for an answer, unless you can give reasons why it would not be 'healthy.' Scruples, isn't it?" with a sneer.
"Yes," said Lawrence, frankly, "it is 'scruples and scruples,'" laughing.
"Well, then give us a few, can't you, old fellow? It's pa and ma first, I suppose!"
"Exactly, Smith, or perhaps I should say that was 'secondly.' 'Firstly' would be that calling myself by the name of Christ, I consider myself as bound to honor and obey my leader.
"Secondly," and the young man arose and stood very straight and tall before his fellow-students, "my parents!"
"Now, fellows, suppose I was in the employment of a merchant, would you consider it a fine, manly thing for me to conduct his business, as far as it was left in my hands, with a total disregard of his wishes and rules?
"Well, then, would it be 'smart' in me to open his money-drawer and help myself to its contents, expecting that he would kindly overlook my little imprudence, and continue me in his service?
"Well, tell me, please, how is it any better, any smarter, to abuse the confidence of our best friends, squander their money, and worse than all, bring shame and sorrow upon their gray hairs!
"It seems to me, fellows, that it must be an awfully mean, an utterly base thing, to first break your mother's heart, and then go around boasting, 'I'm not tied to my mammy's apron-strings.'"
"No, friend Smith, while I consent to receive my father's money in getting my education, I will at least try to be honest in using it.
"When I get through with that, and am able to earn my own salt and clothes, then if I wish to have a good time, by ruining my body and soul, I shall at least have the satisfaction of paying for it myself."
The young men all at once remembered that they had "an engagement," and abruptly left such unprofitable materia!.—Sel.
Show in the Window, Stock in the Warehouse
It is not always the most brilliant man who does most good. An old merchant, whose two sons had just finished their theological studies, when questioned as to their respective ability, said quaintly, but pleasantly: "George has a better show in his shopwindow than John; but John has a larger stock in his warehouse."
The Nobility of Earnestness
The earnest men are so few in the world that their very earnestness becomes at once the badge of their nobility; and as men in a crowd instinctively make room for one who seems eager to force his way through it, so mankind everywhere open their ranks to one who rushes toward some object lying beyond them.