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'i^'^ .-

Sparks For Your Tinder

REV. G. R. WHITE, B.A.

YARMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION RY

REV. I). A. STEELE, M.A.

AMUIiUST. N.S.

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... .

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• • • It.

• I

I I ' > >
• , I ' » • '

' ' • • 1 I , i

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Nothing ^reat ever began great. ' '

Joseph Di: m a is ire.

MONTREAL :
WILLIAM DRYSDALE & CO.
1893-

Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year
eighteen hundred and ninety-three, by William Duysdale & Co.,
in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture.

t * • •
• • •

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• • ' •

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■1 •

» » • »

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, » « •

TO THE

CHURCH AND CONGREGATION

OF THE

TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH,

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia,

THIS VOLUME

IS affectionately inscribed by

THEIR PASTOR.

38129

INTRODUCTION.

This is my brotlier's first-born, and it is a child of
promise. It is like the sire, plain, straightforward,
honest, and practical, relieved, as all teaching ought
to be, by glimpses of poetry. Here and there, as at
page 20, in his plea for the Jew, he strikes a chord
that may be called eloquent.

The author is alive ; not a bookmaker because
driven to the literary by failure in public address, but
because he must say his say about the great inoving
forces of these busy last years of the century. He
talks to the college man, inciting liim to question
what God wants of him. He r >unsels the boys and
girls in that friendly, off-hand way ihat young people
like. He will be sure to win them. He deals with
Temperance incidentally and speciJilly. He is an
enthusiastic captain leading a band of young people.
He aims his .select shafts at the silly being who robs
himself in robbing his Lord. He freely uses illustra-
tions, like the great teachers of all ages, and thus
prevents the loss that many teachers suffer. Half

IXTNODCXT/OX

men's labor is thrown away wlicn tlie\' confine them-
selves to the bare truth. " I have used similitudes,"
saitl John Hunyan ; and they have floated his idea
down two centuries, as the downy win^s of the seed.
They would have stuck round the fences of the
Bedford fen-country, if old John had imitated his
prosy brethren ; but he gave them wings and they
soared and sailed to the ends of the earth. The
kingdom of heaven is like a great many things, and
Mr. White has in many forms shewn this. Here is
the dissipated son, broken down on hearing of his
father's kindness in providing for him in his will.
How close the application any one can see ; it is the
old story of the prodigal over again. The " rice
without curry" of the benevolent Karens is like the
homely but beautiful women we all meet. Dr.
Judson's disgust at the sentimentality of thoughtless
Christians is used to point another arrow : " My
hands were almost shaken off, my hair almost clipped
from my head, by those who would let missions die
for want of aid." Books to be read must be illus-
trated by picturings of some sort, and this modest
booklet has this quality.

There is a deal of good gospel in the following
pages, and while the teachings of Jesus infiltrate

IXTKODLXTIOS'.

themselves through every paj^e, we arc especially
invited to belioltl the Man, as in sufferin^js nianifokl.
He dies for us on Calvary.

Tile hook will do you <Tood. It has the vim of
youth in it, of a man determined to help men. The
writer is a i)reacher of righteousness, who believes
that what he says to one of our most intelligent
congregations is good enough to be put into more
enduring f(jrm. He is riglu. The address wliich
will not bear to be put into cold type now-a-days is
hardly worth "believing" at all.

PREFACE.

We are not altogether ignorant of the fact tliat the
literary sea has become very tempestuous. We know,
as a rule, that only the most seaworthy crafts reach their
desired haven. But occasionally some frail bark scuds
before the storm and reaches the harbor, even when
great ships go down. It is with some such hope as
this we launch our little skiflf. And, to waft her on her
way, we breathe the humble, fervent prayer, that the
breakers may not engulf her ; but that some tempest-
tossed seaman, sailing the ocean of time, may take
heart again, as over the crest of the waves he espies
our pennant, and, along with us, casts anchor within

the veil.

AUTHOR.

A
A
C

T
K
P

CONTENTS.

Every Life a Plan of God

The Natural and Supernatural in the History of the

Jews

The Stunted Grace

The Claims of the Church on the Pastor's Wife

The Three Giants

Erring IN Vision — Stumhling in Judgment
The Bihle and Mother on Prohibition

Carey's Missionary Qualities

Paul's Helpers

He Knovveth

"Get Thee TO Shiloh"

At Calvary . .

A Word to the Girls . .

A Word to the Boys

Opportunity

Spare Moments: their Use AND Abuse ....
The Moral Effects of the Stage ....

Kindness to Animals

Paul's Panegyric on Love

I'AGi-:

19
31

99
107

119
127
'37
151
159
173
183
199

!■

EVERY LIEE A PLAN OF GOD.

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED IJEEORE THE STUDENTS OF

ACADIA UNIVERSITY, SUNDAY EVENINc;,

OCTOHER 30TH, 1892.

" What wilt thoii have me to do ? " — Acts Ix., 6.

Our scripture sets before us a young man just
graduating from the schools of his day, much bothered
and perplexed about his future life work — Saul of
Tarsus. He is not alone. There are thousands of
young men and women in this land of ours unsettled
as to the future. For a solution to this great problem
we have Paul's method. It was prayer. " What
wilt Thou have me to do ? " This should ever be the
watchword of every humble, devoted child of God.
He will always find liis head and In's heart united in
what he will do for the glory of Christ who has done
so much for him. Perhaps the change was never so
marked in any man's conversion as in that of Saul,
for he now asks the Lord, whom he once despised
and rejected, what He would have him to do — a true
mark of humility and obedience.

Born of a proud, impetuous race — "of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF GOD.

' f t

' ■ i

-, ■(

Hill

Hebrews " — such was Saul, as set forth in the sacred
story. Born at Tarsus, a city of Cclicia, he Hved
amid the classic glories of a land which was hallowed
by the words and deeds of men the world is slow
to forget — where all that was great in art, in learning,
in poetry, in oratory, and in song found fullest and
highest expression.

"And Saul, yet breathing out slaughter and threat-
enings against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the
high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus,
to the synagogue, that if he found any of this way,
whether they be men or women, he might bring them
bound unto Jerusalem." Such is the introduction
given us by the sacred writer, to Saul of Tarsus, the
fierce, bigoted, cruel persecutor of God's saints. Saul
draws near to Damascus. It is noonday. The bril-
liant eastern sun shines forth in all his glory. But lo,
a brighter light from heaven ; Saul is smitten down ;
a voice is heard — " Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou
Me ? " " Who art thou, thou bright and shining one ? "
" I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," thy Lord and
thy Redeemer. There comes immediate surrender.
The mighty fortress of Mansoul yields up to its law-
ful king, and Saul cries : " What wilt Thou have me
to do? If ever a man was divinely fitted for his
mission, that man was Saul of Tarsus. He brought
into the service of Christ an heroic heart in which
was strangely joined fervent love, and an unwavering
courage ; a mind able to rise to the most sublime

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF COD.

heights of human speculation, and to penetrate the
deepest recesses of the human soul.

In making a practical application of this prayer of
the Apostle to our own lives, let me say —

I. It is a mark of the highest wisdom to seek the
Divine guidance at all times and under all circum-
stances. Many Christians go on from year to year
perplexed about their future life work, who perhaps
have never diligently enquired of the Lord, just what
he would have them do ; and many more there arc
who are not willing to do that which the Lord seems
to direct, and perhaps the latter are more abundant
than the former. Like Naaman, we all want to do
some great thing, and because we can't do some great
thing we are not willing to do the little duties which
lie at hand, the doing of which may be God's way
of preparing us for some greater work, some broader
field of usefulness.

Now, I think we should feel that the Lord has
some special work for each one of us, as truly as lie
had for Paul. There are no trifles with God. All
His works are a reality ; all His creatures are formed
for a special purpose. It might not be a difficult
task for me to pursuade you that (jod had a special
purpose to serve in the life of Paul, for He says —
'* He is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name
unto the Gcfitiles ; " but the task will be to persuade
you that God has a special purpose in your life, and
has created you for a special work in the great scheme

f).

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF GOD.

\S\

•'I

I 'I

of redemption. A work which no other can do, and
if not done by you, it never will be done. It appears
to me that some such thought of the sacredness of
hfc, must take possession of our souls before our best
work can be done for God and humanity. And such
a thought is an inspiration to any man. The Apostle
declares this when he said, " We are workers together
with God." Then, if God has a special purpose to
work out in each individual life, how anxious we
should be to know what it is, in order to work in
harmony with God. The late Prince Albert had as
a maxim : " Find out the plan of God in your genera-
tion ; and then beware lest you cross that plan or
fail to find your own place in it." I'rom what we
know of God's care for His creatures we should feel
that Me has a wise purpose to serve in our lives, how-
ever humble they may be. What we see in the lives
of partriarchs, prophets and apostles is to be seen in
all men. These are only examples of what every
man's life is in the mind of God. Dr. Watts has beau-
tifully expressed that thought in one of his hymns —

"The very law which moulds a tear,
And bids it trickle from its source,
That law preserves the world a sphere,
And guides the planets in their course."

The God who directed and moulded the life of
Abraham is directing and moulding the life of each
humble, trustful believer to-day. Paul's helpers were
as much ordained to the work as was Paul. We are

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF GOD,

apt to lose sight of this fact in their lives and in our
own. History has much to say about Napoleon,
Wellington and Washington, but little for the noble
heroes who laid down their lives as their helpers.
But while earth fails to record their names and cherish
their memories, heaven does not. We see design in
all the material universe, not only in the everlasting
hills, but in the lowly ])lain ; not only in king of the
forest, but in every blade of grass that holds the dew-
drop in the glory of the morning sun. Science points
out the finger of God and beholds the hand-writing of
the Almighty, as plainly upon the time-worn face of
old Blomidon, as upon the tables of stone delivered
to Moses upon the Holy Mount. There can be
nothing more delightful to the true student of nature
than to trace the hand of the Great Designer in all
His works. Whether we climb to mountain top or
go down into the bowels of the earth, we find around,
beneath and above us marks of the same creative
genius, plan and design of the same creative hand.
"If God so clothe the grass of the field, which
to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall
He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ? "
If design, plan, forethought, mark the birth, life,
growth and death — the beginning and the end of the
material universe, how comes it to pass that your life,
made in the image of God, has been left out ? It is
not so. God has a special purpose in your life, as
truly as in the life of an Abraham, a Moses, a Joshua,

EVERY LIFE A PLA.V OF GOD.

a Jacob, or a Joseph ; and you arc as much a chosen
vessel to bear His name to the Gentiles as was Saul
of Tarsus.

A^ain, it is wise to use Paul's method for solvinj^
life's problem, because duty is made plain in answer
to prayer. Hut don't be deceived, you will not, you
cannot see the whole plan at once — not necessary,
not right that you should. Should God show the
whole plan at once, some mijjjht be elated beyond
measure, while others would be cast down, not know-
ing how joy could be drawn from such a bitter cup.
Abraham, Moses and Paul only saw portions of the
divine purpose ; to them the future was as much
hidden as to ourselves, and only such portions revealed
as were needed to stimulate them for duty. It is quite
easy for us now to see that God had a settled purpose
in all their varied experience since the drama of their
lives has been acted out. We can easily trace the
parts and feel sure that God was guiding them. And
it is from the fact, that the purpose and plan were
there, though unseen by them, that should give us
courac^e and arm us for the conflict.

When God wanted a tabernacle in the wilderness
He called Moses aside and showed him the plan and
specification, and said : " See that you make all
things according to the pattern." Moses might have
said, Lord it is a hard task ; it can't be done, we have
neither the men nor the material here in the wilder-
ness. But back of Moses stood God, to endow

EVERY LIFE A PL AX OF UOD.

cunning workmen in silver and j^^oltl. Tlierc was
latent power and wondrous skill in the camp of Israel
of which even Moses had not tl reamed. The very
t^cnius and skill of Jehovah lay hack of the pattern.
God had his ideal, and He stood by it and worked
into the heads and hearts of the men of Israel all the
cunnin<^ craft and human L(enius that the model
demanded. God has His plan and purpose in these
lives of ours. Like the sculptor, who saw the anL;cl
imprisoned in the block of marble, and resolvetl to
release it ; so God beholds our imprisoned spirits, and
resolves to release them. A hij^h ideal this, " tiiat w c
be conformed to the imai^e of His Son." It stamps
life with a sacredness all divine, l^ack of your weak-
ness, back of your repeated failure, stands the (jod
of Infinite supply, who shall yet push to completion
His great purpose. " There is a divinity that sha[)cs
our ends, rough hew them as we may." There is a
God working behind that humble desire of yours to
be like him. And He is the refiner and purifier of
silver, who never leaves the crucible until He sees
His own image reflected therein.

But there are times in all our lives when the horizon
must lift, the prison walls must enlarge, or we fall a
prey to despair. Such exi)eriences came to I'aul.
We see him, the blind prisoner at Damascus ; for
three days the light of heaven had been shut out ;
three days he is in communion with his God alone.
Doubtless the burden of his prayer was *' Lord, what

F. VERY LIFE A PI. AX OF COl\

wilt Thou have inc to do?" The vision can tarry no
longer, prayer must be arjswcretl, Paul must liavc a
j^h"mi)se of the future or his ^^reat lieart will break.
Yes, it is a necessity that the curtain lift. The Loril
said unto His servant, "Ananias, arise, ^o into the
street that is called straight and etujuire in the house
of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus — U,r behold
he prayeth."

On another occasion, while at Corinth, the Jews
lilasphcmed and opj)ose(l him : " l*aul shook his rai-
ment and said unto them, 'your blood be upon your
own head ; I am clean.' " Paul was discourai^cd. He
must sec the future. The Lord came to him in the
nii^dit vision and said, " I*aul, be not afraid, but speak,
and hold not thy peace ; for I am with thee, and no
man shall set on thee to hurt thee ; for I liave much
people in this city." And there he remained for a
year and a half, and planted the Church of the
Corinthians, to whom he afterwards penned those
beautiful letters, I. and II. to the Corinthians.

Again, on that dismal sea voyage to Rome. After
fourteen days of darkness, storm and danger, "when,"
according to Luke, *' all hope of being saved was
taken away," God appeared to Paul and drew the
curtain, and said : " Fear not, Paul, thou must be u
brought before Caesar ; and lo, God hath given thee
all them that sail with thee." And these are only
examples of what the Lord did through the entire
life of his apostle, revealing to him his purpose,

Ill

EVhkY IIFR A PLAaX Oh iiO/K

and makiiif^ plain tlic paih of duty in the hour of
need. Rev. V. W. Me) < r sa\ s : " The a^eiit must
yield himself to Cforl's plan. It is always safe to stop
still where we are till God .shows Hi^ plan. Three
si^ns must concur ; first, the voice within ; second, tlie
Word of God without, and third, the circumstance, or
l)rovidential si^n." What les.sons are here for us!
Amid all the perplexities of life, when, like Paul, your
way .seems hed<;ed up, learn like him to coinmit all to
God, as unto a fait'nful Creator.

II. How are we to be assured that the answer is
from the Lord? God, the Holy Ghost, will make it
clear, both by shuttinij up the old and opening up
new avenues, or b}' hedijin*; us in to the place we
now occupy, if that be where we can best glorify Ilim.
We should be as willing to stay as go, if that be the
will of Providence. Frances Ridley Ilavergal says
we are more ready to listen to the Lord's "come ye,"
than to obey His "go ye." Some one has said "that
we should stand by our prayers in holy expectation
of the thing we have begged of God." There is
much that is called prayer that is not prayer, and
will never receive an answer ; but real prayer always
receives an answer from Heaven. Paul had no doubt
as to the answer from the Lord, when Ananias
addressed him as " Brother Saul," and said, " even
Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou
camest, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy
sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost."

EVERY LIFE A PL AX OF GOD.

But there is one motive that should rule us at all
times, that is, strive to do the best and make the most
out of present opportunities and circumstances, and
trust God to lead us out into greater fields of useful-
ness as rapidly as we arc prepared to occupy the
ground. This was Paul's method. As soon as he
was converted, he began to work for liis new Master
as diligently as for the old one. The field for the
willing worker is always at hand, op[)ortunities are
never wanting for those who are ready to embrace
them.

Paul preached Christ at Damascus ; persecution
grew too hot, by that means God led him out into a
greater sphere of usefulness. And throughout his
whole life you will see how God heard his prayer and
made the answer plain by circumstances. God offers
us a constant leadership. " I am the Good Shepherd.
I know my sheep and am known of mine."

But before you offer the prayer, " what wilt thou
have me to do?" be sure you are willing to obey
when the answer comes, for there is much truth in
that old saying of the man who was looking for work
but all the time praying that he might not find any.
If there is a willing mind, a soul truly desirous to
know the will of God, the Lord will not leave that
soul long in the dark. But I fear there are some
Christians who don't think much about the purpose
God has in their conversion and Christian life, or if
He have any such purpose they are satisfied for Him

EVERY LIFE A PL AS'

OF GOD.

to work

it out as

He thinks best

at least

they

give

themselves Httle

concern about the matter.

The

pos-

sibilities of such souls are truly unexplored* mines ;
they may possess great wealth, much silver and gold,
but the world will not be much the richer for their
having lived in it ; and they will never know how
large a place the Lord had for them, or how many
jewels might have decked their starless crowns. God
will never force the plan of any man's life upon him :
"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him,
to such He will show His Covenant.'' " They that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." It is
to the humble and contrite heart the Saviour comes.
There is no royal road to religion any more than to
education. There must be a seeking to find, a knock-
ing before it \\\\\ be opened, an asking before we can
receive. "What wilt Thou have me to do?" Dear
Lord show me the plan of my life, or enough to guide
me in the way. Many a child of God has been
quickened into new life as he has seen God's purpose
unfolding before him, and has been made increasingly
useful as he has seen how large the thoughts of God
were toward him, and how he had counted him
worthy of such a place of usefulness in His Kingdom
on eprth.

A story is told of a wayward son whose early life
of dissipation had brought his father's gray hairs with
sorrow to the grave. On funeral day, as the cold
clods fell upon his coffin and the minister pronounced

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF GOD.

in slow, and solemn tones, " dust to dust and ashes
to ashes," the boy stood unmoved. The mourners
returned home, he among the number ; in a few days
after, when the will of the dead father was read, and
the wayward son received an equal share with the
other members of the family, he broke down and
sobbing said : " I did not think that father would
remember me in his will." And many wayward
children of God will be melted into tears when at
last they shall see the whole purpose of their human
life spread beTore them, and see how largely God
has remembered them in His last will and testa-
ment O how infinite His love ! how large His grace.
I will not blot out their names. I will heal all their
backslidings, and love them freely.

It may be there are young men and women here
to-night who need to offer this prayer : *' What wilt
Thou have me to do?" Dear Saviour, make the
path of duty clear and plain, that in some humble
way I may strive to fill up that measure of usefulness
of which Thou hast counted me worthy. There are
young men whose hearts almost sink by times for
fear they have made a mistake in their calling. I
think it is well to have the question settled as early
in College life as possible. For it is an education in
itself, to see how your increase of knowledge will
focus itself upon your chosen profession. But let the
question be settled after the Pauline method. Indeed,
that is the only way to settle effectually any of life's

E VER V LIFE A PLAN OF GOD,

problems. Whether we be mechanics, lawyers,
preachers, teachers or professors, we will never do
our best until we have the assurance that we arc
called of God, as was Paul. This life calls for faith,
and such a faith as built the pyramids and discovered
America, if we are to get out of life what God has
planned and purposed for us. Schiller says: "If
there had been no undiscovered world lying far to
the westward, one would have risen from the sea to
reward the faith of Columbus, urging his way across
the untravelled deep." Be that as it may, there is
a God who will answer every earnest, honest request
to be guided right.

** Make you Ilis service your delight,
Ile'Il make your wants His care."

"In His name" was the motto of the persecuted
Waldensians. It was their form of salutation when
they met and when they parted. It expressed their
supreme idea of life, and all that made it worth living.
They said it at their weddings and repeated it at
their funerals ; and it lifted to a sublime dignity their
daily work in the field and in the vineyard. Should
we take as the motto of our lives, " What wilt Thou
have me to do?" how exalted life would become.
It would settle a thousand difficulties in this com-
mercial ac^e of the world and of the Church. What a
tendency in this age on the part of Churches and
individual Christians to drift from these simple moor-

I?
I

V.'

'i;

1-i

EVERY LIFE A PLAN OF GOD.

ings. We need a return to first principles, to the
simplicity of faith in the Crucified Son of God,
Then it would matter but little what the employment
be, whether we be servants or masters, students or
professors, laborer or capitalist, if we only lived as in
God's sight. It would sanctify the meanest work,
and so "make drudgery divine ;" then we could say
with the sainted John Eliot, *' Were I to go to
Heaven to-morrow I should do what I do to-day."
Then would all our days be sanctified, and all life
ennobled and adorned with a consciousness of that
Presence that is joy here and fullness of joy hereafter.

THE NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL IN
THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS.

ill

THE NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL IN
THE HISTORY OE THE JEWS.

The histories of the nations are but strangely
wrought tragedies ; tiiey rise and pass in panoramic
splendor before the gaze of the beholding world and
vanish. In Greece may be seen a drama grand and
inspiring, but her glory has long since faded into the
shady past — *' it is Greece, but living Greece no more."
Rome lives as a tragic dream, in which her iron hand
laid low all who dare oppose her. But these arc of
the past, and no longer are we brought into immediate
contact with them ; and as the centuries recede, their
memory and their history recede with them. Years
are crowded into single days, whole centuries into
single years, and thus we feel but the icy grasp of a
vanished hand.

But the Jews, although their antiquity reaches far
back of either that of Greece or Rome, are still present
with us. They are the " peculiar people," and their
history is as truly a peculiar history as they arc a
peculiar people. Other nations have preserved their
national pride only so long as they maintained a
separate and distinct existence ; and when their
national ensign was snatched from them by conquer-

NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL.

Ill:

iiig foes, with it all national independence was sur-
rendered. Not so with the Jew ; his boast and his
glory are his race and his history : " though cast down
he is not destroyed." While there is no spot on earth
which they can call their own, and although no flag
floats over them, they are as truly a separate and dis-
tinct people to-day as when Nineveh, Babylon and
Palmyra looked to Jerusalem as their peer.

The history of the Jews is a paradox — no nation so
blessed, no nation so cursed, no nation with a history
so black, no nation with a history so illustrious. For
the Jew, marvels have been wrought. For him,
Egyptian shackles have burst from his wrist with-
out an effort ; for him the sea divides, while it swal-
lows up his enemies ; for him, the Jordan stops its
ceaseless flow ; for him, the solid rock becomes a
gushing fountain and the dew his daily bread ; for
him, on smoking, thundering, trembling Sinai, a divine
law is given, written by God's own finger ; for him,
empires have risen, flourished and gone into decay.
Such have been the displays of Omnipotence on his
behalf.

On the other hand, no nation has been so openly
cursed. The Jew has been oppressed, outraged, ban-
ished, imprisoned, hanged, robbed, tortured, burned ;
all nations have vied with each other to trample him
down. Ostracised socially, banished politically, an-
athematized ecclesiastically, the miserable and hated
Jew has been compelled to drag out an existence

XATl'RAI. AXD SUrERXArURAl..

among his bitterest etieniies. ICvcn Cliristian l^ng-
land has done lier full share in filling up this dark
page of human woe. In tlie twelftli century, extor-
tion, confiscation of property, murder; in the thirteenth
century, banishment from the realm ; to the middle
of the nineteenth, civil disabilities. Only a little over
a quarter of a century of freedom absolute. And all
this in the land of the free. The awful predictions
of God and man have been meted out to the '* chosen
people" in good measure, shaken down, running over.
Even their self-invoked curse on Calvary's mount —
" His blood be upon us and on our children " — has
been dreadfully answered, and for over eighteen cen-
turies scattered and pealed Israel lias been smarting
beneath the withering curse of a rejected Saviour

This ever-varying relation ot God and man in the
interplay of human and divine elements in the history
of the Jews has caused many to look upon Jewish
history as a series of contradictory statements. Ikit
this is largely due to the study of isolated portions
rather than the study of their hfstory as a whole, as a
divine purpose working through a human agency.

Since the Jewish drama has been acted out, it is not
difficult for us to analyse and separate it into its two
elements — the human and the divine, or the natural
and the supernatural.

Modern science has struggled hard to rob Jewish
history of the supernatural, and to account for its
miracles by natural causes. In order to accomplish

'}'>

AATC'KAL Ai\D SUPER X AT CRAL.

Ii I

■\

this, various theories have been advanced. Kor
cxampk', one writer (accountings, by a natural cause,
for the dividin*; of the Red Sea) says, '* that a stronj^
cast wind had been blowin*];', doubtless, for some time
previous to the arrival of Moses at the arm of the sea,
and the wind had so forced back the waters that
Moses crossed on dry laiul." l^ut he fori,'ot to
ex'phi'n, on a scientific basir., just how tlie wind hap-
pened to stop blowing when Pharaoh's proud host
,i,^()t into the bed of the sea ; doubtless there was a
want of clearness in his own brain. Tlie learned
Darwin silenced for ever the bilk about the super-
natural when he says : " There is no such thing as
the supernatural ; it is only superhuman, while the
natural force's are still workint^ above human com-
prehension." This is only a play en words, and the
great fact of the supernatural clement in Jewish his-
tory is still with us, account for it as we may. And
it must be evident to every student of history that
God is seen working in and through the Jewish nation
in a way and manner He is not seen working in and
through any other nation or peoples.

These distinguishing characteristics are strikingly
set forth, in the early separation of the nation, by the
call of Abraham from the Ur of the Chaldees to
become the father of a great nation. And through
every crisis of his history may be seen two elements —
one secular, the other religious ; the one forming the
past, the other reaching on to the future. There was

NATURAL AND SUPER NATURAL,

»)'•

nothiDg very striking in the simple fact that Abraham
migrated from the Ur of the CluiUlees ; many had
gone the same way before him, and tliousands followed
after him. While this was the natural element, " there
was," says Stanley, " another aspect which the sur-
rounding tribes saw not, but which is the only point
we now see distitictly : ' The Lord said unto Abraham,
get thee out of thy country and from thy father's
house into a land I will show thee ; and I will make
of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make
thy name great ; and thou shalt be a blessing ; and I
will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse them
that curse thee ; and in thee shall all the families of
the earth be blessed.'" And Stanley adds : "Inter-
pret these words as we may— give them a meaning
more or less literal, more or less restricted — yet with
what a force do they break in upon the homeliness of
the rest of the narrative ; what an impulse do they
disclose to the innermost heart of the movement ;
what a vista do they open, even to the very close of
the history of which this was but the first beginning."
In order to the fulfilment of a promise so sweeping
in its extent, we see the supernatural wisdom of
choosing a people through whose succeeding genera-
tions this promise might find its literal fulfilment.
The way in which this promise was understood by
Abraham may be seen in his obedient life, and in the
early and rapid manner in which the thought that
God had set apart the Jewish nation for some special

'ii

NATURAL AXD SUPERXATURAI..

purpose found its way into the generations that fol-
lowed. This great truth was indelibly stamped ui)()n
their minds by the miraculous manner in which (iod
delivered them from Ivgyptian bondage. The fact
that they were a "chosen nation, a peculiar people,"
was unfolded with increasing clearness in the early
Hebrew literature : " The moutitains shall bring peace
to the people, and the little hills by righteousness.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass,
as showers that water the earth. In his da)- sliall the
righteous flourish, and an abundance of peace so long
as the moon shall endure." The sacred history from
first to last is the development of this grand idea of a
universal blessing by means of a chosen people. In
the call of Abraham God elected the Hebrew nation
henceforth to be I lis people, set apart and ct^nsecrated,
directly or indirectly, for His service : a nation founded
with the design to bless the whole earth. The large-
ness of the promise hid with the " chosen people " is
a grand illustration of its supernatural character. To
Abraham was given the promise: " In Ihy seed shall
all the families of the earth be blessed." Whence this
germ truth of the brotherhood of man ? No heathen
literature contained a promise so universal in its
character. The spirit of the philanthropist dwells
not with heathen nations ; they can be patriots, but
beyond this they cannot go. But, on the other hand,
what a unity of the race is suggested in the words :
"All families of the earth shall be blessed." How

NA TUh\4 1. A Nn SI 'PE AW A TURA I. .

(liff'^rciit from the refinement and culture of tlic
he.'iihen : "He must be a fool," sa\'s C'elsus, " who can
behevc that (ireeUs and harl)arians in Asia, lunopc
and Lybia — all nations to the ends of the earth — can
imite in tlie one and same reli^non." \'ct here, in the
Hebrew scriptures, is a thou;^dit far in adxance of the
most refined, tlie most cultured of tiie heathen at that
period of the world's histor)', or, indeed, au)' period
since. One God, one faith, one form of relii;ioii for
all mankind is declared by the Hebrew writers. That
the nation with whom this universal relij^ion was
entrusted often lost si^ht of this i^rand truth is
obvious from the open idolatry and sin and unbelief
into which they so constantly fell.

Hut we see not only the elements of the natural
and supernatural in this early choice of the Jewish
nation, but also in their seclusion from the world at
larfje. I Icrc is a sccmin;^ inconi,n'uity : a world-wide
religion i^iven to one nation, and that a distinct and
secluded one. A people who were under the most
stringent commands to sei)arate themselves from all
other peoples. A nation whose hand was against
every man's hand, and the hand of ever\' man against
them. But even here we .see more than human
wisdom at work. It was necessary that a people who
were to be the depository of the true religion should
b2 separate in order to understand its true s[)irit.
They must become permeated with the truth before
they could dispense it to others. " Drink deep or

NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL.

taste not the Pierian spring" is as true in religion as
in philosophy. How this religious element was de-
veloped in the inner consciousness of the Hebrews
during the year of their secluded prosperity may be
seen in the unparalleled persecution they suffered
during the latter part of the nation's history for their
religion and their " Holy Land." While we see that
the outward institutions of the Jews were antagonistic
to the uin'versal spread of the truth, their literature
was loud in its praise of universal blessing. The
Messianic proi)het breaks forth in universal language :
" The wilderness and the solitary place shall be made
glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose
for as the earth bringeth forth her bud, so shall the
Lord cause righteousness and praise to spring forth
before all nations. The earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the Lord." Here is a promise greater
than Jewish institutions, greater than the Jewish
people themselves, greater than human wisdom. How
shall we account for it only on the grounds of the
divine element in the history of this people ? The
natural element is that they were a people descended
from Israel, but the supernatural is hidden within the
heart of the true Israel. This is the New Testament
idea : *' They are not all Israel which are of Israel,
neither because they are the seed of Abraham are
they all children, for he is not a Jew that is one out-
vrardly, but he is a Jew that is one inwardly." It was
this inner, this hidden life that found utterance in the

NATURAL AXD SUPERNATURAL.

prophecies and psalms ; and that which gave to Jewish
history its true meaning.

There is much in their separate and secluded life
that is analogous to the Christian system. It, too,
demands a separation : " Come ye out from among
them, be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing,
and I will receive you." The Christian, like the true
Israel, has a hidden life ; though in the world, he is
not of it. God's people are separated to unite. Chris-
tianity divides to harmonize. The Christian separates
from the world, to draw the world to himself, until all
men yielding to the attraction become the people of
God. Judaism was the rough kernel cast into the
Jewish soil, but containing life, and after two thousand
years of a germinating process the time came when
the natural element must die and the supernatural
spring into a new and greater life.

But the marks of the natural and supernatural may
be seen, also, in the dispersion of the '* chosen people"
among all nations, carrying with them the knowledge
of the one true God. Although we may assign natural
causes for the downfall and scattering of the Jews, it
is as truly a part of the Divine purpose as were the
call of Abraham and the secluded life of the nation.
Therefore, it ill becomes us to scorn a people so highly
blessed of God in the past, and containing such
glorious promises for the future. Whether the hills
of Judea will again be trodden by the seed of Abraham
and Palestine again become an object of wonder or

• i

NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL.

> 11

no, great things are in store for Israel : " The mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it," and his arm hath lost
none of its power. " For," says Paul, '' if the casting
of them away be the reconciling of the world, what
shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead."
Then the chosen race — hated, cursed and rejected —
.shall be restored to the favor of their King, whom
they have so shamefully treated, condemned and
crucified. Then shall the former glory of Israel be
restored, and all nations .shall behold with adoring
wonder the unchangeable love of God. We should
ever realize that we are under a great debt of grati-
tude to the Jew for preserving for us the oracles of
God and the true religion through a long period of
darkness and corruption. Let it be remembered that
all that was human in the great work of redemption
was Jewish ; that Christianity is only Judaism stripped
of its ceremonial dress — a loosing of the natural and
the expanding of the supernatural.

As we take our stand at the close of the Jewish
dispensation we are forced to the conclusion that God
has been leading His chosen Israel all the journey
through. Deny this, and the whole Jewish fabric falls
to the ground without a meaning. Their whole his-
tory is but one rounded period, ono sweeping purpose
from the call of Abraham until the heavenly choir
broke the silence on Bethlehem's plains, proclaiming :
" On earth peace, good ivill toivards men ! "

THE STUNTED GRACE.

" See that ye abound in this grace also. — II. Cor. viii., 7.

I have no apologies to offer for discussing the sub-
ject of Christian beneficence. As for the Church,
which is doing its full duty in this matter of Christian
giving, or for the individual, there is no theme so
pleasant and profitable as that of beneficence, and
for the Church which is not doing its full duty in this
respect, or for the individual, there is no kind of
instruction they need so much. The full develop-
ment of all the graces is but the normal growth of a
Christian. Hence the Apostle says, "As ye abound
in everything, in faith, and utterance and knowledge,
and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that
ye abound in this grace also " — namely, the grace of
beneficence. For the space of two whole chapters,
the 8th and 9th of his second e[)istle to the
Corinthians, the apostle deals with this theme of
Christian giving ; and his deliverance upon it is more
complete than can be found elsewhere in Scripture.
The duty of giving, the measure of giving, and the
motives that should prompt us in giving, together
with two beautiful and worthy examples, are laid
down with much clearness and force. Paul's long

THE STUNTED GRACE.

stay in Macedonia had impressed him with the great
zeal and generosity of the Churches in Northern
Greece, and he commends the example of those who
in a great trial of affliction had out of " their deep
poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality."
Their deep poverty, rather than being a check upon
their liberality, was a helpful stimulus to their Christ-
iike beneficence. " For," he declares, " to their power
I bear them record, yea, and beyond their power, they
were willing of themselves, praying us with much in-
treaty, that we would receive the gift and take upon us
the fellowship of ministering to the saints." These
Macedonian Christians remind us much of the old
Karen pastor who, when asked how his people could
afford to give so much, for it was a time of sore
famine among them, *' Oh," said he with a contented
smile, " it only means rice without curry." They
could eat rice without curry, but as the redeemed of
the Lord of Hosts, they could not live without giving.
The Macedonians were also worthy examples in
other respects, and as the apostle says, " they first
gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us. by
the will of God." He then calls to mind the beauti-
ful example of Christ : " For ye know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for our sakes He became poor, that ye through His
poverty might be rich." There must be first a deep
sense of consecration before there can be a high sense
of the duty of Christian liberality, and a hearty giv-

THE STUXTED GRACE.

• )•>

> in

ing as unto the Lord. Paul's whole argument on
beneficence is based on the broad priiici})le that love
must and will promote a spirit of liberality; and if
the spirit of liberality be wanting, it is because love
to God is not supreme, for true beneficence is the
free and spontaneous product of a loving heart.

That there is much need of growth in this grace
among Christians must be apparent to all. ysii\Q\-
did the voice of divine providence call so loudl\- for
enlargement as to-day ; and never before were the
opportunities for growth so abundant. The design
of God is most plainly indicated in the rapid increase
of wealth that has been poured into the coffers of the
Christian Church during the last century. Long
since has He claimed the silver and gold for Himself,
and will doubtless set their vast machiner)' in motion
for His own glory. Since the Christian Church by
prayer and faith has been universally successful in
securing opportunities to declare the story of the
Cross among all nations, what we now need is the
means to send the consecrated herald to the ends of
earth. Then, and only then, can we most hopefully
look for the coming of the King.

But a new era is about dawning upon the Christian
Church in regard to the place and power of conse-
crated wealth in the great mission of the Gospel.
For God, by placing within her grasp sufficient
means to evangelize the race, in throwing the respon-
sibility of saving a lost world on the Church, in a

:J4

T//E STUNTED GRACE.

way atid manner He has not done since the apostoHc
a<^c, and the \va)' the Church is coming to feel the
respoiisibihty in this matter, may be seen by a state-
ment made before the EvangeHcal AlHance, held at
Washington in 1887, when it was stated that pro-
bably since 1850 more money had been raised by the
Protestant Churches of Christendom for purely evan-
gelical purposes, aside from current Church expenses
and local charities, than was raised in all the previous
eighteen centuries. But while great advancement
has been made, it only shows us how little they did,
and not how much we ar*:^ doing. For the increase
of Christian beneficence has not by any means kept
pace with the increase of wealth that has fallen to the
lot of the Christian Church. It has been stated on
good authority that while the evangelical Churches
of the United States hold within their possession one-
fifth of the wealth of the country — and perhaps they
are the most liberal people under Heaven^*-only one
per cent, of the gross amount is given for religious
purposes at home and abroad. The very stones cry
out, " where are the nine?" From these facts it is
quite evident that beneficence is the stunted grace in
all our Churches. There must soon come a revolu-
tion in our present system of giving if the Church of
Christ is to accomplish the grand work which an all-
wise Providence has plainly marked out for her. The
money power of the world has become so potent that
in the civilization and Christianization of the race

THE S7 17X77:/) GRACE.

.",:.

that the Church can no lotif^cr afford to i\L,Miorc this
power, or her obh'gation to use it for tlie Divine
glory. For the time has come when the agency of
money must be more largely employed in the work
of the Lord. There is no longer a respectable stand-
ing in the Church of God for the miser, no longer can
he draw up his purse strings, and sneer at the mer-
cenary and worldly si)irit that has seized upon the
Church, while he seeks to meet his Christian obliga-
tions with sighs and cries. This is a day of nv?/ self-
sacrifice, a time when much besides prayers and
songs must be given for the salvation of men and the
glory of God. Never was there a time when God
determined to do so much through the agency of
hard cash as to-day. And all this but gives force
and emphasis to the admonition of the apostle — " See
that ye abound in this grace also''

I. First, Why should we abound in this grace of
beneficence ? Because it is an act of worship, a
Christian duty, and a direct command of God — a
command with promise. " Honor the Lord with thy
substance, and with the first fruits of all thine
increase ; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and
thy presses burst out with new wine. Give and it
shall be given unto you ; good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over shall men
give unto your bosom ; and " it is more blessed to
give than to receive." In Malachi, God challenges
His people to bring their tithes into His store house,

THE STUXTED (;RACE.

and prove whether lie will pour them out a blessing
so that there should not be room enough to receive
it. These passages contain the substances of many,
both old and New Testament commands addressed
to the [)eople of God. Atid the testimony of those
who give liberally, at the present time, assures us
that these promises are always fulfilled. As we study
the life and words of Christ wc are surprised to see
how often He calls attention to this great theme of
Christian beneficence, and how frequently He warns
His hearers against selfishness, and the danger of
becoming rich without a corresponding spirit of liber-
ality. From Genesis to Revelation the people of
Gou are exhorted to beneficence — ever}'where on the
page of inspiration is this grace made prominent.
That it is our duty to grow in this grace is quite
evident from the fact that God has bestowed wealth
in greater abundance upon us at the present time
than ever fell to the lot of our father.

Every age in the history of the Church has been
characterized by some special tendency. Our age
can most emphatically be called the missionary, the
evangelistic epoch. Never since the days of the
apostles has the heart of the Christian Church felt
such strong pulsations to carry the Gospel to the
ends of the earth as to-day ; and never as now has
the world so huncfered for the bread of Eternal Life.
There is scarcely a nation under Heaven that has
not felt more or less the recent revival in Christian

THE SrUXTED CRACE.

missions. With what ^raiul success lias God of late
crowned all missionary cntcr()rise. Doors that a few
years a;^^o seemed hermetically sealed to the heralds
of the Cross, have been flun;^ open to the maj^ic touch
of a missionar)' faith, zeal and devotion. And the
openin,!^ of these doors, which has been hailed as the
call of God, has ^one on in quick succession until
to-day we can sa\' that the heathen wf)rld offers free
access to all Christian missionaries, and echoes back
the Macedonian cry — "Come over and help us."
And Christian missions are no lon^^er satisfied to
occupy the mere border land of heathendom ; but arc
marching into their caj)ital cities, and planting the
standard of the Cross before the very doors of their
heathen temples. In all this God is saying to us,
" Go forward."

II. Secondly, Hoiv shall wc abound in this grace?

This grace, we must remember that it is a grace,
and as such it needs the same care and nourishment
as do the other graces. We must pray more for
growth in this grace. How seldom do Christians
pray God to make them liberal ; we pray for others,
but seldom do we pray that we ourselves may abound
in liberality. Then we must strive to make this
grace promitient in our lives as Christians, and put it
side by side with the other graces of the Gospel.
What authority have we for giving it a back seat or
to neglect its growth more than the growth of love,
or faith? We should exhort our people just as

;;s

lUE srUXTI'.D GKACE,

frccjuciitl)' aiul earnestly to be benevolent as \vc
exhort tlieni tc exercise faith in the promises of
Ciotl. We arc too prone to measure piet)' by prayers
and exhortations ; sijmc can pray and exhort lonj^
after their \^x\\cq. of beneficence has become extinct
How often is love a mere gushini^ sentiment rather
than a law of life? Dr. Judson, in speakin;^^ of the
enthusiasm with which he was received on his return
from the foreign field, sa)'s : " My h.nuls were almost
shaken off, and my hair almost clip[)ed from my
head, by those who would let missions die for the
want of aid." This is a day when Cliristian benefi-
cence counts much in Heaven as well as on earth —
" by their fruits ye shall know tiiem." It was said of
Cornelius, *' Thy prayers and thine ahns are come u[)
as a memorial before God." And it is a i^rave ciucs-
tion whether a man's prayers can t^^o up alone, at a
time when God is doing so much for a lost world
throuirh the benevolence and beneficence k^{ Mis
people. The secret of the Hoiv is prayer. We must
pray God to open the eyes of our understanding that
we may see it our duty to abound in this grace. Tlie
Rev. Dr. Pearson says, resi)ccting his recent mission-
ary tour in the old country : '* In all m\ addresses
here I have sought to impress the vital connection of
prayer with missions. Nothing is more important^ —
nothing is so important. The work is essentially
Divine in conception and executioi This super-
natural Gospel can accomplish that supernatural work

7//A S-li\7i:J) Gh'AC/C.

of conversion only tlirou^h tlic supernatural power of
the Hoi)' (ihost. rra)'er is the onI\' hokl we liave
upon the Spirit of (ioii, and tlierefore pra\'er is the
sin^He secret of all blessini^ upon our work. I'ra\cr
means every otlier form of l)lessinl,^ It means plenty
of workmen, it means open doors of access, it ljrin<js
plenty of money and means, it brin^Ljs unction upon
the workmen, it brin<;s success of the hii;hest sort on
the field, lar<;e harvests and fretiucnt harvests — tiie
rain on the mown grass makinj,^ the grass to grow
again for another crop." Prayer is doubtless tlic
great means b)' wliich we are to '' abounW in this
grace.

As regards the measure of giving, there can be no
definite rule laid down. As the Lord hath prospered
is the New Testament rule ; and if all were fulfilling
tliis rule there would be an abundance for the work
at home and abroad. The Jews gave a tenth, and
surely wc ought not to think of doing less. Should
any Christian rest content in this day of self-sacrifice
who is not giving at least one-tenth of his income to
the cause of Christ ? There certainly can be no
reasonable excuse given by any Christian man,
woman or child for not giving one-tenth of their
income to the Lord ; and there ought not to be any
such excuses offered. There are many persons who
say that they think they give a tenth, but there is no
think about it, if they give a tenth they know it, and
the Lord knows it, and the fact that they are in doubt

THE SI U ST ED GRACE,

is a stroniT proof that they do not give the tenth.
The practical way is to have a purse for the Lord's
money, and put His inoney in Mis own purse, then
sec tliat it is taken out onl\' for His cause ; and
there certainly can be no mistake made, if we deal
thus with God. We say, if men are not constrained
by love to obey the Saviour, nothing else can make
them do so ; and if love for souls and a desire to
glorify God will not make a man give, nothing else
will. As pastors, I think we should lead in this
work of consecratinir at least o!ie-teiUh of our salaries
to the Lord's cause, then urge upon our peo[)le to
follow. While we cannot drive them, I believe we
can lead them, by prayer and dxample, to a much
higher plane of liberality. What revolutions would
be worked in all our Churches, if the members would
Gfive God a tenth of their incomes. This would be
the practical solution as to the Jioiv we shall abound
in this grace. There is nothing that succeeds like
success ; and there is nothing that can make a Chris-
tian liberal like liberality. It is really surprising
what one comparatively small Church can do by
regular and systematic giving. In a tract written on
the subject, " Mow to open the windows of Heaven,"
a systematic calculation is made, and the writer says:
" Now suppose we worship God in our offerings only
half as liberally as did the Je^vs, and give the cause
of Christ one-twentieth of our income, but give it
systematically ; and behold what one poor little

THE STUNTED URACE.

Church with only one hundred workin;^ members
can do. Six members, each carninir eiirhteen dollars
I)er week, and giving one twentieth, equal $5.40 per
week. Fourteen members, each earning fifteen
dollars per week, and giving one twentieth, equal
$10.50 per week. Thirty members, each earning
twelve dollars per week, and giving one twentieth,
equal $18 per week. Thirty members, each earning
six dollars per week, and giving one-twentieth, equal
$9 per week. Twenty members, each earning three
dollars per week, and giving one twentieth, equal $3
per week. Making a total of $45.90 per week, or
$2,386.80 per year. From this amount deduct $1,500
for pastor's salary ; sexton, $208 ; gas, $100 ; coal,
$75, and you have a balance of $503.80. Should this
little Church have a debt of $500, it could pay the
interest at six per cent, and have a balance of
$203.80, which could be distributed as follows :
Foreign Missions, $40 ; Home Missions, $40 ; Ameri-
can Baptist Publication Society, $25 ; liible Works,
$25 ; State Works, $25 ; Ministerial lulucation, $30 ;
Ministers' and Widows' r\md, $18. The amounts
ttre small, but they are proportionately much larger
than any Baptist Church in the United States is giv-
ing to-day for either home expenses or benevolence.
One-twentietJi is a sum so small that few Christians
earning wages would miss it ; and yet, such a sum
systematically and proportionately given would mak-e
the Lord's treasury like an unfailing fountain." We

THE STUNTED GRACE.

need to study carefully systematic and propor-
tionate j^iving to see how little after all is given
to the Lord's cause ; and how few there are who
do that giving. There are so many professing
Christians who give comparatively nothing, that those
who do give are misrepresented, by being numbered
along with so many dead heads. The crying sin of
the rank and file in all our Churches is that of an
unjust stewardship over the Lord's money. The
opportunity for the growth of beneficence was never
so ripe and the needs never more widespread. And
the divine Master never said more plainly to the
chosen twelve than to His disciples to-day : " The
harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few ;
pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that He
will send forth laborers into His harvest." But how
can they go except God's people supply the means.
It is Heaven's ordained plan to save the world
through human agency, " for He has put the treasure
in the earthen vessel that the excellency of the power
may be of God and not of us." Let us be assured of
this fact, that the time has fully come when the
genius of earth must clasp hands with the grace of
Heaven in leading a lost world back to God.

THE CLAIMS OF THE CHURCH OX THE

PASTOR'S WIFE.

THE CLAIMS OF THE CHURCH ON THIC

PASTOR'S WWK.

It is taken for <i^rantcd that the pastor's wife is a
member of the Cluirch over which her hiisliaiid has
tlie pastoral oversii^ht. This local Churcii then has
an equal claim upon her with all other members.
This places her under solemn obli^L;ations to attend,
as far as possible, all the services of the Church, and
to help in its local support, as well as to aid in all the
denominational enterprises, to the best of her abilit)-.
To strive by all possible means to maintain the
harmony, welfare and spiritual interest of the Church,
and to seek directly the salvation of the unsaved — in
short, all that is required of any faithful consecrated
sister of the Church, just that and no more, we believe,
is the claim of the local Church upon the pastor's

fe. It must be remembered that in the iifi-cat

i->'

majority of cases the minister's wife is not only a wife
but a mother, with all the cares and duties of home
pressing upon her. The little ones to be trained up
in the fear of the Lord and the knowledge (jf his
truth ; for while their father may be the best man
in the community, and their mother the best woman,
the minister's children, so far as we have had obser-

CLAIMS OF CHURCH ON PASTOR'S WIFE,

vation, are not angels any more than are children of
the good deacon. And because this woman, known
as the " Pastor's wife " has the good fortune to be the
wife of a minister, we see no reason why she should
be persecuted by her sisters in the Church, or com-
plained of by her brethren, because she cannot see it
her duty to be at the head of the multiplicity of
societies in the Church in this day, and a constant
attendant at all meetings of the Church. As a rule
she is expected to call upon all lady members of the
Church at least three or four times a year, while they
frequently feel under no obligation to return her calls.
*' She is the wife of our pastor, and it is her duty,
and only her duty to call."

In the name of common sense and all that is right,
remember that the pastor's wife is a woman, only a
woman. But while I have written this, I confess
there is another side to this whole question. There
are solemn and important duties resting upon the
wife of the minister. A claim upon her, indeed, but
it is not the claim of the local Church of which she
happened to be a member, but it is the claim of the
Lord of the Church, and a special claim, owing to
the fact that she is the minister's wife. Perhaps our
dear sisters do not always understand this when they
are anxious to become the minister's wife.

Every position of honor has its corresponding
responsibility — for to whom much is given of them
much shall be required. " Uneasy lies the head that

CLAIMS OF CHURCH OX PAS70A"S WIFE.

but
she
the
S to
our
they

wears the crown," and the daui^litcrs as well as the
sons of fortune must pay, and sonictimcs dearly too,
for the position they occupy. With that all too
common phrase " hire the minister," we have but
little sympathy. True it is, the pastor is worthy of a
generous support from the Church he serves, but even
he is not the "hired servant" of the local Church, to
be worked for all he is worth, then sent adrift at the
pleasure or displeasure of a few irrclij^ious cranks.
But he is the servant of the Most lIiL>h — "beseeching;
men in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God " — and
as the servant of (lod he should be faithful to his
Master in all things, as one who shall render an
account of his stewardship, not unto the local Church,
but unto his God. Now, wc believe that in some
sense there are important duties or claims, if you
choose to call them such, resting upon the wife of
every minister that do not rest upon the ordinary
sister of the Church. And it is these hii^her claims
resting upon the pastor's wife that the local church
sometimes mistakes as its claim upon her. It is
simply an error in judgment and not in heart on the
part of the local Church. The discharge of these
important duties is a sacred trust bestowed upon the
pastor's wife, not by the Church, but by her Lord and
Master. There is a sense in which the minister is
above the ordinary member and in which he should
be esteemed very highly for his work's sake, and
every minister should strive to so live as to worthily

I 4U

CLAIMS OF CIIL'RCII ON PASTOR'S IV/FK.

command this respect from the community in which
he dwells. In like manner should the minister's wife
strive to live as an example in holiness anrl consecra-
tion for her sisters. This, I think, is what the church
mean, when the members sometimes remind her of
her absence from the prayer-mcetinf^. That is, they
count a ijood deal on their minister's wife. It is a
compliment paid her, not a claim upon her, in the
sen.se of a "hired servant," and a comjiliment she
should receive and use to the best of her ability
for the glory of God and the good of souls. The
pastor's wife is expected, and I think reasonably too,
to be more- deeply interested in the religious pros-
perity of the community than ordinary sisters of the
Church. The people claim, if the minister is honest
in his praying and desiring the welfare of souls and
the progress of Zion, that his wife should share
these desires, and so she should. She need not
expect the people to acknowledge all her deeds of
.self-denial and self-sacrifice, any more than they do
tho.se of the pastor. She too is hitched to the
professional cart, and must suffer the common lot
of all professional characters. Still, I think, as a
rule, the people are ready to recognize to a good
degree all we do for them, at least I find it so. Well,
what about the salary of the minister's wife ? Should
she not receive her pay for what she does, as well as
the pastor ? Yes, but not in tlie shape of a stated
salar}', separate and apart from her husband. The

CLAIMS OF CHURCH OX PASTOR'S WIFE.

pastor should receive a good liberal support from the
Church he serves, enough to enable himself and
family to live comfortably and dress respectabl)'.
And if the pastor and his wife be worthy of the
sacred trust committed to them as the servants of
the Lord then higher and purer motives than to get
gain will prompt them both. I will close this talk
with a clipping from the " Magazine of Christian
Literature" :

"We have very little sympathy with the sentiment,
that happily used to be more freely expressed than it
is at present, that the parish hired the minister and
not the minister and wife, and that until she received
her salary as well as he, the cliurch could expect no
special service of her. The idea has been ridiculed
more than once that she could be supposed to be the
'assistant minister.'

*' We make bold to defend the proposition that she
ought to be, in a special sense, not only the ' pastor's
assistant,' but the ' assistant pastor.'

"It is not necessary to carry out the analogy, and
to say that the doctor's wife, while she may be the
doctor's assistant, is not also an assistant doctor,
and that the blacksmith's wife is not an assistant
blacksmith, for the relation that subsists between
the minister's wife and the souls of the parish is
very different from the relation of the blacksmith's
wife to the forge, or of the shopkeeper's wife to the
counter.

•

CLAIMS OF CHURCH ON PASTOR'S WIFE,

"The minister's wife has a peculiar insij^ht into
parish problems. She can often know better than
her husband himself the needs of a large section of
the pco[)le to whom he ministers. She may have the
entrance to secret chambers of hearts that he can
never penetrate.

" We do not mean that necessarily she must be
president of the sewing circle, and chief director
of the annual fair, and president of the home mission-
ary society and of the foreign board, and organizer
of the young ladies' mission band, and leader of the
natural meetinc^ : we do not mean that she is to
neglect one home duty or slight one home care.

" But. though crowded with such cares, though she
be blessed with 'nine small children,' she may yet
find time and strength for such quiet, helpful minis-
trations as no one else can render so well. Though
very little in public life, though holding but few
offices, even among the ladies of the church, she may
have an influence most potent and helpful.

"We are reminded of this truth as we recall a recent
convention of young people, where, one after another,
many told how much they had been helped by the
minister's wife, how she had helped them to do their
duty, how she had inspired their society with new
life, how she had dropped the word in season, how
she had run to speak to * that young man ' and this
young woman.

" Surely there is no nobler mission than such a

CLAIMS OF CIIURCIf OX PASTOA'\S WIFE. r>l

mission. The 'pastor's assistant' is no less useful
than the pastor.

"We feel like echoing' the hearty exclamation of
one youn<,^ man in the meetiti^- before referred to.
* I thank God for our niiin'ster's wife.' "

i !

i- i

I :

TIIK TIIRKK GIANTS.

In tlic old Third B(X)k of Lessons there was a
chapter that bore the above caption. As bo\'s we
were ahvavs deh<dUed when in the course of our
reading we came to the " Story of the Tliree Giants."
It was a (|uaint old story that personified the power
o{ water, TtvW and steam, under the names of Acjua-
fluens, V^entosus and Vaporifer. These three giants
are still with us laborin<>- and toilin<j: for the <iood of
mankind. We could not dispense with them even in
tliis nineteenth century ; for they water our deserts,
waft- our ships over the ocean, and hurl our railcars
across the continents.

Ikit it is of three modern giants I propose to speak.
Tiiese modern giants are at work, not so much for
physical as for the moral good of mankind. *' Have
the)- come to stay ? " It looks like it. " Do we WQd^X
them ? " Most all the good people say " Yes !" Some
say ''No!" But they are here, and we believe here
to stay ; and further, we think the world needs them,
and soon the powers of darkness shall be made to feel
that they are giants indeed, for their herculean strength
is emplo)'ed in doing good and only good. Let me
introduce them that you may judge for yourself.

r)G

THE TIIRF.E GIANTS.

It ; ;

Here they arc : " Modern Missions," " The Woman's
Christian Temperance Union," and " The Young
People's Movement." Giants indeed, but youni^, you
say. Yes, but they can't lielp tliat. Ah'cady they
have done a j^i^T^antic work for God and inan. Let us
examine more closely the character of their work —
"for by their fruits ye shall know them." We will
take them in the order of their acje.

I. Modern Missions. — This modern i^iant is just
one hundred years old, — no amateur you see, but
not old. This year, 1892, we celebrate his centennial;
may it be a celebration worthy of his name and
memory. His mission is divine, it bears the seal and
stamp of high heaven. Already he has caused the
spiritual deserts to bud, and soon they shall blossom
as the rose. How many questions have been settled
during the last hundred years, as to the extent of his
mission ? To-day no thoughtful Christian will question
that his mission is anything short of the ends of the
earth, or the Church's obligation to pay his passage
to the most distant clime. What, under God, and
aided b\' the prayers and alms of the consecrated
Church of Christ, this giant of missions will do during
the next hundred years, who but an angel inspired of
God can tell. His wheel is now fixed in the way of
the streams of grace divine, his piston is before the
energizing power of the Holy Spirit, and his sails
filled with the heavenly gales of truth, and soon the
message of redeeming grace and dying love shall be

, ^■^■:;&:i.it;:^-^i^.«

L'r,i.t.j:,jftJ-:tea.*-

THE THREE GE\i\TS.

told in all lands, among all peoples — then shall the
end come. Giant of missions, go forth ! in heaven's
name, go forth, for already can^we sing — •

" The moniini; liglu is breaking ;

The darkness disappears :
Tiie sons of earth are waking

To penitential tears ;
Each l)reeze that sweeps the ocean

Hring tidings from afar,
Of nations in commotion,

Prepared for Zion's war.

Blest river of salvation,

Pursue thy onward way ;
Flow thou to every nation.

Nor in thy richness stay ;
Stay not till all the lowly

Triumphant reach their home.
Stay not till all the lK)ly

Proclaim ' The Lord is come.' "

2. The Womans Chnstiaii Temperance Union, —
Here is a giant, or giantess, of but yesterday, who
is gathering strength for the future. Organized in
1874, she has in eighteen years belted the globe with
the motto — " For God and home and native land!'
This power, ordained of God, shall yet become the
iconoclast to shatter and scatter that greatest foe of
God and man — intemperance. Already she has
blessed ten thousand hearts and homes. Miss Frances
Willard suggests, when the mission is complete and
the world won to prohibition, that we petition the
astronomers to chani^c the name of our world, " from

THE THREE GIANTS.

■ I

planet earth to planet concord ia," The huge propor-
tions of the VV. C. T. U.'s mission will be seen at the
" World's Fair" in 1893, when shall be exhibited the
mammoth prohibition petition, designed for presenta-
tion in all the legislative halls of all the nations of the
earth. It is thouij^ht that a steamer will be chartered
to carry the great petition and its representatives
around the globe. Will not the angels of God
accompany these holy, consecrated women on their
mission of love and mercy, and plead for them with
angelic speech before the human power of earth ?
And shall they plead in vain ? I trow not. Giant
of temperance, go forth ! in heaven's name, go forth !
and we will sing :

" The day of the Lord at h;Tid, at hand,
Its storms roll up tht, sk;'.
A nation sleeps. Str.rvirin; in sight of gold,
The dreamers toss and sigh.
The night is daikest before the dawn,
When the pain is sorest the child is born,
And the day of the Lord at hand.

Gather you, gather you, angels of God,
Freedom and mercy and trulii ;
Come, for the earth has grown coward and old,
Wisdom, self-sacritice, daring and love,
Haste to the battlefield, stoop from alcove,
To the day of the Lord at hand."

giant is

3. T/ie Young People's Movement. — This
the last of the three, and shall we not say the
brightest, too, since youth and vigor are on his

THE THREE G/AXTS.

brow ? His appearance is most timely ; he leads a
religious van, over a million and a half strong, who
make up the young hosts of God. This movement
bridges with loyal deed for Christ and the Church
the yawning chasm between the Sunday-school scholar
and man and womanhood, which in active work for
God and souls has been a blank in the lives of so
many professing Christians. We hail this brighter,
clearer day of youthful energy in the Church of God
on earth. Merc is a giant of no mean proportion ;
his growth is tremendous for one so young. No cen-
tury plant this — it blossomed in a night. A century
is too long for mortals to wait for maturity. The
I5ible makes much of to-day. " To-day if ye will
hear His voice." *' Go work to-day in My vineyard."
What we purpose to do for God must be done to-day —
" to-morrow never yet on any human being rose or
.set." This rejoicing giant assures us that the religion
of Jesus becomes the buoyancy of youth quite as well
as the decrepitude of old age. The robes of righteous-
ness shine with even a brighter lustre upon the lads
and lasses than upon the. grey-haired pilgrims.
'^ Begin furtJier back'' is the motto which this giant
holds before the world. " Beat not your knuckles,"
says Frances Willard, " against the granite of mature
character, when you can mould the clay of the three-
year-old's habit and intention." The hoi)e of the
Church in taking up the great burden of a world's
salvation is to be found in this movement among the

I*.

THE THREE GIANTS.

\ li I

k |i i

' li 1

t it \

young people. Giant of youth, go forth ! in heaven's
name, go forth ! as \vc sing —

" Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before,
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe ;
Forward into battle, see His banners go.

Like a mighty army moves the church of God ;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we.
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain-
Gates of hell can never 'gainst that church prevail ;
We have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward, then, ye faithful, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices, in the triumph song :
Glory, laud, and honor, unto Christ the King ;
This, through countless ages, men and angels sing."

ERRING IN VISION— STUMBLING IN

JUDGMENT.

ERRING IN VISION— STUMBLING IN

JUDGMENT.

The above caption well describes the condition of
those who tarry long at the wine. Of all the sins to
which the youn^^ man of to-day is exposed, the
intoxicating cup is foremost.

Mr. Lawrence, who went to Boston a poor boy,
and afterwards became a successful and wealthy
merchant, when speaking of his attitude to tobacco
and the wine-cup, said : "In the first place, take this
as your motto at the commencement of your journey,
that the difference of going just right or a little zvrong,
will be the difference of finding yourself in good
quarters or in a miserable bog or slough at the end
of your journey." Ah ! how important to be just
right on this question of Temperance. Think of the
bright intellects that have " erred in vision and
stumbled in judgment " over the wine-cup. The
gifted Charles Lamb thus uttered his sad wail as he
stumbled : " The waters have gone over me ; but, if
out of the black depth I could be heard, I would cry
out to all those who have but one foot in the perilous
flood. Could the youth, to whom the flavour of his
first wine is delicious as the opening scene of life, or

EA'h'IXG IX r/S/OA\

entering upon some newly-discovcrcd paradise, look
into my desolation and be made to understand what
a dreary thing it is when a man shall feel himself
goinjj down a precipice with o[)en eyes and a passive
will — to see his destruction and have no power to
stop it, yet feel it all the way emanating from himself;
to sec all goodness emptied out of him, yet not be
able to forget a time when it was otherwise ; to hear
about the piteous spectacle of his own ruin ; could
he sec my fevered eyes, feverish with last night's
drinking, and feverishly looking for to-night's repeti-
tion of the folly ; could he but feel the body of the
death out of which I cry hourly, with feebler outcry,
to be delivered — it were enough to make him dash
the sparkling beverage U) the earth in all its mantling
temptations."

St. Ambrose tells of a man who was warned by his
physician that unless he stopped drinking he would
lose his eyesight. He replied, thus : '* Farewell sweet
sight then ; I must have pleasure in that sin ; I must
drink, though I drink out my eyes, and farewell light
and all."

Dr. Guthrie gives a sad picture of what he had
.seen in drinking homes during his ministry at Edin-
burgh. He says : " I have heard the wail of children
crying for bread, and their mothers had none to give
them. I have seen the babe pulling breasts as dry as
if the starved mother had been dead. I have known
a father turn a step-daughter into the street at night.

KKK/XC /X 17S/0X.

rhtS

idit

bidding tlic sobbing <;irl, who bloomed into womiui-
hood, eani her bread tlicre as others were doing. I
have bent over the foul pallet of a dyin^i; lad to liear
him whisper, and his father and mother, who were
sitting half-drunk by the fireside, had pulled the
blankets off his body to sell them for drink. I have
seen the children blanched like plants growing in tlie
cellar — for weeks they never breathed a mouthful of
fresh air for \\ant of rags to cover their nakedness,
<ind they lived in continual terror of a drunken father
or mother coming home to beat them. I don't
recollect ever seeing a mother in these wretched
dwellings dandling her infant or hearing the little
creature crow or laugh. These are some of Drink's
doings ; but nobody can know the misery and
suffering amid these scenes of wretchedness, woe,
want, and sin."

Ah ! reader, this is how they " err in vision and
stumble in judgment" over the wine-cup; as you
value your never-dying soul and all the hopes and
promises of life that are dear, shun this destroyer.
Be warned by these tales of woe and suffering. May
God save those who are putting their foot for the
first time over the threshold which leads to " erring
in vision and stumbling in judgment." What are we
doing to save men from stumbling ? What can we
do? These are hard questions to answer. This
whole traffic in strong drink is so interwoven with
political matters, that by times there seems but little

■ i 'fi

■ 1. I

( It [

i '-

Eh'/^/xa /x nsioy.

hoj)c of tlniii<; aii)'thiii^^ \Vc must not uiiclcrratc
the power of this evil. Strong' th'itik' destroyed the
five ^reat civih'zations of tlie ancient world, and
to-day it han<;s like a ^reat black pall over all that
tills present civilization liolds dear and sacred. What
is our hope that this evil will not destroy our boasted
civilization ? There can he but one hope, and that is
that God will ere lonjjj rise in His nii^dity power and
wipe out this curse as lie did slavery. Our present
civilization must be the instrument in the hands of
God to destroy the liciuor traffic, or the liquor traffic
will be the instrument in the hands of Satan to
destroy our civilization. Wc can read our own history
in tlie hmguaf^c of the prophet : *' But they also have

they

err m vision,

erred through wine, . . . they
stumble in judgmeiiL."

1. T/iey also have erred. " Thc)'," the sons of
Judah, took wo warning from the sad fate of Israel.
It is hard to take warning from the fate of others.
No power of logic, nor eloquence of speech, nor
example of suffering, can break the spell that binds
the drunkard to his cups. Our only hope is to save
the rising generation. If we can only persuade the
boys and the girls of to-day to have nothing to do
with this evil, in twenty-five years there would
scarcely be a drunkard upon the face of the earth.

2. The priest and the prophet hare erred. There
are no circles too holy for this destroyer to enter ;

Eh'h'/xa IX r/s/ox.

dcrratc
cd the
111, atul
ill that
What
boasted
I that is
^vcr and
present
lands of
ir traffic
iatan to
1 history
Iso have
on, they

sons of
f Israel.

others,
cch, nor
at binds

to save
lade the

T to do
would
earth.

There
;o enter ;

the loveliest ami dearest hopes of huinanit)' have
suffered from its deadly stiii<;. it has fretpiently
entered the iiol)' and sacred callinij of the ministry,
and draL,^;4ed the priest from the altar. Some of the
bri''htest intellects of which the human race can
boast, alon^ with those who have possessed tlie
richest poetic ^em'us, have been blastetl and cut tlown
in the full strength of their manhootl by stroni^ drink.
Charles Lamb, Hartley Coleridge, ICdi^ar Allen I'oc,
Lord Byron, and Robert Hums, are only examples
of the <^reat army marching on to death and hell —
while men s///i/i' and drink and vote and die.

3. They err in vision, tliey stuinble in jndtrment.

How men have erred on this whole (juestion of
prohibition. 'J\)-day it is impossible to c^ct from our
courts of law a righteous judi^ment on the licjuor
(juestion. " They err in vision, they stumble in
judgment," from the chief justice down to the petty
magistrate. If you want a proof of this go into the
court-room, when the policeman leads in another
cripple to be tried for the violation of our " Scott
Act," and listen to the crooked swearing that is done
over an open Bible, and you have an object lesson as
to how men "err in vision and stumble in judgment"
through strong drink.

P)Ut how does this whole question of temperance
iuul intemperance stand i)olitically ? That is a most
practical question, and I shall try to put the answer
in a nutshell, and, also, point out the only availabJe

■ill :\ '

^\r

':• li

r f

31 i^

I i

)
I

t:- ii

ERRING IN VISION,

power, humanly spealzing, that is able to break the
spell that binds the hands of justice. Let us never
forget that the stronghold of the rum power is the
ballot-box. In Canada to-day the rum party holds
the balance of power at the polls. The present
government is held in power by the rum party, and
through this rum party the Liberals are trying to
get into power. It is not a question of temperance
with either of these partie.s, it is a question of power.
What we need, as temperance people, is to wrench
this balance of power from the rummies, and that
can only be done by securing a larger number of
independent voters than they possess. Why not do
this, says someone, and have the politicians fawning
over us as they do over the rum party ? Simply
because there are not enoigh independent voters in
Canada to stand for temperance. And until we
secure this majority we need not expect a prohibitory
law. Do I mean a third party ? no, we are sick of
parties now. We need independent, honest voters,
men untrammelled by party. Neither of these old
parties can quite see their way clear to kill the hen
that lays the golden <^^g^g, and, from their standpoint,
who can blame them. That is the political side of
the question to-day. "

But thanks be unto God there is a brighter star
of hope on the political horizon, whose lustre no
smirking politicians can dim. That star is the star
of " woman suffrage," and may God liasten the ddy

/':a'A'/.\g /.v I7S/0X.

(i!)

:ak the
h. never

is the
y^ liokls
present
ty, and
ying to
perance

power,
wrench
lid that
nber of

not do
fawn in l;

Simply
oters in
intil we
)hibitory
; sick of
t voters,
hesc old

the hen
tndpoint,
I side of

hter star

ustre no

the star

the day

when it shall reacli its highest altitude, and b)- the
over-ruling liand of the Most High become a fixed
star in the zenith of the political iieavcns. Woman
suffrage must prevail — Internal justice demands it !
Woman has suffered the most shameful desjradation
through strong drink, and without power to shield
herself from tlie insult. Her [)rolonged and united
cries for deliverance from this curse is entering into
the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth, and deliverance
must come. And, if we see aright, this recent move-
ment amjng the holy and consecrated women of our
land, is an answer from God to their united prayer
for help. To-day they are 250,000 strong in America,
and soon their power will be felt at the ballot-box, to
deliver their sons and dauG^hters from the withering-
curse of strong drink. The W.C.T.U. is of God, and
its power will soon be acknowledged in political
circles. It is, doubtless, the great means, under God,
to hasten the rising of that last and brightest political
star — the star of "woman suffrage"— and may the
Almighty hasten the day, when every mother, wife,
atid sister that is suffering from the curse of strong
drink, shall have a vote against it ; then it will go
politically, and not till then. I firmly believe the day
is not far distant in Catiada, when no government will
dare to peril the best interests of the bright boys and
girls of our fair Dominion, as is the case to-day, for
nine millions of revenue. I am also a firm believer
in the prophecy of that most worthy heroine of

Hi
1

ERRING IN VISION.

purity, that brii^Hitcst of literary stars in the female
heavens — Miss ]"rances M Willard, who has saitl,
" The Saloon must go " — and we add the humble
prayer, May the Almighty God precipitate its fall.

-a
I

THE BiRLK a::d mother ox

I'ROHiBITIOX.

ft:

I
ffl

TIIK BIBLE AND MOTHER ON
rROlIIlMTIOX.

The Holy Bible has uttered its anathema a^^aiiist
intoxicatinir drinks. When intoxicants were first
discovered and used bv men we cannot tell ; but the
earliest accounts of drunkenness, of which we have
an\' reliable record, arc those of Noah and Lot. liut
this we know, the Bible denounces drunkenness and
teaches prohibition in both Old and New Testaments;
and those who tell us that strong- tlrink is one of the
c^^ood creatures of God, will find it difficult to harmo-
nize their statements with the o[)cn denunciations
cf Holy writ, against this evil.

" Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning
that they ma\' follow strong drink ; that continue
until niglit, till wine inflame them.

" Woe unto them that arc mighty to drink wine
and men of streu'^^th to mincflc 3tron<>" drinks ; which
justify the wicked for a reward and take away the
righteousness of the righteous from him.

" Woe to the drunkards of Kphraim whose glorious
beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of
the fat vallevs that are overcome with wine.

" Woe unto him that q:iveth his ncii^hbour drink,

.f,

74 THE BinLE axd mother ox prohibitiox.

B \ \

that puttcth the bottle to him, that niaketh him
drunken also.

" Wine is a mocker, stron<^ drink is raginy;, and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

" Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when
it tj^iveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself
ari<^ht, at last it bitcth like a serpent and stingeth
like an adder.

"If meat make my brother to offend I will cat no
flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother
to offend."

We have here a stroncf deliverance of revelation on
the question of temperance, and who will say that
prohibition and total abstinence is not taught in the
strongest sense of the words? Christ denounced the
use of strong drink in no measured terms. God
thundered through the patriarchs his fiercest invec-
tives against its use in any way, and St. Paul declares :
"The drunkard shall not inherit the kingdom of
heaven."

There are in all, I believe, some one hundred and
sixty-seven places in the Bible where wine is
denounced. About seventy passages in the Old
Testament alone which lift their warning voices
ai^ainst the evils of stronj^^ drink. Twelve of these
passages s])cak of wine as poisonous and venomous ;
nine prohibit it strongly, and five are unqualified in
their denunciations of its deadly and destructive
power. 1-iut in the presence of all this w^e are fre-

rilE lUlUJ: AX/) MOTHER OX rROHii^niox. 7:»

tjucntly tokl that our Saviour made and used intoxi-
cants. That would brine; tlic word of (iod in
conflict witli itself, l^xphu'n Paul's advice to 'I'iniotlu',
and tile fact that Christ turned the water into wine
at the marria^t^e at ('ana of (ialilee, as you please —
the two wine theory is satisfactory to me — but others
can take an\' theory they wish, I have only this to
say, that the Sacred Hook condemns with an over-
throw drunkards and drunkard makers from Genesis
to Rcvelatif)n. And to sa)- that Jesus Christ made
and used intoxicatin^i; wines in direct opposition to
tlie solemn warnings of the Bible is false. Wine that
lias in it these intoxicatinsj; ajid deadU^ elements finds
no favor in the word of (kxl.

There are some very learned men, some wise states-
men, some over-heated party politicians who fmd it
a most difficult thim^ to settle whether the Bible
teaches prohibition or not ; but the wa\'farinc; man,
though a fool, need not err therein. To him it is as
clear as the noon-dav sun, that the IJible declares
temperance in all things, and prohibition and total
abstinence from that which destroys men both soul and
body, for Lime and etcrnit}'. The next generation of
Christians will read this same Bible without being
able to find the slightest permit to use strong drink
from first to last. Thirty v'cars ago hjigland forced
the opium upon China, to-day she repents, saying the
opium trade is a sin and it should be aband(jned.
Well may we ask — *'lIow readest thou, moderate

?^l

70 THE JUliLE AXD MOTHER OX PROUIIUTIOX,

drinker." There arc some people who love to ar<^ue
on this question of liiblc teiri[)crance. They remind
lis mucli of the Irislinian, who, after listcnini^ to a
lady discoursin*,^ on the glories of the sun, said : " Yes
inadain, the sun is a very fine Ijod}' to he sure. lUit
in m}' opinion the moon is much more useful ; for
the moon affords us lii^ht in thcnii^ht time when we
really need it ; wliereas we have the sun with us in
the dav time, wlicn we have no occasion for him."
There can be no mistake as to tiie import of Scrip-
ture : "Ilear thou my son and be wise, and guide
thine heart in the way. l^c not amoni;" wine-bibbers ;
for the drunkard shall come to poverty, and drowsi-
ness shall cover a man with rai^s."

*' Who hath woes, who hath sorrows, who hath con-
tentions, who liath redness of e^'cs, who liath bab-
blini^s, who hath wounds without a cause ? Tlicy
that tarry lonj^ at tlie wine, the}' that go to seek
mixed wine." In these divine warnings against the
destroyer, temperance people can read prohibition
and total abstinence in every line. Yet many say,
" we can't see it." They remind us much of Pat and
the country blacksmith. The blacksmith said, Pat,
you owe me a dollar for shoeing your hoi'se. " Well
now, does you tell me so," said Pat. " Now, if you
will make me siiisible that I owe you, I will pay you,
but }'ou can't make me sinsibkr It matters not how
plainly God has written against the evils of strong
drink, there are men you can't make '' sinsible'' of

THE lUnLE AXD MOTHER OX TROHHUTlOX

I i

the trutli : " Vov the i;od of tin's uorlcl hatli bhiulcd

tl\c eyes of those who bch'eve not, lest the li^ht of

the f^lorious ijospel of the Son of Cjrbd shoukl shine

in unto tliem."

MoTIlKK.

Some tiine ago I read a piece from a relii^n'ous paper
entitled — '' 77ir Old Wouiaiil' which seemed to ex-
press many of our hopes and fears in the cause of
temperance. The writer stated tliat he liad dropped
into the Academy of Music in New \'ork City, where
a notorious infidel was givini; a Sabbath's evenini;
entertainment. It was an expectant asscmbla,L;e of
people, who wanted an entertainment and the}' ^()t
it. From first to last the " .y//^7f " was an irreverent
assault upon all that civilization holds dear. It
kicked over the shrines of a people, mocked at the
hopes and aspirations of mankind, reduced reverence
to a jeer an.l the Bible to a burlesc[uc. When it was
over and the crowd was makinc^ its wa}' toward the
door, a youn<^ man spied his friend comini^ down the
stairs and said: " Hallo, Bill ! well there isn't ain--
thing left, is there? He made a clean swee[) of it,
did he not ? " Bill was a stalwart brown-faced young
man from the country, who said : " Well, I d'know,
Hank, I kinder feel that the old woman's got a grij)
on me yet." It was an unconscicnis testimony of
something woven into the very fibre of his being.

This same fjentlcmen a sh(jrt time after was called
to visit one of the hardest cases in Auburn State

7S 77//. AV/.V,/. A.y/> MOTH UK oX J'KOIIlUn lOX,

prison. lie was what they call in the prison a " lifer,"
that is one inii)risoneil tor life. WHien the visitor
entered his cell the prisoner dropped his head, the
visitor saw on the prisoner's wrist a spot oi India
ink. After a few moments of silence the prisoner
lifted his heatl a little, and i)ointin_L;" to the letters on
his wrist said, "Do )'ou know what that is?" Yes
said the visitor, we all did that when we were N'ountr.
Well said the prisoner, " I was a kid when I did that ;
those are the letters of my mother's name. Me
mother was the only sweetheart I ever had, and I
pricked her name (jii my arm — Will anythinij take
that out?" The visitcM' i^^ot ikj needed information
from the poor wretch and soon left his cell. The
moral is not far to seek. Hehold a mother's influence!
Here were two cases in which mother's kindly old
face haunted the men, and her earl)' inlluencc, the
onl}Mnnuence that vice and crime could not eliminate.
Thank God " the old woman " still lives and her un-
d)'ip.^L( influence is wielded lo-da)' in the cause of
temperance as never before. We all know somethiiiL^
of it. It is first and last. The dyini,^ soldier calls for
it on the battle-field or in the lonely hospital.

It is said that the Jews had a notion that there was
somewhere in the spinal vertebra of the human body
an indestructible germ from which was evolved a
spiritual body. There appears to be at least this
indestructible germ of a mother's love which defies
the power of sin to destroy it.

tfi

riiE luiu.E Axn MOTHER OX I'Roiiiniriox. 7«i

Well, roiulcr, vou max- diftcr with inc, but I liavo
more hoi)c for the cause of temperance from inotlwrs
L^rip on her boy than in all the petitions \'ou can piK'
up ijefore runi-driiikin;^ <;()verinnents and the rotten,
contemptible side issues ofpart)' politicians. Mothers,
no prohibitory law can perform the solemn duties
which beloni; to \'ou. \'ours is a toil of love which
will never cease so loni; as sin exists in human hearts.
Be assured of this, \'our labor <ind intluence w ill bear
fruit in the lives of \'our sons, when every otiier
intluence has become defaced by sin antl crime.
Mother's kindl\' oKl face and und^'ini;' love follows
her bo\- in tiie haunts of crime, or amid the duiiLreon
cell of the criminal. '"Will a)iytlii}ii:; take that out?''
Set to \'our seals that by " mother's " inlluence victory
belongs to the cause of tem[)era!ue. 'I'his diabolical
traffic in strotiL,^ diink has two und\'inL;" enemies who
will nc'ver cpiit the field until the last trum]> shall
sound, or this curse pass awa\-, — for iiod and the
motlicrs are aL;ainst it. Die it must; die it will.
(lod .\lmi,L;iit\' hast' n the da}'.

Friends of temperance, hope on, labor on, pray on ;
the enem)' will die liard, but die he must — ft)r the
Bible <ind inotlicr are against him.

: fii

.irifii-TJr'^iitat'TfiFr

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

tim

■ 30

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III

Photographic

Sciences

Cbrporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716)872-4503

h I

CAREY'S MISSIONARY OUALITIKS.

I purpose to relate a few of the minor incicieiits in
the life of William Carey as examples of that faith,
couraj^r, zeal and tact, qualities which well fitted him
to become the founder of mcxlern missions and the
^Meat l^aptist Apostle of India.

Faith. — Carey's faith in the God of missions was
undyinf^. In this, like Paul, he stood alone ; like
Job's, his friends were, indeed, " miserable comforters."
After months and years of holy meditations upon the
needs of the lieathen, his faith enabled him to launch
his scheme at a ministerial conference, but he was met
bv the hot ancrcr of the presidini;^ officer thus : " You
are a miserable enthusiast. Nothing can be done
before another Pentecost, when an effusion of miracu-
lous gifts, including the gift of tongues, will give effect
to the commission as at the first." As for the effusion
of the Holy Ghost, Carey had it already in his soul ;
and one who could acquire a g(jod readable knowledge
of the French language in three weeks, without
grammar or dictionar\', could almost claim the gift
of tongues.

At another conference he proposed the following
as a suitable question for discussion : " Have the

CAAW.Y'S M/SS/OjV.lA'y QUALITIES.

I I

churches of Christ done all they ouL^ht to have done
for heathen nations ?" It was like a bolt from a clear
sky. Pastor John Ryland was the first to recover
from the shock, and cried out, " Young man, sit down ;
wlien God wants to convert the heatlien world lie
will do so without )'our help or mine either." It was
uninspired prophecy, however, for God needed them
both, and used them both in the conversion of the
heathen.

" Truth ciuslied to earth shall rise again,
The eternal years of God arc her's."

To-day Carey's question echoes from India, Africa
and the most dista!it isles of the sea, on every breeze
that sweeps the ocean ; it comes back in Macedonian
cries, as if inspired of God — " Have the churches of
Christ done all they ought to have done for the
heathen nations ? "

On arriving in India, for five months he was hin-
dered by the East India Company from doing any
aggressive missionary work. During these months
Mr. Thomas, who had formerly been in India as a
surgeon, and who had now gone out with Mr. Carey
as a missionary, had directed the finances until there
were none left to direct. His old creditors came down
upon him and stripped them of all their effects. At
this juncture Thomas put out his sign as a surgeon,
and left Mr. Carey a stranger in a strange land, with
a sickly, half-crazed wife and four children, without
money, friends, or employment In all this the good

done
clear
;cover
lown ;
id lie
It was
them
of the

Africa

breeze
-donian
rches of

for the

as hin-

ing any

months

ia as a
r. Carey
itil there
Tie down
cts. At
surgeon,
md, with
without
the good

CA A'/', y '.V M/SS/OX.t h'V {H 'A / / 7 i/:s.

s:.

man never lost faith in (jod nor hope in the nnssion.
Uncheered hv a fricndl)' voice, and taking with him
a familv wlio tliou'dit it liar(i to leave Calcutta to (he
in the wilderness, he started on a journcx' of fortx'
miles up river in pursuit of emplo\-mcnt ; but before
tlie journey was iialf over, provisions were all gc)ne,
children were cr\'ing for bread, wife under a partial
fit of insanity chiding In'm most severely for liaving
robbed them of the bare necessities of their i'jiirlish
home, to meet a sadder doom in tiie land of darkness
and superstition. The scenes of extremity so graphic-
ally portrayed in the scriptin'es of Hagar and licr
thirsty child, I^lijali b)' tlie failing brook, the widow of
Zarei)hatii, do not present more touching scenes than
the one before us in the life of our missionary hero,
l^ut the God who opened the eyes of Hagar to behold
the living spring of water, and ^Ci\ Ilis servant Elijah
by means of the raven, and stayed tlie meal in tlie
barrel and the oil in the cruse, raised up for Ilis ser-
vant Carev in this hour of rrxQixt need a life-Ion-'
friend in the person of Mr. Short. Mr. Short was an
Engli.sh officer, who, by the faith of Care}', was after-
wards led to Christ, and became a life-long friend to
missions. These may be taken as some of the minor
examples of Mr. Carey's faith in the promises of God
and in the cause of missions.

Courage. — His courage was equal to his faith. This
he possessed from childhood, and it grew and strength-
ened with his years. After he became famous, his

C.IR/.V'S .]//.\^/(>.V.IA'y Qr.ll ITIES.

nc'ii^hbor used to remark: "Whatever he uiidertook
he fiiiislicd." A lari;c tree ijrew (3ti tlie vilhi^e school
^^roiind ; to icacli a ccrtaiti hiL;h-iip br.inch was tlie
^oal of ambition ainon^^ tlie boys. Winiaiii, one da\'
while makiiiLj the attempt, came rather unceremoni-
ously to the ^n-ound, breakini,^ one of his lei^s. After
bein<^ confined to the house for several weeks, on
L;'ettinf; out, the Inst tiiinijj he did was to climli that
tree and poise himself on the much-coveted brancii,
just to show the bo\'s that it could be done. This
indomitable purpose of will was much needetl in after
)'ears, and well fitted him for heroic deeds in the land
of darkness and superstition.

Zeal. — lM)r an example of the zeal that character-
ized this man of (lod, look in upon that "consecrated
cobbler," over whose door hun*;- this sign —

liOOTS AND SHOKS

MADK AND MKNDKD, BY

W. CARKV.

Within sat a care-worn man of twenty-eight years,
burdened with a family and a sick, melancholy wife.
On the wall hung a rude map made by pasting to-
gether a few sheets of paper, on which was set forth
the condition of the heathen world. About him, on
the pile of scrap-leather, were books of Hebrew,
Greek, French and Latin, held open with lasts or old
boots uj) for repairs. Here our veteran missionary
toiled, studied and prayed until the hopeless condition

CARE Y\S MISSIOXA NY k^I ',{ / / 7 //•.\9.

-ated

i<4 to-

of a lost world burned its \va\* in his suul and produced
tliat inissionar\' zeal which nian\' waters could not
quench nor bitter i)ersecutions abate.

7)H't. — Mr. Care)' possessed to a lart^'e ileL;ree that
coiiiniodity which wc call tact or skill. It is an
essential to success in Canada as well as in India.
Skill in handlin<; men and thini^s, or, in other words,
common sense, is the special i^ift of God. Someone
has wisely .said, " If a minister lacks education or
special trainin*.^ for his callini;, these he may secure ;
but if he lack common sense, (jod have mercy on
him." One of our missi(jnarics on the field has recentl)'
said : "The missionar\' will be all the better e(iuipped
if he can handle a i;un, cook his own food on a pinch,
manai^e a boat, work with carpenter's and other tools,
care for the sick, and is thoroui^hly posted on all the
ins and outs of a Canadian farmer's life." Carey, at
his trade, in tlic i)ulpit, on pastoral visitations, stirring;
the souls of his brethren t« the entcr[)rise of forcii^n
missions, in India dealing >s ith the sophistry of the
Brahmins, i;uidini( converts, securini,^ means, drawini^
men to himself, founding schools and colleges, and
forming societies, showed iiimself a man endowed
with a large amcnrnt of tact or common sense.

These (iualities, under God, made Carey a great
man and a successful missionary. They are, doubt-
less, possessed to some degree by the ordinary mis-
sionary of our day. The circumstances have some-
thing to do in calling forth tlic latent powers of the

rJi

c.iA'/-:y's A//ss/o.v,iA'y QrAUTir.s.

missionan'. I .sa\' this, lest some on whom Tiod is
puttini^^ llis liatui slioiild he discoiira.L;C(i, seeiiii; tlic\'
possess not tliese essential (jualities after the bold
type of Carey. Hut unless they possess tiiem, each
and all. to a <4f)od decree, they had better examine
well their call and be assured of the voice that speaks
to them : " My shceji hear My voice." Tliis is true
in the call of the missionary. God makes no mistakes
in calliuL,^ ; and unless we err in hearin<^, the ri^ht
man will api)ear. lint be it remembered, Carey him-
self laid no claim to special t,dfts. He said to his
nephew, " luistace, if after ni)' removal any one should
think it worth wiiilc to write m\' life, I will ^ivc you
a criterion by which }'ou ma\' juch^e of its correctness.
If he ^i^ive me credit for beini,^ a plodder, he will
describe me justly. Anythincj be\'ond this will be
too much. I can plod. I can persevere in any definite
pursuit. To this I owe everythin<;-."

Whether or not it can be truthfully said that
Abraham Lincoln went up to (iod bearing the
shackles of four million of Southern slaves, it can
be most truthfully declared that on the evening of
June the 9th, 1834, William Carey went up to God
bearing the spiritual shackles of India's hundreds of
millions, there to receive from the Eternal Father the
welcomed plaudit: ''Well done, good and faithful
servant^ enter thou into the joys of thy Lord!'

iii

I'AUIAS HKLPKRS.

f?i

i'Mf

i\\ri;s ii!:i.iM:ks.

Seldom do wo hear a sermon on I'aiil's Iu'1]>(mn, or
on (Jiospel lielpers in ,L;eneial. i l\c'\- jiii* a noble class
of which liistorx' sa\s l)nt little ; hut while earth fails
lo record their deeds, heaven does not. We read and
talk much about l*aul, and well wf ma\-, for ( lod
declares In'm a "chosen vessel to bear I lis name unto
the (jentiles." Hut we will do well to i^ivc an occa-
sional Ljlance at Paul's helpers. I'aul did not fori^et
them, liowever nuich we ma\'. Ilow fre(|U(ntl\- he
speaks of them in his epistles, how fervent 1\' lie
prayed for them. lie calls them his "true \'okc
fellows," and" beloved <tf the Lord." lie also speaks
of some of tliem by name. TJi'-be, c)ur sister, wlio is
a servant of the Church at Cenchrea. She iiad n(jw
L;onc to Rome, perhaps on business, and I'aul, in the
closin<^ chapter of his letter to the Romans, speaks of
her by way of introduction to the (liurch at Rome.
As much as to say, brethren, take care of this i^^ood
sister, show her about your city ; if she is in need of
help, liclp her, for she herself has been aiieli) to matiy
and to myself also. Doubtless Phebe's home at
Cenchrea was open to the servants of the L(jrd, and
all who were in need. It was a fine recommendation

Ji;

<)2

PAUL'S HEl.rERS.

i !

for Pastor Paul to i^ive to one of liis people, goiiii^
abroad amonir straiiirers. It

is j^ood for a pastor to
be able to sav of the members of his Church n'heu

— is an active

they i^o abroad, Sister or J^rother —
member of m)' C'hurch, ready for ever\' i;oovl word
or work in the Lord. In this letter to the Romans
Paul speaks also of Priscilla and A(iuila, his heli)crs
in Christ Jesus, " who have for my sake laid down
their own necks ; for whom not only I i^ivc thaidss,

but also all the Churches of the (jentiles." IIcI

others is service rendered directly to C'hrist. *' Inas-
much as )'e do it unto one of these the least of m\'
brethren \'e do it unto me." I am i^lad Paul spoke
so man}' encourai^ini^ words about his helpers. And
for the encouragement of those who are doincr what

the\' can to help on the cause of God, let me speak
a word from the pastor's standpoint to you.

First, I recommend that you read carefully tlie
closing chapter of Paul's epistle to tlie Romans, also

the 1 6th chapter of I. Corinthians, to see

s-om;
low

higlily

pastor Paul esteemed his helpers. Sometimes helpers
get discouraged in the work and conclude, " Well, I
can't do much, guess I am not fitted for this work."
This is sometimes the feeling of the superintendent
in the Sabbath school, or the teachers, or the singers,
or the clioir leader, or the good deacon. What these
most valuable helpers need is a word of encourage-
ment, and they should have it. It will not cost us
much to speak the word of cheer to tliem, and it will

PAIL'S HELPERS.

!»;:

ease the burden on their hearts. Reader, cliecr the
faithful helpers. I^jt as a rule, the more thoroui^dil)'
a person is prepared as a helper in tlu^ cause of
religion, the more conscious they will be of their own
unfitness for the work, the more distrustful of them-
selves, the more they will shrink from the task. It is
only the zeal of the half preparetl hcli)er — of those
who have had a glimpse of the greatness of the work,
but have never counted the perils of the path win'ch
lead to it — who are ready with prompt response,

" Yes — we can drink of the cup ; we can be baptized
with the baptism." Hut I'aul could ne\er have per-
formed the herculean task he did had it not been for
the noble band of helpers that surrounded him.
Those wonderful achievements in Asia Minor woukl
not have been so grand or so brilliant had it not been
for the zeal, faith and courage of his faithful helpers.
We are glad that l*aul h.as made such honorable
mention of them. " Acpiila, Priscilla, salute my well-
beloved ICpaenclus, who is the first fruits of Achaia
in Christ. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on
us, Andronicus and Junia, kinsmen and fellow
prisoners. Am[)lias, my beloved in the Lord. Ur-
bane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved."
All these, along with many more at Rome, greet,
salute and receive you in my name, and also in the
name of Jesus. " Mow much," says l*aul, "they have
helped me, how often they have refreshed me when
others like Demus hatl\ forsaken me, having loved

: M

i 1

|p-

il f^i!

PAULS HELPERS.

%m.

tliis present evil world." VVe are apt to i^ive all the
praise to the leaders, but God has crowned the helpers
and they shall share in the glory also.

Every pastor, like Paul, knows his helpers and
thanks God for them. Dr. Cuyler says: "Every
minister soon comes to know who are his minute-men
as well as who are his dress-parade members and who
are the shirks. In the Theban army was a 'sacred
battalion,' three hundred strong, who had sworn a
solemn vow to stand by each other until the last d.op
of blood was spilled. These were the men for a close
encounter or a desperate charge. The leader of
every effective Church knows his sacred battalion.
They are the weather-proof Christians, who con.sult
conscience instead of the barometer on Sundavs. If
the minister can turn out to preach they can turn out
to hear him ; a sensible sheep always knows where he
is salted. The prayer gathering is his spiritual home
— for home is where the heart is. To such members
hard work is a privilege, not a penance. Their
Church has its right place both in their affections and
in their cheque book. When the roll is called they
alwa}'s answer ' tiere.' " Paul would style such
Christians *' true yoke fellows." Dr. Lyman Beecher
was once asked how he managed to do so much
work. His reply was : " It is not I, it is my Church,
I preach on Sunday, but four hundred faithful Chris-
tians preach all the week." Hapi)y the pastor who
always finds his " Sacred Battalion " at their post,

PA CVS HELPERS.

I the
ipers

and

wery

-men

1 who

acred

or 11 a

t d.op

I rlosc

Vex of

;talion.

ponsult

vs. If

irn out

here he
home
mbers
Their
ns and
d they
I such
cecher
much
hurch.
Chris-
r who
r post,

ready for the bivouac or the battle. Paul thanked
God for his " .Sacred Battalion," and so does every
honest minister of Jesus Christ. To the pastor their
presence on Sunday mornitii^ is an inspiration for the
day, and their absence is so much power ^otie.

To all who desire to j(^in the " .Sacred Hattalion "
of helpers in the cause of truth and righteousness, we
invite you to a close study of the Bible for your
models. That beautiful picture in the book of l^^xodus
of Aaron and Ilur staying up the hands of Moses
until Israel prevailed, lias forever immortalized the
office of helpers. The story of the little captive maid
from the land of Israel hel[)ini^ her master Xaaman
to try the prophet in Israel — " would God that my lord
were with the prophet that is in .Samaria ! for he
would recover him of his leprosy." Also that touch-
ing story of Jonathan hel[)ing David to escape tlie
wrath of the king. " Bear }'e one another's burdens,
and so fulfil the law of Christ."

On the other hand, it was the curse of the inhabi-
ants of Meroz that they helped not — '* Curse ye
Aleroz, saith the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly
the inhabitants thereof ; because they came not to
the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against
the mighty." The late Phillips Brooks says : " Meroz
stands for the shirkers ; for him who is willing to see
others fight the battle of life while he simply comes
in to take the spoils." But the world needs "IIeli)ers"
not " Shirkers." No room for helpers, say you !

;I|

''I

1)()

PAWS HELPERS.

God bless you, there is a hungry, starving, fainting
dying, sin-sick world, constantly uttering the Mace-
donian cry, " Come over and help us." The undying
need of earth is her undying cry for help. Give us
hght for darkness, strength for weakness, help for our
helplessness, holiness for our sin. Arouse, thee, O
helper! tell them of the light, the strength, the joy,
and the peace that Jesus so freely gives ; stoop down,
O thirsty one! and drink and live. Oh! for the
spirit of Jesus that could not look upon a world's
need and not help.

" Helpers " in Christ Jesus ! I greet you in the
name of the Lord of Hosts ! I bid you cheer up and
be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His
might. 15e assured of this fact, that your names and
deeds are all recorded in the Book of His remem-
brance, even to the giving of a cup of cold water in
the name of a disciple. For the King hath said,
"They shall be mine in that day when I make up my
jewels ; and I will spare them as a man spareth his
own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and
discern between the righteous and the wicked " —
between him that "helpeth" and him that " hclpeth "
not.

< 1:1

iii
til

^ainting
I Macc-
jndying
Give us
) for our
thee, O
the joy,
>p down,
for the
world's

u in the
r up and

of His
mes and

remem-
water in
ith said,
e up my
ireth his
turn and
eked "—
lielpeth "

HE KXOWKTH.

'§n

I i!

HE K\0\VKT/I.

Moses, the man of God ,\ ■

I '^"d which he himself J' "' "^ ''""nise-

Nebo's lone,,, top he ,nu I "?."•' '"'^■''- '•■- on
;-nc, no,- brother to do e t s 7 " ''""" ' -■'''-
h- last message. JJ^ the I o ,/,"•"'' '^^"^ °^ ''^-'•ve
and "no ,„an k„o4l „M '''"^^''^ '■-* ''^ bnned
_f >•••■ Moses seemed tw m'"'^"" "'"" ">'s
"';^. and h.-s death occurre ' .t f "'"" ^''"^ '-ael-
«"ed a most "fnopponml''' "''^""-' "ould have
■"-' 'eady to step iluo-.i br. T ' ''' ^°" ''ad a
«h- «-o.-k of the ..eat elder ', T' '''''y '-'> -rd

■"an divinely ealled and tuX' "' ^^''^^''^^-thot^e
-'°'^h"a. In the first dnn"r°'^°'^'>^ ^^J^
- <;ave his .•nstallatLn'r:::;,^,:^^;;^",. °^J-'-

Moses, my sen-ant, is dead ""'"''^^'' 4ins

^o over this Jordan, thof i'l;,!'"'-^'""'-^' -- -"'

£ - fv:;;f- - ^"- ::'e:;t:rchi"7° ^"^^

J- very place that fK« t ^"lidren of

^'■<=ad upon, that have l' " ! '°'' °^ >-"'• foot shall
unto Moses." ^'"'" ""to you. a, j ^J^'

Kut before all this tool- ,

°°' Piace. Moses rehearsed

«*

100

HE KXOWETII,

God's dcaliiif^s with Israel from their deliverance out
of Kjjjypt unto the present. Me told them the story
of their apparent disappointments, and how God liad
overruled them and made them the cause of their
triumphs. His words are retrospective, from the past
he bids them take courage for the future. For,
althou<^h the eartlily pil.i,^rimage of Moses was about
at an end, that of Israel was not. Moses, in his
address, reminded them that many a weary month
was still before them ; there were still enemies to be
met and conquered. ]5ut this was to be their hope
and consolation: "God knoweth thy walkin<^s thr()U<;h
this great wilderness."

Human probation on earth may well be likened
unto this wilder!iess journey. And that which was a
soupre of conifort unto (joo's a-icient people, should
be a source ot comfort to us : " He knoweth."

Hcie 'S A. truih general: "H'j knoweth." They
W'ikc not aionc ; God knew each step. Now that
they had approached the land of promise for the
second time, for liad it not been for the unbelief of
their fathers, some of them might have entered it
forty years before. Ikit although they had wandered
forty years longer on account of unbelief, God had
been with them every step of the journey. We can
readily see how, according to His promise, He would
follow them on their first march from Egypt to the
borders of Canaan ; but, that He should have been
with them during the time of their wandering in sin

/liiii i

e out

story

a bad
their

ic past
For,

; about
in bis
montb

es to bo

eii- bopc

tbrougb

; likened
cb was a
e, sbouUl

Tbey
o\v tbat
ic for tbc
Inbelief of
nitercd it
I wandered
God bad
W'e can
[He would
y-pt to tbe
Ibave been
ring i^'^ ^^^^

///•: KXOIVETII,

101

and unbelief seems strange indeed. lUit the lesson is
clear ; lie has followed us on man)- a journc\' of sin
and unbelief, into many a path of disol^edicnce since
we set out for tlic heavenly Canaan. Should Gabriel
sound the trump of God and call to judgment this
niLfht, how manv of God's chosen ones would be
found in doubtful company, and in doubtful places?
" He knoweth " th)' ivandcrings, as well as thy obedi-
ent walkings, throu^i^h this ^reat wilderness. The
wilderness has thus been described : " It is not a
wilderness in the sense of beinix an altotrcther arid
])lace — that wilderness in which the Israelites were so
lon^ wandering. Wilderness and a complete barren-
ness are not synonymous in Scripture. There were
palms of Klim, and wells of Moses, and beautiful
withdrawn places where the grass grew, and the date-
palm hung its fruit, and the flower gladdened, and
the brooks laughed ; and, besides, there was manna
dropping from the kindly skies, and the stream which
flowed from the rock which Moses smote ; and yet it
was a wilderness great and often terrible. There
were vast regions of blistering sands and torrid heats,
and sheer and frowning heights of desolate moun-
tains. Besides, their path was very long and winding,
and athrong with dangers and menacing with uncer-
tainties ; and the issues of their arduous journeyings
they could only see by faith, not much by sight."

Yet, how like all this is the Christian's journey in
this life? Life here is not all trial, sorrow, pain or

■ I

»u

102

HE KNOVVETH.

I '1 iiiitifl t

death ; there is much of happiness in it. It is not
all a wilderness; vvc have happy homes, loving hearts,
tried and true friends ; there are, by times, such
seasons of marked prosperity that we too often regret
that some day we inust die and leave it all. l^ut,
thank God for the trials that urge us on toward the
better Canaan, for while there is much in this life to
make it desirable, it lacks continuance. There arc
arid wastes, there are dark paths, sickness, sorrow,
pain and death — desolate and lonely hearts to tell us
that something more is needed ; the jo}' is too tran-
sient, too soon it fades to bloom no more.

How much like the wilderness journey is all this?
Much of life is enveloped in mystery, what lies in the
path for to-morrow we know not. It may be an
Elim, an oasis ; it may be a trial sharp and long.
This life, too, lias its unrealized ideals — our Christian
lives are not up to the standards which we ourselves
.set. VVc expected to be more tender, more forgiving,
more loving, less easil}- provoked — in a word, more
Christlike than we are. You hoped for more succes.s.
You are disappointed with yourself ; God is not, you
are no better, nor are you any worse, than God
expected when he undertook your case.

Ours is a life like the wilderness, because of its
enemies : the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Midian-
ites, the Moabites, the Amorites, all thronged the
path of the Israelites. It is like the wilderness life
because of its death. It has often been remarked

UE KXOIVETII,

103

not
irts,
uch
^rct
Uut,
the
c to
: arc
rrow,
:U us
tran-

this?
in the
be an

long,
listian

selves

riving,
more

luccess.

t, you
\ God

of its

;idian-

led the

less Ufe

larked

that the Israelites attciulcd funerals forty years in the
wilderness, on account of their sin. Kach resting
place became a graveyard. This life is no stranger
to the newly made grave.

"Sure 'tis a serious thing to die ! my soul,
What a stranjje moment must it be, when near
Thy journey's end, thou hast tlie j^ulf in view !
That awful gulf no mortal ever pass'd
To tell what's doing on the other siile.
Nature runs back, ami shudders at the sight,
And every life-string bleeds at thought of parting ;
To part they must : body and soul must part ;
Fond couple ! linked more close than wedded pair.
This wings its way to its Almighty Source,
The witness of its actions, now its judge ;
That drops into the dark and noisome grave,
Like a disabled pitcher of no use."

But here is also a truth individual ; " He knoweth
thy walkings." "7/t'" and ''thy' are the emphatic
words. " He knoweth Tfiv." How well He knows,
thy care, sorrow, danger and fears. This gospel of
an individual Providence is full of comfort.

We are born alone, live alone, die alone, go to
heaven or hell alone. "" I am poor and needy," said
the psalmist, ''yet the Lord thinketh upon me." He
watcheth thy steps ; it is a necessity, for thy steps
differ from the steps of all others ; just as thy sins
and thy necessities differ from the sins and necessities
of all others. To meet these the knowledge must be
personal. " He knoweth " thee, in each act and
thought. Your friends, too often, only know you at

\ K

![|

104

//A KNOWE'Ill,

your worst ; God knows you in tears of hitter confes-
sion and heart repentance. 'I'he priests and scribes
knew Peter as a blaspliemer, God knew him as a
humble penitent — for ** he went out and wept bit-
terly." The omniscience of Jehovah must ever be
our comfort on this journey of life. The Alini^hty
I^'athcr knows in the sense that He provides for our
necessities, as we journe)' throu^^h this great wilder-
ness of a world. There is water for the thirsty, and
daily manna for the hungry, as we travel towards the
heavenly Canaan.

" Like unto ships far off .it se.i,
Outward or homeward boinul, are we.
Uefore, behind, and all around
Floats and swings the horizon's hound,
Seems at its distant rim to rise
And climb the crystal walls of the skies,
And then again to turn and sink,
As if we could sliile from its outer brim.
Ah ! it is not the sea.
It is not the sea that sinks and shelves,
Hut ourselves
That rock and rise
With endless and unceasing motion,
Now touching the very skies.
Now sinking into the depths of ocean.
Ah ! if our souls but poise and swing
Like the compass in its brazen ring,
Ever level and ever true
To the toil and the task we have to do.
We shall sail securely, and safely reach
The Fortunate Isles, on whose shining beach
The sights we see, and the sounds we hear,
Will be those of joy and not of fear." — Longfellow.

ti (^ \^

(^KT THKK TO SHH.

Oil.

!»i

F'fl

»^

I i

"GET THKE TO SHILOII."

Jeroboam, King of Israel, is in a great strait. In
the day of his prosj)erity lie turned from tlie place
and simplicity of Jehovah's worship. His sin is rife
to-day, and thousands are walking in his footsteps.

Let us sketch, briefly, his history, and note his
mistake. Jeroboam was not of the regular line of
kings, but was cho.sen from among the people and
exalted to he king over Israel. God highh- honoured
Jeroboam in this, but he soon forgot the Lord his
God, and did that which was evil in His sight, l^ut
God had declared, by the prophet Ahijah, that the
kingdom should be taken from Solomon and given
to Hi.s servant : " I will surely rend the kingdom
from thee, and will give it to thy servant." Jeroboam,
one of Solomon's chief men, a voung man, and a
man of growing popularity, had been chosen of the
Lord to receive the kingdom. To this end Jeroboam
was ar^ointed, by the prophet Ahijah, to be king (3ver
the " ten tribes " of Israel : " Vov thus saith the God
of Israel : Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of
the hands of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to
thee. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all
that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and

'^r

*r il

108

''GET THEE TO SH/LO/f."

{

£ ■!

I III

■ I

do what is rii^lit in My s'v^ht, to keep My statutes
and My cominandincnts, as David My servant did,
. . . . I will Ljive Israel unto thee." What a
splendid hcritai^e is this ! What a glorious outlook
is before Jeroboam !

Hut the anointin.i^ of Jeroboam aroused the jealousy
of Solomon, and, for safety, Jeroboam fled to Etrypt.
Soon after this Solomon died, and his son, Rehoboam,
reigned in his stead. Upon the accession of Reho-
boam to the throne, the heads of Israel said unto
him : " Thy father made our yoke grievous ; now,
therefore, make thou tlie grievous service of thy
father licrht and we will serve thee." Rehoboam
refused. Then said Israel : *• What portion liave we
in David, — neither have we inheritance in the .son of
Jesse : to your tents, O Israel ! " This was a declara-
of war. King Rehoboam fled to his palace at
Jerusalem, and Jeroboam was recalled from Egypt
and crowned king over the northern tribes — called
the kingdom of Israel, in distinction from the king-
dom of Judah.

Jeroboam began at once to fortify his kingdom
and to make strong the defences of his cities. But
the divinely-appointed seat of worship is in the
kingdom of Judah. "What .shall I do?" says
Jeroboam, "If my people go tliere to worship,
Rehoboam will steal their hearts, and they will return
to him and kill me." Good logic, but poor faith,
Jeroboam. Hath not God promised ? Believe God !

*'GET THEE 10 SHI I. our

109

:utcs

aid,

^at a

t\ook

ilousy

iboam,

Reho-

\ unto

; now,

of thy

loboam

lave we

e son of
eclara-
lace at

Kgypt

1 called

lie king-
kingdom
is. But
in the
" says
I worship,
|iU return
t)or faith,
-ve God 1

Here was Jeroboam's si

n an(

istakc : he took

counsel of his fear, rather than of his faith and his
God. So he changed the place of public worship,
and broke faith with God in so doitijj. Listen to his
excuse for his disobedience : It is too far for you, my
dear people, to go all the way to Jerusalem for
worship, you must have a service nearer home ; and
if God will not appoint you a place here, in our own
kingdom, I will. And, if God will not come with us,
we will make gods of our own. Make them he did —
two calves of gold, one at Dan, the other at Hethel,
and said, "Behold thy Gods, O Israel!" This was
Jeroboam's terrible mistake, and the introduction of
idolatry into the kingdom of Israel, which, finally,
proved its overthrow, and fixed on the king the
odious title of ''Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, "u'ho made
Israel to siiiT So the history goes on and the years
pass.

A day of sadness and deep sorrow comes to the
palace of the king. His son, Abijah, who was really
a promising boy, sickens. The kinj^^'s heart is sad.
That boy is more to him than his kini^dom. It is
one of those dark days when vain is the help of man,
and the heart cries out for (jod, who ak^ne can
succour the soul. Forms of reh'Ljion are vain when
death is approaching. What will Jeroboam do?
There is his own hand-made worship at Dan and
Bethel ; will he appeal to that? Not he. Man needs
a religion beyond himself. These gods may do a

:i \
■ 'i i

ill'

110

''GET THEE TO SHILOH:'

fi!

1-1 .

proud king in prosperity, they may serve political
ends ; but they are no hcl[) for the dyin<j. They
may do in the day of prosperity, but the day of
adversity needs a divine religion — human forms are
of no avail, the soul instinctively cries out for God —
the livin<j God.

It is not enough for us to hear a voice in the dark-
ness, we need a voice direct from Heaven. Nature is
not enough for us. We are but

" Infants cryin<^ in the ni^ht,
Infants crying for tlie lit^lu,
And with no langua<;e Init a cry."

Jeroboam turns from these false gods, and beseeches
his wife to go to the prophet of Jehovah, Ahijah,
who dwelt at Shiloh, and enquire of the living God,
as to the fate of their son. " And Jeroboam said
unto his wife, arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself,
that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam ;
and get thee to SliiloJi : behold, there is Ahijah, the
prophet, who told me that I should be king over
Israel." In the presence of death, golden calves and
licentious priests only mocked the anguish of the
soul. " Get thee to Shiloh," is the cry of all men
when death ste[)s over the threshold : Flee thee !
flee thee ! to the God of Heaven, who alone can tell
thee the fate of the sick and dying.

Men make Jeroboam's mistake when they put
success in the place of God. Worldly success is
crowding God out of the life of thousands. That is

*'GET TIfEE TO SHILOnr

111

itical
rhey
ly of
s are

iod —

dark-
ture is

seeches
Ahijah,
\a God,
m said

thyself,
|oboam ;
[jah, the

iicT over
lives and
of the

all men

;e thee I
can tell

|hey put

iccess is

That is

what it did for Jeroboam. Me i;ot in a hurry to
outstrip the kingdom of Judah. God told Jeroboam
if he would obey Him he shoukl be kinj^ over all
Israel. But God is a little too slow for Jeroboam.
This is a fast a<;e. But he >vho ^^oes before God,
goes on a fool's journey. 1^-ospcrity so blinded
Jeroboam, that he forgot to counsel God in the
arrangements of his kingdom. " Except the Lord
keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
This sin and mistake is rife to-day. As the day of
prosperity dawns, away go religious duties, the holy
Sabbath, and, finally, God Himself, l^^ew can stand
prosperity. In the day of adversity, consider ; in the
day of prosperity, /r<^?;'. When a young man starts
in business, flushed with a little success and with a
toss of the head, turns from the prayer-meeting and
cries : " Business ! business ! takes all my time now,"
behold, another Jeroboam ! Young man, stop long
enough to pray, and to take counsel of thy God, for
the day of your adversity is coming ; you will need
God, and your cry will be, '' Get thee to Shiloh ! "

Don't misunderstand me. Success in business is
good. I love to see young men. prosper. To succeed
in life is your duty. The person who does not make
a success out of life, has not used it aright. You
should expect success, look for it, pray for it, and .
God will give it you. But don't seek it at loss of
duty to God, as did Jeroboam — the price is too
great. Be diligent in business ; '' fervent in spirit,

* I

,• !

•il i i i

112

"u/:?' TiihK TO snii.oiiy

scrvin<^ the Lord." When a young man says, I will
win by foul means, if fair will not compass it ; I will
rob God of service and Christ of my witness to tiic
truth, then, Jeroboam, breakers are ahead ! For you
arc putting wrong for right, and the golden calf in
the place of God, That was Jeroboam's sin. He
must keep his people away from the kingdom of
Judah, if he violated the ten commandments to do
so, and turn the glory of the invisible God into the
image of an ox that eateth grass. Hut the crisis
came. The day when Jeroboam needed God. With
you the day of adversity has not yet come. No
black pall has been thrown over your family circle
yet — prepare for it, for, sooner or later, it will come.
A coffin will stop some day in front of your door,
and it will just fit the lifeless form of the loved one
within. How sad to see a man shut off from God in
the day of awful need, as was Jeroboam. A day
when God alone could help him. Like Jeroboam,
we will all need Him in the time of death — "Acquaint
now thyself with Him and be at peace."

Men make Jeroboam's mistake when they put
morality in the place of God. Morality is not
enough. The natural heart is corrupt. We need a
divine atonement. The young man in the gospel
story was morally pure. His life was ~"jtwardly
blameless ; Christ loved him, but said : *' One thing
thou lackest." God demands that we do, not only
that which is right outwardly, but we must be

■i \1

"G/:r TiiEE 7o SI [ I r. our

1 1 :5

I the

lie

)m t>f
to t\o
.to the
; crisis
With

e. No
y circle
\ come.
,u' door,
ed one
God in
A day
roboam,
cquaint

[hey pwt
is not
need a
le gospel
Ivitwardly
ine thing
[not only
must be

prompted by pure motives within. I'^or tlie inward
motives will cojifroiit us at the judi^metit as well as
the outward. Jeroboam had but little faith in In's
self-made L^ods, and tiie best of moralists iiave but
little faith in their moralit)', if all the truth were toUl.
Again, men make Jerol^oam's mistake in putting
^^ natural lazo'' in the place of the personal God —
and say there is no God, but " law." They say, laws
are eternally fi.xcd, and it is foolish to pra}\ Just
what Jeroboam said in the day of prosperity — you
can worship just as well at Dan and Bethel as at
Jerusalem. The same laws that hold at Jerusalem
hold at Dan and l^ethel. That did well for the day
of prosperity, but, in the day of adversity, this same
Jeroboam cries, wife, " Get thee to Shiloh." We hear
learned young men in our day talking about the laws
of nature : that they are only force, and force is God,
and God is only force. And, since the l^iblc was
written, science has found out many new things.
Men know more now, the science of the nineteenth
century has proved many of those old Bible ideas
false. My dear young man, that new nineteenth
century idea of yours, and your idolized teacher, is,
after all, quite an old idea, at least as old as the reign
of Jeroboam ; and had you read the old Bible,
although, to your learned mind, a little out of date,
you might have found out that fact some years ago.
You have gotten hold on quite an old idea after all,

the one u^hich Jeroboam cast from him when his
I

('* •

i. n

i ii

114

*'g/:t riii.E TO sim.oii.

little boy took sick ; and he was just foolish cnou<;h
to send to Shiloh, to cnciuire of the Xw'xw^, personal
God as to the fate of his child ; and I presume j'ou
would do likewise. Many of our nineteenth century
wise men liave clothed themselves with the robes of
Jeroboam's idolatry, and strut as scholars, hid in
profound fcjlds of " natural law''

" How proud we are,

How fond to sliow our clotlies,

And call iheni rich and new,

When the poor sheep and silkworm wore

That very clothin<; lony before."

At the close of one of Mr. Ih'adlaugh's infidel
lectures, an old collier rose and said : " Maister
Bradlaugh, me and tne mate Jim, were both Methodys,
till one of the.se infidel chaps cam' this way. Jim
turned infidel, and used to badj^er me about attendin'
prayer-meetings ; but one day, in the pit, a large cob
of coal came down upon Jim's head. Jim thought
he was killed ; and, ah, mon ! didn't he holler and
cry to God. There is nothing like cobs of coal for
knocking infidelity out of a man." The sick bed
will soon shake a man out of the folds of "natural
law," and make him cry unto the God of all laws —
both natural and supernatural. "■Natural laws'' arc
a poor Saviour. They are like the self-constituted
gods of Jeroboam, and the men who hold them up
for others would no more trust in them than would
Jeroboam in the golden calves of Dan and Bethel.

''GET THEE TO S/f/I.OIir

115

c yt^^^
enuny
.bcs of

Neither Sftaess, nor Morality, nor Natural law can
calm your fear or save your soul. *' Get thee to Shilohl'
my unsaved friend. Hie thee to God! Come thou
to the propliet of all a<;es — Jesus Christ, the Son of
God !

i '!!

iii

s infidel
' Maister
lethodys,

ay. J»;^^
attend in'

large cob
thought
oiler and
f coal for
sick bed
'< natural
U laws—
\nvs'' are
onstituted

them up
lan would
Bethel.

I ' ■!

AT CALVARY.

Ill

AT ("AlA'ARV.

How siLinific-atit is this woid CiiKarN'. Tlic I lL'l)rc\v

aiK

1 ll

word is " (loli^otlitt " ,• the ( ircck, " Kniiiii'ii '
Latin, '" Calvnrin.' "Ami when the\- were come to
tile place thai is called ('al\ar\', there the\' crucified
Mini." Calvarv' is sup[)()scil to have been a small hill
or eminence about half a mile distant from the _L;ates
of Jerusalem. Some tliink it took' its name from the
contour of tlie i;round— /.<•., the hill Calvarx- was
sliapcd like a human skull, — while others think the
name was attaclied to tlie desolate and L;hastl\' place,
owiii{^ to tlie fact that many were crucified there, and
their bones left to blcacji on the j^round ; and also
the skulls of tlic poor victims of crucifi.xion were to
be seen at tlie place, which would soon fasten upon it
tlie name — '' the phxce of a skulls The vilest of (offen-
ders were put to death at Calvars'. Hence we see in
what re<;ard Ciirist was lieltl b}' those who clamored
for his blood. They led Him to Calvary and s^ave
Him the death of a malefactor. It was lu^t without
rea.son that the Jews fi.xed on death b\' crucifixion.
It was to render the name and character of Jesus
infamous, to express their deepest abhorrence for
both, to sink in ruin His cause by fi.xini^ an indelible
disi^race upon it. Hence tlie cross was to the Jew a

I' I

' 'i'l

■

V t

120

AT CALVARY.

f \ 11

stuinblin^^-block, and to the Greek foolishness. How
coukl there !)c salvation from such a source was their
bitter cry ? lUit how different are the facts from what
Greek and Jew sui:)posed.

The four ICvanciclists use but few words in describ-
ing Calvary ; but tluxse few arc slow and solemn,
expressive of the tenderest affections and deepest
emotions of the human soul. They all point to Cal-
vary with some such sacredness as did Jacob to
Maci)elah, saying : " There they buried Abraham
and Sarah, liis wife ; there they buried Isaac and
Rebekah, his wife ; and t/icre I buried Leah'' We
stand over some spot on earth, it may be a beautiful
cemetery or some nei^lected, grass-grown country
graveyard, and say : " There we buried father or
mother ; there we buried brother or sister, son or

daughter ; and there I buried

The little

mound is almost sacred from the never-to-be-forgotten
associations of the past. So says Luke, with a ten-
derness and sacredness born of the Holy Ghost,
concerning Calvary : " There they crucified Hitur
Crucified HiM ! the So!i of the Highest, our adorable
Saviour, the loving and lovable Jesus. Oh! man, how
great thy crime, how black thy guilt, how monstrous
thy sin, to crucify thy Lord at Calvary, l^ut this
black cloud that hangs over Calvary is not without
its silver lining. It takes great height to create great
depths. If great the shame, great also the glory —

" Which jjathers louiul its liead sublime."

i'-Jl

.//' CI/.l'.-IAV.

H>1

How
, their
1 what

cscrlb-

:\cepcst

to Cal-

icob to

braham

aac and

//." Wc

beautiful
country

father or

Y^ son or

The littic

[.forgotten

lith a ten-
,\y Ghost,
'ed Himr

111- adorable
man, how
monstrous

But this
liot without
i-cate great
glory—

If you would see oppositcs, go to Calvary. It is
without a parallel in all liistory. It is joy out of
sorrow ; light out of darUncss ; refreshing drauglits
from the greatest thirst ; sweetest streams from the
bitterest fountains ; life by death. Such is tlie strange
paradox of Calvar\\ As Renan said of Jesus himself,
so say we of Calvary : " Whatever may be the sur-
prises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed ;
Mis worship will grow \oung without ceasing; His
legend will call forth tears without end ; His suffering
will melt the noblest hearts ; all ages will proclaim
that among the sons of men there is none born greater
than Jesus."

There are lessons to be learned at Calvary.

(\) It is a place of suffering :

Agony the most intense, scorn the most bitter,
ridicule the most audacious, sufferings the most
severe, are all set fortli "at Calvar\-." Suffcrinc:^ and
Calvary are so closely related, that no power can
separate them in the Christian mind. Death by
crucifixion includes all the physical sufferings the
human body is heir to, — dizziness, sleeplessness,
cramps, hunger and thirst, along with publicity and
shame. Calvary stands for all this. But " if there
are deeds that have no form, then there are sufferings
that have no tongue."

I asked the heavens — " Wliat foe to God hath done
This unexampled deed ?" The lieavens exclaim
" 'Twas man ; and we in honor snatched the sun
From such a spectacle of guilt and shame."

n^i

luP

ill

III

'•I ; !

122

.'IT CALVARY.

I asked the sea — the sea in fury boil'd,

And answered with his voice of storms, " 'Twas man ;

My waves in panic at his crime recoil'd,

iJiscIosed the al)yss, an<l from the centre ran."

I asked the earth — the earth replied a<»hast,

" 'Twas man ; and such strange pangs my l)osom rent,

That still I groan and shudder at the past."

'l"o man, gay, smiling, thoughtless man, I went,

And asked him next. He turned a scornful eye,

Shook his proud head, and deigned me no reply.

— Montgomery,

(2) Calvary is wJiere men decide :

Here party lines are drawn ; here we stand for or
against Christ. Some clierish the fond hope tliat,
while they are not for Hiirj, they are not against
Him. Neutrality is unknown in heaven, earth or
hell. We are glad it is so ; by this rule we may
determine our destiny. " He that is not for Me is
against Me." If you cannot be assured that you are
for Him, be assured you are against Him. This is the
voice from Calvary. On which side of this line do
you stand ? To answer this is the chief business of
life.

(3) Calvary is a place of safety :

How true that the place of storm and danger for
the Master has become the place of calm and safety
for the servant. This tells the whole story of substi-
tution. " At Calvary " the thunders have all ceased ;
the storms have all passed. We go to Calvary to-day
with much more safety than visitors go to Vesuvius.
We can sit upon its crater with perfect wonder and

AT CALl'ARY.

123

(goinery.

delight, for all those storms are luished into an eternal
silence. It is always safe to go to sea after the winds
have spent their fury. We dread not the fire in the
burnt district. God's wrath spent its fury at Calvary
when Jesus died ; those fires will never again be
kindled. There is perfect security for all who seek
this eternal refuge. Fellow traveller, we hail you-
Hello ! this way ! There is peace and everlasting
consolation " at Calvary ! "

id for or

that,

against
earth or

we \-n<^y

or Me is
you are
his is the
s line do
lusiness of

danger for
md safety
of substi-
all ceased ;
ary to-day
, Vesuvius,
.'onder and

4 J

11. '=>

A WORD TO THE GIRLS.

■ i m

ill

r>t

iai

• n

You all want to be ladies. That is a worthy
ambition. But, girls, it costs somcthini^ to be a lady;
it is worth somcthin<^ to be a lady. It is worth more
than it costs. Yes, resolve each one of you to be a
lady. I once read a description of a lady, and wrote
it down. Mere it is : " A lady must possess perfect
refinement and intelligence. She must be gracious,
affable and hospitable, without the slightest degree of
fussiness. She must be a Christian, mild, gentle and
charitable, and doing good by stealth. She must be
deaf to scandal and gossip. She must possess dis-
crimination, knowledge of human nature, and tact
sufficient to avoid offending one's weak point, steering
wide of all subjects which may be disagreeable to any
one. She must look upon personal cleanliness and
freshness of attire as next to godliness. Her dress
must be in accord with her means, not flashy. Ab-
horring everything like soiled or faded finery or mock-
jewelry, her pure mind and clear conscience will cause
the foot of time to pass as lightly over the smooth
brow as if she stepped on flowers, and, as she moves
with quiet grace and dignity, all will accord her in-
stinctively the title of lady." Is it not a worthy

1 1

:'i

A WORD TO THE GIRLS.

I "

<- •

ii'

V I

12«

W ll^OA'/) TO THE GIRLS,

ambition to strive to be sucli an one ? The picture is
not beyond the possil^le. It is, indeed, within the
reach of nine out of every ten of all the i^irls in
America. For, patience, kindness and self-denial,
well exercised, will in a few years put you in posses-
sion of the prize. Is it not worth the e.xercise of these
Christian graces to be a lady ? The practice of such
graces arc a reward in themselves, beyond rubies, —
" more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine
gold."

It is said of Jenny Lind, the sweet Swedish singer,
that one day passing along the street she saw an old
woman sitting in the door of an almshouse, and the
sight of the old creature touched her heart and she
stopped, ostensibly to rest in the shade, but in reality
to speak a word of cheer to the poor old woman. At
once the old woman began to express her deep regrets
at being unable to hear Jenny Lind sing. '* I have
lived," said she, " many long years in this world, but
desire nothing before I die but to hear Jenny Lind. '
" Would it make you happy ?" inquired Jenny. " Aye,
it would ; but such folks as I can't go to the play-
house, and so I shall never hear her." " Don't be so
sure of that," said Jenny ; " sit down, my friend, and
listen." She then sang with genuine glee one of her
best songs. The old woman was delighted, and won-
dered more when she added, " Now you have heard
Jenny Lind."

Girls, that was the act of a lady. One possessed

.-/ lVO/y!D rO THE GIRLS.

12!l

UlC IS

11 the
rls in
Icnial,

M)SSCS-

f these
^i such
ibies,- —
>ch fine

I singer,
V an old
and the
and she
n reahty
an. At
p regrets
" I have
^ovld, but
Lind.'
" Aye,
|the play-
b't be so
liend, and
Ine of her
Ltid won-
heard

Lve

IpOSS'

essed

of such sympathy and kindness shall win, not only
the ap[)lausc of earth, but also heaven.

A lady must possess [gentleness of speech. It is
not so much what you say, as how you say it. Some
one wrote these wise words on the cultivation of a
sweet voice : "There is no power of love so hard to
get and keep as a kinti voice. A kind hand is deaf
and dumb. It may be rough in flesh and blood, yet
do the work of a soft heart, and do it with a soft
touch. Hut there is no one thing that love so much
needs as a sweet voice to tell what it means and feels,
and it is hard to get it and keep it in the right tone.
One must start in youth and be on the watch night
and day, at work, at play, to get and keej) a voice
that shall speak at all times the thoughts of a kind
heart. 15ut this is the time when a sharp voice is
most apt to be got. You often hear boys and girls
say words at play with a quick, sharp tone, as if it
were the snap of a whip. Such as these get a sharp
voice for home use, and keep their best voice for those
they meet elsewhere. I would say to all boys and
girls : " Use your best voice at home. Watch it by
day as a pearl of great price, for it will be worth to
you, in the days to come, more than the best pearl hid
in the sea. A kind voice is a lark's song to hearth
and home. It is to the heart what light is to the eye."

Girls, live to some purpose. Be good house-keepers.
Be as familiar with the kitchen stove as with the piano.
It is one of the accomplishments of a lady to know

I'll
f;;l

• >1

I'M)

A irOA'D TO THE GIKI.S.

how to bake a loaf of bread and set the table, or
superintend the doin^^ of it, if, b}' i^ood or bad fortune,
slie is not required to do it herself. If your mother
has nej^dected this important part of \'our training, I
pray yf)U no lousier ne^dect it yourself. Have some
jiart in the toil and care of the household, and you
will have the consciousness that you have lived to
some purpose in the world. " It is not of those
writini^s I am proud," said the t;ifted Madame de
Stael, "but the fact that I have facilit\' in ten occu-
pations, in an)' one of which I could make a liveli-
hood."

To live in this day, when woman's sphere has
become so widened, without some worthy purpose,
is to live in idleness and in sin. Opportunity is the
voice of God calling to faith and duty. And possi-
bility is the measure of responsibility. To possess
talents is to be accountable for their use. To culti-
vate and use to a noble end her God-ii[iven talents
should be tlie ambition of every girl.

A practical writer pictures the "sensible girl" thus:
** She is not merely a doll to be petted, or a bird to
be supported, but, though she may be blessed with a
father able and willing to care for her wants, she
culta'ates her capabilities. She seeks to prepare her-
self for possibilities, and, though she may not need to,
she qualifies herself to feed and clothe herself, so that,
if left alone, she can stand upon her own feet, depend
upon no human being. With the multiplied ways of

A WORD TO rilE GIKLS.

l.'U

c, or
tunc,
other

somo
d you
,-ccl to

those
me de
\ occu-
i livcli-

cre has
purpose,
[y is the
d possi-
possess
[ro culti-
II talents

L-1" thus :
la bird to
;d with a
lants, she
jpare her-
need to.
If, so that,
|t, depend
ways of

honest toil now open for yoinv^ women, it seems quite
excusclcss for any one of tiicm to be helpless. There
are few nobler sights than that of a youncj woman
who, though she ina)- have a j^ood home, with father
and mother, who air willini; to indulj^c her to the
utmost, realizing the limitation of their means and
their hard self-denial, sa)'s, ' l-^ither shall not be bur-
dened by mc ; I will be self-reliant and clothe myself.
Yea, I will help him pay for the farm ; help him edu-
cate the ycnmger children.' Such an one is a thousand
times superior to the pale-fingered, befrizzled, be-
jewelled substitutes for )'oung women, who are good
for nothing but to spend a father's hard-earned
money."

Said William Tenn, the founder of a common-
wealth : " Love, therefore, labor ; if thou shouldst
not want it for food, thou mayest for i)hysic. It is
wholesome to the body and food to the mind ; it pre-
vents the fruit of idleness."

Be zealous for your name and conduct. " A good
name is rather to be chosen than great riches." This
is just as true for girls as boys, and more so. The
good name of a girl is much more easily tarnished
than that of a boy, and all because it is good. The
whiter the paper the more quickly soiled, and the
darker the stain. Then it is so much liarder for a
girl to live down a reproach than even a boy. Heed
these wholesome words : " When a young lady, no
matter how innocent of anything more than a deter-

I ! y

1 i

-I

i I

iiii

\:v2

A irOA'/) 70 THE GIRI.S,

minatioii to amuse herself at all hazards, coiuIcsccikIs
to flirt with ^^entlcmcn, or to indulge in boisterous
behaviour in public places with otlier girls, she must
not be surprised if, before lonj^, she becomes aware of
less heartiness in the greetings of the acquaintances
whose society she prizes most, receives fewer invita-
tions from anybody, and at last perceives, u ith painful
clearness, that she is actually, even if untlem(jnstra-
tively, avoided, except by those whom she now does
not wish to meet."

All girls that have gone astray began at some such
point as pictured above. The tendency is, when one
has, consciously or unconsciously, shut themselves out
of their true circle to seek one lower down, aiid the
momentum, unless checked, which carried them from
the higher to the lower grade, will continue its down-
ward course until ruin is the result. Girls, as well as
boys, arc known by the company they keep. See to
it that your companions are worthy of your confidence
and esteem. Every young girl should learn to distin-
guish, in the opposite sex, between the gent and the
gentleman. The gent is quite good-looking at a
reasonable distance, but on closer examination his
face has the marks of dissipation. His eye is bleared,
his cheek is bloated, his nose is red ; he smokes — he
drinks on the sly — he gambles — he dances- he wears
better clothes than his weekly wage can affvird. Girls,
beware of the gent ! Hearts just as strong and pure
as yours have been deceived by these lordb of creation.

./ iroh'D TO THE C!K!.S,

1 f t.»

:cih1s

crous

must

arc of

tanccs

invita-

^ainful

justra-

\v docs

Hcforc )()U make that solemn choice, take counsel
from }'our mother, or some one who stands in her
place. If \'()U have doubts, always <;ive yourself the
benefit of the tloubt : be on the safe side. Above
all, <^ive your life into the keeping of ///'/;/ who alone
can preserve and prosper you, make you blessed and
a blessing.

nc such
\en one

;\vcs out
a\id the
tm from
s down-
well as
See to
nfidence
o distin-
and the
ni; cit a
tit ion his
bleared,
L)kes— he
ihe wears
■d. Girls,
land pure
creation.

i t^i

A WORD TO THE BOVS

*■

|.ii

If 1

1 ' 1'

Ifm

i -m

A WORD TO THE BOYS.

All boys long to be men. lUit that does not
always mean wait until you are twenty-one. It is
not every boy who has reached his twenty-first year
that becomes a true man. Some boys arc men
before that age, and others will never be true men.
Age has not so much to do in the making of a true
man as effort, will, and determination have. To be a
true man will cost every boy effort, will, and determina-
tion ; but it is worth all the world beside, to be a true
man. " Quit yourselves like men," said the great
Apostle of the Gentiles. " Be thou strong, therefore,
and show thyself a man," cried King David to his
son Solomon. He who would be regarded as a man,
must show himself manly. If a boy loses respect
for himself, he must remember that others will soon
lose their respect for him. There is a self-love which
is not selfishness ; to know it and practice it, is a
duty that every boy owes to himself. There must
be a guarding with a jealous eye those sacred virtues
which alone can make you a true man. The Bible
says : " The glory of a young man is his strength." —
Prov. XX., 29. Boys, look after your strength ! If
you would be manly, surrounded by so much that is

'hje

i;)8

A IVOR J) TO THE BOYS,

[^1;^*

unmanly, you will need to be stronc^, both morally
and physically. Yes, you will need physical strength.
There is nothing so intensely personal as health.
The strength needed to fight the battles of life
demands a strong physical frame. Fine and useful
minds have soon run their earthly race on account of
weak bodies. We all prize a fine mind, but of equal
importance is a strong body. A strong mind in a
weak body, is like putting a heavy engine in a light
ship, there is great danger of running her under —
hence, many go down before they reach mid-ocean
on the voyage of life. Many boys inherit physical
weakness. But the practical question is not. How
can such an one get back *' primaeval " strength ?
but, How can he retain and use to the best advantage
what he has? It is folly to philosophize over what
we might have been, had we not inherited any
physical weakness. Some wise men tell us there is
only one possibility, and that, the thing that is ; for
all practical purposes, that is true in this matter of
health. Here are two wise sayings : (i) "A man with
a weak body never got very far " ; (2) " Health is a
thing to be looked after at all times." There are two
great evils to which boys are especially exposed, and
some people think they rob manhood of more
physical strength than all other evils put together —
namely, Tobacco and AlcoJiol.

Tobacco is most destructive on vitality, and said to
be, by those who have used both, harder to give up

I 4"

A WORD TO THE BOYS.

lol)

rally
igth.
alth.
life
scful
nt of
iqual
in a
light
Ller—
ocean
ysical
How
ngth ?
ntage
what
any
ere is
for
ter of
\ with
is a
e two
, and
more
[her —

lid to
^e up

than strong drink. This is not generally believed to
be true, but only because so few ever give it up.
Dead fish go with the stream ; only the live ones
stem the current. Someone has said, *' No charitable
man should ever use tobacco, if for no other purpose
than this : it will rob some worthy object of that
charity he professes to bestow." An old " wood-
stock " is just as dirty and filthy in the mouth of a
Christian, as in the mouth of a sinner — you can't
make it decent or respectable. For these reasons it
is a great sin agaitist God to smoke or chew tobacco.
There never was a truthful sentence written in favour
of the use of tobacco, while whole volumes have
been written against it. It is destroying the boys of
this land to-day, as no other evil. Smokers are the
most impolite people that walk our streets. They
will puff the fumes of the poisonous weed, poisoned
.still more by the carbonic-acid of their own breath,
into your face and eyes, and call it only liberty to do
as they please. They press themselves into all
public places, with that ever-present, but silent,
monitor, *W^ smoking Jierel' staring them in the face.
This terrible want of good manners could be
patiently endured, were it not for the physical and
moral ruin the habit is working in our boys. A
writer of ability says of it : " It has utterly ruined
thousands of boys. It tends to the softening of
bones, and greatly injures the brain, the spinal
marrow, and the whole nervous fluid. A boy who

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I il

140

A lyOK/) TO THE HOYS.

smokes early and frequently, or in any way uses
larji^e quantities of tobacco, is never known to make
a man of much enerj^y, and <^cncrally lacks muscular
and physical, as well as mental power. We would
warn boys who want to be anythinjj in the world, to
shun tobacco as a most baneful poison."

The same is true q>{ Alcohol. Let your motto be :
" touch not, taste not, handle not," as the only safe-
i^uard a^^ainst the destroyer. Take warning from
others who were once as strong and self-reliant as
you are. They simply yielded declaring their power
to take it or leave it alone, and deceived themselves
until the «erpent of intemperance wrapped his slimy
coils about tl.em and hissed in their faces. Boys,
control your youthful passions and appetites, or they
will control you — and they rule with a rod of iron.

John B. Gough tells this story to show the power
of the drink habit : — "A young wife and mother lay
in an ill-furnished room, dying. Years before she
had stood at the marriage-altar, beside the man of
her choice, as fair and hopeful a bride as ever took a
vow. Her young husband loved her, at least, he said
he did, and solemnly vowed to love her to the end ;
but he loved liquor more than he loved his young
and beautiful wife. It soon began to dawn upon her
mind that slic was in that most horrible of all
positions — a position, a thousand times worse than
widowhood or the grave — a position, than which
there are only two worse positions — Hell, and that of

!i:

A irOA'D 70 THE /.'c VS.

141

a drunkard's husband — I mean, the heart-rending-,
dcgradin*^ position of a drunkard's wife. She used
every means to reform him, but, like too man\' others,
found her efforts useless. Mis cruelty and tlebauchery
soon brou<7;ht her to the irrave. A little before she
died she asked him to come to her bed-side, and
pleaded with him once more, for the sake of their
children, soon to be motherless, to drink no more.
With her thin, lon<jj finnrers she held his hand, and, as
she pleaded with him, he promised, in this terribly
solemn way: 'Mary, I will drink no more till I take
it out of this hand I hold in mine ! ' That vcr\' nii^ht
he poured out a tumbler of brandy, stole into the room
where she lay cold in her coffin, ])ut the tumbler into
her withered hand, and then took it out and drained
it to the bottom. This is a scene from real life, and
is not more revoltiuf]^ than hundreds of others which
are happenin*^ in miserable, drink-cursed homes. In
this matter, do not be content in merely savin;^ xour-
sclf, but work to save others. Take sides against
this evil, and be a champion for purity, sobriety and
a hi^i^h manhood."

Boys, be warned against these arch-destroyers,
they will be sure to cross your path some day.
There are many temptations for which you will need
to be on your guard, but tobacco and alcohol lead to
so many other evils, we hold them up for special

warnmg.

(!;■

Some boys think it manly to smoke and swean

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142

A iroA'D TO THE no vs.

Someone has drawn this picture of such an one —
what do \ou think of it?: — " lie may be sec. any
day, in almost any street in the villa<je ; he never
makes room for }'ou on the side-walk ; he is very
impudent, and often vul^^ar, to ladies who pass ; he
dclii^hts in fri^htenini^, and sometimes does serious
injury to, little boys and j,nrls ; he loun[^es at the
street corners, and is the first arrival at a do<4-fif^ht,
or any other sport or scrape ;" he crowds into the post
office in the cvem'ni^-, and multiplies himself and his
antics at such a rate, that people havin^^ lei^itimate
business are crowded out. xAnd he thinks himself
very sharp ; he is, certainly, very noisy ; he can
smoke and chew tobacco now and then, and rip out
an oath most any time."

Boys are worth too much to be put to such a low,
mean purpose. One writer likened a boy to a bar of
iron, which, in its raw state, is worth about five
dollars ; if made into horse-shoes, twenty dollars ;
but by being worked into balance springs for watches,
it is worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ;
and then adds : " But the iron has to go through a
a '^reat deal of hammerinq; and beating and rollinsf
and pounding and polishing, and, so, if you arc to
become useful and educated men, you must go
through a long course of study and training. The
more time you spend in hard study, the better
material you will make. The iron does not have to
go through half as much to be made into horse-shoes

(

ffl

M ma Ht

nc —
any
icvcr
very
; he
rious
t the
fight,
? post
a his
imate
imself
2 can
p out

I low,
bar of
t five
liars ;
tches,
liars ;
bgh a
lolling
irc to
1st go
The
)etter
Ive to
ishoes

A II'OA'D 7 THE HOYS.

14:{

as it docs to be converted into delicate watch-springs ;
but think how much less valuable it is. Which
would you rather be, horse-shoes or watch-springs?
It depends on yourself. \^ou can become which ever
you will. This is your time of preparation for man-
hood." A wise man has said : *' When forenoons of
life arc wasted, there is not much hope of a peaceful
or fruitful evcniuLr. Sun-risiiiLTs and sun-scttinirs are
closcU* connected in every e\'[)erience."

To be a true man, )'ou must be truthful : a liar is a
blot on humanit)'.. Tell the truth, tell at all times,
and under all circumstances " But I will sjet into
trouble!" better get into tr* uble by telling the truth
than to escape it by telling a falsehood. J^ut do
boys get into trouble very oft^ti for telling the truth?
I think not. If they ever do they will soon get out
again. But, I think, in the majorit}' of cases, when
boys get into trouble, it is because the\' did not tell
the truth. If a bo)' tells one falsehood, he generally
has to tell more to hide the first one. The colored
man's illustration of faith comes in here. lie said:
'* Faith is like this : there is a stone wall ; if God tell
you to jump through it, den it is your business to
jump, and the Lord's to see weder you go through or
not." l^oys, it is your business to tell the truth, and
the Lord's to see that you get out of trouble. The
boy who gets the foul blot on his character of being
a liar, will not be believed when he does tell the
truth. Then he feels he mieht as well tell a lie as the

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144

A IVOKD 7V THE POYS.

truth, for no one will believe him should he tell the
truth. Then he is not on!)' char^^ctl with liis own
lies, but with the greater portion of all the lies told
in the community where he resic'js. Then, you
know, a lie travels very fast, antl never loses any-
thing. Mr. Spur<;eon said : "A lie travels round the
world, while the truth is ^ettin<( its boots on." The
truth knows no fear, while a lie alwavs brin<^s a blush.
Lord Bacon says : " A liar is a man who is bold
toward God, and a coward toward men ; for a lie
faces God, and shrinks from man."

Durintj the American civil war, at one time the
movement of a whole company depended upon a
boy. It is said that the Confederate general, Rfjbert
v.. Lee, while in conversation with his officers about
his movements, was overheard by a boy to say that
he had decided to march upon Gettysburg instead of
Harrisburg. The boy watched the troops to see in
what direction they went, then telegraphed the fact
to Governor Curtin. That bo\' was sent for by a
special engine, and as the Governor stood before his
friends he said : ' I would give my right hand to
know that this lad tells the truth.' A corporal
replied, 'Governor Curtin, I know that boy, I lived
in the same neighbourhood, and I know that it is
impossible for him to lie ; there is not a drop of
false blood in his veins ! ' In fifteen minutes' time
the Union troops were marching towards Gettys-
burg, where they won that splendid victory."

A IVOh'D TO THE nOYS.

14'

Hoys, "be courteous!" It docs not cost much,
but it is wortli much ; so much, that you can't afford
to lack this (juality. It will win every time. Vou
will never want for a friend. I once read of a boy
who applied to a store for a situation. The merchant
said : " Can you write a t;()od hand ? " " Vaas," was
the reply. ".Are ycni good at fii^^ures?" "Vaas,"
was the answer again. " That will do ; I don't want
you," said the merchant. After the boy had gone
out, a friend standing by said : " I know that boy to
be an honest, industrious lad. Why don't }'ou give
him a chance ? " " Because he has not learned to
say, 'Yes, sir,' and 'No, sir,'" said the merchant.
" If he answers me as he did when applying for a
situation, how will he answer the customers after
being here a month ? "

To be a true man is a grand thing. " liefore I go
any further," said Frank Osbaldistone, in " Rob Ro),"
" I must know who you are." " I am a man," is the
answer, "and my purpose is friendl}-." "A man,"
he replied, "that is a brief description." "It will
serve," answered Rob Roy, " for one who has no
other to give. He that is without name, without
friends, without coin, without country, is still, at
least, a man."

Benjamin Franklin attributed his success as a public
man, not to his talents or his powers of speaking — for
these were but moderate, — but to his known integrity
of character. " Hence it was that I had so much

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140

// nVA'D TO 77/A /iOVS.

wci^fht with my fellow citi/.ciis. I was but a had
speaker, suhject to much hesitatif)n in my choice of
wortls. hard I \' correct in lai)j,aia^a', yet I generally
carried m>' point."

Character creates confidence in men in liij;h stations
as well as in lunnble life. It is said of the first ICm-
peror Alexander of Russia, that liis personal character
was equivalent to a constitution. l)urin<^ the wars of
the Fronde, Montaij^n'e was tlie only man amon^i,^ the
h'rench *;cntry who kept his castle [^^itc unbarred ; it
is said of him that his personal cliaracter was worth
more to him than a reijiment of horse.

lUit, b())'s, be assured of this, that the highest,
noblest, truest style of man is the " Cliristiaii uiatL'
Writes Mr. Spuri^eon : " When I was just fifteen I
believed on the Lord Jesus, was baptized, and I joined
the Church of Christ. This is twenty-five years ago
now, and I have never been sorry for what I then did ;
no, not even once. I have had plenty of time to
think it over, and many temptations to try some other
course, and if I had found out that I had been deceived,
or had made a gross blunder, I would have made a
change before now, and would do my best to prevent
others from falling into the same delusion. I tell you,
boys, the day I gave myself up to the Lord Jesus, to
be His servant, was the very best day in my life.
Then I began to be safe and happy ; then I found
out the secret of living, and had a worthy object for
my Hfe's exertions and an unfailing comfort for life's

A IVOA'D TO THE HOYS.

147

bad
cc of

;rally

itions
ICm-
•actcr
ars of
i<^r the
:cl ; it
worth

^hcst,
man''
tccn I
oinctl
•s a^^o
\\ did ;
inc to
other
:cived,
ade a
event
|1 you,
.us, to
life.
Ifound
fct for
life's

troubles. Because I wish every bo)- to have a brij^ht
eye, a li^ht tread, a joyful he.irt and overflowing;
spirits, I plead with him to consider whether lie will
not follow my example, for I speak from experience."
It is only in consccratiuLj \'our life and action to
the standard of Gotl's Word that you can gain the
truest and highest end of your being. Satan is so
crafty, that, unless you are armed with divine power,
you are sure to be overcome in the conllict. If you
would successfully meet the ebbing and flowing tides
of life, study well the character of Jesus Christ, and
strive to imitate His manhood, for it stands without a
rival. With your feet firmly placed on the " Rock of
Agesl' you will outride all the storms of sin and
temptation, and safely cast anchor within the port of
Peace liternal.

' !,

> !|

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Si "'.'■

I; ,
i I i.

OPPOkTUNITY.

>. ;

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) I

I 'f

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4 ;■ r1

\ i \ !

Ori'ORTUXITV.

The day of opportiinit}' comes to all men. We do
not mean that the day of opportunity comes alike to
all men. It may not in }'our case be what the world
calls " a tremendous streak of luck." Your name may
never appear in the annals of history. You may
never sway the destiny of a nation ; but )'our oi)por-
tunity will come, and, so far as )'ou are concerned, it
is all-important that you seize it and use it for the
glory of God and the {;ood of the race. Opportunities
are like express trains ; the\' only stoj) a few seconds
at each station, and success in life depends upon your
beincf on time. Have \-ou ever noticed the counte-
nance of a person who arrived just in time t(j see their
train movinc^ out from the depot ? Worse still, were
you ever that person ? Tiien \()U know the feelings
of many who, through carelessness or indolence, liave
missed their opportunit}'. Each individual has, in a
high sense, to work out his or her own destiny, and
that is more to them than all the world beside.

" 'I'lieie is a tiilf, in tlic affairs of men,

\\ iiicli, tai<en at the tlooii, leads on to fortune ;

Omitted ail the voyaye of tlieir life

Is honiid in shalIo.^s and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves.

I :

/• !.'

Orl

o.se our venture.

ir.2

0PP0R7VX1TY.

Opportunities are never dupHcatcd. The mill can't
grind with water that is past. Similar ones may
come, but they are not the same. There is seldom
more than one opportunity in a life, which gathers
all the swift-flowing streams into one mighty river of
success ; and to launch upon its tide is to be borne
onward to the highest goal of prosperity. I^'ew
recognize this master opportunity in any of the walks
of life ; for, as a rule, it is of humble birth. The
greatness of your opportunity depends upon your
fitness to use it. God does not bestow Mis choicest
favors on those who are not prepared to receive them.
Preparation to grasp and rse is the measure of your
opportunity. God can't put a gallon in a thimble,
at least it is not his way ol doing things. The early
bird catches the worm ; and the prepared man is that
early bird, and seizes the opportunity. This is true
in all life, — heaven is a prepared place for a prepared
people. Some few in olden times, like Joseph, Moses
and Daniel, were prepared to seize the master oppor-
tunities ; but, had the)' not been prepared, of what
avail would great opportum'ties have been ? From
the human side it is preparation that apprehends
opportunity — according to your faith be it unto you.

l^ut if there be but one master opportunity in a
life, there are many minor ones, for which we should
get ready. And it sometimes happens that the
humblest in appearance is the chief. This was true
in the case of Joseph, Moses and Daniel. There are

OPPORTUXITY.

If):*,

open doors before us all, and to seek the best and
highest preparation to enter those open doors should
be the ambition of all. God did not .put us in this
world for nothini^. Youth is the time wKen tfTesc
doors of opp(^rtunity stand open the widest. Tliis
was true in the case of Joseph, Moses and Daniel —
all three were youni^. Doors of all kinds close as the
years go on. How true is this in that important
matter of salvation. A clergyman who had made a
close study of the matter says : *' Given one hundred
new converts to the gospel, the under-law works as
follows : Not three of that hundred are above 50 years
of age ; not five are between that age and 40 ; not
ten between 40 and 30, while more than eighty out
of the hundred are under 30 years of age when con-
verted. Opportunity waits on you. You who are
accustomed to estimate percentage, read the law of
likelihoods, which declare that more than eighty per
cent, espouse the Faith on the sunny side of life.
' Remember thy Creator in the da}'s of thy youth.' "

This is the point : opportunities come to all, but
they come most abundant to the young. Open doors
of opportunity are not so rare as the ability or desire
to enter as Providence points the way. Some one
has said there are no " half-hinges" in Nature. How
true ; every bird, beast, insect, worm, tree and plant
has its mate. The wincj^ of the hummincf-bird is
anticipated by the great air-ocean which surrounds
our cflobe. Sun, soil, air and rain were made for the

iJi

154

OPPOR ruxiTY.

ijrowtli of the mustard seed as truly as the mustard
seed ^rows by virtue of sun, soil, air and rain. There
is nothing small with God. He rules the worm as
well as the seraph. Things are not at loose ends.
15c sure of this : there has been, or is to be, for you
the best opportunity that JJivine Wisdom can devise.
Get ready for your opportunity-, for that insiL;nificant
one may be your master o[)p(n*tunity. Capability
means possibility ; and possibility is the measure of
responsibility. Thousands arc on the watch for oppor-
tunities who are not prepared for them should they
come. What were great opportunities to Joseph,
Moses and Daniel had they not been prepared to
guide the ship of state ? , We must be prepared by
hard discipline before we can enter great fields of use-
fulness. The diamond must go upon the wheel before
it is fit for the royal crown. Moses must be trained
in all learning and wisdom of the Egyptians, and see
God in the burning bush, before he can lead Israel
from bondage. Daniel must spend a night in the den
of lions, and Joseph languish in Pharaoh's prison,
before they can rule Bab)'lon and Egypt, and move
the hearts of men and kings. Opportunities equal to
our ability are before each one of us. What is the
voice of admonition ? Get ready for your opportunity!
How ? Enter the first open door of duty, and you
will soon be led to another. How many have spent
their lives in the mire of conscious inferiority because
they have failed to take advantage of the fitting

OPPORTUNITY.

\:^:^

ting

moment. It is said of Lord Mansfield, who raised
himself from the humble walks of life to be Lord
Chancellor of l^igland : When a young man, and
just admitted to the bar, and waiting fcjr an oppor-
tunity to show he was ready for clients and deserved
them, his opi)ortunity came, lie was invited to a
supper, at which there was an old sca-ca[)tain who
had a very important case on hand. During the
evening the subject came up in discussion, and the
young lawyer threw himself in the case with so much
zeal and ability, that before they separated he found
a client and was entrusted with the suit. When the
case came up for trial, Mr. Mansfield made such a
magnificent plea as to astonish the court, his client,
and all the barristers present. I^^rom that day he
became known as one of the foremost lawyers of his
time, and honors and wealth poured in upon him.

Get ready for your opportunity — do your best !
" If a girl who had been strolling in the pastures before
breakfast came in ladened with bunches of primroses
and violets, cowslips for bracelets, with daisies for
brooches and dandelions for earrings, we would not
reprove her or consider she had lost a splendid oppor-
tunity. What was there better than these fair blos-
soms ? But suppose every pebble in her ramble had
been a diamond, or a topaz, or an amethyst, and yet
she had come home with nothing but these fading
blossoms, what would you have said ? Would you
not have exclaimed : Silly, stupid girl ! you have

i|i-

ir>6

OPPORTUNITY.

missed a fortune ; you have lost your opportunity."
l^ut what shall vvc say of those who spend their days
without seeking the eternal riches, and are letting slip
the only opportunity of being enriched for time and
made glad and happy for eternity ? Be wise ; embrace
God's master opportmiity, which is salvation through

Christ.

" Thousand summers kiss the lea,

Only one the sheaf ;
Thousand springs may deck the tree,

Only one the leaf —
One, but one, and that one brief ! "

I . I

SPARE MOMENTS: THEIR USE AND

ABUSE.

i 1

!« '

STARK MOMENTS: TIIKIR USE AND

ABUSE.

"There is an old l^astcrn Ic^^ciul of a i)o\\c!Tul
^cnii who promised a beautiful maiden a Ljift of rar-c
value if she would pass throuj^di a field of corn and,
witliout pausinpj, rtO"M4 backward, or wandering; hither
and tliither, select the lar^^^est and rii)est ear, — the
value of the gift to be in proportion to the size and
perfection of the ear she should choose. She [)assed
throui,di the field, seeing a great many large and
beautiful ears, but alwa)'s hoping to find a larger and
more perfect one ; she passed them all by, when,
coming to a part of the field where the stalks grew
more stunted, she disdained to take one of these, and
so came through to the other side without havinr
selected any."

This little fable is an illustration of the abuse of
spare moments. They are rejected on account of the
shortness of their duration ; and ever hoping for some
leisure in days to come, we let the present moment
slip from our grasp, and some day we will find our-
selves at the end of human probation, with an accumu-
lated lot of spare moments and golden opportunities

■}\

■ 1 S-|

KiO S/'AA'/-: AtOMKXrS: rilEIK USli AX/) AJU'Sli,

abused and forever passed beyond recall : " Whatso-
ever thy hand findetli to do, do with thy inij^ht" — do
now, make use of the present, for noiv is the only at][e

o '^'* ''A minute, hi)\v soon it is flown,

And yet, liow important it is ;
God calls every moment His own.
For ail our existence is His."

A wise use of the spare moments has much more
to do with success in life than most people are
wont to suppose. Our physical, mental, moral, and
spiritual health depend largely on our use of the
spare moments; and the saddest thinf;j in all the world
to do with them, is to do nothing. To do nothinij,
is to do evil. " For idle hands some mischief still,
will Satan ever find to do." It is durinj^ the spare
moments that the j^real majority of young men work
their ruin. It is after the day's work is over ; after
the shop is closed, and the young man puts on his
best attire, and steps down town to pass the spare
moments, that the ruin of soul and body takes place.
That is the hour at which the Devil sets his guns and
bates his traps — that, of all the moments, is the one
in which we need to pray " lead us not into tempta-
tion, but deliver us from evil." Depend upon it, this
is the hour of destruction ; for no young man will get
far astray while at his daily work. This is the young
man's age. Young men hold the great majority of
all the positions of trust and honor in the gift of the
nation. It is also the greatest commercial age the

liji^ii

'batso-
t "—do
ily a^c

li more
[)lc arc
ral, and
of the
e world
lothing,
ef still,
,c spare
211 work
; after
on his
c Sparc
s place,
nis and
the one
empta-
it, this
will get
young
ority of
it of the
lage the

SP.ll^E MOM i:\7S: Til FIR USE A. YD AliCSi:. \{\\

workl has ever known. Commerce! commerce! from
tiie rising to the setting sun ; but, amid all the hurry
and worry, there are enougli spare moments to ruin
some of the brightest intellects the world has ever
known. High carnival is frequently held at the
tlevil's headcjuarters over the destruction of j-oung
men and women, all through the abuse of the spare
moments. All ! these spare moments are golden
beads from the necklace of time ; watch them with a
jealous eye, or Satan will snatch them forever from
your hand. Who lias not been struck by I)e
Ouincey's picture of the woman sailing over the
stream, awaking out of sleep to find her necklace
untied, and one end hanging over the stream, while
pearl after pearl drops beyond her reach ; and, while
she clutches at the one just falling, another drops,
until half of her priceless necklace is gone.

So it is with our spare moments, they drop one
after another like peacjs from the string, as we sail
the stream of life. Shall we waste in frivolous and
sinful pursuits these spare moments of life, which,
like rich and costly pearls, drop from our hands and
sink to rise no more forever ? Unless the spare
moments are seized and made a positive good, they
become the down grade over which men and women
slide to destruction. And the only positive safe-
guard is to keep the good and the pure before the
mind. Tennyson uttered a great truth when he
said : "/ atn a part of all I have fiiet ! "

':*

iS r: ■ ;

4
■ 1

102 SPARE MOMEXTS: THEIR USE AXD ABUSE.

Let me f^ive some examples of what has been
accomph'shcd in the pursuit of wealth, knowledge,
and moral and spiritual uplifting, by a wise use of
the spare moments. A young artist, who was allowed
to pick up the scattered pieces of glass left by the
workmen after the construction of a large stained-
glass window, made, out of these fragments, one of
the most beautiful cathedral windows in all Europe.
So liave some men and women made use of the
spare moments, by which means they have risen to
positions of honor and trust.

It is said that the gold rooms of the United States
mint have double floors ; the top one is made like a
sieve, while the under one is made dust-tight, and
catches all the gold dust that fa Us upon it from the
hands of the workmen ; and by this means about
$30,0D0 worth of gold is annually saved. But not
so precious are the gold siftings of the United States
mint, as the siftings of time that slip through our
fingers each year of human probation. "A million
of money for a moment of time ! " cried one of
Enjjland's Queens, but even the Oucen could not
purchase it. What we all need is some kind of a
contrivance to catch these precious siftings of time,
that, by divine help, we may weave them into a
crown that shall adorn our brow when the vigor of
)'outh is no more.

What men have accomplished by a wise use of
spare time is wonderful. A poor German boy who

SPARE MOMENTS: THEIR USE AND ABCSE. 10:5

s been
vledge.
use of
allowed
by the
tained-
one of
uirope.
of the
isen to

States
like a
;ht, and
pm the
about
kit not
States
h our
million
lone of
d not
d of a
time,
into a
iror of

use of
))' who

had read of the siege of Troy, resolved that some
day he would unearth her long-lost treasures. Hut,
to prepare for such a task, he had only his spare
moments. He gave himself up to study during his
spare time, and, by that means, learned seven different
languages. lie says : *' I never went on an errand,
even in the rain, without having my book in my hand,
and learning something by heart ; and I never waited
at the pos: -office without reading." That young man
became a merchant, made quite a fortune, and, later
in life, started on his eastern-bound course. He
finally reached the sight of the old city, and, from the
palace of the Trojan king, he unearthed treasures of
gold, bronze, and stone, that were buried beneath the
sands for three thousand years ; and, finally, he
exhibited his treasures in the British Museum,
London, to the wonder and delig-ht of all scientific
men — and to-day, scholars are under a debt of grati-
tude to Dr. Schlieman, the German explorer.

Elihu Burritt, called the " learned blacksmith," is
a good example of what may be accomplished by a
wise use of spare time. It is said that, while working
at the forge waiting for the iron to get hot, he had his
book open where his e)'e could rest upon a new word,
and, while he welded the two pieces of iron, he also
welded the new word to liis brain, and, in both cases,
the two became one. In this way Mr. Burritt began
the study of languages, and, finally, became one of
the most eminent linguists of his day. And no less

'■im 1

104 SPARE MOMENTS: THEIR USE AND ABUSE.

a wonder was VVm. Carey, styled by Sydney Smith
the " Consecrated Cobbler ; " but who to-day is
honored as the " Father of Modern Missions." It
was a maxim of the Latins, " that no man could
reach the summit of honor unless he prudently used
his time." All who have been noted for great
achievements have been those who made a wise use
of the spare moments. This is, doubtless, the genius
for which so many sigh — she is within the reach of
all, but grasped by few.

Professor Tindall, while a young man, was in
government employ, and one day an officer said to
him : " Tindall, how do you spend your spare mo-
ments ; you have five hours a day at your disposal
and this ought to be spent in some kind of syste-
matic study ? Had I, when at your age had anyone
to advise me as I now advise you, instead of being in
a subordinate position, I might have been at the head
of my profession." The advice was kindly received
and acted upon. Mr. Tindall says he began at once
systematic study. About seven years later he secured
a more thorough education in one of the German
Universities, and in a speech made at a banquet in
New York, he referred to his student life, and how
he was advised by his friend in early life to make a
wise use of his spare moments. In the course of this
speech Mr. Tindall said : "In 1848, wishing to im-
prove myself in science I went to the University of
Hamburg, the same old town in which my namesake,

SPARE MOMEXrS: THEIR L'SE AXD A/if'SE, JO;")

head

cived

once

cured

rman

et in

how

ke a

f this

im-

ty of

sake,

who, poorer than myself, publislied his translation of
the Bible, I lodged in the plainest manner, in a street
which bore an appropriate name, while I dwelt in it.
It was called the ' heretics' brook,' from a little historic
rivulet running through it. I wished to keep myself
clean and hardy, so I purchased a cask, and had it
cut in two by a carpenter. Half of this cask filled
with spring water every night was placed in my small
room, and never, during the years I spent there, in
winter or in summer, did the clock of the beautiful
Elizabeth-kirk, which was close at hand, finish striking
the hour of six in the moining before I was in my
tub. For a good portion of my time I rose an hour
and a half earlier than this, working by lamplight at
the differential calculus, when the world was slumber-
ing around me." This is what made Professor
Tindall a genius. We might each be a genius in our
sphere if we were all willing to pay the price.

Canon Farrar gave a telling illustration of what can
be done by a wise use of spare time. He says : " One
of the great English writers, when he went to college,
threw away the first two years of his time in gossip,
extravagance and noise. One morning one of the
idle set to whom he had jc^ined himself came into his
room before he had risen and said, ' Paley, you are a
fool. You are wasting your time and wasting your
chance. Your present way of going on is silly and
senseless. Do not throw away your life and your
time ! ' That man did what a friend ought to do, and

lG(j SPARE MOMENIS: Til KIR USE AND AIWSK.

I I

saved for luigland and the Church the genius and
service of a great man. * I was so struck,' said Mr.
Paley, * that I lay in bed until I had formed my plan,
I ordered my fire always to be laid over night. I
ro.se at five, read steadily all day, allotted to each
portion of time its proper branch of study, and thus
on taking my l^achelor's degree I became senior
wrangler.' It was something to make this resolve,
and to redeem a life from meaningless frivolity."

But how shall we ^^ather the spare moments?
Many have found them in early rising. Buffon, the
celebrated naturalist, is an example of this. " In my
youth," he says, " I was very fond of sleep ; it robbed
me of a great deal of my time ; but my poor Joseph
(meaning his domestic) was of great service in enabling
me to overcome it. I promised to give Joseph a crown
every time he would wake me up at six. The next
morning at six he did not fail to awake and torment
me ; but he received only abuse. The next day he
did the same, with no better success, and I was obliged
at noon to confess that I had lost my time. I told
hinr that he did not know how to manage his business ;
that he ought to think of my promise and not my
threats. The day following he employed force. I
begged for indulgence ; I bade him begone ; I
stormed, but Joseph persisted. I was therefore
obliged to comply, and he was rewarded every day
for the abuse which he suffered at the moment when
I awoke by thanks, accompanied with a crown, which

h !

SPA/^:E MOMKXTS: their use AXn AEUSE. 107

he received ab(3Ut half an lioui* after. Ves, I am in-
debted to poor Joseph for ten or a dozen vokinies of
ni)' work."

Sir Walter Scott wrote thus in his diar)- : " When
I had, in former times, to fill uj) a passage in a poem,
it was alwaj's when I first opened my eyes that the
desired idea thronged upon me." If we turn to the
Book of books, we will find the same wholesome
advice : " Go to the ant, thou sluggard ; consider her
ways and be wise, which, having no guide or ruler,
provideth her meat in summer and gathereth her footl
in harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard ?
When wilt thou arise out of th}' sleep? Vet a little
sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to
sleep : so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth
and thy want as an armed man." St. Mark says of
our Saviour, " tie rose a great while before it was day."
There are possibilities in all our lives which could be
realized to a greater extent were the spare moments
put to a wise use. Let me cjuote to you from a
modern writer, to whose words many lives will testify:

" There are few people who have not discovered
how difficult it is to secure time for any pursuit over
and above that required for the daily business of life.
For exam[)le, one has an ambition to excel in an
accomplishment, or to acquire a language ; or one's
tastes lie in the direction of geology or mineralogy.
The hours which can be found and devoted, without
interruption, to these ciierished things, are few, so few,

; I

](J8 SP.IA'E ArO.}//:X7S: THEIR CS/-: A.\D ABUSE.

I!i

that often i)lans arc laid aside and the attainments
ret^arded as completely bej-ond the reach of busy
men and women. The demands of a profession, the
cares of a bus)- household, the claims of society, and
the duties of religion, so occupy every moment of the
day, that it seems idle to try to keep up the studies
whicli once were a joy and delight. If men and
women would determine to do what they can with
the bits of time, to learn what they can in the
fragments and uninterrupted portions of days, which
they can alone be sure of. they would be surprised at
the end of the season, or at the end of a year, to find
how much they had accomplished. It is better to
read one good book, one strong boof^:, through, in the
winter, than to read nothing but tlie newspaper, and,
perhaps, not that. A half-hour daily devoted to any
book, any art, or any a,\sthetic .pursuit, would be
sufficient to keep in the possession of the mind, and
give thought something to dwell upon outside the
engrossing and dwarfing cares of every day. That
precious half-hour would save from the narrowness
and pettiness which are inevitable to those whose
work is exclusively given to the materialities of life.
It would tinge and color the day, as a drop of ruby
liquid in the druggist's globe imparts its hue to a
gallon of water. A feeling of discouragement comes
over us when we compare ourselves and our oppor-
tunities with those of some living men and with those
of some who have gone, but whose biographies live.

SPARE MOMEXTS: THEIR USE AXD .l/U'SE. l(j<)

be
, and

e the
That

wncss
hose
■ Hfe.
rub}'
to a

:omes
ppor-
thosc
live.

How did they Icani so much, fill so large a place in
the story of their lives, and illustrate so <;randly tl^c
possibilities of humanity ? If we knew all the truth,
it was done because the time we spend in fruitless
effort and in doing needless things was steadily given
by them to the things which count up and make large
sums total at the foot of life's balance-sheet. No doubt,
too, because they filled with honest work, and whicli
paid them by making their work easier and more
successful in the end. If we could make up our
minds to accept the situation in which Providence
has placed us, and then do the best we can there,
without repining, we might yet evolve some lovely
creation out of our broken days."

May these most suggestive words which have
stimulated the writer of this little book, stimulate
also the reader, to make a wiser use of his spare
moments than has hitherto been his habit. Gather
up the gold dust of a God-given life, .so rich in
eternal possibilities — those " rasping and parings "
which so many cast from them, as too short to be of
any value — put them to a noble use and your life may
be happier by ^ar than thousands whose time is all
their own.

Pardon me, if I say this little book is a humble
illustration of the truth of above quotation. It is the
product of some of the spare moments out of a busy
pastorate ; for he who in any sense is fit to be a
pastor, finds hands and heart full. I trust my patient

I ill

170 SPARE MOMENTS: THEIR USE AND AlWSE.

reader will not feel that they were * spare moments*
altogether wasted or abused.

History only repeats itself in the lives of individuals
as well as in that of nations. What men have done
may be done again. I have drawn no picture of the
mythical ages, but rather a present, living possibility.
Let us be alive to the imi)ortance of to-day, to-
morrow, never yet on any human being rose or set.
It should be our aim to use, not with a prodigal waste,
nor with a miser's stint, but with a steady resolve,
every spare moment, for the success of this one
earthly life. For steady application and persistent
industry are the only reliable genius of success ; and
what the genius of a steady application and industry
would do for each one of us may be difficult to divine.
But this we know, that from the human side we are
what our words and deeds make us.

V* e shape ourselves the joy or fear

Of which the coming life is made,
And fill our Future's atmosphere

With sunshine or with shade.

The tissues of the life to be
We weave with colours all our own ;

And in the field of Destiny,
We reap as we have sown.

— Whittier.

\. \

)mcnts '

ividuals
VG done
; of the
sibility.
ay, to-
ol- set.
1 waste,
resolve,
lis one
rsistent
IS ; and
id list ly
divine,
we are

THE MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE

'Ill

THE MORAL EFKhXTS OF THE STAGE.

The strength and prosperity of a nation, or an
individual, depends much upon the strength of their
morals. From the earliest times to the present, the
waste and decay of national glory has been due
largely to a lack of morality. That the natiotis of the
past have often been unmindful of the fact that
morality is a most potent factor in the maintenance
of social order, is a truth too well understood to be
called in question. Yet there have been those in
every age, who felt and acknowledged the benign
influence of a healthy morality, which had infused into
them sentiments of truth and righteousness, as well as
a deep reverence for God. The saddest calamity that
can befall any people is to obtain success by un-
righteous means. We may try to persuade ourselves
that the claims of humanity will hold the people with-
in the bounds of a common brotherhood ; but the
record of the past forbids such a hope. The national
evils produced by the lack of a strong morality may
be seen in the fall of the Roman empire, and in the
destructive effects of the F'rench Revolution. Rome
was given up to luxury and pride. A sysr.em of
unrivalled pillage, not the common industry of the

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174

MO A' A A EFFECTS OF THE STAGE,

J 1

'• %

people, filled the public treasury with the spoils of a
conquered world. It was when France had thrown
off all moral restraint, that she rushed headlong into
sins which culminated in the horrors of the Revolu-
tion. Among the various agencies which have acted
for and against morality, we note the effects of the
stage.

While investigating the moral effects of this institu-
tion we have the advantage of considering one that is
well known. The stage which was once regarded as
an angel of mercy — and through which the story of
redemption was told to the uneducated, has, of a truth,
fallen. In its origin the stage had a noble purpose —
the moral and religious educator of the people. At a
time when the nations were just waking into intel-
lectual life, the stage was doubtless a most powerful
and effective means for imparting knowledge. But
just as one form of government must give place to
a superior, so must one class of teachers give place to
those who are their intellectual superiors. Every
opposing power mu:.t yield to the advance of moral
and intellectual progress. Laws are adjusted to meet
the growth of the times. Feudalism was good in its
day, but it fell before a more progressive age. Even
a moral principle is wrong, when it stands in the way
of one that is higher. The system of religious and
moral training soon advanced, so that the stage lost
its influence and power as a teacher of morals. For
during even more modern times the stage was not

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.

17.")

oils of a
thrown
Diig into
Revolu-
ve acted
s of the

s institu-
le that is
aided as
; story of
f a truth,
urpose —
le. At a
ito intel-
powerful
ge. But
place to
place to
Every
[of moral
to meet
lod in its
Even
the way
lious and
tage lost
is. For
was not

supported simply as a place of amusement ; but what
the books, papers and magazines which crowd our
homes and breathe the life and sentiment of the times
are to us — such was the stas^e in the reiijn of Oucen
Elizabeth. This ancient glory of the stage is often
pointed to, at the present time, as a reason for the
existence of the modern theatre. But the moral rise
on the part of the people, and the moral decline on
the part of the stage, has called in(]uesti()n the utility
of such an institution in our day. That the stage has
out-lived its moral and relie^ious influence is obvious.
The only object for which the stage still exists
is that of amusement ; and whether the amusement
supplied is of such a character as to strengthen even
the lowest morality, we boldly question.

But in order to trace the moral effects of the stage,
we must turn to the literature and the characters it
has produced. Many of the dramatic productions of
that age are distinguished for vigor of style, richness
of thought and splendor of diction. Some of the
greatest minds have cast their thoughts in the dramatic
mould. Sophoclces, the greatest of Greek tragedians,
clothed his thoughts in noble and lofty expressions.
It is almost needless to say, that in Shakespeare there
is much to admire. Here we find splendid images,
grand conceptions, excellent maxims and sublime
thought. But these are exceptions among the writers
for the stage. In the correct dramatic treatment of
an historical fact, there can be but little objection.

j 5

176

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.

: '•■

Yet it is well for the inexperienced to reme;nbcr that,

" Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen ;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

Even in Shakespeare, the purest of dramatic writers,
there is much that is objectionable. Shakespeare
lives to-day, not so much on account of his moral
sentiments, as for his literary and poetic genius, which
will ever cause him to shine as a star of the first
magnitude.

But this is the brightest side of the picture, for the
literature of the stage as a whole, is anti-christian in
its effects. It abounds in the most irreverent allusions
and appeals to the Almighty, and savours much of
atheism. The political and ecclesiastical combats
with the stage have not been without cause. And
one of these causes has been given by Macaulay, who
says : " On the comic dramatists from Dryden to
Congreve, it is not easy to be too severe. This part
of our literature is a disgrace to our national character.
It is clever, but it is in the most emphatic sense of
the words, eartJily^ sensual^ devilish."

No less marked are the effects of the stage, as seen
in the individual. The strength of any structure
depends much upon the strength of the single units of
which it is made up. If the units are weak the
structure will be weak also. The unit of the nation
is the man, the woman, the child. To effect the

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE

/ i

r that,

vriters,
jspearc
moral
, which
le first

for the
stian in
llusions
puch of
ombats
And
ay, who
den to
lis part
aracter.
sense of

as seen
tructure
units of
eak the
2 nation
cct the

nation, we need only effect the individual. That the
lives of thousands of the fairest and noblest men and
women have been destroyed by the evil effects of the
stage needs no proof.

The best defence that can be offered for its existence
is that it affords recreation. But why seek recreation
so far down the stream of a corrupted morality, while
the pure fountain is sending forth its waters clear
as crystal ? The stage poisons the mind by filling it
with false views of life, and thus prepares its victims
for bitter disappointment. The theatre makes this
life of stern realities — this battle-ground on which he
who wins must struggle, a mere scene of romantic
adventure, a place of visionary bliss. Mrs. Jamieson
paints in the following language the ideal actress :
" The beautiful, the noble, the heroic, the affecting
sentiments she is to utter before the public are not
turned into a vile parody by her private deportment
and personal qualities — rather borrow from both an
incalculable moral effect ; while her womanly character,
the perpetual association of her form, her features, her
voice, with loveliest and loftiest creations of human
genius, enshrine her in the ideal and play like a glory
round her head."

Would that on looking at the modern stage we
could feel that the majority of those who tread it
possessed either the personal character or the artistic
qualities so beautifully described in the above words.
But the true effects on the actors are not seen directly

I ■ :tl

^S'

ITS

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.

by the public. \Vc have it, however, from the honest
confession of many : Was it not when GrimalcH was
convulsinf^ his audience with laughter that he con-
fessed himself the most wretched of men ? IMeasure
secured at such a sacrifice is too dearly bought, and
no man or woman can afford to purchase it at such a
cost. Life on the stage is a dog's life for any, except
for those who stand high in their profession. Vou
are under the control of managers who are often men
of no moral character. There are some worthy men
and women who go on the stage, impelled by necessity,
as they think, or cherishing the fond ambition to rise
to important positions ; but where one succeeds, hun-
dreds fail. The immoral effects of such disappoint-
ments are sad in the extreme. That eminent actor,
George Vandenhoff, left this advice for those who
think of becoming actors : " Go to sea, go to law, go
to church, go to Italy, and strike a blow for liberty ;
go to any thing or any where that will give you an
honest, decent livelihood, rather than go upon the
stage. To any young lady with a similar proclivity,
I would say, buy a sewing machine, and take in. plain
work first ; so shall you save much sorrow, bitter
disappointment, and secret tears."

' Mrs. Kemble said of acting : " I devoted myself to
a profession which I never liked or honored, and
about the very nature of which I have never been able
to come to any very decided opinion. A business
which is intense excitement and factitious emotion.

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.

171)

loncst

li was

: con-

casurc

it, aiul

such a

except
Vou

jn men '

ly men

cessity,

I to rise

Js, hun-

ippoint-

pt actor,

)se who
aw, go
iberty ;
you an
)on the
oclivity,
in. plain
bitter

lyself to
ed, and
een able
business
motion.

seems to be unworthy of a man ; a business which is
public exhibition, unworthy of a woman. Neither
have I ever presented myself before an audience
without a shrinking feeling of reluctance, or withdrawn
from their presence without thinking the excitement
I had undergone unhealthy, and the personal exhibi-
tion odious." The Rev. Dr. John Hall sums up the
effects of theatre going thus : " Shallowness, a false
standard of success and gentility, unsettled purposes
in life, enervating amusements (he did not recall one
theatre-goer among his classmates who attained
success in life), a lack of public spirit, a weak com-
mercial conscience, an exaggerated idea of personal
freedom, and, finally, feebleness in the religious life."
These are still the moral effects of the stai^^e in our
day. The stream can rise no higher than the source.
The morals of the stage are low and the effect upon
the individual and the nation is to lower the moral
standard. Young men and women who are not
acquainted with the history of the modern theatre are
often deceived by those who try to brace up a de-
caying institution. Before the stage can take the place
its advocates claim for it, the moral standard must be
raised to a level worthy of the enlightenment of the
nineteenth century. One of the following alternatives
awaits this institution, complete annihilation, or great
moral reform. If the stage would ever again be
worthy of general support it must be reconstructed on
a very high moral basis. It must secure a class of

i '

180

MORAL EFFECTS OF THE STAGE.

actors whose chief aim will be the development of
talent, the elevation of character, and the dissemination
of a pure literature. But we must confess that the
present tendency of the stage is to drift from all this.
If it is to remain with us, our hope is that e'er long it
will become so transformed that instead of corrupting
our literature, and demoralizing the noblest and
purest of our race, its influence will be felt in the
moral uplifting of mankind. But until these moral
reforms are accomplished, the stage can have no
claim upon the moral and religious sentiment of any
community.

■!l!

lent of
ination
lat the
ill this,
long it
rupting
St and
in the
! moral
ave no
of any

5t ;

1!^

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

KIXUXESJ TO ANIMALS.

I would not be true to myself, nor to a lar<Te class
of my fellow-creatures, were I to close my book witli-
out some words on our duty to show kindness to the
dumb animals. I love all the animals. In all my life
I could never endure to see one of them treated un-
kindly without feelinijs of deep sympath}' on their
behalf That they are creatures capable of sufferin<r
pain and enjoying pleasure, perhai)s as keenly as our-
selves, and no human speech with which to express
either their joys or their sorrows, is to me a sufficient
reason for treating them kindly. I have, on several
occasions, barely escaped trouble in defending some
of these helpless creatures from the infuriated temper
of some inhuman brute who called himself a man, yet
claimed the right to beat his dog or his horse as un-
mercifully as he pleased. Animals were created by
the God who created all living creatures, and to treat
them unkindly is to sin against their Maker ; and this
sin of cruelty to animals, along with all unpardoned
transgressions, will be charged against the offender
on the Day of Judgment. Some writers have even
advanced the idea that the dumb animals possess an
immortality, and will be restored at the fie^u creation.

1S4

A7.\7)X/':SS TO AA7MAI.S.

I ii

1' ;i

This appears to have been Milton's idea in " Paradise
Re^aitietl." It cannot be Paradise regained without
the animals, for they were in l*aradise before the fall.
" Even so," said a brother minister, " I will never be
ashamed or afraid to meet ' Doll,' '' mcain'nfj the horse.
He my sins what they ma\', I will never be char«jjcd
with cruelty to atn'mals.

Tiie immortal Cowper, the poet of liumanity, says :

" I vvcmlil not enter on n»y list of friends,

Tlioiiyh qraced with polished manners and fine sense,

Vet wanting; st'nsil)iliiy, the man

Who 4ieedlessly sets foot upon a worm."

Said Rowland Mill : ** I would not ^ive anythinj^ for
a man's Christianity whose horse could not perceive
a difference in him." Hifjginson has very truthfully
said that ** a child reared without the knowledge of
pet animals is a solitary being, no matter if there be
brothers and sisters, while a child who has animals to
tend is never quite alone. A dog is of itself a liberal
education, with its example of fidelity, unwearied
activity, cheerful sympathy, and love stronger than
death ; nay, love that is triumphant over shame and
ignominy and sin — influences that so often wear out
human love or make it change to hate. How many
of us hold to our friends with a love as inexhaustible
and inextinguishable as that which our dog gives to
us ? The child especially finds in the faithful creature
much of its own impulsive and ardent life ; the delight
in little things, the ready curiosity, the ceaseless

A'L\7).\7:SS TO A.\7.\/A/.S.

1 sr.

;uUsc
ihoiit
2 fall,
cr be
lorsc.
ar^etl

says :

ncj for
nccivc

thfully
Ji^c of
ere be
lals to
liberal
caried
• that!
e and
ar out
many
stible
ves to
eature
elight
seless

activity, tlic quick chaii^Ljcs of occupation, the un-
abated interest in existence. Kittens, a<;ain, .seem
sent to t^ivc a cliild just what the do^' leaves out ;
the more refined wavs, tiie soft playfulness, the pjentle
domesticity, the \villini:jness to be tended and petted.
Kittens about the house supply the smaller punctua-
tion in the book of life ; their little frisks and leaps
and pats are the commas and semicolons and dashes,
while the bi^ do^j puts in the colons and the periods."
I believe we have altogether underrated the capa-
bilities of the dumb animals to receive and return
kindness. The man is yet to appear who will tell us
of the near approach of animal instinct to human
reason. Indeed the instinct of some animals is far
superior to the reason displayed by some human
beings. Mow far that which we call instinct is below
that which we call reason is hard to determine. While
I doubt not that there is a fixed gulf between reason
and instinct, I cannot help thinking that it has been
widened beyond all warrant. Dr. Wayland, in his
Moral Science, says : " Brutes are sensitive beings,
capable of, probably, as great degree of physical
pleasure and pain as ourselves. They are endowed
with instinct which is probably a form of intellect
inferior to our own, but which, being generally unlike
to ours, we are unable to understand. They differ
from us chiefly in being destitute of any moral faculty.
We do not stand to them in the relation of equality.
* Our right is paramount, and must extinguish theirs.'

(■' I

18G

A'LVDiVESS TO ANIMALS.

" We have therefore a riglit to use them to promote
our comfort, and may innocently take their life, if our
necessities demand it. This right over them is given
to us by the revealed will of God. But, inasmuch as
they, like ourselves, are the creatures of God, we have
no right to use them in any other manner than that
which God has permitted. They, as much as our-
selves, are under His protection.

" We are forbidden to treat them unkindly on any
pretence or for any reason. There can be no clearer
indication of a degraded, a ferocious temper, than
cruelty to animals. Hunting, in many cases, and
horse-racing, seem to me liable to censure in this
respect."

It is in my heart to write earnest words on behalf
of the dumb animals, as we call them, — dumb only
because they lack human speech, — but my pen falters,
therefore I quote largely from writers whose hearts,
like my own, beat in deep sympathy with these crea-
tures, but whose tongue God has made as the pen of
a ready writer, on the subject of cruelty and kindness
to animals. Read this graphic scene of cruelty and
inercy combined, which took place over one hundred
and fifty years ago, recorded by the facile pen of
Eugene Sue, and touching as it is, it cannot surpass
some acts qf cruelty of this nineteenth century. He
says : " The winter of 1732 was very cold. The pave-
ments became very slippery by the frost, and did not
present any hold for the hordes' feet ; and one of these

KINDNESS TO ANIMALS.

187

note
four
Tiven
ch as
have
that
, our-

1 any .
learer
, than
;, and
n this

behalf
only
'alters,
learts,
crea-
3en of
ndness
;y and
ndred
pen of

mrpass
He

animals, harnessed to a large cart heavily ladened
with wood, was utterly unable to advance a step for-
ward, while the carter, a powerful fellow, was belabor-
ing the poor brute with his heavy wiiip, striking him
over the head with relentless ferocitv. Breathless, and
struggling violently, the poor horse was so exhausted
by his continued severe efforts, that, in spite of the
cold, he was covered with sweat and foam. Now,
throwing himself into his collar with desperate exer-
tion, he tugged so that the stones beneath his feet
threw out sparks of fire ; now, far from being dis-
couraged, he backed a few paces to take breath, and
again tried, but in vain, to draw his load. Twice did
he nearly fall — his knees touched the pavement ; the
carter raised him by the bit, leaving the mouth of the
animal raw and bleeding. A third time, after a violent
effort, he fell on his knees, one leg entangled beneath
him ; he could not recover himself, but fell on his side,
where he lay trembling, bathed in sweat, and his eyes
fixed on his brutal owner. The rage of his master
then knew no bounds ; and after breaking his whip
over the head of the horse, who, kept down by the
shafts, lay groaning on the stones, he began kicking
the unfortunate animal on the nostrils. The spec-
tators of this cruel sight looked on with apathy. The
fellow, finding the horse did not move, took a bundle
of straw, twisted it into the form of a torch, and,
taking a match from his pocket, said, * I'll roast him ;
p'raps that'll make him get up.' At this moment a

188

A'lNDXESS TO ANIMALS.

Quaker stepped forward and pushed his way among
the crowd. When he saw the carter go toward the
fallen horse with the intention of applying the blazing
straw to his body, a shudder ran through his frame,
and his countenance expressed the utmost compassion.
Unable for a moment to endure this scene, the Quaker
approached the carter and took him by the arm, who
turned with menacing look as he shook the torch.
' Friend,' said the Quaker in a calm tone, showing the
carter fiteen louis d'or, which he held in his hand,

* wilt thou sell me thy horse for this gold ?' * What
do you say?' inquired the carter; 'will ye give me
that sum for the brute?' and stamped out the light
beneath his feet. ' Fifteen louisl said the Quaker.

* But why should ye buy the horse ?' ' That is nothing
to thee. If thou sellest thy horse thee must unload
thy cart, unharness the horse, and assist him to rise.'
' Is it good gold ?' 'Take it to the nearest shop and
enquire.' The carter soon returned, saying, * It is a
bargain.' ' Then unshackle the poor horse, for he is
crushed by the weight of his load.' The bystanders
lent their aid to free the horse. The poor animal was
bleeding in many places ; and such was his terror of
the carter that he trembled at his approach. ' But i
can't tell why you bought the old brute,' said the
carter. ' / cmi tell thee ; it ivas to free him from thy
cruelty that I bought him, said the Quaker."

Blessed be God for the noble men and women who,
like the Quaker, plead the cause of these poor crea-

A'/XDXESS TO JX/MALS.

]S<)

long

i the

izing

ame,

5sion.

aaker

, who

torch.

ig the

hand,

What

ve me

I light

)uaker.

othing

unload

o rise.'
p and
It is a
r he is
anders
al was
rror of
' But i
id the
m thy

\\-\ who,
)r crea-

tures, who are unable to defend themselves ; and
especially those who, with voice and pen and purse,
shield the helpless, for God is also with the oppressed.
God pity the inhuman brute who has neither pity nor
kindness for these faithful creatures which God hath
given us for our profit.

Prof. David Swing has credit for these brave words :
" It ill becomes us to inflict tortures upon the helpless
man or the helpless brute. We cannot do this and
still claim any of the honours of true manhood. Let
us see our world in ever newer and fairer colours.
Why are we here unless we can make our race better
by our sojourn ? Let us break up these places of
cruelty with which our earth abounds. Let us, if
possible, unite love and mercy in the streets, where
our dumb brutes toil ; let us teach better the man
whose ear can draw music from a whip ; let us write
mercy in the woods where the wild deer runs, mercy
in the air where our birds fly, and along the city
streets, where the temper has held a sway too terrible
and too long. When a cruel driver Irishes his horse,
it is not a mere incident of the hour, not worthy of
your notice ; it is a link in a chain which binds you
and me to all the black monsters of the past, to the
Romans, who exposed their infants to the beasts of
the woods, to those tribes in the desert which cut a
steak from an ox without killing the ox, and if we do
not break this chain by action and protest, it will bind
us forever to this long ancestry of shocking deeds.

190

A'lNDXESS TO ANIMALS.

It is high time for us to ponder upon these tilings,
and to wash our hands from this form of guilt, and
from all indifference to this form of human error and
vice.

George S. Angell, who has been styled the
* apostle of the gospel of mercy,' and who has devoted
his life to this God-honored work of saving man and
beast from cruelty, calls upon all who desire to show
kindness and mercy to the dumb animals, to do what
they can. Here is his plan : ' When you see boys
robbing birds' nests, or stoning birds, or squirrels, or
other harmless animals, or shooting them, or catching,
destroying, or tormenting, tell such boys all these
have their mates and companions just as we have, and
feel pain as we do, and are perhaps as fond of life and
liberty as we are, and were all created and put here
for useful purposes ; and ask them what fun there can
be in killing or wounding them, or making them
suffer. Ask them whether it is brave to torment the
weak ; whether it would not be nobler and more
honorable to protect, and more pleasing to our
Father in Heaven, who created and cares for them all ?
And the larger animals, you will have many chances
of doing them good. Feed them, give them water,
speak kindly to them, try to make them happy, and
see how grateful they will be, and how much they
will love you for it, and how happy it will make you
to see them happy. My young friends, every kind
action you can do for the weak and defenceless, and

/C/iVDXESS 70 AXIMALS,

101

ngs,
and
and

the
/oted
1 and
show
what
boys
sis, or
ching,
these
e, and
|fe and
t here
re can
them
nt the
more
o our
mall?
ances
water,
y, and
\\ they
e you
kind
ss, and

every kind ivord you say to thejn^ will make you
happier, nobler and better ; all good people will love
you and respect you the more for it, and as your
bodies grow, your hearts will grow larger and richer,
to bless the world.' "

My dear reader, will you come along with me and
join Mr. Angell's " l^and of Mercy," the pledge is: —
" I will try to be kind to all harmless living creatures,
and try to protect them from cruel usage." Come on,

friend ! here is my name, G. R. White, ,

the blank is for yours. May God add by scores to
our Society and make each one faithful.

Again, I quote from an address of Mr. Angcll, given
before the annual meeting of " The American Social
Science Association," in 1874.

" It is very easy to enlist the sympathies of children
in the animal world. Take, for instance, the history
and habits of birds, show how wonderfully they are
created, how kind to their young, how useful to agri-
culture, what power they have in flight. The swallow
that flies sixty miles an hour, or the frigate bird
which, in the words of Audubon, 'flies with the
velocity of a meteor, and, according to Michelet, can
float at an elevation of ten thousand feet, and cross
the tropical Atlantic ocean in a single night ; or those
birds of beauty and song, the oriole, the linnet, the
lark, and sweetest of all, the nightingale, whose voice
caused one of old to exclaim, * Lord, what music Hast
Thou provided for Saints in heaven, when Thou hast

102

A'lXDXESS TO ANIMALS.

afforded such music for men on earth ? Or, take that
wonderful beast of the desert, the camel, which,
nourished by its own humps of fat, and carrying its
own reserv.oirs of water, pursues its toilsome way
across pathless deserts for the comfort and con-
venience of man. Is it not easy to carry up the
minds and hearts of children by thoughts like these
from the creature to the infinitely wise, good, and
powerful Creator?

" I believe there is a great defect in our system of
education. I believe that in our public schools it is
quite as possible to develop the heart as the intellect,
and that when this is required and done, we shall not
only have higher protection for dumb creatures, and
so increased length of human life, but also human life
better developed and better worth living. I believe
that the future student of American history will
wonder that in the public schools of a free govern-
ment, whose very existence depends upon public
integrity and morals, so much attention should have
been paid to the cultivation of intellect, and so little
to the cultivation of the heart."

If the reader desires to further pursue this study of
instinct, and the habits of dumb animals, and our
duty to show them kindness, we recommend the study
of Dr. P. A. Chadbourne's Lowell Lectures on "///-
siiftct" 1 87 1. Also the reading of ''Black Beauty,''
the "Uncle Tom's Cabin " of the Horse — paper 15
cents, and become a subscriber to the little paper

A'm/hVESS TO ANIMALS.

193

; lh;it
hich,
ig its •

way

con-

p the

these

1, and

em of
Is it is
ellcct,
ill not
:s, and
an life
)elicve
will
Dvern-
)ublic
have
little

idy of
our
study
'///-
auiy"
■Dcr 15
paper

'' Oitr Dumb Aniuialsl' published monthly by the
American Humane Education Society and the
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals — price, 50 cents per year. Address,
19 Milk Street, Boston, Mass.

From the appendix to " Black Beauty" we quote
as foUow^s : " Capt John Codman gives a column and
a half in the New York Couiuiercial Advertiser of
May 13, 1890, to one of the best descriptions of
' Black Beauty ' we have yet seen."

He says : " I sat down to read it last night and did
not move from my chair until it was finished ! " We
wish we had space for the whole article, but can only
give its closing words : — " As I sit down by my
window^ opposite Grace Church (New York) on a
Sunday noon, I see a long row of carriages drawn up
before its sacred walls. Fashion, wealth and beauty
are within the church calling themselves miserable
sinners, as indeed they are. Outside are some of the
evidences of their sinfulness. There sit their coach-
men, looking down from their boxes on the lacerated
stumps at one end of their horses, while the other end
of them is jerked up into the air. Not even while
their masters are at prayer can they be relieved from
this torture. Every now and then the coachman
touch them up with the whip and yank upon the
reins to keep up their ' style ' and to make them
champ their bits and foam at the mouth.

" I crossed over the other Sunday and interviewed
o

194

AVJVDJVESS TO ANIMALS.

some of those horses. In every one of them there
was a pained expression of the eye and often a ner-
vous twitchin<^ of the upper lip. Their faces be-
tokened unspeakable agony. Alas, that it was un-
speakable ! It would have been useless to have asked
mercy from the coachman. I doubt not some of them
were kind-hearted men, and, like York, the groom of
whom ' Black Beauty ' told me last night, they did
this sort of thing reluctantly, but in obedience to
orders.

" The poor beast seemed to discern pity in my face,
and every feature of their own had a tongue that said,
— ' For God's sake, — yes, for God's sake, for we are
His creatures — go into that Church, and tell the
preacher to cut short his " lessons for the day," and
to send his congregation out here to take an object
lesson from us ! ' I wish that Dr. Huntington would
take " Black Beauty " into his pulpit and let him
preach to his people. The text he may find is in the
book of the prophet Joel : I., i8, * How do the beasts
groan.'

"I have no space to chronicle all that 'Black Beauty'
said to me of his varied experiences in life of high
and low degree. After he had told all of his pathetic
story, I turned into my bed in the small hours of the
night, and when I was asleep he stood there still.
Then the scene changed to that * large pleasant
meadow ' where the story began. ' Black Beauty ' and
his mothci- were there ; so was ' Sir Oliver,' little

there
a ner-
3S bc-
as un-
asked
f them
:)om of
2y did
nee to

ly face,

it said,

sve are

dl the

/," and

object

would

t him

n the

leasts

leauty'
high
athetic
of the
still.
easant
' and
little

A7XDX£SS TO AX/MALS.

I'.in

' Merrylegs,' and all the rest of them ; even poor
* Ginger,' over whose tragic death I had shed a tear,
was her old self again. I have always believed in the
immortality of animals.

"Agassiz believed in it, so did Cuvier, so did
Luther, and many other great men were not ashamed
to confess it. It was not strange that in my dream I
saw those friends, whose acquaintance I had so plea-
santly made, changing their shape and floating in air,
where they were joined by the ' Chariots of Israel
and the horsemen thereof.' And last in the a.'rial
cavalcade came Grace Church martyrs, more pleased
that their tails had grown out and that they were
enjoying a free reign than that they, like Pegasus,
had been given wings. They were dragging their
carriages over the clouds, but the carriages were
empty. Yes, there must be a place for good horses
and a place for bad men." — F. C.

PAUL'S PANEGYRIC ON LOVE.

" If I speak with the toiifruc of men and of angels
but have not love, I am become sounding brass, "or a
clanging cymbal. And if I have the light of pro-
phecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge ;
and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountdins
but have not love, I am nothing. And if 1 bc?itow
all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body
to be burned, hMtrb^v^ pc)< .love, .l.'t, prgfi^cth me
nothing. Love IsviCfcrfcfti. .'f^n^, ifiid* *s,.'liiiic)'; love
envieth not ; love vaunteth. not., itself, is ^lot puffed
up, doth not behave Jtsclf Un^otnihf; seHi(irh ijot its
own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil ; re-
joiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the
truth ; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth
all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth,
but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done
away ; \vliether there be tongues, they shall cease ;
whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.
For we know in part and we prophesy in part ; but
when that which is perfect is come, that which is in
part shall be done away. When I was a child, I
spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child ;
now that I am become a man, I have put away

it'

ill

; •-■'.^

f-p;

: -f^ ■

200

PAUVS PANEGYRIC ON LOVE.

childish things. For now we see in a mirror, darkly ;
but then face to face ; now I know in part ; but then
shall I know even as also I have been known. But
now abideth faith, hope, love, these three ; and the
greatest of these is Lover I. Cor. XIII. — R.V.

Finis.

t , « • ' •

3 t e ft

■ ■= "^ '■ . '

at t r , P

../

darkly ;
ut then
1. But
ind the