Earlier text: Dangers and Duties of the YoungGlorifying God in Business.
It is a quite common question, whether it is possible for one to glorify God in his business, or in any one of these commonplace callings men are accustomed to follow. Does not a worldly avocation, no matter what it is, force a Christian to become to a greater or less extent worldly? The trouble with most people is that their callings absorb their attention, their energy, their time. Can one's very business help him to draw nearer God? And is this the Scripture teaching? There is no need of hesitation in giving a reply to this. Any calling, in itself decent, and useful, and honest, can surely become one of the chief means of "growth in grace," from its first dollar earned, to its last and highest reach of riches and honorable success. The entire question turns on one's consecration of the calling to God's service and glory. If a Christian merchant or mantuamaker, Lydia dyeing stuffs with Tyrian purple, or Paul sewing cilicia tents, loves Christ supremely, and gives the business patiently and honestly to him, then business is an accepted instrument in fitting that Christian for Heaven. "Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." That is to say, if our whole lives are simply lived to God's glory, every act in them is honorable, and may be consecrated so as to be helpful. Of course, the same principle holds, and exhibits itself more easily, whenever we come up a step and consider our callings. "Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." When business life is for Christ, questions need not be asked any further; every act reminds one irresistibly of Christ; he murmurs to himself, "This for thee, this for thee, my Saviour." When business hinders one's devotion, a fear may well be started whether it is a legitimate business in itself, whether its end and aim is the great glory of God.—Sel. THE one overwhelmingly sad truth that perpetually confronts us in this land of churches and religious opportunities is, that the great bulk of the people are living in absolute neglect of religion; in apparent unconcern about their soul's well-being. The question is discussed in religious papers, at ministers' meetings, and in conventions both in this country and in Europe. How shall we reach with the gospel the masses? They will not come to the churches. It was once hoped that through the efforts of evangelists, holding meetings in public halls, pastors and Christian people co-operating, they might be reached; but where hundreds come, thousands stay away—thousands who live on from day to day without God and without hope, who care nothing for the Bible, who never bend the knee in prayer, who are hurrying on, except they repent, to a woeful eternity. Now with the accumulation of evidence that men have, in this Christian land, is this wisdom? Is this rational? Is this what intelligent men, and many of them are intelligent, would call prudence? No! There is nothing in this world more certain to befall every man than death; and there is nothing more certain in the world to come than the Judgment throne, at which every man must give account of himself to God. To trifle here; to be insensible to the pity and mercy of God; to refuse the love and blood of Christ; to neglect the great salvation, when it is brought to the very doors of the people, and urged upon them, is the most consummate folly of which they can be guilty. The Christian religion does not prohibit attention to their daily vocations; on the contrary, it enjoins "diligence in business;" at the same time, however, and with mightier emphasis, it enforces the care of the soul, the importance of which is indicated by our Saviour in the question, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world"—all its riches, all its honors, all its enjoyments—"and lose his own soul?"—Christian Intelligencer. Helping after Conversion.
THE first aim of all true and faithful Christian work should be to bring souls to Christ, and yet the whole duty of the church to souls is not discharged when this is done. They are then to be watched over with warm, nourishing love, wisely guided through the perils of inexperience, trained in the duties of their new life, and built up in Christian character. When young people are pressed to make a public confession and unite with the church, one of the arguments used is their need of Christian sympathy, and that help which comes from the mutual association of Christian people. They are assured that the church will be to them a pillar of strength; that the love and cheer of its members will be to them a source of continual inspiration. When they are admitted to the communion, a pledge is given to them of affection, interest, sympathy, and care on the part of all the members. They are told in fervid words that they are now members of the family, and may depend upon receiving help at every point. The church will be to them a cherishing mother. If they are weak, she will put her own strength underneath them. If they have sorrow, she will come with comfort. If they are in sore temptation, she will shield them. If they fall, she will lift them up, and without chiding restore them. All this is very encouraging. The young Christian, trembling in his weakness, is strangely thrilled and uplifted as he listens to such earnest pledges. Life will not be hard, beneath whatever cross, in whatever struggle, with such strong and loving support. With the promise of all this sustaining tenderness circling about his weakness, he feels sure that he can be true and faithful as a Christian. Relying upon these loving pledges, he enters the church with glowing hope and enthusiastic zeal. How much of all this pledged sympathy and help does he receive? When his struggles begin, how many brotherly souls draw up close about him to strengthen him by their words and acts of cheer? If he falls under temptation, how many of those who were pledged to stand by him and help him to rise again, come with warm love and strong hands to fulfill their promise? If adversity overtakes him, how much does he realize of the ideal blessedness of Christian brotherhood? No doubt there are churches in which this covenant made with young Christians is in a large measure fulfilled; but is it so in ordinary cases? Far more frequently they are left to struggle alone. The very persons who so eagerly sought their conversion consider their responsibility at an end when they see them received into the church. Here is an experience in illustration: "When I first entered the class," said a young man, "my teacher manifested the deepest interest in me. I was not a Christian, and he let no fitting occasion pass without saying a word to me about personal religion. He wrote me earnest letters. He frequently came to see me. He would often walk home with me from the class. As each communion season drew near, he would urge me to settle the question, and unite with the church. At last I yielded my heart to Christ, and my teacher was very happy. The day I made a public confession, his heart seemed overflowing with love and joy. But from that day his attentions to me ceased. He appeared to consider his work for me finished. He called no more, wrote me no more letters, never asked me how I was getting along, said nothing to me about my new life. He has always been kind and courteous, but he has taken no apparent interest in my welfare as a young Christian. I have had many perplexities and struggles since then, in which I would have given anything for this help, but I looked in vain for aid." This is a true experience. It is easy to see where this teacher failed; he considered his work and responsibility ended when his pupil was led to give himself to Christ. The result shows also how sorely disappointed the young Christian was when the teacher's hopeful interest was withdrawn, and it shows in what peril this withdrawal left him. This is no rare case. There are thousands who have precisely similar experience. The interest in them ceases at the gate of the church. While they are outside they find love and sympathy, and tender regard, but when they pass inside they find a strange absence of the very things they specially expected. The beautiful words about brotherhood, and the promises of help and cheer, really seem to mean nothing when the time comes to prove their genuineness in a practical way. Yet any young Christian has a right to expect that all the pledges made to him when he unites with the church shall be faithfully kept. The church ought never to break covenant with her children. Besides, it is her very office to be a cherishing mother to all her members. The young Christian should not merely be pressed to enter and then welcomed at the door, but should receive encouragement, love, and fresh impulse at every step. The strong should help the weak. The secure should reach out a hand to the imperiled. The rejoicing should share their cup of gladness with the sad and sorrowing. Those who have gone over the hard places should assist younger souls in passing through similar experiences. Next to that of the home, the church tie should be the closest on the earth. When a number of God's children are associated together in the same church, no guild or fraternity on the earth should be so closely knit as that society, and compose so real a brotherhood. It should be in the truest sense a mutual help association. Each member should know that if he is sick he will receive such ministration of kindness as he may need; that if he is in any trouble he will not fail of sympathy and aid; that if sorrow enters his home he will have the best comfort which Christian friendship can bring; that if he falls under sore stress of any kind, he will not be left to sink beneath his burden, but will find brotherly hands outstretched to him.—S. S. Times. Reading the Bible Through.
By Sel.
ONE of my neighbors says that he reads the Bible all through once every year. He begins at Genesis on New-Year's Day. He reads just so many chapters or pages every day, and manages to finish up on the 31st of December. He thinks that everybody ought to do as he does—take just so much Bible a day, whether the days are long or short, hot or cold, wet or dry. The result of this plan in my neighbor's case is that he goes over the Bible as a matter of form. His object is not to get truth to feed upon—truth adapted to the varying circumstances of life—but to get through. That is his task, and he takes great credit to himself when he has accomplished it. But I don't find that he knows any more about the Bible, after all, than those of us who don't read it as much, but who remember more of what we read. I went to visit this neighbor once, when there was a revival in progress. I had been reading the promises and the account of the day of Pentecost; but he was just then in Chronicles, and was feasting his soul on such edifying verses as these:— The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. And then the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni, and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath were Amos and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, &c. I did not find him in a very spiritual frame. He wanted the revival postponed until he got over to the Psalms and Isaiah. But that would have brought it into mid-summer, so we were obliged to leave him stumbling through the genealogies, like a man walking in a graveyard. Now the genealogies are a part of the Bible. They have been recorded, and the record preserved for our instruction. Yet it does not follow that they are as interesting and as instructive as the Gospels, and ought to be read just as often. I don't believe much in this idea of just so much Bible a day. Sometimes I want to spend an hour upon half a dozen verses. The more I read them, the more I see in them. To go over the fourteenth chapter of John or the eighth of Romans as we go over the first, second, and third chapters of Chronicles is as absurd as to say that a nickle is worth as much as a half-eagle because both are money. The stamp of inspiration is upon every part of the Bible. But it does not follow that every part is of equal value. Who does not know the twenty-third Psalm by heart? But who ever thought of committing to memory the thirty-sixth chapter of Genesis—"the generation of Esau, which is Edom," &c.—Sel. AN exceedingly novel prayer-meeting took place recently in the upper part of town, which, it is believed, was the first of the kind ever held in Ulster County. It occurred at the Court House, in the petit jury rooms. A jury had been sent out to deliberate on a case, about six o'clock, and had vainly endeavored to agree upon a verdict for six long, wearisome hours. The midnight hour had arrived. Discussion had been waging hotter and hotter. The debate was most pronounced. The jurymen were well worn out and sleepy, when they were startled into a thoroughly wide-awake condition by a proposition to them made by one of their number, a venerable man, who had not been so demonstrative in argument as many of his companions. He proposed that the jury hold a prayer-meeting. It would certainly do no harm and might better fit them for the further discussion of the case. All the jurors agreed, and the meeting began at once, the gentleman proposing it reading from the Bible. The scene was peculiarly one of unusual interest. It was the dead of night. No one was stirring. The Court House was dull and dark, and the jury, in a little room all by themselves, were engaging in a service of devotional character. Not one on the panel will ever probably forget the occasion. When the prayer-meeting was over, the discussion was resumed, and it is a fact worthy of note that an hour or two afterward the jury agreed upon a verdict.—Kingston, N. Y., Leader. Training the Memory
By Popular Science Monthly
A man's memory is like his stomach. To do its best work it must have good treatment. It must neither be neglected nor overloaded. It can easily be so abused by neglect, or by irregular and unsystematic employment, as to become chiefly a cause of annoyance and discomfort; or again, it can be so overworked and heavily taxed that it becomes practically the chief organ or agent of the entire system, every other portion dwindling in its comparison. The latter course is the great danger of those who value the help of a tenacious memory. Both memory and stomach are valuable, not in proportion to the burdens they carry, but in proportion to their training for their part of the work of the system as a whole; and either of them is made effective as much by what is kept from it as by what is packed into it. "THis is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works." Titus 3:8. Bad Laws and Vested Rights
Wrongs intrenched in bad legislation can never be converted into vested rights. The Sabbath-School.
By Ellen G. White
LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST.—MAY 10.
ACTS, CHAPTERS 21: 4—22: 22.
“AND when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.” Thus Luke describes the reception of the apostle to the Gentiles on his arrival at Jerusalem. Although Paul everywhere encountered prejudice, envy, and jealousy, he also found hearts that were open to receive the glad tidings which he brought, and that loved him for the sake of Christ and the truth. Yet, cheering as was the kindly greeting he received, it could not remove his anxiety as to the attitude of the church at Jerusalem toward himself and his work. Their real feelings would be more fully seen in the meeting with the elders of the church, to take place on the morrow. Paul longed to be fully united with these. He had done all in his power to remove the prejudice and distrust so unjustly excited because he presented the gospel to the Gentiles without the restrictions of the ceremonial law. Yet he feared that his efforts might be in vain, and that even the liberal offerings of which he was the bearer might fail to soften the hearts of the Jewish brethren. He knew that the men whom he was to encounter were persons of great firmness and decision, and he looked forward with considerable apprehension to this meeting with them; yet he could not avoid the ordeal, trying though it might be. He had come to Jerusalem for no other purpose than to remove the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding which had separated them, and which had so greatly obstructed his labors. On the day following Paul’s arrival, the elders of the church, with James at their head, assembled to receive him and his fellow-travelers as messengers from the Gentile churches. Paul’s first act was to present the contributions with which he had been intrusted. He had been careful to guard against the least occasion for suspicion in the administration of his trust, by causing delegates to be elected by the several churches to accompany him as joint trustees of the funds collected. These brethren were now called forward, and one by one they laid at the feet of James the offerings which the Gentile churches had freely given, although often from their deepest poverty. Here was tangible proof of the love and sympathy felt by these new disciples for the mother-church, and their desire to be in harmony with the Jewish brethren. Here was evidence also, that Paul had faithfully fulfilled the promise given, when at the council years before he had been urged to remember the poor. These contributions had cost the apostle much time and anxious thought, and much wearisome labor. They far exceeded the expectations of the Jewish elders, and might have been expected to call forth warm expressions of gratitude and appreciation. But Paul’s half-acknowledged fears as to the manner in which the gifts would be received were realized. He could only find comfort in the consciousness that he had done his duty, and had encouraged in his converts a spirit of generosity and love. After the presentation of the gifts, Paul gave the brethren an account of his manner of labor, and its results. He had on former occasions stood before the same assembly, in the same city. It was before the same audience at the apostolic council (Acts 15) years before, that he related his experience in his conversion, and the great work which God had wrought through him among the Gentiles. The Spirit of the Lord then witnessed to the word spoken, and under its influence the council yielded their prejudices, and expressed themselves as in harmony with the position of the apostle, and sent an address to the churches to that effect. But the same battle was again to be fought, the same prejudices once more to be met. Paul now gave his brethren an account of his labors since he parted with them four years before, and “declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.” As he described the work at Ephesus, which had resulted in raising up that large church in the very stronghold of heathenism, none could listen without interest. But he necessarily touched upon points that would irritate those who had cherished prejudice against him. He could not recount his experience in Galatia without stating the difficulties which he had encountered from those Judaizing teachers who had attempted to misrepresent his teaching and pervert his converts. In describing the work at Corinth, he could but mention those who had spread confusion and strife among the church there. Yet he related all with great gentleness and courtesy, carefully avoiding everything that would unnecessarily wound his brethren, and dwelling especially upon topics where he knew they could harmonize. The effort was not without good results. The Spirit of God impressed the minds of the brethren and affected their hearts. The tidings of the progress of the gospel, the evidence that the power of God was working with the apostle’s efforts, softened their feelings toward Paul, and convinced them that their prejudice against him was unfounded; and they glorified God for the wonders of his grace. At the close of Paul’s address, the brethren joined in a season of solemn praise, and the Amen, expressive of their hearty sanction of his work, was swelled by many voices. But beneath this apparent harmony, prejudice and dissatisfaction were still smouldering. Some in the church were still striving to mould Christianity after the old customs and ceremonies that were to pass away at the death of Christ. They felt that the work of preaching the gospel must be conducted according to their opinions. If Paul would labor in accordance with these ideas, they would acknowledge and sustain his work; otherwise they would discard it. The elders of the church had been at fault in allowing themselves to be influenced by the enemies of the apostle. But when they heard from his own lips an account of the work he had been doing, it assumed a different aspect. They could not condemn his manner of labor; they were convinced that it bore the signet of Heaven. The liberal contributions from the new churches he had raised up, testified to the power of the truth. They saw that they had been held in bondage by the Jewish customs and traditions, and that the work of the gospel had been greatly hindered by their efforts to maintain the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. Now was the golden opportunity for these leading men to frankly confess that God had wrought through Paul, and that they were wrong in permitting the reports of his enemies to create jealousy and prejudice against him. But instead of doing justice to the one whom they had injured, they still appeared to hold him responsible for the existing prejudice, as though he had given them cause for such feelings. They did not nobly stand in his defense, and endeavor to show the disaffected party their error; but they threw the burden wholly upon Paul, counseling him to pursue a course for the removal of all misapprehension. They responded to his testimony in these words: “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the law. And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after their customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together; for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads, and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.” The brethren hoped that by this act Paul might give a decisive contradiction of the false reports concerning him. But while James assured Paul that the decision of the former council (Acts 15) concerning the Gentile converts and the ceremonial law still held good, the advice given was not consistent with that decision which had also been sanctioned by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God did not prompt this advice. It was the fruit of cowardice. By non-conformity to the ceremonial law, Christians would bring upon themselves the hatred of the unbelieving Jews, and expose themselves to severe persecution. The Sanhedrim was doing its utmost to hinder the progress of the gospel. Men were chosen by this body to follow up the apostles, especially Paul, and in every possible way oppose them in their work. Should the believers in Christ be condemned before the Sanhedrim as breakers of the law, they would bring upon themselves swift and severe punishment as apostates from the Jewish faith. Here is a decisive refutation of the claims so often made, that Christ and his apostles violated the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Could the sin of Sabbath breaking have been fastened upon Christ or Stephen or others who died for their faith, men would not have been suborned to bear false witness against them to furnish some pretext for their condemnation. One such instance of transgression of the law would have placed the Christians in the power of their enemies. Their carefulness to show the utmost respect for customs and ceremonies of minor importance is an evidence that it would have been impossible for them to violate the Sabbath of the fourth commandment without suffering the severest penalty. The disciples themselves yet cherished a regard for the ceremonial law, and were too willing to make concessions, hoping by so doing to gain the confidence of their countrymen, remove their prejudice, and win them to faith in Christ as the world’s Redeemer. Paul’s great object in visiting Jerusalem was to conciliate the church of Palestine. So long as they continued to cherish prejudice against him, they were constantly working to counteract his influence. He felt that if he could by any lawful concession on his part win them to the truth, he would remove a very great obstacle to the success of the gospel in other places. But he was not authorized of God to concede so much as they had asked. This concession was not in harmony with his teachings, nor with the firm integrity of his character. His advisers were not infallible. Though some of these men wrote under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, yet when not under its direct influence they sometimes erred. It will be remembered that on one occasion Paul withstood Peter to the face because he was acting a double part. When we consider Paul’s great desire to be in harmony with his brethren, his tenderness of spirit toward the weak in faith, his reverence for the apostles who had been with Christ, and for James, the brother of the Lord, and his purpose to become all things to all men as far as he could do this and not sacrifice principle,—when we consider all this, it is less surprising that he was constrained to deviate from his firm, decided course of action. But instead of accomplishing the desired object, these efforts263 for conciliation only precipitated the crisis, hastened the predicted sufferings of Paul, separated him from his brethren in his labors, deprived the church of one of its strongest pillars, and brought sorrow to Christian hearts in every land.—Mrs. E. G. White, in Sketches from the Life of Paul. According to the statistics of the last census, and the recent internal revenue reports, the evil results of intoxicating liquors may be summed up as follows. The figures and facts are carefully made out, and the aggregate, in whatever light it is viewed, is frightful. Here are the statistics:— There are in the United States 140,000 saloons as against 128,000 schools and 54,000 churches. Manufacturers and sellers of strong drinks number 560,000,—twelve times the number of clergymen, four times that of teachers, nearly double all the lawyers, physicians, teachers, and ministers in this country combined. The liquor business converts millions of bushels of grain, which God designed to preserve life, into a vile stuff that destroys it. Intemperance is the cause, direct or indirect, of nearly all the loss of life by disasters, both on land and on sea. It is reducing 200,000 children annually to beggary and want. It is making 130,000 confirmed drunkards annually. It furnishes three-fourths of the cases tried in our courts, and consequently causes three-fourths of the expenditures for maintaining them. It furnishes employment for the keepers of our county jails, city and State prisons, the cost of maintaining which must be met by the people. It furnishes, directly or indirectly, two-thirds of the inmates of our asylums for the insane—another cause of expenditure by the people. It necessitates in the cities and villages a police force many times as large as would otherwise be needed. It is the cause of nearly all riots and public disturbances. It is sending 150,000 annually to the drunkard's grave,—a mortality equal to the destruction of our standing army six times every year,—a greater destruction of life than was witnessed during any year of our civil war. Kansas expended annually $3,000,000 previous to prohibition. This was three times its State debt. New York City expended for beer $35,000,000 in 1877. Yet when the State expends $4,000,000 for a State-house, the people are struck with astonishment. Intemperance is costing this nation annually over $1,500,000,000,—money enough to nearly pay our national debt. Enough to purchase 200,000,000 barrels of flour, or four barrels for every person in the United States. Enough to buy a suit of clothes worth $30 for every citizen of the United States. Enough to clothe, furnish books, and educate 10,000,000 young men or women annually, or graduate 2,000,000 with a five years' course of study. Enough to build 1,500,000 houses at $1,000 each. Enough to purchase forty-acre homes for 1,000,000 persons, at $40 per acre. Enough to build 300,000 school buildings worth $5,000, or a similar number of churches worth the same. Enough to construct 75,000 miles of railroad at $20,000 per mile, or enough to go three times around the globe. Enough to send a Bible to every person on the earth. Enough to enable philanthropic societies to transform the hells of the earth into Edens. Enough to furnish the means by which the world would become not only more intelligent but more cultured. In a sentence, if intoxicating liquors were abolished entirely from our land, crimes, poverty, and misery of all kinds would largely cease. The Boston fire destroyed $70,000,000 of property, thus attracting the attention of the civilized world. But New York's annual destruction of one-half as much by the foolish habit of beer-drinking, is passed by with only a few comments from the "fanatics." The Chicago fire consumed about $200,000,000 of property. And every business almost throughout the civilized world stood still for two or three days because of the horror which justly took possession of each person's heart. By that fire few persons lost their lives; but 100,000 persons were rendered homeless. All Christendom responded to the cry until $7,500,000 was sent to their relief. But when seven such fires, reducing 200,000 children to a worse condition than the 100,000, and destroying the lives of 150,000, comes in one nation every year, nobody but "fanatics" pay attention to it. It would naturally seem to any one who thinks, that all sane persons would take radical grounds against a business that annually costs the nation one-half as much as our national debt was at the close of the war. A Word to Our Tent Workers.
By G. D. Ballou
No doubt nearly every tent company will desire to start a Sabbath-school just as soon as possible, in connection with work in new fields. This is an important step to be taken, as it will greatly help to systematize and establish the work. To secure the establishing of such schools by all our workers, the California Sabbath-school Association offers to furnish all the tent companies and workers in new fields with a sufficient number of the Youth's Instructor and "Bible Lessons No. 1," to give the Sabbath-school work a good start. We hope all will avail themselves of this offer, for we believe it will add greatly to the interests of the work, and aid the laborers materially in the efforts to secure attention to the truth. In some cases it will doubtless be best to hold Bible-readings with the older members in these new schools. But the Instructors and "Bible Lessons" will be indispensable to permanent success. These will be furnished free. They may be ordered of Anna L. Ingels, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal. G. D. BALLOU,
Pres. Cal. S. S. Association. Books for the Infant Classes.
By John S. Hart
INFANT classes are for children who cannot read, and who must be taught altogether orally. It may seem strange to some that books should be wanted for such schools, except, perhaps, a manual or two for the teacher. Indeed in many infant schools which I have visited, there were no indications of a library, or of books being used in any way. I think this is a serious mistake. Though children cannot read, they love dearly to be read to, and the writers and publishers of children's books have employed their energies largely in the production of this sort of books, namely, books to be read to the young. I hold it to be even more important for the infant scholar to take home a library book, than for the older scholars to do so. A book taken by an older scholar is usually read in silence, and read by him alone. But the book taken by the infant scholar is carried to the father or mother, or to some other member of the family, to be read aloud to the little one. Often indeed on the Sabbath evening, especially in the poorer classes of families, the father takes the little one on his knee and reads aloud to him the tiny volume brought from the school. Not only the father and the child thus get the benefit of its teachings, but frequently the whole family group cluster around in wrapt attention, and drink in its precious truths. Moreover, the truths thus simplified and brought down to the capacity of a child, often have a strange power over the feelings and consciences of adults, beyond that of truth presented in the ordinary way. There are on record numerous instances of persons who had grown old in impenitence, being brought to serious reflection by reading children's books and papers. That class of people whose children chiefly fill our mission schools, are often interested in religious subjects by means of the books brought home by their children, particularly by those brought by the young children who cannot read, and whose books must be read to them.—J. S. Hart. Scripture Given by Inspiration
"ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. What It Cost.
By Dr. Talmage
BETWEEN seventeen and twenty-three there are thousands of young men damaging themselves irretrievably by tobacco. You either use very good or cheap tobacco. If you use cheap tobacco, I want to tell you why it is cheap. It is a mixture of burdock, lampblack, sawdust, colt's-foot, plantain leaves, fuller's earth, lime, salt, alum, and a little tobacco. You cannot afford, my young brother, to take such a mess as that between your lips. If, on the other hand, you use costly tobacco, let me say I do not think you can afford it. You take that which you expend and will expend, if you keep the habit all your life, and put it aside, and it will buy you a house, and it will buy you a farm, to make you comfortable in the afternoon of your life. A merchant of New York gave this testimony: "In early life I smoked six cigars a day, at six and a half cents each; they averaged that. I thought to myself one day, 'I'll just put aside all the money I am consuming in cigars, and all I would consume if I kept on in the habit, and I will see what it will come to by compound interest.' And he gives this tremendous statistic: 'Last July completed thirty-nine years since, by the grace of God, I was emancipated from the filthy habit, and the saving amounted to the enormous sum of $29,102.03 by compound interest. We lived in the city, but the children, who had learned something of the enjoyment of country life from their annual visits to their grandparents, longed for a home among the green fields. I found a very pleasant place in the country for sale. The cigar money now came into requisition, and I found that it amounted to a sum sufficient to purchase the place, and it is mine. I wish all American boys could see how my children enjoy their home, as they watch the vessels with their white sails that course along the Sound.' Now, boys, take your choice, smoking without a home, or a home without smoking.—Dr. Talmage. Alcohol and the Christian Life
By Union Light
In no relation of life is a man better fitted to act well his part by the use of alcohol. Does the country call for a man to defend its honor; it wants one with a clear brain, a steady nerve, and unfaltering step. Does God call a man to any of the sacred offices of his work, he requires a man possessed of the same qualities, purified by a holy life. Does the domestic altar want a man in any, and all of its relations, its requirements demand a sober life.—Union Light. Temperance Is the True Christian's Measure
TEMPERANCE is the true Christian's measure.