Earlier text: The Mountains of GladnessChurch and State Separation
In a recent issue of the Northwestern Christian Advocate (Methodist) attention is called to the fact that “Bishop P. A. Ludden, of Syracuse, N. Y., refused to allow Catholic children to attend commencement exercises of public schools which were to be opened by prayer,” and the reason given by the bishop for this prohibition is stated as follows:— I believe it is customary to have Protestant ministers offer what they call “the usual prayers” at these commencement exercises. All these exercises are called non-sectarian. This non-sectarianism is a cloak, a mask, and a delusion which is fraudulently and surreptitiously tacked on to the public schools. Separation of church and state—with Protestants means not a separation of the Protestant church and state. Commenting upon this matter the Advocate says:— The difference between Roman Catholics and Protestants is that Roman Catholics believe that the Catholic Church should dominate the state, including the educational work of the state. Protestants believe, and many in the Roman Catholic world are coming to believe, that there should be a separation, not between religion and the state, but between the church and the state. We affirm that there are many Protestants, and their number is increasing, who refuse to justify a union of church and state by attempting to make a distinction which does not exist, and calling it a union of religion and the state. All history testifies that the union of religion and the state in theory is the union of church and state in practise. Jesus made no provision for the union of religion and the state when he stated the true principle: “Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” It is to the reproach of Protestantism that the charge of Bishop Ludden is true in so many cases: “Separation of church and state with Protestants means not a separation of the Protestant church and state.” We advocate a consistent Protestantism. At the third missionary conference recently held by Roman Catholics in this city a policy was decided upon in regard to mission work among non-Catholics which is “almost revolutionary, considering the methods of the past.” The purpose of this conference was especially to promote “a new manner of argument in religious discussion, the necessary elimination of controversial pugilism and of rancorous methods, while bearing fundamentally on the conversion of America to the Catholic faith.” This frank avowal ought to awaken serious thought among genuine Protestants. Theosophical Mysticism and Unbelief
An exponent of theosophy has delivered himself of the following bit of mysticism concerning that doctrine:— In manifesting itself the spirit matter differentiates itself on seven planes, which are of progressive density down to that within our sensuous perception, the substance in all being the same, but differing in the preparation of its two compound elements [spirit and matter]. Through all thrill ceaselessly vibrations which are the inexhaustible impulse from the First Cause. These vibrations are distinct, each from all the others, and each always the same in mode upon every plane, but differing in rate according to the rarity or density of the substance of the plane. Some who regard the Biblical revelation of God and the Biblical account of creation as too great a strain upon their credulity will yet accept such philosophical nothingness as this, and regard it as spiritual food of a high order. O the inconsistency of unbelief! The Failure of New Jersey’s Sunday Law
The New Jersey excise law, popularly known as the Bishops’ bill, for the closing of saloons on Sunday in that State, went into effect July 4, and on the following Sunday was quite rigidly enforced throughout the State. Atlantic City was the only place where open defiance of the new law was attempted. Such places as Jersey City, Newark, Trenton, North Hudson, Elizabeth, and Bayonne closed all saloons for the day. It is certain that very little less liquor was consumed on that day than on previous Sundays; for the drinking part of the community laid in a large supply of their favorite liquors on the previous day, or, where possible, went in motley crowds across the line to quench their thirst. As a temperance measure, the law was certainly a failure; as a measure to protect Sunday as a day of worship, it was also a failure. The drinking was done at home, in secluded places, or outside the State. It is very doubtful if church congregations were any larger, or more devout, as a result of this law’s enforcement. To accomplish the object which the instigators of this law had in mind, it will be necessary to do a great deal more than to close the saloons on Sunday. That fact was demonstrated in the early centuries of the Christian era when a united church and state found it necessary to pass laws compelling men and women to attend church on Sunday. It need not surprise the people of this generation if they find, not long hence, laws of a similar character upon the statute-books of the various States: for the purpose behind this New Jersey excise law is not met while men continue to spend their Sundays in their own way. As Thy Day
By Mary H. Finn
As this my day! O, promise blest!
Sweet words of comfort, words of rest!
No more with boding fear I wait
To read to-morrow's hidden fate.
Whate'er its toils, whate'er its tears,
Whate'er its perils, pains, and fears,
While sun and stars and worlds endure,
The old, sweet promise standeth sure. The Hand that holds the world upbears
My weary heart with all its cares.
The Eye that slumbers not has seen
My graveyard mounds with grasses green.
My Father's pitying love has read
The pain behind the tears I shed.
How comforting his words to me,
“Child, as thy day, thy strength shall be.” As this my day! my little day!
My broken, troubled, thwarted day;
The day whose roseate morning bloom
Was quenched and darkened into gloom!
The morn of gifts! the noon of loss!
The lengthening shadow of the cross!
Once more, my Father, say to me,
“Child, as thy day, thy strength shall be.” A Messenger
By Ellen G. White
LAST night, in vision, I was standing before an assembly of our people, bearing a decided testimony regarding present truth and present duty. After the discourse, many gathered about me, asking questions. They desired so many explanations about this point, and that point, and another point, that I said, “One at a time, if you please, lest you confuse me.” And then I appealed to them, saying: “For years you have had many evidences that the Lord has given me a work to do. These evidences could scarcely have been greater than they are. Will you brush away all these evidences as a cobweb, at the suggestion of a man’s unbelief? That which makes my heart ache is the fact that many who are now perplexed and tempted are those who have had abundance of evidence and opportunity to consider and pray and understand; and yet they do not discern the nature of the sophistries that are presented to influence them to reject the warnings God has given to save them from the delusions of these last days.” Some have stumbled over the fact that I said I did not claim to be a prophet; and they have asked, Why is this? I have had no claims to make, only that I am instructed that I am the Lord’s messenger; that he called me in my youth to be his messenger, to receive his word, and to give a clear and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus. Early in my youth I was asked several times, Are you a prophet? I have ever responded, I am the Lord’s messenger. I know that many have called me a prophet, but I have made no claim to this title. My Saviour declared me to be his messenger. “Your work,” he instructed me, “is to bear my word. Strange things will arise, and in your youth I set you apart to bear the message to the erring ones, to carry the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove from the Word actions that are not right. Exhort from the Word. I will make my Word open to you. It shall not be as a strange language. In the true eloquence of simplicity, with voice and pen, the messages that I give shall be heard from one who has never learned in the schools. My Spirit and my power shall be with you. “Be not afraid of man, for my shield shall protect you. It is not you that speaketh: it is the Lord that giveth the messages of warning and reproof. Never deviate from the truth under any circumstances. Give the light I shall give you. The messages for these last days shall be written in books, and shall stand immortalized, to testify against those who have once rejoiced in the light, but who have been led to give it up because of the seductive influences of evil.” Why have I not claimed to be a prophet? — Because in these days many who boldly claim that they are prophets are a reproach to the cause of Christ; and because my work includes much more than the word “prophet” signifies. When this work was first given me, I begged the Lord to lay the burden on some one else. The work was so large and broad and deep that I feared I could not do it. But by his Holy Spirit the Lord has enabled me to perform the work which he gave me to do. God has made plain to me the various ways in which he would use me to carry forward a special work. Visions have been given me, with the promise. “If you deliver the messages faithfully and endure to the end, you shall eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and drink of the water of the river of life.” The Lord gave me great light on health reform. In connection with my husband, I was to be a medical missionary worker. I was to set an example to the church by taking the sick to my home and caring for them. This I have done, giving the women and children vigorous treatment. I was also to speak on the subject of Christian temperance, as the Lord’s appointed messenger. I engaged heartily in this work, and spoke to large assemblies on temperance in its broadest and truest sense. I was instructed that I must ever urge upon those who profess to believe the truth, the necessity of practising the truth. This means sanctification, and sanctification means the culture and training of every capability for the Lord’s service. I was charged not to neglect or pass by those who were being wronged. I was specially charged to protest against any arbitrary or overbearing action toward the ministers of the gospel by those having official authority. Disagreeable though the duty may be, I am to reprove the oppressor, and plead for justice. I am to present the necessity of maintaining justice and equity in all our institutions. If I see those in positions of trust neglecting aged ministers, I am to present the matter to those whose duty it is to care for them. Ministers who have faithfully done their work are not to be forgotten or neglected when they have become feeble in health. Our conferences are not to disregard the needs of those who have borne the burdens of the work. It was after John had grown old in the service of the Lord that he was exiled to Patmos. And on that lonely isle he received more communications from heaven than he had received during the rest of his lifetime. After my marriage I was instructed that I must show a special interest in motherless and fatherless children, taking some under my own charge for a time, and then finding homes for them. Thus I would be giving others an example of what they could do. Although called to travel often, and having much writing to do, I have taken children of three and five years of age, and have cared for them, educated them, and trained them for responsible positions. I have taken into my home from time to time boys from ten to sixteen years of age, giving them motherly care, and a training for service. I have felt it my duty to bring before our people that work for which those in every church should feel a responsibility. While in Australia I carried on this same line of work, taking into my home orphan children, who were in danger of being exposed to temptations that might cause the loss of their souls. In Australia we also worked as Christian medical missionaries. At times I made my home in Cooranbong an asylum for the sick and afflicted. My secretary, who had received a training in the Battle Creek Sanitarium, stood by my side, and did the work of a missionary nurse. No charge was made for her services, and we won the confidence of the people by the interest that we manifested in the sick and suffering. After a time the Health Retreat at Cooranbong was built, and then we were relieved of this burden. To claim to be a prophetess is something that I have never done. If others call me by that name, I have no controversy with them. But my work has covered so many lines that I can not call myself other than a messenger, sent to bear a message from the Lord to his people, and to take up work in any line that he points out. When I was last in Battle Creek, I said before a large congregation that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Twice I referred to this matter, intending each time9 to make the statement, “I do not claim to be a prophetess.” If I spoke otherwise than this, let all now understand that what I had in mind to say was that I do not claim the title of prophet or prophetess. I understood that some were anxious to know if Mrs. White still held the same views that she did years ago when they had heard her speak in the sanitarium grove, in the Tabernacle, and at the camp-meetings held in the suburbs of Battle Creek. I assured them that the message she bears to-day is the same that she has borne during the sixty years of her public ministry. She has the same service to do for the Master that was laid upon her in her girlhood. She receives lessons from the same Instructor. The directions given her are, ‘Make known to others what I have revealed to you. Write out the messages that I give you, that the people may have them.’ This is what she has endeavored to do. I have written many books, and they have been given a wide circulation. Of myself I could not have brought out the truth in these books, but the Lord has given me the help of his Holy Spirit. These books, giving the instruction that the Lord has given me during the past sixty years, contain light from heaven, and will bear the test of investigation. At the age of seventy-eight I am still toiling. We are all in the hands of the Lord. I trust in him; for I know that he will never leave nor forsake those who put their trust in him. I have committed myself to his keeping. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” Sanitarium, Cal., June 29, 1906. Our Duty in the Present Crisis
By GEO. O. STATES
In every age in the history of God’s people they have been brought at different times to a crisis where everything depended on their taking the right position. Such a crisis was reached when Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” Elijah, who was a type of those who will be translated, came many times where he had to stand almost alone, and on one occasion he was accused of being the one who had made all the trouble, yet he stood boldly before Ahab and said, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord.” It has always been true that in the midst of trying circumstances those who remained loyal to God’s truth have been accused of making all the trouble. There is no doubt in my mind that we have reached such a crisis in our work, and I find those among our people who feel that there is too much being said in the REVIEW relating to the issues in Battle Creek, and that our leaders are making too much of those things. Brethren, the facts are that the very pillars of this message are being attacked, and that we have come to a time when every one who believes the third angel’s message will be forced to take his stand firmly on the truth that has stood the test from the very beginning of this message to the present time. We have reached a time when every loyal Seventh-day Adventist must take a decided stand for the whole message, for unless we do, the curse of Meroz will rest upon us. What had that people done?—Simply nothing. God’s work had reached a crisis, and men and women were needed to stand firm for principles of right; their sin lay in doing nothing. Before God’s people are translated, they will come to as close tests as did Enoch, and only those who stand firm in the midst of bitter opposition will be redeemed from among men. T. E. BOWEN
By T. E. Bowen
Lessons from the Life of Judas —No. 2
“Christ’s oft-repeated statement that his kingdom was not of this world offended Judas. He had marked out a line upon which he expected Christ to work. He had planned that John the Baptist should be delivered from prison. But lo, John was left to be beheaded. . . . He thought that if Jesus would not prevent the disciples from carrying out their schemes, the work would be more successful. He marked the increasing enmity of the Jewish leaders, and saw their challenge unheeded when they demanded from Christ a sign from heaven. His heart was open to unbelief, and the enemy supplied thoughts of questioning and rebellion. Why did Jesus dwell so much upon that which was discouraging? Why did he predict trial and persecution for himself and for his disciples? The prospect of having a high place in the new kingdom had led Judas to espouse the cause of Christ. Were his hopes to be disappointed? Judas had not decided that Jesus was not the Son of God; but he was questioning, and seeking to find some explanation of his mighty works. . . .” “Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning-point in the history of Judas. He heard the words, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.’ He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as far-sighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that he could bestow no high position upon his followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.”—Desire of Ages, pages 718, 719. Judas proposed to be safe. He would burn no bridges behind; for later they might be of use to him. He therefore would not incur too much displeasure of the church. He would be friendly with all. The little band might come to grief and need the friendly assistance of the rabbis. He now began to express doubts which greatly confused the disciples. “He introduced controversies and misleading sentiments, repeating the arguments urged by the scribes and Pharisees against the claims of Christ. . . . He would introduce texts of Scripture that had no connection with the truths Christ was presenting. These texts, separated from their connection, perplexed the disciples, and increased the discouragement that was constantly pressing upon them. Yet all this was done by Judas in such a way as to make it appear that he was conscientious. . . . In all that Christ said to his disciples, there was something with which, in heart, Judas disagreed. Under his influence the leaven of disaffection was fast doing its work. The disciples did not see the real agency in all this; but Jesus saw that Satan was communicating his attributes to Judas, and thus opening up a channel through which to influence the other disciples. This, a year before the betrayal, Christ declared. ‘Have not I chosen you twelve,’ he said, ‘and one of you is a devil?’ Yet Judas made no open opposition, nor seemed to question the Saviour’s lessons.”—Ibid., pages 719, 720. “Jesus, seeing that to antagonize was but to harden, refrained from direct conflict. The narrowing selfishness of Judas’ life Christ sought to heal through contact with his own self-sacrificing love. In his teaching he unfolded principles that struck at the root of the disciple’s self-centered ambitions. Lesson after lesson was thus given, and many a time Judas realized that his character had been portrayed, and his sin pointed out; but he would not yield.” “Jesus reproved his disciples, he warned and cautioned them; but John and Peter and their brethren did not leave him. Notwithstanding the reproofs, they chose to be with Jesus. And the Saviour did not, because of their errors, withdraw from them. He takes men as they are, with all their faults and weaknesses, and trains them for his service, if they will be disciplined and taught by him. But there was one of the twelve to whom, until very near the close of his work, Christ spoke no word of reproof.”—Education, pages 91, 92. And that disciple was Judas. Thus step by step Judas was led on to work out the will of Satan, while professedly being a servant of Christ. All this pleased the enemy well; for well did he understand that could he get his evil insinuations, his strife and discord, into that inner circle of Christ’s trusted followers, he could perplex Jesus much, and he hoped thus ultimately to compass their ruin. And well-nigh did his scheme carry; for every disciple forsook Christ and fled when the crucial test came upon them. Had it not been that Christ’s faithful pleadings for them had been recorded, all would have been sifted out. “And the Lord said, Simon,10 Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: “but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22: 31, 32. Thus some of Judas’ sowing, when ripened, almost overthrew the faith of the ardent Peter and loving John in Christ as the Messiah. The culmination of doubt with Judas reached this fearful end, notwithstanding the fact that he witnessed some of the most wonderful manifestations of divine power ever seen by mortal eyes. Before him multitudes had been healed. Lepers, full of loathsome disease, were cleansed; the blind saw; the deaf heard; the dumb spoke; and the dead were restored to life. Men had before him received the forgiveness of sins, and with great joy departed from Christ with their souls flooded with heaven’s peace. Was it possible that one in the midst of all this could remain unconverted, with a heart growing more and more like steel every passing day? The unerring Word of God pictures it even thus. O, the terrible deceitfulness of sin! Two Apostasies
By W. C. Hankins
In the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of First Kings we have an account of the apostasy of Israel, and how that nation was led, by her kings, to forsake the worship of the living God and to turn to the worship of idols; to turn away from the God-given plan of worship, which pointed to Christ and revealed the way of salvation from sin; to forsake all that was pure and true and uplifting, and turn to the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, to that which was impure, untrue, and degrading, to the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. In the sixteenth chapter, events come to a climax. Ahab, the son of Omri, ascends the throne, and of him it is recorded that he “did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” Not content with following in the steps of the wicked kings who had preceded him, he chose for himself a wife from among the heathen, who led him into such depths of sin as had never been equaled in Israel. “And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.” As Ethbaal was also king of Tyre, from a worldly standpoint this was a splendid match. But the Lord had given a plain command against intermarriage with the ungodly, and, like similar marriages to-day, it brought only disaster, ruin, and misery to him who disobeyed. Jezebel had been thoroughly trained from childhood by the priests of Baal, the sun-god, and of Ashtoreth, the goddess of the moon, and so, when she became Ahab’s wife, she determined to introduce the worship of these deities into the land of Israel. This she did, and a temple to Baal was soon built by Ahab. This was an immense building, with four hundred and fifty priests in attendance. Besides this, “Ahab made a grove” in honor of Ashtoreth, where four hundred priests ministered, who were fed at Jezebel’s own table at her private expense. Not content with introducing a false religion, Jezebel next started to persecute those who remained true to God, and so fierce did the fires of persecution burn, that in all the land of Israel there were only seven thousand who had not worshiped Baal. What a cheerless outlook for the cause of God! To all appearances error had triumphed, and truth was dead. But man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and when the enemy of souls seemed to have everything his own way, the Lord raised up Elijah the Tishbite, and lo! the schemes of the enemy were brought to naught. Now the theory of sun-worship was that the sun, in co-operation with the earth, was the source of life, and of course this was opposed to the worship of the true God, who was the creator of all things and the source of all life. So a terrible test was brought to the people of Israel which conclusively settled the question of who was God. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” The inspired record of this event nowhere tells us that the Lord sent Elijah to Ahab with this message. Where, then, did he obtain his authority for such an extraordinary statement? In Deut. 11:16, 17, the Lord warned his people against going after strange gods, and told them he would shut up the windows of heaven that there should be no rain, and that the land would not yield its fruit, if they served other gods and worshiped them. This scripture Elijah was evidently acquainted with, and, believing a famine was preferable to the great spiritual drought then prevailing, and being jealous for the glory of God, he prayed the Lord to fulfil this scripture. For in James 5:17 it is written, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” He prayed earnestly that the Lord would fulfil his word, and then in simple faith, believing that God had heard his prayer, he went and proclaimed the news to Ahab that there might not be the least doubt as to the cause of the drought. And in the terrible time that followed, the children of Israel learned that the sun, in the hands of its Creator, could become an instrument of death as well as of life. Now for Elijah, a prophet of God, to appear before Ahab, and boldly proclaim himself as such, and to appear with such a message, took no small amount of courage, especially when he knew that God’s people were being hunted and slain like wild beasts. Where did he obtain his courage? and what were some of the characteristics that led to the victory of Mt. Carmel and finally to his translation? Elijah was “a man subject to like passions” as we are, so his strength was not something inherent in himself, and the power that he had can be obtained by every believing child of God, who is willing to fulfil the necessary conditions. Let us briefly notice a few of the reasons for his power. He was full of the Spirit of God; for John, who was full of the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb, came in the spirit and power of Elias. Luke 1:15, 17. He was ever conscious of being in the presence of God, so feared no earthly king. 1 Kings 17:1. He saw but one step at a time, and took that regardless of what the next one would be; for it was after he had delivered his message to Ahab that the word of the Lord came to him telling him where to go next. He was obedient, for he went where God told him to without question or complaint. He trusted God, for he stayed by the brook Cherith until it was dry. He looked upon himself as God’s servant, and so was humble. See 1 Kings 18:36. Notice the words “that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.” His presence brought conviction of sin. 1 Kings 17:18. He also was God’s instrument for bringing life and faith in God to those with whom he dwelt. 1 Kings 17:22-24. In prayer he was earnest, humble, persistent, and full of faith. 1 Kings 18:42-44. As it was in Elijah’s time, so it is to-day. Men are leaving the God-given gospel of salvation from sin through faith in Christ the Son of God, to follow a man-made gospel which makes man his own savior. Many no longer believe in a personal God, the Creator of the universe, but, instead, believe in an all-pervading essence. In one way or another, many have turned from that which is pure, true, and uplifting, to that which is impure, untrue, and degrading. And in this great crisis of the world’s history the Lord is calling for a people that he can entrust with “the spirit and power of Elijah,” who will lift up warning voices against the prevailing apostasy, and will faithfully warn the world of the judgments that are coming upon it. And this people he desires to lead to the victories of Mt. Carmel, and at last to translate them into his kingdom without having tasted death. So let us empty ourselves of self that God may fill us with his Holy Spirit, that all may know that we are his servants and have done all these things at his word. DISOBEDIENCE bars the door to heaven. A Moment in the Morning
By Arthur Lewis Tubbs
A MOMENT in the morning, ere the cares of day begin,
Ere the heart’s wide door is open for the world to enter in;
Ah, then, alone with Jesus, in the silence of the morn,
In heavenly, sweet communion let your duty day be born,
In the quietude that blesses with a prelude of repose,
Let your soul be soothed and softened, as the dew revives the rose. A moment in the morning take your Bible in your hand,
And catch a glimpse of glory from the peaceful promised land;
It will linger still before you when you seek the busy mart,
And like flowers of hope will blossom into beauty in your heart.
The precious words, like jewels, will glisten all the day,
With a rare, effulgent glory that will brighten all the way;
When comes a sore temptation, and your feet are near a snare,
You may count them like a rosary, and make each one a prayer. A moment in the morning—a moment,
if no more —
Is better than an hour when the trying day is o’er.
’Tis the gentle dew from heaven, the manna for the day;
If you fail to gather early—alas! it melts away.
So, in the blush of morning, take the offered hand of love,
And walk in heaven’s pathway and the peacefulness thereof. Drugs and Disease
By M. M. Martinson
People are tired, and instead of taking nature's rest, they stimulate, and when the reaction comes, they stimulate again. This course soon ends in a broken-down constitution. You are sick because you have not obeyed nature's law, and now pain has conquered your human breath and turned it into a sigh; but what can medicine do? If it is a strong hypnotic, it may daze the nerves so that they can not cry out; but can the drug remove the cause, or take away the poisons that cause the nerves to shrink in pain? Should the drug be a stimulant, it may irritate the organ to a greater activity; but does a stimulant supply the cell with food to do the work of cleaning out rubbish that has accumulated? Will it purify the corrupt blood stream?—No. All your apothecary shops with their compounds will not do what nature can with rest and sunshine. You may travel from north to south and from east to west to find the elixir of life, but as long as you abuse your vital organs, and take no interest in them, you will suffer. The nostrums and all the pills and patent medicines which promise you health and happiness are only deceivers; your tea, coffee, tobacco, spices, and condiments have no food value; they are only stimulants which derange the fine machinery of the body. It may be that you feel no bad effects from them now; but wait till that strong constitution is gone. Some day you will feel the rod of punishment. It is astonishing how little people realize that it is their own transgression of physical laws that makes them sick. Pain is only to remind each transgressor, “So far hast thou gone; go no farther.” When your nerves despise you, and you dislike them, you begin with yourself and trace your pedigree; somewhere along the line you will find the cause of your trouble. Neurasthenia, Nervousness, and Indigestion
Nerve force is the electrical energy that keeps all the organs in balance in nature's cure. To save it, to increase it, means health and happiness, while on the other hand the spendthrift uses up his capital, and reaps pain and disease. Most chronic invalids have spent large loans of vitality and lost the reserve fund in drugging. The neurasthenic and nervous dyspeptic have let business cares, home duties, or an uncontrollable appetite rule them until their reserve force is dissipated. The badly cooked, greasy, and spicy foods, fast eating, the appetizers so popular of late years, and all noise and worry of business, have tapped your nerve supply; that is to say, you have let out more than you have been able to supply. You are a neurasthenic, a nervous dyspeptic. Your liver will not act, your heart palpitates, you are sick because you have bankrupted your vitality. But where is the “elixir of life” that will cure you? You will not find it in a bottle. Nature's Remedies Forgotten
People are not apt to distinguish between prevention and cure. They look for books which will instruct them how to cure by drugs, so that they can feel well. They have full confidence in their doctor and his pills or some nice patent medicine. They do like something that will alleviate pain without removing the cause. When the health is ruined by gluttonous habits of overeating, when the body is stupefied with poisons of a multitude of indulgences, when all mental serenity has been lost, and you can stand it no longer, your greatest delight is to find some drug which will give relief, so that nature will not dare to cry out again, and you can go back to your old habits of violating nature's laws. You may plead for relief in this way, but you will not get it, for pain is only the penalty of sin against the body or soul. Nature exacts full requital. The only way is to fall back on nature when drug quackery has destroyed your faith and means: God has given us wisdom, and he wants each one to learn that the body is not to be abused just simply for pleasure. Many are looking for health, and they can find it if they will recognize the laws of our being, which are only God's laws. It is sin that is drawing us into the pit of destruction. God is working and will work to heal the wounds which sin has made, and he wants you and me to recognize him as the Great Physician. He wants you to keep close to him by obeying nature's laws, by inhaling her pure, sweet air, deeply, fully, and continuously. Bathe in it; sleep in it; court the sunbeams of heaven as you would a lover. Eat only delicious, nutritious foods, such as grains, fruits, and nuts, not forgetting to masticate thoroughly. Drink only pure water. Practise cleanliness and purity of habits; cultivate mental serenity and hope, and the truths found in Psalm 103 will be made plain: “He healeth all thy diseases;” and again we find that God has said, “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Ex. 15:26. AFTER service one Sabbath evening a lady who had recently visited the Yellowstone Park related an incident of an eagle which had built her nest upon the crags. While the little company of travelers was looking upon the interesting and unusual sight, this proud bird of the mountains, leaving her nestlings on the crag, arose on majestic pinions, upward and upward, higher and higher until she was lost in the blue fathoms of the sky. And while the tourists yet were gazing, she reappeared, a dark speck away on the farther line of vision, and grew larger until the movement of the wings was visible. Nearer and nearer came this creature of the storms and thunderbolts until she hovered over her nestlings on the rock. But instead of alighting she soared round and round her nest, “fluttered over her young,” then again turned her gaze upward and swept far into the blue depths of God. Here was the mother-bird teaching her young by example. She would show them how unfledged nestlings must use their wings. She was a pattern to her eaglets. Her flight was upward where her children in the nest might see the majesty of her ascent. There is a thought here for all mothers. The lady who related this incident said, “As I watched the eagle mounting upward, I could think only of the words, ‘They shall mount up on wings as eagles!’”—United Presbyterian.