p. 833 | Review and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 52. (12/24/1901)

Earlier text: THE NEEDS OF MISSIONARY EFFORT

The Grace of Giving.

By John A. Brunson

Elder John A. Brunson.

That quality of mind which freely disposes one to give liberally of his material substance for the support of the gospel, is a grace bestowed by God, and like all the other gifts of God, it brings rich blessings when properly and judiciously exercised. “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit [that is, we make known to you] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” Note that grace was bestowed upon the Macedonian churches by God. What was this grace?—It was the grace of giving, for “in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” Note further that the exercise of this grace brought abundance of joy, even amid “a great trial of affliction” and “deep poverty.” The joy was not in consequence of the affliction and poverty, but in spite of them. It is just as true that every gift from God is good, as it is that every good gift is from God; and because every gift from God is good, and is for service, the proper use thereof will redound to the glory of God and the good of man. The grace of giving is not an exception, and so Paul exhorted the Ephesians “to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” The rich experience of the Jews in contributing means for the erection of the temple is an illustration of this fact. The record says, “Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord.”

God wants His people to give willingly, “not grudgingly, or of necessity.” Give because you love, and you will love to give. The gift that is prompted by true, unselfish love is twice blessed. It becomes a blessing both to the recipient and to the giver. To him who loves Christ, giving is a privilege, not an unpleasant duty; and the sentiment of his heart is not how little I can give and satisfy my conscience, but how liberally will my present condition allow me to indulge in this blessed privilege. Unselfish giving is the natural expression of true love; and so highly does love esteem the privilege of giving, that it will not for a moment entertain the thought of abandoning it. Do you love Christ? Have you a personal affection for Him as real as that which you bear for a wife, or a mother, or a child? If so, this personal love for the personal Christ will constitute the real basis of your liberality. You will take delight in making a present to Christ, as truly as you do in giving Christmas gifts to some earthly loved one. You will not wait for the contribution box, nor congratulate yourself if you elude the solicitor, but you will give voluntarily, esteeming the opportunity of giving to your dear Saviour’s cause a privilege too great to lose.

Remember also that God does not desire us to give because He needs our gifts; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.” The millions of dollars that are in general circulation all belong to the Lord, and it is an easy matter for Him to turn a golden stream into His treasury. This He will do some day not far distant. His promise is, “The abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.” Isa. 60: 5, R. V. The fulfillment of this promise is mercifully delayed, because God does not wish to deprive His own beloved children of the opportunity of showing their love and loyalty to Him by contributing of their means for the support of His cause, which they have espoused and profess to love. I repeat, then, God is not dependent upon our gifts. He seeks not ours, but us. He does not wish to deprive us of the blessing of giving. Therefore He allows His own cause to suffer financial embarrassment in order to test us, to know what is in our heart, to prove the depth and sincerity of our professed loyalty. He now appeals to us, His beloved children, to show our devotion by denying self in order that we may give more liberally to the support of the work. He will not turn the wealth of the Gentiles Zionward till He has first given us an opportunity. The gospel order of procedure is, The Jew first, and then the Gentile.

But ponder well this fact, my dear brother, that if we, the real seed of Abraham, the children of our Father’s household, refuse to heed the gracious invitation which is now extended to us, and selfishly keep back the means that have been intrusted to our keeping, God will turn to the Gentiles; the golden stream will replenish His treasury, but we shall lose the blessing. Unselfish giving is a means of character building, and uprightness of character is what our Father wants. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity. God can easily produce the money required to meet the present demands without our co-operation; but can we afford to let Him do it? How gracious is God to identify us with His Son Jesus, so that His needs become ours and ours become His! and therefore He has made the prosperity of the cause to depend upon our loyalty and unselfish devotion. Then let us awake to present opportunities, and joyfully embrace the privilege of manifesting our love by our hearty support. The prophecy above quoted will be fulfilled whether we give or withhold. The wealth of the Gentiles really belongs to God, and will ultimately be used in advancing His work in the earth. But let us not by our selfishness and covetousness force God to turn away from us, His children, and seek from

the Gentiles that which we can and ought to contribute. If we do, we shall lose much, God will be dishonored, the sufferings of Christ slightingly treated, and we confirmed in our selfishness. God forbid that such may be.

Surely God is testing us in this matter. If we stand the test well, His name will be honored. If we fail to stand the test, we shall lose; but God will advance His work without us. We cannot plead inability, because our gifts, small or great, are an expression of our love. Neither shall we ask to be excused, for love continually seeks to express itself. Poverty will no more excuse a Christian from giving to Christ, than it will excuse him from loving Christ. When the child of God becomes too poor to love, then he becomes too poor to contribute, but not till then. By reason of poverty his gifts may be small, very small, and in the eyes of the world insignificant; but not so in the eyes of God. Thank God for the record of the widow’s mite. Her humble gift was a love offering, and the Saviour valued it as such. He appreciated it, not because of its intrinsic value, but because it was an expression of her heart’s truest and best affection. How precious it was in His eyes! It spoke to Him of a life that was loyal, of a heart that was true, of affections deep, pure, and unselfish.

Now brother, do you wish to be relieved of the privilege of giving to your Redeemer?—No, a thousand times no, if you love Him. Are you poor, and do you feel ashamed that your gift is small? Then remember that Christ is not seeking your money for money’s sake, but He seeks your heart, your affections. He asks you to give, not to enrich Him, but to benefit and bless you. Behold how good He is in giving us a privilege big with blessing and abounding in joy. He himself declared, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” He personally experienced this blessedness, and then so arranged the plan of salvation that we may share it with Him.

It is time for parents to educate their children on this point, both by example and by precept. Instead of teaching the little ones on birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas seasons selfishly to anticipate a present, teach them to give for the relief of others less favored than themselves. The Christian’s joy consists less in the selfish pleasure of receiving than in the unselfish delight of giving. Make this fact prominent in the household. Teach it in word. Illustrate it in life. Become the living embodiment of the principle you inculcate. Then you may expect your children, brought up in the pure atmosphere of unselfishness, to reflect in their lives the sunshine of heavenly love. To be supremely unselfish is to be supremely happy. Therefore to teach a child to be selfish is to increase his unhappiness. But to teach him unselfishness increases his happiness, and therefore his usefulness.

The time has come for a movement forward. Our Father has adopted us into His family, made us one with His only Begotten, identified our interests with His, and now admonishes us that our loyal and liberal support is needed. Has He not a right to expect it? Does He not claim from us our first and truest allegiance?—Certainly He does. And moreover, have we not pledged our love, our life, our all? Do we not declare that we and all we possess are His entirely? Have we deceived ourselves? or do we joyfully acknowledge His claims upon us, and cheerfully respond? A great opportunity awaits us, yea, an opportunity that involves great privileges and solemn responsibilities. Somebody is going to recognize it and respond. Somebody is going to stand the test. Somebody is going to reap large spiritual blessings to the glory of our Redeemer. Who will it be? You? May God grant it for His name’s sake.

CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.

By I. M. Hopkins

I. M. HOPKINS. (West Port, Minn.)

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Strength and comfort of the soul; How we love the dear old story— “Jesus Christ doth make thee whole.”

“Christ in you, the hope of glory;” Life, and light, and peace divine, Yes, we love the dear old story; “I am Christ’s, and He is mine.”

“Christ in you, the hope of glory;” Why are Christians ever sad? No; we love the dear old story; “Jesus Christ doth make me glad.”

THE WINE THAT THE LORD MAKES.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

E. J. WAGGONER.

The word “wine,” as well as its equivalent in the Greek, is not specific. There are various kinds of wine, but nobody can tell the nature of the article referred to by the unqualified word “wine;” some qualifying word must be connected with it, in order for us to know whether the article referred to is good or bad, fermented or unfermented, unless there is something else in the text that indicates it, as, for instance, the effect that it produces. For just as a tree is known by its fruit, so wine is known by the consequences of drinking it.

There is good water and bad water — water that is pure, and water that is stale and nauseous. Fresh water is good, but the same water that is good to-day will be unfit to drink if allowed to stand a few days. It is water, however, even after it has stood till it is teeming with disease germs; and its name, “water,” unqualified, does not convey any idea as to its character.

Just so it is with wine. When it is first pressed from the grape, it is pure, refreshing, and wholesome; but after it has stood exposed to the air for a season, it undergoes fermentation, or decay; it is then poisonous. It is still wine, however, although no longer good wine; and the term “wine,” if unqualified, does not tell us anything as to which kind it is.

That the fresh, pure, unfermented juice of the grape is really wine, is seen from the following portions of Scripture: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith; Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” Isa. 65:8. Here we see that not only the freshly expressed juice of the grape, but even the juice while it is yet in the cluster in the vine, is real wine.

Again, in Gen. 40:9-11 we read in the dream of Pharaoh’s butler: “In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: and Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.”

Thus we see that not only is the wine found in the cluster of ripe grapes, but it is such wine as in ancient time was thought to be a drink fit for a king; for Pharaoh’s butler dreamed of what he had been used to doing.

Now as to the wine that Jesus made for the guests at the marriage feast in Cana. It is true that the word has no qualifying adjective in the narrative of that event; but the circumstances unmistakably indicate its character.

In the first place, let us remember that only good things come from the hand of the Lord. He sends blessing, not a curse; and we have just read that the blessing is in the wine that is found in the cluster. On the other hand, we are told that they who drink the wine “when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright,” that is, when it is fermented, have woe, sorrow, contentions, and wounds without cause, and that such wine at the last “biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” Prov. 23:29-32. It takes away a man’s senses, so that he is like one “that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.” Verse 34. Can anybody charge the Lord with preparing such a drink for men? Who that reverences the Saviour can for a moment entertain the thought that He would deliberately manufacture, and order to be given to the guests at a marriage feast, such wine as would tend to take away their senses, inflame all their passions, and set them in an uproar, and possibly cause them to fight.

Still further: If it were true that on this occasion Jesus made fermented wine, it would furnish a most unnatural exception to God’s work; for never in nature has such a thing as fermented wine been known. On the contrary, God takes the utmost pains to prevent the wine that he makes from fermenting. Let us study the case for a moment.

Examine a cluster of grapes. See how firm the skin is upon each grape, and how closely it is fastened to the stem. The skin of the grape, like that of other fruits, is its protection against decay, or fermentation. As long as the skin remains unbroken, fermentation cannot possibly take place. Each grape is, in fact, a small bottle of unfermented wine, hermetically sealed so as to preserve it from fermentation.

While the grapes are in that condition, they are good to eat — delicious and wholesome. But let us take another cluster. On this one there are some grapes that have been bruised, so that the skin is broken, and some have been half-way pulled off the stem. What is their condition?—They have begun to decay; a little mold is seen in each wounded grape, and no one would eat them, not even the drinker of fermented wine, unless he had already drunk so much of it as to lose his wits. Yet that which had begun on those wounded grapes is exactly what must take place in the expressed juice, in order that it may become fermented wine. You say the grapes that have been broken are rotten. So they are, or at least they are beginning to rot, and nobody likes to eat rotten grapes; yet the very same people who reject the decayed grapes, will eagerly drink the grape juice when it has rotted still more. How inconsistent! If the grape is unhealthful when it is diseased because of a wound, how can it be healthful when the disease has progressed so far that it has produced death? The fresh juice is life-producing; the fermented juice produces death.

Can you not now see clearly that the first state of wine, as the Lord makes it, is always unfermented? And not only so, but that unless man interferes, and changes the Lord’s plan for the grape, the wine will always remain unfermented? God never makes fermented wine; that is always a product of the curse. Wine must stand some little time exposed to the air, before it becomes fermented wine.

Now we have the question answered, as to the kind of wine that Jesus prepared for the wedding guests. Just as the sun ripens the sap that is stored up in the cluster, so Christ, the Light of the world, the Sun of righteousness, made the same change in the water that was in the water pots; and it would be as forced and absurd to suppose that it was fermented, as to expect to find fermented wine in the grape cluster. The wine was drawn out, and at once carried to the governor of the feast. If any of it was left over, and allowed to stand exposed to the air for a time, it would undoubtedly ferment, just the same as any other wine that the Lord makes.

Such wine as Jesus made on that wedding day in Cana is good enough to be drunk in heaven, and will be furnished to all the guests at “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” When Jesus passed the cup to His disciples on the night of the Passover,—a time when no leaven or ferment could be found in any Jewish house,—He said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matt. 26:29.

It is hardly possible that there is anybody so irreverent as to suggest that the wine (“the fruit of the vine,” mark you) on that occasion will be such as could by any possibility produce intoxication, that is, wine which is of a poisonous nature.

E. J. WAGGONER.

THE ALCOHOL FAMILY.

By Frederick M. Rossiter

FREDERICK M. ROSSITER, M. D.

(Battle Creek, Mich.) *

The old adage, “A man is known by the company he keeps,” may be applied to alcohol. It belongs to a bad family, a family of chemical bodies that possess a common principle of action when introduced into the living animal body. Methylic alcohol, or wood alcohol, was discovered in 1812, and is obtained by the distillation of wood. Wood alcohol is used principally for burning in lamps, and in the arts. When it is used as a drink, its effect is decidedly marked.

Amylic alcohol, starch alcohol, or fusel oil, is obtained from the fermentation of potatoes, molasses, and grapes. It remains after the lighter alcohols have been distilled. It produces intoxication of the most dangerous character. Fusel oil is present in rum and in new whiskies, and partially accounts for the mania that possesses a man after drinking these beverages. Fusel oil is an active general poison. It disappears from whisky by oxidation in from five to ten years, hence the preferment for “old whiskies.”

Ether, chloroform, and chloral are all made from alcohol, and all produce profound narcosis, or stupor. All produce sleep by anaesthetizing the brain centers, and by directly depressing the high centers of the brain.

All alcohol is derived from the fermentation of sugar, as found in all juices, and its derivatives, such as starch and cellulose. Alcoholic beverages are classified as distilled and fermented. The fermented are divided into malts, which are derived from fermented grains, and wines, which are fermented fruit juices. The malted drinks, such as beer, ale, and porter, contain from three to eight per cent of alcohol. The wines which are light, heavy, and fortified, contain from three to forty-eight per cent of alcohol. No fruit juices can form more than twenty per cent of alcohol; for when this limit is reached, the process of fermentation is stopped by its own products. Fortified wines are made by adding a certain percentage of alcohol to the already fermented wine. Champagne is a wine that is bottled before fermentation is complete, and so it is charged with carbon dioxide.

The distilled alcoholic drinks are whiskies, from the distillation of grain, after being fermented, and brandies, from the distillation of wines and fruit juices. The whiskies are corn and rye whiskies, gin, rum, and arrack. They contain from forty-eight to sixty per cent of alcohol. Gin contains oil of juniper or oil of turpentine. Rum is distilled from molasses and from the refuse of sugar refineries. It is one of the most poisonous of alcoholic drinks.

Brandies contain from forty-five to sixty per cent of alcohol, and are much more expensive than the whiskies, as they are distilled from fermented fruit juices.

Hence we see that alcohol is always a product of fermentation, never found in nature, and is a waste product. All alcoholic drinks are made at the expense and by the destruction of natural foods. That which the Creator put into the grain in order that it might perpetuate itself, or to assist in the digestion of it, thus giving and prolonging life, is perverted and changed into a poison, producing death.

Wheat, barley, and rye contain starch and gluten in each kernel. When moistened, and at a low temperature, the grain begins to sprout. The starch and gluten are intended to form the first food of the young plant. Starch and gluten are both insoluble in water, and so in their natural state cannot pass from the seed to supply the wants of the growing plant. Hence nature has made a wonderful provision for all these processes. The starch and gluten are both changed by a chemical process, which takes place at the base of the germ, at the exact time when they are wanted as food. Every little starch cell is surrounded with gluten, which is partly converted into a substance called diastase, and this in turn converts the starch into soluble grape sugar. Hence the sprout is sweet. One part of diastase will convert one thousand parts of starch into grape sugar. Brewers take advantage of this property of diastase, and so add large quantities of starch to their fermenting fluids to increase the percentage of alcohol, and then dilute it with water, thus increasing their profits.

In all malted drinks the grain is permitted to sprout for several days, or until the sprout is one and a half times the length of the grain; it is there arrested, dried, and soaked in water to dissolve the sugar and diastase. This fluid is then allowed to ferment to the desired point by the addition of hops.

One bushel of grain will produce about two gallons of whisky. The flour that can be put on the tip of a knife has more food value than a barrel of beer, and a five-pound loaf of bread contains more nourishment than twenty-seven barrels of beer.

Enough grain is destroyed each year in the manufacture of alcoholic drinks to feed the entire world. The fruit destroyed in providing for depraved appetites, is sufficient to supply every soul with an abundance of delicious fruits and fruit juices. The alcoholic beverages consumed in the United States last year would make a canal ten feet deep, thirty feet wide, and one hundred and fifty miles long.

CHRISTIANITY AND BEAUTY

The Christian.

When Hiram Munger was once giving a somewhat unfaithful Christian a pretty thorough scoring, among other things he said:— “You are ugly, and cross, and homely!” “But I’m not to blame for being homely,” pleaded the victim. “Yes, you are,” said he; “you look well enough when you’ve got the grace of God in your heart.”

Solomon said, “A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine.” And we know that that beautifying and illuminating wisdom has “the fear of the Lord” as its “beginning.”

On the contrary, sin, anger, vice, and ignorance rob the face of its beauty, and cover the fairest countenance with ugliness and shame. Many a man wears the record of his sins upon his forehead.

Speaking of the gospel among Indian tribes, Miss Carpenter declares that the effects of Christianity were visible not only in the habits of some of the Indian tribes, but in their very faces.

A writer in the Times remarks on some photographs of the races of India, published by the government:— “A few plates at the end of the volume are devoted to Malays, Burmese, and Karens. Of the last there is one group, a family of Karens, who have become converts of Christianity, who in their intelligent faces, neat dress, and orderly appearance, present a marked contrast to those of their kinsfolk who are still either Buddhists or pagans. Were it not that photographs are necessarily faithful, the change would seem almost too great to be entirely credited.”

There is nothing incredible in this to those who believe that man was made in the image of his Maker, and defaced by sin and transgression, and who know what it is to be created anew, in Christ Jesus.

The countenance of the converted man or woman is a faithful index of the divine power that works within. And while fops and flirts are busied with their paints, and jewels, and tricks of adornment, true Christians, whose hearts are filled with the peace of God, have no need of these outward attractions; they look well enough without them; and their best adorning is “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

SUCCESS

By S. Frances Gilbreath-Ingersoll

S. FRANCES GILBREATH-INGERSOLL. (Middlefield, Ohio.)

’Tis not in the wealth you may win, Nor honors the world can give, That will crown you highest and truest, In the life you may have to live.

For gold in itself is but dross, boy, And honor an empty name, When you barter your youth’s fair jewels For that which the world calls fame.

The workshop of life may be narrow; The pattern is God’s own plan; And you hold in your own hands the best tools, To build His great work — a man.

The “furnace” may seven times be heated; But if at each time you “ring true,” Be sure the Master is testing Your soul for the best it can do.

Though you win not a leaf of the laurel, Nor mount to a pedestal grand; Though the coin of your honest endeavor Pass current nowhere in earth’s land;

Yet when you are weighed in the balance, And heaven the record shall scan, You’ll have earned to the uttermost farthing The price of the Christ for a man.

QUARANTINE YOUR HOUSE.

Memphis Advocate.

You must quarantine against immoral literature. This is a deadly poison. It comes in various and attractive disguises. Exclude it as you would the germs of a pestilence. To effectually protect your homes from its baleful influence, supply them with healthy literature. It is as easy to cultivate a good as a depraved literary taste in children. They will read something, and what they read will exert an important influence on their character. Let your most earnest effort be exerted to keep out of the house the sensational novel, the blood-curdling tale of vice, the obscene pictures, and the whole flood of wicked, degrading, crime-producing literature that threatens us. Put in reach of your family good papers, magazines, and books. Bait them with a chaste story, and keep them supplied with wholesome knowledge. A bad book may prepare your son for the cell of a felon. A novel may vitiate the whole life of your daughter.

WHERE TO BEGIN.

By Luella B. Priddy

MRS. LUELLA B. PRIDDY. (Lindsay, Ontario.)

Many women have felt in their hearts a desire to do something for the cause of God. Then, when they thought of their many household cares which were absorbing every bit of energy of both mind and body, they have concluded there was nothing they could do. They have thought that they were too busy to form a habit of regular reading and study. And it is really a task to get out of the customary routine. But the Lord never calls to any duty without standing ready to supply the needed wisdom and grace and opportunity.

The Lord takes us just as we are, and just where we are. He is a kind, considerate Father, and knows all about our circumstances. Not all can go abroad, or labor in a public way. But all can be home missionaries, and all families are called upon to be neighborhood missionaries.

“But,” says some busy, tired mother, whose hands and heart are full every day, “what can I do? I have to sew and cook, wash and sweep, and take care of the children.”

We do not need to leave our appointed task to do missionary work. That very work is our mission field. Let the habits of life be as simple as possible, that there may be time to teach the word of God to the children. The experience gained in teaching the truth in such a simple way that young children may understand, will make the truth clearer to our own minds, and make us better fitted to carry the light to our neighbors.

Explain to the children the reason why we live as we do. Tell them that we should live on a wholesome diet, and take good care of our bodies, so that our minds may be clear, and that we may be strong to do God’s will; teach them that we should not waste time in needless display on our clothing, or in our houses, for we are expecting Jesus to come, and we must have time and strength to get ready, and to help other people to get ready, and that all who are not ready will lose eternal life. Tell them about the beautiful home Jesus has gone to prepare, and that there will be no sin there. Show by daily acts and words that it is the one thing for which we live. Tender little hearts will gladly receive the truth, and the mother will experience the joy that can only come by imparting light to others.

The children will want to help. Allow them to help mamma get her work done, so that they will have time to study the Bible together, and learn what God wants us to do, and that we may have more time to visit our neighbors and help them. Little children can catch the spirit of helpfulness and self-denial that is necessary to make them missionaries for God.

We can cultivate a habit of talking about divine things, so that it will be easy to speak of Jesus to our neighbors.

The truth is to be taught line upon line. A little effort at a time regularly kept up, will accomplish much more than a greater effort put forth in a spasmodic way. It is just so in presenting the truth to our neighbors.

It is a good plan to give them a tract or a paper regularly for a sufficient period of time for them to get a connected idea of the chain of truth. If we get a subscriber for a paper or book, we should, if possible, visit him and offer more literature.

Every time we meet a neighbor in a social way, we have an opportunity to do good. With a prayer in our hearts that our eyes may be opened, we shall be surprised at the many things that we find to do.

Women like to talk about their children and their domestic duties. We who have the light of health reform, and are taught by the Spirit of Prophecy, may be a great help to others by coming close to them in a neighborly way. As they speak of their troubles and perplexities, we may point them to Jesus. There is scarcely a topic of conversation that cannot be turned into helpful channels.

“Every church-member should feel it his special duty to labor for those living in his neighborhood. Study how you can best help those who take no interest in religious things. As you visit your friends and neighbors, show an interest in their spiritual, as well as in their temporal, welfare. Present Christ as a sin-pardoning Saviour. Invite your neighbors to your house, and read with them from the precious Bible, and from books that explain its truths. This, united with simple songs and fervent prayers, will touch their hearts. Let church-members educate themselves to do this work. This is just as essential as to save the benighted souls in foreign countries. While some feel the burden of souls afar off, let the many who are at home feel the burden of precious souls around them, and work just as diligently for their salvation.”

“The hours so often spent in amusement that refreshes neither body nor soul, should be spent in visiting the poor, the sick, and the suffering, or in seeking to help some one who is in need.” — “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 276.

If the children see that the chief object of our lives is to carry the message to the world, it will impress them with its importance as nothing else can.

Just notice some mother as she is making new clothing for the children to wear on some holiday occasion, or preparing unusual dainties for the dinner. The children, by observing how absorbed she is in getting ready for the day, catch the enthusiasm, and their minds are full of joyful anticipations, and the coming holiday is the one theme of conversation. In the same way they may learn divine truth.

Do not be discouraged because opportunities seem small. Faithfulness in the every-day duties of life may bring great and eternal results. Who can estimate the value of a soul saved in the kingdom?

LITTLE CHILD HEART, SLEEP.

By Ethel Maude Colson

Dear little child heart, sleep and rest Here on my tender mother's breast.

Outside of our windows the night winds wail, And the sea birds whirl in the wintry gale;

But here, in my bosom, is peaceful calm, And love shall shelter thee safe from harm;

In gladness for thee shall the morrow dawn, And the day be joyous, so slumber on.

Morning is coming — now sleep is best; Dear little child heart, sleep and rest.

Dear little child heart, sleep and rest, There on the kind earth's mother breast.

Outside of thy haven the blast is cold, And black night is abroad on the icy wold;

But there, in thy shelter, 'tis safe and warm, And love shall shield thee from wind and storm.

No more for thee shall earth's morrow dawn, And the day be joyous, but still — sleep on.

Morning is coming — and God knows best — Dear little child heart, sleep and rest. — Ethel Maude Colson.

HEALTH FOOD RECIPES.

By Gertrude Oberholtzer

MRS. GERTRUDE OBERHOLTZER.

(Wadsworth, Ohio.)

I NOTICED in the Home department a call for recipes of homemade health foods, as a substitute for mush. I make granola by toasting my bread slowly in the oven, and then grinding it in a meat chopper. Before we had the mill, I used to pound the pieces of zwieback in a deep crock with a wooden potato masher, then sift them through a colander into the dish pan, pound what was left again, and so on. Better granola may be made with unleavened bread, made simply with sweet cream or cold water, without baking-powder or soda.

Browned rice is better than oatmeal or grits. Wash several cupfuls, drain, and place in the oven till of a golden color. It may then be set away till wanted. We eat it mornings with thickened fruit juice. Corn-meal mush is good sliced and baked in the oven on an oiled pan. When I have thick sweet cream, I spread the mush with that; otherwise, I bake it less.

I make peanut butter in a half-gallon crock,—one cup raw peanuts, ground in my little mill, to four cups water, with a little salt, cover, and set in the oven till baked dry. This is nice to spread on the slices of mush before baking. The peanuts may be baked in the same way without grinding, pressing them through a fine colander.

We make graham or whole-wheat crackers with cream or cold water, mixing as for pie crust, and kneading five or ten minutes; roll thin and bake.

We are trying the plan advocated by Dr. Paulson, of eating the dry food first, and afterward the moist food. By taking just a little at a time, granola may be eaten dry. These things are plain, but no plainer than the food Jesus ate with His disciples.

HOMEMADE GRANUT.

By Emma Hunter

EMMA HUNTER. (Neal, O. T.)

Boil blanched peanuts for four or five hours, or until quite tender and mealy, like a well-cooked bean. Make into nut butter by running through a mill or working through a colander. Make oatmeal by grinding oat flakes with a hand mill. Take one part of the nut butter and two parts of the oatmeal,— a very little sugar may be added if desired, as it makes it still more palatable,— salt to taste. Mix into a dough, roll into a thin cracker, and bake to a nice brown. Grind again, to the consistency of sanitarium granut. Very wholesome and palatable.

OATMEAL CRACKERS.

By Mary Kelsey

MARY KELSEY. (Veblen, S. D.)

I RECENTLY saw a call for health-food recipes to be used in the home. I send one which I have improvised for making oatmeal crackers:—

To one quart of white flour, one quart of oatmeal (rolled), three tablespoonfuls of sugar, three tablespoonfuls of butter, add cold water, a small quantity at a time, to make a very stiff dough. Collect little rolls of dough, roll about as thick as for cookies. Cut, prick with a fork, and salt lightly on top. Bake in a moderate oven one-half hour, or until a delicate brown.

Alcohol Sponge Keeps Windows From Frosting

It is said that windows wiped with a sponge dipped in alcohol will not become frosty in cold weather.

ROMAN CATHOLICS VERSUS THE COMMANDMENTS.

A correspondent thinks we do not treat the Roman Catholics fairly in attributing the change they make in the enumeration of the Commandments to their purpose to carry out some points of their faith; as, for instance, running the First and Second Commandments together to pave the way for the worship of images, and then dividing the Ninth Commandment, making two of it, to make good the number ten, which the Scriptures themselves attribute to the whole code. It is claimed that the Jews, the Lutherans, and the Greek Church enumerate them in the same manner; therefore the Catholics cannot be charged with having any sinister motive in taking this course, which has been handed down to them by instruction.

We do not deny that there are other classes besides the Catholics who enumerate the Commandments in a different order from that given in King James’ Version. But with the Catholic, from what book is instruction generally conveyed to the children? Not from the Bible, but from the catechism, and the uniform way in which the matter is presented in the catechisms reveals the object they have in view. In “Daniel and the Revelation,” page 554, this point is spoken of as follows:—

“If now the reader will compare the Ten Commandments as found in Roman Catholic catechisms with those Commandments as found in the Bible, he will see in the catechisms — we mean those portions specially devoted to instruction — that the Second Commandment is left out; that the Tenth is divided into two, to make up the lack caused by leaving out the Second, and keep good the number ten; and that the Fourth Commandment (called the Third in their enumeration) is made to enjoin the observation of Sunday as the Sabbath, and prescribe that the day shall be spent in hearing mass devoutly, attending vespers, and reading moral and pious books. Here are several variations from the Decalogue as found in the Bible. Which of them, if any, constitutes the change of the law intended in the prophecy? or are they all included in that change? Let it be borne in mind that, according to the prophecy, he [the little horn] was to think to change times and laws. This plainly conveys the idea of intention and design, and makes these qualities essential to the change in question. But respecting the omission of the Second Commandment, Catholics argue that it is included in the First, and hence should not be numbered as a separate commandment; and on the Tenth they claim that there is so plain a distinction of ideas as to require two commandments; so they make the coveting of a neighbor’s wife the Ninth Commandment, and the coveting of his goods the Tenth. In all this they claim that they are giving the Commandments exactly as God intended to have them understood; so, while we may regard them as errors in their interpretation of the Commandments, we cannot set them down as intentional changes. Not so, however, with the Fourth Commandment. Respecting this Commandment, they do not claim that their version is like that given by God. They expressly claim a change here, and also that the change has been made by the Church.”

This, we think, gives a fair representation of the matter. Mention is made of others besides the Catholics who change the enumeration of the Commandments. Catholics make the change in their catechisms, from which the young are instructed. If the omission of the Second Commandment did not originate with the Catholics, they have certainly made prominent use of it, though that is not the change by which they fulfill the prophecy of Dan. 7:25. We would not intentionally misrepresent any one.

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