Earlier text: Publishers' PageThe Joy of Service
By I. H. Evans
To serve is the supreme joy of man. The heart tires of inertia. He who sacrifices, who suffers, not for self, but for others, is the embodiment of our highest ideals. Few men ever inscribed their names upon the hearts of their countrymen but by the toils and labors of sacrifice and self-abnegation. The heroes of earth are the sufferers and toilers who have lived for others in noble thoughts and unselfish deeds. Why are Judson and Paton and Taylor and a host of other names household words wherever the name of Christ is cherished?—Ah! for the labors bestowed and the sufferings endured in behalf of the heathen millions for whom they gave their lives! Look at Paul the apostle. Was ever a life more completely devoted to others than that of this great apostle to the Gentiles? Not to one but to many nations he journeyed, and erected the banner of the cross. Read his recital of his sufferings, and answer if he had not a full list? Yet when he had reached the goal of life, and looked backward over his years of sacrifice and suffering, he cried, “I have fought a good fight!” We can not conceive of supreme happiness when to receive and not to impart is the sole end of existence. The miser who hoards his treasure, grudgingly parting with the smallest sum, is a long way from true happiness. Even the temporary satisfaction that may be his as he sees his wealth increasing is only a momentary, passing sensation, and not to be compared with the infinitely higher joy of those who spend and are spent for others. Our conception of God would be degraded should we think that his sole existence was passive indifference, sitting idly on his throne, receiving the adoration of his angels and the worship of his saints while doing nothing for the beings of his creation. We know him to be the mighty Jehovah, whose love for his creatures has exhausted the resources of infinite wisdom in providing for their eternal happiness. In the gift of his only begotten Son, in the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and in the making of his angels “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,” God has shown his matchless love in service for man. When Christ came7 as a servant among men. In youth and manhood he toiled as other men; and when he had entered upon his ministry, none could be more abundant in labors for others than he. Whether in the wilderness, with the multitude, or at the well of Samaria, he was the same toiling Jesus. No prayer for healing was unheeded by the lowly Nazarene. In the press and throng of the multitude and on the lonely highway he felt the touch of faith and heard the cry for help. In his presence the burning fires of fever were quenched, the blind received their sight, the leper was cleansed. His voice awakened the dead, and sent the guilty sinner to her home in peace. O, he seemed the burden-bearer of all the woes and sorrows of the children of men! Never ceasing to toil for others, nor staying his hand in ministering to their needs, he approaches the wrestling in the garden, still in service for the children of men. Behold him at the last supper serving his disciples. See him rise from the table, and, girding himself as a servant, wash their feet. In yon garden see him approach his sleeping disciples, and call them to prayer. Hear that heart-broken petition for his enemies as he hangs upon the cruel cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Listen as, with his dying breath, he speaks to John, “Behold thy mother!” Yea, at the very marriage supper of the Lamb he proposes “to gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.” God calls his people to service. He tells us how we shall serve him; he tells us what will please him in our service. Upon his followers he has laid the responsibility of preaching the gospel of the kingdom. One he calls to a distant field; another is invited to remain at home. But each is to serve the Master in serving his fellow men. One gives his life in personal touch with men, leading them to the “cleansing stream;” another labors by example, and contributes of his earthly store to help support the other. Each may be truly serving God. The widow with her two mites is as truly serving Christ as did Paul at Ephesus or Judson in Burma. Perhaps some may say: “I’m tired of constantly giving. It is only money, money, all the time. There is no religion in giving continually. I wish I might never hear another call for money as long as I live.” Look here! suppose this instant God should say to you: “Your day of service has ended. There is nothing henceforth that you can do for me. Your gold and silver are of no worth to my cause. Your last opportunity for service is past. I have pleaded for your help through my servants, but you ‘came not to the help of the Lord.’” When there was a crying scarcity of funds in my treasury, you hoarded your means. My pleas for help were offensive to your ears. Now, nevermore is there one thing that you can do for me.” Ah, brother, sister, picture how you would feel if God were so to speak to you to-day! What could you do? It were as well to hear the word of final doom as to be cut off forever from the service of giving! And why?—Because our very salvation is wrapped up in our service to God and man. No privilege was ever offered man equal to that of service for God. Our truest joy is to do something for others. Our most precious treasure is not that invested in houses and lands, but in the souls of men. O, it is a great, a priceless privilege that we enjoy to-day—the privilege of laying up treasure for eternity! The happiness and soul-peace that service for God gives outweigh all joys that earth can bestow. “It is in loving, not in being loved,
The heart is blest:
It is in giving, not in seeking gifts,
We find our quest.
“If thou art hungry, lacking heavenly bread,
Give hope and cheer.
If thou art sad, and wouldst be comforted,
Stay sorrow’s tear.
“Whatever be thy longing or thy need,
That do thou give;
So shall thy soul be fed, and thou,
indeed,
Shalt truly live.” THE following facts stated in The Independent show the uselessness from a temperance standpoint of state regulation of the liquor traffic:— Liquor selling is a monopoly of the State in South Carolina. Anybody can get whisky who wants it. The State supplies dispensaries anywhere, and they are freely patronized. When the system was started, it was said it would be “a temperance measure to limit sales.” But the sales, which began with two or three hundred thousand dollars, have grown to $3,374,786 last year, with a net profit to the State of $603,998, of which sum $304,339 was paid over to the school fund. Public vice was found an easy and profitable way to support public education. The more liquor sold, the more money for schools, etc.; so that he is the best agent who develops the most trade. It is a bad business, but the Board of Control report themselves “very much gratified to report that the business of the dispensary has been conducted with harmony and success in all its departments.” They do not state the number of resulting murders. What the liquor business needs is not regulation, but relegation. IN a recent issue of the Homiletic Review Mr. F. H. Decker, a Westerly, R. I., pastor, inquires if it is true that “there is a falling off in the attendance of men upon the services of the Protestant church,” and in answer says:— No doubt such is the case with the Sunday evening and mid-week services, but I do not think that it is always true of the Sunday morning service. Toward the second Sunday service, the Protestant churches will have to take the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church, now that the conception of the Sabbath of that church has come to be practised by Protestants generally. No doubt this change in the idea of Sunday has affected church attendance; it has made it impossible for most Protestant churches to maintain more than a mere shadow of the second service. Why has the conception of the Sabbath of the Roman Catholic Church now come to be practised by Protestants generally, with this (from their standpoint) deplorable result? Can it be for any other reason than that the Sabbath of Protestants generally is none other than a Roman Catholic institution? Certainly it is quite proper to pattern after Rome in the manner of observing a Catholic Church day. RESIDENTS of the United States may congratulate themselves that they are not burdened with the expense of maintaining a large standing army, but the increased demand which has come, with the era of “expansion” and colonial possessions, for the creation of a powerful navy is bringing an ever-increasing taxation for military expenditure which will ere-long amount to no inconsiderable burden. There are now building in the United States fourteen battle-ships and ten armored cruisers, besides other smaller vessels of war, the annual cost of maintaining which, when they are in commission, with the thirteen battle-ships, thirteen protected cruisers, several armored cruisers, and other vessels already built, will be $77,000,000. Since 1883 a round billion of dollars has been spent by the United States for national defense. Every new battle-ship or cruiser that is built requires a large complement of officers and men, with military and other stores, coal, etc., which can be provided and maintained only at great expense. The cost of building such ships, also, is now much greater than it was a few years ago, and appears likely to increase rather than diminish. Should the insular possessions of the United States be threatened by some strong naval power there would almost certainly be an irresistible demand in this country for a great navy, the mere cost of maintaining which would forever after be a heavy military burden. Los Angeles, Cal
By Ellen G. White
After four busy days spent at Hanford, Lamore, and Armona, we resumed our journey south, and reached Los Angeles on Thursday, November 3. At the restaurant and treatment rooms we were welcomed by Elder Burden and Dr. Simpson, and there we met Elders Santee, Healey, Simpson, and Adams. The next day several of us went out to Glendale to see the large building that our people have recently purchased for a sanitarium. We found this building well adapted to sanitarium use, and conveniently located. The new electric street-car line runs past the property. The Glendale post-office is but two blocks away. We found that double treatment rooms were being added to the building, and painting, plumbing, and plastering were going on. Elder W. W. Simpson had been holding tent-meetings in the heart of the city of Los Angeles during a large part of the summer, and the large tent, then standing on Grand Avenue and Seventh Street, was being used by the church for their Sabbath meetings. Soon after our arrival, letters were sent to our people in the neighboring churches, suggesting that a general meeting be held at Los Angeles on Sabbath and Sunday. In response to this, two or three hundred brethren and sisters came in from surrounding towns, and these, with the believers in the city, filled the large tent on Sabbath morning. The Lord helped me to speak to this congregation of over a thousand souls, all of whom seemed much interested. At the close of my discourse, a collection amounting to seventy-five dollars was taken up for the work among the colored people of the Southern States. In the churches that I visited in central and southern California, I made earnest appeals in behalf of this needy work, and I hope to hear that our churches throughout the land are becoming aroused to their duty to give the work for the colored people their continual support. There were about six hundred present at the afternoon meeting, and Brethren Adams, Ballenger, Santee, and W. C. White presented the plans for the home missionary campaign, and three thousand copies of the four special numbers of The Signs of the Times were subscribed for. On Sunday morning W. C. White presented some encouraging facts about the progress of our work in many lands. Then Elder Burden made a plea in behalf of the Glendale Sanitarium, presenting especially the need of furniture, that the beautiful building may soon be opened for patients. In response to this appeal, eight hundred dollars was subscribed for furniture, and one hundred dollars toward the purchase fund. On Sunday afternoon I spoke again to a large congregation. At the close of my talk, W. C. White told the people of a letter that my son Edson had written me, saying that he had gathered together one hundred and sixty dollars toward the building of an orphanage for colored children, and pleading for my help in raising one hundred and forty dollars more, saying that with three hundred dollars he hoped to be able to put up one wing of the orphanage, and open it for the waiting, suffering orphans. A collection was taken, and sixty-five dollars was given for this blessed work. Advancement in Los Angeles
We rejoice to see that the work is moving forward in Los Angeles. The interest aroused by the meetings that Elder Simpson has been holding is remarkable. Night after night the large tent, holding two thousand persons, has been crowded. As a result of these meetings, a large number have taken their stand for the truth. Elder Simpson presents the truth as it was presented in past years, illustrating his remarks by means of many charts. He explains the prophecies very clearly, showing plainly that the end of all things is at hand. The Lord certainly works with him, and I wish that there were hundreds of such workers in the field, proclaiming with the same earnestness and enthusiasm the last message of warning. Special light has been given me regarding the character and magnitude of the work to be done in Los Angeles. Several times messages have been given regarding the duty that rests upon us of proclaiming the third angel's message with power in that city. And now, as we see that the Lord has blessed the labors of Brother Simpson and his faithful helpers, and that large additions have been made to the Los Angeles church, it is our duty to be wide-awake to the privileges and opportunities of the hour. Wherever such an interest is awakened as that which is now shown in Los Angeles, men of the best ability should be chosen to help in the effort. They should enter heartily into the work of visiting and holding Bible readings with those newly come to the faith, and with those who are interested, endeavoring to establish them in the faith. The new believers are to be carefully instructed, that they may have an intelligent knowledge of the various lines of work committed to the church of Christ. One or two men should not be left alone with the burden of such a work. Much depends upon the work done by the members of the church in connection with and following the tent-meetings that shall be held in our cities. During the meeting, many, convicted by the Spirit, may be filled with a desire to begin the Christian life; but unless there is constant watchfulness on the part of the workers who remain to follow up the interest, the good impressions made on the minds of the people will become indistinct. The enemy, full of subtle reasoning, will take advantage of every failure on the part of God's workers to watch for souls as they that must give an account. Earnest efforts must be made to lead men and women to place themselves on the Saviour's side. In this work there is need of divine help and of untiring vigilance. No one is to sleep at his post of duty. Every capability must be put to use to win for Christ a victory against the powers of darkness. The voice of duty is the voice of God. The gospel demands from Christians unreserved consecration of soul and body. The Lord claims the highest service that men and women, aided by divine grace, can offer. In childhood, youth, and age, human beings of every rank, high and low, rich and poor, belong9 to God. They are to withhold nothing from him. Each one is to stand at his post of duty in the great enterprise of saving souls. Those who present the truth are to enter into no controversy. They are to preach the gospel with such faith and earnestness that an interest will be awakened. By the words they speak, the prayers they offer, the influence they exert, they are to sow seeds that will bear fruit to the glory of God. There is to be no wavering. The trumpet is to give a certain sound. The attention of the people is to be called to the third angel's message. Let not God's servants act like men walking in their sleep, but like men preparing for the coming of Christ. At Prayer-Meeting
By Margaret E. Sangster
THERE were only two or three of us
Who came to the place of prayer,
Came in the teeth of a driving storm;
But for that we did not care,
Since after our hymns of praise had
risen,
And our earnest prayers were said,
The Master himself was present there,
And gave us the living bread. We knew his look on our leader’s face,
So rapt and glad and free;
We felt his touch when our heads were
bowed;
We heard his “Come to me.”
Nobody saw him lift the latch,
And none unbarred the door;
But “peace” was his token to every
heart,
And how could we ask for more? Each of us felt the load of sin,
From the weary shoulder fall;
Each of us dropped the load of care,
And the grief that was like a pall;
And over our spirits a blessed calm
Swept in from the jasper sea,
And strength was ours for toil and
strife,
In the days that were thence to be. It was only a handful gathered in
To the little place of prayer,
Outside were struggling and pain and
sin,
But the Lord himself was there;
He came to redeem the pledge he gave
Wherever his loved ones be,
To stand himself in the midst of them,
Though they count but two or three. And forth we fared in the bitter rain,
And our hearts had grown so warm,
It seemed like the pelting of summer
flowers,
And not the crash of a storm;
“‘Twas a time of the dearest privilege
Of the Lord’s right hand,” we said,
As we thought how Jesus himself had
come
To feed us with living bread. Thou Triest the Heart
By R. A. Underwood
BEFORE his lost possessions are restored to man, he must be tried as a steward, and, as such, prove his faithfulness and loyalty to God. “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.” Matt. 25: 14, 15. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. . . . And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” Luke 16: 10-12. We now inquire, By what are we to be constantly led to a recognition of the fact that all we are and have is the Lord’s, and not our own? The Lord has reserved as holy unto himself one tenth of all the products of the earth. Christ claims a tithe of all man’s income, whether it is from the toil of brain or muscle, or from other sources. It is reserved by God as a test of our acknowledgment of Christ’s ownership of the world and all its resources. Christ places in our hands a means of income from various sources. This he denotes as “talents.” As stewards of his goods he asks every man, woman, and child to return sacredly one tenth of all to God. Those who refuse to do this he charges with the high-handed sin of robbery. “All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.” Lev. 27: 30-32. Some suppose that this plan of tithing belonged only to the Levitical priesthood, and that none but those living in that age were under obligation to pay tithe. But the tithing system is co-existent with the gospel, and rests upon moral principles, the violation of which resulted in the fall of man. It is not confined to any one dispensation, but is of— Look at a few facts which the Lord presents concerning the tithing question: Long before the Mosaic age, Abraham, the father of the faithful, paid to the priest of God a tithe of all his income. Gen. 14: 18-20; Heb. 7: 2. When Jacob became a converted man, he at once recognized Christ’s ownership, and vowed to pay a tithe of all unto God. Gen. 28: 20-22. In the Mosaic age the tithing of all of Israel’s income was sacredly observed. Lev. 27: 30; Num. 18: 21, 26. God has given a commandment that those who preach the gospel shall be supported from the tithe. Heb. 7: 5, 8; 1 Cor. 9: 13, 14. Christ taught that the moral obligation rests upon all men to pay to God a tithe of all their income. Matt. 23: 23. God has not changed his plan concerning the tithe; it is still a test of man’s recognition of Christ’s ownership of this world. Mal. 3: 6; Heb. 13: 7, 8. The use of the tithe for other purposes than those prescribed by God is classed as a terrible sin. Mal. 3: 7-10. When the tithe is withheld from its appointed use, not only is God robbed, but millions of perishing souls are robbed of the light of the gospel. Mal. 3: 10; Matt. 24: 44-47. The sins of robbery and Sabbath-breaking have long stood in the way of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the church. Mal. 3: 7-10; Isa. 58: 6-13. Why should any one longer brave the curse of God, and stand as an Achan in the camp of Israel? O, arise, arise, and wash away thy guilt by repentance and confession of sin! Why longer grieve the Lord? He will graciously forgive and heal all thy backsliding. Mal. 3: 7; Isa. 1: 16-19; Hosea 14: 1-7. A Clarion Call
By W. H. Thurston
During the week of prayer many, if not all, either read or heard others read the earnest calls for help from regions beyond. These calls are for workers and for means to support the work and carry it on to completion. No doubt all have made their annual offerings ere this, and feel a source of satisfaction, but the responsibility and the blessing do not end here. Like the seed, which absorbs the dew and the rain, and requires more and more in its process of development, so this work requires more men and means year by year as it develops and extends into new territory. Men and women have responded to the commission, severing the ties that bound them to friends, relatives, and native land, and have gone to all parts of the world to carry the gospel of salvation to perishing souls. They did not have to go, but, actuated with the spirit of the Master, and moved with compassion on the multitude of unsaved, they have gone forth to the harvest. On reaching the vast fields, north, south, east, and west, they find open doors and great opportunities. They soon find themselves taxed beyond their strength, ministering to soul and body, and they exclaim, in the language of Scripture, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.” “Come over . . . and help us!” is the Macedonian call. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” Other men and women are moved by the same spirit that actuated those already in the mission fields, and are saying, “Here am I; send me.” “Herein is love,”—a love for souls and a desire to go to earth’s remotest bounds with the gospel of the kingdom, the last message of mercy to the world. As in the days of the apostles, “The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power, and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief;” so be it in these days. Hundreds of people are accepting the truth in the mission fields, and thousands are waiting for the opportunity—waiting for us. Why should we not as a people arise to our privilege and send forth these consecrated workers, called of God to the ministry, and provide means as well, for the advancement of the work in all lands? Money is what is needed just now, and all the time, to keep the work moving, and why shall it not be forthcoming? Many calls are being made for money, and this will continue until the work is finished, and all that we have is transferred to the city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. This question of raising means for the mission fields has been very carefully considered by the Mission Board, and it is agreed that if the ten-cent-a-week envelope plan is adopted by all our people, in addition to the annual and some special offerings from time to time, there will be sufficient funds for carrying on and enlarging the work in all lands. A systematic effort, an unceasing effort on the part of all week by week, making it a part of our regular business to see that the mission fields are supplied with men and means, is the only solution of the great problem. The call is urgent, and demands our attention. We can not pass this matter by indifferently, and remain loyal to the cause we love. Faithful workers are ready to move on at the Master’s bidding, and rich fields of toil are awaiting them. Shall we say, Go on, and annex new territory for God, pledging ourselves to provide the means each month necessary for the work? How can we do otherwise and prove ourselves true to our mission and our message?—It is impossible. We have entered the field, and we shall maintain our possession and complete10 the work, under God, or miss our calling. To succeed in this undertaking, and accomplish the work committed to us, in this generation, demands the hearty co-operation of every Sabbath-keeper, spirit, soul, and body. Ten cents a week from all will keep the financial stream flowing, and we shall soon be able to fill the world with fruit. The readers of the REVIEW are quite familiar with the work being done the world over, and are mindful of the calls for men and means. What shall be our answer? Who Were the Giants?
By P. G. Stanley
“And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Num. 13:33. Here we have the opposite extremes in society. Giants stand for all that is strong, effective, and heroic. There were but two of these. Grasshoppers stand for that which is small, insignificant, and helpless. There were ten of these. The estimation we put upon ourselves is the standard by which others will judge us. We never rise above our own estimation in the measurement of others. These ten felt themselves to be little, and others thought as they did. Giants are determined not by size, but by spirit. We are told by scholars that the word translated “giant” means fallen one. These sons of Anak were large physically, but very small in the spirit of heroism. They retained their physical size, but lost the spirit of bravery and the element of manhood. Saul was a physical giant, but in bravery a mere grasshopper compared with the youthful David. Zaccheus was small of stature, but was brave enough to stand the jeers of the crowd while he ran before and climbed into a sycamore tree that he might see Jesus. A mechanic is not known by the size and number of his tools, but by the use he makes of them. A distinguished artist was once asked how he mixed his paints, and he replied, “I mix them with my brains, sir.” It is the spirit, and not flesh, that makes the real giant. Each of these spies saw a reflection of himself in reverse order. The ten were grasshoppers in mind, and saw grasshoppers that appeared like giants. The two were giants in spirit, and saw giants that appeared to them like grasshoppers. Saul’s army saw nothing but that big, stalking Goliath as he defied the armies of the living God. David saw nothing but the living God, whom Goliath had defied. Caleb and Joshua, the real giants, said, Let us go up. Let us risk our all for the cause we represent. The characters that have been worthy of remembrance have been those that risked life and property for the cause for which they stood. They did not ask about consequences, but inquired about duty. They never said, What will be the result? but, What is right? Cowardice says, Is it safe? Expediency, Is it politic? Vanity, Is it popular? Selfishness, Will it pay? Conscience, Is it right? John the Baptist, the hero of the wilderness, said, Is it right for Herod to have his brother Philip’s wife? When it was settled in his mind that it was not, then he said to the king, “It is unlawful for thee to have her;” and when John was beheaded, a giant fell worthy of the name. Men with unfavorable surroundings have become great giants in the moral, political, and commercial world, while men who have started as giants have become the merest grasshoppers, and died without mourning or remembrance. Who can tell the strength of Samson? Great bunches of muscles and sinews of steel stood out like cords on his arms. But he laid his head in the lap of Delilah, and was shorn of his strength. He became a veritable grasshopper in the clutches of his foes. Joseph went into Egypt in chains, destitute of strength and without influence, but, by living a life of purity and association with his God, he became a giant that the whole world feared and honored. Are You in Trouble?
By H. E. Sawyer-Hopkins
In Ps. 88:3 we read these words spoken by King David, that mighty man of war who fought battles and gained glorious victories: “For my soul is full of troubles;” also in Psalms 107 we find many expressions like this: “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.” Why, says one, does God not deliver me when I cry for help? Let me ask, Where in Holy Writ do we find any statement that the faint-hearted shall receive help, even though they ask for assistance? Do we find a single promise that God will grant our petitions when we fail to trust? We notice in this same psalm an account of wonderful things that the Lord did for Israel. Why do we not see as great wonders in our day? In Mal. 3:6 we read, “I am the Lord, I change not.” The Lord is “the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever.” If the Lord never changes, but is always the same even unto the end, is it not possible that he will perform as great things to-day as of old? “Ask, and ye shall receive,” reads the same as when these words were written, and means the same. The apostle James gives us light which should forever settle this question. He says, “Ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not,” and then comes the direct promise: “It shall be given.” Although we may send up a hundred petitions to the throne of grace, we find from the next verse, that it is all in vain to expect an answer to our petitions unless we ask in faith. “He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea— driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” According to this text, no one need think for a moment that he will have any request granted when the least doubt is entertained. We may ask many times, and the failure to trust may prevent the receiving just as often. If we firmly trust Jesus to fulfil his word, then we shall not find ourselves deceived. Let us notice the case of Jacob. His life was clouded with many sorrows, yet the Lord had a special care for him. After taking his long journey of six hundred miles, and serving Laban twenty years, still God was with him and prospered him; yet he endured many sore trials,—his mother died, his wives embittered his life, and four of his children brought grief and shame upon him, his loved Rachel and his father were removed by death, then Joseph was given up as lost, and even the youngest son came near bringing his gray hairs to the grave. We understand that many of these trials were brought about by lack of faith in God’s unfailing promises, and here he failed to learn the lesson of patient waiting. What a lesson for us to learn! May the great Jehovah help us to remember his wonderful works. May he help us sense our weakness, and grant us wisdom and strength to trust him to lead us safely through this barren land to Canaan’s fair shore. Showing Ourselves Friendly
By J. G. Greenhough
I THINK it would not be unfair to say that the people who groan and complain most about the lack of social life in a church are, as a general rule, the people who have least right to complain, because they are just the people who contribute least toward it. I have known not a few good men and women who will attend the Sabbath services of a church, sit as near the door as possible, hurry out when the benediction is pronounced, exchange no word or salutation with a single soul, never show themselves at any of the less formal and more homely meetings of the church, and then, having thus done everything they could to prevent the approaches of kind hearts, speak in bitter terms about the coldness and stiffness of the people. It is too often forgotten that with what measure we mete, it is measured to us again; and even a church is a little like the echo bird, which sends back to us the tones we utter, or the chill silence which we deal out to it. If we desire friends, we must show ourselves friendly. If we expect all the brethren and sisters to be effusive toward us, while we are constantly coy and distant, it is distinctly unreasonable, and the most generous Christian souls soon tire of that game. There must be a little of give and take on both sides if there is to be anything like geniality and warmth.
— Rev. J. G. Greenhough. The Busy Mart and Grassy Ways
I AM tired of the city's sounds and sights,
Tired of the glare of the noisy town;
I long for the quiet farmhouse lights
That shine through the trees when
the dusk comes down.
I long for the scent of the berry vines
That over the hedges climb and fall;
For the song and the breath of the windblown pines,
And the stars and the darkness over
all! I am tired of the city's sin and strife,
Of the bargain mart and the busy maze.
I dream of the dear old country life,
Of the blossomed fields and the grassy ways;
And I yearn, like a homesick child, to steal
To my garret room, by the starlight's gleam,
In the dear old home of my youth; to kneel
And pray, like a child—and sleep—
and dream! Invalidism and Longevity
By Daniel H. Kress
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES said that “one of the necessary requisites for attaining to a good old age is to be rejected for life insurance by a first-class company.” In studying the life history of men who have been blessed with long life, we are led to believe that Mr. Holmes is not far astray. For instance, Louis Cornaro was given up by his doctors at the age of forty. This sobered him, and led him to adopt temperate habits. He became so abstemious that his friends feared and predicted he would die of starvation; but instead of this he managed to get rid of all his ills, and live to the age of about one hundred years. John Wesley, who at eighty-three wrote: “For twelve years I have not known what it is to be weary,” at the age of forty was given up as a hopeless invalid. In 1747 John Wesley wrote to the Bishop of London: “Thanks be to God, since the time that I gave up the use of flesh-meat and wine, I have been delivered from all physical ills.” Horace Fletcher owes his present good health to the fact that ten years ago he was rejected by a first-class life insurance company. It led him to study into the causes of ill health, and put into practise what he learned. As a result Fletcher is in robust health, and has stirred the world upon the importance of proper food mastication. He has done more to bring about a reform on mastication than any other living man. At the same time he has demonstrated its virtues in his own life by numerous severe tests of physical endurance in the presence of leading physiologists of the world, subsisting on only one half the amount of food considered necessary to sustain life. Delicate health in middle life does not preclude the possibility of a long and useful life. On the contrary, it seems to have just the opposite effect, and offers hope for the invalid. David, the psalmist, evidently had a similar experience, for he says: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes.” “Before I was afflicted I went astray.” On the other hand, the strong and robust, who imagine they can endure anything, and eat anything, who say, “Nothing hurts me,” do not live out half their days. When a collapse comes, it is usually too late to save life. Recent investigations regarding the effect of hard times upon the general health of the community show that the demand for doctors and chemists during the time of financial depression is considerably diminished. Money being difficult to obtain, people are forced to work hard, and obtain plainer foods, to eat and drink less, and live, in general, more simply. Luxury and plenty is our great foe, and has proved the ruin of nations in the past. The impious feast given by Belshazzar to a thousand of his lords marked the downfall of Babylon. “Fullness of bread and abundance of idleness” were responsible for the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrah. Luxury and effeminacy resulted in the decline and fall of Persia, Greece, and Rome. It is a source of comfort to know that hard times, like sickness, are a blessing in disguise, and tend to prolong, rather than shorten, the life of individuals as well as of nations. “Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth.”