Earlier text: SUNDAY NOT THE SABBATHLESSON VI.—THE SPIRIT OF GOD.
2. What is said of those who have not the spirit of Christ? Verse 9. 3. How was Christ raised from the dead? Verse 11. 4. Of what may we be assured if we have, dwelling in us, the spirit that raised up Christ? 5. Who are said to be spiritually minded? 6. Who are said to be in the flesh, or carnally minded? 7. What is the consequence of being carnally minded? Verse 6. 8. What is the reward of being spiritually minded? 9. Can those who are in the flesh please God? Verse 8. 11. Can God be pleased with those that are not subject to his law? 13. Is our obedience acceptable unless prompted by love? 14. Does the natural, or carnal, mind have this love? 16. Is God willing to give us his Spirit? Luke 11:13. 17. How is this gift to be obtained?—By seeking for it. 18. What is the best evidence that we have the love of God dwelling in our hearts? 1 John 5:3. 19. What precious gift has God promised to bestow upon us? Eze. 36:26. 20. What aid has he promised to lend us, in order that we may be able to keep his commandments? Eze. 36:27. 21. How is a Christian character to be built up? None are the sons of God, but those who are led by the Spirit of God. Rom. 8:14. Those who have not the spirit of Christ are none of his. Rom. 8:9. It was by the Spirit of God that Christ was raised from the dead, and if we have, dwelling in us, the Spirit that raised up Jesus, we have the assurance that we shall have immortality given us when Jesus comes to gather his people. Rom. 8:11. They that follow the leadings of God’s Spirit are said to be spiritually minded. When people follow their natural inclinations, and give unrestrained indulgence to their appetites and passions, they are said to be in the flesh, or to be carnally minded. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom. 8:6. For if we live after the flesh, we shall die; but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. Verse 13. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God, verse 8; for the carnal mind is enmity against God, and can never be subject to his law. Verse 7. God cannot be pleased with any who are not subject to his law, and no one can render acceptable obedience to that law, unless love to God prompts his actions; for love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom. 13:10. The natural, or carnal, mind does not possess the love of God, and cannot render acceptable obedience to his law; but love is the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5:22, and God is very willing to give his Spirit to those who seek him. The best evidence we can have of the presence of God’s love in the heart, is that we keep his commandments. 1 John 5:3. In Eze. 36:26, 27, God has promised to give a new heart, and to lend the aid of his Spirit to enable us to keep his commandments acceptably. We see, then, that not only the walls of Jerusalem, but the Christian character, is built up, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.” Zech. 4:6. A FEW QUESTIONS.
By C. Lawton
Do we realize that we are living in a grand and awful time? Oh that this thought could burn its way down deep into our hearts, and stir us up to earnest effort. Again, have we a vivid sense of the power and deception of Satan, the great deceiver of mankind, who is working with all power in these last days, and if it were possible would deceive the very elect? If so, do we think we can cope with this terrible foe, who is at war with the remnant of God’s people, unless we are clothed with the whole armor? Then is it not dangerous to delay the work of preparation? Is it not time to rally and make a mighty effort to rise with the message, if we expect to receive the refreshing, and stand with the remnant on Mount Zion? Will any one defer this work until it is too late? Yes; many believers in present truth will be so tardy and careless that the message will close, and they will be left to take up the sad lamentation, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Terrible thought! but far more terrible will be the reality. Speaking of pastors, Zion’s Herald says, that “more than any other person the pastor is in the hands of the community, especially in those of his friends, who are usually able to make of him much, or little, or nothing, as they elect. To reduce him to zero, they do not need to make great exertions; a word, a look, an ominous silence at the right moment, or a sly innuendo, gives the fatal stab to reputation. The perishable nature of the ministerial commodity should warn both preacher and people to handle it carefully. There is danger that it perish in the using.” Little Words and Little Deeds
LITTLE words, not eloquent speeches or sermons; little deeds, not miracles or battles, nor one great act of mighty martyrdom, make up the true Christian life. The little constant sunbeam, not the lightning; the waters of Siloam “that go softly” on their meek mission of refreshment, not “the waters of the river great and mighty,” rushing down in torrent noise and force, are the true symbols of a holy life. A star arose, and gleamed
In splendor bright;
It fell to earth full soon,
And lost its light. A ship sped forth to sea,
With cargo rare;
It sank beneath the wave,
With young and fair. A flower bloomed at noon,
With colors gay;
But ere the sun went down
It died away. A bubble rose in air
At early dawn;
It burst, and found for aye
Its beauty gone. A bird upon a tree
Sang loud and long;
A hunter aimed a dart,
And hushed its song. A drop of dew shone clear,
Like crystal cup;
The sun burst forth, and drank
Its glory up. A man became a king,
Feared far and wide;
A fever seized his frame,
And lo, he died! And thus, alas! is fame,
Doomed soon to fall;
For death is in the land,
With shroud and pall! All things on earth must fail,
But God is love;
Our aim should be to have
A name above. LESSONS FOR BIBLE CLASSES.
By G. H. Bell
LESSON VI.—THE LITTLE HORN OF DANIEL VII.
- On how many points did Daniel ask special instruction? Dan. 7: 19, 20.
- What were these points?
- Where may we find a brief explanation of the first?
- Where of the second?
- Where of the third?
- What subject was considered in Lesson 4?
- What in Lesson 5?
- What is to be considered in this lesson?
- What does verse 8 say that the little horn should do?
- What explanation of this statement is made in verse 24?
- What does verse 8 say in regard to the words of the little horn?
- What corresponding statement is made in verse 25?
- What corresponding statements are made in verses 21 and 25, in regard to the persecuting character of this power?
- What further specifications are made in verse 25?
- By what religious body have all these predictions been fulfilled?
- What three kingdoms were subdued to make way for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome?
- In what way was the power represented by the little horn diverse from the powers represented by the ten horns?
- How has it spoken great words against the Most High?
- What titles does the pope assume?
- How does he make himself equal with God?
- How does he exalt himself above God?
- What can be said of the Papacy in regard to wearing out the saints?
- How has it thought to change times and laws?
- What other change has it made in the law of God?
- What law must be meant in the prophecy?
- Why?
The subject of the fourth beast and the kingdom represented by it, was considered in Lesson 4; that of the ten horns, in lesson 5; and that of the little horn is to be considered in this lesson. In verse 8 it is said that the little horn plucked up three of the others; and in verse 24, that the king that rose after the ten, should be diverse from them, and subdue three. In verse 8 we read that the little horn had a mouth speaking great things; and in verse 25, that the power represented by it would speak great words against the Most High. Verse 21 says that the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; and in verse 25 it is said that this power should wear out the saints of the Most High. In verse 25 it is further stated that this power should think to change times and laws, and that they should be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. The Church of Rome has fulfilled all these predictions. 1. Three kingdoms, the Vandals, the Heruli, and the Ostrogoths, had to be subdued to make way for the supremacy of the bishop of Rome. 2. It is diverse from the others because it is an ecclesiastical power, while the others are secular. 3. It speaks great words against the Most High; for the pope, who is the head of that church, styles himself Lord God the pope; King of kings, and Lord of lords; King of the world; Holy Father; Vicegerent of the Son of God; etc. See Clarke's Com. on Rev. 13. The pope also claims to forgive sins, and to have power to grant indulgences for sins, that is, to give people license to sin in the future. God, alone, can forgive sins; and he never grants indulgences. So the pope, in claiming to forgive sins, makes himself equal with God; and in granting indulgences, exalts himself above God. 4. It has worn out the saints of the Most High; for no power has ever persecuted so cruelly, it having caused the death of more than fifty million of the saints. See Religious Encyclopedia; Fox's Book of Martyrs; Clarke's Com., etc. 5. It has thought to change times and laws; for it claims to have changed the observance of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. See Catholic Catechism. This would be changing the law of God. It has also stricken out the second commandment, and divided the tenth. The laws referred to in the prophecy must have been the laws of God; for all earthly kingdoms change human laws. THE DAYS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE NUMBERED..
The news from the Eastern Congress has, during the past week, been very significant. The powers make but little effort to conceal the fact that the time has come when the Turkish empire must fall to pieces, and the only question to settle is a satisfactory division of the spoils. The arrangement seems to be that Turkey in Europe is to be left to the adjacent powers, while England assumes control of Turkey in Asia. The following dispatch published in the Inter-Ocean, of July 9, shows that the treaty entered into between England and Turkey offers no guarantee for the integrity of the Sultan’s European possessions. “London, July 8.—A special from Berlin to the Daily Telegraph says England and Turkey have concluded a defensive treaty. England occupies Cyprus immediately, and guarantees the integrity of Asiatic Turkey. This defensive treaty does not necessarily come within the scope of the deliberations of the congress. It is an independent contract between the powers concerned. The validity of it could not be called in question except at the cost of a war. The arrangement will, however, be announced to the congress to-day. The position of Cyprus will give England absolute control over the Euphrates Valley. A line of railway, having this object in view, is to be constructed. No further Russian encroachments in this direction will be possible. So far as Asia is concerned, England and Turkey will practically form one power.” This action on the part of England at once makes Jerusalem a very important point. The following quotation from the same paper shows how the attention of the world is beginning to center at Jerusalem, and how all events are tending to make that the central point in the coming battle of the great day of the Lord:— “Certain special provisions are inserted in the treaty concerning Jerusalem and the holy places and the existing rights of the Greek and Latin churches. These are to be scrupulously preserved, but immunities and privileges of great value are to be secured to the Hebrew inhabitants of the Holy City and its adjoining precincts. The disclosure of this secret treaty puts an end to the possibility of the cession of Batoum to Russia. It throws a vivid light upon the stubborn resistance made by Earl Beaconsfield to that cession, and it explains the apparently inconsistent course of the Turkish representatives at the congress. It is not at all certain that the Russian members will be inclined to accept the treaty. It is thought probable that they will resist it strongly. On the other hand, Austria and Italy approve of it, and the Italian delegate has been heard to say that perhaps the pope would not be disinclined to exchange the Vatican for a home in Jerusalem under English protection.” In regard to these dispatches, the Inter-Ocean editorially says:— “England’s plans as to Asiatic Turkey came out in the Berlin Congress yesterday. England, under the name of an alliance with Turkey, virtually assumes control of Asia Minor. She guarantees the integrity of the possessions, and becomes an equal partner in the administration of affairs. The Sultan nominates the governors of the new provinces organized on the English plan, and the Queen approves. In other words, the real appointing power is with the Queen. This agreement is dated the 4th of June, and explains why England has been so indifferent to the claims of the smaller nations in the readjustment of affairs in Turkey in Europe. This move is really the first step toward making Asiatic Turkey a part of the British empire. This is the stake for which Beaconsfield has played, and this is England’s share of the plunder. She takes possession as an administrator, simply as a precautionary move. Stripped of Bulgaria, Roumelia, and virtually of Thessaly and Epirus, and with Austria’s hand on Bosnia, Turkey in Europe is no longer a power in European politics. Russia, Germany, Austria, and England have simply agreed as to division for the present and the course of action for the future. As no one doubts that Bosnia and Herzegovina will become Austrian, no one can doubt that Asiatic Turkey, from the Soghanly range westward, will ultimately become English. That this project was the burden of the first message Count Schouvaloff carried to the Czar has been more than hinted at. England, seeing that Turkey must go to pieces, said to Russia: ‘Settle affairs as you will in Europe, but give me a free rein in Asia.’ And before the congress met the Russo-English Turkish programme was marked out. Its successful accomplishment will demonstrate that the days of the Ottoman empire are numbered.” The Christian Union, of July 10, gives the following still more explicit statement of the present condition and significant tendency of events in the East. With only one European province left to Turkey, and the Greeks clamoring for Constantinople itself, the affairs of the Ottoman empire are fast approaching a decisive pass. “The reports of the week confirm the foreshadowed results of the Berlin Congress in our last issue. Turkey has suffered more grievously from the diplomacy of England than from the armies of Russia. All attempt to maintain her integrity has been definitely abandoned, and it is not surprising that her representatives at Berlin indignantly and passionately protest against a dismemberment far more complete than that of the Treaty of San Stefano. Austria takes Herzegovina and Bosnia, and her army of sixty thousand men is only awaiting the conclusion of the congress to march in and occupy these provinces. Montenegro and perhaps Eastern Roumelia are left nominally free, but with Antivari, the southern part of Montenegro, declared open to the Austrian navy, the freedom of that province will probably be little more than nominal. Russia saves her national pride by securing the restoration of Bessarabia, taken from her by the Allies in 1856. The problem of the Danube is solved by declaring it free to all ships except in time of war, and placing the territory on both sides under the control of Roumania, whose sovereignty is apparently guaranteed by the powers. England takes the island of Cyprus, which she will doubtless make a naval station corresponding to Gibraltar in the west and Malta in the center. Turkey is recommended to come to some agreement with Greece respecting the northern borders of the latter State, which the congress recommends shall be removed northward, so as to include, substantially, Thessaly and Epirus. This leaves only Eastern Roumelia, south of the Balkan Mountains, to Turkey; for the status of Western Roumelia is still unsettled. Indeed, Greece has laid before the congress a memorial showing that the Christian populations even along the shores of the Sea of Marmora outnumber the Mohammedan, and suggesting that Constantinople should become again a Grecian city.” “Nor are signs of the dismemberment of the Turkish power east of the Dardanelles wanting. The government of Turkey is no longer a powerful despotism, and reports from the interior assert that provincial governors obey orders from Constantinople only when they choose to do so. Egypt has long been ready to strike for independence whenever it could do so successfully. It would not be strange if Syria and Palestine should raise the standard of revolt. Substantially the Turk is driven from Europe. It would not be strange if, within a comparatively brief period, he should be driven even from Asia Minor.” A. J. DAVIS: The subject of the immortality of the soul is fully discussed in the work published at this Office entitled, “Man’s Nature and Destiny,” which see. Christ organized a church which is to continue to the end. The remnant, or last portion of this church, are distinguished as keeping the commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus. Rev. 12:17. His ministers are those whom he has called and led into his truth. 1. Can persons using tobacco, by advice of physicians, for sore mouth, be considered members of our churches in good standing? 2. Is opium-eating held as a test of fellowship? 3. Will those who have sinned without law, Rom. 2:12, ever be raised from the dead? W. B. ANS. 1. We would advise the person to change physicians, and adopt different treatment. 2. Yes. 3. Yes; for they will be judged, verse 16; and the sentence of judgment must be carried out; and none but conscious beings can receive the sentence. They will not be held to so strict an account as those who have had the written law in their hands, and have been instructed in it; but if they have sinned against the measure of light which they did have, as doubtless all the heathen have done, they will perish. T. B. SNOW: We do not understand that what is said of the serpent in Isa. 65:25 is the same as the curse pronounced upon the serpent in Gen. 3:14. The sentence was not simply an announcement that dust should be for him an article of food; but it denoted his humiliation, like the words, “Upon thy belly shalt thou go.” Just as we now sometimes say of a conqueror, “His enemies were made to lick the dust;” not that they literally lapped up the dust with their tongues, but they were overthrown and humbled to the dust. So with the serpent in Gen. 3:14. But Isa. 65:25 only says that the serpent shall find in the dust an article of food, as the lion finds it in straw, without any reference to their condition. We wrote an article on this point for the REVIEW some years since, but cannot now recall the volume and number. H. E. B.: We understand that Rom. 14:14 is spoken with reference to the meats and drinks of the ceremonial law. If a person really thought it was wrong to disregard the distinctions there made, if he did disregard them he violated his own conscience, and hence did himself the same amount of moral injury that he would have done had his course been an actual sin. Matt. 9:16, 17 illustrates the folly of trying to incorporate a new system with one which had waxed old and served its purpose. For instance: the Mosaic dispensation had accomplished its purpose, and with the introduction of the new dispensation by Christ was to be no longer of force. Yet some of the first converts did not see the distinction, and tried to bring the peculiarities of that dispensation over into this as a part of the gospel. This is what Paul in his epistles frequently alludes to. He did not sanction it, but counseled moderation and forbearance with those who still cherished so imperfect and so weak a faith. A. W. BATHER: The new form for church letters is not yet prepared. We were appointed by the General Conference to prepare a form and shall do so before the next meeting of that body, if we have time. Is it in keeping with the proper observance of the Sabbath to travel on the cars on that day in making a trip from California to Michigan? J. R. W. ANS. We think if the querist had ever made the journey, he would not have asked the question. Those who have passed over the road think that, having purchased their ticket, and being comfortably established in their quarters on the cars, they can keep the Sabbath just as well there as they could keep it under the best circumstances they could find should they stop over. 1. Is an ordained deacon qualified to administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper? 2. Is it proper to appoint a leader over the head of an ordained deacon to lead the meetings when the deacon is always present? J. W., Medford, Minn. ANS. 1. If the church is so small that one officer is sufficient, that officer should be an elder and hence qualified to administer the ordinances in his church. A deacon is an officer to look after the temporal affairs of the church; an elder, to attend to its spiritual wants. An elder can, by virtue of his office, do the work of a deacon. But a deacon cannot, by virtue of his office, do the work of an elder. This rule rests upon the principle that the higher office includes all the lower, but the lower does not include the higher. Therefore, as already stated, if one person is sufficient to look after both the spiritual and temporal wants of the church, let that one be an elder, and he can do it all by virtue of his office. But if the church is so large that one person cannot do it all, the deacon comes in to attend to the temporal matters, leaving the elder free to devote his time especially to those of a spiritual nature. 2. To the second part of the query we reply, that, according to the foregoing remarks, if a church is properly organized it will have an elder if it has a deacon; that is, there should not be a deacon appointed unless there is an elder; hence such a situation as our correspondent refers to could not properly occur. ANSWERED BY LETTER: S. H. Whitney, S. Rogers, J. G. Lemen, Eva Burbridge, R. F. Andrews, S. W. Smith, B. L. Francisco. MISSIONARY SPIRIT.
By Stephen N. Haskell
Webster defines a missionary as “one who is sent upon a mission;” but this does not cover the idea of the term as it is used when applied to the work of God. A more full definition would be, “One sent upon a mission to save souls.” It is not, therefore, necessary to go into a far country to be a true missionary; but wherever there are souls to save, there men and women can manifest the true missionary spirit. It should commence in our own hearts, and the fruits of it will be seen in our lives; and its influence will be felt in our own families and neighborhoods. Love is the motive from which the action springs. Love is an active principle, and cannot live without works. Its life consists in performing acts of disinterested benevolence. The soil in which it grows is not the natural heart; but love is a heavenly plant, and flourishes only in a heart renewed by the grace of God. It never becomes weary in doing good to others; for it “suffers long and is kind.” Christ was the great exemplar of this principle. And, in proportion as men possess this spirit, their lives will be devoted to the upbuilding of the cause of God, their greatest interest will be its advancement on the earth. A successful business man will become inspired with the object of his pursuit, so that he will possess discernment to see the bearing of those moves that relate to his interests. He will venture in enterprises the results of which he is persuaded will be for his pecuniary advantage. Some men will run great risks and make a success of almost any enterprise. A successful missionary is one who becomes so inspired with the work of saving souls that his own interests are forgotten, being lost in God’s work. Therefore, if it is necessary for a business man to seek to carefully invest his means so as to bring sure returns, how much more important the work of saving souls. To be successful in this work requires true wisdom. “He that winneth souls is wise.” The apostle reasoned that he had run in vain unless success attended his labors. He exhorted the Philippians to “do all things without murmurings and disputings,” “holding forth the word of life,” that he might rejoice in the day of Christ that he had not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Phil. 2:14-16. The consequences are too serious to enter upon the work of the Lord in a reckless manner. Eternal results rest upon present moves. If a selfish motive prompts the act, even if it be to give all our goods to feed the poor, God does not accept it. A heart that is drawn out after souls for whom Christ died, and that is free from selfish interests, is pleasing to God. It will feel the misery of others, and cannot rest at the sight of suffering. Christ was rich, but he became poor that we might become rich. To bear the burdens of others, to alleviate their sufferings without having in view a reward in this life, is an important part of the Christian religion. “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou shalt be blessed.” Here is the reason: “For they cannot recompense thee.” Now comes the time when the reward is given: “But thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.” The world calls a man a shrewd calculator who can make every move count in bringing him returns in this life, either in money, honor, or friends, anything that will gratify a selfish heart. But God said to the man who had amassed a competency, and then arranged matters for many days of ease in this life, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” Had he been rich toward God by works of a purely disinterested character, it would have been said to him at last, as well as to others, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. . . . Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” To the other class it is said: “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” The work of Christ is often neglected, because of the continued sacrifice required to carry it forward, but this constitutes a test of the spirit which is possessed by the individual. The true missionary spirit reaches out for the salvation of others, and will manifest itself in placing before them those spiritual blessings God has bestowed upon us. The Christian cannot enjoy these things alone. Exclusiveness is a trait of the carnal heart, and belongs to the sinner. No comparison can be drawn between temporal things and the worth of the soul. The precious blood of the Son of God, which was shed for the salvation of mankind, is the only proper estimate of the worth of the soul. And he who, for the sake of sordid gain, will neglect laboring for the salvation of others, and who will let worldly interests come in between him and such labor, deceives himself if he thinks he possesses the Christian religion. Christ left riches, honor, and glory, and took upon himself poverty in the extreme. He had not where to lay his head. Yea, we did esteem him smitten of God and afflicted. He was despised by men, yet he went about imparting life to the dead, health to the sick, and joy to the sorrowing. This was the missionary spirit as exemplified in the life of the Son of God. And if we have not the spirit of Christ, we are none of his. It is said of an emperor and warrior, that when he had taken some golden images of the apostles from the Catholics, and had melted them into coin, he put them into circulation, saying, “Go about doing good, as the apostles did whom you represent.” The same should be said of Christians. Instead of being a stationary guide-board, bearing the name Christian, and pointing to Heaven in a formal manner, we should be active in scattering the seeds of truth, and exerting a holy influence upon all with whom we come in contact. Our talent is to be returned with usury. If we would wear a starry crown, souls must be saved through our instrumentality. “He that turneth many to29 righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever.” Disinterested acts of benevolence will alone secure this. Selfishness will not. It cannot save a single soul. A stream can rise no higher than its fountain. If the motive be selfish, the fruit will be of the same nature. If the motive be purely unselfish, like that principle that brought Christ from Heaven, it will bring forth fruit unto eternal life. There is no failure in this matter. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The heart must first be changed, and become gentle, easy to be entreated, full of good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy. It is God who gives this work success, and, therefore, it must be by the aid of his Spirit that the act is performed. Then God’s Spirit will affect hearts. When it is fully realized that God alone gives the increase, and that the spirit of disinterested affection is the spirit of Christ, it will be considered a privilege to sacrifice for the advancement of the work of God, and, with the apostle, we can exclaim: “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.” A MISPLACED SWITCH.
By C. W. Stone
A SWITCH is an indispensable thing wherever in a railroad track it is necessary to turn the train from one track to another, and set a train out one side, or send it off in another direction. Great care has to be taken in its management; for if a switch is misplaced it sends the train off on the wrong track, or throws it off the track entirely. Railroad men never place a switch in the track where the trains never stop nor in places where it is always desirable to go straight ahead at full speed. Such a switch would be out of place. I have seen a large part of a large congregation tilted off the track by means of a misplaced switch in the speaker’s manner; and it is rarely the case that a speaker becomes so perfect in the management of the switches as to be able to take a long train of hearers through the whole line of his discourse without switching some of them off the track. It is true that if they are really anxious to ride, they will generally cling to the coupling, and roll onward, getting on to the track as soon as possible; but if the concussion is too great, they will go bumping along on the ties all the rest of the way. What are these switches? Bad personal habits form one class. Some of these are peculiar to the individual, and may have followed him long; others are conceived and brought forth in the desk or on the stand. As a means of avoiding the latter class, speakers should shun the former or cure themselves of such habits as fast as they may be able to detect them in themselves. I hold that no man who claims to be a gentleman has a right to inflict upon others the torture of his bad or odd personal habits. We have no right to differ from our fellow-men without good reason, nor to practice anything outside of the approved custom unless we are able to show it to be no violation of good taste. It is difficult for us “to see ourselves as others see us” at all times, yet if we were watchful we should doubtless see much that needs adjusting. It is frequently necessary to clear the throat while speaking, but to hawk periodically, spit on the floor or carpet, and hem whenever the next word does not crowd the one before it, are habits—switches, and such habits switch attention from the track. Speakers sometimes tell the audience to refrain from coughing. There is a lesson for the speaker in that “refrain.” The speaker’s mouth is watched most closely; hence that should be kept tidy. A drop of water left upon the moustache after drinking, or any one of a dozen other such little things, will spoil the eloquence of the next five minutes. This is another switch out of place. But I need not specify. The speaker should take great pains not to have any of these little eye-sores about his appearance, nor to pain the ear with domestic sounds foreign to the subject. One of these bad habits, if prominent, will switch every sensitive hearer who is a lover of good taste and neatness half-way off the track. They cannot fully ignore the blemish, and to some the beauty and logic of the whole discourse is bedimmed by it. Who does not like to hear a speaker run along smoothly the whole course of his lecture, without jolt or jar or anything to call the attention of the hearers to defects in himself, or turn it in any manner from the subject of the discourse? The hearer should be charitable, and the more noble always are; but it is better for the speaker to avoid any occasion for such charity, even though he deprive his noble audience of the privilege of exercising that most enduring Christian quality. Stereotyped phrases and copy-righted words, which almost every public speaker at some time deals in, are a source of annoyance. Some will end a prayer three times out of four with phonographic sameness. When they strike the closing strain, you know just what is coming. Some in prayer repeat the address, “our Heavenly Father,” or “O Lord,” or “O God” so often as to seem almost irreverent. In speaking, it is easy to fall into the habit of using some word or phrase repeatedly. Speakers should remember that “variety is the spice of life,” and that Webster gives several words for one idea sometimes. When you have tired out one, switch in another.