"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
THESE words are simple and plain, but do we understand them? Do we have a practical knowledge of what they mean? If we do not, as professed followers of Christ, we are to understand that we need to make haste, and place our affections on those things that are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Why are we commanded to do this?—Because if we place our affections on the things of earth, we shall become earthly, common, and evil. Our minds take the level of the things on which our thoughts dwell, and if we think upon earthly things, we shall fail to take the impress of that which is heavenly. We would be greatly benefited by contemplating the mercy, goodness, and love of152God; but we sustain great loss by dwelling upon those things which are earthly and temporal. We allow sorrow and care and perplexity to attract our minds to earth, and we magnify a molehill into a mountain. In speaking of that which we are called upon to endure, Paul says: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look"—at our difficulties, while we magnify our trials, and think only of our hardships? No, but "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Temporal things are not to engage our whole attention, or engross our minds until our thoughts are entirely of the earth and the earthly. We are to train, discipline, and educate the mind so that we may think in a heavenly channel, that we may dwell on things unseen and eternal, which will be discerned by spiritual vision. It is by seeing Him who is invisible that we may obtain strength of mind and vigor of spirit. This is the way in which Daniel received strength. He was called to act a part in the first place in the kingdom of Babylon, and proved himself a noble statesman in all his connection with the court. He lived a noble life, and presented a worthy example. His eye was fastened on things unseen and eternal. He realized that he was fighting in the sight of the heavenly intelligences, and his dependence was in God.
We may not be called upon to act a part in public affairs, but in whatever place we are called by the providence of God, we may confidently expect that God will be our helper. We are not to be a toy to circumstances, but to be above circumstances. We are not to be controlled by circumstances. When we are placed in trying positions, and find things about us that we do not like, that try our patience, and test our faith, we are not to sink down in despondency, but to take a firmer hold upon God, and prove that we are not setting our affection on things on the earth, but on things above; that we are looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is to be the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He is to be our strength in every time of trial. God must be our sole dependence. When we drop God out of our reckoning, and cease to place our affections upon him, we deprive ourselves of great benefit. We cannot afford to do this, and God cannot afford to have us do it! Why?—Because we have been bought with an infinite price, even with the precious blood of his only-begotten Son. God cannot afford to have us glorify the powers of darkness by turning our eyes upon things seen and temporal; for instead of being workers together with him, we cast our influence on the side of the enemy.
You are to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, at the same time realizing that it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. When we are laborers together with God, we cannot set our affections upon things below; for where our affections are, our thoughts will be; and where our thoughts are, there will be our treasure. When we dwell upon things seen and temporal, we fail to obtain divine knowledge, as did Daniel. What is our position to-day? Are we learners in the school of Christ, earnestly seeking to know what is the will of God concerning us? How many in this congregation believe that Christ is their personal Saviour? How many can say, "He saves me"? I know that he wants that I should be saved. He looks upon me as of value in his sight, and therefore I know that my thoughts, my words, and my works, all pass in review before him. Everything that is connected with the purchase of the blood of Christ is of value in the sight of God. By the price paid for our redemption we are under obligation to devote our entire affections to Christ. We are to give God all there is of us; and in giving to God our all, are we to consider that we sustain a great loss?—No, for in giving to him our talents, we are doubling them. Every gift he has given to us, when returned to him, receives his blessing, that it may have increased influence in the work of God. Wherever you may be, you are to realize that you belong to Christ, and that your influence is to be as far-reaching as eternity.
At one time a lawyer came to Jesus, and said, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Is there anyone here that wants that question answered? Jesus turned the question back upon the questioner, and said unto him, "What is written in the law? how readest thou?" The lawyer answered him in a way that made manifest that he understood what the law comprehended. He quoted the words found in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, and said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart [not giving half to the world and a third to self, but all to God. Will there be anything left for the world?] and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live." Our whole being is required in the service of God. No reservation is to be made. But someone says, "Well, I do not know how I would succeed in the things of this world were I to carry out this instruction." You would succeed much better; for you would find that godliness is profitable unto all things, providing that which is essential for your welfare in this world and your happiness in the next. You would succeed much better; for you would have God to work with you. You would live as seeing him who is invisible, realizing that you were working in the sight of the unseen world.
This is the way in which Moses succeeded. He lived as seeing Him who is invisible, and was therefore able to count the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. If men would live in this way, we should see their faces aglow with the glory of God; for they would be viewing the glory of the eternal, and by beholding, would be transformed into the image of Christ. But instead of this, how general is forgetfulness of God! How few are constantly beholding the unseen Guest, realizing that he is at their right hand! How many ignore his presence! Did we treat others as we treat Jesus, what discourtesy it would be thought!
Suppose a friend were with us, and we should meet an acquaintance on the way and direct our whole attention to our new-found acquaintance, ignoring the presence of our friend, what opinion would men have of our loyalty to our friend, of our degree of respect to him? And yet this is the way we treat Jesus. We forget that he is our companion. We engage in conversation, and never mention his name, or include his instruction in our words. We talk of worldly business matters, and where it does not bruise the soul, where it is essential, we do not dishonor Jesus, but we do dishonor him when we fail to mention him in our intercourse with our friends and associates. He is our best friend, and we should seek for opportunities to speak of him. We should ever remember that he is at our right hand, that we should not be moved, and we should ever keep him in view. Our conversation should be of a character that would be of no offense to God. We are to be overcomers, copartners with Jesus, not lending our influence to the work of the enemy. Although "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life," yet not a soul of us will be saved who fails to coöperate with God. Although our salvation is dependent upon our coöperation with God, yet we can take no glory to ourselves; for Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith; all the glory is to rebound to God. Christ is the beginning and the end, and we are utterly dependent upon him.
Jesus says, "Without me ye can do nothing." Since this is our position, shall we permit our minds to wander to the ends of the earth? Shall we spend our probationary time in jesting and joking? Shall we fail to realize that it is a solemn thing to live? Men generally agree that it is a solemn thing to die; but it is a far more solemn thing to live. Why?—Because every soul surrounds itself with an atmosphere that has a telling influence upon those with whom we are brought in contact. Many gather to themselves the atmosphere that breathes from the powers of darkness. Even professed followers of Christ often permit the hellish shadow of Satan to interpose between the soul and God. Their thoughts, their words are of a cheap, common order, and they give others the impression that religion is a cheap thing. Oh, we cannot afford to give any such instruction! We who may be imbued with the Spirit of Christ, who may have his love in our hearts, his vivifying influence in our souls, should shed upon men a beneficial influence. We should be copartners with Jesus. He says:—
"As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
These are the truths upon which we should dwell. Our bodies are built up from what we feed upon, and our minds, our experiences, will be after the order of that which composes our spiritual food. Jesus says: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
(Concluded next number.)
THE OLDEST CHRISTIAN HYMN.
[In Book III of Clement of Alexandria is given, in Greek, the most ancient hymn of the primitive church. It is there (150 years after the apostles) asserted to be of much earlier origin. The following version will give some imperfect idea of its spirit.]
SHEPHERDS of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth,
Through devious ways,
Christ, our triumphant King,
We come thy name to sing,
And here our children bring
To shout thy praise.
Thou art our holy Lord,
The all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Thou didst thyself abase,
That from sin's deep disgrace
Thou mightest save our race,
And give us life.
Thou art our great High Priest.
Thou hast prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None call on thee in vain;
Help thou dost not disdain,
Help from above.
Ever be thou our guide,
Our shepherd and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, thou Christ of God,
By the perennial word,
Lead us where thou hast trod;
Make our faith strong.
So now, and till we die,
Sound we thy praise on high,
And joyful sing.
Youth and the happy throng
Who to thy church belong
Unite and swell the song
To Christ our King.
—Selected.
THE GOSPEL PRESERVED IN ITS PURITY TO PROTESTANTS.
By Joel C. Rogers
BY JOEL C. ROGERS.
THE good tidings of great joy to all people is that Jesus will have all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), so this gospel is easy of comprehension and all can understand it. Jesus gave it to all men in its purity and simplicity, as he designed it to remain until he comes in power and glory.
This gospel is embraced in two principles: faith in Jesus (John 6:29; Acts 16:31) and obedience to the commandments of God (Matt. 19:17). Both these are based on the one great principle of love. It would seem that all could receive such a gospel as this, given in love to save man from perishing (John 3:16); but all did not receive it. Even those who should have been first to welcome the glad news did not receive it. John 1:11. And why not?—Because it was contrary to their traditions and commandments of men. Mark 7:7, 13.
God had given them his commandments in purity, and he added no more. Deut. 5:22. But the scribes and Pharisees did add more, until the word of God was made of none effect, and their hearts so filled with their own traditions that their minds were blinded to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. Jesus called these professed teachers of the people "blind leaders of the blind," and said both they and their followers should fall into the ditch. He did not scruple even to call them hypocrites because they pretended to teach God's law, but failed to keep it. Matthew 23. He said they were fools, vipers, children of hell, full of hypocrisy and iniquity; and while branding them with such fearful condemnation for daring to trifle with the high commands of God, he magnified the law in all its purity. He showed that it is so exceeding broad and deep that it searches out the very thoughts and intents of the heart. Matt. 5:17-28. He showed that he came to die because it had been broken. Matt. 9:13; 1 John 3:4. Thus by this pure gospel Jesus strips off the traditions and commands of men, leaving God's law as it was given.
Jesus ever taught that his Father's law was founded upon the everlasting principle of love, that obedience to it is a manifestation of our love, and that his gospel is in perfect harmony with it. While the Lawgiver said it required love to God (Deut. 6:5) and love to man (Lev. 19:18), Jesus also said, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt. 22:40. While God said by Solomon that the fear of God and the keeping of his commandments is the whole duty of man, he said also by John, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Again Jesus says if we love him, we will keep his commandments, even as he kept his Father's; and his command is love, so is his Father's, and all is one great gospel of love from the foundation of the world. See John 14:23, 24; 15:10-12; Eph. 1:4; Rev. 13:8.
The first advent of Jesus to the earth was to unfold and unveil this gospel of love, in all its purity and power, and to teach men how to live in it. John 10:10. At his second advent he expects to find his followers living in that same pure, simple gospel which we have found was comprehended in obedience to God's commandments and faith in Jesus. Heb. 9:28; Rev. 14:12, 14. But he well knew what efforts Satan and wicked men would make to overthrow the gospel and hide its light. He therefore foretold in his word, for the benefit of those living at the time of his second coming who desire to return to the pure gospel, of the false prophets (teachers) who should arise. Matt. 24:11, 24. Paul told about a "falling away" (2 Thess. 2:3, 7) and showed how it would come,—by "grievous wolves" entering the church,—and enemies within are the worst of all enemies (Acts 20:28-30). Then Peter describes more minutely the wicked work of these "false teachers." Study 2 Peter 2:1-3, 10-22.
The "falling away" had already begun to show itself when Paul wrote these words, in the workings of paganism, which were beginning to pollute the pure gospel of Christ among his followers. Paul's words in Acts 20:29, 30, spoken to the elders of Ephesus, were most remarkably fulfilled by the corruptions which came into the church of Ephesus. Rev. 2:2, 6 mentions some of these evils, and history tells the rest of the story of corruption. Thus, indeed, in the strong words of Peter, "damnable heresies" were brought in. Not only were they brought in by this church, and into this church, but they were brought into all the professed churches and confirmed by the decisions of various councils held to settle the disputes over these heresies. Read, especially, the history of the two councils of Ephesus, in "Two Republics," pp. 418-446.
A large part of the evil work of these false teachers is manifested in causing the way of truth to be evil spoken of, forsaking the right way and in turning from the holy commandment. 2 Peter 2:2, 15, 21. All this has been actually done in the Roman Catholic Church by the bishops (teachers) of that church in adding tradition to God's law, and in changing that law (Dan. 7:25) and adding commandments of men to the commandments of God. I have before me four Catholic catechisms, published by authority of that church and recognized as standard works, showing that this is so. I also have one Protestant (?) catechism, showing that Protestants have accepted many of these traditions and commandments of men as their faith and practice. Many say the same to-day.
I give a very few of the most common doctrines of the Catholic Church, which are based only upon tradition "of the elders" (fathers, Mark 7:3, 7) and commandments of men,—infant baptism, celibacy of clergy (1 Tim. 4:3), doctrine of purgatory, observance of Sunday and holy days, institution of festivals and fasts, and assumption of civil authority.
Here, then, are the facts: In the "falling away" the purity of the gospel of Christ has been corrupted. Many have "departed from the faith," until the gospel's glorious light almost ceased to shine, and all the world today knows a long, dismal, stormy night of woe and blood called the Dark Ages. Thank God, those days were shortened. Matt. 24:21, 22. Noble men arose, who gave their lives to bring back the simplicity of the gospel as it is in Jesus. Tyndale, Luther, Zwingle, Knox, and others witnessed to the gospel and sometimes sealed their testimony for the truth with their blood. Wesley and others have followed them in the good begun work. We of this generation are in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21. Jesus must find his people living in the purity of his everlasting gospel when he comes. The work of the noble reformers is not complete till we leave every tradition and commandment of men. We Protestants are obeying many of the false doctrines of those "false teachers," some of which doctrines were mentioned above. These are in direct opposition to God's commandments. Ex. 20:3-17; 2 Thess. 2:4. Jesus said to those who did thus at his first advent: "Ye reject the commandment of God," "making the word of God of none effect." "This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. . . . In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Mark 7:9, 13, 6, 7. He says the same to those who do the same things to-day. Many Protestants, so called, are going back to Rome, to her doctrines and practices. "Rome never changes." God says, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins." Rev. 17:3-5; 18:2, 4.
Men and brethren, what shall we do?—Forsake Romanism, protest against it, keep every commandment of God; then it shall be said of us, "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus;" and, "Blessed are they that do his commandments." And this is the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved in his own word, where every hungering soul may find it, and nowhere else in its purity.
THE MODERN THANKSGIVING.
By Robert J. Burdette
Now, we are going to show our national and individual gratitude this month by direction of the President. We are a grateful people. If you don't believe it, see us eat. Some of us—and these are not men—are so thankful we will not go to church at all on Thanksgiving day. We will stay home and get dinner for a host of other grateful people. It is the dinner that makes us thankful. Some Thanksgiving day just you pitch the dinner over the alley fence about ten minutes before twelve o'clock. Then see what a devoutly grateful, what a sweetly thankful crowd will come home from church. On second thought, perhaps you had better not wait until they come home. You had better run. And keep on running until you get to the middle of the Great American Desert. And stay there.—Robert J. Burdette, in Ladies' Home Journal.
TOADYING TO ROME.
THE tendency of the average Protestant to stultify himself by offering incense to Roman arrogance is manifest in the daily occurrences. The Prohibitionists had to have Father Mahoney open their national convention with prayer. The Democrats had to have Harrity at the helm, and the Republicans looked for success through Carter, and when a number of preachers undertook to reform New York politics a year ago, they gave to the only priest who fell in with their ideas of reform, the position of temporary chairman, and would have made him permanent chairman were it not for the protest of Dr. McArthur against this Protestant toadying to a representative of the antichrist. And all the world wondered after the beast, says John in Revelation.—Primitive Catholic.
Silence and Truth Without Charity
By Francis de Sales
A judicious silence is always better than truth spoken without charity.—Francis de Sales.
A FATAL MISTAKE.
A HEAVY storm had suddenly set in. Mrs. Day came to the door of the store and looked anxiously up the village street. She was a thin, bent woman of sixty. She shivered as the gust of sleet and rain beat on her.
"Don't think of going home now, Mrs. Day," the shopkeeper called out. "I'm sorry I have no umbrella or wraps for you; but wait, and they will send you one from home."
Mrs. Day waited, but she knew that no one at home would think of her. It grew dark and the storm increased. She ran up the street at last, reaching her home drenched. Her son met her in the hall. "Why, mother! Could you not borrow an umbrella somewhere?" he said, drawing back lest he should be wet.
Her daughter Sue was playing on the piano in the parlor. The fire burned brightly, and the lamp threw a cheerful glow around the pleasant room.
"Dear, dear! This is too bad, mamma!" she cried. "Your teeth are chattering with cold."
"I thought perhaps you would have brought me a wrap," said Mrs. Day gently to her son.
"I never thought of it, mother; I saw you go out, too."
"You had better go to bed, mamma," said Sue, "and take some hot tea." She turned to the piano again, and began "Schuberth's Serenade."
Mrs. Day crept shivering up the stairs. She felt strangely weak and ill as she tried to take off her wet clothes. It would have been so pleasant if somebody would have rubbed her chilled feet, and brought her some tea, and petted her a little. Old as she was, her heart ached sometimes for comforting and caressing. A strange longing filled her heart for the husband who died so long ago.
But Sue, though she was sorry for her mother, never thought of going to help her. She sang the serenade with much pathos, while Will listened with dim eyes. Both brother and sister were easily touched by a strain of music, a noble poem, or a beautiful landscape. Yet it did not occur to either of them to look after their mother.
She changed her clothes, and, still chilled, went to the kitchen. It was Martha's "afternoon out," and the supper was to be made ready. She laid the table, broiled the fish, and made the tea. She remembered how she used to help her mother when she was Susy's age. How she loved to work for that dear soul! Yet Susy ought to love her, too.
"I have been a faithful mother," thought Mrs. Day, as she sat at the table looking at her handsome children.
"And you had to get the supper, mamma!" exclaimed Sue. "I forgot that Martha was not to be at home this afternoon."
Mrs. Day went to her bed that night with a high fever. Martha, when she came downstairs in the morning, heard her moan. The girl had a kind heart and common sense. She ran for a physician.
When the old doctor met Sue in her pretty morning gown, after he left Mrs. Day's room, he said sternly: "I fear your mother has pneumonia. I should have been called last night."
She cried bitterly, but she could do nothing. She never had spread a plaster or given a dose of medicine in her life. A nurse cared for her mother the few days in which she lived.
The poor woman before her death watched her children with eager, despairing eyes. She saw that they loved her, but they seemed afraid of the sick room, and could not bear the sight of pain.
She saw now wherein she had failed. She had never allowed them to bear pain or discomfort, or to feel any responsibility in life. From their birth she had waited on them, worked for them, sacrificed everything out of her great love for them.
She had never taught them out of their love for her to wait on her, to sacrifice a single selfish wish for her. She had ministered faithfully to their bodily wants, but she had not given to them the unselfishness, the habit of self-sacrifice which had made her own soul happy.
How many mothers make this fatal mistake, and how few know that they have made it!—The Household.
SWEET COURTESIES OF LIFE.
By Author of Apples of Gold
EVERY Christian grace should be cultivated from early childhood. The little words "please" and "thank you," when favors are solicited and conferred, fall pleasantly upon the ear.
One little act of kindness done—
One little soft word spoken—
Hath power to make a thrill of joy
E'en in a heart that's broken.
In teaching little folks the sweet courtesies of life we must repeat over and over the same lesson, day after day, for the first few years. Some little girls can wait on a visitor in their mother's absence with as much propriety as young ladies, can answer questions put to them clearly and directly, and always politely, and it is a pleasure to be a guest where children thus behave.
Little Alfred's mother had taken pains to instruct her baby boy in some of the simple forms of politeness and hospitality, and, though not three years old, he used to put his lesson in practice. One day a dear friend of his mother's called, and he ran at once to bring a chair for her, inviting her to sit by the fire. Then he brought a footstool for her feet, and asked her to let him take her bonnet. "I wish you would stay to dinner," he lisped, "and stay all day, and forever." Then he looked up into her face with a bright smile, and said, "I try to be polite."
"Thank you, Charlie," said Mrs. Brown, as her little son handed her a paper he was requested to bring. "Thank you, Bridget," said the little fellow a few hours later, as he received a glass of water from his nurse.
"Well, Mrs. Brown, you have the best-mannered children I ever saw," said a neighbor; "I should be thankful if mine were as polite to me as yours are to the servants. You never spend half as much time on your children's clothes as I do, and yet everyone notices them, they are so well behaved."
"We always try to treat our children politely," was the quiet reply.
This was the whole secret. When I hear parents grumbling about the ill manners of their children, I always wish to ask, "Have you always treated them with politeness?"
What sight is more lovely than this pleasant, modest, Christian courtesy in little folks at home and abroad? It is like "apples of gold in pictures of silver."
Hearts, like doors, can ope with ease
To very, very little keys;
And don't forget that they are these,
"I thank you, sir," and "if you please."
When the Duke of Wellington was sick, the last thing he took was a little tea. On his servant's handing it to him in a saucer, and asking if he would have it, the duke replied, "Yes, if you please." These were his last words. How much kindness and courtesy is expressed by them! He who had commanded the greatest armies of Europe, and was long accustomed to a tone of authority, did not despise or overlook the smallest courtesies of life.
Ah, how many boys do! What a rude tone they often use to their little brothers and sisters, and sometimes to their mothers!
A look will sometimes send a pang
Of anguish to the heart;
A tone will often cause a tear
In sorrow's eye to start.
Children, don't forget three little words, "If you please."
Then let us watch those little things,
And so respect each other
That not a word, or look, or tone
May wound a friend or brother.
AT MOTHER'S KNEE.
Two mothers were talking together about the difficulty of making their little children understand the beautiful words of the dear and sacred book of God.
"Sometimes they find it hard and sometimes so easy that I am surprised at their quickness," said one. "I remember a few evenings since I was reading to my little boy after he was in bed at night, and one verse was, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'"
"Isn't that a lovely reason for keeping the heart white and clean, Freddy, because the pure in heart shall see God?"
"I don't know, mamma," answered the eight-year-old child.
"Wouldn't you like to see your Heavenly Father?" I asked, and he answered, as he snuggled his hand in mine:—
"No, mamma, I always think I'd be afraid. Wouldn't I have to die before I saw him, mamma? I don't want to die."
"I wonder if that can be because you are naughty and so afraid to meet him?" I asked gently.
"Oh, no, mamma, it's—it's because I don't want to go away from you and papa, and everybody!"
"But you do not need to go away in order to see God, my boy," I said, as soothingly as155I could, for I saw the secret of his troubled mind. "It means the pure in heart can see him, now and here and every day."
"How, mamma?" said Freddie, holding my hand tightly under the coverlet. "I couldn't see him with my very eyes, could I?"
"No, darling, but with your heart. Do you remember when mamma went away on that long visit and left you with the governess? Before she went she had everything made nice for you, and while she was gone everything was done for you just as she had planned. Every time you came to the table the food was just what I had told them to provide for you. The shade was placed on the lamp when you read or studied in the evening, to spare your bright young eyes. The warm suit was laid ready for the stormy day, and the thin suit for the warm one. In all these things whose hand did you see? Whose love and whose tender care?"
"Why, mamma's," said the impulsive boy, springing up and getting his arms tightly about my neck.
"But you couldn't see me with your 'very eyes,' could you? And if in all those days of my absence a stranger boy had been here in the house, one who had never known me, he, too, might have had food and books and play hours and care for his health, and yet not have seen your mother in it all, because he did not know or love me or try to please me. But you saw me in it all, because you had been taken care of by me, always."
"Just so, my darling, if you remember that God has always been taking care of you and loving you; that he gave to me all the lovely things for you, just as I gave you the governess; and if you remember that in all I do for you I try to make it as he would like it for his little lad he loves, then you cannot help seeing God in every act of kindness and every means by which you are clothed and fed or made happy or safe. He does it all. It is the love that he puts in our hearts for you that makes your life comfortable."
"Suppose you begin to say of everything, God is in it, God gave it, God let it come to me, and soon your heart will love him, and want to tell him so, just as you wanted to get your arms around my neck when I was away and show me how much you loved me. And you wrote at home in a dear little printed letter. And I wrote back and said, 'Show you love me by obeying all I have told you.' That obedience will make you my noble, true son."
"So God says, 'If you love me, keep my commandments;' that will make you pure in heart, and then, in everything that happens to you, and in all the world that he has made beautiful for you, yes, in every leaf and flower and cloud, you 'shall see God.'"
And that little twilight talk sank down into the heart of my child, and I knew he saw and loved God, as I know many another child would see and love him if mothers only knew how to open to them his wonderful and gracious word.—Home Magazine.
The Home Circle.
"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."—Phil. 4:8.
A LULLABY.
SLEEP, my child, the shadows fall;
Silent darkness reigns o'er all;
Bird and bloom are lost to sight
In the folded arms of night;
Stars from out the cloud towers peep;
Sleep, my darling, sweetly sleep.
Sleep. Thy Father guards thy rest;
Lay thy head upon his breast;
Safer than these arms which hold thee,
His dear love will firm enfold thee;
Higher love than mine shall he
Give, beloved one, to thee.
Sleep. The waves have long been sleeping.
Angels o'er thee watch are keeping.
O'er us both the pale stars shine
With a radiance half divine.
Slumbers, innocent and light,
Fall from heaven on thee to-night.
—Chambers' Journal.
TWO TOWNS.
BROTHER, you who growl and frown,
Why don't you move from Grumbletown,
Where everything is tumbled down
And life is always dreary?
Move over into Gladville, where
Your face will don a happy air
And lay aside the look of care
For smiles all bright and cheery.
—Selected.
COUNTER BLASTS TO TOBACCO.
BALZAC.—"Each man is master of himself, according to modern law, but if the select or common people who read these pages believe they do not injure themselves by smoking like steam tugs, and drinking like Alexander, they deceive themselves strangely. They demoralize the race, prevent generation, from whence comes ruin of their country. Tobacco destroys the body, attacks the intelligence, and stupefies nations."
Tobacco suppresses salivation, produces dyspepsia, irritates and dries the bronchial tubes, provokes sore throats, and enfeebles the action of the heart. It must certainly weaken, too, the power of propagating the species by inducing impotency, and is found to be, owing to this fact, a most powerful agent in producing depopulation.
MICHELET.—"Tobacco separates man from woman, and is the most dangerous obstacle to conjugal happiness."
RASPAIL.—"If the tobacco maniacs laugh at the dangers that threaten them, it is because they are partly brutalized."
VICTOR HUGO.—"Tobacco is more injurious than useful; it changes thought into reverie. Thought is the labor of intelligence; reverie is its voluptuary. Replace thought by reverie, and you confound a poison with nourishment."
FOURNIER.—"It is the opiate of the human mind. People who smoke are people who perish."
STENDOHL.—"If smoking continues a century or two longer, the intelligence of the world will end in its fumes, and the monkey will meet man as his equal."
At the present day there are but few smokers among literary men. Goethe would not admit that a man of genius smoked, or that a smoker was a man of genius.—Cincinnati Lancet-Clinic.
THE CHECK REIN.
THE cruel and senseless abuse of this rein for the gratification of ostentatious vanity is hit in its vital part by the following suggestion from the Ohio Sanitary Record: "If there were reason to believe that the check rein would, by the laws of evolution, give succeeding generations of horses better form, there might be the shadow of an excuse for this practice; but as the reining of a horse's head will weaken the muscles which support it, the tendency will be for horses of the future to be less and less able to support their heads, impairing their usefulness and marring their beauty of proportion."—Sanitary Era.
Explain Thy Doctrine by Thy Life
LEARN to explain thy doctrine by thy life.
Health and Temperance.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."—1 Cor. 10:31.