Earlier text: The Greatest of These Is CharityThe Majesty of the Divine Humiliation
Who can be like Thee?
Pilate high in Zion dwelling,
Rome with arms the world compelling,
Proud though they be? Thou art sublime:
Far more awful in thy weakness,
More than kingly in thy meekness,
Thou Son of God. Glory and honor:
Let the world divide and take them;
Crown its monarchs and unmake them;
But thou wilt reign. Here, in abasement,
Crownless, poor, disrobed, and bleeding;
There, in glory interceding,
Thou art the King! — From Stainer’s “Crucifixion.” A Righteous Nation
By L. A. S.
When the United States of America was brought forth to occupy a place in earth's family of nations, it was, in the language of Lincoln at Gettysburg, “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Justice and liberty were made the foundation principles of its government. But these principles were never accorded in practice the place which they occupied in theory. The perfect government which those who had fled from oppression designed to set up in the New World, never emerged from the dreams of its projectors. Out of their efforts came a better government than mankind had known before, and by their labors the ideals of the new political creed were advanced among the peoples of all lands; but it was demonstrated that a perfect government could not be set up and carried on by an imperfect people. The letter of the government might be righteous, but the spirit was full of the passions and weaknesses of the carnal nature by which men are everywhere dominated in this world. Thus it happened that even here, where in theory a haven of refuge existed for the oppressed people of other lands, and where apparently the less fortunate members of the human family might hope to find the helping hand of a good Samaritan, injustice and cruelty were the lot of many. Men were held in slavery, and were bought and sold like a piece of merchandise. A long and dreadful war was necessary to secure even the legal recognition of the truth, declared to be self-evident in the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. And to-day the tendency in this country toward the subjection of the inferior by the superior race, contrary to the ideals set up by the founders of the government, is very marked. The duty to help those lower down in the social scale to a higher plane of life is forgotten, and in its place is discerned only the opportunity to take advantage of their weakness. In some States people entitled by the highest law of the land—the Constitution—to participate in the government are disfranchised. Tales of riot and mob law, in which the weak are made the victims of the strong, and every principle of just government is set aside, are common in the papers that present to us the daily news. And in all places is seen more and more the disposition on the part of those in power to rule by might rather than by right whenever it may be deemed expedient so to do. The spirit of selfishness is casting out the spirit of brotherly love. Yet there is a nation upon the earth which is fulfilling the ideals held by the men who dedicated this republic to the task of bestowing on mankind the blessings of liberty. There is a nation whose mission is ever that of the good Samaritan, seeking to lift up the fallen, to relieve those in misfortune, to give light to those in darkness, to impart hope to the despairing, to bless and curse not. This nation exists, though it is not reckoned among the powers of earth, nor organized into a visible government. It is the nation composed of those who have chosen the leadership of the divine One who gave himself to the work of restoring a fallen and helpless race; who “went about doing good,” binding up the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound. This is the nation to which all those who love liberty and justice must look for the realization of their hope of righteous government upon the earth. This is the nation of which in the day of the final adjustment of human affairs it will be said, “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” It is here, and now, on the earth, that this nation is being made up; and to you, and to all, is still open the privilege of being reckoned among its citizens. L. A. S. Christ’s Glory on Calvary
“If Christ were now to come in the glory of the Father and of the angels and of himself, it would be simply a terrifying spectacle to us if we had not first beheld his glory on Calvary.” Society for the Propagation of the Faith
EIGHTY years ago there was started in the city of Lyons, France, a Roman Catholic society which took the title of the “Society for the Propagation of the Faith.” Its object was to establish Roman Catholic missions in all countries of the earth. From a very humble beginning, it has grown to dimensions which make its work a subject of comment by writers of this day. Its total receipts from all countries since its inauguration amount to $65,690,000, nearly $26,000,000 of which has been spent in planting missions in Asia. To-day the society has at work about 65,000 missionaries, men and women, who are laboring to spread the Catholic religion in all lands. Automobile Expedition to the North Pole
The latest proposed project in connection with arctic exploration is that of an attempt to reach the north pole by automobile. A Canadian explorer, Captain Bernier, is the author of this daring scheme. He proposes to use an automobile, traveling on rollers instead of wheels, which kind of machines has, he says, been successfully used in crossing ice packs in Russia. His plan is to go by ship as near to the pole as possible, then travel over the ice, planting poles as landmarks, and establishing stations at intervals of fifty miles. A wireless telegraph outfit will be taken along. This project certainly possesses some points of superiority over Andre's ill-fated plan of reaching the pole by the balloon. “WHEN the spring is wreathing
Flowers rich and rare,
On each leaf is written,
Nature’s God is there.” “COMFORT one another;
With the hand clasp close and tender,
With the sweetness love can render,
And the look of friendly eyes.
Do not wait with grace unspoken,
While life’s daily bread is broken;
Gentle speech is oft as manna from
the skies.” Call for Workers
By L. D. Santee
God is calling to his people, through the daytime and the nighttime,
Calling in the dewy morning, calling through the shadows dim,
Saying to his earnest workers that the present is the right time
To lay all upon the altar, consecrating all to him;
For the heathen, they are lifting up imploring hands in pleading,
And the light of gospel ministry has unto us been given.
When God says, “Let your light shine,” it becomes us to be heeding,
Or else, by idle waiting, we shall lose the promised heaven. ’Tis the “day of preparation;” let the thoughtful-hearted ponder
On the omens of his coming, on the signs that mark it near.
Is there no meaning in the calls for help, both here and yonder,
In the solemn warning message that the Lord has made so clear?
All the world must hear the tidings of the “gospel of the kingdom,”
Carried to remotest nations by the heralds of the cross.
Many hunger for salvation, and with joy his servants bring them
To the Son of God, who loved the world, and counted all things loss. God is calling us to labor, in the evenings and the daytimes,
Holding up the cross of Jesus that the waiting world may see.
Life is given for earnest labor, not for idling nor for playtime,
But to sound the invitation, “Heavy laden, come to me.”
In our keeping is the gospel, it is heaven’s choicest treasure;
As ye use the precious “talents” will the Master deal with thee;
As we give the light to others, God will regulate our measure;
As we preach the freedom of the Son, our God will make us free. God is calling to his people, through the daytime and the nighttime,
Calling by his Holy Spirit, calling through his sacred Word;
For the Saviour soon is coming, and the present is the right time
To tell to those in darkness, of a risen, coming Lord.
They are crying, they are calling for the Saviour, and we know it,
For a knowledge of the Son of God, who gave his life for men.
O, if we “love our neighbor,” let our words and actions show it!
Every soul brought home to Jesus will enrich our diadem. Work in Christ's Lines
By Ellen G. White
God has given men talents, not to be used for selfish purposes, for the gratification of human pride, but for the glory of his name, for the promotion and advancement of his work, for the benefit of suffering humanity. Different gifts are imparted to different men, that they may see their need of one another, and connect with one another in the work. God's servants are to be a help and an encouragement to one another. The lines of work that are to represent in our world the truth of heavenly origin are to be carried forward in the name of the Lord. Not one thread of selfishness is to be drawn into the web. No worker is to tear down the work of another man in order to please himself. Those who are working for the Lord are to consult him at every step, that they may work together in unity. By faith they are to lay hold upon the unseen, that they may accomplish the work of preparing a people to stand before God at his coming. God can communicate with his people to-day, and give them wisdom to do his will, just as he communicated with his people of old, and gave them wisdom in building the sanctuary. “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee; the tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle, and the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, and the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office, and the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.” This is an object lesson for us. The tabernacle was to be sacred to the service of God. It was to stand continually in the sight of more than a million people as an illustration of the perfection of Christ's work; and all that was done in its building was to represent this perfection. So with God's work to-day. Everything connected with his service is to be without a flaw. Those who are seeking to advance his work should give the very best they have, that the work may illustrate the perfection God requires. God must be honored by the work that is done for him at this time. His work must move forward with stability. Faithfulness and fitness must appear in its every line. The buildings that are erected must correspond with the providences of God and with their relation to the work to be done in other places. We are to follow God's design exactly in the formation and establishment of the work, small though it may be in some places. Outward show and a large outlay of means are not necessary in order to gain the blessing of God. Human taste, human devising, human inclination to ornament, are not to be encouraged. An unnecessary expenditure of money means that there will be less to invest in the work in other places. He who is the author of every temporal and spiritual advantage is also the finisher of our faith. Into all the work we do for him we should bring purity of heart and sanctification of spirit. All our work should be an illustration, not of display and extravagance, but of sanctified judgment. And every move that is made should be made with reference to the work in other places. Lines of work which will absorb means are not to be set in operation without reference to the work in other parts of the Lord's vineyard where there are few facilities. It is the Lord's plan that his workers shall consult together; for the work in one place has an influence on the work in another place. One institution is not to be regarded as a complete whole. The workers in one part of the field are not to feel that they need show no interest in the work in another part of the field. No one is to labor only for the special line under his supervision, feeling no care for other lines of work. All are to labor for the good of the whole cause. Day by day we should feel the greatest anxiety for the constant intercession of Christ, that the work started and the institutions established in different parts of the world may not be in vain. Those who work for God are to be self-sacrificing. Christ gave his life for us, withholding nothing. Let those who work for him show a spirit of self-sacrifice and an earnest desire to carry the work forward with expedition, realizing that it is a work which must be done as speedily as possible. Let consecrated, zealous efforts be made. Let those who believe the truth represent Christ by working for him with willingness and love. Fruits of the Spirit to be Revealed in Every Act
God's people are to mingle with all they do the incense of Christ's merits. In all their actions the fruits of the Spirit9 are to be revealed. Every day by faithful actions sermons are to be preached. It is God's desire that those who are connected with him shall do their very best. When Christ was upon this earth, he was a diligent worker. Learn lessons from him as you work. And when you rest from your labor, tell one another what your experience has been in gaining a knowledge of God. Remember the words, “Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” We should return to God in freewill offerings the very best of what he has given us, gratefully acknowledging him as the giver of all our blessings. We should regard nothing as too good to be devoted to God's service. We should give freely for the establishment of memorials of his goodness. The largeness of his blessings speaks to us of our obligations to return to him his own. All spiritual illumination and perfection come from Christ. He is able and willing to communicate in accordance with the needs of all in every line of his work. He desires all to feel their need of him, and to ask him for the help of his Holy Spirit in the work they have been given to perform. Holiness to the Lord was the great characteristic of the Redeemer's life on earth, and it is his will that this shall characterize the lives of his followers. His workers are to labor with unselfishness and faithfulness, and with reference to the usefulness and influence of every other worker. Intelligence and purity are to mark all their work, all their business transactions. He is the light of the world. In his work there are to be no dark corners where dishonest deeds are done. Injustice is in the highest degree displeasing to God. A Lesson from the Widow of Zarephath
By G. B. Thompson
The famine raged in Samaria. Israel had departed from the precepts of Jehovah, and his displeasure against sin was everywhere manifest. The parched condition of the earth was a striking object lesson of the spiritual condition of the people. “Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; and then the Lord’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you.” Deut. 11:16, 17. The Lord had foretold the results of apostasy; he was now fulfilling his word. But in the midst of the prevailing destitution the Lord did not forget Elijah. He never forgets his faithful people. His eye is upon them; their bread and water are sure. “And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may10 drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.” I Kings 17:8–16. There were many widows in Israel in those days, who, because of their unbelief, were passed by. The Lord must go to those outside of his professed people. She had but a “handful” of food, but she did not withhold this from one in need. Like the widow in the days of the Saviour, she gave all she had. Elijah’s need appealed to her, and she was willing to sacrifice all she had. Yet she suffered no loss. The supply was unfailing. What a lesson for us! That which we give away we have, but what we selfishly hold on to we do not have. To save our life is but to lose it. Had this widow held on to what she had, she would have lost all. But so long as she gave, so long as she passed on the store of blessings she had, the supply was inexhaustible. “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Prov. 11:24. There is a famine in the earth to-day for the word of God. Souls everywhere are appealing to us for bread, the bread of life. Pass on the light, and the Lord will give you more. What you give away you will have. Bring the little you have to Jesus, and he will feed the multitude with it. Are you holding on to this world’s goods, laying up for a “rainy day,” while the hungry souls plead for bread? Are you willing to share your all with them, give the Lord’s cause your last dollar, and trust the Lord? Elijah’s God is our God. Let us study the lesson of the widow of Zarephath. Who of us is willing to follow her example? Lord, increase our faith. VERY few of the thousands who daily express themselves as hoping for this or that, realize what hope really is. How often we hear of disappointed hopes, of “hopes dashed to the ground,” of people who hoped for certain things, but did not get them; and even while telling of their “hope” for some desired thing, some will express the fear that they will be disappointed. Such ones know not what hope really is, and are deluding themselves with false hopes. There is nothing true but God; for Christ, the revelation of God, is “the truth.” He is also the reality, the fullness, of everything that is, because he is the life—the whole of life. He is, and without him there is nothing. There is but one true God, and but one true love, “the love of God,” because “God is love.” So there is but one rightful Lord; but one faith—“the faith of Jesus;” and but one real hope—the hope of our calling in God. Eph. 4:4-7. This hope does not disappoint. That is the force of the expression, “Hope maketh not ashamed,” in Rom. 5:5. Real hope does not deceive us; we are not made ashamed by being obliged to admit that we have not received that of which we spoke so confidently. Often have we been embarrassed when we have been asked where a certain thing is, which we have spoken about expecting to receive. We were disappointed, and would be glad to have the matter forgotten. We feel perhaps a little ashamed of our former enthusiasm, and do not like to have it mentioned. But nothing of this sort happens when we have “the blessed hope” which comes with the experience of justification by faith. Why is this? What is the reason that hope—all hope that is hope indeed—“maketh not ashamed”? The reason is given: “Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” True hope has its origin in true love,—the love of God,—because love “hopeth all things.” 1 Cor. 13:7. “Love is of God,” for “God is love;” therefore love is as enduring and unchanging as God himself. He is “from everlasting to everlasting,” and “the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” It must be evident to all that hope that is based upon such love can never disappoint one. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This was promised to Abraham, and the promise was confirmed by an oath,—God swearing by himself,—for our sakes, that “we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.” Heb. 6:18-20. All things are assured to us in Christ, and only in him. Rom. 8:32. There is nothing in this world or in the world to come that we can have except through his cross. So the so-called hope for anything that is not to be found in him is sure to meet with disappointment; and the hope for everything that is in him, and that can be had with him, is as sure of fulfillment as that he lives. Even this is not all; for hope is so very real that we truly have the thing hoped for. Thus: God’s work was finished from the foundation of the world, and Christ was given before that. Heb. 4:3; 1 Peter 1:19, 20. On the cross he said, “It is finished.” Infinite and everlasting love has bestowed everything. God asks: “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” Isa. 5:4. All heaven has already been poured out in the gift of Christ, so that all that we can possibly hope for we already have in him. We “rejoice in hope of the glory of God,” and Christ in us is “the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory (Heb. 1:3), and the glory that was given him he has given us (John 17:22); therefore, having him, we have all things. He is the same to-day that he is in eternity; therefore all the joys of eternity are ours in him to-day. This is the “lively hope,” the living hope, that we have by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3. There is no element of doubt or uncertainty in it. The Christian’s hope is no vague longing after something in the dim and uncertain future, but a firm grasp of that which is, as well as is to come. This is not simply “the larger hope,” but the largest hope; for we are taught to believe that God’s mercy is upon us according as we hope in him. Ps. 33:22. Then let abiding hope abound.—Present Truth. “In This Thy Day”
By Worthie Harris Holden
O DAY of days, effulgent
With light and life and love,
Ne’er since creation’s dawning
Such glory from above! Thou art a herald royal,
Proclaiming loud, “He comes.
Unto thy King be loyal,
Ye nations, tribes, and tongues.” And signs in heaven and wonders
Upon the land and sea,
With nations’ wild commotions,
Are but thy infantry. The horsemen girt for battle
Join in procession long,
And wist not that their banners
Attest to Israel’s song. “In this thy day,” O Israel,
Give Christ the homage due!
Shout loud, “He comes in triumph;”
Be watchful, leal, and true. Who Is on the Throne?
By Arthur W. George
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Prov. 16:32. The man who bears rule over the realm of the inner life alone possesses the elements of true kingship. He is more truly a king than the monarch upon an earthly throne. Many kings have failed to be rulers because they lacked this quality of self-rule. In the beginning God gave man dominion. He sat a king upon the throne of the kingdom that is within. His Creator placed the scepter of righteousness in his hand, and it was in his power to rule his own life in harmony with the principles of God’s eternal government. But who now is on the throne? Who now reigns in the realm of the human heart? Who sits upon the throne of your heart and mine? Is sin upon the throne? Are evil habits, appetites, and passions reigning there supreme? Are evil imaginations and hateful thoughts swaying their dark scepter over the realm of life? If this be true, a cruel enemy has taken the throne, spreading devastation and sure destruction; and we who should reign are bound in chains that no human power can break. The man, designed by his Creator to be a sovereign, has become a servant—a slave. But, thank God, not without hope. There is one who is able to reclaim the lost dominion. The Commander of heaven, who never lost a battle, stands just outside the gate with all his heavenly host only awaiting the invitation to come in and vanquish every foe. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev. 3:20. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Eze. 36:26); and then “sin shall not have dominion over you.” Rom. 6:14. He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15. The Son of God came to this world and lived in human flesh like our own, and was met by every enemy that has vanquished our hearts; yet he sat unmoved upon the throne of his own human soul. He wants to be crowned King of our hearts. And he will rule there as he did in his own human heart when on earth, if we will but let him in. When Christ is enthroned within, then it is that the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21), and Christ, the second Adam, holds the scepter of righteousness—sovereign of every thought and word and deed. When we shall have given to Christ his place upon the throne of the kingdom within, then he will fulfill his glorious promises to us: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne.” Rev. 3:21. In what way can Christ enter the hearts of men? “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. It is through the word that Christ reveals himself to us. The reception of the word brings Christ into the life. By daily study of the word, by feeding upon it as our daily bread, it becomes a part of us; and its truths become the ruling influence of the life. The word of God is not confined to the Bible alone. His voice is heard in nature; it is written in the sky, and over the landscape, in grass, and trees, and flowers. Take God’s word into the soul. It is the living water. Drink deep draughts of it; and it will be in you a well of living water, an ever-flowing fountain, springing up into everlasting life. Did you ever stand by a stream of water, coursing down a mountain slope, and notice how clean and white the pebbles in its shining bed? And have you noticed the stagnant stream, flowing lazily through the valley, how the unshapely stones in its muddy channel were covered with slime and filth? What makes the difference? It is the swift-flowing stream that burnishes the stones, and cuts its way through the rocks. Keep a stream of the clear water of life from the living fountain of God’s word ever briskly coursing through the mind to cleanse and purify its thoughts. Keep the living stream always flowing. Let it be continually fed from every spring on the mountain side of truth. And the thoughts, the impulses and imaginations of the heart, will sparkle with purity, and shine out in the life in words of truth and deeds of love. According to the Riches of His Grace
A KING once offered a subject a very munificent present for some service. The subject said, “This is too much for me to receive.” The king replied, “But it is not too much for me to give.” He was rich, and gave according to his ability to give. God is very rich and very loving, and when he gives, it is “according to the riches of his grace.” That Seasoning
By T. E. Bowen
Good cooks know just how to season their dishes to make them palatable. Usually they “season to suit the taste,” which is good, providing the taste is not perverted. God also directs his children to use seasoning. They are also to accommodate to some extent their seasoning to the taste of others. It is desirable to have the food palatable. It is possible to take good food, and cook it well, and yet so fail in the seasoning process that it will be eaten with disrelish, and thus fail in nourishing the body as it might otherwise have done. “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Graceful words always, well seasoned, certainly is an ideal attainment for the most progressive Christian. Salt saves. Therefore in every answer there should be some truth uttered, some graceful statement made, in which the hearer shall find words of life. “This certainly rebukes repulsive speeches from the child of God. Graceful speeches,—how good they are! How refreshing! Shall we not study the seasoning art a little more carefully? It is possible that many more might be numbered with the “little flock” were this divine recipe followed better in our conversation with “them that are without.” “Be noble, and the nobleness that lies
In other men, sleeping but never dead,
Will rise in majesty to meet thine
own.” God's Family Government
By Clarence Santee
God has given plain and explicit directions in regard to family government; and it is evident that it is not to be maintained upon the same basis that it would have been if sin had never entered. Here is where some have erred. To begin with the human race, we will go back to Gen. 1:26-28: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion,” etc. The “them” referred to whoever was comprehended in the term “man.” By reading further, it is evident that this term referred to both male and female: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” This is a repetition in substance of the preceding verse. “Let us make man . . . let them have dominion.” “So God created man . . . male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, . . . have dominion.” Then follows the enumeration of the same list given in the twenty-sixth verse. This proves that the “them” refers to both male and female, and is embraced in the term “man.” There is no hint of superiority in this language. All was exact equality. This is made more clear from Gen. 3:16, where it is plainly stated that authority was given as a consequence of sin. From this we see that God’s plan for the family relation was exact equality between husband and wife. See also Gen. 5:2: “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam.” It is impossible for two powers to be equal, yet one have the governing power. Equality calls only for counsel, mutual co-operation. Until sin entered, it must have been “the counsel of peace.” Then where came the government of the home? Was it in the mutual correction of the child? Let us see the relation sustained between parent and child. In Mal. 3:7 God says, “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them.” Then if we went from God in the days of our fathers, it must have been in our fathers. They built up an inheritance of sin, and we have received it. Then, “Like parent, like child” is, in a sense, true. If this be so with wicked parents, it must have been so with righteous parents. The first perceptions of the child would then have been appreciation. As it gained a knowledge of the use of its hands, it would have delighted in helpfulness. In the lack of knowledge, strength, and experience, it might have delayed more than assisted, yet the persistent effort would have been to aid others, and show helpfulness. It could not have been corrected for wrongdoing, as a wrong deed would have been through mistake. It would have taken more severe punishment to compel to do wrong than it now does to compel one who loves the wrong to do right. It could then have been said, “From the days of your fathers” ye have kept mine ordinances. Where, then, could there have been government? — It would have been in counsel, pleasant instruction, and happy accord. Yet, with all this freedom there would have been the most absolute government. Why? — Love would have impelled. They could not do otherwise. The law of love was in the heart. It was their life. But, one will say, “If so, then there would have been no need for instruction.” God has never endowed the faculty of mechanical right doing separate from the controlling power of the mind. Angels do right as the mind comprehends right. “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in12 True love will not lead a parent to pass by the defects of the children, when it is evident that these defects will lead them to eternal ruin. This is fatal indulgence. I copy from a Reform School Magazine the following: “If a child be allowed to have its own way, it will like it and not cry; but in after years its parents, in sorrow for their leniency, may shed the most bitter tears.” Parents make the mistake, and it is one that leads them to mistaken ideas of the advisability of positive restraint and correction, of mingling scolding, criticising, and faultfinding, with their effort. This will harden and discourage a well-meaning child. The counsel of God to such is, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” Col. 3:21. In God’s ideal home there is helpful and acceptable counsel and assistance in cultivating the natural tendencies of the heart, and thus developing the broadest basis of enjoyable individual liberty with both parents and children. When the new element came in, God so provided that the evil might be held in check, and finally, by his Spirit’s aid, be crucified. It must die, or its victim will die or will. “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be.” “Evil doers shall be cut off.” “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” Be Glad
By Marianne Farningham
Be glad when the flowers have faded?
Be glad when the trees are bare;
When the fog lies thick on the fields and moors,
And the frost is in the air;
When all around is a desert,
And the clouds obscure the light;
When there are no songs for the darkest day,
No stars for the longest night? Be glad when the world is lonely,
And the heart has been bereft;
When of all the loves of the young springtime
Scarcely a friend is left?
Be glad in the desolate valley
After the sunny hills,
When the joy of the morning is far behind,
And the gloom its task fulfills? Be glad when the heart is failing,
And the brain is losing power,
And the cunning skill of the strong right hand
Wearies in one short hour?
We are glad in the merry morning,
And glad at the noon again,
But the wintry night is a tired time —
Do we look for gladness then? Ah, yes, for the truest gladness
Is not in ease and mirth;
It has its home in the heart of God,
Not in the loves of earth!
God’s love is the same forever,
If the skies are bright or dim,
And the joy of the morning lasts all day
When the heart is glad in him.
— Marianne Farningham. Early Impressions
By C. H. B.
My father was a pioneer in the West. He settled in central Illinois in 1837. He had received only about three months' schooling; yet he took an interest in the education of the youth, often visiting our school, and speaking encouraging words to the students. Our home was a Christian home. My grandfather, who was a minister, made his home with us. The Bible was read daily, the songs of Zion were sung, and prayer was offered. The children were never urged to “get religion;” but a religious influence filled our home, which was known as the ministers' hotel, though they never paid for their meals in money. Outside the home there was swearing, and drinking, and fighting; liquor was cheap; and horse racing, wrestling, drunkenness, and fighting were of weekly occurrence. But a Christian school and a Christian home counteracted these outside influences. A large number of young men who grew up in the early history of this frontier town became ministers of the gospel. One half of the eight children in my father's family entered the ministry, and all became church members. The brain of the child and youth is like a ball of putty,—impressions are easily made, but not easily erased. What we see and hear in youth, if often repeated, becomes a part of our being. We may endeavor to get rid of it, but like indelible ink, it remains, and often comes forth in thought, even when the circumstances seem most unfavorable. The environment of our youth largely makes us what we are in after life. Bad habits learned from bad associates, how they cling to us! Like the octopus, they hold us with a hand of steel; we rise on our dignity, and resolve to be men, to find that we are but grown children. How glad I am that I so often listened while in youth to the songs of Zion. The songs my parents sang seem to me to-day the sweetest of all songs. Parents, sing to your children. Do it for their sake, and pray with and for them, even though you may not feel like it. God will reward you. I believe it pays. MR. MOODY once related this incident concerning his own little son: “My wife came down one evening, and said she had had some trouble with one of the children. He was not willing to obey, and he had gone off to bed without asking her forgiveness. I went up and sat down by the side of the little child, and said: ‘Did you pray to-night?’ ‘I said my prayers.’ ‘Did you pray?’ ‘I said my prayers.’ ‘Did you pray?’ ‘Well, papa, I told you that I said my prayers.’ ‘Yes, I heard you; but did you pray?’ “The little fellow was struck; he knew he hadn’t prayed. How was he going to pray when there was something wrong in his heart? He could not do it. ‘Well, now,’ said I, ‘are you going to go off to sleep without praying?’ After a struggle he said: ‘I wish you would call mamma.’ She came up, and was glad to forgive him, and then he wanted to get out of bed and pray. He had ‘said his prayers,’ but now he wanted to ‘pray.’ Many people say their prayers, just as a salve to their conscience, and go out and do some mean, contemptible thing after they have said their prayers. But they hadn’t prayed, and that’s the difference.”—United Presbyterian.