Earlier text: General ArticlesTemporal Millennium.
By Editor
THE doctrine of a temporal millennium, or of the world's conversion, is not taught in the word of God. We learn this, (1) from the explicit declarations of Scripture; and (2) from the great chains of prophecy, or prophetic outlines of this world's history. Many writers and speakers quote largely from the prophets to prove the doctrine; but their views do not harmonize with the direct declarations of the word of God. Hence, their expositions are wrong. The scriptures quoted are fully accepted; they are all right; but the construction put upon them is another thing. One plain declaration of Scripture is sufficient to overthrow a whole theory, and to demolish volumes of human reasoning, if they conflict with it. An eminent theological scholar professed to make the doctrine of the world's conversion one of necessity, as based on the attributes of Deity. Thus: The majority of mankind has been wicked in the past, and if the present dispensation should close soon, or if the majority of future generations should also be wicked, the ultimate number of the wicked would greatly overbalance the number of the righteous, and so the majority of mankind would be lost. But to say that the majority will be lost is to say that God's plan of salvation is deficient in power or benevolence; for infinite power could save the majority; and infinite benevolence would save it. Hence, God's attributes are a sufficient guarantee that the majority will be saved. For, we can only judge the attributes of Deity by their manifestation; and if he should fail to save the greater number, malevolence, and not benevolence, would predominate in his character. We scarcely know how to characterize this argument in correct terms, as it involves the character and government of God in the most serious consequences. For, 1. If it proves anything, it proves universal salvation. For if the benevolence of God must be measured by the proportion of the saved, and the lost, there could be none lost, as his benevolence is infinite, and he has no malevolence to claim its share. 2. To say that if a majority is lost, it is proof of a deficiency in the divine plan, is to say that the number saved must be according to the number embraced in the plan; and therefore the plan could not embrace all. 3. It directly denies the free agency of man, making it necessary for God to save a majority, without regard to their choice or willingness to be saved. Or, 4. It makes the character or nature of the plan of salvation contingent on man's acceptance of it. That is, it is benevolent if a majority accepts it; if not, it is malevolent. And then, if man is free to choose, he has it in his choice to make God benevolent or malevolent, and so make the attribute of the Creator to depend on the action of the creature! 5. It denies the infinity of God's benevolence by making it a question of degrees. For, according to that argument, if the majority is saved, his benevolence would predominate; but if the majority is lost, his malevolence would predominate. And, of course, if the number of the saved and of the lost were about equal, it would be impossible to determine the character of God! And the argument actually charges the worst of these conclusions on the divine government; for the Scriptures plainly say that the number of the saved will be to that of the lost as the few to the many. But the benevolence of God, and the love of his Son, are determined, not by the number that will come, but by a provision of free salvation for all, so that whosoever will may come, and have eternal life. The Saviour said, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." So the failure to be saved is in their wills, not in the divine plan. If men will not accept the offer, it does not show any want of love in Him by whom the offer is made; it shows only their folly and hardness of heart. This subject may be conclusively settled by an examination of a few points of the testimony plainly set forth in the Scriptures. We shall quote only such as are unmistakable in their import. 1. The way to life is narrow, and few find it; but the way to destruction is broad, and many walk in it. Matt. 7:13, 14. There is not an intimation in the Bible that the way to life will ever become so wide that all will walk therein, and the way to destruction so narrow that few or none will find it. See also Luke 13:23-27. 2. The redeemed shall come out of great tribulation. Rev. 7:9-15. The Saviour said to his disciples, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." John 16:33. Paul said, "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22. The Scriptures nowhere present another company, who enter into the kingdom of God through ease and worldly prosperity. 3. The Saviour did not promise his ministers that all should believe their word. He did not lead them to expect that they should meet with the favor of the world, more than he had met with it. But he said, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own." And, "The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; and if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." John 15:19, 20. And again, when the Jews reviled him, he said to his followers, "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household." Matt. 10:25. Who dares to rise above his Lord and say he shall be exempt from persecution? Who desires to be free from the sufferings of his Master? The Scriptures say that the Captain of our salvation was made "perfect through sufferings;" that he was partaker of our infirmities; that "in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest." Heb. 2:10-17. But they also teach, in the clearest manner, a necessity that we should suffer affliction or tribulation with him in the gospel. To this, his followers are appointed. 1 Thess. 3:3. It is consequent upon a godly life. 2 Tim. 3:12. It is the way to the kingdom. Acts 14:22. It stands connected with blessings in this life, and in the life to come. Mark 10:29, 30. It is necessary to try or prove our faith. 1 Pet. 1:7. It works patience. Rom. 5:3. It yields "the peaceable fruit of righteousness." Heb. 12:11. It works "for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. 4:17. It is the realization of Christ's sympathy for his members. Heb. 4:15. It is the measure of Christ's affliction filled up for the church. Col. 1:24. It is the fellowship of his sufferings in which we are made conformable to his death. Phil. 3:10. And it is the partaking of his sufferings. 2 Pet. 4:13. And it will all be counted as his own in the day of his coming. Matt. 25:40, 45. According to the commonly received view of the millennium, not one of the above gospel truths will apply to that state. That age will need another gospel. It is a dangerous doctrine, calculated to destroy the piety of the believer by turning his heart toward a state of ease; a state free from trials, from endurance, from persecutions, from chastisement, from temptation, and from all that pertains to Christian watchfulness and forbearance. The influence of such a belief is already apparent in the worldly-mindedness, slothfulness, and self-exaltation of the body of professors of the present day, by which they are acting out the cry of "peace and safety," for the last days. 1 Thess. 5:1-3. 4. The gospel was not expected to convert the world, but to call out of the world a people to glorify God. "Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." John 15:19. "God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name." Acts 15:14. The saints of God are redeemed "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Rev. 5:9. 5. The Saviour taught that wickedness would prevail on the earth till his coming, or to the end of the world. In Matt. 13:24-30, is the parable of the tares of the field, which is explained in verses 37-41, wherein it is shown that the tares, the children of the wicked one; and the wheat, the children of the kingdom; will grow together till the harvest, which is the end of the world; and the reapers, the angels of God, will make the separation at the coming of Christ. See Matt. 24:30, 31. And the same subject is presented in Joel 3:9-16, where the nations of the earth are called to prepare for the battle of the great day; verse 13 says, "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great." Compare Rev. 14:14-20. 6. The last days will be days of peril. This could not be so if the church was to have her triumph in this world, or if the world was to be finally converted. When speaking of his coming and of the end of the world, the Saviour said, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:12-14. In this chapter we notice: (1) Before the end comes, iniquity will abound. (2) Endurance will be necessary even unto the end, which could not be the case were the world converted. (3) The gospel will not convert all nations, but is for a witness unto all nations. And this it is, wherever it is preached, whether people believe its testimony or not. (4) In verse 24 is predicted that, before that day, false christs and false prophets shall arise, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. (5) In verses 42-50, it is shown that even some of the servants of God will become slothful and wicked, and not be prepared for the coming of Christ, but finally have their portion with the hypocrites. Do not be a drone. Do not waste your life in idleness while there is so much to do. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might," is the exhortation of the Wise Man, and it is an exhortation to which all should give heed. There are many men, and men who profess to be Christians, who are active and energetic enough in prosecuting their worldly business, but in the church they are good for nothing, mere drones, perfect idlers, who act as if neither their own souls nor the souls of others were worth saving. Whatever they do in the church, or for the church, they do it with reluctance, and in a seemingly half-hearted way, as though they felt no interest in its prosperity and welfare. While this is the case, it is no wonder the church does not prosper; indeed, it would be a wonder if it did. What is needed is for every one to go to work in earnest, to work with vim, and do all he can for the advancement of the cause he professes to love. Do not wait for some great thing to do. Do whatever comes to your hand, and do it with your might. The time for doing will soon be past. Work while you may. No work should be done so cheerfully and so earnestly as work for God and humanity. Stir yourself up, arouse yourself from your lethargy, and work while it is day; "the night cometh when no man can work."—Sel. The Disciple and His Master
The true disciple is not above his Master. Christian Perfection.
By F. P. S.
It may be asked, "Shall we not profess all that God has done for us?" We answer, We never yet saw a person who was conscious of all that God has done for him. Even the best specimens of sanctified humanity are yet quite blind to their own faults, and to the extent of God's blessings. One may be conscious of receiving a very clear victory over self and the world, and to confess, in a humble manner, such an attainment is to magnify the grace of Christ. But to call such a victory "entire sanctification," "perfect love," or "freedom from all sin," is quite another thing, and we think altogether unwarrantable from the point of view of experience, or from any example of such a general custom among either Old Testament or New Testament worthies. Suppose one is conscious of a victory over pride, temper, and a love of money (which, by the way, is assuming quite as much consciousness as is warrantable), does that signify that he has a victory over all fleshly besetments? If a Christian is honestly searching for faults in himself, he will find many, long after he imagined himself entirely sanctified. The nearer he approaches to Christian perfection the less he will see his own goodness. What H. W. Longfellow applies to humility, will equally apply to all graces of religion:—
> "If it but look upon itself 'tis gone,
> And they who venture to believe it theirs,
> Prove by that single thought
> They have it not." David professed it before he got it; but after he obtained it he did not profess it. Before his fall his profession was, "I have walked in mine integrity." "I have walked in thy truth." "I will wash mine hands in innocency." After his fall he plead, "O God, according to thy loving-kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions." Thus he prayed for a clean heart, seeing in himself all uncleanness, and in God "loving-kindness," and a "multitude" of "tender mercies." The Lord called Job "perfect." Job did not seem conscious of any such attainment. He confesses,—"If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say, I am perfect, it shall prove me perverse." Then he adds, "Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul." It is very doubtful if any other saint knows his own heart well enough to make a profession of perfection. John Wesley, the illustrious preacher of Christian perfection, made no profession of it himself. His brother, Charles Wesley, wrote the expressive hymn:—
> "Though all the precious promises
> I find fulfilled in Jesus' love,
> If perfect I myself profess,
> My own profession I disprove.
> The purest saint that lives below,
> Does his own sanctity disclaim;
> The wisest owns, 'I nothing know,'
> The fullest cries, 'I nothing am.'" John Wesley counseled the Methodists concerning the profession of purity, "never to profess it before unbelievers, rarely before believers, and then only in the most modest terms; not by saying, 'I am perfect,' but that, 'I feel in my heart nothing contrary to love.'" When Bishop Hedding was upon his dying bed, Mrs. Phebe Palmer pressed him to make a profession of full sanctification. "Rather," says the good bishop, "let me profess—
> "I the chief of sinners am,
> But Jesus died for me." Says Solomon, "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness." A failing from which even the sanctified are not all free. It has long been noticeable that many of those who make the highest profession are the slowest to confess their own faults. The apostle James says, "Confess your faults one to another." A humiliating consciousness of sinful propensities, and a frank confession of personal faults are prerequisites to heart purity, while a mean opinion of self, a distrust of one's own heart, belongs to a sanctified experience. It is very important to learn a fault in order to gain a victory over it. The grace of God brings no triumphs over sins of which we are unconscious, though the amount of the victory is not always known to the person who has confessed and abhorred his sin. Grace unveils faults, but often veils personal goodness. It hangs one's errors up to his view, and his virtues behind his back. Humility has no eyes for itself. How becoming the exhortation of Paul, "I say through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." My brethren, seek after all that God has for you; confess both your faults and the Lord's blessing. When you reach completeness in Christ, the spiritual will discover it quite as quickly as you will, in your own experience. Do not lose what little modesty you previously had, in displaying imaginary attainments. Modesty and humility belong to every stage of Christian growth in the Lord.—F. P. S., in Bible Banner. A Distinction Defined.
By William N. Glenn
It is quite generally supposed that there is a difference between morality and religion; but the dividing line is probably not so generally understood. This being the case, it may be interesting to many to know that at least one point of difference has been defined, and that they are indebted to the Congregational Club (ministers of San Francisco and Oakland) for the development. The recent attempt of the club to revive the Sunday law agitation in California has brought out an acknowledged distinction between morality and the religion of that denomination, or at least that portion of it represented by the club. The D. D. who led off in the movement is reported as saying that "it would be impossible to secure the enactment of a Sunday law in this State that would satisfy the extreme Sabbatarians [that is, Sunday advocates], and that the most that could be expected was to satisfy the moral, not the religious class." Then, on account of this impossibility, the same speaker expressed the opinion that "all that should be asked for was a protective, not an oppressive, law." These statements logically give us to understand that the "moral class" would be satisfied with a "protective" law, while the "religious class," or "extreme Sabbatarians," would prefer an "oppressive" one. Another D. D. of the "club," who emphatically voiced the sentiment of the "religionists," observed that this is a Christian nation, and he thought the "Christian Sabbath" should be enforced as such. He contended that there was too much talk about the "civil Sabbath;" the "religious Sabbath" is what is wanted. Many conscientious people will concede that the line between morality and the spirit of such religion has been fairly drawn by this representative ministerial club. History amply testifies that this species of religion has been the most "oppressive" element the world has ever known, while morality, which is the very essence of Christianity, is ever charitable. The Saviour set forth these two great moral principles: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Then he added, "On these two commandments hang all the law [no reservation whatever] and the prophets." Matt. 22: 37-40. Again, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." Chap. 7: 12. Here is morality, or Christianity, of the highest type, which is the standard of true religion. It will be seen at a glance that there is nothing "oppressive" about it. Duty toward Enemies.
By Bene-Berak
"BLESS them that curse you." It is not sufficient that we announce that we have no hatred toward our enemies. We must show this by our conduct. We must return blessing for cursing. This is harder than the first, but is an essential part of the plan for capturing an enemy and making a friend of that enemy. "Do good to them that hate you," continues the divine Preceptor. This seems to imply something more than mere blessing, which may be done with the lips without full consent of the heart and will. But when we are obliged to part with some good to assist the enemy, the test is a greater one, because it costs us something. There is still another and higher test to come. "Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you." A man may say he loves his enemies, and deceive his own heart. He may publicly proclaim blessings on their heads, and still in his heart hate them. He may do both of these things, and add his goods to feed and clothe them, and yet secretly wish they were far away. He may even formally and publicly pray for them, and yet withhold the one essential to reconciliation. The man, however, who goes to God privately, and in the spirit in which these words were first uttered, and prays for those who despitefully use and persecute him, is not far from the kingdom of Heaven, nor is the object of his prayer far from being accomplished. And now comes the reason why we should do all these things for our enemies, namely, that we may become the children of God. On the common blessings of life, God makes no distinction between his friends and his enemies. His sun shines on all alike. His rains make the wicked man's ground just as fruitful as the good man's. He pursues this course that the wicked may turn from his ways and love him. God can afford to be generous and forgiving. Every good man should strive to be as perfect as the model he professes to follow.—Bene-Berak, in Herald of Truth. To Serve God.
By Parish Kalendar
WHAT is a servant? Is he one who spends his existence in raptures, in reveries, or in the contemplation of his own emotional life? Is he one who wastes all his days in mere sorrow over his master's frowns, or mere joy at the thought of his master's smiles? Is he the steward who leaves his accounts in confusion, the porter who forsakes his watch, or the workman who sits down in the midst of his unfinished work to indulge in dreamy meditation on his own ecstasies or agonies or apathies? Such, with some, seems to be the perfect standard of a Christian; but is it the true ideal of a servant? Judged by the laws of common sense, service is a practical, not a sentimental, thing; it consists in doing, not in feeling; and it is a solemn thought for us all, especially for those who have been taught that the mere experience of happy or sorrowful feeling is the sum of all religion, that none are seen in the courts of Heaven but servants, that is, those who are engaged in obedient activity. There, as the Lord's prayer has taught us, the will of God is done. His servants do it perfectly because they love him perfectly. It is in the very essence of love to labor. It never can be still, never can be useless, never can contain itself, never can spare itself, never cease to spend itself for the object to which it is devoted.—Parish Kalendar. Feeling in the Right Place
A GENTLEMAN was telling to a Quaker, one day, a tale of deep distress, and concluded by saying: "I could not but feel for him." "Verily, friend," replied the Quaker, "thou didst right in that thou didst feel for thy neighbor; but didst thou feel in the right place—didst thou feel in thy pocket?" LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—MARCH 21.
The Inheritance of the Saints.
1. What has God promised to them that love him?
“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” Jas. 2: 5. 2. What was a special characteristic of Christ?
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” 1 Peter 2: 22, 23. 3. What will all followers of Christ do?
“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2: 6. 4. Then what will characterize all the followers of Jesus? 5. And what is promised to the meek?
“Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5: 5. 6. To whom does the earth belong?
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Ps. 24: 1. 7. Since, by virtue of his creative power, the earth belongs to the Lord, what does he do with it?
“And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters, I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.” Jer. 27: 4, 5. 8. To whom was the earth given in the beginning?
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Gen. 1: 26–28. 9. How extensive was man’s dominion? Ib. 10. Over what creatures did his dominion extend? Ib. 11. In what form was Adam created?
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Gen. 1: 27. 12. Did his likeness to God consist in anything more than outward form?
“Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” Eccl. 7: 29. 13. When the dominion was given to man, in what condition was everything?
“And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Gen. 1: 31. 14. When the dominion of the earth is again given to men, what will characterize them?
“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Dan. 7: 27. 15. How perfect will be the service which they will render to God?
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.” Matt. 6: 10. 16. In order to have a sinless dominion, what must be done?
“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 13: 40–42.
“For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” Ps. 37: 10. 17. When the wicked are destroyed from the earth, what will take place?
“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matt. 13: 43.
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Ps. 37: 11. NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LESSON.
A ROMAN judge to whom a prisoner had been sent with an elogium was bound, if possible, to try him within three days. Felix, however, had to send a message to Jerusalem, and fix a time for the case to come on, in order that the accusers might be present; and as the journey took nearly two days, it was the fifth day after St. Paul’s arrival at Cesarea that he was brought to trial. The momentary diversion in his favor, of which by this time the Pharisees were probably ashamed, had settled into a unanimous hatred, and the elders, probably of both parties, hurried down to accuse their adversary. Ananias in person accompanied them, eager for revenge against the man who had compared him to a plastered sepulcher. It must have been intensely disagreeable to these dignified personages to be forced to hurry on a fatiguing journey of some seventy miles from the religious to the political capital of Judea, in order to induce a Gentile dog to give up an apostate mesith to their jurisdiction; but the Sanhedrists, smarting under defeat, would not be likely to leave any stone unturned which should bring the offender within reach of vengeance. They wished to make sure of the extradition of their victim, and being little able to plead either in Greek or Latin, and more or less ignorant of the procedure in Roman courts, they gave their brief to a provincial barrister named Tertullus. Tertullus was evidently a practiced speaker, and St. Luke has faithfully preserved an outline of his voluble plausibility. Speaking with politic complaisance, as though he were himself a Jew, he began to assure his Excellency of the quite universal and uninterrupted gratitude of the Jews for the peace which he had secured to them, and for the many reforms which had been initiated by his prudential wisdom. The real fact was that Felix was most peculiarly detested, and that though he had certainly suppressed some brigands, yet he had from the earliest times of his administration distinctly encouraged more. He then apologized for intruding ever so briefly on his Excellency’s indulgent forbearance, but it was necessary to trouble him with three counts of indictment against the defendant, namely, that, first, he was a public pest, who lived by exciting factions among all the Jews all over the world; secondly, that he was a ringleader of the Nazarenes; and thirdly, that he had attempted to profane the temple. When the oration was over, since there were no regular witnesses, the Jews one after another “made a dead set” against Paul, asseverating the truth of all that Tertullus had stated. Then the procurator, already impatient with the conviction that this was, as Lysias had informed him, some Jewish squabble about Mosaic minutiae, flung a haughty nod to the prisoner, in intimation that he might speak. St. Paul’s captatio benevolentiae was very different from that of Tertullus. He met the first and third counts of the indictment with a positive contradiction, and challenged the Jews to produce any witnesses in confirmation of them. As to the second count, he was quite ready to admit that he belonged to what they called a sect; but it was no more an illegal sect than those to which they themselves belonged, since he worshiped the God whom, as a Jew, he had been always taught to worship—frankly accepted their entire Scriptures—and believed, exactly as the majority of themselves did, in a resurrection of the just and unjust. In this faith it had always been his aim to have a conscience void of offense towards God and towards man. He had now been five years absent from Jerusalem, and on returning with alms for the poor of his people, and offerings for the temple, they found him in the temple, a quiet and legally purified worshiper. For the riot which had ensued he was not responsible. The case had evidently broken down. St. Paul’s statement of facts directly contradicted the only charge brought against him. The differences of doctrine between the Jews and himself were not in any way to the point, since they affected questions which had not been touched upon at all, and of which the Roman law could take no cognizance. Of this fact Felix was perfectly aware. He therefore postponed the trial. Paul was remanded to the guard-room, but Felix gave particular instructions to the centurion that his custody was not to be a severe one, and that his friends were to be permitted free access to his prison. St. Luke and Aristarchus certainly availed themselves of this permission, and doubtless the heavy hours were lightened by the visits of Philip the evangelist, and other Christians of the little Cesarean community to whom Paul was dear. On his return to Cesarea with his wife Drusilla, Felix once more summoned Paul into his presence, and bade him discourse to them about his beliefs. Right nobly did Paul use his opportunity. Felix was a Gentile, and was moreover his judge, and it was no part of St. Paul’s duty to judge those that are without. Had he assumed such a function, his life must have become one incessant and useless protest. And yet, with perfect urbanity and respect for the powers that be, he spoke of the faith in Christ which he was bidden to explain, in a way that enabled him to touch on those virtues which were most needed by the guilty pair who listened to his words. The licentious princess must have blushed as he discoursed of continence; the rapacious and unjust governor as he spoke of righteousness—both of them as he reasoned of the judgment to come. Whatever may have been the thoughts of Drusilla, she locked them up in her own bosom; but Felix, less accustomed to such truths, was deeply agitated by them. As he glanced back over the stained and guilty past, he was afraid. He had been a slave, in the vilest of all positions, at the vilest of all epochs, in the vilest of all cities. He had been an officer of those auxiliaries who were the worst of all troops. What secrets of lust and blood lay hidden in his earlier life we do not know; but ample and indisputable testimony reveals to us what he had been—how greedy, how savage, how treacherous, how unjust, how steeped with the blood of private murder and public massacre—during the eight years which he had now spent in the government, first of Samaria, then of Palestine.119 There were footsteps behind him; he began to feel as though “the earth were made of glass.” He could not bear the novel sensation of terror which crept over him, or the reproaches of the blushing, shamefaced spirit which began to mutiny even in such a breast as his. He cut short the interview. “Go,” he said, “for the present; I will take some future opportunity to summon you to a hearing.”—Farrar’s Life of Paul. Health and Temperance.
By John O. Corliss
Evil Results of Tobacco Using.
ONE of the hopeful signs of the times is, that the hurtful effects of narcotics are being seen and acknowledged by the more thoughtful. It is also gratifying to know that those who have carefully examined the matter, are agreed that the injuries sustained by the habitual use of these poisons, are not confined to the physical, but extend to the mental faculties. It is gratifying to know this, because in the effort to rescue those who may be in the first stages of indulgence, one may with safety appeal to the learning and judgment of those whom the world honors in their professional line. Whatever produces evil effects upon the body, will affect the mind in due proportion. No one whose body is weakened through disease, can be relied upon for that clearness and vigor of thought that is exercised by men in robust health. The reason is plain: A strong mind must have the support of a healthy body. For the reason that one’s mind is affected by his physical condition, the person who is much under the influence of narcotics, cannot fail to have a beclouded mind, and a dulled intellect. This position is well sustained in an article on the “Effects of Tobacco on Youth,” by Surgeon A. C. Gorgas, Medical Inspector, U. S. Navy, of which the following is an extract:— “The depressing effect of tobacco upon growth, by diminishing the forces concerned in tissue change; its effect upon the heart and pulsation; the disturbance of muscular co-ordinative power; of ability to concentrate the mind upon study; the dyspeptic troubles, impairment of vision, headaches, and the retardation of sexual development and disturbance of that function, are conceded by most observers, and clearly demonstrated by many.” This is certainly bad enough; but the matter does not stop with the troubles above noted. The indulgence of appetite in this direction soon becomes a habit that destroys the God-given power of self-respect, and degrades its victim to a life of slavery. The following excellent words from the Independent are to the point:— “Besides the direct effect on impaired physical vigor, there is another view not enough considered: The power of choice, self-control, self-restraint. Will-power, in its best sense, is the greatest power beneath the sky. The freedom of the will is far more than a theological doctrine. It is the reserve hope of manhood, and not only decides individual character and destiny, but social and national destiny also. Our most outspoken quarrel with tobacco, as with other stimulants and narcotics, is this: Indulged in so early, they so affect the brain and nervous system that habits become dominant and uncontrollable, which lead to a general loss of self-restraint. “The stamina, the pluck, the true grit of life succumbs to masteries that are ignoble. The one habit, if it does not lead to loss of this power in the individual, as it generally does, shows this loss marvelously in entailments. We hear much discussion as to whether intemperance is a disease. The real disease that is gaining ground is debility in self-restraint, and in producing that debility among the young. Tobacco is the most threatening power. It leads often to intemperance, to a general yielding of self-control, and so to many an evil greater than that of physical infirmity. “It is because we are profoundly impressed with this evil that we would earnestly draw attention to it. The cigarette is one of the most unfortunate ‘toy pistols’ that has ever been put in the hands of American youth. Many are playing with it who not only acquire a habit evil to the body, but, through it, get an unmistakable break-down of the noblest possession of manhood, which shows itself in the individual, or in his descendants, in various forms of physical, mental, and moral weakness. The peril to American youth and American life from the tobacco habit must not be lost sight of in our earnest devotion to other reforms.” In the light of this sentiment the tobacco question should be examined from a moral standpoint. If tobacco is the pernicious weed which so many are constrained to acknowledge it to be, can it be made to appear right in any sense for Christians to indulge in its use? We appeal to those who regard the word of God as a sufficient rule, and are willing to abide by its decisions. All such know that the inspired book calls for Christians to walk even as Christ walked; to be holy as he is holy; to glorify God in body and in spirit; to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit; to present their bodies a living sacrifice; and, in short, to avoid even the appearance of evil. Does the person who indulges in the gratification of appetite, to the detriment of health, fulfill these conditions? Certainly not. Why should not religion change individuals in this respect as well as in other things that do not perhaps so strongly lead one captive? Good religion will doubtless prompt all who possess it to reform this habit when its evil tendencies are understood.