The priesthood of Christ began when he presented himself before the Father at his ascension as our Advocate. It cannot terminate till he has secured the acquittal of his people, and the blotting out of their sins in the investigative judgment. Then his enemies, at his request, will be given him to destroy. His Father shall crown him king upon his own throne, saying to him, "Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." Ps. 110:1, 2; Dan. 7:9-14; Ps. 2:6-9; Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 44:22, 23. His entrance upon the priesthood was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of pentecost. John 16:7; Acts 1:4; 2:1-4, 16-18. The blotting out of sins, which terminates his priesthood, brings the people of God to the refreshing, from the presence of the Father, which precedes his act of sending his Son from heaven. Acts 3:19-21.
As a priest our Lord presents the merits of his blood in behalf of all who come to God through him. Heb. 7:25. Even the cases of the people of God who lived during the period of the Old Testament, have to be acted upon by Christ as priest. Heb. 9:15. They can only have redemption through his blood; and the blotting out of their sins can only be effected through his priestly work. Heb. 9, 10.
The whole multitude of the redeemed appear before the throne in raiment that has been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:13, 14. The work of our High Priest in behalf of his people involves an immense number of individual cases. He has not only borne the sin of all these, but he makes intercession for them, and finally obtains the blotting out of their sins on showing from the record that they have completed the work of overcoming. Our Lord does not continue in his priestly office to all eternity. When he comes again it is without sin unto salvation. But he does not leave his labor unfinished. He brings every part of this immense work to a conclusion before he lays it down. The following proposition is both reasonable and scriptural:-
There is a period of time at the close of this dispensation devoted to the finishing of the work of human probation, i. e., to the completion of Christ's work as priest, and of his gospel as the means of salvation.117
Rev. 10:7: "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
The mystery of God is defined in the following passages:-
Eph. 3:3-6: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words; whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which, in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."
Col. 1:26-28: "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."
The mystery of God is therefore seen to be the work of salvation for fallen man through the gospel of Christ. It is that which unites Jews and Gentiles in one body as fellow-heirs, having Christ in them the hope of glory. The finishing of the mystery of God is the accomplishment of the work of the gospel. This must have a two-fold bearing. 1. Upon the priesthood of our Lord, to bring it to a close by completing all its immense work. 2. Upon the preaching of the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, in causing the proclamation of its final closing messages of warning.
This work is not closed instantaneously, for a space of time is devoted to its completion. And the finishing of this work pertains both to heaven and to earth; to the priesthood of Christ, and to the proclamation of his gospel to men. But the priesthood of Christ, as we have seen, is finished at the time when the Ancient of Days sits in judgment; and it is while that judgment is in session that the latest messages of warning are addressed to men. Rev. 14:6-14. We do therefore understand that the period of time devoted to the finishing of the mystery of God is precisely that space occupied by the Father in the work of the investigative judgment.
It is not stated that the mystery of God shall be finished when the seventh angel begins to sound; for this would denote instantaneous completion. But it is said, "IN THE DAYS OF THE VOICE of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound," etc. This shows beyond dispute that a period of time is devoted to this work. The days of this prophecy are prophetic days, i. e., years, as are those of the fifth and sixth angels. Rev. 9. These years which are devoted to this finishing of human probation begin with the sounding of the seventh angel. They are the earliest years of his voice.
The sounding of the seventh angel begins, therefore, with the opening of that investigative judgment that finishes human probation, that determines the blotting out of the sins of the overcomers, that accounts them worthy of the world to come, that terminates the priesthood of Christ, and that witnesses the completion of the preaching of the gospel of the grace of God.
But it is not the last trumpet of John's series of seven the same as Paul's last trump? The reasons which forbid their identity are perfectly conclusive. The seventh trumpet is the last of a series, no one of which is literally heard by the inhabitants of the earth. It is the accomplishment of certain events that indicates the transition from one of the seven angels to another. The seventh is like each of the preceding six in that it is the trumpet of an angel, and in that it is a symbolic and not a literal trumpet. Rev. 8:9; 10:11. But the trumpet, which awakens the dead, is not blown by an angel, but by the Son of God himself. It is not a symbolic trumpet, for it is literally heard by the inhabitants of the earth. Matt. 24:31; Zech. 9:14-16; 1 Thess. 4:14-17. It is called the last trump because that when the Almighty descended upon mount Sinai, in glory and majesty like our Lord's second advent (Ex. 19:16-19; Heb. 12:18-27; Matt. 27:16; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8), the trump of God was heard as it will be once more when the dead are resurrected. 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; Ex. 19:16-19.
The commencement of the seventh angel's voice, as we have seen, is the signal for the opening of the investigative judgment; and human probation continues for a term of days, i. e., years, after that voice begins. But the trump of God is not sounded till after that investigative judgment has determined the cases of all the righteous; for when it is heard, every one that has been accounted worthy of a part in the resurrection to immortality, is, in an instant, made immortal. We conclude, therefore, that the seventh angel begins to sound before the advent of Christ, and that the first years of his sounding are devoted to the finishing of the work of human probation.
The events under the sounding of the seventh angel, though not given in chronological order, are, from their nature, not difficult to be arranged in the order of their occurrence.
1. In the days, i. e., years, of the beginning of the voice of the seventh angel, the work of human probation is finished. Rev. 10:7. This, as we have seen, involves the closing up of the immense work of our High Priest. It also requires the proclamation of the final warnings to mankind.
2. The most holy place of the temple in heaven is opened. Rev. 11:19. This is the place where our Lord's priesthood is finished, and, as we shall hereafter see, is the place where the Ancient of Days sits in judgment.
3. While Christ is finishing his priesthood at the tribunal of his Father in the holiest of the heavenly temple, the judgment of the righteous dead takes place. Rev. 11:18.
4. The coronation of Christ is announced by the great voices in heaven, and by the words of the twenty-four elders. Rev. 11:15-17. This succeeds the close of his priesthood. When Christ begins his reign, he is invested by the Father with that power which Satan usurped from Adam the first. The reign of the second Adam is the re-establishment of the empire of God in this revolted province. Christ does not take his own throne to rule his enemies with a rod of iron till he has closed up his priestly office at his Father's right hand.
5. The wrath of God comes upon the wicked when Christ begins to rule them with the iron scepter of his justice. It comes in the seven last plagues. Rev. 11:18, 19; 14:9-11, 18-20; 15; 16; 19:11-21.
6. The anger of the nations comes in consequence of the work of the unclean spirits under the sixth plague, who incite them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Rev. 11:18; 16:13, 14; 19:19-21.
8. The final destruction of them that corrupt the earth is at the end of the 1,000 years in the second death. Rev. 11:18; 20:7-9.
The events of the seventh trumpet do therefore extend over the whole period of the great day of judgment. The mighty proclamation which ushers in the seventh angel and the investigative judgment, and the work in the second apartment of the heavenly temple for the completion of our Lord's priestly office, will be considered next.
J. N. A.
Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.
By Uriah Smith
CHAPTER XI—CONTINUED.
Verse 30. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant; so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
The prophetic narrative still has reference to the power which has been the subject of the prophecy from the sixteenth verse, namely, Rome. What were the ships of Chittim that came against this power, and when was this movement made? What country or power is meant by Chittim? Dr. A. Clarke, on Isa. 23:1, has this note: "From the land of Chittim it is revealed to them. The news of the destruction of Tyre, by Nebuchadnezzar, is said to be brought to them from Chittim, the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean; for the Tyrians, says Jerome, on verse six, when they saw they had no other means of escape, fled in their ships, and took refuge in Carthage, and in the islands of the Ionian and Ægean sea." So also Jochri on the same place. Kitto gives the same locality to Chittim, namely, the coast and islands of the Mediterranean; and the mind is carried by the testimony of Jerome to a definite and celebrated city as situated in that land, namely, Carthage.
Was ever a naval warfare, with Carthage as a base of operations, waged against the Roman Empire? Those who have read the terrible onslaught of the Vandals upon Rome under the fierce Genseric, can readily answer in the affirmative. Sallying every spring from the port of Carthage, at the head of his numerous and well-disciplined naval force, he spread consternation through all the maritime provinces of the empire. That this is the work brought to view is further evident when we consider that we are brought down in the prophecy to this very time. In verse twenty-nine, the transfer of empire to Constantinople we understand to be mentioned. Following in due course of time as the next remarkable revolution, came the irruptions of the barbarians of the North, prominent among which was the Vandal war already mentioned. The years A. D. 428-468 mark the career of Genseric.
"He shall be grieved, and return." This may have reference to the desperate efforts which were made to dispossess Genseric of the sovereignty of the seas, the first by Majorian, the second by Leo, both of which proved to be utter failures; and Rome was obliged to submit to the humiliation of seeing its provinces ravaged, and its "eternal city" pillaged by the enemy.
"Indignation against the covenant;" that is the Holy Scriptures, the book of the covenant. A revolution of this nature was accomplished in Rome. The Goths, Huns, and Vandals, who conquered Rome, embraced the Arian faith, and became enemies of the Catholic church. It was especially for the purpose of exterminating this heresy that Justinian decreed the pope to be the head of the church, and the corrector of heretics. Then it was decreed that the Bible was a dangerous book, and should not be read by the common people, but all questions in dispute should be submitted to the pope. Thus was indignity heaped upon God's word. And the emperors of Rome, the eastern division of which still continued, had intelligence or connived with the church of Rome which had forsaken the covenant, and constituted the great apostasy, for the purpose of putting down heresy. The man of sin was established by the defeat of the Arian Goths, who then held possession of Rome, in A. D. 538.
(To be continued.) U. S.
The Extent of Our Influence
We should be startled if we could realize the extent of our influence. When we give account of ourselves at the last day we shall be astonished to see how much we have done for good or evil simply by our influence over others. Could we see things now as we shall see them then, there would never be a moment of our lives in which we should be off our guard.
Consistency.
By R. F. C.
TRUTH is consistent with itself; it never contradicts itself. If men would keep this in view, they would be more successful in arriving at truth.
I have before me a paper entitled, The Brethren at Work. In its prospectus it says it recognizes the New Testament as the only infallible rule of faith and practice. This being the only rule, and that infallible, the Old Testament could be of little or no importance as a guide. Yet the copy before me contains an article entitled, "The literal meaning of the inspired precepts our only safe guide in religious faith and practice," in which some good things are said of the Old Testament. The writer quotes 2 Pet. 2:19-21, and Rom. 15:4, upon which he comments as follows: "Notice then, we have a sure word of prophecy. Is it not therefore certain and reliable? We have a Word 'unto which we do well to take heed,' and these things were 'written for our learning' May we not therefore understand them? We have a Word that 'shineth as a light in a dark place.' Need we therefore abide in darkness?"
He then proceeds to quote 2 Tim. 3:16, 17, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God," &c., and makes the following remarks:—
"But since it is 'profitable for doctrine,' it may be understood; since 'for reproof,' no sin need go unrebuked; since 'for correction,' all error may be exposed and abandoned; and since 'for instruction in righteousness,' we need not remain ignorant of any part of our whole duty; all, is suited to furnish the 'man of God,' not partially in things of doubtful character, but 'thoroughly unto all good works.' 'The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.' Ps. 19:7, 8. 'The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.' Ps. 12:6. 'All His commandments are sure.' Ps. 111:7. 'His Word is true from the beginning.' Ps. 119:160. 'All the words of His mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that seek knowledge.' Prov. 8:8, 9.
"Hence, I maintain that the semi-infidely that accepts just so much of the Word as suits it, and rejects the rest, converts 'the truth of God into a lie,' is one of the most treacherous foes with which true Christianity has to contend. Paul commended the Bereans because they tested the preaching of his day by Scriptural examination. 'They received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.' Acts 17:10. They could decide the character even of the apostolic teachings by comparing them with what had been written, which was plain enough for them to understand."
Now let it be noticed that all these testimonies of the New Testament concerning the Scriptures, refer to the writings of the Old Testament; for the New was then only being written. When Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures," not a word of the New Testament was written. The "sure word of prophecy," and the things "written afore time," for "our learning," were contained wholly in the Old Testament. The Scriptures which are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness, and that are able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, were the Holy Scriptures which Timothy had known from his youth, and which were able, through faith in Christ, to make him wise unto salvation. 2 Tim. 3:15. With the writer, I see no need that we should "remain ignorant of any part of our duty." One of old said, "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13.
The testimony concerning the "perfect" law of the Lord, and the law itself, were both written in the Old Testament. The testimony that, "All his commandments are sure," and that "they stand fast forever and ever," was written by an ancient man of God who spoke as he was moved by the Holy Ghost." The Scriptures which the Bereans searched daily to "decide the character even of apostolic teachings," were the Scriptures of the Old Testament only.
But all this detracts nothing from the New Testament. The word of the Lord is of equal weight, whether found in the Old, or the New. It harmonizes with itself. We say, Give us a whole Bible. But why does The Brethren recognize the "New Testament as the only infallible rule?" There is one reason, and only one that I know of, or can conjecture; and that is, That the "perfect law has one commandment that it does not want. One of its editors has published a tract in which he falsely claims that the old covenant "consisted of the ten commandments, with the ceremonial law, or ordinances, added," and that the writings of "Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude," are the new covenant. On his title page he has, "The law and the gospel contrasted. The law imperfect; the gospel perfect, hence, the Christian's only rule of faith. The Sabbath of the law not in force."
Thus he squarely contradicts the inspired Psalmist, who says: "The law of the Lord is perfect;" and this with the evident object of getting the Sabbath commandment out of that law. And it is equally contradictory of the words of the Lord Jesus, who said: "The Sabbath was made for man," and "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law."
Again we say, Truth is always consistent with itself. But those who teach the abolition of the moral law, the ten commandments, are continually contradicting themselves, and also the words of the living God. They seem to be bereft of reason. Would that they might come to their senses, discover their blindness and not come to the judgment with a lie in their right hand. Isa. 44:20.
R. F. C.
Denmark.
By John G. Matteson
ALSTRUP, MARCH 13.—I am here again in this place to hold a few meetings and to write for Advent Tidende. Some are becoming weary in the way, but others go forward. Some visit us from Jetsmark, where I held a few meetings the past winter. They request me to hold some more meetings with them.
At Tylstrup Hede also the truth has progressed some during the past week. But the situation is very different from what it is here. The majority of people have no desire to hear, but deride all who do attend the meetings, and make every effort possible to hinder them from attending. I have held two meetings in Sulsted and two in the city of Tylstrup, but there are only a very few there who care anything about seeking God. The people are much addicted to strong drink, and wickedness and pride exist to a great degree. Superstition and unbelief have blinded them. They glory in their iniquity, and seek after worldly things.
At Tylstrup Hede the vice of intemperance also rules with great power. It seems as if Satan has much more power in this country than in America. But there are, however, a few who willingly search the Scriptures, and the word of God has made a deep impression upon their hearts. They are as brands snatched from the fire. Sabbath evening we held a Bible-class. It was of great encouragement to all. Sabbath was a good day for us. The good Spirit of the Lord was present at our prayer-meeting in the forenoon, and quite a number took part with us in the worship of God. A prayer-meeting has never before, to my knowledge, been held in this part of the country. There were more than twenty persons who kept the Sabbath and together tried to draw near to God. At the meeting in the afternoon, when we preached to the people, there was deeper feeling and more brokenness of heart than we have witnessed at any previous meeting. May the Lord himself establish this work to his name's honor and to the salvation of souls.
TYLSTRUP, MARCH 18.—We read Brother White's remarks about the European mission last week. It rejoices us to receive such encouragement from our friends in America. It gives us new strength and courage. We are very grateful, dear brethren, for your support, temporal as well as spiritual. Our dear Saviour has not forgotten us either. He blesses our feeble efforts. In his name we would renew our covenant with the Lord and with our dear brethren, and strive to labor to the glory of God and for the salvation of precious souls in this part of the great harvest field.
Some letters that we receive are unpleasant, but others are encouraging and show that the truth makes an entrance here and there, both in Denmark and Norway. I held two meetings in Alstrup last week. At the last meeting, two Friends, (Quakers) from Vejle were present. I let them occupy most of the time. They are friendly to us, and express astonishment to see so many devout hearers. There were over two hundred persons present. They said they were accustomed to see but few, if any, more than twenty present.
This week I spend with the friends in Tylstrup. About thirty persons were present at the Bible-class Sabbath evening, and twenty-six children attended the Sabbath school. The Lord blessed us also in our prayer-meeting, and in preaching in the afternoon. The Spirit of the Lord has found a place in some hearts, and they strive by the grace of God to go forward in the way leading to eternal life.
JOHN G. MATTESON.
Reports from the Field.
By Editor
(Condensed from Review and Herald.)
Iowa.
SIGOURNEY.—Elder Canright reports meetings as follows: “We began meetings here Thursday evening, March 28. The temperance society had appointed a meeting in our house for that evening, and so invited me to speak to them, which I did. The house was full. The next night we could not seat the people; so we hired the opera house, and promised the people plenty of room. But this was also soon filled. Sunday evening many had to go away. The two following evenings we had a crowded house. Thus far we have found all our meeting-houses too small to hold the people. Times are changing; men are becoming hungry for the truth. We feel sad that such interests cannot be followed up. We had a large attendance of our own people, the largest ever convened here. All seemed to be of good courage. Sabbath afternoon more than a dozen made a start to be Christians. We spent most of our labor in setting before the brethren the history of the message, its present extent and wants, and our duty to it. At the close of the last meeting, Brother L. McCoy was ordained to preach the gospel. All expressed themselves much pleased and profited by these meetings. There are means and talent enough in this Conference to do a mighty work, if consecrated to God. It is decided to run nine or ten tents this season; and others will go out without tents.”
New York and Pennsylvania.
WESTERN NEW YORK.—Elder Cottrell writes: “I have not reported for some time, but have been busy, laboring with the churches in this vicinity, and with families at their houses; and have seen encouraging interest and indications of the advancement of the cause. Have visited Eagle Harbor, the field of Brother Reynolds' recent labors, twice. On the latter occasion, another candid, conscientious soul ventured the resolution to keep the Sabbath of the Lord.”
COVINGTON, PA.—Elder S. B. Whitney writes: “The interest here still continues. Have learned of several more during the week past that have decided to keep the Sabbath. Our last Sabbath meeting was an interesting occasion. Backsliders and sinners took part with us, and expressed their purpose to seek the Lord and keep his commandments. I shall remain a while longer, but shall hold meetings but a portion of the time, and spend most of the time visiting.”
Massachusetts.
EAST SALISBURY.—Brother C. W. Stone reports meetings closed at this place. He states that four have taken a decided stand for the truth, and there are good reasons to believe others will do so soon.
Canada.
BARFORD.—Elder A. C. Bourdeau reports quite extensive labor in Canada. He states: “February 15, I came to Barford. Arrangements were made to have us occupy the Adventist chapel in Dixville, a village in Barford. March 10, a Baptist minister from Coaticook, known as a learned man, by invitation, gave a discourse in Dixville in defense of Sunday-keeping. I reviewed him the same evening; and the result was that before the next Sabbath twelve persons fully decided to keep the day enjoined in the fourth commandment. Truly they “can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” Up to this date, March 25, twenty-four have embraced the truth, and forty are now keeping the Bible Sabbath in this place. The two Sabbaths just past have been precious days to us.”
The Bible.
"The only God-given rule of faith and practice is the Bible."—Scripture Manual.
"The Bible contains the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory; or man's salvation, faith and life."—Westminster Assembly Conf. of Faith.
"The Bible is the Christian's store-house of all supplies; his museum of the greatest rarities and curiosities; his sanctuary and hiding place; his glass, through which are seen all objects, both of time and eternity—and in which the sinner may see reflected, the moral image of the soul."—Butterworth's Concordance improved by Dr. A. Clarke.
"The rule that all must agree in, must be one that is above all. Never will the church have full unity, till the Scripture sufficiency be more generally acknowledged. You complain of many opinions, and many ways; and many you will still have, till the one rule—the Scriptures—be the standard of our religion. Two things have set the church on fire, and been the plague of it above one thousand years, First: Enlarging our creed and making more fundamentals than God ever made, and Second: Composing and so imposing our creeds and confessions in our own words and phrases."—Richard Baxter.
"For my part I adhere to the Holy Scriptures alone."—Milton.
"The Bible. It is all-pure, all-sincere, nothing too much, nothing wanting. How that can be called the church of Christ, which is established upon laws which are not his, and which exclude such persons from its communion as he will one day receive into the kingdom of heaven I understand not."—John Locke's Christian Philosophy.
"The first Christians had no written creed—they expressed their belief in the language of Scripture—therefore, their variations were without schism, and their differences without acrimony."—Waddington.
The Drunkard and His Story.
FROM the New York Five Points' Monthly Review, is selected the following from real life:—
A few Sundays since, at morning service, one of the most degraded specimens of humanity that ever greeted my vision came staggering into the chapel of the House of Industry. His wild and frightened looks, ragged and dirty beyond description, and face bruised and swollen, rendered him an object of disgust and terror. He seemed to look at the children with wonderful interest, occasionally muttering to himself, "Beautiful! beautiful! Oh, that mine were here!" He sat an hour or two more, and then with a long, earnest look at the children, staggered out of the chapel, and went up to the "valley of the shadow of death"—Cow Bay.
As the bell rang for service in the afternoon, and while the children were clustering together, the same wild looking man staggered in once more. He surveyed the faces of the children with the closest scrutiny, and at length his eyes rested on two bright eyed little girls, who were singing one of their little hymns. He sat immovable as a statue during the whole service, gazing intently on the faces of the two children.
The services closed, the congregation dispersed, yet he lingered, and the tears came coursing down his face thick and fast.
Dr. S. asked him what was the matter.
"I am a drunkard! a wretch! an outcast! homeless, and without a penny. Once I had a home and friends—father, mother, wife, children, and hosts of friends who loved and respected me. Time passed on, and I became a drunkard! One friend after another left me; still I drank on, down, down I fell. Father and mother went down to their graves with broken hearts. My poor wife clung to me when all others deserted me. I still drank on, pawned one article after another till all was gone, and when my wife refused to give me her wedding ring, which she had clung to with the tenacity of a death grasp, I felled her to the earth, tore off the ring and pawned it for rum. That fatal blow maddened her, and in despair she drank, and together we wallowed in the gutter. Penniless, we begged our way from Vermont to this great city. Here we hired a small cellar, in a dark and dismal street, and sent our children out to beg. Many a weary day we spent in that dreary cellar, while our children were wandering in the streets, begging for their drunken parents. About forty days since, my little children went out to beg, and from that time to this I have not seen them. Without food or fire, I clung to my dismal abode until hunger forced me out to search for my children. My degraded wife has been sent to Blackwell's Island as a vagrant, and alone I went to the Island, and the House of Reform, to the Tombs, and in despair I wandered to the Five Points, and for the last few days I have lived in the Cow Bay, among beggars and thieves. To-day I saw two children who, if they had not looked so clean and sung so sweetly, I would have called them mine. Oh! would to God they were!"
"Tell me the name," said Dr. S., "and I will see."
In a few moments, two interesting little children were led towards him. At the sight of this tearful-looking man, they shrank back. The poor man sprang to his feet exclaiming, "They are mine! my dear children! do n't you know your poor old father? Come to me, children. Father loves you; he won't hurt you."
He reached out his arms; the little ones were timid at first, but they soon climbed upon his father's knee, while the tears were streaming down his face.
"Kiss your poor drunken father, my children."
But the face of the man was so black and filthy, not a place could be found. Soon they forgot the dirty face, and remembered their poor degraded father; and each entwined their little arms around his neck, and kissing him, the elder one said, with a voice that touched every heart:—
"Father, we are so happy, that we want to stay. Won't you come here and live too, papa? What makes you drink so? Dear papa, do sign the pledge, and not drink any more. A kind friend found us in the street begging, and now we are happy. Do papa, come and live here and be as good as you used to be."
The father's heart was overwhelmed—he sobbed and groaned aloud. For more than an hour they sat together, till at last the old man arose, still clinging to his children, and exclaiming, "The pledge! the pledge! I will never drink again!"
I gave him the pledge, and from that hour he has kept it faithfully. He is now a man engaged in business, earning ten dollars per week, and none recognize him in the well-dressed man, who still boards in the house, the degraded original, whose portrait can still be seen at the House of Industry, guerreotyped in its striking deformity and squalor.
GOOD HEALTH.
Labor Produces Long Life.
In view of the short duration of life entailed by some occupations, it must be regarded as a consoling fact, that labor in general does not tend to shorten life; but on the contrary, by strengthening health, lengthens life; while on the other hand, idleness and luxury are productive of the same results as the most unhealthy occupations. Dr. Guy, an Englishman, in calculating the average duration of life in the wealthy classes, arrived at the very surprising result, with regard to adults, that the higher the position in the social scale, the more unlimited their means, the less the probability of a long life.
We have so long been accustomed to consider the possession of riches as the best guarantee for physical welfare, that many will be surprised to hear from Guy that "the probability of the duration of life lessens, with regard to adults in each class of population, in the same degree as the beneficial impulse for occupation is lacking. If a person who for a long time has lived an active life retires from business, it may be taken for granted, with a probability of ten to one, that he had seized the most effective means to shorten his life." We may smile at the soap maker who, after having fortunately retired from business, went, nevertheless, on each day of soap-boiling, into his workshop; but it must also be acknowledged that his instinct did not mislead him. Of all conditions of life, idleness is the hardest for nature to combat; and this is especially true of persons who have accustomed themselves to a busy life. —Sel.
Prayer for Deliverance from Temptation.
By William B. Sprague
Not in my strength, or proper sight,
To tell me how to walk,
In my dependence for the fight,
For rightful views or talk.
But only in Thy strength and care,
I turn from vain deceit,
And break with ev'ry step a snare,
That threatens at my feet.
In God's protection firm I tread,
Yet fear temptation's bait;
Well knowing that both heart and head,
Must at truth's altar wait,
If I to evil turn aside,
And lose Thy truth's defense,
Thy peace cannot with me abide,
For tears of penitence.
Then guard me with Thy strong right arm,
And turn my foes aside;
O Lord, smite down the ills that harm,
And let me in Thee hide.
Yea, more than all, my heart subdue
From pride, and lust of wrong;
Then shall I prosper in the view
Of help, divinely strong!
—W. B. S.
THE HOME CIRCLE.
Ever So Slight a Blow.
Just before leaving for my home I was standing at a window watching the play of Edith and a large dog; I thought I had never seen a child so beautiful. Her motions had about them a nameless grace that charmed one. The drooping of the white lids over the brown eyes; the sweetness of the rosy mouth. Surely, I thought, with such powers for winning love, and your own kind heart, life promises its best gifts for you, sweet child! Sad, that parental hands should crush the brightness of that young life!
Fifteen years had wheeled their swift circle since we three had met, and now how changed! Lines of grief are deeply graven on the mother's face, and the piteous love looking from her eyes drew tears to my own, whenever any one, forgetting her misfortune, addressed her child, the Edith whose fair childhood had been more than realized in the beautiful girl, who never more would hear the sound of a human voice.
They had been to see a celebrated physician, who gave them no hope, saying, "The hearing was entirely gone, caused by a blow or continued blows upon the head." "And when he asked me," said the mother, "if, during childhood, she had not had her ears boxed often, and that had caused her deafness, reason trembled, and I could but cry, 'my punishment is greater than I can bear.'"
"You who love your children know how much I have suffered when the knowledge of this calamity befell my beautiful child. But, oh, Mary! may God pity you if you ever feel the agony of learning that it was placed there by your own hands? Why were they not paralyzed or withered in the grave, and this dreadful thing not have been," she cried.
But I must shut my eyes upon this painful picture. Were my pen capable of showing the agony of the stricken mother, never more would the mothers who read these lines strike the tender head of the little child ever so slight a blow. — Home Guardian.
The Heating of Our Houses.
Entering the door of one of our ‘comfortable’ modern houses, what meets us? A puff of scorched air from a register, redolent of burning iron, or of boiled air from a steam heater. The thermometer is standing at about 74°. We advance to the parlor. There matters are even worse; for no outside cold has entered with momentary freshness. The plants in the window look yellow and forlorn. Ominous cracks are visible here and there in the furniture—nay, a strip of ornamental veneer has actually split off from the piano and lies on the carpet. Our hostess, coming forward to greet us, is wrapped in a little shawl, and remarks that its an awful day; but she hasn't been out of course, but even in the warm house she felt the cold. In fact, she looked blue and pinched. Whereat we wonder; for the room feels insufferably hot; but we place ourselves beside her where she sits cowering over the register, and conversation goes on with what spirit it may under these circumstances.
At the end of an hour we are surprised to find ourselves a little chilly. That is, our head is hot enough—a little too hot, perhaps—but both hands and feet are cold, and we are inclined to agree with our friend when she opines that ‘the girl’ must have let the fire go down. But glancing at the thermometer, we stare to see the mercury has risen instead of falling. It is now at 80. And after all, why should we wonder? Nature is inevitably in her retribution, and we, no less, than the poor geranium in the window, must suffer the penalty of a deranged circulation when we violate her laws of temperature.
The mistake of overheating rooms is one which is often made, even by those who profess to be hygienists. Its results are exceeding disastrous to health, causing almost constant congestion of the head, with general disturbance of the circulation. The proper remedy is to dress warmly, and then secure plenty of good fresh air, not allowing the temperature to run much above 60°. Careful attention to this subject will obviate a vast amount of suffering. —Sel.