“HERE are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 12.
There is a very intimate connection between the law of God and the work of Jesus, our great high priest; for it is clear that the law of God is the means of convicting the sinner; and it is clear that Jesus Christ alone offers pardon.
So intimate is the relationship between the law and gospel, that he who proclaims the one, must of necessity be deeply imbued with the spirit of the other; else he will fail of inculcating the true principles of right. He who proclaims the law without a distinct and feeling delineation of the gospel, will probably become harsh and forbidding, perhaps repulsive; while he who proclaims the gospel without a distinct and full enunciation of the moral law, will become lax in his moral tone, and his standard will trail in the dust.
To run into extremes is the weakness of our nature. When we see men working with great zeal against the law of God, we are in danger of losing the love and tenderness of the gospel. When we are opposed in our attempts to convince our neighbors and friends of the validity of the moral law, we are in danger of feeling indignant, in view of the crooked course of error and heresy.
To unite the principles of justice and mercy, to unite the spirit and principles of Sinai and Calvary, is the greatest triumph of Christianity. To be firm and true to the principles contained in the moral law, with the melting tenderness of Jesus Christ as he groaned upon the cross—this requires more than mortal wisdom.
To return blessing for cursing, good for evil, love for hate, tears for sneers, this is the needed wisdom; instead of which, man in his weakness is in danger of desiring to call down the anger of Heaven upon the impious blasphemer, instead of being filled with sorrow and pity, as was our Saviour when he wept over the fated city, Jerusalem. See Matt. 23: 37.
JOS. CLARKE.
And They All with One Consent Began to Make Excuse.
By Wm. Potter
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: My mind of late has been very forcibly called to these words of the Saviour. Since the appointment of the camp-meeting, as I have been trying to urge upon those whom I met the necessity of going, with a very few exceptions I have had to listen to the many, many excuses which, if possible, were more groundless than those made in the Saviour's day. Dear brethren and sisters, how can we think it is not important whether we attend the camp-meetings or not, and still expect to enjoy the blessing of Heaven? How glad we all should be to have the dear servants of God come to our homes, and talk and explain the way to us more perfectly. But we know this cannot be; neither can they visit all the churches, to labor for them. Therefore the plan of camp-meetings has been adopted, so that by a little labor and sacrifice of each one, they may avail themselves of the opportunity to hear from those whom the Lord has called to dispense the words of life.
Dear brethren and sisters, let us bear in mind that the Lord has said, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and not be overcharged with the cares of this life. And as we make excuses for not attending the gatherings of God's people, let us be sure they are such as will be pleasing to our Heavenly Father, so that after we have borne the name of Christian and endured some of the scoffs of the world, it may not finally be said of us, as it was to those that made excuse in the Saviour's time, that those who were bidden should never taste of his supper. Oh! let us remember that the supper time is coming, when the Saviour will gird himself and serve those that are ready and prepared for it. And how can we better prepare than to avail ourselves of the opportunity of hearing the duties and dangers of this time pointed out by those whom the Lord has called to the work?
Yes, we all need the benefits of the meeting, to prepare us for the Judgment, and finally for the gathering of God's people to the marriage supper of the93Lamb. Then come one, come all. Backslider, come. It is the place for you. Believer, come. Bring the good Spirit of the Lord and good angels with you. Come, praying that the blessing of the Lord may be with his servants, and in the meeting, that lasting good may result from it.
WM. POTTER.
Lapeer, Mich.
Worship God in Holiness
WORSHIP God in “the beauty of holiness,” and let thy soul delight itself in Jesus. Drink long and deep from the fountain of love, and satisfy the thirst of thy soul. Feed richly upon the heavenly manna, till thou hunger no more. Let thy joy be full, for so is the will of thy Master.
Our Influence Illustrated.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
The other day I met an old gentleman who said to me in substance as follows: “I never liked the Methodists. I never could bear their doctrine. When I was a boy, I went to a teacher who was a Methodist, the first one I knew. He was very cross and ugly. I thought if he was a sample of the Methodists, I did not want anything to do with them.” From that time till this, this man has been strongly opposed to the Methodists wherever he found them. All this prejudice he received from the ill conduct of that one who bore the name of Methodist so long ago. How very different might have been this man’s feelings toward the Methodists had that teacher been a faithful, tender, kind-hearted man. Instead of setting him against the doctrine, he would have inclined him to be favorable towards it.
So it is with every professor, no matter what people they stand connected with. Wherever they go, they become representatives of that faith, whether they be Methodists, Adventists, or anything else. How important it is, then, that our brethren who profess the truth should carefully live it out, and have a kind and gentle spirit. Our scattered brethren and sisters may think that because they are not preaching, they are not doing anything. This is not the case. Their influence and example is preaching all the time. Eternity will show that souls have been won or lost by their influence. D. M. CANRIGHT.
Labors in Indiana.
By E. B. Lane; S. H. Lane
Our last report was from Lancaster, Owen Co., southern part of the State. We pitched the tent at that place the 29th of June, in the beginning of harvest. We did not look for a large congregation at that season of the year, but were happily disappointed. We remained there five weeks with the tent, and with but a few exceptions our congregations would number from three to six hundred, while a few of them were estimated at seven hundred. The society was composed of Lutherans, Mennonites, Dunkards, Church of the Saints, Methodists, and Christians or Campbellites. All seemed to take an equal interest in the meetings.
We received some opposition from the Christian order, which did us more good than harm. Two of their ministers met us, the last of whom met our doctrines by way of review, which was kept up by us for several nights. The general impression of the community was that God's law was not abolished, notwithstanding his effort so to prove.
Our Sabbath meetings were large, numbering two or more hundred, while some twenty have embraced the truth, and we still hope for others who are soundly convinced. Our meetings at this place have left an excellent impression on the minds of the people, who are still anxious to hear further of our views. We remained one week after the tent was taken down and shipped north, holding our meetings in a grove, and in the Methodist church, which was freely offered to us. We have disposed of some forty dollars' worth of books, and obtained quite a number of REVIEW subscribers.
We are now at Burlington, Carroll Co. Here we found a great deal of prejudice, which has been gradually giving way, so that but little now exists. We began here the 10th of August, and have now presented the Sabbath-and-law question before the people; and it is making quite a sensation with them. We have had no Sabbath meeting with them yet, so cannot tell what will be the results of their investigations. We, however, expect some to take hold of the truth.
A good state of feeling seems to exist, and we have found many warm friends here. Our congregations have ranged from one to five hundred, with good attention and interest. We are receiving some opposition from the Christian denomination. This people are quite numerous, and nearly all the opposition we meet in this State comes from them.
We have received a challenge from three of their ministers for discussion, giving us our choice among them. The minds of the people seem to demand a discussion, and we do not know but it would be productive of much good could it be carried on in the fear of God, and we hope to engage in none other than such.
We were made to rejoice by meeting father Bates. May the Lord bless his short stay to the good of his cause. We were all sorry that affliction in his family called him away from us so soon.
Brethren, pray for the cause in this part of the vineyard.
Yours in hope of eternal life,
E. B. & S. H. LANE.
Burlington, Ind., Aug. 26, 1870.
Report from Illinois Tent.
By T. M. STEWARD; R. F. ANDREWS
OUR meetings are still progressing in interest. We are encouraged to think that some honest souls will receive the truth. Sabbath, the 20th, we held our first Sabbath meeting. There were some fifteen present who were keeping their first Sabbath. Some expressed with tears their gratitude to God for sending them the light of his precious truth.
The Lord has been with us to aid in the presentation of his truth, and has attended it by the influence of his Holy Spirit, and it has made, and is making, deep impressions on many hearts; and we feel that all the honor is due to his blessed name. Our prayer is that God may enable us by his grace to get so low before him, that he can use us as instruments to build up his cause.
The dragon is growling some. The Catholics have threatened to cut down our tent, and some of the ministers of the place are doing what they can by using the keep-away argument among the people. One minister, however, thinks he can straighten out this matter, and demonstrate to the people that we are heretical. So he came into our tent and challenged us to debate the Sabbath question with him. We feared that he was not the man to undertake this matter, as he was decidedly nervous, and excited; but as he urged the case, and the people were anxious to have the subject discussed, we consented, provided the question for debate would cover the ground of dispute between us, and that we could have rules passed that would insure good order during the discussion. He agreed to this, so we expect a discussion next week.
We would say to our brethren that have written us about labor in their different localities, and wonder why we came here where there were no brethren,94that the Lord by his providence clearly pointed out this place, and we felt satisfied that it was his will we should pitch our tent here; and from the present indications it may be duty to stay here as long as it will answer to hold meetings in the tent. Brethren, pray for us, and for the success of the truth.
T. M. STEWARD.
R. F. ANDREWS.
West Union, Iowa
Harvest.
The time of wheat harvest is ended. It has been a busy season indoors and out, and men of all classes and professions—the rich, the poor, the worldling and Christian, have worked in the same field together. We naturally suppose that the rich have talked of their gains, their trades and speculations; the poor, of their wages and their struggles with poverty. The tongue of the worldling has found no stopping-place; his conversation has been of any and everything, pure and impure, jesting or profanity, it matters not to the worldling. And we look for nothing better from him.
But the Christian! Ah! who can tell of what his conversation has been? Has he warned the rich of the deceitfulness of riches? Has he comforted the poor by pointing to a Saviour who freely giveth all things? Has he told the worldling that the love of the world is enmity to God? that the name of the Lord should not be taken in vain? or has he been so near like his companions that he could not raise the voice of warning? Can he answer these questions with a clear conscience before God? I fear some cannot.
O my brethren, can the worldling truly say of you, The Adventists were the wildest and biggest jokers in the field? They could tell of the funniest incidents, the biggest bargains and most trades; and worse still, could outdo the worldling in impure conversation. O my Saviour, how oft do thy professed followers offend and crucify thee! How oft art thou wounded in the house of thy friends! And do they mourn and repent for all this? Alas! no.
Oh! the hardness of heart which characterizes this generation. It seems that the prophet was speaking to the people of this age when he said, Seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.
West Union, Iowa
I Am with Thee.
By Angelia J. Edmunds
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isa. 41: 10.
When the cold winds of adversity blow, blighting all your hopes in this life, “Fear thou not.”
When affliction falls heavily, blighting the lovely buds of your household, and perhaps the ruthless hand of death aims his poisonous dart at you also, then remember, He has said, “I am with thee.”
When friend after friend is taken from you, and you are left homeless and a stranger in this wide world of sin, “Be not dismayed; for I am thy God.”
When temptations surround you, and the conflict is severe because of your weakness, “I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.”
When agony intense agitates your bowed frame, and the heart-strings quiver with anguish; when your sins like mountains rise before you, and you fear and tremble lest you never can be victorious, hear Him say, “Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
When you feel to cry in bitterness of soul, O Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner, having hardly confidence to lift your eye to Heaven, then be assured that, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps. 103: 13, 14.
ANGELIA J. EDMUNDS.
Johnstown, Mich., Aug. 29, 1870.
Banishing Unworthy Thoughts and Feelings
To live nobly, we must be noble; and we become noble by resolutely banishing every unworthy thought and feeling.
Close of the Meetings at Winterset, Iowa.
By Dudley Marvin Canright
SUNDAY, Aug. 28, we closed our meetings at Winterset. Have been there just six weeks, and preached about fifty sermons. Have sold about $90 worth of books. Have obtained thirty subscribers for the REVIEW; and fifty have embraced the truth, besides a very large number more who are warm friends to the truth, though they have not yet commenced to live it out. We have numerous friends scattered all over the country for miles in every direction.
We think a good work has been done here, and that the Lord has especially opened the way, and blessed us in our meetings. We intend to follow up the interest here as fast as possible this fall and winter.
As we were to leave with our tent, and had no place for our meeting, we made an effort to obtain the privilege of holding meetings in some one of the several churches in town, but utterly failed.
We tried to obtain the Christian church for just one Sabbath meeting till we could get a place; but we could not get it even for one day. So on Sunday, the last day of our meeting, we called a business meeting of our friends, to see what should be done. Though it was very rainy, yet we had a good congregation. A good hall could be had, all fitted up, for $75 for six months. We proposed that they raise that amount, and hire the hall. A subscription was started, and in less than fifteen minutes, we obtained $145—nearly double what we called for. This shows how our friends feel toward the truth in this place. Had we time to spend, we think we could readily build a house of worship this fall. But the hall will furnish them a good, sufficiently large and convenient place in which to meet.
We think the truth has brought out a good, substantial, reliable class of people in Winterset; and with the blessing of the Lord we hope to see an excellent church here. Numerous places are opened all around for meetings. We were much interested in the case of a man from Missouri. He came up to visit his brother, and attended our meetings the last two days. He improved all the time, both in hearing and asking questions. He subscribed for the paper, and bought some books, and seemed to receive the truth as a thirsty soul would cool water. He would hardly let us off without promising to go to his place to preach the truth.
It does us good to meet such souls who are anxious for the word of the Lord. Like thousands of others, he is thoroughly disgusted with the popular religion of the day. May the Lord bless him and his family, and open the way for him to hear and obey the word of the Lord.
We have this day moved to Des Moines, the capital of the State. It is a city of about 14,000, and probably is as proud and corrupt as other cities of its size. Several considerations induced us to make an effort here. We have but a short time of tent season left any way; and if we fail, we shall not lose much. If we raise an interest, we can carry it on in a hall when too cold for the tent. At any rate, we shall try in the name of the Lord, and hope for his blessing.
Brethren, pray for us. D. M. CANRIGHT.
Des Moines, Aug. 30, 1870.
Meditation.
MEDITATE upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all. 1 Tim. 4:15. These were the words of Paul to Timothy; and it would be well for every Christian to take this advice to himself. The Lord wants his people to be growing, progressing Christians; but they cannot be such without thinking and meditating upon the things of the Lord. There are good examples in the Bible of men who were in the habit of meditating. It is written of Isaac, that he went out to meditate in the field at the eventide. Gen. 24:63. David, who was a man after God's own heart, meditated in the night-watches, Ps. 63:6; in God's precepts, 119:15; in his statutes, 119:23; in his word, 119:148; and on all his works, 143:5. David also says, And the meditations of my heart shall be of understanding; Ps. 49:3; and of the Lord he says, My meditation of him shall be sweet. 104:34. The Lord commanded the children of Israel, pertaining to his law, Thou shalt meditate therein day and night. Josh. 1:8. And the man is called blessed whose delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Ps. 1:2.
A book of remembrance is written, not only for those who fear the Lord, but for those who also think upon his name. Mal. 3:16.
Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil. 4:8.
If any lack wisdom, or know not how to think upon good things, they have only to pray as did David, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." Ps. 19:14. I have often thought that the psalms were mostly written in David's seasons of meditation; and all who would be living, growing Christians must also meditate upon the works of the Lord.
The Second Coming—A Dream.
By Harriet Beecher Stowe
For four successive Sundays, the Advent note had been sounding through the church that I attended. The hymns, the prayers, the sermons, all spoke of the second coming of Christ. To it all, as a good churchman, I had listened seriously, and, I hope, devoutly. It had mingled itself dream-wise with the creeping light of painted windows, falling in gold and purple and crimson over successive pews, where fair forms in feathers and flowers, satins and laces, and the portly figures of respectable citizens, were to be seen, bowing in responses, rising at the gospel, joining in the anthems, and in other ways signifying assent to the wonderful truths which formed the subject of the sermon.
At times, like a vivid shaft of light, some declaration from the epistle or gospel would, for a moment, pierce the dreamy solemnity, and I would start, as if an angel had touched me, with an awakening thrill.
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”
My soul vibrated for a moment like a harp. Was it true? The night, the long night of the world's groping agony and blind desire, is it almost over—is the day at hand?
Again: “They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, look up and rejoice, for your redemption is nigh.”
Coming!—The Son of Man really coming—coming into this world again with power and great glory?
There were moments when I thought of it, in which I rose up in my seat, and all church seemed glorified!
Will this really ever happen? Will this solid, commonplace earth see it? Will these skies over New York brighten and flash, and will up-turned faces in this city be watching to see him coming?
So our minister preached, in a solemn sermon; and for moments, at times, I felt a thrill of reality in hearing. But as the well-dressed crowd passed down the aisle, my neighbor, Mr. Stockton, whispered to me not to forget the meeting of the bank directors, on Monday evening; and Mrs. Goldthwaite poured into my wife's ear a charge not to forget her Thursday receptions; and my wife, as she came out, asked me if I had observed the extravagant toilet of Mrs. Pennyman.
“So absurd,” she said, “when her income, I know, cannot be half what ours is, and I never think of sending to Paris for my things—I should look at it as morally wrong!”
I spoke of the sermon. “Yes,” said my wife, “what a sermon!—so solemn. I wonder that all New York is not drawn to hear our rector. What could be more powerful than such discourses? My dear, by-the-by, don't forget to change Mary's opal ring for a diamond one, dear me! The Christmas presents were all so on my mind that I was thinking of them every now and then in church, and that was so wrong of me!”
“My dear,” said I, “sometimes it seems to me as if all our life were unreal. We go to church, and the things that we hear are either true or false. If they are true, what things they are! For instance, these Advent sermons. If we are looking for that coming, we ought somehow to feel and live differently from what we do! Do we really believe what we hear in church, or is it a painted dream?”
“I do believe,” said my wife earnestly, (she is a good woman, my wife,) “yes I do believe, but it is just as you say—oh, dear! I feel as if I am very worldly—I have so many things to think of!” and she sighed.
So did I; for I knew that I too was very worldly. After a pause, I said:
“Suppose Christ should really come to New York this Christmas, and it should begin to be authoritatively announced that he would be in the city that day?”
“I think,” said my wife, “there would be some embarrassment on the part of our great men, legislators and chief councilors, in anticipation of a personal interview. Fancy a meeting of the city council to arrange a reception for the Lord Jesus Christ!”
“Perhaps,” said I, “he would refuse all offers of the rich and great. Perhaps our fashionable churches would plead for his presence in vain. He would not be in palaces.”
“Oh!” said my wife, earnestly, “If I thought our money separated us from him, I would give it all, yes all, might I only see him one hour.”
She spoke from the bottom of her heart, and for a moment her face was glorified.
“You will see him some day,” said I, “and the money that we are willing to give up at a word from him, will not keep him from us.”
That evening, the thoughts of the waking hours mirrored themselves in a dream.
I seemed to be out walking in the streets of New York, and to be conscious of a strange, vague sense of something just declared of which all were speaking with a suppressed air of mysterious voices.
There was a stir of hush—a whispering stillness was around. Groups of men stand at the corners of the street and discuss an impending something, with suppressed voices.
I heard one say to another, “Really coming? What? To-morrow?” And others said, “Yes, to-morrow, on Christmas day, he will be here.”
It was night. The stars were glittering down with a keen and frosty light, the shops glistened in their Christmas array, but the same sense of hushed expectancy pervaded everything. There seemed to be nothing doing, and each person looked wistfully on his neighbor, as if to say, Have you heard?
Suddenly, as I walked, an angel form was with me, gliding softly by my side. The face was solemn, serene and calm.95Yet, though I felt awe, I felt a sort of confiding love, and as I said, “Tell me—is it really true? Is Christ coming?”
“He is,” said the angel. “To-morrow he will be here!”
“What joy!” I cried.
“Is it joy?” said the angel. “Alas! to many in this city it is only terror. Come with me.”
In a moment I seemed to be standing with him in a parlor of one of the chief palaces of New York. A stout, florid, bald-headed man was seated at a table covered with papers, which he was sorting over with nervous anxiety, muttering to himself as he did so. On a sofa lay a sad-looking, delicate woman, her emaciated hands clasped over a little book. The room was, in all its appointments, a witness of boundless wealth. Gold, and silver, and gems, and foreign furniture, and costly pictures, and articles of vertu, everything that money could buy was heaped together; and yet the man himself seemed to me to have been neither elevated nor refined by the confluence of all these treasures. He seemed nervous and uneasy. He wiped the sweat from his brow, and spoke.
“I don't know, wife, how you feel; but I don't like this news. I don't understand it. It puts a stop to everything that I know anything about.”
“O John,” said the woman, turning towards him a face pale and fervent, and clasping her hands, “how can you say so?” And as he spoke, I could see breaking out above her head a tremulous light, like that above the brow of an angel.
“Well, Mary, it's the truth. I don't care if I say it. I don't want to meet—well, I wish he would put it off! What does he want of me? I'd be willing to make over—well, three millions, to found a hospital, if he would be satisfied and let me go on. Yes, I'd give three millions, to buy off from to-morrow.”
“Is he not our best friend?”
“Best friend?” said the man, with a look of half fright, half anger. “Mary, you don't know what you are talking about! You know I always hated those things. There's no use in it; I can't see into them. In fact, I hate them.”
She cast on him a look full of pity. “Cannot I make you see?” she said.
“No, indeed you can't. Why, look here,” he added, pointing to the papers, “here is what stands for millions! To-night it's mine, and to-morrow it will be all so much waste paper, and then what have I left? Do you think I can rejoice? I'd give half; I'd give—yes the whole, not to have him come these three hundred years.” She stretched out her thin hand toward him, but he pushed it back.
“Do you see?” said the angel to me solemnly, “between him and her there is a great gulf fixed. They have lived in one house with that gulf between them for years! She cannot go to him; he cannot come to her. To-morrow she will rise to Christ as a dewdrop to the sun, and he will call to the mountains and rocks to fall on him, not because Christ hates him, but because he hates Christ.”
Again the scene was changed. We stood together in a little low attic, lighted by one small lamp—how poor it was—a broken chair, a rickety table, a bed in the corner—where the little ones were cuddling close to one another for warmth. Poor things! the air was so frosty that their breath congealed upon the bedclothes, as they talked in baby voices. “When mother comes she will bring us some supper,” they said. “But I'm so cold!” said the little outsider. “Get in the middle, then,” said the other two, “and we will warm you. Mother promised she'd make a fire when she came in, if that man would pay her.”
“What a bad man he is,” said the oldest boy; “he never pays mother if he can help it.”
Just then the door opened, and a pale, thin woman came in laden with packages.
She laid all down and came to her children's bed, clasping their hands in a rapture.
“Joy! joy! children, oh! joy, joy! Christ is coming! He will be here to-morrow.”
Every little bird in the nest was up, and the little arms around the mother's neck; the children believed at once. They had heard of the good Jesus, he had been their mother's only friend through many a cold and hungry day, and they doubted not he was coming.
“O mother, will he take us? He will, won't he?”
“Yes, yes, my little ones,” she said softly, smiling to herself; “He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.”
Suddenly again, as by the slide of a magic lantern, another scene was present.
We stood in a lonely room, where a woman was sitting with her head bowed forward upon her hands. Alone, forsaken, slandered, she was in bitterness of spirit. Hard, cruel tongues had spoken her name with vile assertions, and a thoughtless world had believed. There had been a babble of accusations, a crowd to rejoice in iniquity, and few to pity. She thought herself alone, and she spoke: “Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I am as a monster unto many, but thou art my strong refuge.”
In a moment the angel touched her. “My sister,” he said, “be of good cheer. Christ will be here to-morrow.”
She started up with her hands clasped, her eye bright, her whole form dilated, as she seemed to look into the heavens, and said with rapture:
“Come, Lord, and judge me; for thou knowest me altogether. Come, Son of Mary, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded. Oh! for the judgment seat of Christ!”
Again, I stood in a brilliant room, full of luxuries. Three or four fair women were standing pensively talking with each other. Their apartment was bestrewn with jewelry, laces, silks, velvets, and every fanciful elegance of fashion; but they looked troubled.
“This seems to me really awful,” said one, with a suppressed sigh. “What troubles me is, I know so little about it.”
“Yes,” said another, “and it puts a stop so to everything! Of what use will all these be to-morrow?”
There was a poor seamstress in the corner of the room, who now spoke. “We shall be ever with the Lord,” she said.
“I'm sure I don't know what that can mean,” said the first speaker, with a kind of a shudder, “it seems rather fearful.”
“Well,” said the other, “it seems so sudden—when one never dreamed of any such thing—to change all at once from this to that other life.”
“It is enough to be with him,” said the poor woman. “Oh, I have so longed for it!”
“The great gulf,” again said the angel.—H. B. Stowe.
Report from Ohio.
By I. D. Van Horn
We still remain with our tent in Troy, Ohio. We have been here four weeks. The interest to hear the truth still remains good. Our congregations range from 100 to 400. Good order is generally observed by the people. Some half a dozen have already begun to keep the Sabbath, and many more are convinced and on the deciding point. Which way they will turn we know not.
We shall stay here another week, and longer if the interest will warrant it. We earnestly request the prayers of those who have an interest at a throne of grace.
I. D. VAN HORN.
Wayside Efforts.
By M. G. McMahan
A CHRISTIAN gentleman was once passing in a stage through a region of country where he had formerly labored. While the driver stopped to water his horses, he handed tracts to two men who were at work by the roadside.
Recognition followed, and a greeting of unusual warmth on the part of the two men drew the attention of the stage driver, who dropped his bucket, exclaiming, “Oh, is it possible that I have been hauling Mr. C——, and did not know it!” Explanations were given, and this devoted laborer for Jesus was gratified to meet with three humble Christians who had, ten years before, been led to Christ by his personal labors. Ecclesiastes 11:1.
Humanly speaking, it was but a small matter for a pious young man to speak a few words of Christian admonition to another young man while exchanging the usual salutations of travelers. They pass on in opposite directions, never again to meet on earth, but those few words sent a devoted missionary to the heathen.
How few ever think of improving such opportunities; and fewer still feel themselves under obligation to address strangers upon religious subjects.—M. G. McMahan.
Murmurings.
By Mary Martin
“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
“Now all these things happened unto them for examples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. 10: 10–12.
Back to Egypt, is the watchword
All along the line to-night,
Even with the valiant soldiers
Who have stood in many a fight.
Some have given up discouraged,
And have laid their armor down.
Some prefer earth's fading laurels,
To the conqueror's palm and crown.
Some of duty have grown weary,
And now seek an easier way;
Think the Captain is exacting,
Or they'll never get their pay.
Some ne'er tried real army rations,
And cling to home diet still;
Appetite perverted loves it,
And they're sure the other'd kill.
Some it seems, too, are disgusted
With the style of uniform;
Some have friends who do not like it,
Or 'tis odd, or is too warm.
Oh, the faults! their name is Legion,
That to-night they have to find,
And they grow no less when harbored
By a discontented mind.
But a few stand firm, unwavering,
And they say, We will go on;
We can trust the faithful Captain,
We would go where he has gone.
O my Lord! thy grace—that only,
In this dark and trying hour,
In this time of fearful shaking,
Can keep me from Satan's power.
Tho' all earthly hopes should perish,
Grant me this, my blessed Lord:
Some low place with thy tried people,
And a share in their reward.