AMONG the blessings enumerated by the Master is the utterance, "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5. In the Psalms we read a similar statement: "The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11. Thus do we find the definite promise that "the meek shall inherit the earth," and not only that, but they "shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
IT must be perfectly evident that this promise has not yet been realized. The most greedy and the most grasping are the ones who have ever been the inheritors of the larger part of this earth. Those who have been distinguished for their meekness have not because of this been specially favored with titles to lands. Jesus Himself was the great example of meekness, for He says, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." Matt. 11:29. Notwithstanding the meekness of the Master, He said of Himself that He had "not where to lay His head." Matt. 8:20.
THEN, since the Lord has given the unfailing promise that the meek shall inherit the earth, and since we do not see them holding undisputed sway now in this world, it is evident that we must look to some future time to find the realization of what He will bestow upon this class of persons. And to sustain this hope we have another definite promise. Peter speaks of it thus: "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3:13.
THERE have always been righteous persons in this earth, but they have been continually in a great minority. This has been the case so fully that the Lord Himself said that "wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt. 7:13, 14. Then the few who have been in the way of life and therefore in the path of righteousness have been only "lights" in this world, but they have not been the righteous inhabitants that are to be the permanent dwellers here. And with this agrees the word spoken concerning Abraham: "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Heb. 11:9, 10. And the same chapter, speaking of those who had been eminent for their goodness, says of them, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Verse 13.
PEOPLE often speak of heaven in a very indefinite way. They do not seem to understand that the Lord has so definitely promised that this earth shall be redeemed from all the curse of sin and restored to the righteous for their eternal abode. So complete will be the renovation of this sin-stricken earth that the Word of God tells us it will be completely "dissolved," so that the evil works that are in it may be burned up. And, notwithstanding this dissolving of the earth, the same Word tells us, "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." The whole of the third chapter of 2 Peter should be carefully read, in order to get the connection fully and clearly.
THE Lord had a very definite purpose in mind when He created this earth. He did not make it that it might be the abode of sin, but of righteousness. And because the plague of sin has cursed it for a few thousand years, that will not destroy God's plan nor His eternal purpose. "Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else." Isa. 45:18.
As you have beheld some of the beautiful places of this earth, has not the desire sprung up in your breast to dwell eternally in such a lovely spot? This desire is from your God. The loveliest place on earth to-day is but a dim picture of the eternal beauty that will be seen in every nook and corner of the earth made new. And to that glorious home the Lord is urgently and earnestly inviting every one to-day. He has also filled the world with evidence that the race of sin is about finished, and He will soon send His Son to earth the second time to resurrect the righteous and to translate the living, preparatory to entering into the eternity of bliss that awaits them in that glorious land of everlasting promise. T.
SAMARIA, VIEW OF SUNAM (SOULEM).
RESISTANCE TO LIGHT. No. 1.
By Mrs. E. G. White
JESUS was in the temple court. At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, crowds assembled in this place. In the court were erected high standards, upon which were placed branching lamps. After the evening sacrifice, these lamps were lighted, and the flame, bright and strong, filled the court, representing the pillar of fire which had guided the children of Israel through the wilderness.
This sight created the greatest enthusiasm among the people. Their admiration was unbounded and their rejoicing universal. But the Saviour looked upon the rejoicing congregation with pitying tenderness. The One who had created the light, who, enshrouded in the pillar of fire, had guarded and protected the children of Israel in their journeyings through the wilderness, now stood in the temple court, and if the worshipers had not separated themselves from God, they would have recognized Him.
The Son of God looked at the lamps which represented Him, and His voice, full of a melody which commanded silence, was heard, saying, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” His words fell on the ears of the people with a strange power; for as He spoke, divinity flashed through humanity, sending to the hearts of His hearers the conviction that His words were true.
The Light of the world, Christ, came to the place where Satan had set up his throne. He came not to condemn and destroy by His glory, but to restore and uplift by His healing beams. He came as the light and life of men, and He presented Himself in His true relation to the world. His light was to shine, not merely to the Jewish nation, as represented by the lights in the temple courts, but it was to send its far-reaching beams to every nation under heaven. The time would come when upon every human being would shine the light of the Sun of Righteousness.
O, that the Jewish people had recognized Christ as the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world! But Satan had determined that if he could not overthrow the Prince of Life, he would so blind the eyes of the nation that they would reject the Saviour. God had worked in majesty and power to make of Israel a chosen nation, a royal priesthood, that they might show forth the light of His truth. They had been exalted to heaven by their privileges. This people Satan determined to use as his agents in quenching all heaven-sent light.
He succeeded in gaining the Jewish teachers to his side. While the light in the temple court was causing joy and gladness among the worshipers, the hearts of the Pharisees were filled with bitterness and murder. They were under the control of Satan.
“I am the light of the world.” Clear and emphatic the Saviour’s words fell upon the ears of all in the court. The people could not at that time understand the meaning of the relation Christ claimed to the world, but His words sank into their hearts, and He knew that afterward many would comprehend His meaning. His words, tho not understood now, would by and by be brought to their remembrance by the Holy Spirit. The beams of the Sun of Righteousness would shine into their minds, and the words He was now speaking would be remembered and understood. Then they would realize that when listening to Christ they had listened to no cunningly devised fable, but to the Word of God, whereunto they were to take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place.
To the Jewish teachers Christ seemed only an impostor. They could see only the human side of His character; for in their pride they had overlooked the prophecies relating to the humiliation of the Messiah. They did not believe that He was to come to the world without earthly glory. That a man like themselves should make such claims was something they could not tolerate.
Again and again Christ had tried to show the Jewish leaders the relation which He sustained to the human family. And as He saw the lights which shone in the temple court, He made another attempt. But their prejudice and unbelief came at once to the front.
“Thou bearest record of Thyself; Thy record is not true,” they said. On one occasion Christ had said, “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.” He meant that if He came bearing witness only to advance His own interest and glorify Himself, they would be justified in not crediting His testimony. To their charge at this time He answered: “Thou I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go. . . . Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am One that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me. Then said they unto Him, Where is Thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know Me, nor My Father; if ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also.”
At another time He said of the Jewish leaders, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin; but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father.” If the scribes and Pharisees had received the testimony borne by so many in regard to Christ’s work, if with a teachable spirit they had searched the Scriptures to see if His claims were in accordance with prophecy, they would have been enlightened, and would have recognized Jesus as the light of the world. But, self-righteous and self-sufficient, they received instead the suggestions of one who was expelled from heaven for self-seeking. Instead of searching the Scriptures, they opened their hearts to evil imaginings. Determined not to believe that Christ’s claims were just, they resisted every conviction which His words sent home to their hearts.
MRS. E. G. WHITE.
(Continued next week.)
DECEIVING AND BEING DECEIVED.
By A. F. Baldinger
IT is sad indeed to contemplate the fact that many will come to judgment so deceived that they will really believe that they have prophesied, cast out devils, and done many wonderful works in the name of Christ. Matt. 7:22, 23. The reason for their deception is plainly stated in the Scriptures: "In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boast-ers, proud, . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godli-ness, but denying the power thereof. . . . Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth; men of cor-rupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. . . . Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:1-13.
In the fourth chapter of 2 Timothy, which is but a continuation of the thought in the third, the apostle Paul explains more clearly how men reach that condition where they become victims of such terrible self-deception. Here is the reason: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure SOUND DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the TRUTH and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4:1-4.3
The apostle completes the description of their deception in these words: "Whose com-ing is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thess. 2:9-12.
These scriptures make the matter very plain. The only means which God has for saving men from error and the delusions of Satan, is by the truth, "Thy word is truth"—by the sound doctrine of the Scriptures of truth. And when men will not receive the love of the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness; when they will not endure sound doctrine, but turn away their ears from the truth, and listen to fables, there is nothing left that God can do but permit them to be deceived by the strong delusions which must result from follow-ing fables. No man will come to the judgment self-deceived, who has not at some time in his experience stood face to face with truth. And because that truth called for self-denial, as truth always does, and because that truth was unpopular, as truth always is, he turned his ear away from the truth to the fables of false prophets; and instead of believing the truth, he came to believe a lie.
Reader, if you have come face to face with truth, and turned away your ear from hearing it at any time in your life, I exhort you in the name of the Lord, delay not to turn your ear back to hear that truth and obey it at any cost. Let no honest seeker after truth fear that God will not be able to pilot him amid the hidden and destructive rocks and quicksands which must be passed before we reach the haven. The Lord has promised that "he that willeth to do His will shall know of the doctrine."
A knowledge of sound doctrine is essential if the believer would be delivered from the delusions of the last days. The signs and wonders of the ministers of Satan are wrought to persuade the people to believe false doctrine. There is salvation from his delusions in sound doctrine. Here is an illustration; here is one sound doctrine of Scripture which, if believed, would instantly sweep away a multitude of deceptions. One lie which the signs and won-ders of Satan are wrought to confirm, is that Christ's second coming will not occur in the manner described in the Scriptures. The Lord tells us that the workers of signs and wonders will teach false doctrine concerning the manner of His coming, and warns us not to believe them. Here is the scripture:—
"There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24:24-27.
This sound doctrine, if believed, would quickly unmask both the miracle-working de-lusions, Christian Science and Spiritualism, for both of them are saying, "Here is Christ," and denying His literal, personal coming in the clouds of heaven as described in the Scrip-tures of truth.
Christian Science teaches this fable: "Here let us apprehend the wise word of our teacher (Mrs. Eddy). Christian Science is the second advent of Christ."—The New Interpretation, p. 110. "The Christian scientist believes that Christ is now here."—Condensed Thoughts, p. 50.
Spiritualism declares that the seances of the secret chambers is the second coming of Christ. Here is the proof: "Spiritualism is the second coming of Christ."—Banner of Light, Nov. 18, 1865. "Harken then to the voice of wisdom, O ye inhabitants of earth; and be not blinded as to your Lord's appearing; for He is already in your midst!"—Spiritual Telegraph.
With the plain declarations of Christ as to the manner of His coming, what excuse will any man have in the judgment for having believed the fables of Christian Science or Spiritualism, even tho these fables were sup-ported by great signs and wonders? Do not the Scriptures of truth warn us beforehand that great signs and wonders will be wrought by those who will teach error concerning the second coming of Christ? The presence of miracles, therefore, is no excuse for being deceived. Miracles are to be judged by their fruits as to whether these fruits are in harmony with sound doctrine. This truth is taught all through the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah, after describing a last-day delusion under which men leave the all-wise God and seek the dead for knowledge, admonishes the people to test the teaching and the miracles by sound doc-trine. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:19, 20. With this explicit warning before us, what excuse will any man have for being ruined by the delusion?
In Rev. 13:14 we read that the minister of Satan "deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do." Of those who escape this de-ception we read, "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12. Thus it is again, that the appeal of the undeceived will be to sound doctrine, and if the fruit of the teaching leads away from "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," it will not be followed, notwithstanding the "miracles which he had power to do."
In Matt. 7:22 we learn the awfully sad fact that men will come to judgment really believ-ing that they have prophesied and cast out devils in the name of Christ. But the preced-ing verse gives the reason, as follows: "Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven." Thus again the reason for the deception is found in a failure to do the will of God as taught in the Scriptures. Those who obey the word have the following precious promises: "Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Rev. 3:10. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." John 10:27, 28. "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32.
It has been asked, Will Satan really heal? Will the ministers of Satan cast out devils? Does Satan cast out Satan? It can be confi-dently affirmed from the teaching of Scrip-ture that Satan will never cast out Satan; for this would be to break his dominion over the soul, and he will never be found doing this. But that his ministers will do that which will appear to be casting out devils, is evident. There are many ways by which Satan exercises his con-trol over men. The Pharisees were as really under the dominion of Satan as were those out of whom the Lord cast the devils. He said of them, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." John 8:44.
The devil can change the manner of his control, and still retain power over his victim. Thereby he strengthens his deceptions not only over the victim, but over those who regard the miracle as a manifestation of the power of God in casting out devils. Here is an illustra-tion: A man was trying to convince the writer that Spiritualism was a blessing. He declared, in support of his contention, that he had been saved from drunkenness by means of Spiritualism. "As a result you are now a confirmed Spiritualist," I replied; to which he answered, "Yes." "Now," I added, "you are harder to reach with the truth than if you were a drunkard."
In the same way, Satan will appear to heal disease and cast out devils, and, so far as the manifestation itself is concerned, it will be impossible to deny that a miracle has been wrought. But there will be no real permanent giving of health, or deliverance from his do-minion, but only a shifting of symptoms, a change in the manner of control, whereby he will be able to deepen his deception. It is true that many of the wonders of healing can be accounted for on the psychological truth that the mind has much to do with the health of the body, and that the imaginations of the mind will cause disease of the body, and, con-trariwise, a change of the mind will often result in a marvelous healing of the body. But, as before stated, the appeal is not to miracles, but to the fruits of the teaching in support of which the miracles are set forth. Miracles which can not be denied, and which can not be accounted for in harmony with the known laws of nature, will be wrought, and it is not wise to investigate the miracle. Admit the miracle, and challenge the fruits. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
But since we are to know them by their fruits, it follows that we must know the fruits when we see them. If we can not recognize coveting in ourselves, we will not know it in the worker of wonders. "I had not known coveting," says the apostle Paul, "except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 7:7, R.V. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20. That which is true of this tenth commandment is true of the other nine. No man would have known Sabbath-breaking except the law had said, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work." Ex. 20:10. And he who does not know the fruits of Sabbath-keeping in his own life, will not know the fruits of Sabbath-breaking in the teaching of the worker of wonders.
He who would know the fruit of the false, must himself be delivered from the false, and he who would know the fruit of the true, must have the true written upon his heart by the "Spirit of Truth." He can not and need not trust to the judgment or experience of another. "After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. . . . And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord." Jer. 31:33, 34. They who are delivered from delusion will be those "who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Heb. 5:14.
Now of the things we have written, reader, this is the sum: You will not be deceived by the devil "by those miracles which he has power to do," if you do not grieve away the Spirit which is sent to you to "guide you into all truth," by rejecting the truth to which the Spirit guides you. And you will not escape the deceiving power of the great signs and wonders unless you yourself are personally acquainted with the fruits of the Spirit, your-self "being fruitful in every good work" (Col. 1:10), because you are yourself "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
A. F. BALDINGER.
Peace of Mind and Good Health
"Good health depends more upon peace of mind than upon powder and pills."
THE DEGENERACY OF SOCIETY.
By Francis M. Wilcox
THE social factor plays an important part in the history of every nation. If the social life of the people is pure, simple, and uncorrupted, the national life will be correspondingly strong. But with marked degeneracy in the social life we could not naturally expect otherwise than to see the same leaven of evil working in every phase of human existence. As the last days were to be particularly signalized by wars of nations, and oppression of the poor, so were they likewise to be especially marked by degeneracy in the social life of the people. To this point our Saviour bears the following testimony:—
“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
The three leading, prominent sins of the human family in the days of Lot and Noah were excesses in eating, excesses in drinking, and unbridled passion: “This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” Read also the sixth and nineteenth chapters of Genesis.
It needs but a brief consideration of the condition of society, as shown in the world to-day, to see that the signs given by our Saviour are meeting their fulfilment. Consider the conditions He pointed out in the following order:—
Gluttony.
Multitudes of earth's inhabitants to-day have no higher ambition in life than to secure enough to satisfy the demands of indulged and pampered appetite. This age is noted for its high living. Content no longer with the simplicity of their fathers, and with the necessaries of life, there is a reaching out after display. Those things which appeared to the human race a century ago as luxuries, are now deemed absolute necessities. In consequence, the cost of living is materially increased; and by these indulgences, thousands of families are held down to a hand-to-mouth existence, and in every period of stress come to suffer actual need.
While this extravagance is seen in the lower stratus of society, it is of course much more apparent among the so-called higher classes. And so we find during every season of entertainment, receptions tendered on the most gorgeous scale, and dinners served in the most sumptuous order. While in the hovel of the poor there may be scarcely enough food to keep soul and body together, in the palace of the rich, oftentimes in the same block, thousands of dollars are squandered in pure selfishness and elaborate display. It is no uncommon thing now for dinners to be served costing hundreds of dollars per guest. At a recent dinner party given in New York City, covers were laid for 80 guests, costing $1,200 per plate, entailing an outlay of nearly $100,000. Gluttony is seen on every side. Men eat and drink for wagers, and, not alone content with matching their appetites against each other, they often enter into contests with the brute creation. Some time ago, in one of our Eastern cities, a man entered into an eating contest with a dog. To the credit of the brute, let it be said that he stopped when the natural demands of his appetite were satisfied. The brute man only ceased when he had exceeded the dog in the quantity of food devoured.
Excesses in Drink.
Notwithstanding the heroic and earnest efforts put forth by the W. C. T. U., and other temperance organizations, there has been a steady increase in the amount of spirituous liquors consumed. This serves to prove that men cannot be made righteous by legal enactments. So long as the heart remains unregenerated, its evil desires and propensities will be manifest in some form. The following item we take from a recent number of the Union Signal: “The people of this country spent last year for chewing gum, $2,000,000; for amusement, $4,000,000; for jewelry, $6,000,000; for tobacco, $8,000,000; and for strong drink, $1,400,000,000.” As an offset to this, the combined churches in the United States only spent $5,500,000 for work among the heathen nations of the world. We do not for a moment disparage the excellent results which have attended the agitation of the temperance cause. All honor and credit and praise to the worthy men and women who have given their lives to the fighting of this terrible monster; and yet, notwithstanding these efforts, the power of the drink habit is increasing, for the sole reason that the power of appetite in man has been strengthened in proportion as he has degenerated morally, and separated himself from God.
As the world continues to grow worse, the exhibition of the evil propensities of human nature will be more and more apparent. It is not necessary to state statistics along these lines. To look at the figures representing the sum total is interesting and appalling, but the observation and experience of every reader are sufficient to indicate to him the degeneracy of society. Saloons are increasing on every side. They outnumber our churches and educational institutions ten to one. In our large cities almost every corner grocery has its wine room, and its side or back door, where its customers in this department can enter unnoticed. And one very sad consideration in this connection is the fact that these wine rooms are coming to be patronized to-day by women as well as men. This shows that the power of this terrible evil is taking hold of the very citadel of the family, and attacking its very center of purity and innocence. The social gatherings and dinner parties spoken of above are the great promoters of the saloon; and, in fact, we find on the family table of the ordinary home that class of foods, rich, luxurious, and highly seasoned, which serves to create and foster in the children a desire for spirituous liquors. When the home itself becomes corrupted, what can be hoped for of the church, of society, and of the nation?
Unbridled Passion.
Closely associated with the saloon stands the brothel. One is the father of the other. Indulged and pampered appetite, gluttony and strong drink, lead to lower sins and more degrading practices. Every line of business and industry to-day have been reduced to a science, to a system, to an organized effort. Satan is not behind in his work of deception. The so-called social evil of to-day has likewise been reduced to a science, and it is carried on as an industry, serving conjointly the combined interests of the god of lust and the god of mammon. As shown by the disclosures in the Pall Mall Gazette several years ago, and later by the Lexow Committee of New York, and in numerous instances by the efforts of Law and Order Leagues, rescue mission workers, and others, there is carried on in every city an organized system for entrapping the unwary and unsuspecting, and luring down to the pit of hell the guileless and innocent. The leading brothels have their agents or procuresses, the same as mercantile houses, for this very work, and the columns of thousands of newspapers are open to their advertisements. And that which makes more terrible this organized system of iniquity is the fact that in many of our large cities, as proved by investigation, the so-called officers of the law work hand in hand with these criminals. It is known that in scores of cases the brothels of our large cities pay to the police force a certain pro rata to buy their silence and protection. And in this system of iniquity is seen still further, as brought to view in the preceding article, the oppression of the poor in the last days. In scores of instances virtue is sold for gold, in order that soul and body may be kept together, and that there may be dragged out a little longer a miserable existence.
In the formation of monopolies, and in the sharp competition going on between the wage earners of the world, bare necessity has driven thousands to this life as a means of existence. The church and the world view with professed abhorrence this condition of affairs, and yet in the very attitude assumed toward these classes, there is given the lie to this abhorrence. The keeper and the inmates of the brothel are placed the lowest in the scale of human existence, but oftentimes those who are the aiders, abettors, and the supporters of these infamous institutions, are received by open arms in society at its most lordly functions. Sin is the same in God's sight whether practised by the society leader, by the flourishing man of business, or by the sunken, sodden specimen of humanity who has no home only in the den of infamy. If there be a difference, God will judge with a sterner judgment the man with great capabilities of mind and wealth, rather than the one who, having been lost to the world, finds nothing to draw her upward toward the better life. If the fifty thousand fallen women of New York City must sometime be brought into judgment, and receive their just deserts at the hand of a pure God, will that same pure and righteous Judge pass by the more than double and treble that number of fallen wretches who move in respectable circles, and occupy pews in Christian churches, who have made these women what they are to-day? It is difficult to see how the days of Noah and the days of Lot could have been worse than these times. Until society is cleansed, until the human heart is changed, this world will never be converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord help us to discern the signs of the times, to be wise according to that which is written, and, while we see the evil, to shun the evil, and to cultivate that purity of life and heart which will enable us to enter unabashed into the presence of the Holy One. FRANCIS M. WILCOX.
THE BIBLE.
Most wondrous Book, bright candle of the Lord,
Star of eternity, the only star
By which the bark of man could navigate
The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss
Securely; only star which rose on time,
And, on its dark and troubled billows still,
As generation, drifting swiftly by,
Succeeded generation, threw a ray
Of Heaven's own light, and to the hills of God,
The everlasting hills, pointed the sinner's eye.
This Book, this glorious Book, on every line
Marked with the seal of high divinity,
On every leaf bedewed with drops of love
Divine, and with the eternal heraldry
And signature of God Almighty stamped
From first to last, this ray of sacred light,
The lamp from off the everlasting throne,
Mercy took down, and in the light of time
Stood, casting on the dark her gracious bow,
And even now beseeching men, with tears
And earnest sighs, to read, believe, and live.
—Pollok.
