WAIT is a short word, easily and quickly spoken, and yet obedience to it has ruined individuals and nations, and wrecked enterprises and undertakings that otherwise might have succeeded and proved a blessing. There is an old saying that “there is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at its flood, leads on to fortune.” This tide is still flowing, and those who continue to take advantage of it at the opportune moment will be carried onward to success. To work upon the plan that to-morrow will do as well as to-day means failure. “To-morrow may be too late.”
The command of our Leader is, “Go forward.” “Plant the standard of truth in new fields.” “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.” There is no place to stack arms and rest until the victory is won. We must press the battle to the gate. Delays tire the angels. The King’s business requires haste.
You may inquire, Why such haste?—Because time is very short. We no longer have scores of years in which to do our work, and it may not be even a single decade. The Lord of the harvest is saying to hundreds of his people, “Go work to-day in my vineyard.” But how many are saying, “Let me first go and bury my father,” or do this and that; in other words, “Wait till I have a more convenient season”? The enemy will see to it that the more convenient season never comes.
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” I do not suppose that he cared where he went, so long as he knew that he was obeying the call, and that God was with him.
The Lord is anxious to grant us his power to enable us to do great things for him, both as individuals and as a people, and the time has fully come when marked manifestations of divine power should be seen among God’s people. They would be seen if we would quickly respond to individual calls and to God’s ever-opening providences where we as a people can and should work. To say that no man hath hired us, or that we have so little to give that it would amount to nothing, is no excuse. The test comes to us every day, and whether it be a call to personal service, or to assist some needy enterprise to the extent of our ability, if we reply, “Go thy way for this time,” we sustain a defeat. “Do something, and do it now,” should be the working motto of every child of God. Should such a motto be adopted and by God’s grace conscientiously carried into effect by every Seventh-day Adventist Christian (be the amount accomplished each day ever so small), the kingdom of Satan would tremble at its base, and soon crumble and fall. If we would act quickly from the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the enemy would get no chance to whisper in our ear the subtle word, Wait. It is delay which opens the way for disaster.
How many times our hearts have been touched by appeals that have been published in our papers for help on the various enterprises authorized and sanctioned by the General Conference or its accredited representatives, and we have said to ourselves while reading, This is a worthy enterprise, and I must respond to that appeal; but instead of doing so at once, we have waited until the impression made by the Spirit has passed, and the call is allowed to fade out of our minds, and the persons burdened with the responsibility and need that gave rise to the call, are allowed to struggle on as best they can, while we go free. Is this following the injunction to bear one another’s burdens?
Now, my dear reader, I have a proposition to make to you. The next time you and I read appeals in the Watchman or the REVIEW AND HERALD, written by Elder Butler or Elder Haskell, or any other interested person, for means to help pay for the church they have recently purchased in the city of Nashville, let us get the victory over the enemy by sending them a donation at once. What do you say? If we do not hear any more from them, let us take this article as an appeal; for I am sure they need our help. They have purchased a church and lot worth fifteen thousand dollars for five thousand dollars. They have made this purchase with the full understanding and sanction of the General Conference. Such a place is needed properly to represent our work in so important a city and center as Nashville. The members of the Nashville church are comparatively poor, and can not pay for this property in the time specified, without outside help. So without further talk, let us gladden the hearts of these two aged pioneers and the Nashville church by sending them a good donation immediately. I am going to. Who wants to follow? Come along, brethren, and let us lift these brethren out of their difficulty, so that we can be free to lift in some other needy place, and thus keep the work moving, and our own souls in the love of the truth, until the end comes, or the Master shall say to us as individuals, “It is enough.”
GEO. A. IRWIN.
The Ten-Hour Labor Law Decision
By L. A. S.
RECENTLY the United States Supreme Court, by a vote of five to four, declared the State law of New York establishing a ten-hour work day in that State, to be unconstitutional. This decision overruled a decision of the higher court of the State which had affirmed the constitutionality of the law. The case was that of a master baker who had compelled his men to work more than the prescribed period of ten hours out of the twenty-four. The Supreme Court denied that the sanitary authority of a State could properly be extended to prohibit working in a bakery for more than ten hours at a time. The Independent says this is a very far-reaching decision, and inquires: “Will not longer hours shorten the life of the average man, and does not the police power of a State have the right to control hours of labor which will reduce human life?”
The fact that the courts of New York, and four of the nine members of the highest court of the land, hold that the State can regulate personal sanitation to the extent of prescribing how many hours a day a man shall work, is strongly suggestive of a growing tendency toward that state paternalism which is characteristic of old-world governments and institutions. L. A. S.
Note and Comment
By Editor
IN the course of a lengthy defense of the Allegheny City detective who in the employ of the “Sabbath Association” of that place shot and killed a man while beset by a mob, the Rev. J. T. McCrory, a prominent advocate of Sunday legislation, says: “The real point of all the testimony, however, was to the effect that three reputable men were left utterly helpless in the power of the mob in the very heart of a great Christian, law-abiding community,” on one of the most prominent thoroughfares of Allegheny City. It appears to us that the presence of such a mob and the free course given it on one of the main streets of that city throws a considerable shadow of doubt over the alleged Christianity and law-abiding character of that community; and as Allegheny City has long been the seat of the movement to make this country righteous by law, and has long had the full benefit of the strict Pennsylvania Sunday law, it would appear to us very appropriate that the Rev. McCrory and other supporters of associations organized to bring about “sabbath” observance by law, should pause and seriously ponder the question whether such legislation and the influence of the headquarters of the Sunday law movement in this country, has made Allegheny City any better than other cities where no “sabbath” law exists, or where it is never enforced.
A Message to the Church
By Ellen G. White
MRS. E. G. WHITE
“These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.”
Among the people to whom this message was sent, there were those who had heard and been convinced by the preaching of John the Baptist, but who had lost the faith in which they once rejoiced. There were others who had received the truth from Christ’s teaching, and who were once ardent believers, but who had lost their first love, and were without spiritual strength. They had not held the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. They had a name to live, but as far as exerting a saving influence is concerned, they were dead. They had a form of godliness without the power. They quibbled about matters of no special importance, not given by the Lord as tests, till these matters became as mountains, separating them from Christ and from one another.
“These things saith he that hath the seven stars.” These words show the origin of the message. Then a plain truth is stated: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” With God outward show weighs nothing. The outward forms of religion, without the love of God in the soul, are utterly worthless.
“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.” This is our work. There are many ready to die spiritually, and the Lord calls upon us to strengthen them. God’s people are to be firmly united in the bonds of Christian fellowship, and are to be strengthened in the faith by speaking often to one another about the precious truths entrusted to them. Never are they to spend their time in accusing and condemning one another.
“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” There must be a waking up among our people. Those who do not abound in the love of God will go into apostasy. They will lose their faith in the truth.
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
There are to-day in the church of God those who do not discern their spiritual need, those who do not keep the pure principles of the truth uncontaminated by worldly influences. They are careless in regard to their spiritual standing. To them comes the urgent message, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” Receive the messages of warnings brought by the Lord’s ambassadors. Let not these warnings become dim in your memory. “Hold fast, and repent.”
Divine grace can be forfeited by a misapplication of the rich treasure. Every minister, every teacher, every medical worker, is in positive need of the Holy Spirit. Let God’s servants work in sincerity, with purity of motive. There is spiritual power for all who will seek for it with intensity of purpose. These will become partakers of the divine nature; for they have co-operated with God. Influence will be given them, to be increased by a right use. They will be given an enlargement of power proportionate to their desire to do the will of God. The influence given them will greatly increase their usefulness, unless they forfeit the blessing by selfishness, by a misuse of the entrusted gift.
Jesus declares that the Father is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. The Holy Spirit understands man’s every necessity. He will bestow upon the earnest seeker that for which he hungers and thirsts. The blessings that God has to bestow are unlimited. We can not comprehend their height and depth and breadth. All heaven is at the command of those who, realizing their lack of wisdom, come directly to the source of all wisdom. To such ones God gives liberally, and upbraids not. But let them ask in faith, nothing wavering. “He that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” The one who receives wisdom from on high is the one who holds fast to the promise, the one who feels his need, and will not be turned aside.
The Lord is greatly dishonored when wrong practises are carried on by the members of his church. These wrong practises arouse a spirit of alienation and strife and faultfinding. God sees beneath the surface. He reads the heart of every one, and he knows those who are following in evil ways. He says to all, “I know thy works.” How many times those who are misusing the precious gifts of heaven, have read these words, and yet have made no change in the life. We must arouse from our spiritual slumber. We must be born again. There is a lamentable decay in Christian experience. A truly godly life is rarely seen.
“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” Because of their faith this honor is bestowed on them. In this life they did not boast, nor lift up their souls unto vanity. With intensity of desire, with a pure, holy faith, they grasped the promise of eternal riches. Their one desire was to be like Christ. Ever they kept the standard of righteousness uplifted. To them is given an eternal weight of glory, because on the earth they walked with God, keeping themselves unspotted from the world, revealing to their fellow beings the righteousness of Christ. Of them the Saviour declares, “They shall walk with me in white, in the world that I have prepared for them.” “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder; and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps. And they sang as it were a new song before the throne, . . . and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. . . . These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God.
“After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Lamb,9clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever.”
The Mercies of God
By Marianne Farningham
The mercies of God
Are the theme of my song;
Like beneficent rivers
Life’s pathways among,
They flow full of blessing
Through valley and plain,
As free as the sunshine,
As rich as the rain.
The mercies of God
Are as sure as the light;
They wait for our waking,
They guard us at night,
They fail us not ever,
But as day follows day,
They come from our Father
To prosper our way.
O, mercies most wonderful!
Who can declare
God’s tender compassion
And infinite care;
His love forgets nothing;
He, Shepherd and Friend,
Is our joy through life’s living,
Our rest at its end.
O, corn that is golden,
O, forests of green,
O, seas of blue beauty
With white waves between,
You tell of his mercies,
But I shall proclaim
Through ages eternal
How great is his name.
— Marianne Farningham.
A Faithful Warrior
By MAX HILL
MAX HILL
WHAT honor shall be due to one
Who long has fought, and well,
Whose race has been so nobly run,
Whose greatest joy has been to tell
The matchless love of One who
giveth peace,
Who lived for others, shared their grief,
Wept with the sad and burdened heart,
Gave to the tempted ones relief,
Gave balm to soothe the ache and smart
Of sin-sick souls who longed to find
release?
The King delights to honor him
Who labors on unselfishly,
Till limbs grow weak, and eyes grow dim,
And toiling hands all tremblingly
Still nobly strive to do the Master's will;
His back stooped low with many years
Of toil and travel, care and pain,
His loving eyes, dimmed oft by tears
Brought forth by others' guilt and stain,—
And to the last all consecrated still.
Sadly we laid the warrior down,—
We linger still to work and weep,—
His labor done, he waits a crown,—
“God giveth his beloved sleep;”
It is his will who knows and loves
his own.
How sweet to thus lie down to rest,
To take without a doubt or fear
The bed his Saviour's form has pressed
When His life-work was ended here;
He goes to rest, but goes not
there alone.
Sleep on, dear brother! till the day
When on the clouds a shining band
Shall bear the ransomed ones away
To dwell forever in the land
Where saints shall reign throughout eternal days;
Where toil is over, trials past,
And sighs and tears are known no more,
Where faithful saints shall meet at last
To sing upon the golden shore
The songs of sounding victory and praise.
College View, Neb.
The Coming Kingdom
By C. A. BURMAN
C. A. BURMAN
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” The subject “The Coming Kingdom” is one of great interest to every believer in this message. Jesus often spoke of it; it was the principal theme of John the revelator. The establishment of Christ’s kingdom on this earth is the hope of God’s people to-day. The preparation necessary for the realization of this hope is the question for our consideration.
By the first angel’s message we are called upon to “fear God, and give glory to him.” We were created for this purpose. Isa. 43:7. It now is, and always has been, a question of loyalty. Shall we serve God, or some other being?
It is evident to all that God’s people to-day can not regain the kingdom while violating the same principle that caused our first parents to lose the kingdom. The standard is the same. Loyalty was the great question. Would they recognize God as the owner? or would they step over the bounds, and use for their own purposes that which belonged to God alone? In attempting to get possession of all, they lost all.
God’s people are now passing through the same test of loyalty. The tithe is to us what the tree of knowledge was to them. It can readily be seen that they appropriated for their own use that which did not belong to them. In so doing, they transgressed the commandment which says, “Thou shalt not steal.” The act of appropriating the tithe to one’s own use is also called robbing God—stealing. Mal. 3:8. But will robbery be found among the people of God when Jesus comes? It is twice stated in the prophecies of Revelation that the last church will keep the commandments.
It was not because they were in need that they partook of the forbidden fruit, for they had been given dominion over all. They ventured to risk the consequences of disobedience, that they might be like God. Self-exaltation was the motive that led to the sin. Many are now risking the loss of eternal life for the sake of a few dollars. Satan is, to-day, presenting the riches of this world before the people of God, as, in the wilderness, he presented the glory and honor of the world to Christ, saying, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Christ overcame the tempter by a close adherence to the Word of God; so, “if ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”
Aberdeen, S. D.
Where Are You Standing in the Contest?
By H. W. MILLER, M. D.
H. W. MILLER, M. D.
The reports of the great battles in the far East have certainly called the attention of God's chosen people to the fact that we are nearing the climax, and that we are engaged in a warfare of far greater import, the ultimate object of which is to save our foe, and make him a loyal subject of Christ's kingdom.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” 2 Cor. 10:4. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Eph. 6:13-17.
By analogy we can learn much from the present war, when compared with the reform movement which we are waging against Babylon. We see in Japan a country that has developed during a period of years synchronic with that of the third angel's message, and a country that has become so powerful that it pulled down one of the world's greatest “strongholds.” Some of the same problems with reference to enlisting soldiers, supporting them, transporting them to the field of action, have to be met in recruiting our mission stations and sending workers to new fields. While the present warfare is carried on in a limited area, our battle-field is the world. The enemy has planted fortresses in every inhabitable portion of the globe, and is re-enforcing them, so that they become more impregnable every day. Especially can we attest to the truth of this statement in China. The longer the workers are delayed from entering the fields, the greater the difficulty. Should we not learn the lesson from the Japanese, to strike when the blows will count? The enemy knows he has this message to meet in every human heart, and seeks to hold his captive as long as possible, as delay means so many more stored in his prison-house, the grave. And China stores one million away in his prison every month. His army numbers 426,000,000 strong here; in India, 300,000,000; in Japan, 46,000,000; in Africa, 200,000,000; which totals a little over half the population of the world. Against these vast armies there have only been skirmishes at the outposts.
While we shall not conquer by numbers, yet it is evident that every Seventh-day Adventist should enlist for service, if the work is to be carried on with the same rapidity with which the signs of the times are fulfilling. Our Captain is brave, and he will stand in the front rank. “For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” Deut. 20:4.
It is claimed that every family in Japan has performed some part in the great war, and shared in the victory, as well. Should not every one who loves his fellow men and the soon appearing of his Saviour, give till he feels it, either himself or of his treasure, however small or great? In the days of Moses and Joshua, all the children of Israel were soldiers. And God has appointed every man his work in the great battle of to-day.
If for love of country and corrupt10rulers, men will gladly lay down their lives, and fathers and mothers will part with their children, should not the Christian, with greater enthusiasm; press to the front to save men, when his reward is eternal life, and his ruler God? If we have to be driven on the train by the point of the bayonet, as many of the Russian soldiers were, the result will be a failure. Such recruits only stir up internal commotion, and hinder the operation of the loyal subjects.
I am told by other missionaries and natives that in the war between China and Japan, the wounds of the Chinese were mostly in the back. The people have no love for the rulers or officials. Some became soldiers because they were forced to do so, and others thought it an easy way of getting their board and clothing. At the present time the soldiers of China regard the position simply as a means of getting their living. If there is any fighting to be done, they prefer to be away from it. But a government can never depend on such soldiers for protection or victory. The Christian soldier must have love for God and love for man as his propelling motive to make him a soul-winner. Such a soldier will work regardless of temporal supplies, whether in storm, facing batteries, or in prison.
It would not be a difficult proposition for us here in China to hire plenty of men, if we had funds, to preach eight and ten hours each day any special doctrine we wished them to propagate. They would be baptized, and put on the whole outward garb of Christianity. And I doubt not that the services of such men could be secured in every country. But should their salary stop, their talking would stop; should their friends persecute them, they would resign. Such preachers correspond to the Chinese soldiers. There is loyalty needed in our work to make it successful,—not a loyalty to man, but a loyalty to God,—a loyalty that will cause us to follow our Leader, no matter how difficult the road, even though it lead to the grave. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Rev. 12:11.
Battles are not fought without the loss of lives. The Japanese general, Nogi, lost his two sons in the siege of Port Arthur. But he conquered. This sacrifice touched even the heart of the stern Russian general, Stoessel, so that he wept. The Christian soldier must not count his life too dear to lay down for King Emmanuel. If he does not meet embankments, mines, and wire entanglements in his experience, it is quite good evidence that he is not very far toward the front. But when he sees his companions falling at his side, he begins to realize that the battle is on, and he must be in the midst of it. When he meets these entanglements, Paul says, “Count it all joy.”
The mission fields are calling for such recruits to strengthen the stations and to advance the work farther beyond. Their workers and funds are needed. Shall we rally to the task of pressing the battle to the front? or shall we allow the mission fields to be besieged by the enemy, and have the Port Arthur experience repeated in the distant lands? It is a fact that stations have passed through the Port Arthur experience. But let us rather pray God that this experience shall be one of the past, and let each one find out where he is standing in the great movement which is to reach every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And may there be many volunteers for the front ranks is our prayer from the distant fields, that all may receive the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Honan, China.
A Blessed Experience
By Washington Morse
WASHINGTON MORSE
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” After passing through our disappointment in 1844, the message contained in this verse seemed hard for us to bear. We had carefully and prayerfully reckoned the prophetic periods upon which our faith was founded, and as we went forth to proclaim the coming of the Lord, we were unspeakably happy that he had shown us this light, which happiness far exceeded that of our conversion. Our testimonies were weighty, and the infidel world was held in check; many suspended their business to a great extent, and farmers left their farms with their crops standing. We were the happiest people seemingly that ever lived. The world had no charms for us, and we were joyful to know that we should soon escape from its sinfulness, and dwell with our dear Saviour, in a world of righteousness.
Yes, the time message was a test. After our disappointment came, our happy experience held us from denying the leadings of God’s Spirit. The Lord had set his seal of approbation to the preaching of the time, and we saw that God’s Spirit was in this world-wide proclamation.
Beginning about the middle of July, 1844, the message spread with great rapidity and power, demonstrating the working of God’s Spirit as never before. There was a literal going forth to meet the Bridegroom, a consecration to God as never witnessed before, a weeping or melting glory that passed all understanding except to those who have felt it. We felt that to be in doubt about that truth would be to offend God and bring upon ourselves swift destruction. Our faith was like Abraham’s in offering up Isaac, or Noah’s in building the ark, or Daniel’s in going into the lion’s den. This was the faith of all who proclaimed that message. The fundamental thing in that message was the proclamation of the definite time of the coming of the Lord, as a result of the application of prophetic periods.
But that time passed, and great was our disappointment in not seeing the Lord come as we had proclaimed. But we still persisted that God was leading us up to the tenth day of the seventh month, which would fall on Oct. 22, 1844, and that we could cheerfully endure the great reproach, while we held on to the Lord by faith and shared the presence of his Holy Spirit. In all the confusion that we were thrown into for a time concerning the argumentative part of the message, we were not dissuaded concerning the light of that message; and now, with the clear light shining upon us from the sanctuary in heaven, we need not cast away our confidence, “which,” as the apostle has said, “hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” We did the will of God in preaching the time message, but we did not receive the promise.
Peterborough, Ontario.
Christ in Creation and Redemption
By W. A. COLCORD
W. A. COLCORD
1. In Rev. 1:8, what does Christ declare himself to be?
“A CHANGE of character accomplishes more than a change of climate.”
Firmness Protects Character
“CLEVERNESS, talents, elegant manners, graceful speech, and winsome ways are nothing unless they are protected by the shield of firmness.”
Prayer for Our Children
By H. Bonar
FATHER, our children keep!
We know not what is coming on the earth;
Beneath the shadow of thy heavenly wing,
O, keep them, keep them, thou who gav'st them birth!
Father, draw nearer us!
Draw firmer round us thy protecting arm;
O, clasp our children closer to thy side,
Uninjured, in the day of earth's alarm!
O! keep them undefiled!
Unspotted from a tempting world of sin;
That, clothed in white, through the bright city gates,
They may with us in triumph enter in.
— H. Bonar.
Body Building
By D. H. KRESS, M. D.
D. H. KRESS, M. D.
Very little thought is given to body building. Men, women, and children eat and drink, they know not why,—sometimes for mere amusement. Yet it is possible, and it is also a duty, to go about the work of body building just as intelligently as the carpenter or mason goes about the work of house-building. The quality of the materials used in either case determines the quality of the structure erected. Man is composed of that which is furnished the organs of digestion, just as truly as a building is composed of the material furnished the carpenter and other workmen. No special transformation takes place in the material in either case. The food furnished for body building is merely dissolved by the digestive juices, or converted into liquid, so that it may be absorbed. Then it is built up into bone, muscle, nerve, and brain. The old German proverb is therefore true, and applies to both body and mind, “As a man eateth, so is he.”
Mentally we are what the mind feeds upon, physically we are what we eat. The physiological chemist Bunge demonstrated this. He once experimented upon a dog, feeding him upon sheep’s fat for six weeks. At the expiration of this period he killed the animal, and in analyzing his fat found it was not dog’s fat, as one would suppose, but sheep’s fat. The sheep’s fat had undergone no change, but was stored up as sheep’s fat in the animal. Some careful observer has said, “There is either a good deal of human nature in the pig or a good deal of pig in human nature.” The latter is probably the truth, and accords with the statement made by another, “He who eats pig becomes pigified.” Certainly a gross diet tends to produce a grossness of body, mind, and morals. This being so, it becomes doubly important to exercise care in the selection of material out of which to build the body. Especially should care be exercised by the one who recognizes that he is erecting a temple for God to dwell in.
Anciently when Solomon erected the temple he said, “Behold I build an house to the name of the Lord my God.” In its erection only the choicest and best material available was employed, for he was erecting a habitation for the Lord. The stately cedars were brought at great expense from Lebanon, and costly stones from afar. The floors and ceilings, and in fact the whole house, he “overlaid with gold.” When it was completed, he said, “I have built an house of habitation for Thee, and a place for thy dwelling forever.” Then the ark, containing the law of God, the principles of his government, was brought into the temple, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
This should be the aim of every body builder, to build day by day, using only the best food available, then he may eventually say, It is “a place for Thy dwelling forever.” This is what the command means, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Each evening the body builder should be able to say, I have been building a house of habitation for Thee to-day. Every one who purposes to build a habitation for God will purpose with Daniel not to defile it with the meat and wine of Babylon; that is, with the ordinary building material. Had Solomon erected the temple with inferior or decayed timbers, and other rubbish lying about, merely because convenient or to pass away time, he certainly could not have expected the glory of the Lord ever to fill it. Yet there are many who eat and drink anything and everything placed before them,—pork, pigs’ feet, sausage, cheese, pepper, mustard, pickles, and other inferior food and rubbish,—then they are surprised at their leanness of soul, and wonder why the glory of the Lord does not fill them. How can we invite the Lord to dwell in such a habitation?
The Lord says, “Eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” This is the remedy. Even though the greatest care is exercised in the selection of food for the body, more than this is necessary. The law of God, the principles of the divine government, must be placed into that sacred casket, the mind. But the mind like the ark should be built of pure gold. Out of the mind are the issues of life. There the Lord said, “I will commune with thee.” Upon it are to be written the principles of the kingdom of heaven. When this is done the glory of the Lord will fill the place, and his glory will be seen upon us. “Man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Body building is important, but is of little value, if the mind is not built up with the living bread, the word of God.
Wahroonga, N. S. W.
Do Not Regret It
By L. A. S.
L. A. S.
How common it is in this age for young people to sigh because they have not money enough to enable them to live a life of idleness and the pursuit of pleasure. They do not stop to think that idleness is one of the worst conditions into which the average young person could be brought,—a condition which in the vast majority of cases proves ruinous to both body and soul. They do not stop to think of the temptations which beset a life of ease. They might see, if they would look into the matter, that idleness, or a life freed from the necessity of working for a living, is one of the curses of the rich. Here is one testimony of many that might be given on this point. On the subject of “Idleness a Cause of Divorce,” a writer in Leslie’s Weekly says:—
“In the shocking cases of perfidy and of unfaithfulness to the marriage vow among our wealthier classes, the root of the matter lies, as in so many other sorts of sin, in idleness. The absence of strenuous, compulsory occupation is in itself a temptation to crime. The idle man or woman whose sole interest in life is the pursuit of pleasure inevitably becomes sated with its different forms. All of the ingenuity which can be expended upon inventions of new sorts of food, new ways of serving, new entertainments, really avails little. After all is said and done, a banquet is only a banquet, a cotillon is only a cotillon, and even operas and theaters after a few years begin to seem strangely and dully alike. A new emotion, a new sensation—something which money can not buy—this becomes the only fresh and desirable thing on earth.”
Do not mourn over the fact that you are compelled to work while other people have time to devote to the pursuit of pleasure. Pursuing pleasure outside the path of duty is one of the world’s greatest delusions. Work is healthy; and it is always work that leads to success. Success in life depends not on what you possess and can surround yourself with, but on what you are; and what you are depends not on how you were born, but on your development since birth. Few persons possess the ability to hold themselves to a life of useful activity by the mere exercise of their will power; and for all save these few there can be nothing better than the seeming misfortune of being obliged, in their youth, to struggle with all the powers they possess to meet the demands of a decent and honorable existence.