"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, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
MORE precious than the golden wedge of Ophir is the power of right thought. We need to place a high value upon the right control of our thoughts; for such control prepares us to labor for the Master. It is necessary for our peace and happiness in this life that our thoughts center in Christ. As a man thinketh, so is he.
The merciful shall find mercy, and the pure in heart shall see God. Every impure thought defiles the soul, impairs the moral sense, and tends to obliterate the impressions of the Holy Spirit. It dims the spiritual vision, so that men can not behold God. The Lord may and does forgive the repenting sinner; but tho forgiven, the soul is marred. All impurity of speech and thought must be shunned by him who would have clear discernment of spiritual truth.
Evil thoughts destroy the soul. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace can not reveal itself in the life. The mind must engage in the spiritual warfare. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God's control.
We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts and the damaging influence of evil thoughts. Let us place our thoughts upon holy things. Let them be pure and true; for the only security for any soul is right-thinking. We are to use every means that God has placed within our reach for the government and cultivation of our thoughts. We are to bring our minds into harmony with Christ's mind. His truth will sanctify us, body, soul, and spirit, and we shall be enabled to rise above temptation.
"The prince of this world cometh," said Jesus, "and hath nothing in Me." There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So may it be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.
And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan?—By the Word of God. Only by the Word could He resist temptation. "It is written," He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Every promise in God's Word is ours. "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. "Thy word," says the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer."
THE CREATION OF PLANTS.
CONCERNING the creation of plants, and all allied subjects, two distinct ideas are advanced: viz, the theory of evolution, and the Bible account as given in the first and second chapters of Genesis.
In examining a theory or idea, three things at least should be considered: first, its source; second, the principles upon which and for which it stands; and third, and most important of all, the effect of these principles upon the lives and characters of those who accept them.
Evolution is a human invention "reasoned out" by scientists for the purpose of supporting their own infidelity. But the thing has been made to appear so plausible that most of the churches of to-day accept it as the truth. They find it convenient to explain that the days of the creation week recorded in Genesis 1, were long periods of time, during which all of these things developed, admitting at the same time that God had a hand in it all, but denying the fact that He spoke them into existence. But God has guarded us from this deception by the use of such simple expressions as, "And the evening and the morning were the first day," "the second day," etc.
The pith of this phase of the evolutionary theory is that all organic life has been evolved or developed from one original living cell. Just how this original cell "happened," has never been satisfactorily explained; but be that as it may, evolution teaches that all life, both animal and vegetable, has developed from it.
One thing which, from a standpoint of human reasoning, might seem to support this idea, is the fact that the lowest form of vegetable and animal life can scarcely be distinguished as belonging definitely either to the vegetable or animal kingdom.
Again, Geology claims to prove, from fossil remains found in the different layers of the earth's crust, that the earth has supported life of some sort for probably billions of years, whereas Bible chronology extends back only about six thousand years.
The influence of the views advocated by geologists upon those who accept them can not be otherwise than toward infidelity. For whatever encroaches upon God's character as the Creator, strikes at the very root of the Christian religion. It is by His creative power that we hope to have eternal life created within us. God's name as Creator is in His seal.
On the other hand, the Biblical account of the creation of plants was inspired by the Spirit of God. It states the matter plainly in the following words:
"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day."
It is interesting to notice that in this account the order of creation is observed. The lower forms of vegetation, represented by the grass, were first called into existence; then followed plants of a more complex organization, represented by the herbs; and finally the trees, the plants of the plant kingdom. But all were created during the same literal day, the third day of the week. The Scriptures, after describing the creation of plants, says: "And the evening and the morning were the third day."
The following quotation concerning the development hypothesis is taken from "Footprints of the Creator," by Hugh Miller:
But what does experience say regarding the transmutative conversion of a marine into a terrestrial vegetation—that experience on which the skeptic founds so much? As I walked along the green edge of the Lake of Stennis,10salvaged by the line of detached weeds with which a recent gale had strewed its shores, and marked that for the first few miles the accumulation consisted of marine algae, here and there mixed with tufts of stunted reeds or rushes, and that as I receded from the sea it was the algae that became stunted and dwarfish, and that the reeds, aquatic grasses, and rushes, grown greatly more bulky in the mass, were also more fully developed individually, till at length the marine vegetation altogether disappeared, and the vegetable debris of the shore became purely lacustrine—I asked myself whether here, if anywhere, a transition flora between lake and sea ought not to be found. . . . And yet not a vestige of such an intermediate vegetation could I find among the up-piled debris of the mixed floras, marine and lacustrine. The lake possesses no such intermediate vegetation. . . . Many thousands of years have failed to originate a single intermediate plant. And such, tested by a singularly extensive experience, is the general evidence.
Quoting from the same author:
But while there is thus a vegetation intermediate in place between the land and the sea, we find, as if it had been selected purposely to confound the transmutation theory, that it is in no degree intermediate in character. For while it is chiefly marine weeds of the lower division of the coniferæ that creep upwards from the sea to meet the vegetation of the land, it is chiefly terrestrial plants of the higher division of the dicotyledons that creep downwards from the land to meet the vegetation of the sea. . . . Nature draws a deeply-marked line of division where the requirements of the transmutative hypothesis would demand the nicely-graduated softness of a shaded one.
The same writer says:
It is a curious fact, to which, in the passing, I must be permitted to call the attention of the reader, that all the leading assertors of the development hypothesis have been bad geologists. . . . Its more prominent assertors are exactly the men who know least of geological fact.
God's Plan—Unity in Diversity.
Before plants were brought into existence there was in the mind of the Creator a great plan for all plant life. In all his works, God has chosen the small things and the weak to build up the great and the strong. In the creation of plants He has seen fit to make use of the vegetable cell as the unit of structure.
A typical vegetable cell consists of a minute rounded mass of jelly-like substance called protoplasm, enclosed in a delicate wall of cellulose. Where the cells are crowded close together, as they are in most plant tissues, they are of various shapes—rounded, oval, polygonal, star-shaped, tubular, and other forms.
All vegetable tissues are made up of these cells variously modified in shape, size, and structure, according to the work which they have to do in the plant economy. These cells may be likened to the brick and stones and lumber of which a building is constructed.
When first formed they are all alike or nearly so; but through various changes in their shape, size, composition, and arrangement, give rise to the endless diversity of form, color, and other physical and chemical characteristics exhibited by the plant kingdom.
In all plants some provision has been made for self-propagation. This may be by means of seeds, spores, offshoots from the parent body, or otherwise; but no two species of plants have seeds, spores, or reproductive offshoots that are exactly alike, and a reproductive body from one species of plant never develops into a plant of another kind. As stated in the divine record, each plant yields seed after its own kind.
When we examine the leaves of plants, we find that they are all fashioned after the same general plan, altho no two are exactly alike; and each kind of plant has leaves which are, in one or more particulars, different from those of any other kind, so that an experienced botanist can determine the kind of plant by the leaves alone.
The endless variety of beautiful forms exhibited by flowers are the result of modifications in form, color, texture, and function, of a single type of structure, and that type is the leaf.
In the cellular structure of plants, in the provisions which have been made for self-propagation, and in the infinite variety of form, structure, and color of leaves and flowers, are seen excellent examples of unity in diversity. This principle is likewise manifested in the relation of minerals, plants, and animals to each other, the same elements which enter into the composition of plant and animal tissues, occurring as the most abundant inorganic or mineral substances.
Function of Plants.
Plants serve many useful purposes, but their most important function is to manufacture food for man and other animals.
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat."
Plants might live indefinitely without animals, as they draw their food from inorganic sources,—earth, water, and air. But with animals it is an altogether different matter. They can not take their food directly from inorganic sources, but it must be prepared for them by the vegetable world.
Ordinarily plants can not develop without sunlight, either direct or diffused. Light is essential for the formation of chlorophyll, the green coloring matter of leaves and other green parts of plants; and it is through the agency of chlorophyll that organic substances are manufactured from the inorganic. Plants take their food from earth, water, and air, the latter substance furnishing most of the carbon, which is taken in through the minute pores or stomata into the leaves, combined with oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide.
The stomata communicate with irregular spaces between the green cells which form the body of the leaf tissue, thus permitting the carbon dioxide gas to come in close contact with the leaf cells. During daylight these cells decompose the carbon dioxide, which is continually being given off by animals in the process of respiration, retaining the carbon and setting the oxygen free to be used again by animals.
Plants also carry on a process of respiration similar to that of animals, in which oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide given off, and this process continues both in daylight and in darkness. However, this latter process is carried on much more slowly than the former, so that it does not counterbalance the good work done by plants in purifying the atmosphere during the daytime.
Thus animals owe their lives to the wonderful processes which the Creator has set to work in the vegetable world, not only in the manufacture of food; but in the purification of the atmosphere as well. Plants on the other hand, might live and prosper independently of animals. For in addition to the large amount of carbon dioxide produced by animal respiration, it is being continually formed by the burning of wood, coal, and other substances, and by the decay of organic matter; and, as stated above, it is produced in small quantities at all times by the plants themselves.
Here is one of the finest examples we have of the wonderful providence of God in the economy of nature. If there were no carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, plants could not exist with their present constitution; and if there were a little more, animals would perish. But "God is wisdom, God is love."
"I AM WITH YOU."
By Thoro Harris
BY THORO HARRIS.
"I AM with you," spake the Master.
Ere to heaven He did ascend,
Jesus left this parting promise:
"I am with you to the end."
"I am with you"—O, the meaning
Which these parting words contain!
That the tender heart of Jesus
Ever constant shall remain.
Ever with us to deliver,
When on His dear name we call;
Ever near to shield from danger,
To uplift us when we fall.
Friends may fail, but One remaineth;
Who His changeless love can tell?
We will trust the precious promise
Of our Lord Immanuel.
Linger with us, faithful Saviour,
Till we cross the swelling tide;
Then with Thee through endless ages
We will evermore abide.
REFRAIN.—
"I am with you:" how this promise
Doth our inmost bosoms thrill!
All the way through storm or sunshine
Christ abideth with us still.
Copyright in "Gospel Carols," 1905.
THE SONG OF TRIUMPH.
By N. P. Nielson
BY N. P. NIELSON.
LONG and cruel has been the reign of sin; terrible have been the results that have followed in its wake; oft have the righteous been oppressed; fierce have been their conflicts with the wily foe; but a day of deliverance is coming. The oppressed will be delivered from the oppressors, and be ransomed from the grave. Then a song of triumph, "such as ne'er was heard before," will burst forth from the ransomed throng as they enter the city of God and are forever delivered from the hand of oppression, forever delivered from the power of the grave. Grand indeed will be this mighty chorus, pealing forth from the unnumbered throng! The prophet describes this song as "the voice of many waters." Standing on the shore of the broad Pacific and hearing the almost deafening, yet musical, sound of those mighty waves rolling in upon the rocky shore, I could realize something of the meaning of the prophet's words.
The melody of that mighty chorus will be sweeter than that of any music earth has ever heard! We must be there to unite our voices with this victorious and gladsome band! But if we would join in singing this song of triumph, we must have our part in the triumph over sin. We must cease our murmuring and complaining here, and begin to sing the song of victory now—some strains of that song from the better shore—and soon we will be permitted to sing the everlasting song of triumph before the throne of God.
Oshkosh, Wis.
FIFTY REASONS FOR SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
By Daniel T. Bourdeau
BY D. T. BOURDEAU.
(Continued.)
FORTY-NINTH. We observe it because, according to the sure word of prophecy, before the second coming of Jesus Christ, which numerous striking signs of our times show to be imminent, we must seek righteousness and meekness, and be wholly sanctified to be in a condition to pass through the period of the just, but terrible, wrath of God, the seven last plagues, without an advocate or mediator between God and us, and to be found without spot at the appearing of our Lord. The following are a few of the numerous passages of Scripture which establish this truth:
"Gather yourselves together ["examine yourselves," French translation], yea, gather together ["examine yourselves," Idem.], O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." Zeph. 2:1-3. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36.
"At that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12:1. "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion." Isa. 34:8. "And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him." Isa. 59:16. "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man ["no one," Greek] was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." Rev. 15:1, 8.11When that time shall have come, there will be no one, and consequently no intercessor, in the heavenly temple or sanctuary. Then the work of our Lord as Mediator between God and men will have closed, and there will thereafter be no possibility of being pardoned and sanctified.
Then those who are in their sins will have a hunger and thirst after truth that can not be satisfied. "They shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." Amos 8:11, 12. Then many claiming to be Christians will knock at the door of mercy, saying, "Lord, Lord, open unto us;" but He will answer them, "I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity." Luke 13:24-30.
Can we be surprised that in view of the fact that we are very near the end of the period of probation and grace, our Lord should insist on the importance of observing all the commandments of God and the faith or Gospel of Jesus Christ, that we may be found entirely sanctified, without spot and in peace, even without sins committed through ignorance, before the day of God's wrath shall be a present reality? Even our sins of ignorance must be canceled. These can not be canceled before they are committed, and when the work of Christ as a priest shall have been accomplished and the blotting out of the sins of God's people shall be in the past, what would we then do with the least stain on our robes of character, and without the possibility of being pardoned?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES.
By F. D. Starr
MALACHI.
BY F. D. STARR.
WE come now to the last book of the Old Testament, the closing words of which read as follows: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
It has been said that the Old Testament ends with a curse, but that the New Testament ends with a blessing. This is surely a misrepresentation. While the word "curse" is the last word in the volume, the text itself shows that the idea is to take means to avoid the curse, as the sense of the translations into some other languages is: "That I come not and smite the earth with a curse." So instead of the prophecy ending with a curse it ends with an assurance that the curse shall be set aside. It would be just as consistent to claim for the statement in Rev. 22:3, "And there shall be no more curse," that it implies a curse because it ends with the word "curse," as to claim the same for Mal. 4:6. In giving assurance of the removal of the curse, the prophecy really closes with a blessing.
It is well to pause right here and consider that for more than four centuries this book of Malachi was the close of the Bible. This completed the Scripture canon for that time, and in a sense made a complete Revelation, able to make a man "thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. But in the kind providence of Him who gives to His people "line upon line, precept upon precept," additional light has been given in the New Testament, confirming and enhancing the value of the Old Testament.
Let us notice a few of the many points of deep interest to be found in this book. "For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth." Mal. 2:7. This is a valuable point of information concerning the proper work of a priest. His employment was not merely to offer sacrifices and perform the outward ritual of that ceremonial system; nay, rather, he was to be a spiritual guide to the people, to instruct them in the law of God, to teach them truth and duty. It is true that many of them failed to meet this demand; but that was God's design in reference to their work. Chapter three is so full of instruction of such intense importance that the entire chapter ought to be carefully considered, verse by verse.
The prediction concerning the messenger that should come to prepare the way of the Lord was fulfilled in John the Baptist. Our Saviour gives us this information in Matt. 11:10, 11. This allusion to the first advent of our Lord is closely connected with a very plain prediction concerning His second coming. "But who may abide the day of His coming?" "Behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4:1. Thus the first coming of our Lord is inseparably associated with His second appearing. Thus it is all through the Scriptures: the one event is as much a part of the plan of salvation as is the other.
The duty of supporting the work of God by the payment of the tithe is plainly set forth in chapter three. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse." "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." 1 Cor. 9:14. This is God's ordained plan for sustaining His work in the earth, and it is the only plan (combined with offerings) that He has ordained for this purpose. The faithful payment of tithes will prove a great blessing to those who will put it in practise; and it will make the many worldly schemes and devices for raising money, such as church socials, grab bags, lotteries, etc., entirely unnecessary. How much better to take God's plan than to follow the human schemes for sustaining His work.
One of the most encouraging features of this book is the assurance of the interest the Lord takes in our social meetings. Just before the great and glorious day of redemption the Lord is represented as taking notice of the assemblies of His saints. He harkens to hear their testimonies. These testimonies are recorded in the heavenly book. Sometimes when a very celebrated orator makes a speech, shorthand reporters take down his words verbatim, then they are published in the public press. The utterances of an ordinary person would not be thought of sufficient importance to warrant the employment of a reporter to preserve the words. But what a condescension! The Lord considers the testimony of His humble servants of sufficient consequence to have it all taken down by an angelic pen. Those testimonies will be interesting reading in the ages to come when the redeemed are gathered home. Who would refrain from speaking when his words are so highly valued by the Sovereign of the universe? Let us not refrain from witnessing for Him.
It is with mingled feelings of delight and gratitude, and regret at parting with a most dear friend, that we now close the volume of the Old Testament Scriptures. But while we now must close our consideration of such a dear guide and companion, we look forward with unbounded delight to the opportunities before us in the consideration of the grand truths of the Gospel, still more fully taught in the New Testament.
THE TITHE.
1. What the Tithe Is.—A tithe is universally understood to be one-tenth. The Standard Dictionary says, "A tax, or assessment, of one-tenth."
2. Illustrations.—(a) When Abraham recovered the spoil from the five kings who had robbed the people of Sodom, he gave to Melchizedec, priest of the Most High God, "tithes of all." Gen. 14: 18-20.
(b) When Jacob was assured of God's presence and mercy, by the dream at Bethel, he made a vow: "Of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee." Gen. 28: 16-22.
3. The Character of the Tithe.—"All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord. . . . And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." Lev. 27: 30-32.
4. Where the Tithe Shall Be Deposited.—"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse [the church treasury], that there may be meat in Mine house." Mal. 3: 10.
5. The Consequence of Retaining the Tithe.—"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee?—In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation." Mal. 3: 8, 9.
6. A Test of Faith and a Test of God.—"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. 3: 10. Only a spirit of true faith ever dares to put God's Word to a true test.
7. The Reward of Faithfulness.—To those who are faithful in returning all the tithe, the Lord says: "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." Mal. 3: 11, 12.
8. How to Reckon the Tithe.—People who do not want to return the tithe, and some whose resources are somewhat mixed, make the plea that they do not know how to reckon the tithe. The trouble is, they are so afraid of returning a little too much. Try the following rule: Imagine that the Lord has said, "I will add a tenth to a liberal reckoning of increase," and then return a tithe of the reckoning. We are always wanting the Lord to be liberal with us, so let us apply the Golden Rule in our dealings with Him. It is no stretch of imagination to assume that the Lord will add a tenth to an honest reckoning as a basis of the tithe; for His promise of material blessing will cover a good deal more than a tithe. How much more, may be known only by a faithful trial. Then, besides the material blessings promised, the gift of "life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17: 25) is certainly worth considering in our obligation. There never is any doubtful risk in taking the Lord at His word.
Faith and Belief
According to the use we make of the two terms, faith and belief, faith is active, while belief is passive. Faith does miracles, while belief permits them to be done. Our English word believe is from the Anglo-Saxon lefan, to allow, or permit, with the prefix be to more completely passivize its meaning.—Exchange.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE MISSIONARY.
THAT the Roman Church has not lost its intolerant, persecuting spirit, is evident. The following account of mob violence, exercised against a Protestant mission, comes from Guatemala, Central America, and is from F. G. Toms, one of the missionaries in charge:
"On Good Friday, as a tremendous Catholic procession was passing our new building, a drunken man in the crowd threw a stone, which seemed to be a signal for the entire rabble to yell, 'The Masons [the usual nickname given to us] are stoning the Lord's image.' At the same time the crowd saw, on the inside of the building, one of our young believers who guards the premises, with three other believers, and immediately they forced the doors, the police entered, brought them out, and took them off to prison, beating them shamefully as they went, altho they made no resistance to their arrest.
"Word was soon carried to Brother Toms, who lives not far distant, who went at once to see the prisoners, and then, thinking that perhaps the premises had been left open, he went to look after matters there. As he made his way through the procession, he was repeatedly insulted, and, as he drew near to the building, the stones commenced to fly rapidly; a door adjoining the mission being open, he entered, and closed it for safety. Altho he had not uttered a single word, the crowd commenced to yell for his blood. He being long delayed, Mrs. Toms and their son went out to look for him, and received at the hands of the procession stones and threats. General Orantes, the superior officer of the army, who lives opposite the mission, saw the danger, and telephoned to the fort for a patrulla of soldiers, who came, and attempted to disperse the mob, and conducted Mrs. Toms and Herbert safely home. In the meantime a family of believers, who live adjoining the house which Brother Toms had entered, suggested that it would be better for him to come over the wall into their house. The mob outside was not fully dispersed, and Brother Toms waited from four o'clock until after nine before it was safe for him to go through the streets to his home.
"The following morning about ten o'clock, the customary time after Good Friday for destroying the images of Judas, the rabble fell upon our old mission, tore down the doors, and almost destroyed the building, entered, and literally demolished every article inside, including our valuable new organ. At about the same time the dwelling-house of Brother Bishop, in a more remote part, was assaulted, but the destruction did not pass the smashing of window glass. At about the same time, when he was on his way to the city in company with Brother Toms, to look after the believers who had been imprisoned, a man with an open razor threatened his life, but as he was on his faithful mule, Nolasco, he passed on without harm. The spirit of the people was devilish, and on every hand threats were made. They said, 'We have destroyed the mission property, and now we are going to destroy the native believers and missionaries, and put an end to this whole detestable work.'
"It gives us real pleasure to say that no sooner had our American minister called the attention of the government to these serious conditions, when they at once took steps, sending guards to protect the mission, our school, and our dwelling-places. From that time to the present, day and night, we have been under the protection of these guards, and the government assures Mr. Combes, our minister, that they will ferret out the matter, thoroughly punish the guilty ones, and that the perfect liberty which the constitution guarantees in religious matters will be fully enjoyed by us in the future. Some of the priests have been preaching against us, and recently one, after saying many untrue things, said: 'If these things are not true, you may tear my tongue out by the roots.'
"The people, thus inflamed, were only waiting an opportunity. Satan, the real promotor and ever the kind ally of bloodthirsty Rome, has thus overstepped the line. In all of our trials the hand of our God has given protection."
