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He Saves to the Uttermost...
This leaflet tends greatly to establish a wavering soul. It is especially good for mission work. A. G. L. No. 24. 13 cents per 100.
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Gospel Opportunities Among African Mine Workers
Miss Stillson, who is engaged in mission work at Johannesburg, South African Republic, gives some interesting data concerning the opportunities for Gospel enterprise among the natives. She says that along the gold-bearing reef there are about one hundred mines, employing 100,000 native black men, besides a great number of white miners. These black men do not bring their families, but live in barracks, called compounds, and work on contracts of one, two, or three years. The compounds are situated near each of the mines. They consist of a great yard, or court, inclosed on the four sides by lines of low rooms, in which the men sleep. In the yard they cook and eat, and spend their time when off duty. They work in regular shifts of eight hours each, night and day, so that one may enter at any time during the day and find a goodly number who are ready to listen to him. With few exceptions the compounds are open to the preaching of the Gospel. Many of these natives will return to their homes when their contracts close, and carry the good tidings to their friends. But these thousands of native Africans are by no means all the heathen that work in these mines. There are also thousands of East Indians and Chinese; these are so numerous that in some instances they have their own temples established for heathen worship. Yet the Gospel missionaries are so few! It would seem that these hordes of heathen from widely-separated parts of the world are grouped together in the providence of God for the convenience of His ambassadors; but how slow they are to take advantage of the opportunities that He is constantly opening before them!
THE MOTHER'S CONVERSION SAVED THE CHILD.
By Mrs. C. H. Goodwin
"WELL, I declare, that child is the most trying youngster that ever lived," said a mother to a neighbor who had just as poor management as herself.
"Well," said the one addressed, "I'd lick it out of her. You won't do your duty if you don't make her mind when you speak to her."
Then the mother, with boiling feelings of "duty," slapped the little four-year-old, to make her pick up some toys that she had left lying around. The little one had protested, saying, "I don't want to pick them up now;" but, after receiving several slaps, she proceeded to do so, and threw them in the box, breaking several in the process. Then the mother shut her up in the bedroom.
At this punishment she both kicked and screamed, until the indignant mother said to her, "I will give you a sound whipping, if you don't behave yourself."
Very soon the switching was administered. The little one then climbed upon the bed and cried herself to sleep, while the mother tried to quiet her disturbed conscience with the texts, "Spare the rod and spoil the child;" "Tho ye beat him, yet will he not die."
Yet days and weeks of such treatment had gone by, and instead of the child growing better, she had only grown worse. What could be the matter? Surely, such rebellion must be stopped.
The neighbor went home. The mother, tired and heart-sick, fell on her knees at the bed of the sleeping, sobbing little one. The sobbing continued, and well nigh broke her own stubborn heart.
"O Lord," she cried, "I'm not fit to bring up the little one Thou hast given me."
She remained upon her knees, and rapid were the texts and quotations from the Bible, as well as suggestions from Christian mothers, that came into her mind:—
"He that ruleth his own spirit is greater than he that taketh a city." "Never let a frown gather upon your brow." "Never strike a child unless you can first pray over it." "Don't speak of your children's faults before others."
"O God," she cried, "forgive me my sins against this child! Help me to remove the stone from the door of my heart. O, give me Thy Holy Spirit, and let its gentle influence be felt upon the child!"
The child awoke after a while, and was moved to penitence by the mother's penitence and tears. The little arms went around her neck, the curly head nestled on her shoulder, and she sobbed, "Mama, I want you to ask Jesus to make me a good girl."
They prayed together, then both arose, and the mother took the little one in her arms, and told her how anxious she was to let Jesus rule her own actions, so she would not speak and act so cross and sinful. She told her how it grieved the good angels and the Holy Spirit. The little one comprehended so much that the mother could not help thinking, "And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers."
It was nearing time to get dinner for papa; but first they knelt and asked God to give them strength to be kind to each other, and make things cheerful for the one that had toiled away from home for them. How willing the little feet now were to run on errands for mama, bringing in wood and kindling, so papa would not have it to do! How she delighted to make little loaves of bread and clean up everything! Then, with a few gentle suggestions, she helped set the table. And at times she was singing, in baby fashion, bits of her own make-up, such as, "Jesus loves me and is making a pretty home for me and my papa and mama, and all the good people." Again she asked questions about the home in Eden, yes, and about the home here too.
Even the cat mewed and seemed to enjoy her sunshiny heart, made so by the Spirit of God.
Parents, are our children unruly? Are we inclined to lose heart and say, "It seems the devil has possession of them"? We are told, "Ye are laborers together with God."
Is not the home the place to begin? Is there a field of labor that will exert a wider influence for good than this sacred domain? Did not the Lord say, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise"? Can it be said of us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things," if we neglect the seeming little duties of our home?
Jesus could have rolled away the stone from the grave of Lazarus; He could have taken off the grave-clothes; but no—He wanted His followers to be laborers with Him. To every parent of the household of faith He says, "Remove the stumbling-block," "Take ye away the stone." And may God help us to heed the message for to-day, that at the judgment bar of God we may be able to say, by His grace, "Here am I and the children, Thou hast given me."
IN A LONDON JAM FACTORY.
By Fortnightly Review
FROM the great boiling cauldrons rise volumes of steam, which, pouring into the room, find no proper outlet, and condense into drops on the hair and faces of the workers, and stream down the reeking walls. From this atmosphere of damp heat, rising often to a temperature of 90 degrees, the women pass, when their long day's work is done, out into the cold night air, and the colds and bronchitis which ensue end often in pneumonia or consumption. It is piece-work, and the girls are working against time to earn the wage of 7s. or 8s. a week. The hurry of the work, coupled with the exhaustion consequent on the length of13hours, invites accident, and the jam poured, often too hot, into the glass bottles will send flying fragments about the room, in some cases severely maiming the workers.—Fortnightly Review.
RESIGNATION.
By Pauline Fife
Across the years I see it still—
The pale, sweet face, the mild
Blue eyes which smiled at me through pain.
She said, "Good-by, my child."
She knew her hand no more would clasp
My own—knew that her eye
Could follow me no more, and yet
She smiled and said, "Good-by."
I know her eyes looked down the road
My feet since then have pressed,
And saw sin's yawning gulf, and felt
The fear which fills my breast.
She knew that I should, trembling, face
The powers of hell when throes
Of sin's last hours would fill the earth
With strange and mighty woes.
She must have longed to walk with me,
And yet, with scarce a sigh,
She placed my hand in God's,
And, smiling, said, "Good-by."
Ah, surely in that bitter hour
She saw the Master stand
Beside her child, and she could smile,
Because He held my hand!
Sometimes I long to flee from care,
To shun some bitter task—
To walk in broader ways—but then
That hand takes tighter grasp.
Some day, erelong, dear heart,
Upon the glassy sea,
My hand shall clasp your own, for then
He'll give you back to me.
O mothers, anxious-eyed, for fear
That little feet should stray,
Just pray, then smile, for God will walk
Beside them all the way!
Oakland, Cal.
PAULINE FIFE.
THE LOVE THAT LASTS.
THE mother-love and father-love for a wayward child is but a reflection of the everlasting love of God for sinners. That is to be remembered in reading the following story of a mother's love and prayers for her lost boy:—
It was my happiness to know something of the enduring and indestructible character of a mother's love.
She had much trouble when I was young. My father died early, and we found he died a bankrupt. Things had to be sold. One trouble came after another, and my widowed mother had as much as she could bear.
At last, to crown all, her eldest son, who should have been her prop and stay, ran away in distressing circumstances. I well remember the early years of that cruel separation. Sitting by the fire in the long winter nights, my mother would speak to me and the other children calmly of our poor father; but if anybody named the wanderer, she could not endure the anguish; and so, after a time, his name was never heard.
I remember how in the night, when the wind was raging round our humble cottage, making it tremble to its foundations, I used to hear my mother (for her bedroom was over mine) pacing the floor, sobbing and praying for her lost boy. She did not know where he was, and, for aught she knew, he might be on the sea.
Fourteen years passed away. All of us were scattered except two, twins, now men, but little more than babies when their brother went away. 'Twas early summer, and they and mother were sitting in the little parlor with the window open, when who should come, with halting step, but a great, dark-bearded stranger. He looked in, leaning on the window-sill.
My mother looked at him, and did not know him at first. But the big tears were running down his face, and she knew him through the tears. She sprang up, and bade him instantly come in.
"No, mother!" said he, "I shall never cross your threshold till you have told me you forgive me everything."
My mother said: "Why, dear, I've forgiven you long, long ago. There's nothing to forgive, save that you have stayed away so long."
—Selected.
YE DID IT UNTO ME
“And He said, ‘The sin is pardoned,
But the blessing is lost to thee,
For, failing to comfort the least of Mine,
You have failed to comfort Me.’”
Unawares
Such is the closing verse of one of the two poems found in No. 54 of the Apples of Gold Library under the above title. They are very touching and very good. Price, 50c per 100.
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A WISE CAPTAIN.
A STEAMBOAT captain was once asked by a passenger on his boat how much ardent spirits he used. He replied:—
"I never drank a teaspoonful of rum, brandy, gin, cider, wine, or beer. I never smoked or took snuff, and I never drank tea or coffee."
"But," said the passenger, "what do you drink with your breakfast?"
"Cold water."
"And for your supper?"
"Cold water."
"Well," said the passenger, "but what do you take when you are sick?"
"I never was sick in my life," was the ready and glad reply.
He was a wise captain. He was accustomed to exposure in all kinds of bad weather, wind, and storm, and never believed in the foolish notion that he must take a drop of spirits to "keep out the cold."—Selected.
TIME-WORK OR PIECE-WORK.
ONE who is doing his best is pretty sure to have this recognized; and one who is not doing his best may be equally sure that it will be known. A keen observer said, in passing a building that was in process of construction: "I can always tell whether those fellows are doing 'time-work' or 'piece-work.' In one case the blows of their hammer drag along slowly, and seem to say, 'By the day, by the day;' in the other case the hammers strike briskly, and say, 'By the job, by the job.'" Consciously or unconsciously, our actions show to those around us the spirit that is prompting them. It is the work into which has gone the best life and energy of the worker that finally counts in the sight of both God and man.—S. S. Times.
THE FIRST OVERSHOES.
THE first pair of arctics brought into the United States were imported from Rio de Janeiro in 1830. They were a rough pair of india-rubber "gunboats," painted and gilded like a Chinese pagoda, and were sent as curiosities to a New York gentleman by a representative of a wholesale house doing business in what was then the great American Empire. Friends of the gentleman, when inspecting his odd rubber shoes, expressed a desire to own a pair of such oddities; and in 1832 twenty-seven pairs were imported by New York and Boston people. The next year the importations numbered 500 pairs, and in each following year the trade continued to increase.—St. Louis Republican.
Choose Ye This Day
Presents in an impressive manner the fact that it is ours to choose whom we will serve, and represents what will be the result of our choice. A. G. L. No. 14. 50 cents per 100.
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Opportunity, Liberty, and Responsibility
"The abuse of our opportunities can scarcely incur more merited self-reproach than their total neglect, or the selfish apathy which hides away the talent committed to us in idle obscurity."
LIBERTY is the power a man has to do or forbear doing any particular action according as its doing or forbearance has the actual preference in the mind.—Locke.
THOSE WHO USE THE MAILS.
Do you fail to get a reply to your letter? Is the parcel you sent by post unacknowledged? If so, perhaps you may find a reason for it in the following facts from the Ladies' Home Journal:—
It is estimated that during the last year 6,000,000,000 pieces of mail matter, including all classes, were posted in the United States. Of this number, 6,312,731 were sent to the dead-letter office, making an average receipt of about 21,000 letters and parcels for each working day. During this period more than 85,000 pieces were despatched either with insufficient postage or none at all, 32,000 bore no address whatever, 34,000 were misdirected, 200,000 were unclaimed at hotels, and something more than the last number were sent to fictitious addresses. And to these figures must be added 2,973,387 letters and circulars without inclosures of obvious value, which could not be returned to the senders, and were destroyed.
More than 50,000 letters contained money, amounting to $38,595, while 32,422 included drafts, money orders, etc., to the value of $945,000, to say nothing of 30,000 with photographs.
Battle Creek Bakery, Battle Creek, Mich
The Battle Creek Bakery has been in operation for nearly twenty years, and is engaged in the manufacture of Health Food Crackers, Biscuits and Cereola,—strictly high-grade goods at reasonable value. There are very few crackers and biscuits manufactured at the present day that are a strictly pure article. The vast majority are shortened with lard, inferior grades of butter, or the various compounds. The common (so-called) Butter Crackers, so extensively used, are lard-shortened goods. We offer to the public a variety of pure crackers and biscuits in which none of the above articles enter, only the best obtainable stock being used. The high quality and rich nutty flavor of these goods make them standard on the market with an increasing demand wherever introduced.
Our variety comprises the following:—
Cereola, Gem Oatmeal, Lemon Cream and Fruit Biscuits, Whole Wheat, A and B Graham, and New Era Butter Crackers, and Cream of Cereal Coffee. We believe there is no better substitute for coffee and tea on the market than Cream of Cereal.
Ce-re-o'-la is a food composed of a variety of the best grains, and is ready for immediate use by the addition of milk or cream, fruit juices, or may be eaten dry. Many have used this (only) for the third meal with good results and sweet sleeps, while other foods would cause distress and wakeful nights. Try it, everybody. A sample box of these goods will be sent, express or post-paid, upon receipt of 35c in stamps or money-order.
We make a business of supplying the trade, and recommend you to ask your grocer for them, or if you can not obtain them thus, send direct to the Battle Creek Bakery, Battle Creek, Mich. For the southern states, we have an agency established at 243 South Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, I. A. Ford, manager, to whom all communications for that territory should be addressed.
12 "And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, He hungered. 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find anything thereon; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. 14 And He answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit from thee henceforward forever. And His disciples heard it."
15 "And they come to Jerusalem; and He entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves; 16 and He would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. 17 And He taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers. 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, for all the multitude was astonished at His teaching."
19 "And every evening He went forth out of the city."
20 "And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto Him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them. 25 And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
26 "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
14 "And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple; and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were moved with indignation, 16 and said unto Him, Hearest Thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?"
NOTE.—The texts inclosed in marks of parentheses, while not essential to the lesson study, will be found to throw much light upon the lesson, and are suggested for those who wish to study further.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
As the shades of evening drew on, where did Jesus and the twelve go to spend the night? Mark 11:11.
In His hunger of the following morning, to what did Jesus resort for relief? Verses 12, 13. (Luke 13:6-9.)
Finding no figs on the tree, what did Jesus say concerning it? Verse 14. Note 1.
Going into the temple, what did Jesus immediately begin to do? Verse 15.
Immediately after the cleansing of the temple, who came to Jesus? For what purpose? Matt. 21:14.
While this was going on, how did the priests regard the situation? Mark 11:18.
What demonstration took place among the children who thronged about Jesus? Matt. 21:15.
When the priests came to Jesus and made complaint against this, what did He say? Verse 16. (Ps. 8:2.)
The next morning (Tuesday), as Christ and the disciples returned to the city from Bethany, what did the disciples observe? Mark 11:20.
When Peter called the attention of Jesus to the remarkable condition of the fig tree, what simple yet significant reply did He make? Verses 22, 23.
What did He then say should be the condition of mind of those who pray? Verse 24. (James 1:6, 7.)
What feelings did the Saviour say we should cherish toward others if we would receive benefit from our prayers? Verse 25. (Col. 3:13.)
If one does not do this, what will be the result? Verse 26. (Matt. 18:35.)
Side Lights.—"Desire of Ages," chapters 64, 65; "Spirit of Prophecy," vol. 3, chapters 1 and 2.
NOTES.
1. No man eat fruit, etc.—Jesus knew before reaching the tree that it bore no figs. But its outward appearance, by having leaves in advance of other trees, proclaimed that it did have fruit on, altho the time of figs was not yet come. The tree had a designed purpose,—that of bearing fruit. By not doing so, it transgressed the law of its being while presenting a boastful and deceitful show of superiority over its neighbor trees. By this it had forfeited its place in creation, and so by the word which produced it, the penalty of removal was pronounced. This fitly represented the Jews of that day, as well as professed Christians of to-day who claim to have more light and truth than others. God had borne with the Jews many years, but, as in the parable in Luke 13:6-9, the time was present when it was proper to say, "Cut it down." So it will be with all who do not meet the design of their being.
2. My house a house of prayer.—Three years before, at the beginning of His ministry, Christ had done the same thing, but apparently with little lasting effect, for the same abuse had been restored. Had the first cleansing been regarded, the fig tree would have borne fruit, and no place would have been found for the second cleansing. But before being put to death, Christ had a public work to do in the very court of the temple, in order to confirm before all the people His Messiahship, and as He could not do this in the midst of wicked desecration, this cleansing was first necessary.
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Day of the Sabbath
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21 "THEN I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a straight way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way; because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek Him, for good; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him. 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this; and He was entreated of us. Then I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 and weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his princes, and all 26 Israel there present, had offered; I even weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents; of gold an hundred talents; and twenty 27 bowls of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of fine 28 bright brass, precious as gold. And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a free-will offering unto the Lord, the God of 29 your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers' houses of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers 30 of the house of the Lord. So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. 31 "Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of 32 the enemy and the lier in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days."
Golden Text: "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him." Ezra 8:22.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What is the chronology of this lesson? Note 1. (2) What was the condition of the Jews at Jerusalem? Note 2. (3) What was Ezra's object? Note 3. (4) Who was his chief Counselor? and how did he seek Him? V. 21. Note 4. (5) Why would he not ask aid from the king? V. 22. Note 5. (6) What was the result of their seeking God? V. 23. (7) Whom did Ezra make treasurers? V. 24. (8) How much did he place in their hands? Vs. 25-27. Note 6. (9) What charge did he give them? Vs. 28-30. Note 7. (10) How was their journey prospered? Vs. 31, 32. Note 8.
NOTES.
1. The time of this lesson was in the "seventh year of Artaxerxes." Ezra 7:7, 8. Artaxerxes Longimanus (long-handed) was the son and successor of Xerxes, the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther. The seventh year of his reign, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, was B.C. 457. Here begin the 2,300 prophetic year-days of Daniel 8 and 9. The "going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem" met its plenary fulfillment in the decree of the seventh chapter of Ezra, which, from verses 12 to
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