Earlier text: Not MendicantsSmile and Push
By F. M. W.
Recently in one section of the country there arose a fierce conflict in a community over various questions pertaining to the public welfare. One party took as its motto the words: “Smile and Push.” Acting upon this principle, they waged a vigorous and enthusiastic campaign in behalf of their ideals, resulting in the end in a marked victory. What measure of success was due the excellent motto we can not say. We know this, however, that such a motto will help to win success in the experiences of either a political party or an individual, and it will assist the Christian in his experience in no less degree. Our attitude toward the world, toward our fellows, and toward all of life's experiences has very much to do with the success achieved. The hopeful, cheerful disciple of the Lord is everywhere welcome. His words of hope and courage fall gratefully upon the ears of those who are despondent and cast down. There are many who seem to feel that religion consists in sighs, moans, and tears. This is not so. The Christian, above all others in the world, should rejoice in his inheritance, in the life that now is, in the prospect of the life that is to come. Our fellows have no need of the touch of sadness and discouragement. There are longing hearts on every side, hungering for some word of hope. Even in our own churches, and perhaps in our own homes, are those longing for some smile of appreciation. Why not give to-day these omens of good cheer? Why grumble, fret, and complain at those we love, and then seek to solace our sorrow by flower wreaths after they die? A smile to-day will do a thousand times more good than a thousand tear-drops to-morrow. The word of hope and courage and comfort will accomplish a thousandfold more for our fellows while they can hear them and appreciate them, than any extolling of their virtues after they are dead. Tears have their place in Christian experience. By sorrow of heart many a repentant sinner has found his way back to his Father's house. In humble, contrite confession, many sins have been acknowledged, and wrongs made right. God does not, nor should we, despise the tears or griefs of those around us; but God does not want us constantly weighed down with sorrow or regret. If sins have been committed, let us make these right in the spirit of sincere contrition, and then rejoice in the scepter of forgiveness and peace which is extended to us. We should not possess a cheerless religion. Many children are turned from the church of God, and from the faith of their fathers, because they see in the professors of that faith so little cheer and joyfulness. A happiness and joy without frivolity, a seriousness without moroseness, this is the spirit which each should seek to cultivate in his life. The apostle exhorts us: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Good religion consists in dealing our bread to the hungry, in becoming messengers of light, and hope, and gladness, in all of our associations with our fellows. There is religion in a good loaf of bread, in a cheery smile, in a hearty hand-shake. The world to-day needs more of those who will smile and push. It needs genial natures, broad-minded, loving, generous hearts, who will overlook the wrongs in others, pass by intended slights, and keep brave and cheery and hopeful in every conflict. It is such men and women as this who will win their fellows to Christ, and who will prove an anchor to the weary storm-tossed souls amid the waves of darkness which are now sweeping over the world. Let us ever remember the motto, “Smile and Push.” On the Wings of the Wind
By W. A. S.
“THE wind goeth toward the south,” said the preacher, “and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” Eccl. 1: 6. Dr. J. Hamilton, of England, once put into a paragraph some instances in which stormy winds proved special providences in British history:— ’Tis a boisterous night, and Pictish savages curse the noisy blast which shakes their peat hovel round their ears; but that noisy blast has landed the gospel [by the boats bringing Columba from Ireland] on St. Andrew’s [Scotland’s] shore. It blows a fearful tempest, and it sets some rheumatic joints on aching; but the morrow shows dashed in pieces the awful Armada which was fetching the Spanish Inquisition to our British Isle. The wind blows east and detains James’s [the Catholic king’s] ships at Harwich; but it guides King William [the Protestant] to Torbay. Yes; the wind blows south, and the wind blows north; it whirleth about continually, and returneth again according to its circuits. But in the course of these circuits the wind has blown to our little speck of sea-girt happiness the gospel, and Protestantism, and civil and religious liberty. Macaulay, in his “History of England,” is inclined to scoff at those who interpreted the winds as fighting on the side of Prince William of Orange, as he came from Holland to take the throne of England by solicitation of the Protestants.12 Nevertheless, Macaulay himself leaves a good testimony to the fact that the balancing of the winds was a distinct providence in that crisis of British history:— The weather had indeed served the Protestant cause so well that some men of more piety than judgment fully believed the ordinary laws of nature to have been suspended for the preservation of the liberty and religion of England. Exactly a hundred years before, they said, the Armada, invincible by man, had been scattered by the wrath of God. Civil freedom and divine truth were again in jeopardy; and again the obedient elements had fought for the good cause. The wind had blown strong from the east while the prince wished to sail down the Channel, had turned to the south when he wished to enter Torbay, had sunk to a calm during disembarkation, and, as soon as the disembarkation was completed, had risen to a storm, and had met the pursuers in the face. No human wisdom or penetration can read always the scroll of providential dispensations. That is a realm too high for mortal man. But it is meet to recognize delivering providences in history or in experience, come by whatever agencies they may, even by “stormy wind fulfilling His word.” Ps. 148:8. ‘A Hope That Works. — The doctrine of the coming of the Lord is not a theory merely; it presents the most tremendous of issues. The hope of it changes and transforms all the life. “We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3: 3. The Very Works I Do
By C. M. S.
God has in both heaven and earth witnesses that are testifying of him. Said Jesus to the unbelieving Jews, “The works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me;” and again: “Though ye believe not me, believe the works.” John 10:25, 38. The works done by the Son of God are not all confined to this earth; they speak to us out of the sky by day and by night, as well as out of the eyes of redeemed human beings created anew in Christ Jesus. Men may seek by every subterfuge of subtle reasoning to prove the non-existence of God; but in the heavens are the works of his hands. The critics of the Word of God, for instance, are stumbling over a dead fish,—not a whale, for Jonah does not call it so,—and they are seeking to use their own stumbling-block to batter down the citadel of God’s truth. That criticism of the Word of God which seeks to take away its vitality and its inspiration, and every claim it has to being the light of the world—that criticism is filling the pulpits of a multitude of churches to-day with a Christless gospel, a Spiritless Bible, and a godless creation. The acceptance of those theories is shriveling the spirituality of the churches as sere and dead as the autumn leaf; it is drying up the fountainhead of missionary contributions, so far as it is actually believed, as the volcano of St. Pierre dried up the streams that used to rush down its grassy slopes; it is taking the love of the foreign mission work out of the hearts of the people, as the wells of the valleys are dried up by subterranean fissures; and as a result of this, it is turning the desire for worship into the channel of self-worship and the worship of gold. It is stealing away the faith of the people, as the stealthy thief deprives the thoughtless householder of his jewels and wealth. When the man awakes, his possessions are gone; he had them, and now they are not. But in every part of the universe God has his witnesses, and they are testifying to his existence, his power, his wisdom, his care, and his undying love. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Ps. 19:1-3. All the creations of God are bearing witness for him—in their own language, it is true, but speaking in a voice that can be heard by all, and in a language that all who will may understand. The stars that twinkle to us through infinite space are telling us of the wisdom and power of him who made them, and gave to each its orbit and the glory of its radiance, and set a bound for its habitation which it might not pass. The mind may think out into space till it reaches the faintest star that glitters into the view of our strongest telescopes; think out into the great star-studded depths through which the radiance of mighty suns wearies in its flight, and sinks just as its trembling finger-tips have touched the shore of our vision; think out and out and out, till thought itself, like a fledgling sparrow, flutters and falls in the impossible purpose; and still we are in the workroom of the Almighty, whose works are tonguing the praise of their common Maker. The great audience-chamber of the Infinite is peopled with his witnesses. In the presence of such a concourse, presumptuous indeed is the human atom that comes to the bar of eternity to present his little brief upon the non-existence of him by and in and through whom all these consist. Truly, it is wisdom’s voice which says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” As God’s works are his witnesses, so are our works our witnesses. His works witness to his righteousness, his love, his wisdom, his power. To what do our works bear witness? As his works are witnesses of what he does and is, so are our works witnesses of what we do and are. That witness can not be impeached; it tells in unmistakable language the condition of the heart that prompts the hand to do the deeds. If our hearts are in the work of God, then are our hands busy with deeds that prove it so. If we are half-hearted in13 that work, that word is written indelibly on every piece of work that passes through our hands, and on every act that goes to make up our daily life. It is not left to the angels only to write it there; the hands that do the work are doing the writing. The professions we make count for nothing when the works we do are clamoring to be heard against us, and are contradicting our professions to the face. We must be what we want men to think us, or we are asking them to believe a lie. It is time wasted to profess what our works do not substantiate. They are the only witnesses that are qualified to testify for us either before men or in the court of last resort. If they witness against us, our professions are empty air. Let us so act that our professions may be in harmony with our deeds. Let us seek to be what we would have God count us as being, and then the deeds that flow from our hands will be a constant well-spring of praise to our Creator, and God will crown our lives with the crown of victory. We can not impeach the testimony of our works either here or hereafter. This is not teaching salvation by virtue of our own works. That is not the purpose of the argument. When Christ was asked, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” he replied, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” That is the essential of salvation; and from the life which is actuated by that belief will flow a constant stream of deeds testifying to men and to angels of our belief in that great fact. We can not earn or purchase salvation by the works that we may do; but our deeds can and do bear witness to our belief in, and acceptance of, the only way of salvation open to men. Let us open our hearts to him; believe on him; and then our lives and deeds will testify that we are his; that his work is our work, and the interests of his kingdom the motive of our lives. In such witnessing as this there is power for good. The world will see it, and be moved by it. Such lives are God’s most powerful evangelists. Now when God’s last warning message is going to the world, what a responsibility rests upon us so to live that the work we attempt to do for him will not be marred by an inconsistent life. Let consecration to him be our aim; the mind of Christ within us, let that be an accomplished fact; and then let us go into the vineyard, living and laboring for souls. Often we hear the words, “The harvest is white;” but God’s purpose in bringing us to see the condition of the harvest is not accomplished unless we step in among the reapers and do our part. Mere belief is not enough.14 The devil can see the condition of the harvest better than many of us. God does not recognize the worth of any belief that does not result in fruitful labor for the cause of Christ, or does not attempt anything for him. Christ became a servant; his children are to be servants. There will be no pampered pets in his household, no drones who see and do not. In the midst of the jangle of voices that are seeking to cast discredit upon the Word of God, it is our privilege to know in our heart of hearts that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Let the soul who would be a child of God so work and so live each day that his words and his deeds will bear constant witness that he is indeed a child of God. Then others will be glad for his having lived, and Christ will confess his name before his Father and before his angels. THIS is an age of selfish and sinful extravagance in the expenditure of money. Thousands of dollars are spent for the gratification of selfish purposes, and this goes on while multitudes throughout the world are lacking the actual necessities of life. We read of wealthy men of Chicago who are now under the fire of condemnation for robbing the public, spending millions in the creation of playgrounds for their children; of a wealthy man in the East who gave a banquet in honor of his dog, bestowing on him at the time a birthday gift set with seven hundred diamonds, and valued at fifteen thousand dollars.14 These are only examples of the spendthrift expenditure on the part of the rich which we see on every side. This is not because these men of means at heart are worse than their fellows. Many who criticize them would do the same if they themselves possessed the money. It is the tendency of the times, the impulse of the selfish human heart, the spirit which accompanies the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few. Of these conditions the apostle James speaks in the fifth chapter of his epistle:— “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” James 5:1-6.
We need to see in these conditions which exist around us the signs predicted by the Scriptures of truth of the speedy close of human history. These general conditions can not be changed by human endeavor or legal enactment. Only Christ at his coming can change the present order of society and restore conditions to their normal balance. Training in New Recruits
By W. A. S.
An Incentive to Hasten on the Big Fund
In a recent letter from Korea, Elder C. L. Butterfield, the superintendent, speaks as follows of plans for the development of their Korean workers:— Our workers’ institute has just closed. Six native workers were in attendance. We studied here together for one month, having studies in the morning; and in the afternoon the workers went out visiting the people and inviting them to the evening meeting. In this way they were putting into practise what they were learning, and I believe that it was a great help to them. They seemed to appreciate very much the help given, and now go out to their work better prepared than ever before. Our native workers have all connected with some of us foreigners as our helpers. I have two helpers now, and hope to have another in a short time. Each of the other workers has one helper. One of our native workers acts as foreman in our printing-office. By working in this way we shall be able to help the native workers more, and can keep track of what they are doing better than we could in the past, when we sent them off by themselves to work. We have divided the territory among the foreign workers, and they will all have their helpers. We each have large territories, and there are millions of people who have not heard of this truth as yet. So it means that we must work and train workers as fast as possible. This is the plan on which our missionaries generally wish to operate. It is the plan that will enable us to spread over the vast territory most rapidly. Dr. Judson’s counsel in this matter, in the early days of his work in Burma, was:— I have now five native assistants, who spend an hour with me every morning, in reporting the labors of the preceding day, in receiving instructions, and in praying together. These men penetrate every lane and corner of this place and the neighboring villages; and since I have adopted this plan,—about four months,—there are some very encouraging appearances. As soon as I get through with the Old Testament complete, I want to double their number, and devote part of my time to instructing them systematically. . . . This is the way in which I think missions ought to be conducted. One missionary, or two, at most, ought to be stationed in every important central place, to collect a church and an interest around him; to set the native wheels to work, and to keep them at work. To effect this, training-schools are needed to equip the local talent for the service with the missionary in the field station. These training centers will spring up in many a mission district, simple and plain, but practical, as we in the older fields are able to supply the means. The $300,000 Fund is to do this very work of providing training facilities to turn out hundreds of the youth of the mission lands into the field of service. Let us hurry the fund in and the workers out. Life Only Through Christ
By F. M. W.
THE Scriptures of truth clearly recognize Jesus Christ as the only author of life and salvation. He is the only one who has life in himself to impart to others. The life that is in him is revealed to mankind through the gospel, and only those who receive that gospel obtain the life. Those who do not receive the gospel are left to suffer the consequences of their own dying, sinful nature; viz., total extinction. This view is in perfect accord not only with the provisions of God's grace as provided in the gospel scheme, but is also in full accord with his character as a God of love. He takes from man that life which no longer affords pleasure, but has become an existence of pain and distress and intolerable endurance. To those who during this probationary period of earthly life have turned from their sinful ways, using the opportunities of existence afforded them, with profit to themselves and honor to their Creator, thus demonstrating the manner in which they would use eternity if that should be bestowed upon them, he gives a life of unending existence. Hence, the question is not one of arbitrary decree on the part of God, but one of free, untrammeled choice on the part of each individual. To the one who wills to do his will, who stretches out his hand even in his weakness and sinful condition for succor and help, who opens his heart to receive the divine grace, God bestows an abundance of his power, and of the gift of righteousness. Where weakness and sin abound, he causes grace more abundantly to abound. In his infinite mercy and love he enables the penitent to reach his ideals in the realization of a better hope and of a sure reward. And to the one who rejects the pleadings of the Spirit, and sets himself in rebellion against the provisions of God's grace, he can do no more than to accord the same free choice. A World-Wide Message
By F. M. W.
ONE can not read the reports which now come from every quarter of the globe without realizing that this is indeed a message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. How our conception of this movement has grown with passing years! It is said that Cotton Mather at one time expressed the opinion that civilization in the Western continent would not extend West of the Alleghanies; and so the early pioneers of this movement had but little conception of the great work which would be accomplished before the coming of the Lord. Viewed from the standpoint of human possibility, the warning of the world in this generation seems indeed a Herculean task; but when we remember that as the message is from God, so his power will carry it forward, the outlook brightens, and we can face the great problem before us with brave hearts. The marvelous manner in which this truth has gone during the last decade, the openings which Providence has made for it, oftentimes behind what seemed to be fast-closed doors, the manner in which he has turned the fiercest opposition so that it has redounded to his honor and the spread of the truth, give unmistakable evidence of his power and willingness to carry the message to final and glorious completion. Let us take heart, and press the battle to the gates. The cause is not ours, but God's. His are the resources of strength and wisdom. It is for us to place ourselves in his hands as humble, willing instruments. He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness. THE influence of fraternal societies in high schools and academies has called out much discussion from educators during the last few months. Starting more than a decade ago, these fraternities at first were regarded with unconcern, and on the part of many teachers and school boards were encouraged. It soon became evident, however, that these fraternal organizations were inimical to the best interests of the school, demanding time, energy, and money which the students needed for their class work; and in addition they served to create a spirit of snobbishness and caste in the school, engendering much ill feeling. This has produced strong reaction. In many States legislation has been passed against them. Courts have upheld the decision of schools against their existence, and many parents have united with the school authorities in entirely discouraging the existence of these organizations. Of the feelings growing out of these fraternities, their influence upon the social life of the school, a writer in the Christian Advocate gives the experience of a high-school boy, and quotes him as saying:— “I believe that had I to go through the experience over again, I would be almost tempted to give up my education rather than to endure the ostracism I underwent because I was too poor to belong to a frat. My education meant much to me, and I had been taught to believe that merit won in high school as in other affairs of life. My standing was good, for I studied hard. But I was absolutely left out of the social life of the school. I was not invited to any of the frolics, because I was too poor to belong to a fraternity. I could not afford the expense. Being naturally of a social disposition, I spent four lonely years at school. Only my own lonely heart knew how immeasurably I longed to be taken in with some of the jolly groups and to be one of them. Four years on the outside of all the good times is apt to tinge a boy’s outlook on life with a few drops of bitterness.” Of the social influence of these fraternities, the following testimony is given by a parent whose son was a member of one of the high-school organizations:— His mother and I agreed to let him join. It did not seem as if it would be much of an extra expense. Then came an initiation in which the boy was soused in the river one cold night. By some miracle he escaped pneumonia. More expense for illness. A banquet was proposed. Another demand for expenses. Then he came out strong on the society end. He had to have expensive dancing lessons. He began to get fussy about the cut of his clothes and the color of his neckties. He refused to wear his uniform on any but drill days, when he was compelled to wear it, because he was afraid the boys would think that he had only one suit of clothes. We did not notice any corresponding shine to his grades, and we received frequent notices of poor work on his part from his teachers. He couldn’t pay attention to his studies, because he was too busy paying attention to his girl friends. That frat society had a date for every night in the week. Dances, theaters, flowers, and candy began to wear a hole in my income. And the last straw was added when he asked me for five dollars for flowers and a carriage to take some girl to a party! The tendency of such organization is entirely worldly, cultivating a taste for the frivolous, and a distaste for the things of deep moral worth. To those who partake of their spirit the things of God are lightly esteemed or wholly unwelcome. THE true motive with which the disciples of the Lord should give of their means for the forwarding of his work in the field is clearly stated by John H. Converse in a recent number of the Sunday School Times:— The basic principle of giving is the obligation to give as the Lord has prospered the giver, and that the gift should be for the promotion of the Lord’s work and for the benefit of humanity. “Thou must love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself.” The service of the Lord means service for humanity. “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.” Matt. 25:40. It is because the essential principle of Christianity is self-denial, unselfishness, and love for one’s neighbor, that the obligation is upon us. Many have no other means of service. Their circumstances and environment are such that the only way they can show their devotion to the Lord’s work is by their gifts. The motive of giving should be to do good to others. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” It should not be to make reputation and notoriety for one’s self; it should not be on a commercial basis in which the giver expects a return; it should not be a bargain with the Lord, such as Jacob proposed in his promise to give one tenth if the Lord would protect and prosper him. This attitude was characteristic of his shrewd and worldly character at the time. Satan, in his attack on Job, asked, “Doth Job fear God for naught?” A worldly motive, expecting a return, detracts from all merit in giving. The extent of giving should be until one feels it a matter of self-sacrifice. To give out of one’s superfluity and abundance has little merit. The personal element must be a part of the gift in order to sanctify it. With his gift the giver should give himself, by his sympathy and interest. . . . The Scriptural warrant and precedent for giving are emphatic in both the Old and New Testaments. “Honor Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase.” Prov. 3:9. Christ’s command to the young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor, and his saying as quoted by the apostle Paul, that it is more blessed to give than to receive, inculcate the duty of giving as one of the first obligations of the Christian. Speaking of the objects which should enlist our sympathies, especially in the support of the gospel work, Mr. Converse continues:— To what objects is it especially obligatory to give? As we owe to God our ability to earn, we should first of all give to him. This means the support of the gospel at home and abroad, and of all means to this end, such as Christian education, circulation of the Bible, and the dissemination of Christian literature. It also means benevolence toward humanity. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” The objects of giving are innumerable. One may have his choice, and the choice is one of the only privileges left to many men; a wise judgment and personal interest are necessary for guidance. With such motives and purposes possessing the disciples of Christ, there will be no lack of funds in the treasury of the Lord, and giving, instead of appealing to the sense of duty, will become a pleasure. Our greatest joy is in doing for those we love, and as we enter into communion with the Lord Jesus, realize all that he has done for us, and drink in of his spirit of devotion and sacrifice, the chief joy of our lives will be in consecrating all to him, even as he gave all for us. East Michigan Conference
By E. I. BEEBE
THE East Michigan Conference held its eighth annual session March 30 to April 3, 1910. Ninety delegates were present, representing sixty-four churches and companies. Harmony and union prevailed throughout the meeting. In fact, it was the best of all the conferences held since its organization. Elders Allen Moon, G. B. Thompson, and J. B. Blosser were among the visiting brethren. The following officers were elected:— President, E. K. Slade; secretary and treasurer, E. I. Beebe. Executive committee: E. K. Slade, E. I. Beebe, A. R. Sandborn, D. P. Wood, Frank Hiner. East Michigan Conference Association: E. K. Slade, E. I. Beebe, A. R. Sandborn, D. P. Wood, Frank Hiner. Adelphian Academy board: E. K. Slade, E. I. Beebe, A. R. Sandborn, D. P. Wood, Frank Hiner, E. F. Dresser. Auditing committee: Daniel Hale, H. A. Fenner, Daniel Wood, E. N. Hatt, E. S. Skeels, Dr. G. G. Brown. Secretary-treasurer tract society, Frank Hiner; field missionary secretary, Frank Hiner; field missionary agent, J. H. McEachern; educational and Missionary Volunteer secretary, H. A. Boylan; Sabbath-school secretary, Tillie E. Barr; religious liberty secretary, H. A. Weaver. The medical secretary is to be appointed by the conference committee. Ministerial credentials were granted to E. K. Slade, E. I. Beebe, J. L. Edgar, L. G. Moore, Wm. Ostrander, A. R. Sandborn, C. N. Sanders, B. F. Stureman, E. R. Lauda, D. P. Wood; ministerial licenses to H. A. Boylan, J. H. McEachern, C. L. White, Fred Hoxie, H. S. Guilford, H. A. Weaver, Harry Wescott; missionary licenses to Tillie E. Barr, Katherine M. Durham, Nora B. Ammon, H. L. Cohoon, Frank Hiner, Marie P. Harriman, Beatrice Harter, Mina Pierce, Mabel L. Reavis, Katherine Weaver; canvasser's credentials to B. F. Williams, Floyd J. Rowland, C. F. Mahr, Geo. Hainer, Harrison Face, W. D. Moore, Mrs. C. S. Countryman. The annual report of the Sabbath-school department showed that $1,830.54 was given to missions during 1909, a gain of $244.46 over the previous year. The report of the East Michigan Tract Society showed a net gain of $745.27. The amount of tithe received from Jan. 1, 1909, to Dec. 31, 1909, was $24,414.22, a gain of $3,806.79 over 1908. Other reports were given of the Adelphian Tent Company, Holly, Mich., the East Michigan Conference Association, the educational department of the East Michigan Conference, the Adelphian Academy Association, and the Adelphian Publishing Company. Among the twenty-nine resolutions passed, the following are of special general interest:— “Resolved, That we indorse the recommendation of the General Conference that a fund of $300,000 be raised as soon as possible, and that we proceed to raise our proportion of this fund immediately. “Whereas, The Lord has said that as much care and wisdom should be used in the selection of men for the canvassing work as in the selection of men for the ministry, therefore,— “We recommend, That the conference issue canvasser's credentials to experienced and worthy canvassers, thus recognizing them as self-supporting missionary workers. “We recommend, That the fare of those holding canvasser's credentials be paid to and from the camp-meeting, and to other essential conventions. “Resolved, That the Bible work be given the same prominence and consideration in our conference deliberations as the canvassing work, religious liberty work, and other branches of the work. “Resolved, (a) That we maintain our attitude of opposition to the manufacture, sale, and use of all intoxicants; (b) That we unite with all properly conducted campaigns for the suppression of the liquor traffic; (c) That greater efforts be put forth in the circulation of our temperance literature. “Whereas, The medical missionary work is of the Lord, and so defined by the spirit of prophecy as to show our great need and possibilities in this line of work, therefore,— “Resolved, That our doctors, nurses, and those connected with this line of work who are recommended by the church elders and our conference president be given the recognition they deserve, and that they report regularly to the medical department. “We recommend, That we co-operate with the other conferences in raising funds for the relief of our sanitariums.” The Middle German Conference
By Guy Dail
The first annual session of the Middle German Conference was held February 2-6, in Halle, a city of about one hundred ninety thousand inhabitants. This place is famous for its salt-springs and salt-works, and for its university, which has had connected with it some of the most famous theologians of Germany. The Middle German field was cut off from the West German Conference Jan. 1, 1909, and its territory consists of the province of Saxony (exclusive of Jerichow districts 1 and 2), the duchies of Brunswick and Anhalt, the Thuringian states, and the southern part of the district of Hildesheim, with a population of 5,448,000. The reports that were rendered at the meeting show that during the year evangelical efforts were begun in nine new places, and it was possible to receive into the sisterhood of conference churches, the new companies which had been raised up through the blessing of the Lord at Altenburg, Bernburg, Quedlinburg, Coethen, Jena, and Cloetze. The experiences related by the workers reveal the leading providence of God and the enmity of Satan. In a certain village, a shoe-shop keeper accepted the message. He met much bitter opposition, and yet God rewarded his faith by giving him still further prosperity in his business career. Because of his uprightness and the blessing of God, the neighboring villages have been stirred, and through his earnest missionary work with our publications, a desire has been awakened to know more of the truth for this time. A relative of the famous Professor Heckel, of Jena, has shown a remarkable interest in the lectures held by our people, and has willingly testified in favor of the gospel as it is now being presented, stating in the presence of a group of learned men, among whom was the professor himself, that they could indeed learn much from the facts presented by the Adventists. A spirit of liberality was manifested among the 175 representatives at the meeting, so that over eight hundred dollars was donated to interests outside the conference borders. Thirty-six copies of "Ministry of Healing" were sold here on the ground. The outside interest was good, there being as many as five hundred at the evening lectures. Brethren L. R. Conradi, H. F. Schuberth, L. Mathe, and Dr. E. Meyer, as well as Brethren J. F. Huennegardt and E. Bahr, were all present from other parts of the field, and rendered much help in the council, and in conducting open lectures for the outside. Elder Mathe was chosen president of the Middle German Conference for 1910, and he will be aided in his labors by one minister, five licentiates, six Bible workers, and sixteen canvassers. We believe that progress will continue to be seen, and especially wish the Lord's blessing to be with the brethren here in their efforts to advance his work during 1910.
GUY DAIL.