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AN INTERESTING BOOK.
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"Thrilling Incidents in the Life and Experience of John F. Bahler (a blind brother), with Poems by His Wife; also Fifty Hints on Health and Forty Recipes of Great Value," is an interesting, useful, and beneficial work of 96 pages. Price, 25 cents.
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PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
THE annual meeting of the stockholders of the Pacific Press Publishing Company, a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of California, will be held at the office of the company, corner of Twelfth and Castro Streets, in the city of Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, on Monday, the 23d day of April, A.D. 1900, at 9:30 A.M., for the purpose of electing a board of seven directors, and transacting any other business that may properly come before the meeting.
By order of
C. H. JONES,
President of Pacific Press Publishing Company.
T. A. KILGORE,
Secretary of Pacific Press Publishing Company.
ANNUAL MEETING.
THE regular annual meeting of the Society of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Oakland, Cal., will be held at the house of worship, corner Twelfth and Brush Streets, Wednesday evening, April 4, 1900, at 7:30 o'clock. A general attendance of resident members is desired. By order of the president.
E. A. CHAPMAN, Secretary.
APPEAL TO THE TENDER-HEARTED.
By A. Smith
AT the creation of our world God did not design that the living creatures He formed should prey upon and devour each other. Such a condition of things, however, has been brought about by the entrance of sin. How proper, then, it seems that those who would be free from sin and return to the purity of Eden, from which the sinner was expelled, should adopt, so far as is possible in this world, the conditions of Edenic life.
Aside from physiological reasons, there are mute appeals to the tenderness, pity, and love, especially of womankind, to discontinue the use of flesh meats entirely, as an article of food, unless under exceptional conditions.
I am acquainted with a wealthy Roman Catholic lady who has abandoned the use of flesh meat, "for the reason," said she, "that every time I partook of it I thought I was sanctioning the bloody work of the butcher in preparing it for my table."
And that is the truth. Yet there are delicate ladies who would faint from sick hearts at the sight of the butcher's ghastly work, and who would much more recoil from staining their own hands with the life-blood of an innocent victim of a perverted appetite; yet they freely devour the flesh of these creatures after it is prepared.
I was once driving past a large pool of mud, when up jumped several hogs that I had mistaken for nearly buried logs, and, dripping with filth, they greeted me with a concert of grunts that a little girl said was "swearing." Well, I thought, with the filth scraped off and their foul flesh served on the table, how strange it is that delicate women will eat of it and call it "good"!
At another time I was driving past a half-decayed carcass of a cow, when a small hog inside stuck his head out, covered with pink putrefaction, and grunted, as much as to say, "Good, good!" "Ah, young fellow," said I, "somebody will eat you by and by, and say, 'Good'!"
There is another phase of this question that compels attention, and that is the custom of women in wearing for adornment the plumes of birds. Women are generally regarded as being tender-hearted, and yet they sanction the killing of the beautiful songsters of the meadow and woodland by this vain custom.
One of the blessings of the immortal state is assured in the promise, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Isa. 65:25. Why not have a little foretaste of heaven here, and share it with God's beautiful birds and animals? It would make us more tender-hearted and heavenly-minded.
A. SMITH.
Grandville, Mich.
COUNTRY LIFE.
By Frederick Griggs
"The groves were God's first temples." God speaks to the heart and mind of a child who lives in the country, in a far more positive way than He can to one who lives in the city.
The purpose of God is to bring to Himself every child born into this world. In this work He should have the co-operation of parents and teachers. But when we have the children so far removed from the environment in which He particularly manifests Himself, obviously the work is much harder. While it is true that many parents are so situated that it is quite impossible for them to have their children in the country, yet it should be the endeavor of every parent, each year, to spend some time with his children away from the bustle and noise, the excitement and overstimulation, of the city.
The country is the native home of every child, tho it is true that many of them do not live in the land of their nativity. The fresh air, beautiful sunshine, and fragrant flowers have a life-giving influence upon the developing child. Aside from this physical effect, there is the additional leading to worship and reverence, given by this same sunshine, fresh air, and flowers.
One element of every child's nature is that of worship. Every being seems bound by the laws of his nature to worship something. If the child is taught that the heavens declare the glory of God, and that the sunshine, fresh air, flowers, birds, and rocks are but means that God is employing to speak to them of Himself, he can but come to have a reverence for the Creator and Preserver of these wonderful things which bring so much happiness to him.
Power of Unconscious Influences.
That which affects us most is that which we receive unconsciously. We receive more from the unconscious influence and association of our friends than by the direct effort which we may make ourselves to imitate them. So it is with the child in the country. As various flowers take from the soil sunshine, air, and water, just those elements which are needed to produce the particular form of life that they manifest, rejecting all others, so will the child drink in from nature in all of its various forms, just those ingredients of character which are necessary for his individual needs. This should be qualified, however, by saying that the benefit which he derives or does not derive, will depend largely upon the attitude which his parents and instructors themselves take toward the works of God.
Every one in the world is seeking after pleasure, but few know what true pleasure is. This is due largely to errors in education. True pleasures, those which make up the life of mind, are, after all, the simplest and most unassuming. The man of wealth and leisure may traverse land and sea after happiness, and find it not, unless he takes it with him in his heart day by day. On the other hand, examples are abundant of men who have never been more than a day's journey from home, and yet whose lives are filled with contentment and happiness.
God in Nature.
Christianity is the only source of the real happiness and enjoyment of this life, the only place from whence one may receive a philosophy that will meet the perplexities and annoyances incident to life, as they should be met. And when one knows that this religion embraces the love of nature, the soul is brought into closer contact with our Creator, and the ability to meet with and overcome the perplexities of life is greatly increased.
These perplexities of life are caused largely by one's thinking of himself. Every one should have some wholesome lines of thought, which will take his attention away from himself and center it in something else. What better can be suggested as a field of thought than the works of Almighty God? They are full of beauty and power, sweetness and grandeur.
But how few people there are in the world who see the works of nature at all, much less see the presence and love of God in these works! It requires education and training to notice and observe the things about us, and to take from these objects the lessons which they are endeavoring to teach us. This education comes to the child who lives in the country, if he has wise teachers, and this education leads him in the path of contentment, because it presents to him lines of thought and action which lead him outside of himself.
It can not be said there is more in the country to attract the attention of the child than in the city; probably there is less. But that to which he does give his attention in the country is wholesome, while in the city, or even in villages, this is not always or generally true. In the country everything lives for the child; in the city everything seems to live for itself. In this, the country teaches
A Lesson in Unselfishness.
For the child the birds sing, the flowers bloom, the bees work, the blue sky bends down to kiss him, and the stars keep watch over him. Everything works for the good of something besides itself, and he can but unconsciously learn the lesson of unselfishness.
Further than that, there is also something for him to do with his own hands, in a sense which there is not in the city. Work is one of the greatest blessings which can come to childhood. Those children who learn this lesson early will correspondingly early develop strong characters, characters in which there is much of sunshine and helpfulness; for they have drunk it unconsciously in childhood. Give the child the country, where, unfettered by the trammels of modern civilization, he may be natural.13
An old cart-horse, which had traversed the cobblestones of a great city, dragging his heavy cart after him, for years, was considered to have done his life's work, and was, therefore, turned out into a green pasture in the spring-time to spend his last few remaining days. He was old and stiff, but he caught the inspiration of the new life around him, lay down and rolled, got up, and ran from one end of the field to the other like a colt, nibbled a bit of grass here, sprang into the air, took a short run, nibbled a bit there, and, in short, acted as tho he were mad and beside himself. And he was beside himself. The old cart-horse had become his own self, because new life had come into him.
If the green grass, the fresh air, and the bounties of nature can so affect a poor, dumb animal, will it not correspondingly influence human beings? Give it a chance.
FREDERICK GRIGGS.
THE HOME
UNAPPRECIATED.
By Viola E. Smith
A poet wrought with a busy pen
At his table all day long;
And day by day just above his head
A bird caroled forth its song.
He took no thought of the singer sweet,
Nor ever looked that way;
Yet all unconsciously with his thoughts
The bird-notes mingled aye.
For the liquid waves of that silver sea,
Falling e'er on the poet's brain,
Gave life to many a slumbering thought,
Which awoke to a lofty strain.
So in and out, through his glowing verse,
Ran the notes like a golden thread,
But little he thought the brightness due
To the singer above his head.
Alas, one morn, in his gilded cage,
The bird lay still and cold!
And the poet wrote, but he searched in vain
For the beautiful thread of gold.
"Inspirer of my verse," cried he,
"I knew thee not before.
Thou wert an angel in disguise;
O, would I had loved thee more!"
Too often we slight some gift of God,
Till the lovely thing has fled;
Our sweetest words are for deafened ears,
And our garlands for the dead.
Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. VIOLA E. SMITH.
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING NOTES.
By Editor
IN a recent issue of the Scientific American there appeared some interesting and useful notes on various scientific topics, and from them we select the following for the benefit of the SIGNS readers:—
To open a [new] book properly, hold it with its back on a smooth or covered table. Let the front board down, then the other; now hold the leaves in one hand while you open a few leaves at the back, then a few at the front, etc., alternately opening back and front until the center of the volume is reached. If this is done two or three times, there will be no danger of breaking the volume.
The pine needles of South Oregon are being utilized. The needles are first boiled and then run between horizontal wooden rollers, which extract the juice. This is called pine needle oil, which is supposed to possess medical properties. The pulp is used as a medicated material for upholstering, and is also said to be a good substitute for horsehair. It is said that insect pests will not live in furniture that has been upholstered with pine needles.
Fish scales are being utilized in France, where a chemist has discovered that the scales may be used in the manufacture of artificial pearls, and our Consul at Lyons has found that the supply is inadequate, and that there is an actual demand for large quantities of the scales in his consulate, where good prices are paid for them. The scales should be sprinkled with salt as soon as they are removed from the fish, and packed in tin cans. Any specimens sent to Mr. Covert, at Lyons, will receive careful attention, and the results, with any suggestions that may be made, and particulars of price offered, will be duly reported. As the American sturgeon has the most beautiful and largest scales of almost any fish in the world, this may be of considerable importance to fishermen who engage in catching sturgeon.
A bill creating a new cabinet office has been favorably acted upon by the House Committee of Mines and Mining. It provides for a cabinet officer, to be known as the Secretary of Mines and Mining. He is to have entire charge of affairs relating to mines, and the Geological Survey will be placed under his care. The Secretary is to have the same rank and salary as other cabinet officers, and he is to have an assistant, who will have the same relative rank as the First Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Another mining measure which was acted upon favorably was for the establishment of mining experiment stations in each of the mining States, somewhat similar to the agricultural experiment stations, and provides for a government geologist, at $3,500 per annum, and an assistant, at $2,500 per annum, in the mining States. These officers are to furnish assays, conduct explorations of mining regions, and issue bulletins for the public.
Literal Translation of the Greek New Testament
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22 "And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagog, Jairus 23 by name; and seeing Him, he falleth at His feet, and beseecheth Him much, saying, My little daughter is at the point of 24 death; I pray Thee, that Thou come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live. And He went with him; and a great multitude followed Him, and they thronged Him."
35 "While He yet spake, they come from the ruler of the synagog's house, saying, Thy daughter is dead; why troublest 36 thou the Master any further? But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagog, Fear not, 37 only believe. And He suffered no man to follow with Him, 38 save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagog; and He beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. 39 And when He was entered in, He saith unto them, Why make 40 ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. But He, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with Him, and goeth in where the child was. 41 And taking the child by the hand, He saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, 42 Arise. And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for 43 she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. And He charged them much that no man should know this; and He commanded that something should be given her to eat."
Golden Text: "He is risen, as He said." Matt. 28:6.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Who came to Jesus while He was at the house of Matthew? What position did this man hold among the Jews? How did he approach Jesus? V. 22. (2) In what way did this man show his earnestness? What had caused him to visit Jesus at this time? Therefore, what request did he make of Jesus? What in his expression showed his faith in Jesus' power? V. 23. Note 1. (3) Was the request of Jairus at once complied with? How was He accompanied on the way toward the house? V. 24. (4) While Jesus was still speaking to the woman who had touched His garment, what word came to Jairus? Wherein did they show their lack of faith in the power of Jesus? V. 35. Note 2. (5) What reassuring words did the Saviour speak to Jairus? V. 36. (6) Whom only did the Saviour take with Him to the ruler's house? V. 37. (7) What was taking place at the house of Jairus when Jesus and His disciples arrived? V. 38. Note 3. (8) What question did Jesus ask of those who were mourning? What did He say in regard to the maid's condition? V. 39. Note 4. (9) How was this announcement received by them? What did Jesus at once do? Whom did He take with Him into the room where the child was lying? V. 40. (10) What did He do and say? V. 41. Note 5. (11) What was the result of the Saviour's command? How did this miracle affect the people? V. 42. (12) What charge did He give to those who knew of the miracle? What command did He give concerning the child? V. 43.
NOTES.
1. Lieth at the point of death.—In Matthew the record is that she was dead; but this does not imply15a contradiction between the two accounts. "He [Jairus] knew that she could scarcely be living now; and yet having no certain notice of her death, he at one moment expressed himself in one language, at the next in another."—Trench. But the firm faith which he had in the Saviour's power is expressed in the words he uses, "Come, . . . . . that she may be made whole and live." The centurion had said, "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." Both had perfect faith in Christ's power to heal; but the centurion realized that Christ could heal by His word as surely and as well as tho He were actually present.
2. Why troublest thou the Master any further?—They supposed that it was useless to attempt to do anything for a child who was dead. Jesus might heal diseases, but to conquer death was something they did not give even Him credit for power to perform; but He who had created the worlds, who had given life, was about to demonstrate His power to recreate and to renew life.
3. He beholdeth a tumult.—"There was always a terrible clamor at Eastern funerals; and the preparations had begun, for early burial was usual among the Jews."—Schaff. It was customary in the East for professional mourners to be in attendance at funerals, and these persons would vie with each other in mournful, dolorous ejaculations, accompanied with wailing, beating the breast, rending the outer garments, and tearing out the hair.
4. Not dead, but sleepeth.—We have a similar expression of the Saviour's in reference to the sickness of Lazarus. When the report came from the sisters of Lazarus that their brother was sick, Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death;" and yet he died. "Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead." Lazarus' sickness was not unto death in God's purpose; he was only sleeping, and Christ would soon awaken him. The child in the purpose of God was not dead; for the Saviour would soon bring her back to life. That death was to her and in Christ's plan only a sleep of short duration.
5. I say unto thee, Arise.—The same person who died, the whole person who died, was bidden to live again. The Creator, the One who had given her life and permitted her to lie down in death, gives her life again, and bids her come forth from death. Some have erroneously supposed that this was a demonstration of the immortality of the soul. But Jesus did not command the maiden to come back into her body. He did not say to the soul, Return. He took the dead, cold hand of the child in His own; He spoke to the inanimate form before Him: "Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. And straightway the damsel rose up." The miracle rather demonstrates Christ's power to give life to all who believe in Him. It demonstrates that Christ is the Author of life; but there is in it no shade of proof of inherent immortality. Christ can not give immortality to man when man is already possessed of immortality. If man is immortal, he must live forever; but in order that man might live forever, it was necessary that Christ should come to this world and die: John 3:16. "I am come that they might have life." John 10:10. Man is mortal until Christ calls him forth from the grave or changes him at His appearing from mortality to immortality. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. Paul expresses it also in this way, "that mortality might be swallowed up of life." 2 Cor. 5:4.
9 "And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not; go tell My brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see Me."
13 "And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was threescore furlongs from 14 Jerusalem. And they communed with each other of all these 15 things which had happened. And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus Himself drew 16 near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that 17 they should not know Him. And He said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as 18 ye walk? And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto Him, Dost Thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come 19 to pass there in these days? And He said unto them, What things? And they said unto Him, The things concerning 20 Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests 21 and our rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we hoped that it was He which 22 should redeem Israel. Yea and beside all this, it is now the 23 third day since these things came to pass. Moreover certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the 24 tomb; and when they found not His body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that He 25 was alive. And certain of them that were with us went to the 26 tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but Him 27 they saw not. And He said unto them, O foolish men, and 28 slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 29 Behooved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter 30 into His glory? And beginning from Moses and from all the 31 prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the 32 things concerning Himself. And they drew nigh unto the 33 village, whither they were going; and He made as though He 34 would go further. And they constrained Him, saying, Abide 35 with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. 36 And He went in to abide with them. And it came to pass, 37 when He had sat down with them to meat, He took the bread, 38 and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes 39 were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of 40 their sight. And they said one to another, Was not our heart 41 burning within us, while He spake to us in the way, while He 42 opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose up that very hour, 43 and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered to- 44 gether, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is 45 risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they re- 46 hearsed the things that happened in the way, and how He 47 was known of them in the breaking of the bread."
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.
1. After Jesus had ascended to the Father and returned, to whom did He show Himself? Matt. 28:9.
2. What message did He deliver? Verse 10.
3. On what occasion did Christ appear to two of His disciples later in the day? Mark 16:12.
9. What did the disciples say concerning recent events? Verses 20, 21. (Isa. 50:6; 53:6-12.)
10. What reports had been brought to them? Verses 22-24. (Luke 24:1-10.)
11. What response did Jesus make to this recital? Verse 25. Note 2.
12. What question did He ask them? Verse 26.
13. How did He expound the Scriptures? In whom did He show that they all centered? Verse 27. (Acts 8:27-35.)
14. As they drew near to Emmaus, what did Jesus do? V. 28.
15. Why did He stop with them? Verse 29. Note 3. (Matt. 15:21-28.)
16. Under what circumstances did He make Himself known to them? Verses 30, 31.
17. After the Saviour left them, what did they say one to another? Verse 32.
18. Where did they then go? Verse 33.
19. With what exclamation did the disciples greet them? Verse 34. (1 Cor. 15:5; John 1:42.)
20. What did the two report to the disciples? Verse 35.
Side Lights.—"Desire of Ages," chapter 85.
NOTES.
1. It seems from the conversation that these disciples were anxiously desirous to learn, if possible, what these events all meant to their hopes of their future. Jesus did then as He does now for every anxious inquirer,—draw near to give them that for which their soul longed,—a knowledge of His plan of salvation.
2. The English word "fools" as represented to have been used by the Saviour on this occasion, was not one expressing lack of sense, but rather a gentle reproof for their forgetfulness of Scripture declarations that they had been taught to cherish, which, if remembered, would have saved them from their perplexity. The sense of the text would have been as well preserved had it been translated, "O thoughtless man." The Revised Version reads, "O foolish men."
3. THEY "constrained" Him, that is, pressed Him beyond measure. They had not been satisfied with His brief words so cheering, but urged His presence. This desire for His presence caused Him to tarry with them, and gave Him opportunity to make Himself known to them. Their experience in this line may be ours, and will be when we become as importunate as they.
The House We Live In
By Editor
The illustrations for the above book are now finished, the type is all set, and we hope to soon have complete copies with which to fill the many orders already on hand.
Those who have examined the advance pages speak in glowing terms of its value as a book for the home, and predict for it a large sale. We shall be glad to correspond with those desiring more detailed information concerning this volume.
