OLD TESTAMENT WEDDING
Sunday Discourse by Dr. Chapman, thi
Noted Pastor-Evangelist.
The Love Romnce of Itaac and Rebekah
Retold Teaches a Lesson of Divio
Providence.
The Her. 3. Wilbur Chapman, D. D ie'
now the moat distinguished and beat:
known evangelist in the country. He was
second only to Dr. Talmage, but since tho
death of that famous preacher Dr. Chap
man haa the .undisputed possession of the
Pulpit aa the preacher to influence the
plain people. Hie aervices aa an evangel
ist are in conatnnt demand. Uia aermona
hare atirred the hearta of men and women
to a degree unsnproached bjr anr latter
day divine. J. Wilbur Chapman waa born
in Richmond. Ind., June 17, 1839. He wae
educated at Oberlin College and Lake For
eat University, and graduated for the min
istry from the Lane Theological Semin
ary, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1882. Hit aer
mona are simple and direct, ao that their
influence ia not ao much due to exciting'
the emotions aa to winning the hearta and
convincing the mind of tlioae who hear
him. Dr. Chapman ia now in charge of
the Fourth Presbyterian Church. New
York City. i
New VonK Citt. The Tier. Dr. J. Wil
bur Chapman, the popular pastor-evangelist,
who is now preaching to overflowing
congregations in this city, haa furnished
the following eloquent sermon to the
press. It was preached from the text
Genesis xxiv, 68: "Wilt thou go with this
man? And he said, I will go. i
This ia tho atory of an Old Testament
wedding in which our text ia found, and
naturally because it ia a marriage scene it
is interesting. The sayfng that "all tho
world loves a lover", is very true, and I
suppose is not without meaning the wide
world round, but there ia something about
an Oriental wedding which ia especially
interesting. Again and again in thia Book
of Inspiration such scenes are recorded.'
but of all the Old Testament stories I
place this the first of its kind. I
If I were an artist I should paint it, and
if I were an artist worthy of my theme it
would surpass the other masterpieces in
the world s great gallery of art, notably
that of the Russian wedding feast, which
has had admiration everywhere. The
heart of the picture is an old man; his
hair is whitened with grief which in the
past days has taken hold upon him, and
the lines of his countenance have been
Eeculiarly softened by the touch of the
nger of sorrow, leaving an expression
which can only come to those who have
been obliged to bear great burdens and
endure great afflictions.
Abraham is practically alone in the
world, for Sarah is gone. She who bad
i'mirneyed with him to Bethel, down into
Dgypt and back again to Hebron, the
place of fellowship, is at rest, aud in the
cave of Machpeluh she waits by his side
to hear the summons given at the resur
rection morning. Abraham was desolate.
They had made so long a journey together
that their lives were like one. i
' ''In the long years liker had they grown;
Till at the lost she set herself to him
. Like perfect music unto noble words." i
''Above him is God, who has kept Hia
word with him when He said, "As I wae
with Moses so I will be with thee;" about
bim the angcla who keep watch over him
all day and all the night in sleepless vigil;
before him the trusted servant to whom
he speaks, "And Abraham was old and
well stricken in age; and the Lord had
blessed Abraham in all things. And Abra
ham said unto his eldest servant of his
house, that ruled over all that he had, Put,
I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,
and I will make thee swear by the Lord,
the Qod of heaven, and the God of earth,
that thou shalt not take a wife unto my
son of the daughter of the Canaanites,
among whom I dwell. But thou shalt go
unto my country, and to my kindred, and
take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the
servant said unto him, Peradventuro the
woman will not be willing to follow me
unto thia land; must I needs bring thy
son again unto the land from whence thou
earnest? And Abraham said unto him,
Beware thou, that tliou bring not my son
thither again. The Lord God of heaven,
.which took me from my father's house,
and from the land of my kindred, and
which spake unto me, and that sware unto
me, saying. Unto thy seed will I give this
land; He shall send His angel before thee;
and thou shalt take a wife unto mv son
from thence. And if the woman will not
be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt
be clear from this my oath; only bring not
my son thither again. And the servant
put his hand under the thigh of Abraham,
his mastor, and sware to nim concerning
that matter." Genesis 24: 1-9. i
One of the incidents of the picture would
be the setting forth of this servant. "And
the servant took ten camels of the camels
of his master, and departed; for all the
goods of his master were in hia hand; and
ne arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto
the city of Nahor." Genesis 24: 10. One
of the most picturesque sights of the East
ia a camel train. With a peculiar swinging
gait these strange animals of the desert
push their way along on a most interest
ing journey, but the picture can only be
appreciated when looked upoa in the at
mosphere of the Orient. I counted 100
one morning journeying toward the pyra
mids beyond Cairo. The train of this old
servant was made up of ten camels only,
but they were the camels of a prince.
Their trappings were gorgeous, and side
by side with Abraham we watch them aa
thev go until they are lest to view.
The next incident is the approach to Na
hor. It is the hour of sunset: the dy is
dying out of the sky. There is' really noth
ing that can be compared with that time in
the East, when the day is far spent and
the night is at hand. The birds hush their
song, the cattle are still, all nature is at
rest, the hills are transfigured and the
rivers and the acas ara lilio most beautiful
jewels. Ladencd with precious gifts the ten
camels kneel just as the women are coming
forth to dra7 water from the well. The
old servant as they hnenl begins to pray.
"And let it come to pass that the damsel
to whom I shall say. Let down thy pitcher,
I pray tljeo, that I nay drink; and ahe
shall siy, Drink, and I will give thy cam
els drink also; let the sane be she that
Thou hast appointed for Thy servant
Itaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou
hast showed ki.nt.ness unto my master."
Geuesii 24: 14, and the answer comes at
once. "And it came to (.ass, before he
bad done speaking, that beho'.d, Hebekah
cane out, who was born to Bethuel, son
of Milcaj, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's
brother, with her pitcher upon her shoul
der." Genesis 24: 15.
Elastio of step, modest of manner, pure
of heart, fair of face she stands in the
presence of the servant of Abraham. As
to parentage she was the daughter of
.ut'iuuei; as 10 conumon sne was ot virgin
jurity; ail to appearanco sue was lair to
cok upon: as to education she was trained
to domestic service. This is Rebekah, the
urius ci ma picture. Ana me man won
dering at her held his peace, to witness
whether the Lord had made his journey
prosperous or not. And it came to pass,
as the camels had done drinking, that the
man took a golden earring of half a shekel
weight, and two bracelets for her hands
of ten. shekels weight of gold; and said,
Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray
thee; is there room in thy father s house
for us to lodge in? Aud she said unto
him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the
eon of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
She said moreover unto him, We have
both straw and provender enough ant
room to lodge in. And the man bowed
down bia bead aud worshiped the Lord.'l
Genesis 21: 31 28. V , )
i The next incident is the wooing and the
(departure. The old servant tells uia story,
(makes his anneal, and the text ia anoken.
."Wilt thou go with this man? And she
said, 1 will go. uenusia lit: 0. And the
camel train is moving once more, the fam
ily of Hebekah watching until the last
Icamel is lost to view in the distance. The
jouruay is uneventful, but the end of it is
more than striking. "And Isaac wnt out
to meditate in the field at eventide; and
be lifted uu hia eyes, and saw, and, behold,
Hhe camels were coming. And Rebekah
mica up ner eyes, ana wneu sne saw
Isaac she lighted off the camel. For she
had said unto the servant, What man is
this that walketh in the field to meet us!
iAnd the servant had said, It is my mauter;
'therefore she took a veil and covered her
eulf, jVad the surva.rj, fci'J lsaiii all iL'i:'K
that ne'tiad ilftne.- rtmr tzzz (irongnt tin
unto his mother Sarah's tent, and took
Rcbekah, and she became his wife; and he
loved her, and Isaac was comforted after
bis mother's death." Genesis 24: 63-67.
I. !
Here la a lesson of divine providence,'
Hear Abraham when he says, ''The Lord
God of heaven which took me from my
father's house, and from the land of my
kindred, and which spake unto me, and
that aware unto me, saying, Unto thy
seed will I give this land; lie shall send
His angel before thee, and thou shalt
take a wife unto my son from thence."
Genesis, 24: 7. We think of this as Old
Testament history eimply. We hear God
saying, "As I wae with Moses I will be
with thee," and we say certainly, but not
with myself. Why it is we always think
of God s care of the patriarchs as mira
cles, without its counterpart is in our own
lives, when God is our Father, everything
in our life is precious to Him, and the
very hairs of our head are numbered? He
is the God of Abraham, Isaae and Jacob,
and He is your God. The angel ot the
Lord ia atill living. We have grown world
ly wise and apeak ot impressions, convic
tions, coincidences, impulses, when all the
time it ia the angel or the Lord apeaking
to us. Have you noticed that there were
two servants, ono winged one in the air
and the other in charge of the camels. It
is always so. It is by this double ministry
that providences are confirmed. All
through life we see it; in the conversion
of men, in things common and in things
unusual. You say, "I feel a strong im
pulse to do a certain thing." It is the an
gel of the Lord troubling the stagnation of
your heart. You say that I am impressed
that I ought to do thus and so, when it
is the finger of God writing His purpose
on your soul. These are but the heavenly
ministers of Jehovah, Look around you
and you will find some opportunity for
service fitting into your impulse or con
viction, and that which yesterday you
wondered at as a coincidence fills you
with the spirit of worship to-day as you
say, "The Lord was in this place and I
-knew it not." "Life without a religious
Interpretation is little less than a trag
'edy, while life thus viewed may have
many twists and turns, but ends in heaven,
11.
I find here a good picture of real service.
When Eleazar woe leaving Abraham Tie
said, "Peradventurfc, the woman will not
be willing to follow me unto this land;
must I needs bring thy son again unto the
land from whence thou earnest?" And
Abraham said unto him, "Beware, thou,
that thou bring not my son thither again.
The Lord God of heaven, which took me
irom my father's house, and from the land
of my kindred, and which spake unto me,
and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy
seed will I give this land; He shall send
His angel before thee, and thou shalt take
a wife unto my son from thence. And if
the woman will not be willing to follow
thee then thou shalt be clear from this
my oath; only bring not my son thithci
again." Genesis 24: 6-8. '
' It is the same figure that we have of
the watchman upon the walls. Both of
these appeal strongly to us. We are not
free from responsibility until we have tried
at least to win every soul over whom we
have an influence for Christ. I cannot con
vert even the smallest child, nor can you,
but I can try to tell them what I have
been commissioned to say, for I am my
brother's keeper. Oh, for the intense de
sire to do our Master's will that Eleazar
had. His camels are cared for, he has
entered the house of Bethuel. He is
weary with his long journey, the savory
meat prepared for hia feast appeals to
his weakness, but hear him say, "And
there was set meat before him to eat;
but be said, I will not eat, until I have
told mine errand. And he said, speak
on." Genesis 24 : 33. Is not thia like"
Paul on his missionary journey. "In
journeyings often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils by mine own
countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in
perils in the city, in perils in the wilder
ness, in perils in the sea, in perils among
false brethren; in weariness and painful
ness, in watching often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness." 2 Corinthians 11: 26-27. And
is it not like Jesus Himself, when He ia
weary by the well aide, hungry with
much fasting and sends His disciple to
buv meat which He forgot to eat because
I of the woman by His side. I am sure
Kebekah saw in him the great love ot
Isaacs heart. Ana when they saia,
"Wilt thou go with this man? She said,
I will go."
III. j
Yet there is more to the story than
this, I am sure. I know it because I
read that what was written afore time
was written for our instruction. The
great object and aim of the Bible is to
illustrate the operations of divine grace,
to show the works of Providence in the
minute things of life, to show us that
provision has been made for the fulfill
ment of the great scheme of Redemption.
God speaks in every way; by direct state
ment, by parable, by picture, by types,
by symbols, if by all means He may make
known tho riches of His grace; and here
is a whule ohapter, one ot the longest in
the Pentateuch, taken up with a wedding
story; there must be some reason. The
spirit of Ood would not use an entire
chapter to describe the journey of Abra
ham to Mt. Moriah, and another to tell
of the death of Sarah, and another to
Live an account ot a wooing and a wed
ding without meaning. I think it must
be that it is all to illustrate the mystery
of the church. In the 22d chapter of
Genesis, the son is offered up as a sacri
fice, at least Abraham is willing to offer
him; in the 23d chapter of Genesis
Sarah is laid aside in the tomb, while in
the 24th chapter the servant is sent forth
to win a bride for the son. It is at least
a perfect illustration of that New Testa
ment story where Christ was offered, the
only begotten Son of God, where Israel
was rejected because they would not
come home. The Holy Spirit, aa a serv
ant of God, js calling forth from the
world a bride for the Son. This is the
work of this generation. The Holy Spirit
ia the one of whom Jesus spoke when lie
aaid, "But when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from the
Esther, even the Spirit of Truth, which
proceeded from the Father, He shall testi
fy of Me." John 15: 20. Ohe day we
shall meet the Bridegroom, our eyes shall
set Him and the wedding feast shall be
spread, end all Heaven shall resound with
the musio of that glad day. ;
IV.
I wish in closing to take up the ap
peal of the Holy Spirit, and change the
text just a little bit and say to you all.
"Wilt thou go with thia Man?" And I
refer to Christ as this Man. He is the
chiefost among ten thousand. I bid you
come to Him who walked with men, ate
with sinners, smiled with little children,
wept with weary women aud died with
sinful malfactora. "Wilt thou go with this
.Man?" You who are Christians I ask you,
Jthe question, for many of you have not!
foue with Him, for "How can two walkl
ogether except they are agreed?" And
it you will go with Him it mint be in
some better way than in other days.
First: You must share His opinion oT
men. He waa always excusing weakness,
always helping the distressed and al
ways rebuking unkind criticism. You may
need to forgive the man who injured
you yesterday, for He did, and if you
would be like Him you must do the same.
"Wilt thou go with this Man?"
Second: He will lead you into the
homes where distress is tarrying, reliev
ing embarrassment as when lie made the
water into wine. Driving the wolf from
the door as when He fed the multitudes.
You will need to give your money as well
as your svmpathv. "Wilt thou go with
this Man?" I think I see Him treading
the streets of our own city where dis
tress has sons before Him. There is a
child with a heavy heart, and He stops ,
long enough to breathe a benediction of i
peace. Yonder is a man upon the verge 1
of despair, and this matchless Savior of
ours bids him come unto Him that he rauy I
find rest. Theie is a woman whose child
is riving, whose mother is on the brink
of Eternity, and He who spoke as never I
man spake tiuis ner listen as ne says,
"I am the resurrection and the life."
There is a celebrated picture which rep
resents Jesus walking through the multi
tude. Before Him all the people are dis
eased, while back of Him lis he troils
they are all perfectly well. This is His
influence always, "Wilt thou go with
this Man?"
V.
r put it to all those of you who are
Tt. Christians, uii bid- sou- rsUetyh;r
mat tt'is not an invitation to comero
Christ simply but s command, and in
His name, after the manner of Kleazar, I
snv, "Deal kindly and truly with my
Master." By His beautiful life, wilt thou
go? By His agony in the Garden, wilt
thou go? By His betraval and His trial
of mockery, wilt thou go? Bv His shame
ful death, I ask you once again, wilt thou
go? His marred face and His bleeding
back, His breaking heart. His cry of
agony, wilt thou go with this Man? He
hath trodden the wine press alone for
you; He was a man of sorrows and ac
quainted with grief for yoti. It is the
moment of crisis in your life. "Wilt
thou go with this Man?" Answer, and
answer it now as dM Rebrkah. "I will
go." Oh, say it; say it. and the Devil
shall' hear it and tremble, the angels
ehall hear it and shout for joy. Ood Him
self shall hear it and shall rejoice with
joy unspeakable.
eking the Troth.
, Nicodemus represents a large multitude
ef men and women in the world to-day.
He was seeking truth if not salvation for
his restless soul. He was so interested
that he did not wait until morning, but
came to Jesus bv night. Some have sug
gested that he did this not because of his
anxiety, but because he did not have the
moral courage to come to the unpopular
teacher by daylight. If so the offense was
not an unpardonable one, for Jesus did
not even rebuke him. He welcomes the
coming of the most timid, the most
doubting, the most unworthy. Nicodemus,
like nearly all the world who know any
thing about Jesus, recognized His moral
supremacy. They know He ia a teacher
sent from God by the same test that
Nicodemus applied. But that comnliment
is immaterial to the Christ. That ac
knowledgment has no saving value. "Ex
cept a man be born again is the ever
lasting sine qua non, the absolute and ir-
Sevocable contlition for a heavenly career,
low could Jesus have made plainer the
(necessity of the "New Birth?" How is it
itherefore that more than half the world,
.more than half, perhaps, of nominal Chris
tendom, are persistently searching for
some other way. Why is it so? Tho
world appropriates other common bless
ings from (rod's hands without demur or
question. His sunshine and sweet air are
taken greedilv and counted good. Millions
have tested His plan of life, His way of
salvation, and rejoice in the experience.
They give us their word that thev find
joy and peace. And yet the world is slow
to follow. Is it a sign of a perverse heart,
or a constitutional incapacity to act in
:one's own interest? Jesus was patient with
the slow believing Nicodemus. But lie did
not have nearly twenty centuries of
Christian testimony to bear witness to the
truth. That is why it will be 1cm tol
erable in the judgment for us than for
those of Tyre and Sidon and the genera
tions that have gone to their reward and
doom. Ram's Horn.
Spear Points.
Conscience is God's deputy in the soul.
I Immortality is the glorious discovery of
Christianity.
, Christ reckons not by what is parted
with, but what is kept.
It is s weak religion that a man can
hide from his household.
, A conscience void of offense before God
and man is an inheritance for eternity.
There is no human life so poor and
'small as not to hold many a divine possi
bility. Humility is the altar upon which God
wishes that we should offer Him our sacri
fices. The same spirit of faith that teaches a
man to cry earnestly, teaches him to wait
patiently.
More dear in the sight of God and His
angels than any other conquest ia the
conquest of self.
No true work linoe the world began was
ever wasted; no true life since the world
began haa ever failed.
To love God is our happiness, to trust
in Him is our repose, to surrender our
selves entirely to His will is our strength.
When God designates our work, He will
give what is needed for its accomplish
ment, if we keep in touch with Him. -
"Purse-and-AU" Consecration.
Many who count themselves wholly tho
Lord's do not count all their possessions
the Lord's. Yet either we and all that
we have are Christ's, or we do not feel
that we or anything that we have are
Christ's. There is no half-way consecra
tion in God's service, although many
eeem to think that personal consecration
only applies to those things that are
specifically included. That was a very
positive truth stated by Prebendary Fox
at the Student Volunteer Convention in
Toronto, when he said, "There are thou
sands who will trust Christ with the sal
vation of their souls who will not trust
Him with the key of their cash-box." It
has been well aaid that personal conse
cration must be spelled "purse-and-all"
consecration, or it practically amounts to
nothing.
The Dally Level.
It ia the man who lives the well-regulated
daily life who is lit to meet an
emergency when it arises. Little bits of
pure inspiration very seldom come to or
are acted upon by slovens, self-indulgent
or undisciplined people. Similarly, the
Christian who lives ordinarily at a lower
level of grace, whose Christian life is de
pressed and feeble, is unable to seize on
great opportunities of usefulness when
they occur.
Have Faith.
T( you will look up you will walk stead
ily. Do not iguore the danger, nor pre
sumptuously forget your own weakness;
but "when I said my foot slippeth, Thy
mercy held me up." Recognize the slip
pery ice aad the feeble foot and couple
with them the other thought, "the Lord
knoweth them that are His. Alexander
McLaren.
The Strongest Things.
There are some good things in all men,
no matter how low they may, have fallen,
and every effort should be' exerted to
make them the strongest things in the
life of every individual. Rev. Dr. Scott
F, Uershey, Boston, Mass.
Willing to Be Remind id
It la interesting to watch the effect
ot humor upon different private citi
zens from all over the country who
are called to take an executive part
in our National government. Some
never change; others ao. The follow
ing incident ia quite Interesting:
Secretary Shaw, the new head of th;
treasury department, was standing on
tae White House stairway talking to a
number ot newBpapor correspondents,
when Secretary Root passed on his
way to the cabinet meeting which Mr.
Shaw was to attend when he had fin
ished bis discourse on finance. The
secretary ot war rubbed elbows rath
er roughly with the secretary ot the
treasury .glared at the carelessly dress
ed men who had beet In hia way and
rushed by without speaking. Mr.
Shaw evidently saw soma humor In
the situation.
"Boya," ha aaid, aa he watched the
rapidly moving form ot the war sec
retary, "It I ever get In that fix after
I have been secretary awhile Juat
stick a pin Into me."
The reather Oami,
A small feather with a very little
stem must be produced to play the
feather game; also a tablecloth or
small aheet. The feather Is placed
upon thia, and the company atauda In
a circle, holding the sheet.
Some one glvea the feather a blow,
and the object of the game I to pre
vent It from touching any one, -
Each oue gives the feather a puft
whenever it cornea near blm, and over
It goea to the other Bide aguln. The
excitement produced Is very great, and
it is always a moat aiuualng spectacle,
the onlookers enjoying it, almost as
much as the players themselves.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
nfcrnatlonal Lesson Comments For
May II.
Suhject: Peter Delivered From Prlsoe, Acta'
xlL, 1-19 Ooldea Text, Pea. xxxlv, 7
Memory Verses, S-7 -Commeatary
oa (be Day's Lessor.
1. "About that time." About the time
Saul end Barnabas came to Jerusalem.
Chap. 11: 30. "Herod." This was Herod
Agrippa I. He was grandson of Herod
the Great who murdered the innocents
(Matt. 2: 10); nephew of Herod Antipas
who murdered John the Baptist (Matt. 14:
3-12), and father to Herod Agrippa II,
before whom Paul preached. Acts 26: 1.
"Stretched forth." A figurative expression
denoting that he laid his hands on them,
or that ne endeavored violently to oppress
the church. "To vex." "To afflict.'' R.
V. According to Josephus, Herod was
anxious to be esteemed a devout Jew.
2. "Killed James." James waa one of
the three apostles who had been especially
favored by Jesus. "With the sword.
By killing with the sword we are to un
derstand beheading. Among the Jewe
there wore four kinds of death stoning,
burning, killing with the sword, or be
heading, and strangling.
3. "Pleased." His object was to gain
public favor. "Peter also." Peter wss
very conspicuous. "Unleavened bread."
The feast of the Passover which continued
seven days.
4. "Apprehended." See R. V. "In
prison." Intending to keep him until tho
feast was over. During the solemnities of
this religious festival it would have been
deemed improper to have engaged in the
trial of a supposed criminal. "Four
quaternions." A quaternion was a com
pany of four soldiers, hence there were
sixteen in all. Escape was humanly im
possible. Peter hnd once escaped from
the prison of the Sanhedrin (S: 10) and
they did not intend that he should get
away again. "After Easter." "After the
Passover." R. V. After the whole feast
was over. The word Easter is an eccles
iastical term of later date, and should
have no place in the sacred text. "Bring
him forth." This evidently means to put
him to death provided "the people" the
bloodthirsty Jews desired it.
5. "Prayer." The only weapon they
could use. "Without ceasing." "Earnest
ly." R. V. These prayers brought about
hia deliverance. "Of the church." They
no doubt met in private houses because of
the persecution which would make public
services dangerous.
6. "The same night." The night pre
ceding the duy on which Herod intended
to bring him forth for trial and execution.
"Peter was sleeping." Peter had nothing
to fear. He was ready to die for his Mas
ter. 7. "Angel.... came." The deliverance
was delayed until the last moment. This
would test the faith of the church. "A
light shined." The angel brought no lan
tern, lamp or candle, yet he brought a
"light." the beaming of his own person,
Peter saw by it his prison, hia chains, his
cloak, his sandals, and his emancipator.
"In the prison." "In the cell." R. V.
"Smote Peter." He struck him in just
such a way as to awake him from his sleep,
mony of the reality of the angelic appear
and to leave in his recollection a testi
ance. "Raised him up." "Awoke him."
R. V. "Saying, Arise.'' The angel did not
assist Peter to arise. "Chains fell off."
The chains that bound him to the two
eleeping soldiers. With what ease can God
deliver His people from their enemies)
8. "Gird thyself." In order that he
might sleep more comfortably, he had laid
aside his belt, or girdle, his sandals, and
his tunic. "Bind on thy sandals." Thia
was a shoe made to cover only the sole of
the foot.
9. "And he went out." Guided by the
angel, he met no opposition in his way.
He was led by the angel safely out of all
danger. "And wist not." He knew not.'
10. "Ward." The terms ward and
guard are but different forms of the same
word. They were probably all asleep.
"Iron gate." Although locked and barred
it opened at their approach! "Departed."
Supernatural aid was unnecessary.
11. "Come to himself." Recovered
from the confusion of mind into which he
had been thrown. "Now I know." He
had had a similar experience before thia
Chap. 6: 19. "The expectation." The
Jews waiting anxiously for his execution.
12. "Considered." When he fully com
prehended what had transpired, and bad
weighed everything connected with the
circumstances of his deliverance. "House
of Mary." She wss the sister of Barna
bas. Col. 4: 10. "Mother of John."
John is his Hebrew name and Mark his
Latin name. He attended Paul and
Barnabas on their first missionary jour
ney, and is the author of the gospel which
bears his name. "Many.... praying." This
waa probably the latter part of the night,
and this large company had, no doubt,
been praying all night.
13. "Door of the gate." The street
gate at the entrance to the court in front
of the house, which was fastened, probablyi
"for fear of the Jews." "Came to barken."
Came to answer." R. V.
14. "Know Peter's voice." Peter may
be supposed to have announced his name,
or to have given it in reply to her in
quiry. "For gladness." She was so eager
to inform, the others that she ran to in
form them without taking time to open the
door.
15. "Thou art mad." One of those ex
clamations which one can hardly resist oa
hearing what seems "far too good to bi
true." "His angeL" His guardian angel,
assuming his form and voice, a comraor.
Jewish belief.
16. "They were astonished." This doef
not indicate that they were unbelieving
and had no expectation of an answer. Oui
prayers are often answered in unexpected
ways.
17. "Hold their peace." Their joy wal
so loud in its expression that he was ob
liged to motion to them to be quiet it
order to secure an opportunity to inforu
them of hia deliverance. "James." Noi
James the son of Zebedee, who had beet
slain. V. 2. Whether thia was James thi
son of Alpheus, called also James the Less
one of the apostles; or whether he wai
James the Just, the brother of our Lord
is a question. "Into another place.'
Where we do not know. The peril o!
death waa so imminent that he evident! J
decided it to be hia duty to conceal him
self.
18. "Waa day." Peter was not missel
uutil sunrise about six o'clock. It was if
the fourth watch, sometime between thre,
and six o'clock, that the angel entered thi
prison.
19. "Examined the keepers." Trie
thejn for a breach of discipline. "He.'
Herod. "And there abode." But not long
for in less than a month he died in a hor
rible manner. Vs. 21-23.
Trap Imbedded la Tree.
While felling a tree on Ell Marvin's
farm near Jefferson, Ind., Oscar Wal
ters, the tenant, made a ulngular dis
covery. A large ateei trap waa found
Imbedded In the tree, the wood bay
ing grown over it to a thickness of
three inches. Attached to the trap
waa a long chain, thia being Imbedded
about six Inches. On the spring of
the trap waa stamped the name of
George Emory.
Mr. Emory reports that the trap has
been missing for twenty-two yeara.
The owner waa a famous trapper In
those daya, and did a flourishing busi
ness In 'coon hides, those animals be
ing plentiful In the woods then. In
making his rounds ohe day be found
that one trap has disappeared. He
thought that it had been atolen, but
had no Idea that the thief was a four
tooted one. When the trap waa fotd
tn the tree It waa about forty feet
from the ground. After being cut out
It was returned to Mr. Emory, who re
membered Its loss and Identified it,.
He thinks that the trap was carried up
Into the tree by a 'co!a,
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
Posmi To Arms "Poor Tom" The Llqnar
I ateresls Apparently Deeply Coneerned
For the Comfort ot Hard-Working
Clerks A Bint to Cruel Employers.
To arms! against our nation's foe.
The cause of wretchedness and woe;
The author of the orphan's cry;
The source of woman's misery.
To arms! the friends of temperance cry;
With courage to the conflict fly.
Hay, shall the foe destroy our land?
Or shall we join the temperance band?
To arms! though wealth and power unite,
Though strong the struggle sharp the
. fiuht;
The victory a sure, the curse shall cease;
And temperance crown the land with
peace.
To arms! the scabbard's thrown aside;
We 11 6ght till victory's on our side:
And "temperance" shall employ our
breath
Until our lips are closed in death.
English Temperance Hymn Book.
Poor Tom's A-Cold.
One of tho most intensely dramatic
scenes pictured by Shakespeare in "King
Lear" is that in which he describes the
distracted king and the fugitive Prince
Edgar grooping their way in the dark
ness, while over their defences heads
bursts the pitiless storm. The tempest
in the king's mind surpasses that raging
in the aky. but in the case of Edgar
there is only a feigning of madness and
extreme distress. Is the modern clerk
in much the same plight, socially and
economically as that of "Poor Tom?"
According to the Liquoc Trades' Review
he is, the editor using the following lan
guage to set forth his lot:
"The slaving clerk wields his weary
pen six long, joyless days, and yearns
for the right to be a man, with all a
man's natural privileges, one day out of
the week. Tho poor clerk labors all day
long and when evening falls, staggers
homeward, exhausted and faint."
This is a serious statement, but com
ing from such a source we suspect that
it is overdone for some ulterior purpose,
end indeed, this soon appears. The
editor is incensed at flic action of Jus
tice Hendricksen for delivering a charge
to the Grand Army of Atlantic City ask
ing for the enforcement of the Sunday
closing law, and it is obviously to his
purpose to paint in as vivid colors as
possible the need of n wide open Sunday
for the benefit of the clerk. To quote
again:
"If on the Sabbath day he is denied
the right to momentarily forget that he is
a beast of burden and that day is made
well-nigh as joyless as its fellows, more
will be done to recruit the ranks of an
archy than all the vaporings of Most or
the hysterical chatterings of Goldman
could accomplish. If the rich will ponder
upon this Sunday question but a little,
they will be astonished to find that thev
are vitally and directly concerned in it."
Yes, indeed, the rich are concerned,
but granting for the moment that the
average employer is so cruel as to send
his clerk home at night staggering from
exhaustion (which he would indignantly
deny), the proper remedy is not to make
the public resort more enticing and there
fore expensive to the clerk, but to make
his working hours less a terror and more
a pleasure to him, thus leaving him in the
mood for a rationally kept Sabbath. The
louder is the wrtier s lament, the weaker
is his case. He sees no other fate for
"Poor Tom" than that of the race horse
which is first urged to utmost speed and
then sponged off preparatory for another
"heat." We forget, no, not for a mo
ment, that the Sabbath was made for man,
but so also were the week days. Stag
gering from exhaustion naturally leads to
staggering from another cause, while the
Golden Rule in force six days in the
week, leaves heart and brain receptive for
the higher truths and joys appropriate to
the seventh day. Union Signal.
What the Liquor Man Hays.
The saloon wants Sunday, wants by law
what it has already seized contrary to
law.
The reason on which the demand is
based is more insolent even than the de
mand itself. Stripped to the bone it
stands as follows: Says the liquor man:
We don't believe in any provision of law
that restrains our business, more particu
larly the Sunday law. Wo have persist
ently evaded and violated the law, and
intend to do so in tho future. We will be
perjurers and bribers if necessary. We
will pay blackmail if necessary. We will
elect a corrupt city government if neces
sary. We will degrade our business to
the level of immoral resorts if necessary.
We will stop at nothing, for we intend
at any cost to sell drinks on Sunday.
Now, if you don't want to be .demoral
ized by unenforced law, and if you want
to get rid of the vile Raines law hotels,
and if you want an honest government
in the city of New York, and if you want
to make us good, pious, law-abiding citi
zens, give us Sunday by law. And to this
proposition the whole people of the great
State of New York are expected to bow.
Alfred Manierre, in New York Journal,
Wo Middle Ground For Physicians.
The middle-of-the-road physicians who
talk emphatically about the vice of in
ebriety and the tood value of alcohol, and
who express great fear of extravagant
statements on this subject, are failing out
of the ranks in the forward movement of
science. There is no middle ground con
cerning inebriety and alcohol; it is a
physical disease, and alcohol cannot be
a food and a poison at the same time.
Theories of vice in inebriey and the food
value of alcohol utterly fail to explain the
obscure phenomena of inebriety, but rather
deepen tho mystery and make the means
of treatment more uncertuin. The as
sumption that the moderate use of alcohol,
as in the ''canteen," promotes sobriety
and health, conies from profound ignor
ance and inability to correctly interpret
the fucts. The subject is greater than
any theories or studies ot means or
methods of cure, and beyond the tact of
disease of inebriety and the poison of
alcohol stretches a wide held yet to be
explored. Journal of Inebriety.
Kxpert Oplalon an Beer Drinking.
Dr. Binz, professor in Bonn, Germany,
says: "Flooding the stomach and brain
with beer, as is the case among the
studying youth, the regular drinking es
pecially between meals and iu the morn
ing, the continuul sipping daily and
hourly as is the custom among the major
ity of the lower and middle class in tier
many, is, in my estimation, from the
standpoint of health, social economy and
intellectually a national evil."
A Century mt Agitation.
The modern temperance agitation may
be said to have begun in England about
a century ago, but it waa in this country
that the movement tirat made great
headway, and its influence on American
society has been far more general and
more powerful than on any other.
Kvll Physical Effects.
Unquestionably, one of the strongest in
fluences in bringing about the greater
temperance in the use of alcohol which
now prevails so noticeably among intel
ligent people has been ths spread of
knowledge as to the evil physical effect
of its abuse.
A Goad Law.
The Beal municipal local option bill haa
flossed ths lower house of the Ohio legisl
ature by the large vote of tftt to ID. As
originally drawn it required but 23 per
cent, of the registered voters to petition
for aa election, but the house amended
it by making it 40 per cent. This ia
not so favorable as at tirst, but it is bet
ter than the present law. .
Christian Abstainers.
Abstinence from intoxicating drink has j
become the teaching of the religious com
munions iu wiucu are luc.iuued lite ma
jority of American Christian bulievers, and
in some of them it ia enforced by drastUi
discipline.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPICS
nay II "Jesni the Living Bread." Johi
vL 22-35. 48M.
It Is well to count the m 11 1 posts of
a Journey now and then. It Is well
enough to look backward occasionally
If we are living forward. Some of the
most Important lessons are learned
In going over the book the second
time.
Personal examination Is a familiar
process to the school students. The
wise teacher calls them back occa
sionally over the road they have trav
ersed to see If any Jewels have been
lost by the way. Once In a while
the careful merchant will take an In
ventory of his goods. He will see
whether he has lost or gained. Paul
suggests the need of personal exam
ination. , He says, "Examine your
selves." If we miss all other points we must
not fall of this one. How can a
man know that he Is lost? I am spir
itually lost when my soul does not re
spond to God. The fact of knowledge
is one thing. The process of knowing
is another. We may have a satisfy
ing knowledge of a thing without an
absolute and all-inclusive comprehen
sion of It. The fact that we do not
comprehend it all does not invalidate
the other fact that we do know in
part. No matter how small a part tt
Is that we know, to know In part is
to know.
We know matter by the phenomena
of matter. We know a stone by the
properties of a stone. We know light
from darkness ' by the difference in
the results that attend them. Light
reveals. Darkness conceals. We
know mind by the results of mind.
The building is proof of the builder.
A speech reveals a speaker. The
thinker precedes the thought.
We know by spiritual phenomena.
The fact that these phenomena are
subjective Instead of objective does
not Invalidate the fact that they are.
Patience, peace, purity, Joy, love,
mercy these are as actual as rocks
and trees. Moral and spiritual forces
mold us, and determine the value of
life for us. We do not comprehend
these forces, but we know them. We
may know that we are saved from
thraldom by the experience of free
dom. Some people are In bondage all
their lives through fear of death. The
love and power of Christ can take
that fear out of us. Christ can free
us from the fear of man. The right
eous must be "as bold as, a lion."
Christ can save us from the love of
sin. He purges the affectional nature
and makes It pure.
EPW0RTH LEAGUE MEETING. TOPICS
May II Annual Review 2 Cor. 13; Num. I,
2, 3; Zecb. Iv, 6.
Scripture Verses. John vl. 53-58;
iv. 5 15; Ex. xvi. 15; Neh. ix. 13-15; 1
Cor. x. 1-4; John vl. 47-51; Matt. xxvl.
26-28; John vl. 23.
Lesson Thoughts.
The soul needs food as really as the
body. Jesus Is the bread of life. He
nourishes every faculty ot the soul,
enlarging and strengthening them all,
and makes us grow more and more
into hia Image.
The physical body that feels no
hunger, no need of bread, Is either
dead or eick and dying. So also ia
that soul dead or dying which does
not crave spiritual food.
Through poverty or misfortune Ood
.sometimes allows our bodily hunger
to go unsatisfied; but we have his
promise of blessing to those who hun
ger and thirst after righteousness, for
-they ehall be filled.
Selections.
The ancient Greeks represented
their gods as living on ambrosia and
nectar, food and drink ot divine
flavor and delicacy, but not to be taken
by mortals. But our Lord sends from
heaven the food of the immortals, that
all men may partake thereof and live
forever.
A perpetual feast of nectared sweets.
Where no crude surfeit reigns.
Whatever enlarges the soul, builds
up the character. Increases faith,
hope, love, knowledge and all the vir
tues, makes the conscience more tec
dor and true, cultures the will, per
fects the judgment, and enables tho
soul to work out a pure and holy life,
and fits It for heaven, whatever does
these things la soul food.
The best and highest and happiest
earthly condition is that which is full
of desires, and asnlrnt.tnna anil inn c.
Jng8, called hunger In the Beatitudes.
Now Jesus can give satisfaction to
every form of the soul's hunger.
"They that seek the Lord shall not
want any good thing." "For ho aatls
fleth the longing eoul, and fllleth tho
hungry soul with goodness."
Suggested Hymns.
As lives the flower within the seed.
Fade, fade, each earthly Joy.
In the heavenly pastures fair.
Lord, I hear of showers of blessing.
Oh Lord, my soul rejoices In thee.
, More love to thee, O Christ.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS
H E modern
Tower of Babel
is built out of
dollars.
God a v e r
gives His power
t o feed our
pride.
The dove of
promise comes tn
response to pray
er. God'a responsl
b 1 1 1 1 y begins
where man'a ability ends.
Men reach God by realities and not
by formalities.
God's essentials may be htddentn
our Incidentals.
Qod never forgets the man who. can
forget himself.
The man who la willing to work Is
not kept waiting.
Nothing paralyzes the love of right
like lust for riches.
The bigoted hold no belief; they
are held In bonda by them.
Idleness and rlchea 'furnish time
and tide for the devil's ships.
Uncharitable thoughts will deface
the most charitable actions.
When Christians go out in obedi
ence to Christ sinners will come in.
Get on the other side ot a hind
rance and you will sea It labelled
"Help."
The full snlvatloit ot tho aalnl do
petids on what lio in doing for th
aalvatlon uf the siuiior. ,
GOD'S MESSAGE TO MAKI
PRECNANT THOUGHTS FROM THE!
WORLD'S GREATEST PROPHETS. '
Poemi PreeHue Gift of Prayer We h t
Olary Mot In What We Are Bat lath
Hope of Deloagliig to Ood Be PeV
f Tonr RellRloe.,
Sweet is the precious gift ef prayer- ,
To bow before a throne of grace ,
To leave our every burden there,
And gain new strength to run our race
To gird our heavenly armor on,
Depending on the Lord alone.
And sweet the whisper of His love.
When co lscienco sinks beneath its load
That bids our guilty fcara remove, i
. And points to Christ's atocing bloodjV
Oh then 'tis sweet indaed to know -God
can be just, and gracious, tool
ifv
The Apologetic Christian.
"And hope maketh not ashamed."- Romv
8: S. ,
The humblest follower of Jesus Christ,
tho poorest nan jr woman who belongs to
Kin, has honors, privileges and dignities
such aa the German Prince whom wv
have been worshiping and the King,
whou we shall help to crown this sum
mer do not know and cannot enjoy xJ
cept they become also His humble mrr-
ants. Such belong to the Koyal Family;
of Heaven and their Brother ia the moot
gbrious being who has ever Used,
crowned by mankind as tlieir everlasting
King and Savior. They are the heirs to
the Kingdoma of this world nud to
realms reaching far beyond our ken.
And yet many of these royal people gr
through life apologizing for their honor
and aaking the pardon of the world for
presuming to differ from it. They will
fall in adulation before a man for a bit ( .
of gold lace or a paltry decoration, snoT
they will hide their own royal blood and
lineage as though it were something to
be ashamed of. They will themselves wear
a badge or button marking them as mem
bers of some secret society or honorable)
fraternity; but they would no more
think of proclaiming with pride, "I ami
a Christian" than they would want to
walk around clad in convict's garb. They!
will strive for place and preferment in
this poor world while their hearts never
seem to think of the place they mighb
have right by the King's side in that
Koyal Palace. I
Imagine the monarch of some greati
territory crying to wear a policeman'
badge or strut about in a schoolboy'
paper helmet and wooden sword!
Some would apologize for their honors)
from a false sense of humility, lest thev
should be accused of religious pride or ot
pretending to be better than the averJ
' age. The best way to silence such ao-i
cusations is to keep quiet and prove that!
you really have something .worth being;
proud of. The King's son can be for-'
given for feeling that it is better to bai
the King's son than the peasant's: the?
unforgivable thing in the Christian
would be for him to think that the merit
and honor lay in himself. It would be
wrong indeed to be proud of ourselves;'
but still more wrong to be ashamed of out
Father and King. i
Our glory is not in what we are; foe
that we often need to apologize; but ia.
the hope of what we shall be and in they
honor of belonging to God. If the hop
of the eternal glory and perfection of tbor
sons of God is in our hearta we shall
not walk through the world as though
we were not worthy of living in it, but
we shall rather show the dignity, tha
excellence of character of those of whom
the world was not worthy.
a, jvui icugiuH in ui iue type tuns yins
feel you ought to apologize for it, it mast,
be a very poor kind: if you feel that war
about it what will the Judge, think of itt
If Vn 11 Iff. naw..inA a V. n ... ' .
a vocabulary of cant through life, it will
not only disgrace you here; it will work,
your doom both here and hereafter. It
you really knew Cod you would not bo
ashamed of Him nor think of apologia-,
ing for Christ. But so long as the hopo
that is in us produces nothing but fear;
of the world the faith that is in as wilt
fail to produce any faith that ii in us will'
Henry F. Cope, in Kam's Horn.
The Lesson From s Blacksmith.
Rev. Samuel Chadwick, of EngUndi
throws new light on the uses of sataa in?
thie world by the following anecdote: i
'I have seen a blacksmith stand on one
side of his anvil, while the striker witaf
his sledge-hammer stood on the otherj
The blacksmith would turn the iron over'
and ver and touch it here and there with
his little hammer, and the heavy blows)
of the striker would mold and ehapa it
to his will. But I could never see the ob
ject of the littie hammer until I one dayi
asked n blacksmith, and he told me that
witli his small haror.icr he directed tber
blows of the striker, touching the iron to
show where tho blow was to fall. Godl
uses tljo devil to hammer the saints into)
shap;, and makes him sweat to perfect!
tho taints for slorv. Instead of murmerJ
ing and complaining at our trials and
teuptations we should thank God foci
t!lm f IT- tl,nir am 1 llA .1 11. nasvia
'or "our nrrfW-tiniy "
'or 'our perfecting."
-tMi:sn
Applied Truth.
Have via ever seen a great, unsightM
wart or knot on tho boughs of some grand
o'd cak? It was caused probably a bun
dred years s.n when the tree was a tinyf
t. j.lijg, , y inc paiaoa of an insect's
stiig. and has grown with its strengths
Yo i have noticed that the foliage on tnas
b-i::ih is less luxuriant and healthful
than on its fellows. Why? Because thai
knot strangles ic and prevents the fro
fl-v of life-giving sap. So, after a tinjj
injury, a slig.it, real or fancied, will if its!
poiso i is ' smutted to rankle in a sous
cause au ugly ileformity of a grudge Vm9
liinderj tie true spiritual growth, be-
-causa it prevents the free flow of spiritual
life frjr.1 Chriji to the branch.
Cod's Flans. "N
Cod hB His plans in providence anct
gracr. They ripea by degrees. This does)
li-t suit the human mind. Men call tot:
tl'2 s ieet'ier prorewes. They become iis
C3itraxed and doubting at seeming delay
or slow l .ovcmeits. But this does not
bt'.p uiatters. Our God takes His own
ti.. !. 113 makes ni mistakes. He will
l-t)t Uo forc-tl; neither will He force Mi
i ;t..rc. lie will act deviato from Hut
ordai-ied Tcration. H will not shorten
ta? step jctween the beginning and tha
ij iJ xlL purpose. - -
' -.."jk
"llit Widow's Mite."
Tt :i:eds vUchfulntss and faith to leep'
from rowin clingy as one's income in
creases. Com aonly, the more one has tho
kii oru gives. There are beautiful ex
c i. mt to this gneral rule, and these ex-'
ce '..ons nro triu nphs of graoe. 8maII
pitta may have Cod'i approval, yet not be
t lusc they arc Bniall, but because they are
th: nost that the giver has to give.
Make Diligent Quest. '
It is well for us to maki diligent quest
to ho ur that wo ahvays abandon tha
r rong-doi ig which we de'.ilore, that w
quit .'.ie evil course which we regret, that
we turn sway from the sin which we coa-
Fatlh That Bares.
A good many people get only half tho
gcrpel. They talk n great deal about be
lievi'ig. but very little about repenting.
It needs to be remembered that faitd
which does not lead to a genuine ro
tten tame is not a faith which saves.
Iter. J. P Vil'r.
lias I'ythoa for a Teh
Mra. Arthur Cudogan, slater-ln law
ot th viceroy of Ireland, la one of th
very few lovers ot animals who havo
ever made a pet ot a python. Tber
have always been Individuals, es
pecially members of the fair aex, who
have exercised a curious fascination
over snakes, perhaps oue secret ot
thoir power being absolute fearlee-g-ness.
Mrs. Cadogan'e python Is nlu
feet long and, though showing grerg
dislike to strangers. Is devoted to t'
own uilst.re.a. The Loudon Pre; i r -lUlies
photograph of the 1 'y Ij ( i
eu. brace ot her b'g saxku, ,'