THE SONGjOFIIIE LORD
Sunday Discourse By Dr. Chapmao, tbe
Noted Pastor-Evangelist.
1 0ur Hearts Will But Slnj Right Christ Will
Help U to Counteract Our Blis to Slo.
New Yonic Citt. The Rev. Dr. J. Wil
bur Chapman's trmoiw continuo to exrite
the prolotindest interest and to give tin
greatest satisfaction to that large number
of American people who demand a strik
ing discourse fir weekly read inn. The
popular pastor-cvangrlist lias prepared the
following sermon for the press. It is en
' titled "The Hong of the Lord," nnd is
reached from the text, "The song of the
old began also." 11. Chronicles 2!): 27.
The difference between the 2Sth and the
29th clmpters of II. Chronicles presents to
us an illustration of that difference which
we frequently see in the church as she
passes from times of enthusiasm to days
of depression and back again, and for
which there seems to be no human expla
nation. Ho also is it the picture of many
families where the godly father has an un
godly son and an ungodly father a godly
sou , which is entirely contrary to the rules
which in our own house we have deter
mined should abound. Ho also is it a pic
ture of many individuals who after weeks
and months and even years are found reg
ularly in the house of God the most devout
of worshipers, and then suddenly stop un
able almost to explain to themselves how
they have lost interest and why their zeal
ia fiiipiiplipd. Thf wicked reiirn nf Ahnz
and the reign of his righteous son lleze- I
kiah thus furnish us with practical illus
tration, ' I.
Ahar. was the eleventh king of Judah,
the son of Jothain. His example was holy
and his reign was peaceful and prosper
ous. Not so of his son. lie was a gross
idolutor, actually sacriticed his children to
the gods, remodeled the temple that it
might be fit for idolatrous uses nnd owned
chariot horses that were dedicated to the
son. L'pon all of this the judgment of Clod
falls, but because of it the condition of the
f people is something dreadful, lie is an il
ustration of the power of sin. First, in its
infatuation. We find him robbing the
palace and plundering the temple, places
which had always been sacred both to the.
king and to the people, but which he pre
sents as dishonored in the 21st verse of
the 28th chapter, to the king of Assyria,
but somehow sin seems always to present
the same sort of an infatuation to those
who walk for any length of time in its way.
Second, in its degradation. There could
be no worse sin than that described in
verses 24 and 25 of the 28th chapter, where
Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the
house of God, shut up the doors of the
house, and in all the cities of Judah made
high places to burn incense to other gods.
A picture very much like it is found in
the 5th chapter of Daniel the 3d and 5th
verses, where the temple vessels are taken
by the king and used in midnight revelry,
when suddenly the fingers of a man's hand
are seen writing on the wall, "Thou art
weighed in the balance and found want
ing. However, it is true that any man
who uses his powers of body or of mind to
sin is as defiantly sinful as was Ahaz the
king.
Third, in his death he is a picture of the
end of sin. He died when only thirty-six
years of age an untimely death, ana he
sleeps in a dishonored grave, for they
would not bury him in the tombs of the
kings, a perfect illustration of the text,
"Sin when it is finished brings forth
death." In the city of Paris in burning
letters of fire a certain place of dangerous
ein greeted the passer-by with these words,
all of them written in tire, "Nothing to
pay,'' but he who enters in through the
door' will find that the wages of sin is
death. This has always been true. Heze
kiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign
when he was twenty-five years old. In
his parental heritage he had everything
against him, but his mother's name was
Auizuh, and she was the - daughter of
Zechaviuh, a man who had understanding
in the views of God. This is undoubedly
the secret of Hezvkiah's goodness, lioys
frequently go right when their fathers are
wrong, but when the mother is wrong very
rarely do they walk in the paths of recti
tude. II.
For sixteen years there had been no song
in the temple. This was a great loss, be
cause the people had always been accus
tomed to sing from the time at creation
when the morning stars sang together anc.
all the sons of God shouted for joy to ths
marching through the Hed Sea where the
eons of Israel were led by Miriam in the
siuging, and the birth of the Saviour where
the augels were the choir, tho last supper
where the Lord Himself 'was one of the
ingers, up to the new heaven and the new
earth wbero they sing the new song the
world has bad much to do with music. Tha
temple service when men lived in right re
lations with Uod and the house was clean
was beautiful, Some Psalms were written
in the temple in letters of gold, and the
people chanted thorn to the accompani
ment of the consecrated instruments, the
antiphoual choirs answered each other, as
for example, in the 24th Psalm, oue choir
would say, "Lift up your heads, O ye
Sates, even lift them up, ye everlasting
ooi's, and the King of glory shall come
in," and tho other choir would respond,
"Who is this King of glory?" ouly to have
tho other singers reply, 'The Lord of
Hosts, He is the King of glory." But for
sixteen years there had been no song.
First, why was tliis? The best expla
nation is given in the 28th chapter of 11.
Chronicles, the 24th aud 25th verses..
"And Ahu gathered together the vessels
of the bouse of Uod, and cut in pieces the;
vessel of the house of Uod, ana shut up
the doors of the house of the Lord, and
lie made him altars in every corner of'
Jerusalem. And in every several city of
Judah lie made high places to burn in
ceuae unto other gods and provoked to an
ger the Lord Uod of his fathers." There
is many a life to-day without a song, and
to all such I give my message. The reason
lor thm is found in the fact of sin. We siu
in our outward acts, but Uod can keep us
from that if we will let Him and give us
the song once more. We sin in our de
sires, but He can remove these desires if
we will but permit Him to do so, and our
affectum may be set on things above. We
Bin in our motives, but if we ure His there
" l,cw Pivot to our life, and the motives
which were most impure may become pure,
indeed. We have also a bias to sin which
com,., to us with our birth, but He can
counteract it if we will givo Him the right
to Uo so. If one could throw a stone up
nigh enough it would come to th place
ot equipoise, where the law of gravitation
would, be overcome by the high Uw which
pulls upward, and so if we did but yield
ourselves to Christ as we ought we would
come to the place where He would over
power the weakness of our nature, and
what we doubtless need is a song to-day
it may be the old song we used to sing. It
watUr' to i? veryody to sing, the plow
! h" "llow his plow, the shepherd
a no keeps his flock in the mountain, ths
sailor on the sea and the traveler on ths
fntS. ''"."j?,8' At ?ritical moment
in the battle of Waterloo when tbe soldiers
were wavering Wellington found out it wat
because ths band had stopped. He ordered
Uw 'musicians to play again, and the effect
.was marvelous. If there would only be
h?M T. ul? Pwwv A mother -saw net
Dioi Khii" u? the edge of a preci
aUrtl. 4k.kwe.T5 J 'houted she might
SoV.h?! hJr. """'io" by a familial
. 'j Tour are men and woman
taudm, on tk. very briK of idiUoo to
day w.taout hope, U if th. Sburch wer.
"J then another until a aco7 of voice,
uut set on hre one church for God th.
WifghW."00" b" udthe1oue';
havrn!'f'.,V,at,(,i'1 ""iokinh do? W
have 0I, v t0 reu(, h ttiiry to (.iul "
. in the third0" U' u
verse'. l)rR,ot'' Bt'ro """'ified, the 15tb
3. .They went intojhe nPX .uarUeJ
the house and maae It clean'," the 10th
verse.
(4) . They sanctified the entire house,
the 17th verse.
(5) . They restored the vessels which
had once been used in the temple.
(G). "And Hezeltiah commanded to of
fcr the burnt offering upon the nltar. And
when the burnt offering begun the song of
the lord began again, also with the truni-
rets and with the instruments ordained by
ayid, king of Israel. And all the rongre
gation worshiped, and the singers sang
and the trumpeters sounded, and all thi.
continued until the burnt offering was
5nishcd."
Third, all this is lypiral. We have nc
song in the church to-day as once we had.
I do not wish to be pessimistic in my view
f the condition of things; it in my great
desire to inspire the church with a new
hope and a conception of better things,
but no one is so blind to-day but what he
"nn see that the church is without the old
ong she used to have, nnd beyond all ques
tion it ia because the temple must needs
be cleansed. Why should not the work be
gin now?
(1) . It ought to begin with the priests
themselves as in the Old Testament story.
Christian Kvans tells nf the time when
one day riding through n wood he dis
mounted from his horse, hitched it to the
tree oud made his way into the darkening
shadows and staved upon his face before
Uod for hours waiting for his special bless
ing or his special work, and when he re
turned to his horse and mounted it nnd
the next day began his preaching service a
revival was started which swc.it the whole
country. Maze spent a day nnd a night in
a New York hotel asking for God s special
blessing because he needed it. and at last
must needs rise and say, "Oh. Lord, stay
Thine hand I can hold no more." Murray
MrCheynis? was so. Tilled with God that as
he laid his hands upon a boy's head and
said. "I am very much concerned about
your soul," the hoy remenfucred it and
when he forgot MeCheynne's sermons he
felt the touch of his loving hand upon his
head, and it pushed him into the kingdom,
(2) . And the inner part of the house
need also to be cleansed, there is in
every church a circle into which God has
seemed to call certain persons. To these I
now direct my message, to the officers of
the church of whatever name, to the Sunday-school
teachers and to those who have
become spiritually minded is the searching
question, "Is thine heart right in the sight
of Uod?" In the Md chapter of Isaiah
and the 11th verse the prophet says, "lie
ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord."
God pity the man whose life is unclean,
while his office is one the angels might
coret to till The searching power of God's
word ought to touch the Sunday-school
teacher. One of Mr. Moody's teachers in
Chicago was dying of consumption. He
must leave his Western home and return
to the home of his boyhood in the Kast,
but before he would leave, entering a car
riage he drove to every home and besought
the members of his class to yield to God,
snd said Mr. Moody, "When the time
came for him to leave Chicago his whole
class, every one of them saved, gathered
it the platform of thi station to wave him
a farewell, and they all sang, 'Blest he the
tie that binds our hearts in Christian
love.' " In Galatians, the 6th chapter and
the 1st verse, it is commanded, "te which
re spiritual restore the wanderers in the
ipirit of meekness," and alas, it is true that
men have wandered in multitudes from the
ihurch, and we have done nothing to re
strain them, let the work of cleansing go
on.
(3). The church as a whole ought to be
set right with God. In Zechuriah, the 3d
chapter and the first seven verses, we have
the picture of Joshua, the high priest,
standing before the angel of the Lord.
He was clothed with filthy garments, and
the word of the Lord came saying, "Put off
the filthy garments and I will clothe thee
with a ehango of raiment." These filthy
garments upon the high priest are like the
habits which cling to some of us. They
nave sapped our spiritual life, and we are
powerless in the presence of the world.
We ought to put them off and then put on
jlirist, so that living among men we
night win tbem to Him by the very way
ae live. This will not be easy, for the pic
.ure of Joshua is with Satan resisting
nm. I doubt not he is resisting us now
n the presence of Uod, doubtless calling
ittention to the way we have sung our
lymns this morning and uttered our pray
)rs, but this picture in Zechariah also
tells us that Joshua, the high priest, had
I fair mitre set upon his head, and the
ands showed that service was hard. That
lair mitre is like the descent of the Holy
ihost, for which there is a great need to
lay. Then Hezekiah saw that the vessels
if the temple were restored. The church
las had certain vessels committed to her,
is, for example, the Bible. We have
nuked it to pieces until the faith of some
ins been shaken. "Will you pray for a
iheological student?" said a woman to me
.his week, who used to be one of the most
ouaistent Christians I ever knew and one
if the moat zealous. "He doubts much of
.he Scripture, and as a consequence his
ifa is not only indifferent but inconsist
mt." The time has come when the Bible
ught to be put in the church in the place
t once occupied.
Preaching is another vessel entrusted to
:he church. As a matter of fact, do you
relieve that men would know they were
ost from much of the preaching they hear
:o-day. The time has come for the old
time spirit of the church fathers to pre
vail. Prayer ia still another vessel. Prayer is
lot a performance with which men may be
ither pleased or displeased. Prayer is
talking to Uod. Will our prayers stand
this test?
Music is still another vessel, and that
shurch is to be pitied, if not doapised,
where the music is not in every way to the
iraise of Uod, rendered by men and women
whose hearts havo already been yielded to
rJod, but it was .when tho burnt offering
was presented that the song began and
there was this peculiar about the burnt
altering, it was all yielded and it was all
consumed, an illustration of the fact that
when we are entirely surrendered to God,
when He rules in the ministry and controls
in everything in the church, when there is
no thought but for His glory and no com
petition Dut for His approval, then will the
song of the Lord begin once again. If you
will read the 30th chapter of II. Chronicles
you will have the story of a great revivul,
where people from Dan to Beersheba came
to Jerusalem to spend seven days, and then
tarried seven days longer, or if you will
read the 31st chapter of II. Chronicles you
will have the picture of the priests of Uod
going up and down the land overthrowing
the idolatrous places of worship and set
ting up the altars once more. Tt 's is the
secret of purifying our cities and purifying
our land. Let the song of the Lord begin
once again. There is no more fitting closo
to Hezekiah'g life than the 21st verse of
the 31st chapter of II. Chronicles. "And
with every work that he began in the sei-v-,ice
of the house of God, and in the law,
and in the commandments, to seek his
God, he did it with all hit heart, sad
prospered."
HOW TO KEEP YOUNG.
Women Have Long Been Interested In
the Important Problem.
The problem of bow to keep young,
or to keep from looking old, baa en
gaged tbe thought of both men and
women ever alnce tho world began.
Women especially have shown a deep
Interest in the vexatious matter, for
their Influence with men has always
depended much on physical freshness
and beauty. Numerous writers have
contributed their views as to defying
the riddle of the ravages of time. The
latest well-known writer to discourse
on the familiar theme Is Max O'Roll.
Without giving a recipe for tbe pres
ervation ot beauty, M. Blouet drops
many useful hints as to the causes
which lead to the unnaturally early
disappearance ot youth In some peo
ple. Bad temper and a lack of bumor
are. In bis opinion, the two greatost
enemies of youth and beauty. ' Max
O liell thinks that with tbe aid ot a
sonso of humor and good temper a
woman can bo young nnd bountiful
until CO. After 60 he can c2er no ad
vice ou the subject.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lcs3on Communis
September 7.
lor
Subject: Ttc Prophet Like Moses, 0:ut x-'ill ,
-22-Oo:d;a Text, John vl., 14 Memory
Versus, 17-10 Commentary on the
Day's Lesson.
9. "Not learn to do." In verses 1-8 the
rights of the priests and the Invites have
been mentioned. "After the abomina
tions." Practices connected with idol wor
ship are often called abominations in the
Old Testament. In the earlier days of the
sacred history there was no enemy so sub
tle, so insidious, so difficult to meet as
magic and soothsaying. Only by actual
prohibition, on pain of death, could the
case be met, and under these circumstances
there is no need for us to apologize for the
Old Testament law. "Thou shalt not suffer
a witch to live." i'.x. 22: 17. At this hour
the witch doctor, with his cruelties and
frauds, is the incubus that rests upon nil
the semi-civilized or wholly uncivilized peo
ple nf Africa. "Of those nations." The
legislator pr diibits the various supersti
tions by which the heathen n itions of Ca
naan bad sounht to explore the future and
to test the will of the Deity.
ID. "l'nss through the Hre." The sacri
ficing of children to Moloch (Lev. 18: 21)
is anain forbidden. Moloch was the idol of
the Ammonites. His stutue was of brass
and rested on a pedestal of the same metal.
His arms were extended in the nttitude of '
embracing those who approached him. His
worsnipers dedicated their children to nun,
and when this was to be done the statue
was heated by a tire within anil tho infants
were eitlvr shaken over the flames or
passed through the heated arms, to insure
the favor of the pretended deity. "Divina- j
tion." In Ezekiel 21: 2' several kinds of
divinaUnn are mentioned. It is the pre
tended forecast nf lut'.ire events, or discov
ery oi what is lost or hidden, as by super
natural aid. "Observer of times." See R.
V. One who draws omens from the clouds,
or divides days into lucky or unlucky.
"Kncbantcr." Serpent charmer. Divina
tion by serpents was common among the
heathen. "Witch." Probably those who
by means of drugs, herbs, perfumes, etc.,
pretended to bring certain celestial influ
ences to their aid. The term witch is usu
ally applied to women.
11. "Charmer." Hebrew "spellbinder."
One who binds by incantations; pretends
to subdue some dreadful enemy. Consul
ter," etc. One who consults a sorcerer, or
witch. Xot only are the sorcerers them
selves condjmned, but those who patronize
them, or have dealings with them. "Wiz
ard." A knowing one. A male witch.
"Necromancer." One who seeks from or
inquires of the dead, such as the witch of
Endor. There is a distinction between ne
cromancy and sorcery, enchantment, etc.
The first is an effort to gain information
from the dead or from demons: the others
relate to the creation of evil through spir
itual influences.
12. "These things." All these are only
species of the same genus. They are false
prophets. They pretend to possess super
natural powers, to foresee the future, to
protect from evil, to have communion with
deity. "An abomination." The things
mentioned and those who do them are
alike detestable to the Lord. "Because of
these," etc. The Canaanitish nations are
about to bo driven out and destroyed be
cause their forms of worship have become
so corruot and degrading.
13. "Thou shalt be perfect." Separated
from sin and worldly customs and wholly
devoted to God. God's people are to be a
distinct people and not like the nations
around them. So to-day the requirements
nf the gospel are nothing short of a perfect
heart and a blameless life.
15. "Will raise up." Will send into the
world in due time. Whilo tho people are
forbidden to use heathen methods to learn
the will of their deities, Moses assures
Israel that God will provide them a pro
phet or prophets, whereby the will of Je
hovah will be clearly revealed. "A pro
phet." Various opinions have been ex
pressed regarding this passage., Some hold
that the passage refers exclusively to the
Messiah, others think it has reference to
the entire body of Hebrew prophets, while
still orhers believe that it contemplates
both Christ and the "order of true pro
phets whom God commissioned to instruct,
direct and warn His people." "Like unto
Me." It is evident that this refers to
Christ, for ih many respects He aloDe was
like unto Mosea. Chap. 34: 10. 1. In his
mediatorial character. Moses is expressly
called a modiator in Gal. 3: 19. 2. Christ
was like Mosea in the peculiar excellency
of His ministry. 3. In the signs and won
ders the mirjles which He wrought. Com
pare Deut. 34: 10. 11 and John 15: 24. 4.
In his communion with God Moses spoke
with the Lord mouth to mouth (Num. 12:
6-8) and knew Him face to face. Compare
John 1: 18. 5. In his being the founder
of a new dispensation. God never commis
sioned any human beings to give laws to
mankind but Moses and Christ.
16. "According," etc. See this request
in Ex. 20: 19. The thought of the verse is.
Let not Jehovah speak any more directly
to us; let us have a prophet to announce
to us His commands; let this awful splen
dor of the manifestation of God cease; we
cannot bear it; we shall die.
17. "Well spoken." The Lord aporoved
of their request and spake no more directly
with them, but Dut His words in the
mouth of His prophet.
18'. !'-Wil! '"e them "P-" Th' promise
was fulfilled 1300 years afterward, and both
r-eier and Mtephen expressly apnly it to
Jesus Christ. Acts 3 : 22. 23 : 7''37.
19. "Will not harken." Man is deaf and
blind in the things of God. To his need
and to the remedy he is alike insensible.
His ear is open to worldly advice, but to
the gospel he is a perfect statue without
I w- rc1mre T'iat is. God will
visit the disobedient with severe punish
ment. Acts 3: 23. The direful conse
quences of unbelief in Christ and disregard
of His mission, the Jewish people have
been exnenoncing for more than 1800 years.
20. "But the prophet." etc. This warn
ing given to false prophets shows that what
has been said in verses 15-19 must in some
respects at least apply to the Hebrew pro
phets that were to succeed Moses. "Shall
die." Such a prophet must be regarded as
a blasphemer and he put to death.
.21. "How shall we know." It ia often
difficult to discern between the true and
the false, but "facts and fulfilment are the
test. Hie prediction which does not ac
cord with the facts is not from God. God
is truth whether He reveals Himself in na
ture, science, history, or His written word,
and He cannot contradict Himself. The
reason there seems to be a contradiction
sometimes between science and the Bible
ia because of our lack of knowledge.
Presumptuously." Impudently ss
ecribing his own vain and lving fancies to
"" mil uo mniio. i nai is, ot ms pre
dictions or threatenings.
Boyi' Chancee In Life.
Hundreds of boya In thla country
to-day are bemoaning tbelr small sal
aries and lack of opportunities, when
tbey are right In tbe whirlpool of
business or trade, the flues t school
poRsibU for them. If they would keep
tbelr eyes open and tbelr minds alert
and learn to aee things and absorb
knowledge they would uo sooner com
plain of "no chance" or say that luck
la against them. They would realize
that they bave been set on tbe road
to fortune, and that by aturdy trudg
ing tbey can arrive In triumph at the
goal. O. S. Marsden In July Success.
Unique Form of Baptism.
A now religious sect has been found
ed In the southwestern province oj
Russia, the members of which bellevi
In baptism by brandy lusteap of bap
tlsru by water. The baptism, too, li
Internal, Instead of external, the con
vert drinking as much of the llquoi
as he can pos&lbly negotiate. Thi
method of baptism Is believed to bf
the cause of tho rapid growth of tlu
sect, which is gaining converts In all
directions.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPICS.
September 7 "Ready for llli Combj."
xll. JI-4D.
Luke
6CUIPTURE VEKSK3. Matt. xxlr.
42-41; xxv. 10 14 ; Mark xi.l. .H-37;
1 Thess. v. 1-0; Ptor Iv. 7; 2 Peter III.
M-14; Rbv. Hi. 3. Psa. xxiv. 3, 4; Mai.
111. 10, 17; Horn. II. 7. E;-h. v. 0.
Lesson Thoughts.
Not to be always) ready may b to
bo unprepared at the ono rritlcal mo
tr.ant. The locomotive may be wreck
ed at a gliigli instant of Its engineer's
Inattention; and the salt; may bo
eternally wrecked d itin a slngio mo
n.ent of unpreparedne.w f ir Its Lord's
coming.
If wq would be ready for God's
heavenly rsward we miul be constant
ly roady for his earthly service.
Selections.
My summons may come In the morn
ing. Or the ilf'ep, peaceful al'jniber ol
night;
It may roan' with a ling -rln? warning
Or as quick as a flash i.i sunlight;
It may come when I'm thinking ot
heaven;
It may come when my t'iur.:ghts are
astray;
While I'm Bitting alone in my dwell
ing: Or greeting sumo friend on the way;
But the day or the hour wii'-n the bid
In? Conies to me 1 nvcr can know.
Anil I ;ray at the call nt the master
I may answer, "I'm ready to go."
Happy is that child of Je3iis who
is always listening for the footfall
this side of the golden pate, and for
the voice of Invitation t,i hurry home.
A true life is Just, a tarring In the
tent of Christ until o go into the
mansion with Christ.
There Is no hour when we can relax
the watch care of our own heart.Every
child of God must be a sentinel over
his own self. There 13 a manger; over
It every life which Is ready for the
King's coming must bend In ceaseless
adoration. There Is a cross; at its foot
the soul ready for Christ's coming must
kneel In endless petitions for pardon.
There Is a broken tomb; by its dis
mantled portal the life which Christ
will Justify must hourly wait far his
appearing.
Suggested Hyms.
The Lord Is coming by and by.
I am waiting for the Master.
Whea Jesus comes to reward his ser
vants. My days are gliding; swiftly by.
It may be at morn, when the day Is
awaking.
Why do you linger, whv An you stay?
EPW0RTH LEAGUE MEETING TOPICS.
September 7 Factors Necessary to the Evan
felliatlon of the World la this Qsneradon
ba., 40. 29-31; Acts 1. 4.8; Luke 10.
2; Prov. 29. 18.
The spirit of self-sacrifice Is the
very heart and life of the missionary
cause? It Is the largest and most ef
fectual of all the human factors In
the evangell.atlon of the world. If
there was a sufficiency of this spirit
in the Christian Church In Christian
lands the whole race would soon be
paying homage to Him who is lta
rightful Sovereign.
Factors needed In heathen lands are
Increased numbers of trained men and
women who are deeply Imbued with
the missionary passion for the world's
salvation. These are demanded for
all forms ot work. Medical missions,
educational effort, distributing litera
ture, and, above all, winsome but In
tensely spiritual evangelistic In
fluences constantly exerted are called
for. Another potent factor in the so
lution of this problem Is the deepened
conviction In the minds and hearts of
both foreign and native leaders that
It Is not only our privilege, but our
duty, to see that all peuple have the
Gospel In this generation.
The real weight of this stupendous
obligation to give Christ to every hu
man being rests down upon the Chris
tians oi Christian communities. Those
who have bad the Gospel longest and
have enjoyed its blessings most boun
tifully are most strongly bound to
pass It on to those less highly favored.
The pressing necessity for all
churches being deeply missionary in
spirit and practice cannot be question
ed. And yet how pitiably weak, at
this point, are the overwhelming ma
jority of local churches. This weak
ness arises from ignorance of the sub
ject. A widespread revival of relish
for missionary literature Is loudly de
manded. A new Ben Be of stewardship
must take possession of Christians.
Nothing is more vital to practical re
sults than this. Tho effort ot our
League to induce the practice of pro
portionate giving Is In the right direc
tion. If all Epworthlans would be
gin and continue giving at least one
tenth of their Income to tne Lord's
work It would work a revolution in the
missionary cause as nothing else
could do.
Much more prayer for missions Is
needed. The history of missions is a
hHtijry of prayer. "Prayer is the only
power that will influence God's people
to give with purity of motive aud with
real sacrifice oi self." It Is conceded by
all, and almost fiercely urged by mis
sionary leaders that pastors hold the
ltey to the situation. This ptcaes upon
them a. mountain-weight of responsi
bility. If the missionary spirit ever
fills the life of the Church it must be
brought about by ministers fired with
a holy passion for the rapid evangeli
zation of the world. May God stir us
to such a sense of pergonal obligation
that Christ will not be disappointed In
us as the Madera of his host.
Cliff Fall Into Sea.
When the Inhabitants ot Sldestrana
near Cromer, England, awoke om
morning a few weeks ago they wers
surprised to find that a large porttoi
of a cliff on the seashore bad aunt
into the sea. Thirty thousand torn
ot earth had ftllen and with tt th
wail and a portion of the graveyard ol
old St. Michael's church. Tbe ancient
church tower ltBelf la cow In Jeopardy
for during the day following the all
further portion of the cliff crumbled
away, leaving ouly a few fe.: betweat
the towir and its edga. A grewsomi
feature of the slide was the unearth
Ing ot many long-burled coffins nni
tbe scattering of human nsmalns. "
and wide.
Ilia poor man who baa traveled
over tha road ot adversity gets his
band In bis pocket quicker for char
ity than does tha wealthy man who
bnJ known naught but prosperity.
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS A30UT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
'I'oem: 'ome IMInk Wltli Me Fallacy of
thm I.lunor 4pn1ilsl's Mock Avgo
m.nt Tlint Hie t seof Mild" Inlosl
rants I.esiU In National Temperance.
T!e:id low I w liei e ihc bubbling spring
Lnvi' sufi the "iic o: emeraM green;
Henil low 'til! the vat ':' sheen
fs Cod's own imnji. Drink and fling
The pine, s'vee! v alet hia'i in air
And witch the ie'v-ls a t iiev sum kic there.
THIS IS J1V TOAST.
To him w ho lab u s with his hand.
In every dime anil every Intnl.
T., hin h!i s. hand are grim with tod,
Who loves (loil's av"a.est gill- the soil.
To him who touched the arid nlain
Anil hid its shame 'neath aolden grain;
Who drove the wiid beast from its lair
Anil buill a home, complete anil lair.
To him who made the forest bond
And shelter, peace and comfort lend.
To him who made the lightning speak,
'r() him who laid the winding rail.
To him who bni't the ships thai scfk
The d'stnnt lands with bean v hail.
To all who l.ib'ir. all who wait.
And whti-wilh God iio-liuild. create;
Who make the earth with beauty teem
llcrond the wildest h ape or dream.
Ditnk dtvp to them, ami to the hour
When thev shall rise in mighiy puvyr.
.nd. he.irl to heart anil band to hand.
Shall slanil tiie toilers of th1 land
.A proud, unshaken, mighty band.
nd other toasts. I.ct those wn will
OrinU deen trom wine-press, vat ami still
Drink, 'till their drunken revels blind
And blur the soul nnd kill ill" mind.
Drink, 'till the deadly, fearful lire
Kill human love and proud desn-c.
Drink, 'till the blunted conscience heed
No more the cries ot human need.
Till nvurire, hate and fcrced s'.iiircm?
Shall till their souls, a horrid dream.
I'ntil tlnd's linage, proud and fair.
Shall hidden be. 'neath grim despair.
For these I care not. Drink with nu
Drink of the xpnrklimr water free;
Drink deep to those whose brain ami hand
Make beautiful the w hole broad land.
C. I!. Morrell. m i'.un's Horn.
Tha Vln Cure Discredited.
The testimony continues to pile up in
demonstration of the utter fallacy of the
argument that used to be so persistently
and confidently urged, namely, that the
use of "mild liquors" is conducive to na- i
tional temperance. Conditions in France !
and Germany furnish almost weekly some j
new proof of the truth that the use of
wine and beer is the highway to national
drunkenness. Recently Dr. Grisel, in an
urticle which appears in L'Echo do Paris,
describes the situation in France, the
country where the "wine cure" has been
in operation for centuries, in the following
almost sensational language:
"The consumption of murderous liquids
has grown in such proportions, even
among women and children, that it has
become absolutely necessary to do some
thing to check the downward movement.
Even supposing that the state were com
pletely indifferent to the great interests of
the health of the race, and solely con
cerned with budgetary considerations, the
time has arrived when we must ask our
selves whether it would not be better to
renounce the revenue resulting from the
sale of these alcoholic drinks a revenue al
ready reduced by extensive fraud than to
see the profits go to the construction of
asylums for the victims of alcoholic mad
ness, of hospitals for diseases caused by
absinthe, and of prisons for the criminals
that it creates. And to this picture may
be added a diminution of the birthrate, ail
increased infant mortality and a swelling
of the number of idiots and cripples, chil
dren of drunkards, wrecks of the race, and
burdens on the community: the falling off
of the nation's wealth in its work-people
before the lavages which alcoholism pro
duces in the workshops; the growingde
velopment of consumption, of which alco
hol is nno of the principal factors."
Whichever way the situation is to be
looked at, that is to say, whether "mild
drinks" are to be charged with the pro
duction of such a state of affairs or it is to
be conceded that an almost universal use
of wine has not prevented serious indul
gence in' stronger drink, in either event
there is mighty little comiort with the ad
vocate of beer and wine in a passage like
that. The Voice.
Kvll of Intemparanra.
The battle ol Hastings, which decided
the destinies of England, was lost through
the intemperance of the English soldiers,
who spent the night before the battle guz
zling beer, while the hardy Normans were
strengthening their bodies with homely
food and their souls with wholesome pray
er for that eventful battle, which was
bravely fought and nobly won by the gal
lant Norman clans.
Pliny, who was no Christian, concludes
the twenty-eighth chapter of one of his
books with a most eloquent appeal for tem
perance. "How strange," he exclaims, "that men
will devote such labor and expense for
wine when water, as is seen in the ease of
animals, is the most healthful drink a
drink, too, supplied by nature; while wine
takes away reason, engenders insanity,
leads to thousands of crimes, and imposes
such an enormous expense on nations.
"From wine conies that pallid hue,
drooping evelids and trembling hands,
sleep made hideous by furies during nights
of restlessness " He adds that manv are
led into this condition "by the self-interested
advice of physicians who seek to
commend by some novel remedy."
As I have said, the influence of the sa
loon and of drink has marked itself on
the face of nations, as well as on the face
of man from the earliest ages to the pres
ent time. Hut in no age, perhaps, has the
saloon assumed such proportions anil ar
rogated to itself such privileges as at the
present day in America.Tlie Kev Father
MacErluin, in "Whither Goest Thou?"
A Nobla Hullng.
The Colorado Supreme Court has decided
that women may not he permitted to en
ter wine rooms or saloons, unrestricted, on
the ground that it would result in iujurv
to public morality. The Herald and Pres
byter, commenting on this action, says
"Hie court is undoubtedly right, and its
decision will be applauded by all well di.
posed neople everywhere. We wish now
that the court would decide that men
should not be permitted to frequent such
places, in the interest of public morality
Still it is something to have the wouieu
and tue children kept out "
No Mora Drinks For Women.
The Minnesota Club, in St. Paul, will
serve no drinks to women hereafter with
out meals. This decision was due to ex
cessive drinking among the womeu who
visited tho club house.
Wssat sober Ma to Flht Fires.
Mayor McConniek, in enforcing the rule
forbidding tha use of intoxicating liquors
in the engine houses of Harrisburg. Pa.,
sentenced one fireman to twenty days' inj.
prisonnient and fined another for drunken
ness. The Mayor said: "We want sobei
men to fight Hres. There is too much val
uable property at stake in this eity to al
low drinking and carousinj about tho en
gine houte.
Doubly Appropriate.
All that has been said in favor of feiu
perance and against strong alcoholic drinks
w doubly appropriate during the very hot
weather.
Tlio Mother of Binotluae,
Where ran be found in all Christendom
a sicklier, sadder sight than a lot of vii.
men in their cups slobbering over each
other, hoohooing like infants, forgiving
each other's sins and blubbering eternal
friendship This state uf maudlin emo
tionalism is followed by a condition o.
shame and a steeling of heart against heart
until tho iH.-xt succeeding drunk, when eino
tionahsm resumes sway. Men arc bui
monkeys of a degenerate growth. New
ork Press.
Local Option a Ntats's Uent.ni.
Mississippi, ono of th.) stronmst prohibi
tion Hlaius of the t'nioti, this vear reports
a surplus of 91tUuU,UUU m its treasury.
HAMS' HORN BLASTS.
HE good man will
always find some
good men In it.
He to whom sin
Is not hateful will
find It hurtful.
God sonrts . the
seed, but we must
furnish the soil.
Christian unity
will not be found
In an irreligious
religion.
Tha l,lnnln?
God is not measured by the misery of
man
The euear of Satan's pills may be
very sweet, but It Is very thin.
The lesser things of life are the ones
we iau least afford to lose.
If a man can be bribed Into the
church he ran be brldod out again.
When religion ceaseti to gi to service
It will run to superstition.
If you will start along the right
road God will tell you when to stop.
Small vices may be fordable one at
a time, but they soon unite into an
Impassable river.
It is a waste of energy to try to look
like a dollar when you are putting a
dime Into the plate.
To lose the sympathy wlih men ia
to miss success with them.
When the church Is an arbor of rest
for the rich It cannot be a harbor for
the refuge of the wrecked.
PREACHER WAS ALL RIGHT.
Certai.tly Proved That He Needed No
"Edification."
A prominent Texas lawyer whose
palmy days were spent on the North
western frontier gives this passage
from ' a sermon delivered by Rev.
G , who once administered spir
itual food to tho cowboy of the plains;
Rev. G was no advocate of an
educated ministry, and In one of his
sermons delivered his views on that
subject in this wise:
"My friends, edification Is no objec
tion on Itself, but It Is a rank and
smoking sin for sarvants of the Lord
to waste years to get an edification
when every day and every mlnit the
devil needs roping and currying. As
your , minister and God's servant it is
my duty to tell you the truth In Its
working jeans, and I find that to do
that edification Is not needed In my
business. If you must have book edi
fication, why pick it up while hoeing
and raking In the Lord's vineyard, but
don't steal the Lord's time to get It.
No, in the minister edification is not
needed at all to do the Lord's work,
for He will put the light words into
your mouth at the right time, and then
you can spit out blazing truth easier
and faster than a hungry trout can
swallow minnows. Why, my friends,
time and again when I got warmed
up In the pulpit I have used words
that I never heard of before, and as
soon as meetln' was over men, and
some of them ediflcated, too, would
walk up and ask me: 'Brother, where
did you get them words?' "
The next morning as the lawyer
who preserved and stored In his mem
ory that section of Preacher G 's
sermon approached the court house be
saw this notice signed by a stockman
sticking to the door:
"I have 200 steer yearlings which
say Brother G can outpreach
any man west of the Braaos." Wei
mer, Texas, Mercury.
A Persian Dinner.
A traveler In Persia thus describes
a dinner served In the household of a
wealthy Persian: "The chief dish
consists of a fowl boiled to rags, sur
rounded by a toothsome mass of rice,
hard-boiled eggs, fried onions, almonds
and raisins. There la a SUlraz wine,
clear, golden-red liquid that haa trav
eled over the mountain passes on
muleback In a huge glass carboy.
Among the dessert manna has a con
spicuous place. This delicacy la
somewhat akin to nougat; It is stud
ded with walnuts and almonds and is
jaw-sticking to the last degree. Like
the mango, It Is best eaten In private,
for It renders the masticator speech
less. It Is made ot gum that exudes
from a tree and is said to be engen
dered by b worm."
Mahogany Hunters.
In Central and South America th.
revenues of many districts depend or
the skill and activity of the mahogan)
hunters. Mahogany trees do not grow
In groups; much less are there whol
forests of them. They are scattered
usually concealed in thickets, and 1.'
requires skill aud experience to un-J
them.
To fell a tree Involves the work ol
two men for a whole day. On account
of a thick, thorny growth near th
base of the tree a scaffold is srectoc
around It, and above this, at a height
of from 10 to 15 feet, tho tree Is cut, at
that the best part Is really lost. Th
felled tree is then freed of branchei
and hauled on a rough wagon by oxer
to the nearest river, where rafts ar
made and floated down.
I A Little Hero.
! One Sunday several weeks ago two
'children wandered away frem their
home In the Mehaina bills. In Ore
gon, and at nightfall they could not
be found. Search parties went out
about sunset and ranged the hillsides
and hollows all night long, but the lit
tle wayfarers were not then discov
ered. Rain fell constantly that night
,and during the forenoon of Monday,
.on which day the two lads were found
;far up a mountain side. The younger
.boy was aiileep, and the other, who
was only 6 years old, sat by bis aide.
The latter was Indeed a hero. In
spite of the keen mouatain storm, he
.had taken off bla coat And wrapped It
around bis brother.
Two Hundred Miles to Buy a Hat
A writer in the Boston Journal li
responsible for the following story:
"What are you doing in Boston?". I
asked a friend of mine, a New Yorker,
the other day, as we met- lu PoBtof
Cce square.
"Came on to buy a bat."
"Why come to Boston for that?"
"Well, you see, In New York whon
you put on a new bat all your friends
promptly remove It and look Inside
to aee if it was bought at a swell
store. Not having tie price the Hwell
store wanted and being favorad with
a railroad purs, 1 came on to buy mine
here and fool tho crowd. Going bar
to-night."
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE
READING FOR THE QUIET MOUflt
WHEN THE SOUL INVITES ITSELF.
room: Thy Will Is Best To Be Ioeewt
In a V.cuom la No Virtue Tlie Kee
Thins: Is to He Templed and Tet Trie
nmph Over Kvll Bed ncl lone.
T would have climbed at early dawn
t'p the steep hillside, toiling where
The paths led on through sun and shade.
Till J had won its summit fair;
I would have kept mine own rash will
When, lo! He whispered me,
"Be still."
would have rested at the hush
Of eventide, by some calm stream.
And there, with folded hands. rontenf
Lived o'er again life's checkered dream J
Hilt, ah! through twilight's deepest ray
His clear voire thrilled me.
Whispering "Nay."
O God" I thank Tt.eo. I have learned!
That Thine unerring will is best;
At Thy command, that rest is toil.
That, with Thy presence, toil is rest;
Content, through bright or shadowed wi?e
At Thy sweet will to go
Or stay.
Christian Imperialism.
The following article on Christian rtt-T-zenshin
is froni the pen of .John G. WooT
lev. editor of the New Voice:
" ADDITION"' "Add to your faith vir
tue; and to virtue knowledpe; and to
knowledcre temperance: and to temper
ance patience: and to patience godliness;
nnd to godliness brotherly kindness; and
to brot'nerlv kindness hive."
This in Christian imperialism.
Faith is consciousness of divine origin.
To build up from that to a realization of
the, divine nature is the Christian thesis.
It is n matter of conduct. There ia no
word or phrase in the Bible that can be
translated "orthodox."
"Add." There must be something to)
add to. What is.it? Ponship. I am no
accident, no "left-over" in the pottery of
creation, no poor relative of the cosmic
forces. I am a son of God by creation
first, then by recognition and acceptance,
and finallv by the long, slow labor of adop
tion. "Virtue" is fighting goodness. To
be innocent in a vacuum is no virtue. Such
innocence is simply well-balanced ignor
ance, but to be tempted, yet triumphant,
or even to fall and stand erect again to
fall a thousand times and yet to be stag
gering at the good to be down and all but
lost, yet gasping for a noble breath of bfe.
That is the real thing; add it; be a virile,
manly Christian. Vir-tue is man t'you.
Add st.
"Knowledge" is the only road to power.
Don't be afraid to know. If your creed
will not stand knowing, let the junk man.
have it and get a new one. If your Bible
is afraid of science let them loose together,
and the devil take the hindmost. God
speaks first hand to many to all who he
ten for His voice. No matter how it comes
know what you know and stand for it.
Don't follow any decimal point of party,
or authority; be an integer, great or email.
"Temperance." Don't be so soft that
you won't hold an edge, nor so hard that
use breaks you. The church is full of these
feather-edge saints who spend their whole
energy at meetings getting whetted. Don't
be a bigot nor a milk-sop. Don't draw
your Bible on the elevator boy when he is
busv, nor listen to the dirty stories of the
clerk. Studv to be fit.
"Patience" is staying power, waiting ia
suffering This is where the compromiser
gets in his work. He says. "Go to; yield
the point and be comfortable! Put a price
on it and prosper! Forswear yourself and
run for something! Wheat is uncertain in
this climate, but tares will grow anvwhere;
sow tares." The common greeting of the
New Zealand natives is "Tenakai" "Are
you there?" Patience is there-ncss. Add
it.
"Godliness" is that splendor of charao
ter that iives actions the shine of omnipo
tence. If you can't have your way, dr
your way and shine. If you can't abolish
s wrong, brand it as it goes and bide your
time. Take the God side of every argu
ment. Enter the will of God for ever
judgment. This has a bumptious sound,
maybe, but it is very simple. It is almost
no trouble to know what God, as we con
ceive Him, would say in any matter that
has a moral character. The labor of the
politician to know the mind of the crowd
is infinitely harder. Godliness is God-like
ness. Add it.
"Brotherly kindness" ia a recognition!
that, for all our differences, we are the
same kind of pottery in different stages of
firing-kind ness. The Arabian proverb, 'If
a man knows not and knows not that he
knows not, he is a fool: shun him. If he
knows not and knows that he knowa not,
he is simple: teach him. If he knows and
knows not that he knows, he is asleep?
wake him. It he knows and knows that
he knows, he is wise; follow him." Tbi
is a preat treatise on kindness. Kindness
is social consciousness. Add it.
Love" is the eternal fixitive. Kindness,
will be peevish, godliness will eeem impas
sible, patience will fail, temperance i.jT
ways an experiment, knowledge will vanish
?Th.V,rU; W'" nod: ith i""W wJf tri?
Hon stiadowy partiality of our percept
tions but when love, the perfect thing,
ha, been added, we shall seethe aolutio
of(character in the face of God Himself!
. . v- an imperialist in your char.
rh nl'i.eVer "cede that the whola
thing is too much for you. If something:
hits you hard and you feel numb and inad
equate a. ,f something had gone ou? of
lfhtJj,t ' '.he bttom of th,n P'r'"S'
If anything has gone out it is aometh.no
.'"er notning mean can on-
CitterTnd'Add.1' 'UbtraCtin to th
"Last We Forget."
How often does the list of our fonret
tings become the roll of our sorrows' Bow
many joy. and opportunities escape us bT
the open door of our neglect' Ami
the merciful Lord Jesus from Hi.ugment
throne speaks word, of separation Ther
are, Inasmuch as ye did it not." T
Human Injustices.
Leave all human in justices to the Lord"
for God is the udge. but as to yourself b
diligent m loving everybody with T ouret
heart, and remember that you Vonrselfirt
a great e.nner and in need of (5i!. e
But in order to deserve God's mercv
Vlrv oti " very wohS
The Reverie is True.
While a healthy body helps to make a
MmohTr!0n1' th n?ene " "ore trie.
Mind ift. up, purifies, sustain, the bod:
Mental and moral activity keep, the hodV
healthy, strong and yourj. prerv"s front
rea Spiritual Terltlee.
Men incline to believe in the great enir-
?kU w ,whlclLbtract. from the force of
e.geobili? Th0 Rev-w- H- ThnTch.:
Kterulty.
m?fUr 8"'our h. penetrated tbe
mist, of time, and has revealed to us the
glonou. realms oi eternity. There i. not
any doctrine of Chii.t comfortable
this. Cardinal Gibbons.
In Vermont an actual majority ia reuni
Ue for the election of a Governor.
Bees and Ante. '
Bees will place their honeycomb
In any place regularly or lrregultrly
shaped, and when they come to cor
ners acd anglea they seem to atop and
consider. Then tbey vary the shap
of tha cell, so tbnt tbe apace la exact
ly filled. It could not be lone mora
satisfactorily If the whole thing bad
been worked out on papor boforohand.
Ants make hard acd emooDi rwiiia
and drive tuniiol.i compared la wblc
man's crortn 'ln msltltig eiu-h thine
ara lnslnlucant. -