"THE PRODIGAL'S EATflEtT
Sunday Sertnoa By Rev. Df. J. Wilbur
Ckapasan.
Aa Uplifting. Talk en This Faateaa BIMIcaf
Story Raw It Rem Is On ant
t Ood'a (latere,
yr.lf YonKTirY. The following sermon
entitled "The Prodigal's Father." is one ol
a series prepared for the press by the dis'
tinguiahed evangeliat, the Rev. Dr. J. Wil
bur Chapman. It was preached from th
text: "But when lie was yet a great waj
oil his father saw him and had
compassion and ran and kissed
him and said to his servants,
Bring forth the best robe and put it on
him, and put a ring on his hand and shoei
on his feet, and bring hither the fatted
calf and kill it." Luke xv: 20-23. J
Of making many sermons on the prodigal
son there seems to have been no endi
Yet I was in the ministry fifteen years be
fore I reached from any part of the para.
b!e. There may be many reasons why, at
a rule, we turn away from it. It may b
that the picture is too realistic.
I was standing in the prison chapel al
.Toilet. Illinois, when a request was madi
that I should conduct a service for the con
victs.. Just as I was leaving the building
the officer said to me, "By the way, if you
should come do not preach upon any pari
of the prodigal. We have had tvarnty-foul
ministers here by actual count, and every
ono of tbem save us the prodigal son, and
these poor fellows have had about as much
prodigal as they can stand."
II may also be that we have turned away
from it because it is such familiar ground
that it has lost its charm for us. I wa
sweeping through the magnificent Bock)
Mountain scenery some time ago, and wheil
we had plunged into the Royal Gorge, and
later swung into the Grand Canon il
seemed to me that scenery more sublime
could not be found in all the world, and il
I had never been impressed before with
the existence of God I should have cried
out unto Him in the midst of those mount
ain peaks. I noticed that every one in tin
car, with one single exception, was gazing)
in rapt admiration. This one woman wai
intently reading a book, and to my cer
tain knowledge she did not lift her eyei
once from the printed page while we wers
in that wonderful scenery. When we had
swung out into the great table land I over
heard her say to a friend, "This is the thip
teenth time I have crossed the mountains.
The first time I could not keep the tear!
fro vi rolling down my cheeks, so impressed
was I. but now," she said, "I know it si
well that I frequently go through the whols
range with scarcely a glance cast out ol
the window." It is thus, alas! that vrt
read God's word, and that which fill
heaven with wonder, and furnishes the an'
gels a theme for never-ending praise, w
read with indifference or fail to read at all.
And yet my own confession is that I nevet
have had until recently the best of thir
atory of the prodigal.
I thought it was to give ns a vision of th
younger son, and as such it would be s
message to backsliders, and while this il
one part of the interpretation it is not bs
any mesns the best part. Then it oceurreil
to me the atory might have been given m
that we should take warning from the sel
fishness of the elder brother, but I con
ceived such A dislike for this charactei
that I never cared to consider him even foi
moment. But it has in these later dav
become to me one of the sweetest portion!
of all the New Testament because I believ
the parsb.e was written that we might fas
ten our eyes upon the father of the parable
and in that lather get a glimpse of God.
Did it ever occur to you that in the pio
tures of the fathers of the Bible you wers
always given 4 vision of one part of thi
nature of God ? Jacob crying out, "Me Y
have bereft of my children; Joseph is not,
Simeon is not, end now You will take Ben;
jamin from me is an illustration of God
crying it in His great tenderness over tha
lost. David exclaiming. "Oh, Absalom, mi
son, my son! would God I had died fo'
thee, is just n hint as to the wav God
feels over His lost ones for whom His Son
ban really died. And yet better than anv
picture of a father as the revelation ol
Ond is the life of the Son of God frnnj
whose lips we have heard these words. "Hi
that hath seen Me hath seen the Father."
But putting all these things together, nnd
in the light of them reading the story ol
the prodigil, our hearts burn within us a
we tee God.
I.
"BUT WHEN HE WAR VET A GREAT
WAY OFF."
These words must have a wonderful
meaning, for the measurement is from
Ood s standpoint. It would be an awful
thing (o be a great way off according to
man s conception, but when it is the com
putation of One who is infinite we are
startled, and yet our amazement gives way
instantly to adoration, for we are told that
even if we are so great a distance from
Mim we are not to be discouraged. In
Acts ii: 30, we read that the promise is
unto "all that are afar off," and in Ephe
sisns ii: 13, 17, we are told that "Ye who
sometimes were far off are made nieh by
the blood of Christ," and that Jesus Christ
came and preached peace to you which
were afar off," as well as to them that
were pigh. It never is any question with
VjOd as tp how deeply one has sinned. It is
a rtmarkable thing that throughout the
wnole Bible He has ever chosen the most
conspicuous sins and the most flagrant sin
ners that He might present to us His wil-'
linaueif to forgive.
God requires but threo things if we"
would know Him in this way.
lit'IkiF must be a willing m;n(1- In'
Maiah I: 10.w, reaj, "If ye be wiling and
land ""V 8 ft"" ,elt the od the
land. In another place we read, "If there
2L " w,1'"."nd. it is accepted for
C hf.'ih In ,tl" another place we are
kr.'., Xi ny mn will do His will he shall
5 thi? i00'""-" God Himself, inti
against our wills.
the tX' A1"; mutt b? de"ire t0 know
5 ulu.t w?ma5r d Mere know),
tion JSh. ruth. nay,he our condemns-
worM thV m the ,ad(ie,!t thin
world that so many people know and vet
are unwilling to do. It will be an aWful
rfelll "naHy fall upon the
fh jfile ?f n,f n because all their lives
and i..,A .."" lne ""' 0( the church
and heard the preaching of the word, all
Vch. condemns them.
..?.? , ""iUiferoent an honest con
i of onei "tentions. God nevei
gives to one more light, than he uses, but
ever '! T V18 heV? ,inK,e de,ire- bow.
'"r. '". to know Him, and that desire ii
onfe,.fd before men and unto God. H
!h "Je,.0V.r vision sheds upon us mors
abundant light, and it is always by th
way of confession that we enter into the
luiuess of joy,
II.
"HIS FATHER SAW HIM."
JaV. ood .ays that that father wai
looking through the telescope of his love.
ihrVL "J3" folt tl'at he was looking
through his tears. It is -said that when ai
jronomers want to increase the scope ol
l.n V""5n ther dd to the number 0
irT"."i,nc; onetimes our falling tears ar
Jiae the lenses in the telescope. Thci
tirmg objects far removed nigh unto us.
tlZn eomfort it is to know thai
hie.Grat Father of us all looks after ui
StK CI1' tht is infinite and with a aym
vi.ii that u beyond conception. Th
iSid' b?t God's eye sweeps through all
pace, and He sees us wherever we are
"e can even behold our thoughts, and
waen van hnveH k 1 r -- j ..
"JJgbt to eome," and partly lifted ioui
f ...... j r "H" i your inuniion.
"Btrtsd to ris tbutyou might make pub-
- ------wmw yow sou was
"oy to run to meet you. 1 his is ail that
' requires on your part. Ha is ready to
all the rest. ;
, It is said that Dr. Kslnsford, of Eng
'ad, in one of the Nortblield conference
' one time related the story of an aid
ii'iend af bis, a German professor, who.
an aguostic, and as you know the
creed ot the agnostic is simply, "I do not
anow." This old professor cams to visit
Hi. Rainiford and weut with him to all tha
"Tims of his church. When the day was;
ended tha rector said to him, "Professor
"'I we what you think of it all." Hia anj
awer u "It i. k..,.t,f,.l nt that is all I
' aay." Then l)r. Kaiuaford put to him
i iv 4usilona;
-1 " rou not tbinlc tnai ta poei
Ws that there may be a Godt" and the
iWaItQK.Ui4, "Yf, nn.vihU." . , '
HBotta.""lTISII no-yoix ironnTnk that it
is probable that God has made a revelation
lot Himself to Hia creatures?" and his
friend answered, "Yea, probable."
I Third, "Well, do you not think," aaid he,
i"that He would make that revelation plain
if we were to ask Him?" and the old pro)
feasor answered, "I should think He would
be obliged to."
"Well," said Dr. Rainsford, "have you
ever asked Him?" and the old man an
awered, "No."
"For my sake," said he, "will you ask
Him now?" and they fell upon their kneei
in the study, and the old minister said,
tA HJ ThvaoM untn nV Jul
IflIU I. . . , . . 111. 11 a..w ' ' . ,
friend." When his prayer was ended hs
said, "Now, Professor, you pray," and tin
old man lifted up his eyes anil said, "Oh,
God," and then as if he felt he had gone
too far, he changed his petition, and said,
"Oh, God, if there be a God, show me th
light and I will " and he was just goinq
on to say, "I will walk in it," when sud
denly he sprang to his feet with his fact
radiant and shouted, "Why, I see it, I sr
it, and it is glorious!" His agnosticism
took wings and departed from him. Faitli
filled his heart and joy thrilled in his sou'.
He has from that time to thia been a good
disciple of Jesus Christ. In the light ol
all this I make the plea, only encourage
your least desire, and you shall come W
know Him wham to know is life eternal.
III.
"HE HAD COMPASSION AND RAN.'
I never knew until recently what that
word "compassion" meant. I know not
that it indicates one's suffering with an
other. It is this that makes the story of 0
man's transgression so pathetic. Othei
hearts are made to ache and almost break.
Other eyes are filled with tears and othei
lives made desolate. I can see this old
father going up to the outlook from hit
home, gazing off in the direction which hit
boy had taken, cominz down the stent
again lika David of old crying out, "Oil,
my son, my son, would God I had died tof
you!" He had compassion.
We had in our city a young man who
was more than ordinarily prosperous in
his business, and his prosperity seemed to
be the cause of his downfall. It became
so marked that his partners called him
into their office to say that he must cither
mend iiis ways or dispose of his interests
in the concern. His promises were good,
and all went well for a little season, and
then when the failure was worse than ever
they insisted that he should dispose of hit
interests to them, and with a great sum
of money he began to sink rapidly. He
had gone from bad to worse until not long
ago they found him floating in the river,
for he had taken his own life. The story
is sad in the extreme, hut the saddest por
tion of it is found in the fact that there is
an old man to-day going about the streets
of the city mourning for his son. Ho
scarcely lifts his eyes from the ground as
he walks. Sometimes you behold him
with the tears rolling down his checks. He
has compassion. And it is a fact that one
never sins, breaking even the least ol
God's commandments, that the heart ol
the great and loving Father does not yearn
ever him and long for his return.
IV.
WHAT DID HE DO?
We all know this story so thoroughly
well that it - ould seem almost unneces
sary to emp Asjze things the father did
when the meeting between himself and hit
son occurred, but for the sake of the story
let me say:
First, "he kissed him." You will notice
that he did not wait until the boy's gar
ments had been changed, or the signs of
his wanderings removed. There would
have been no grace in thia. But clad in all
his rags he threw his arms about him and
drew him close against hia heart, and gave
him the kiss which was the sign of com
plete reconciliation. This is what Jesut
Christ waits to give to every wandering
soul. The old hymn says, "My God il
reconciled," and this is the teaching of thi
Scriptures. It is not necessary that 1
should work myself up into a fever of ex
citement, nor weep and wail in the depth I
of my despair, but it is necessary only that
I should receive what God offers me in
Jesus Christ. The first step in the Chris
tian life is an acceptance of that which
comes from above.
We had in Philadelphia a young man be
longing to one of the better families, so
called, who by his wayward actions dis
graced his father and finally broke his
heart. After a little he left his home,
went to Baltimore, from there to Wash
ington, and after months of wandering de
termined to return. He was ashamed to
meet the members of his family, but be
knew that if he made a peculiar sound at
the door at the midnight hour there was
one who would hear and understand, and
when he stood before that door it was
swung open and without a word of re
proach his mother bade him welcome. The
next morning he did not come down from
his room, the second morning he was
ashamed to come, but the third morning
aa he descended the stairway his brother,
a physician, met him and said, "Edward,
mother is dying." She had teen suddenly
stricken down and was anxious to see him.
He made his way into her room, knelt be
side her bed and sobbed out, "Oh, mother,
I beseech you, forgive me!' and with her
last departing strength she drew close to
him, placed her lips close to his ear and
said, My dear boy, I would have forgiven
you long ago if you had only accepted it."
This is a picture of God. With a love that'
is infinite, and a pity beyond description,
Ha waits to save every one who will but
simply receive His gift of life.
Second, I have always imagined that
when the father started out from the house
running to meet his boy, that the servants
must have noticed him, and possibly they
ran after him. When tha father saw the
condition of the son I can, hear him as he
turned to the approaching servants to say,
"Run, bring the best robe' and put it on
him," and it is a beautiful thing to me to
know that when they brought the robe the
father wrapped it round about him, thus
covering over all the signs of hia wander
ing. This is what God does for me and
for you. Tho moment we believe the
robe of Christ's righteousness is placed
about us, and God looks upon us as with
out spot or blemish, for we are at once ac
cepted in the beloved.
" I remember that when Jonathan was
dead and David wanted to do something
for soma one that belonged to him, the
'only one he could find upon whom he
might lavish his affection was poor, little,
lame Mephibosheth. He was lame on both
his feet, you will remember (his nurse had
dropped him aa she was fleeing away from
the enemy), but when David found him he
placed him at the king's table and in such
a position that hia lameness was hidden,
and if you had been on the opposite sida
from him yoo never would have known
that he had a mark of deformity about
him. This is what God does for every
Eoor, wandering, lost one that comes to
im. "I, even I, am Ha that blotteth out
all thy tiansgressiona, and I will remem
ber them against you no more forever."
i Third, he put the ring on his band. The
ring is always the emblem for complete
ness. And this was a butiful illustration
of the fact that the father's love waa per
I fact, and that his love -sd not been af
fectea by the wanderings ol the boy. This
is certainly true of God, and I know no
better figure to give a thought of His love
than that of the ring.
"For the love of God is broader than the
' measure of man's mind,
And the heart of the Eternal is most
wonderfully kind."
Fourth, he put shoes on his feet. I can
see the poor bov as he hobbles on to meet
his father, his feet bleeding at every step,
for the shoes were worn and he walked
with difficulty, but when he was well shod
with shoes from the king's house I can aea
him taking the hand of tha old father and
running back to bis home. One of tha
commonest excuses presented by men for
not yielding to Christ is the fear that the
may not hold out, but to me it is comfort'
ing to know that tha moment we are saved
Ha puts shoes on our feet, and that wa ara
shod with the preparation of tha gospel ol
peace. y
"AND THEY KILLED FOR HTM THF
FATTED CALF."
I eaa aea tha old father aa ha runs from
home to home exclaiming, "Coma and re
joice with me, for my boy was dead and
is aliva again. He waa lost and is found,"
and they begin to be merry. Ona can nevel
have th fatted calf killed for him but
once, but one of tha delightful things about
tha Christian lifa is that wa may repeated
ly ait down to enjoy the feast for others,
and it is thrilling to know that wa never
hsve a time of feasting here that they do
not have a time of rejoicing in heaven,
"For. thus is ion in. the prjucuea at tua an-
eth"f U01 Vn onc'rnner tnafTeprtir
At the close of a meeting In Joliet. llll
"Tv 1 ,V' do"'i ''-side an honored evan
geiHt, Rev. 11. W. Brown, and amnnj
other things in his career, he told me thir
stc-y!
A number of years before he had a re
markab.e work 01 truce in the lake region
of Wisconsin in that tou-n of the strange
name. Oconomowoc. After his work n(
grace he returned one div for n little visit,
and as he stepped off from the cars he saw
ft the station an o'd man named James
Mw."tt. Knowing him well he asked him
Tn" t,"'e The oi1 n,l" reolied
.int his boy had gone away from home
and had said to him. "Father- I will re
turn some dav. but I can not tell when."
J"'1. 'd he. "I nm waiting for him to come
buck. Strange as it mav seem, thirteen
years afterward he revisted that old town,
jnd the first man he saw when getting off
from the cars was this old father. He had
forgotten his story, but he met him. mv.
'"K- Mr. Brown, he hasn't come vet. but
he will come, and I am waiting." "Just
then, said my friend, "I lifted tin mv
eves and saw onp walking down the aisle of
the car, and said to myself. If I was not
"ire that the bny was dead I would say
that that was the son." But other eyes
had seen him. too, and wilh a great bvind
the old father snrang to the steps of tha
ear. and when the boy reached the plat
form, and in less time than T can te'l it,
he wa in his father'a arms. The oM fath
er sobbed out, "Oh. mv son. thank God,
you ve come, you've come," M then,
turning to mv friend, he said. "Mr.
"'own. I should have waited until I died."
Thus God waits, and looks and vearns and
oves. Thii Jesus Christ entreats us to
look unto Him and be saved, and in Hia
name I bid you come.
find Resolves-
W'e are about to start out on a new
year. It is worth something to jnake a
rood start. It is a good thing to make a
lew good resolutions at the beginning of
the year. We drift out of the wav. get
into bad habits, and no time is better to
pull ourselves back into right courses than
the beginning of a new vear. There is one
thing we can all do. and that is to resolve
to be a little more cheerful and genial than
we have been in the past. We can write
down the fact that we intend to sneak a
shade more kindly than the vear before.
e can also resolve to show the world that
glorious morning face that Stevenson speaks
of. It is surely our dutv to carry a cheer
f"l snirit into each days task nnd trial.
l ? , i to count uo our mercies nnd be
cheerful. It is an awful sin to go through
the world grumny anil morose. This is a
good, glad world we are in. We are gird
ed round with mercies new everv morning
and fresh everv evening. If we give our
selves unselfishly to the service of others
Wm7n"U find iov lnd ft'adness everywhere.
The Rev. J. B. Silcox.
" The Greatest of These la Love."
Christian fellowship is possible onlv be
cause of love. It is the only ground on
which different faiths can meet. Christian
unity is not and cannot be found in creed,
for there are no two persona of the same
church even that read and understand the
benptures alike, much less those of differ
ent faiths. Instead of being nearer to
gether after a discussion of their creed
they are further apart. Christian unity
cannot be effected in our creed. Such is
impossible. It is not found in our polity.
Here the same difficulties confront us aa
before. Nor is it to be found in our tastes.
Indeed, if there is any difference it is that
we get farther apart here than on any
other ground. Creed, or polity, or tastes
are not possible grounds of unity, indeed,
they are impossible grounds. There is but
one possible ground, and that is found in
love. We may differ in our ideas concern
!?B ttd and P0'ty and in our tastes, but
if wft have love in our hearts we can strike
hands with our neighbor and aay, "My
brother." Ram's Horn.
Blessing Oarselvee.
God blesses us by enabling us to bless
ourselves. Blessings are largely the result
of reaction; they are the return upon our
selves of that which we do. Just as mod
ern mechanism haa made the recoil of
great forces a great part of the value of
those forces the recoil of rapid fire
guns does almost all tho work of those
guns--so divine Power makes, out of the
reaction of what we do, our own fates to
condemn us, or our own onc-cls to bless us.
We confess. this truth in the proverb that
we make our own beds, and must lie on
tnem. God gives us the words of life
words of Tabor or duty or love or burden,
but we set them to music, and life is a
melody or a threnody largely from the way
in which we set the measure. Familiar
re Lmerson'a words: "If you love or
erve, you cannot, by any hiding or strata
tern, escape the remuneration." God rules,
ind God so rules that no man or manner
pf event can rob us of the prize that God
has fitted us to prepare for ourselves.
Sunday-School Times.
Power of Oae Belief.
Haw you ever thought what a change
It would make if you believed with all your
rt nd oul and strength and mind that
Jod is? This one belief would alter every
thing. Some may even think that it would
change too much; if w realized God as
1 "SJJ 11 we couId think f nothing
Mri 7hi not admit- The thought
of God should be to the best of our think
ing, like the sky to other objects oi our
landscape, always there, blue, serene, uni
fying. In His presence, constantly and
steadily realized, everything would find its
right Pjace: it would be easy to do right
and difficult to do wrong. In fact, the
proolem of life would be solved. James
btalker.
Aa W sow.
.There is a flower called heartsease,
Which flouruheth on the meanest soil when
led with good deeds and kindly thoughts,
and tis worth a king's ransom to its pos
sessor. That same flower had its root
deep in the heart of God, and its fruit
unto eternity, where every good shall reap
its unfailing harvest of weal, aud every ill
deed find its just meed of woe. We need
not think to cheat ourselves with the
fancy that God's law can fail. Here and
hereafter we shall leap s we have sown.
!A. L. Glyn.
Wealthiest Girl In the World.
There can be but tittle doubt that
the Grand Duchess Olga of Russia
who has Just attained her aeveotfc
birthday, la the wealthiest little girl
In the world. Immediately after bei
birth something like a million pounds
was settled upon her, the huge sum
being BafeJy.lnvested In England and
France. If she lives to reach her ma
Jorlty ber marriage settlement is like
ly to be the largest on record. No on
knows the extent of the white czar'i
wealth; It is doubtful it be himself
does. He Is far and away the largest
landowner in the world, and he bai
gold and other mines in Siberia whlcs
bring in a revenue, the amount ol
which Is never made public.
Mistaken Notion About Leaves.
It Is trun tbat people often aay thai
the turning up oX leavea la a atgn ol
rain, but the sign does not seem to b
a very true one, declares the Monthly
Weather Review. There are many
kinds of treea like the allver-leaf pop
lara, in fact all the poplars, the mapli
and some of the oaks, which turn
their leaves up whenever. there is a
fairly atrong ateady wind, but they d
It aa much In clear weettber as in
rainy. i.'Poaatbly the belief may hav
arisen from tha fact that winds cap
able of turning leavea over very often
pieced or follow rainstorms.
Th World's Smoking Bill.
Tha world now consumes 8,300,000.
000 pounds et tobacco yearly, or 2,812,
E00 tons. This la worth 1200,000,000.
In other worda, tha world's amok Ml
la Just 15,000,000 a week.
- T y . ;
Jewa Allowed to Acquire Land.
Permission to acquire land baa Just
been (ranted to tha Jews in Russia.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson CoosaieaU For
February 8.
Subject: The Cburcs at Corinth Fa sated, Acts
xlll., Ml Ooldeo Text, I Cor. IIL, II
Memory Verses, 9-11 Comajeotary
ea th Day's Lestoa.
T. Paul's arrival at Corinth (vs. 1, 2). 1
"After these things." Tho events al
'Athens described in our last lesson. "Do
.parted." Paul's stay in Athens was short,
and h never returned to the city. Intel
lectual Greece had scornfully rejected thi
gospel message and henceforth toe aposS'i
visited more fruitful fields. "Came to Cor
inth." About forty-five miles southwest ol
Athens. Here he labored alone for aomi
time before his co-workers arrived. Cor
inth waa the seat of commerce in Southern
Greece, and at this time was the political
capital and th residence of the Romas
pro-consul. It was situated on the isth
mua which connects the two portions oj
Greece. It Was the wealthiest and wicked?
est city in all Greece, and was the seat oi
of every kind of licentiousness and excess.
Anal yet in this wicked city Paul had t
good revival and established a Christian
ch'nrch.
2. "Aquila Priacilla." "Most devoted
friends of Paul, persons of culture and
piety (v. 28). They are always mentioned
together. From this We concluded that
they furnish a happy example of harmony
ana sympathy in Christian life. PriseUJs
Was one of those brigfTl, earnest woma
called into action by the work and teach
ing of Christ and Hia chosen friends; on
oi the pioneers of that devoted band of
women workers who have, for 1800 yenri
done such splendid work tor the Lord in
all climes and among all peoples." "Clau
dius." The fouifA Roman emperor. This
was the twelfth Jeer of his reign. "Jews
to depart." This took place early in A. D.
63 on account of a revolt in Judea. Thi
Jews were verj numerous at Rome, and
inhabited a eeparate district of the town,
on the banks of the Tiber. They were of
ten very troublesome, and were several
times banished from the city. "The decree
did not remain long in force, for we find
Aquila in Rome not long after (Rom. 16:
3) and many Jews resided there when
Paul efimc."
II. Paul's method of work vs. 3, 4). 3.
"Same trade." Paul's first concern when
he entered Corinth was to find a home for
himself and then to seek for employment.
"Who could dream that this travel-stained
man, going from one tentmaker's door to
another, seeking for work, was carrying
the future of the world beneath his robe?
"Wrought." Paul labored for his own sup
port in Ephesus (Acts 20: 34) and Thessa
lonica (1 Theas. 2: 0). aa well as in Corinth
(1 Cor. 4: 12).
4. "Reasoned persuaded." From the
Scriptures, and tho personal testimonies af
eye witnesses. Paul Showed that Jesus
was the Uessiah and the gospel true. The
fospel appeals to reason and good sense,
'he facts Paul presented showed how rea
sonable it would be to become Christians.
He sought out his kindred and made op
portunities to tell them of Christ.
III. The arrival of reinforcemsnta (r.
fl). 5. "Were come." Silas and Timothy
arrived together from Macedonia; Timo
thy from Theasalonica and Silas from Be
rea. Their arrival encouraged Paul. He
now learned that the churches he had
formed were standing fast in the faith.
This led him to write his first letter to the
Thessalonians, and soon after a second let
ter to guard them against supposing that
Christ's second coming was near at hand.
In his first epistle ha writes of his "distress
and affliction" (1 Thess. 3: 7) while in Cor
inth. Compare 1 Cor. 4: 11-13. Paul was
faithful in the midst of the greatest diffi
culties. IV. Paul turns to the Gentiles (vs. fi
ll). 6. "Opposed themselves." The word
implies very strong opposition, as a force
drawn up in battle array. It waa an or
ganized opposition. The more than usually
violent opposition of the Jews was no
doubt stirred up by the intense ' earnest
ness of Paul in his work, after the arrival
of Silaa and Timothy, when be was
"pressed and constrained by the word."
"I will go." When argus-'nt and appeal
brought no candid thou.ut, but only oppo
sition and blasphemy, Paul said, sadly and
forever, to the Jews in Corinth: "I will
trouble you no more." "Unto the Gen
tiles." In Corinth. He afterward preached
to the Jews in other places.
7. "A certain man's house." Used for
teaching and worship. For his own lodg
ing he atill remained with Aquila and
Priscilla. "Worshiped God." A proselyte,
not a Jew by birth. No doubt he became
a Christian. Nothing more is "known of
Justus. "Joined the synagogue." "A
standing protest to the unbelief of the
Jews. It would draw in many who would
be coming to the synagogue. Th owner
was a Gentile, and would win the attend
ance of th Gentiles."
8. "Crispus." His first convert wa tha
ruler of the synagogue he had left. Hia de
cided course made' the. conduct of others
equally decided. "Chief ruler." A man
of learning and high character. His con
version took him out of office in the Jew
ish church. "All -hia house." The first re
corded 'instance of the. conversion of an
entire Jewish family.
9. "Then spak the Lord." It is likely
that Paul. was at this time much distressed
by th .violent opposition of the Jewaand
probably his life was in danger, and he
night have been entertaining serious
thoughts of ceasing to preach, or of leaving
Corinth. To prevent this and comfort him
God waa pleased to give him this vision.
"Be not afraid." "Isolation from his own
peope, physical weakness and the slowness
of tha people to believe, besides the danger
of audden persecution or death, made Paul
Zuestion the wisdom of further effort ia
orfnth, since in ether places he had with
drawn when opposition came. , Fear op
erate against faith, and God forbade it.
10. "With thee." To sustain thee in
trial, to give utterance in the Spirit, to
five point and edge to thy words, to pro
ect thee from hostile enemies, and to
make thee victor in every conflict. Though
men oppose and leave thee, I will not.
Thus the assurance came in the hour of
necessity. "No man hurt thee." No man
shall oppose or condemn thee, to destroy
thee. He waa not to meet death at that
place. He should be attacked and brought
to th judgment seat (v. 12), but no vio
lence should crush him. "Much peop'.o."
"Not many already consecrated to God,
bat many in whom he saw a preparedness
to receive the gospel."
11. "He continued." Paul's fear, or de
spondency, was 'nit rebellion. To knoisj
God's will was to do it. He feared not
trials so much aa a failure to follow th
Lord' guiding hand. A word of command
with a JiromGte of help settled all doubts,
and gave courage for the undertaking,
"jf-eas- and six months." During this time
b( trrOt the second letter to the Thessa-
lajilan- -
Recovered Watch Through Dream.
Some weeks ago John H. Tudor, a
well-known citizen, went aqulrrel
hunting a few miles from Montreal,
Canada. He bagged a number ol
squirrels, but in the "bagging" lost
a watch. He was puzzled over it un
til he recollected a dream he bad that
bis watch waa In a certain spot near
where he had hunted. He went where:
the dream bad directed htm to go, and
found bla watch. It was banging to
a twig of a tree. He had shot a squir
rel in that tree, and as the aqulrrel
had lodged in the tree be weut up
it and got bla victim. In descending
bis watch had been torn from bis
pocket.
After 2,000 Year. ,
" Th extraordinarily resuscitating
ower. of light received a very curious
illuatration a few days ago In the sir
ver mines at Laurlum. A mine had
been abandoned more than 2,000 year
and tha seed of 'some poppiea wars
found beneath the slag of a species
which bad disappeared for twenty can
turlea. The slag waa removed, In a
abort time tha entire space waa cov
ered with tha most gorgeous ahow ot
poppiea. After their twenty centuries'
rest they had bloomed as vigorously
aa ever without air or a single drop
ot water. '
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPICS.
Pcbrtiary 8.-3ibl Lessos From Mcs That
Fai:ed." Cen. Iv. 812; Judges xvl 20,
21; I Sam. 111. 11-14; xv. 26-29.
Scripture Verses-Psa. cxxvl. 6, 6;
Matt. xxv. 21; Luke xlx. 16-19; 1 Cor.
xv. 68; Gal. vl. 9; Bph. vl. 7,8; Col.
III. 23, 24; 2 Thess. ill. 13; Heb. vl.
10; Rev. xxll. 12.
Lesson Thoughts.
Apparent failure may be truest
mccess; it all depends upon the
standard adopted Christ or tha
iWorld.
The greatest failure Is to rejoice In
another's failure, and the truest buc
cuss Is to bo happy and helpful In
other's successes.
Our failures are worse than fall
tiros If we do not make them step
ping; stone to future succesgses. But
failures may be turned Into successes'
ir tney teach ua how to strengthen tho
weak places.
Selections.
A little more than thirty years ajro
there was the deepest sympathy for
Chicago because of the ruin that fire
bad caused. The twenty-fifth anni
versary of the Are was observed, not
-with inonrnlng, but with rejoicing, by
Chicago Itself. Not a few of the
heaveat blows that we have to bear
may bring to us messages that after,
ward shall yield us peace and Joy.
The tearing by the ploughshare is tho
way to tho rich harvests.
The Christian can learn a lesson
from the Inventor that regards fail
ure only as a sign that he did not
try hard enough. Israel's defeat at
Al was not a sIkb that victory was
impossible, but that they needed to
put awny gin from them. No one
need decide that he cannot testify
for CbriBt until he has made at least
as many efforts as men of the world
have made that they might be ora
tors. Enthusiasm and perseverance
are demanded for God's work as well
as for man's. ,
At best our least endeavor 1
Must faint and fell forever, j
Without God's gullding finger to point
ine now or where;
Then let us choose his choosing,
All selfish choice, refusing.
Nor question which Is better, to serve
him here or there.
What this world would call failure
heaven might call success, and vice
versa. The life of Jesus was a fail
ure, from the world's point of view.
It waa poverty-stricken and closed In
darkness; yet Christ was never so
successful as when he hung upon the
cross. If a man wins the whole world
9tid loses his soul, be has made a
failure.
Suggested Hymns.
Encamped along the bills of light.
Hark the voice of Jesus.
Sowing In the morning. After the
toll end trouble.
Not now, but In the coming years.
Trav'llng to the better land.
EPWORTH LEAGUE MEETING TOPICS.
February 8. Truth and Lies (Epa, 4.25;
Prov. 12. 19; P.. 51, 6.)
The subject "Truth and Lies" gives
us a chance to get down at one of the
baa! places Indeed, the very corner
stone of character. Truthfulness, at ;
the root of It, Is deeper than the I
things we say, or the things we do.
It gets down into the part of our lives j
whore our desires and motives live.
The very basis of all the greatest ;
things of life comes when a young
man gathers himself up and says, "1
am going to fight for trueness in my. j
lire. When he declares to himself
that whatever conies or goes he will
be true, then he has laid a corner
atone worthy of a man. This Is all
down out of sight. But It Is very Im
portant, and It is very great. One Is
getting ready for the Gospel to do -wonderful
things for him when he
makes this decision. Down In the ,
deep places of life let us resolve that
It shall not be so with us. Whatever .
It costs, we are going to have truth- .
fulnese at the very center of things.
Then, when it comes to the outside, I
how bewllderingly many the ways In '
which we may tell falsehoods! The
lie of Bilence when we ought to speak;
the lie of a fleeting expression which
Is not true to the deeper self; the '
falsehoods the eyes can tell ah, how ,
those windows of thi soul which were i
meant to shine forth heavenly bright
ness can gleam falsely! the phrases
with double meaning; the downright
falsehood; the conventional social lies
wnlch slip so easily from the lip all
these are foul wlnda that blow up
black storm clouds over our lives.
Now let us face this fact: What
ever little bit of falseness we let Into
our lives; however, even in the small
social ways, we change color, chame
leonlike, when we are with different
people; however Innocent we may try
to persuade ourselves our particular
falseness is. It Is robbing us of power
to bo useful, it Is robbing us ot
strength to fight lift's battles. It Is rob
bing us of reality In our lives.
To be true Inside, to be true out
side, to be true In desire and motive,
to be true In the "doings and sayings"
that express the Inner life, this is the
message we are to receive a message
from one of the doep places of life, a
message which many a man and wo
man weakened and palsied by unreal
ity needs to bear. May we hear and
may we beed! 80 Bhall trueness be
come the basis of our lives, so shall
falseness be conquered.
The Dog Knew.
A retriever not long ago was sent
into a ditch to bring out a winged
partridge. The dog picked up the
scent, rushed along the bottom of the
ditch under the brambles, and after a
little groping about emerged on the
bank with an old rusty kettle, holding
It by the handle. Laughter greeted
tnla performance.
"Stop a bit," said the dog's master.
"Here, Rover, give it to me." And
the dog brought the kettle to btm.
Taking it from bis mouth, his master
put bis band Into the kettle, the lid
being off, and took out the partridge.
Chased by the dog, It had crept into
the kettle to hide and the dog, not
being able to draw It out, Just brought
the lot.
Native Generoalty.
"Are you catching any fish, little
boy, may I awskT"
"Not a blame fish."
"Are you aw getting any bites?"
"Nary bite."
"Have you been fishing here longT"
"All day."
"Do you expect to catch anything?"
"Nope."
"Then why, little boy, do you con
tinue to tub?"
"Bo's you kin hev aomethln' to put
In yer book on Amertky, mister."
LTE GREAT DESTROYER
SOW? STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
TH VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
A Lesson For the Advocates of tlie fin v.
eminent Control of the Liquor Traffic
The Orowth of th Drink Cnrse In
India Forced on the People.
We had taken bold of the government
of a country which, by religion and life,
was abstinent, and had introduced into
thU country intoxicating liquor and en
couraged its consumption. But in spite
of that we believed that not more than
20,000,000 out of the 300,000,000 certainly
not more than 30,000,000 had ever touched
intoxicating liquor in their lives. We had
given Indian western civilization, govern
ment and institutions, and we had forced
upon that country the most western of ad
institutions, namely, the excise avstem,
and with it the liquor shop, savs W. 8.
Caine, a member of the ISritish Parlia
ment. The Government of India had long
since taken the entire control of the liquor
trade into its own hands, and was practi
cally the pot boy of India. Almost all the
distilleries of India belonged to the Gov
ernment, and they let out liquor shops by
public auction to the highest bidder, not
the highest bidder in money, but the bid
f!er who undertook to sell the largest num
ber of gallons of liquor from the Govern
ment distilleries. It was the man who un
dertook to take the largest amount of
drink from the Government distilleries
who obtained the monopoly of the liquor
shops. Year by year this competition
went on. and the result was that at every
turn the natives were encouraged in every
way to consume liquor. The consumption
was going by leaps and bounds; it had
doubled during the last twenty years, and
was four times as much as it was forty
years ago, sccording to the Government
returns. What, he asked, would be the
condition of public opinion in this country
if w were told that the consumption of
ardent spirit had doubled during the last
twenty years? There would be a great
agitation got up over the length und
breadth of the land, and we should never
rest until we drove 'ack the advancing
tide of evil. In India the advance went 011
calmly, and the only protest that was made
was the protest of the Anglo-Indian Tem
perance Association. That association held
300 branch organizations, and had behind
them the opinion of practically the whole
of India. lie was sure that if a perfectly
free vote were taken in India nine-tenths
of the population would vote for the pro
hibition of the sale of intoxicating liquor.
That was the state of the society on which
the liquor trade was forced by the Govern
ment. There were a great mnny people
who advocated that the whole of the liquoi
traffic should be in the hands of the State.
This had been tried in Russia, with the re
sult that the consumption had increased
under Government control by over sixteen
per cent. The whole business of the In
dian civil servant was to raise revenue, and
ninety-seven out of every 100 rupees of
protit obtained lor liquor went into the
coffers of the Government. While the In
dian Government could not see their way
to prohibit the sale of ardent spirits to
children under thirteen years of age, they
prohibited its sale to British soldiers, but,
of course, the British soldier was of much
more consequence, because he coat 200 a
year, and the sale of liquor to him would
lead to his being incapacitated, and the
money would be wasted. The drink sold
in India was, perhaps, the most deadly oi
all alcoholic drink ever invented, and it
had been known to have very speedily
brought about death. The excuse given
for the encouragement of the sale of this
liquor was that revenue must be obtained,
but we contend that no nation could ever
prosper out of a revenue tha.t was drawn
from the vice and degradation of the peo
ple. It was simply burning the candle at
both ends. The additional - cost of the
people, owing to the results occasioned by
the consumption of liquor, was very much
greater than the revenue drawn from the
sale of intoxicating liquor. The Indian
Government would lose 4,000,000 of rev
enue a year if the sale of intoxicating
liquors were prohibited, but it would gain
much more in the prosperity of the coun
try. Oat of the 300,000,000 of people of
India there were 270,000,000 total abstain
ers. Although India was not. therefore, a
country that could be called a drunken
country, etforts must be made to stem the
growth in the consumption of liquor, sc
that it would not become so.
Women and Drink.
"The latest statistics regarding inebriety
are such as to cause considerable alarm,
and we have the more reason to feel ner
vous for our future when we remember, aa
a writer in a daily paper has remarked,
that in these statistics one gets no record
of the ever increasing number of women
in the middle and upper classes who are
victims to this terrible vice." sava the
Lady's Pictorial. "Their friends and medi
cal attendants hide it from the world; in
many cases it is carried on secretly, and
only becomes known to horrilied relatives
when there is no remedy. There is unhap
pily such a tendency nowadava to raise
scares and rant that folks with a serious
crusade to preach dread to say all they
know lest they should be dubbed 'cranks'
or hamper the desired reform by getting
indiscreet followers in their train. Out
there is no doubt at all that drunkenness
among women is an evil we shall have to
fight very strenuously ere long unless Eng
land and her homes are to be ruined."
Bad liisks. ' ""
Efforts are being put forth at the pres
ent time in other countries for' the organi
zation of total abstainers into what is
known as a "super-standard" elass of life
risks, this movement being the natural out
growth of a careful investigation into the
death losses 01 life com;anies, with the
result that much valuable data has been
accumulated to show that persons who do
not use alcoholic beverages make altogeth
er the best class of policy holders for an
insurance company to have. One foreign
expert cautions the companies sgainst
making anv allowance for even moderate
drinking. This, he savs, may easily lead to
excess. He adds: "The outlook fur a man
who should fall ill with typhoid fever, ne
phritis, pneumonia, heart disease, diabetes
and affections of the liver ia bad enough
under the best circumstances, but if the pa
tient is an intemperate man, his hope for
recovery is reduced very materially, and
the fight for life is desperate, if not hope
less." Save th Boys and Girls.
At the bottom of all the evils and temp
tations that infest our cities lies the legal
iwd liquor trattic, says the Union Signal.
For the sake of the hoys and the girls
who are leaving the farms and seeking
ediiloyimnt in the cities it should not be
diifictilt to convince farmers and farmers'
wives th.it prohibition is the only kind of
regulation that will regulate the drink
business or to perauado them to join the
prohibition forces.
Th Crnsarta In Brief.
"Drunk nd disorderly" is the charge
lodged nainat nearly every arrest. The
saloon makes the drunk and the drunk
causes d sorder and the taxpayer foots the
bill.
During the year 1900 th people of the
United States drank 1,100.402,542 gallons
of beer, which is nearly sixteen gallons fot
every man, woman and child in the coua
try.
The thing that needs reforming is the
man, not the ssloon. The drinking man
does not iah a reformed saloon and the
reiormed nuiu does not wish any kind of
a saloon.
Th Tenuesee Methodist makes a good
point: "A drinking msn can atay in
cliur h or even in a pulpit, but he cannot
stay in a bank. I money more valuable
than morals?"
The prowess of the drink trado, th
boldness of th traffickers, th listlessness
oi tha people, th impossibility of awaken
ing auy deep oonrern for th fallen classes,
are enough to stir's heart of stone and
transform it coldest blood into hissing
sua in.
To us it haa always seemed thst to pray
to Almighly God to tak away tha saloon
and thcu refuse to vote to assist liim iu
th jib is a great sin. If th trattic is
wrong, to vot for it is wrong; but if
sobriety, decency and rightcousuess are
rit't, it is right whenever necessary to
yote for them. . .
fHE RELIGIOUS LIFK
READING FOR THE QUIET HOUR
WHEN THE SOUL INVITES ITSELFj
Pee ml For All of Me The One -f Tasra
sretfolness Christianity Draws the)
Fangs From th Jaw ol Rata Th 7aa
fortunate Habit of Recalling IVrerna j
T.
The king can keep his erowru X. ,
lne tilutocrat Ins gold,
' For all of me:
heave no sish to own.
tio fist I shape to hold
Their jewelry,
H.
Let them, by their pale light,
j Dwell sober-minded, just.
I That pleases me:
I I grudge no vested right.
"o unearned pelf 1 lust,
Enviously.
nr.
: I claim the widest range
! For peace, for thought, for breath;
For mine and me:
I force no undue change;
But live secure 'twixt death
And liberty.
IV. 1.
The men of discontent, r "
Who natch the world outsido.
' Have naught in me:
I fain would sew the rent.
Within, that it might bid
Eternally.
V.
The king can keep his crown,
The plutocrat his gold,
For all of me:
For when mankind has grown
Into the Master's mold
They'll cease to be.
-Joseph Fulford Folsom, in the New Yorir
Independent.
The Grace of Forg-etfulaes.
ft is said that to forget is more noM
than to forgive. One ia a human possibil
ity, and the other divine. Christian forget
fulness is something different than mere
oblivion. One may know a thing, and yet
be ignorant of it. God cannot forget in thai
sense of being ignorant of the psst. Oma
niscience involves all times and things.
Divine forgetfulness is simplv to set an in
jury aside. To draw the fangs from the?
jaws of hate this is possible, else Chris
tianity is a name and nothing else. Apart
from all else nersonal happiness is onljs
possible through forgetfulness. To remem
ber a wrong is constant suffering. W
rjrrv our crosses until thev are laid aside.
Nothing can be more unfortunate than thia
ever-growing habit of recalling wrongs.
The wound that is constantly exposed is
long in healing. If one has done you at
wrontr, do not recall it. The memory ot
it will return at times, but do not seek to
revive it. For your own happiness let the
sleeping dog sleep on. We have known
many a life rendered unhappy by this con
stant habit of recalling injuries. It be
comes a weakness. One lives over agsam
all that he once suffered. The furies are
aroused to their maddest passions every
time the incident is related. And, further,
few are interested. The rent in your gar
ment, how it came there, hv whom, ia of
little concern to others. Besides, it is tosr
most direct way of creating a suspicion
against yourself. Few quarrels are wholly
one-sided. There is usually a shadow on
both sides of the fence. The belief may be
unexpressed: still it is there, that all tha
facts with their various shades and colon
are not present. It requires a strong sua
to forget. As one is able to do this he ap
proaches the divine. The best way to for
Pet s not to recall. This, we have said, ia
difficult ; still, it may be done. But should
the old wound ache, it is not necessary ta
expose it. Further than this God's grace
finds its highest office ju-t here Our
sins and faults, do Thou. O Cod. forget.
This is a prayer whose answer is contin
gent upon our relations to others. Presby
terian Journal.
practical and Helpful.
'Im
, Tf you have n bad storv to tell, don't
tell it. United Presbyterian.
The space between a man's ideal and
the man himself U his opportunity. Mar
garet Deland.
He who wanders from the path of recti
tude will find the grave of his manhood
near by. United Presbvterian.
I robably the mo.t of the difficulties of
trying to live the Christian life arise from
attempting to half live it. Henry Drum,
mond.
How often in this world actions whicK
w condemn are the result of sentiment
whicli we love and opinions that we ad
mire Mrs. Jameson.
Let us leave anxieties to Cod. Whs
need we bargain that our life should be a,
sitcres . still less that it should not be a,
success purchased by sacrifices and uffer
uies? .lames Hinton.
I should say that perfection of mind,
like that of the body, consists of two ele
ments of strength and beauty; that ia
eon.isU of firmness and mildness, of fore
jnd tenderness, of vigor and grace W. E
Chanmng.
Soberly and with clear eves believe in
your own time and place. 'There is not.
there never has been, a better time or i
better place to live in. Only with thi b.
Brooks0 0U eve m noPe- Fhillips
irl "T?odcthat n acrt prompt-'
mgs. The Spirit will leave you if von re
fuse obedience; every warning disregarded
a door closed against future progrea.
If you do not now the good which yon
can, the time will come when you cannot
H H J R0 J0U W0lJ--Fredenr
Kpear Folnts.
Inspiration is God's answer to our aa
piration. lie is a traitor to man who is not true)
to iirwj.
Onlv the unworthy cause will use un
worthy means.
. There is suffering without sin, but there)
is no sin without suffering.
Men may do their worst, it matters not
if you have chosen the best.
Lung wind with God will not counter-baljim-e
short weight with men.
To lie conformed to the truth is bettee
even than to be informed on it.
If you use a mirror to find your own
faults you will forget to use a microscope)
for those of others.-Ram's Horn.
Christ's Ideal or Trust.
It is not easy to rise to Christ's ideal of
trust. lake not thought be not anxious?
for the morrow." e do take thought
we are anxious and half the wear and tear
of life is the result, not of work, or over
work, but of worry about the morrow.
1 here is a profound psychological truth ia
pur .Saviour s worda. They go to the very
heart of things, and he who heeds them
will find highest content and hapninesa
therein.-Ncw York Examiner.
Tha Spiritual Kingdom.
Intellectual doubt goes deeper down
than the intellect, nor will intellectual
clearness cat it out. Unless the heart b
settled in Christ, the intellect may go on
doubting forever. Unless th spiritual at
mosphere be cler, it matters little what ia
the character of the intellectual. It U (her
spiritual kingdom that gives laws to all ta
!T"; ttit..eleE.1 not it upoat
I hem. William K. Stevenson.
" Laat W For!."
Let us labor to mak the heart grow'
Isrger as w grow older, is th spreading
esk gives more shelter. Richard JtHrmT
New Fire Pump.
The chief of the Are department to
Rouen, France, haa invented a lre
pump which can be operated by Up
ping the current of any atreet car o
electric light system. The pump It
small enough to be drawn easily by
ona borae tn a light, two-wheeled cart,
but eufflci-intly powerful to throw
stream ot water 100 feet high. In
trial the new pump developed lta ful.'
energy in three minutes, while a
atoam pump required fourteen min
utes to gut up the same pressure.