eft
"THE CALLING OF LIFE"
j Brilliant Sunday sermon By Kev. rr,
S. Parks Cadman.
Otr Soul's Pic Is Liable lo Ee Set to
Perishable Strains, Where Noble Means
Are Used for Little Ends.
Brooklyn. N. Y. Dr. .Samuel l'arkea
firimnn, pastor of the Central Congrega
tional Church, occupied his pulpit for the
(nit time Sunday morning since hie vaca
tion and his return from Kurope. A large
congregation had nssembled. i'he aermnn
hj upon "The Calling of Life," nnd the
,C frnm flip Kit-st. V.itistlo tn flip Cnrift.
thians i:2, "Called to be saints." Dr. Cad-
fin said in the course of n strong sermon:
To-day we enter upon the fifteenth year
of our church'a existence nnd work. He
iind in lies the honorable past, conferring
oblisation more than feeding pride, a holy
prophecy in living deeds and a strong root
of confidence that (iod, even the iod of
our fnthers, who has reared this pillar to
His nnma and glory, will not break it in
the midst. .So this year of jubilee ie unon
u. nnd those consideration make it a
priceless possession which our stewardship
must guard nnd increase,
ri... . . : . : . . . .
JllfTC ill.imuns ill tllllC til C HI UlirtU.Y, UIll
influential. .Tanunry 1 is but a moment's
ipace from December 31, and yet the birth
of a new year has witnessed in nuuiberlets
instunccs spiritual nnd moral revolutions.
A few hours separate Good Friday from
Easter Dny, but if near in time, how dis
tant are they in meaning! These distinc
tions of the calendar arrest us. Tiny
brent: the crust of our conventionality,
they recall us to our original work and
purposes nnd they inspire us with the lc
ilities of vision and of hope.
Let us beware of blaming our surround
ings for our weakness, our failure to in
itrumentally convert men nnd control the
present worm in me nuere-j ot the Kind
lom. The scant supply of living waters is
too often caused by the choked pipe and
Its paucity prevents miuiv trom seeking it.
Pastors, teachers nnd workers of nil
eh'irches should remember that the mi,'hty
tide of Cod's life nnd blessing find its
way to human hearts through their ap
pointed agencies. And the greatest church
among us is on.y Hue a port on the ocean s
iliore. dependent on it tor increase and for
itrength.
Dredsje deep the bar end cleanse nw.-y
the silt of daily cares. Then, when the
text is thus understood nnd obeyed, com
merce with the unseen world shall bring
Hi wealthier freights, nnd life, which now
teems far away, and inland shall be lifted
upon this resistless affluence of blessing
and brought back to God.
Hut sainthood is no passive movement,
dependent on our inaction, hesitating when
we are alert and nhy of nny effort we can
m:ike to secure its franchise, it absorbs
into one flame of devotion altar and sacri
fice. Jt insists upon the full employment
of every cn parity nnd new and better obe
diences. Jt bids you rise from the low
grounds of despair and cease to say:
"What might 1 not have made of Thv fair
TrnrM had I but lived Thy highest." God's
love nnd health are yours, willing to meet
your readjustment of energy and of aim.
'.ord Salisbury's favorite advice to those
who pestered him nbout his world-coin-pelling
diplomacy bade them "Study larger
maps." And the sweep of God's plan in
your life nnd mine is wide unto the infi
nite, tender and wise and capable bevond
our utmost imagination. When the apostle
wrote these words he was conscious of
their high supremacy, nnd yet tney nre but
faint reflection of the weight of glory
God has chosen to give perfected char
acter after the pattern of the Master.
If we gee the excellency of this calling it
should mean for us the objective point
where the finest energies of the soul are
constantly in service. The pity of it is that
we are busy overmuch in trivial and imma
terial things and struggle in the rneohes of
luiiiiuuiipiace.
Our soul's pace is liable to be set to
perishable strains, where noble means nre
used for little ends. Strenuous life is wise
when its nims are correspondingly high,
but it was said of a noble Roman "Domi
tian is always busy catching flies."
To be born a man and die not a saint,
defeats the central thought of our loving
Creator. . Manhood sacrificed to anything
less than the Maker's purpose is manhood
?'. JVe may pursue tne petty round un
til high achievement and its possibility are
paralyzed.
You naturally ask, What is sainthood?
It is spiritual health nnd moral thoughtful
Bess. "It is," to quote a significant utter
ance of Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, "the inquir
ing .ove of truth sustained by the devoted
love of goodness." It is wholesome, be
cause it is holy, set nbout and adorned by
the abiding beauty of holiness, rightly un
derstood. It is practice, not theovyj con
secration, not perfection: a condition of
character and not a theological definition.
It is the kinship in willing and feeling of
your spirit to the soirit of Christ, who was
the very will and heart of God in human
flesh.
Because, it flows cut of the fulness of
God nnd is accepted by our belief, it is a
catholic blessing, and there has been no
Jiore mischievous teaching than that which
has limited it to a sect within the church.
Being God'a gift, its only condition of ex
istence in you is your hearty trust and ac
ceptance of the same, followed by constant
e"1 to walk in. Christ's way. Alike for
all who profess and call themselves Chris
tians, for brilliant but b'ameworthv Corin
thians, for generous but fickle Galntians,
lor hphesus in her dearth of first love, as
for Sardis and Laodicea, with littlo more
thaji a mere name to live; let none draw
Jack from this divine election or declare
the boon is not for them.
Many shrink from this term "saint" be
cause it has been defamed by the charlatan
nd soiled by all ignoble use. Pharisaical
sanctimoniousness nnd bigoted exclusive
"ess and false standards of the real men
pre and quality of sainthood have hindered
free range.
. Hut, rightly known, it is the spirit of tlio
Heavens within the wheels of earthly inter
course. Cardinal Xewirnn reflected unon the
church of his birth that she failed to pro-!-ce
sainthood, and the llonmn commun
on, he declared, was first and singular in
this respect. How rudely he challenged
Anglican complacency some of us know,
suable of much, it was wanting here.
Bishops, theologians, exegists, ecclesiastical
statesmen it could and did afford, but
f'nts, no. Bishop Kew, John Keb'e and
"tchard William Church are sufficient evi
kn"e to the contrary. And 1 only nuote
tne cardinal to show how segregated ideals
"a types of sainthood may mislead a fore
most spiritual genius.
I he challenge Newman flung down we
re bound to take m for ourselves. No
more searching question than this can be
Brought to our fiftieth anniversary, How is
"is ideal of the New Testament being re
sted by this flock of God?
His we are whom wo serve. He justly
a in u for His own, elect and precious:
And beyond our cautious Puritan temper
ami our dislike for the mystic and the eso
teric, all the heaven of ilia purpose awaits
tie sweep of our faith. I plead for aban
don in the front of this gracious calling:
r that sanctified recklessness which ltd
ot. Augustine to cry. "Give what thou
'januest, then command what thou
Two main lines of Christian culture are
open to us all. First, wo can seek for a
If"Jwe,l. invigorated personal relation to
oa. Detached from minor entegleincnts,
.nUy l'rove witn tm Pur in " sc
"at the frontiers of a man's life are not
(. t! ,roni0'l. Remote, aloft and lonolv
food 1 essUrCe uncreated strength and
And second, from the mount to the tnul
u b.ut c,,r't continually
BiV4' ",ei'Htm bet'" ' vigil of the
bt sad the burden of the day.
VVhel can I be? What esn I do? An
swer, oh, thou God of my people, thou R
"'emer of my soul!
Aeither of these methods of soul derel.
LTif.nti ou,J J w'thout ita partner,
fcolitude is to character what apace is to
And aloue with God, our hiding
tnitil!0 cell where "we wind ourselves
wo high for mfu man below the sky:" it
uom I-,nctu,l,;v rhere strength and wis
"" era nourished for the daily battlo.
la .-7"? u u. ehractr what athletics srs
Belie. ?hy!l And when all apolo.
in L h'lt proud concourse of
done w.orl,1'.!,utr " conceded and
from Sr.tilrn ,th ""' multitude.
VLn fruitless ouest and make them
JnSL.scivd .then (Wdona and
Mvlngstone tfin- warrantr The nnmefess
saints who heal the wounds of the world
nd would blush to give their deeds a
name, nre the joy and crown of the Uride
Broom nnd His P.ride. Those who lay npnn
themselves the lowliest duties, who claim
in modest retirement their alliance with
the unseen but beloved One, sie nt this
very hour the salt, the leaven, the preser
vation of God's cause ution the earth.
Hoth these method of solitude and serv
ice centre in Jesus Christ. He is our un
failing sunply, the Mediator of the cove
nant in nil its branches. In Hi.n the best,
the real self of men is revivified and rein
forced. And ns we appropriate His life
and His examn! we make our largest
?ains in the infinite, the eternal, the holy
and the good. In Him we nre commended,
redeemed, nnd railed unto this fellowship.
When governing forces around us ate
brutal, when certain aspects of national
sxistence are without a moral gleam, when
practical infidelity displays its lures and
rices catch the unwnrv, how should wo or
der ourselves save by the liirht of this com
mand the text enjoins? What humanity
primarily needs is not a changed environ
ment so much ns a regenerated heart.
I noticed on our homeward voyage that
the giantess steamship Cedric, because of
her bulk, outrode the fierce Atlantic. By
virtue of her inercass i.he proud waves
were stayed. How many men dread the
sea of life with its adventure, because their
size is unequal to the shock. So they
tarry in the harbor till death's fog covers
all. their work not done.
And in order that lynching may ccsse.
ami justice be undefiled. and the f.iol and
t.ie knave nlitcked out of tl.e seats of lead
ersnip, nnd the demagogue and the tricks
ter cease to defraud labor communities,
nnd defeat lawful enterprise, one radical
nd sufficient step must he taken, and the
ihurch must take it. We must olfcr to
iod and to society genuine sainthood. For
its verities I nm thankful, ns for the dif
ferent colors end scents of n garden of
powers. A St. Francis, n Cromwell, a
Wesley, an Kdwnrds: one loving devo
tional retirement, another nolitical action,
J third the flaming evangel; a, fourth pro
loundost thougnt. but all in their different
tuts the fruit of the tree of life whose
leaves nre for the healing of tho nations.
im-se speii across a world s program the
great words, God, the soul, immortality
ind honor.
Ingrntltmln.
Ingratitude in those who have hcl.ncd in
their desire to do better things will not
injure VOU in tho least nnnieiiUr ir" vmi
steadfastly refuse to allow it to 'stir' un I
OUr feelin2s. nnd f m;iL- n ii-nu iti.rt :
neart lor aner, nnd what is born of it.
lou hive had reward enough in being per
nutted to do the Christlike oiiicp of help
ing the unfortunate nnd the sorrowful,
lake that gift and be giad.
iiie m-inge you ieei may tie n reminder ;
that your motives were not mire, but were
mixed with something which you are not I
wining to auir.it to yourseu in doing the
good which you did. nnd that tho ingrati
tude of which you complain is sent of God
to make this revelation that you mav
have a further reward in getting to know
what is in yourself. As much which prof
its you is from what is bitter, and as God
is seeking to make the best possible use
of you in this world, nnd to iiave vou pre
pared for the glorious future to which vou
aspire, then thank God for the ingrarit'ude
you feel so greatly because of the hidden
store of evil it shows vou in yourself, and
nt once co-operate with God in g.ttini rid
of it. When this has been clone faithfullv,
and you find that you are able to sec such
ingratitude with a smile of content, and
thus reiliza that what you do for others
is for Christ's sake, nnd not for other
motives, yon have reached a spiritual con
elition which is approximating what vou
are to be for ever when you are following j
me uimii wnitnersoevcr lie snetli in
heaven. What we bear for Christ is ns
much nn indication of His spirit being in
us as what we do for Him and His cause.
It is a great and consolatory truth that
Christ is our burden-benrer. but it is n'so
true that we ere to follow Him in bearing
the contradiction of sinners ngainst our
peace of mind with the same spirit Ha
nov-ed when in the tons of the wicked.
Presbyterian Journal.
How to llrgln (lie Day.
I begin mV dav's Work somn mnraln
perhaps wearied, perhaps unnoved l;v a
multiplicity of trifles which seem' too small .
o nrintr irrpnf Ttrinninloa tn .. j
Inem. But do you not think there would
3e a strange change wrought in the pettv
innoyances of every day and in the small
irinea that all our lives, of whatever te:;
;ure they ai-e, must largely be composed
f, if we began each day ind task with
nat old prayer: "P,ise, T.ord. and let
rhino enemies be scattered?" Do you not
flunk there would come a quiet in our
deans and a victorious peace to which wo
ir too much strangers? If we carried the
issurance that there is One that fights for
is into the trifles as well as into the soro
itruggles of our lives, we should have
peace and victory. Most of us will not
nave many large occasions of trial and con
flict in our career, and if God's tightinn- for
IIS i nnt O f. t. (1 1 in vanawii a 1 ' 1 ....
noyances of home nnd dnilv life, I know j
nm. ior wnai it is avaiintiie. Jl.inv
micklea make a muckle." nnd there nre
more deaths in skirmishes than in the
pitched field of a creat batt'e. Mora
Christian people lose their hold of God,
their sense of His presence nnd lire beaten
ccordingly. by reason of the little ene
mies that come down on them like a cloud
if gnats on a summer's evening, than are
I'.efeated by the shock of a great assault
r a great temptation, which calls nut their
itrength and sends them to their knees to
skfor help from God. John Watson,
The Kent Provided.
I was pastor of a small Western church
jnd my salary was not very large. One
Jai-.iriiuy afternoon wife and I found that
e did not have enough monev to pay the
lent, which was due the next Monday.
We knelt in prayer end asked our heav
enly Father to supply our need as He had
promised to do. We Jiraved for ?.5. The
iicxt morning at .Sabouth-school, a good
,rother who was a member of another
rhumb, r-.ime to me nnd asked if I needed
fi. I said, "Well, So tell the truth, I do."
He then said that during the previous
night he awoke at midnight and the first
ini.i; he thought of wa. "Vou give JJroth-
sr ?5." After thinking it over a few
minutes he said, "All right, Lord," and
went to sleep.
The next morning he approached me as
ibove mentioned, and handed me the 6o.
ine incident is the more remarkable be- ,
sause this brother was a heavy contributor
to his own church in anotlier city, and 1
while he worshiped with us and helned
with the incidental expenses, yet he hud
never been a contributor to the pastor's
sultry. H. C. S., iu the Ham's Hoia.
Our Friend. '
i We have a friend who knows us better
turn we know ourselves, loves us better
than we love ourselves, helps us when we
cannot help'ourselves, and in the midst of
(ur deepest despair breathes into our
i cart the breath of a new and divine hope.
-James Freeiusu Clarke.
Hobson's Choice.
Bum a cork at one end and keep It
rlean the other. You are then to be
blindfolded, and the cork Is to be held
horizontally to you. You are thea to
be asked three times which end you
will have. If you say "right," then
that end of the cork must be passed
along your forehead. The cork must
then be turned several times, ant?
whichever end you say must next be
passed down your nose and the third
time across your cheeks or cbin. You
are then to be allowed to see the suc
cess of your choice.
' This will afford a good deal of fun
and should be played fairly, to girt
the person who owns the forfeit a
chance to escape.
Trunk Cam Over In Msyflowsr,
By the will of Spencer C. Doty of
Youkers, N. Y., the descendants of the
Mayflower pioneers of his state are
to come into possession of a small
wooden trunk which came over tn the
famous ship,
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
Internationa! Lesson Cnmmcr.ls For Ocli
ber 11.
Subject: God's Covenant With David, 2 Ssm,
vIL, 4-lt-0o!dcB Text, 2 Sam. vll.,
Memory Veises, S, 9 Ccmmcalary
on tbt Day's Lesson.
T. David's deire to build a house lor
the Lord (vs. 1-3,1. The kingdom was now
fairly launched, with favoring wind nnd
tide to move on to its f iilnc.es of useful
ness nnd glory. The people were united,
the nrk was on Mount Zion, the religious
services were renewed. David, in his pal
nee of cedar, looked out upon the place of
worship tor the nation nnd saw onlv a
tent, which must soon decay, as the Mo
saic tent had decayed. It did not seem
right and fitting for the king to live in n
house while the Lord dwelt in a tent. It
did not honor (iod nor religion. David
nccordingly consulted the prophet Nathan
whether he should not build a fitting tem
ple for the worship of Jehovah. It was
n noble desire, the perfecting the religious
work he had already begun. Nathan nt
once, without waiting to consult the Lord,
approved of his proposal nnd told him to
proceed with the work.
II. The desire not granted (vs. 4-lfl).
4. 5. "That night." After David had told
the prophet Nathan his desire to build a
permanent temple for the Lord. The night
was the recognized time for prophetic
visions. "Word of tho Lord." God spake
to Nathan by a vision (v. 17). "Go and
tell." Nathan's first answer to David was
not given under divine inspiration, but
was only his own judgment. That he
might not continue to encourage error, or
leave David to carry out human desires,
the Lord spoke to Nathan and revealed
His will in the matter, (iod could have
spoken directly to David, but He desired
to put honor unon His prophets and pre
serve David's regard for them. "Shalt
thou build." Meaning thou shnlt not.
Not because a house should not be built,
but not nt that time, nor built by David,
See 1 Chron. 17:4.
0. 7. "Have walked in a tent." The
Idea which runs through the divine mes
sage is that the dwelling of Jehovah in a
tent was a fitting svmbol of Israel's un
quiet possession of the land. It was Da
vid's mission to give them quiet security
in the region which they had conquered
o long ngo.
8-10. "From the sheepcote." This would
remind David of the great tilings God hail
clone for him and prove to him that
thouih he was not permitted to build tho
temple ho was honored by the Lord. He
would also be reminded that he was in
debted to God fir all his good intentions
to do great things. His first step upward
from a lowly life came through God's
favor. "To be ruler." The nthce ard dig
nity of prince over Israel. From following
the sheen Jehovah toik him to be "Hi
servant,' a word of high dimity applied
to but few persons in the Old Testament.
"A great name," Besides all His watchful
care and the success whi,h He gave David
in battle, the Lord had given him the
hearts of the people nnd established his
character abroad. This was not for tho
sake of mere earthly dominion. It was
first of nil n type of Messiah's reign, to
whom God had promised the heathen for
his inheritance, ami that Ill's Gospel should
be carried to the ends of the earth.
Hitherto God's promises had been general,
nnd no tribe, much less any person, had
been cho.n as the ancestor of the Mes
siah. "Will appoint . . . will plant." Or
rather have appointed, nnd have planted
my people Israel in the land of Canaan,
In these words the discourse turns to the
future of the people. The sense is: after
all these manifestations of fuvor in tho
pnst up to this time, the Lord will foi
the future assure His people a position and
nn existence, wherein they snail no mora
experience the affliction and oppression
that they suffered from godless nations.
III. God's promises to David (vs. 11-17).
11, 12. "Will make thee nn house." (iod's
covenant promise to David was threefold.
First, He promised that the house of David
should be established forever. He had a
name of renown, and he was nlso to have
a family of renown. He had been a man
of war, and through him Israel was estab
lished a firm, deep-rooted, living nation.
The foundation was laid, on which could
be carried out the work of temple building.
"Will set up thy seed." Kxalt to royaj
rule and power. Not anf of his sons living
then, but from among those who should
be born unto him there should be a selec
tion for the throne. A gracious promise
to David following his denial from building
the temple. The kingdom so.dear to hi in
should prosper, and through Iris owij son.
13, ".Shall build an house." Tho second
promise made to David was that the house
of the Lord should be built by il.ivid'j
seed. The house which Solomon built con
tinued four hundred years, till the time
of the Babylonish exile, when it was burned
by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 20:?); but it
was rebuilt at the close of the exile iFzr
6:15), nnd of it then the pronhet Haggai
said (Hag. 2:9), 'Thy glory of this latter
house shall be greater than that of the
former:' for this second temple was the
connecting link between tho Jews of Hac
gai's time and the Messiah. "For my
nanw." The name of God signifies Goil
Himself so far a Ho has revealed and
manifested Himself to men. His promise
concerning the temple was that He would
"put His name there;" that is, that Ha
would be present and rcvril Himself there
in an especial manner. "Forever." "Thi
word 'forever.' emphatically twice repeated
in verso 10. shows very distinctly that this
prophecy looks beyond the succession of
the kings of Judah of the house of David,
nnd embrace the throne of tho Christ,
according to the angel's internretation as
given inr Luke 1:31-33, where the reference
to this passage cannot be mistaken."
14-18. The third promi-e was that Da
vid's seed should be the Son of (iod in a
peculiar sense. "Hii Father." This pre
diction applied to Ro'omon. "Will chasten."
This was another toVsn of love and union.
As a father He would punish thnt he might
not continue in wrong-doing. Though ex
alted to the throne end honored nbove nil
others, this son would have the nature
of men and suffer for evil, as all men suf
fer who sin. "My mercy Bha'l not depart."
The familv of Saul bceame totally extinct.
The family of David remained until the
incarnation. Joseph and Mary were both
of that family. Josus was the only heir to
the kingdom of Israel. He did not chose
to sit on the secular throne, but ascended
to the spiritual throne, and now is exalted
to the right band of God. a Prince nnd a
Savior to give repentance and remission
of sins.
'V. David's "rayer (vs. 1R-I0). David's
address to God consists of, 1. Hnmblo
thanksgiving for the undeserved favor
shown tn him nnd his house (vs. 18-21). 2.
'raise for God's past manifestations of
His clory in and to Israel (vs. 22-24). 3.
Petition for the lin.il fuhillment of the
promise (vs. 23-29). This prayer is a model
for all who approach the spiritual mercy
seat. It embodies (1) confession, (2)
adoration and (3) triplication. Observe
that although the divine promise was as
sure as God eould make it, yet David prays
ior its fulfillment.
A Dish of Happiness.
Take one large Bpoonful of useful
ness, one cup of love for mother, an
other cup of love for your little broth
ers and sisters, a pound of wishes to
make others happy, a saltspoonful of
wishing to be hajipy yourself; mix
well together, and see ft lt doesn't
make the nicest kind of an afternoon
for anybody.
Twins Born In Dubiln. '
Irish women can boast of having
twins more frequently than' any othor
women in the world. Twins are horn
ia Dublin about once In every fifty,
two births, as against, a general
; world average of one in eighty
' Taking Out the Romance.
That back East poet who wishes he
"were the belt that clasps my ladye's
waist" might feel scmewhht embar
rassed to learn that she got it at a
'bargain sule for 19 cents. Denver
rosf.
I
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPICS.
October II "Great Mca of ths Bible; Wbsl
Joseph Teaches Us." Gcn.4l: 14-16, 42-46.
Scripture Verses Tho Story Acts
7:9-11; Peter In Prison Acts 12:4-11;
Paul In Prison Acts 23; 6-11; God's
Providence Rom. 8:2S; Faithful In
Few Things, Ruler Over Many Matt
25:21, 23; Luke 19:26; The Trial of
Your Faith 1 Peter 1:7; Promises of
Success Matt. 8:33;; Mark 10:29-30.
Lesson Thoughts.
Misfortune and suSerJng must not
destroy our confidence In God. In the
dungeon, lt was God who enabled Jo
seph to give Pharoah an answer of
peace; raised to favor and power, he
saw that lt was God who had sent hlro
Into Egypt to preserve life. Fidelity
seldom falls of Its reward; lt may be
long In coming, but merit will win rec
ognition. Selections.
A good character will not save one
from wrong and trouble; but some
times even brings one Into trouble and
becomes a cause of Injustice. In
ev,ery age some men have been called
upon to suffer because they are the
children of God.
There are two elements In every life
the divine and the human God's
providence and man's free choice. Our
success In life, the kind of success,
depends upon both. All tho open
doors in the world are of no uso If wo
have not prepared to enter them. What
are opportunities for business to one
who has not learned business? What
are libraries to one who refuses to
learn to read? Both elements were
In Joseph's life. The divine Is clear
ly seen; the human element that made
for his success was made up of faith
fulness, purity, energy, skill, courage,
piety, discipline.
In the Memorial Hall at Harvard
University there Is a wonderful array
of beautiful sentences frescoed on the
walls In various colors, but they are all
In Latin. And lt is said that some of
the workmen did not know the mean
ing of the sentences they painted, but
eould only put the letters and the col
ors on the walls as they were told,
without understanding the wondrous
meaning wrapped up in them. So
we are often writing our lives In an
unknown tongue; wo can only do as
we are bidden, but in due time there
will be read out in some heavenly lan
guage a biography wo never dreamed
was ours, full of glory and blessing.
Suggested Hymns,
Lead, kindly light.
I do not ask for earthly store.
Take thou my hand, and lead me.
While thou, O my God, are my held
and defender.
True-hearted, whole-hearted.
To thee I lift my soul. O Lai-4.
EPW0RTH LEAGUE MEETING TOPICS.
October 11 Put First Things First Matt. 6:
24-24.
"Ye cannot serve God and gain."
There Is not room In one heart for
two opposing purposes. The object
Df God's service is tho kingdom, the
brotherhood. The object of mammon
service is self. Loyalty cannot be di
vided between opposing kingdoms.
Xii.is is not mere good advice, lt is
a law as absolute as ths law of grav
itation. Life is the purpose and end of ex
'.stence; meat and drink and clothes
sre means to the end. There is tho
possibility of the largest life from
the meanest provision; dainty meat
Jnd fine feathers and mansions do not
Inevitably produce great lives. Prison
fare has often nourished princes of
CJod'g kingdom, and palaces have been
known to shelter fools and worse. For
the meat that nurtures the real life
Is not sold In the markets. It is
God's gift.
The business of God Is the chief
;oncern of his servant3. But tornjjnt
Ing. disquieting care makes them un
profitable servants. If he were like
some human masters, grinding the
faces of the poor for his own enrich
ment, we might be disturbed. But he
Is more interested even than we are
that wj should make ths best use of
our lives. So he will provide what
we need, though not always what we
think we need.
Learn from the birds and the flow
ers. The birds are fed, the flowers
clothed, nnd shall God's children be
neglected? Dives can eat but one
rrca! at a time, and he has small
gain by it, Solomon can wear but one
n;Lo at a tlma. and he U outshone by
the lilies of the field. But in service
and In wisdom the birds and the grass
are not to be counted. Great service
(an be done in obscure places, and
wisdom needs not to sit at tho rich
man's table.
Growth Is not by contriving, but by
living. The lily comes to its beauty
by having Hie enough to take what
sun and rain and soil provide. The
child of God comes to maturity and
power by having life enough to use
all things within his reach as fur
nishing nourishment for his highest
life.
To the heathen there Is one law:
Take care of yourself, or none will
take care of you. To the Christian
that attitude Is Impossible.
The Christian baa greater business.
He is to find heaven's kingdom on
earth, and the road to it and through
it Is the highway of holiness, "whole
ness," which Is righteousness. God
will give all the rost. "thrown In,"
over and above, good measure.
Seek first the kingdom. Seek re
pentance, faith, adoption into God'l
family. Seek the privileges of ths
kingdom and the greatest of theso ia
charity. Seek the laws of the king
dom and the greatest of these Is obe
dience. Seek the ideals of the king
domand the greatest of these Is thai
it shall reach to the farthest of earth'i
people.
Horat Dies of Broken Heart.
A horse owned by John Dillon of
Holyoke and known as a "on Tfald
tiorse," dropped dead In the stable tho
other day, after over thirty yawl of
sontlnuous service. Just a few mo
ments before bis death the old horse,
which had been recently moved (o new
auarters In the stable, broke bis halter
ind went back Into the old berth
whlcn he bad occupied for - several
rears.
World' Marriage Statistics.
Marriages average 3,000 a day In the
whole world. Of 1,000 men who marry
832 marry younger women, 670 marry
women of the tame age and ninety
eight older women.
Indiana lit ths Ministry.
In the Dakota presbytery composed
entirely of Indians, there are twenty,
even churches and 1,458 communi
cants, ministered to by fifteea Indian
preachers.
THE RELIGIOUS LIFE
READING FOR THE QUIET HOUR
WHEN THE SOUL INVITES ITSELF.
Popin: Tlict Hour With OoiilVrllB of Prl v
llrirct Ponltlon, Family anil Wraith All
Mean Aclilocl ltrsponsllilllty For Those
Kxceptlonnlly Favored.
Mv God. is nny hour so sweet.
From bhish of morn to evening star,
As that which rails tne to Thy feet,
That hour of prnyer?
Blest is that trnnqnil hour of morn,
And blest that solemn hour of eve.
When, on the witms of prayer upborne,
The world 1 leave.
Then is my strcnath by Thee renewed;
Then are my sins by Thee fnririven;
Then dost Thou cheer my solitude
With hopes of heaven.
Hushed is each doubt, gone every fear;
My spirit seems in heaven to stay;
And e'en the penitential tear
Is wiped away.
Lord, till T reach that blissful shore, )
No privilege so dear shall be.
As thus my inmost soul to pour
In prayer to Thee.
Duties of the Mrona;.
Christ taught a proportionate responsi
bility, says the Boston t'oiigregntinnalist.
"To whosoever much is given, of him
much shall be required, and to whom they
commit much, of him will they ask the
more." Great gifts and privileges, there
fore, carry with them a corresponding dan
ger. This is so with personal gifts, it is
doubly so with our relation to corporate
bodies in which we hold a membership.
The strong man likes to use hi strength.
He may use it for evil, but he is not likely,
to let it lie unused. In the parable it is
pot the one who has ten talents who hides
them nway unused. The great danger is
more frequently with the weak, who rest
upon the attainment of others, and fail to
exert and improve what strength they
have. The perils arising from privileges
are most frequently the perils of the weak
nnd the few talented.
One such peril is that of narrowness of
view. Prosperity is, on the whole, excep
tional, but the thoughtless members of a
successful church or company are apt to
fall out of sympathy with the' unsuccessful
monitors. Members of strong churches
hear with some impatience the call for help
in mission fields. They are used to
strength, their imagination is too feeble to
enable them to hjmpathize with tho strug
gle and hardship in which all great work
begins. The personally prosperous, espe
cially the prosperous through inheritance,
have little patience with poverty or mis
fortune, which too often seem like crimes.
But to be unsympathetic is to be dead to
the fellowship of believers, to whom Christ
prophesied that they must suffer tribula
tion. In the same way pride of family is often
treated as if it were a virtue which the
owner had himself acquired, instead of a
responsibility ,whu.h God has laid upon
him. This view on good descent ns a
ground of personal merit is as common ns
it is nimising. hut it easily becomes a peril
to the soul. The same is often true of na
tional pride, which also is God's call to
great responsibilities. To be an American
is only a matter of choice to those who
nre not born Americans. To be a good
American is a responsibility and an op
portunity. The danger is that we may
think that because America ia so strong
we can afford to be weak or careless citi
sens. To be an American is little. Three
assassius of three Presidents have been
Americans bv birth or choice. But to be
the right sort of an American is much.
The church is made up of men who lift,
and men who lean, of men who are feed
ers of strength and men who are parasites.
The world is in need of a whole-souled,
unanimous, growing and Christ-like church.
It is a peril of privilege if any disciple be
lieves that this need does not include his
im enthusiasm and growth toward
strength. The strong can never help the
weak as they might do, unt.il every church
has all the working force nt its' disposal
which God has given. The bracing atmos
phere of struggle may be far better for the
aoul than confidence in the attainments
and the strength of which we are a art,
but to which we contribute nothing.
This Warm-Hfiarted World.
Tho last time that Frances E. Willard
spoke to a Washington audience she told
ot a Chicago bootblack, who with his kit
on his shoulders and a package of news
papers under his arm, stopped at the call
of a Juan with a club foot, lie worked
away at the man's shoes, giving them as
tine a polish as he could, and when the job
was done the man threw him double pay,
saying, "Xo change; I made you more
work than most folks do."
Quick ns a flash the little follow handed
back half of the money, saying, with his
eyes full of earnest sympathy, "Oh, mister,
i couldn't make money out o: your
trouble."
Xot far from Washington there lives a
boy who has to bear the heavy burden of
deformity, but so bravely does he bear it
that he is the very heart of his home, the
brightest nnd cheenit and most helpful
one in the household.
Not long ago he went out ami hunted
T1U a sltUAtion for hime.tlf mn cluf. It n.:nl..
be able to pay his share of the family ex-
fjtriisrs.
Somebody asked him, "Don't you find it
roth disagreeable going about as you
have to now?"
Ho looked up with his bright, flashing
smile, nnd answered quickly, "Oh, no;
everybody is kind to a fellow in my fix,"
with a slight gesture toward his back as
he spoke.
, There is plenty of love and sympathy
in the world, after all, if our eves are open
to see them. Christian Kndcavor World.
Rest.
What is rest? It is "to step out of self
life into Christ life; to be still and let
Him lift you out of it; to fold vour hands
close and hide your face upon the hem of
His robe; to let Him lay His cooling,
soothing, healing hands,upon your soul and
to draw nil tho hurry and fever from its
veins; to realize you are not a mighty mes
senger, an important worker, of ili, full
of care and responsibility, but onlv a little
child, with a Father's gentle bidding to
heed and fulfill; to lav your busy plana
and ambitions confidently in His hands, ns
a child brings its broken tovs at its moth
ers call; to serve Him by waiting: to
praise Him by saying, 'Holy, holy, holv,' a
single note of praise, as do the seraphim
of the heavens, if that be His will: to ev
to hurry so that you lose sight of His face;
to learn to follow Him, and not run ahead1
of orders; to cease to live in self and for
self, and to live in Him nnd for Him: to
I've His honor more than your own: to to
a clean and facile medium for His life-tide
to shine and glow through this is conse
cration, and this is rest." Atlanta Coiuti
tutlon. All Have a PUce.
Every brick in the wall has its place,
and a place no other one can till. It may
be hidden from sight in name obwure nook
iu the building where admiring eyes never
rest upon it. but its importance may be far
greater, and ita mission fur more essential
than ume that nre more conspicuously
Idaced. (iod has made some lives to be
lidden, some for the night and some for
he day. They do meir work unseen, un
heralded. No one proclaims it. Their
names seldom get into the papers. But in
the mind of the Great Builder their incon
spicuous place in the divine plan ie of great
importance. United Presbyterian.
Ancient Fire Bucket
Fred Stone of Windsor, Vt., has aa
old leather Ore bucket which he
found recently In the spaoe beneath
the flat roof, upon which he was at
work, of the L of the houso on State
street, occupied by Mrs. Marcellus
Barber. The bucket 1 painted, and
Is in an excellent state of preserva
tion. Upon Its side Is prlatsd the
oamo "Cotton." Indicating that It was
In use as long ago a John H. Cotton,
who died In 1850, was chlof of Wind
sor' fire dopartmtat.
OfilE.fTAL LANTERNS.
ITea They Aro Made nnd fses to WhlcTl
They Are Put.
The Inntcrn of the Enst Is ns old ns
civilization. Its primary object l.s tcj
protect the flume from sudden drn tights.
Beyond tills Is the concentration of
light for Hip convenience of a reader,
nnd Inst and lenut the regard for
beauty. The oldest form Is a perfor
med cylinder or rectangular box. Of
this type there nre numberless varie
ties old mid new. The ancient ones
which hnve been preserved lire of
Iron, copper nnd brnss, nearly all slm.
pie In construction nnd finish, but n
few richly decorated. Occasionally
otic rutiH across n lantern mmle of slL
ver or ivory. These come from inl.
nces or tempi?, nnd In most Instances
nre richly curved. Not infrequently
the perforations nre fitted with pieces
of eolorVd kIiiss, rock crystal, nniethyst
nnd gurnet.
A collector In this city who owns
several displays them to (treat advan
tage by replacliiK the candle iiml holder
with nn Incandescent bulb. Arranged
In this fashion, his dozen mosque anil
temple In litems fill bis drawing room
with n rainbow splendor altogether
delightful.
In China or Japan the traveler' or
street Inntcrn Is n feature. This Is a
sphere or ellipsoid rnuslni? from sis
Inches to two nnd even three feet in
diameter, made of oiled paper, cloth or
silk. In Cathay this lantern Is used to
show the rank of Its owner by the
coloring or Inscriptions on Its exterior.
The humble citizen uses a small affair
In white or red; the olllclal of low
rank n sphere, n font In diameter, lift us
ing in front of his sedan chnlr; whilo
the high uiamlarln employs a huge
lantern, resplendent with his titles In
colors, carried by tin nlde-bnilied coolie.
who walks a yard In advance.
It Is in house lanterns that the great
est variety Is found. Of these, the
general type is n fottr. five, six, seven.
eight or ten-sided box. whose length
Is usually twice Its width. Much side
Is n pane of glass, plain, ground, frost
ed, or decorated. From the .males
hang pendants of many sorts. Tho
frame work hi usually of teak, but
ebony, rosewood, luabogany nnd other
woods nre employed, often the sides
of the lanterns nre alternately wood
nnd glass, the latter being covered with
ground designs, and the former richly
carved In relief or Inset with Ivory,
mot her-of -pearl or silver.
I'pon the pendants the artificers put
their hardest work. Some are made of
colored heads, strung nnd massed with
fantastic shapes nnd knots. Others
nre strings of little bells, which ring
with every passing breeze. Lines of
glittering tinted glass balls betray the
origin of a favorite mode of decorating
Christmas trees. Quaint objects in
gaudy enamel or colored porcelain, con
nected by threads, chains or wires, con
stitute n fourth nnd very pleasing;
group. Floral festoons made of arti
ficial flowers nre popular, especially
with the fair sex. New York Commer
cial Advertiser.
In the Trackless Woods.
The New York Times publishes nn
Interesting letter from Paul Smith's,
on Lake Kt. llegis, about traveling la
the Adlrondacks and getting lost In the
woods.
The suggestions nbout the course
that should be pursued when one Is
lost nre good: but better nre the sug
gestions to avoid by every device con
fusion and loss of direction iu the
great woods. One may read long ar
ticles concerning ways to get out of
deep woods when lost, but when one
Is actually lost such confusion and
nervous fear usually Intervene ns to
drive out all knowledge nnd prevent
correct reasoning. Such n state of
mind constitutes the real danger. It
docs little good to know that the tops
of pines lean to the east, or thut
the heaviest growth of moss is on the
north side of trees. For the Judgment
Is so warped nnd uncertain thut it
does not trust the sense in regard to
such matters. Perhaps the best sug
gestion made by the Times' corre
spondent Is to follow streams, old
trails, or nbnndoned roads clown bill.
or march forwnrd by taking n sight
across two Or three tree trunks keeping
some object known tn he in line with
something behind in view.
Another good method is to provido
one with a few newspapers nnd tear
from them small pieces ns oiip enteri
nn unknown wood nnd drop them at
short Intervals on the ground where
they can be readily seen. This Is n
precaution against getting lost. But If
one Is lost he can mark his trail in
that way and help his confused mind
to steady Itself by some marks he lint
made. With the mind occupied In this
way some sense of direction may be
gained by contemplating the situation
and examining nil available landmarks.
We recull the experience of a youiin
man who made nn effort to find n new
nnd short trail to the summit of Hluo
Mountain. In tho southern Adlron
dacks. Hp stuffed his pockets with
strips of white cloth. Going forth
with a hatchet he tied these wlilto
rags to trees ns he went along, with
the result that he kept n good course
going nnd conilir,'. He did not find a
new trail, been use he came upon one
a.' those peculiar mountain swninns
that compelled n wide detour, and de
feated his purpose of n short cut. Vp
n entering on the bald summit of a
mountain from a well-worn trail, fix
ing paper marks nt tho entrance of the
trail Is a wise precaution. It would
U least prevent confusion If one wan
lered nbout n summit like those
cleared by topographical surveyors in
.he Adlrondacks. liocheste? Democrat
1 Chronicle.
Coaxlns the Iloy.
"Did I understand you to say that
this boy voluntarily coufessed his
liars In tho mischief done to the
school house?" asked the magistrate,
iddrcssiug the determined-looking fe
male parent of a small and dirty boy.
"Yes, sir,' he did," the woman re
sponded. "I Just had to persuade him
a little, and then bo told me the whole
thing voluntarily.
"How did you persuade hlia?"
queried his worship.
"Well, first I gave him a coed hid
Ins," nhl tho firm parent, "und tlic:i
I put hliu to bed without nuy enpiier,
and took his clothes away, nnd told
bl in hc'il stay tn bed till ho oufcs.se
what he'd clone, If .'twns tho rest of hli
days, and I should thrash lilin ngnl l
Iu tho morning. And In Ie4 than a t
hour he tol l mn the wholu niwy, vol
uutaiily." Tid-Bita,
THE GREAT DESTROYED
SOMI STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
TH VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
It Is ron n rkm Caaaler Tbnt la tk
rtaee Where IMscasect nodlea, Iteinnt
Homes al Crowded Jells Atnsa.
hotuea Aro IMapeased.
I have lately scs-n in nn English new.
apcr the announcement that a public,
louse is for sale, and the advertisement
contains the following nentenee: "Thrnej
premises nre anrronnded by numerous
manufactories, employing thousand ot
well-paid bands, who inhabit number )ca
dwellings in this dense neighborhood. The;
trade is large, full priced, and mostlr
done at the counter, approaching i2wl
( tK)) per month."
This coldblooded snnnnnrs-ment smelle
nf the pit. llcrlzrhiib himself could not
frame a more infernal sentence than this)
one, in which the dram dealer tells hoar
cunnintfly he has planted his denth traj
between those laborers' wnges nnd all their
needy wives and children, lie ha renredl
his toll crate riicht in the very track of
these well paid hands, thst lie mav
levy on thorn at the rate of $2000 per
month! For this sum he retail to these
operatives disease, poverty, disgrace and
endless destruction. We feel our finurr
instinctively twitching to (tet such a scoun
drel by the jugular, and gripping it nn.d
he is ns purple in the -countenance as any
of his victims.
I'ut why spend our -righteous indigna
tion upon a forpign liquor seller, when
this same con-pirniT airainst the wng
nnd honor nnd lives of workinjrmen is
being carried on in our bind? Precisely
the crime which thnt Knglishman o
shamelessly advertised is beinjr perpetrat
ed here in all our factory towns, in all
one cities, and in a great majority of our
yillnirs. At this time the labor "question
is one of the foremost questions of the
hour. Discussions about labor, nhmifc
wnjros, nnd about the needs of the laboring
cliiscs are enquiring the pens and the
tonjrues of the ablest writer of the coun
try. I'oth patriotism and philanthropr
nre studvint the problem: "How shall
the laborer be elevated?" and '-Hour shslt
the inequalities in a dcirrce be remedied?'
After nil, the chief prob'.cm, to my mind,
is to teach the laborer how to sve and
bow to use ari"ht the monev -which he
enrns. liurh wage nre not a'.wav a bless
ii.1 Ther are often a curse, ilsster me
c'n:.nic tell me that in the "intlatio
tunes, when thry raid their hands hieli
wages, the inercned pay was a tcrrih'e-
emulation. With such' wm-r much
large traffic in tobacco nnd rum was "clone
nt the counter," when waee nre low,
end work is scarce, he is tempted ti
drink, i" order to drown worry and or
riw. All wi-'"s ftn to hiow toward
the d-am h--v This trnfh'c i- intoxi
cants is s-imctencs tremendous. How else
cou.d high rents be paid on so many cor
ners, and nn many glittering bar be
kent up in the fashionable saloons anil
hotV,'
Multitude of the hnmb'er classes may
be rescued from the clutch of the dram
shop by personal cffirt. This is the line
of effort in which te Sawyers. Mo-idv.
Afnrphy. Iteynold. Coughs and Willi.r.l
did Iheir best service. Father Mathew
saved thousand of his fellow-countrymen
from the imVv shop bv his own personal
effort. Mv Irish gardener refused t
touch whirkv even as medicine when he
was nick. He belonged to a "Father Ma
thew Abstinence Socictv." The dead ham!
of the Irish apostle held him back. There
is an immense field for this Christian
temperance prnnagnnda among the work
ing clause, nnd the educated Christian
class ought to go into it. Horace Greeley
told me that none of his work paid better
han this to open temperance coffee
honse. holly tree ions and reading room.
It is a vast boon to the poorer class,
who have been done at the counter of
the .'.rrv-n den.
M.i" of even the hotter grade of bi-borin-
--cople are pitinblv ignorant as to
the nature nnd effect of alcoholic
stimv' ts. Patrick or Sandv really he
live t' it a idass of whiskv give warmth
and t-ongth. This error ia being correct
ed in the public schools bv teaching every
child the principles of true tcmuerance.
If the commonwealth suffers by the pov
erty, crime nnd demoralization caused by
the bottle, then the commonwealth is a
much bound to save its children from
the bottle aa to teach them to read and
write.
All aMempta to break down the counters
sre balked ns long as costly bars are sus
tained bv the inper claWa. The drink
ing usage of wo'kingmen will continue
just as long as their employers practice)
the same. Social infleenee work down
ward. And in the highest tier of society
the decanter is slaying its thousands, too.
A'enhnl is no respecter of persons.
Perhaps some of mv readers, who will
red dm with indignation at that English
mmseHer'a advertisement, will thrmselre
offer wine at their own tables! Ther et
out lioMors at weddings and on New Ye-ir's
day. Practically, they put their own tables
on a par with the dram hon counter!
Fashion tetnnts them to do what avarice
temp's the linnnr seder to do. Are ther
an les guilty? Before thev warm inta
indignation at the temntation set before
the poor laborer, let their checks crim
son with shame at the eximnle thev them.
solve are sotting. T Tlev. Th'odore !.
C'uyler, D. D., in the National Advocate.
I-lor aaA Liquor.
The following extract nre fmm nn rh.
c!e on the aubiect read bv Mrs. Kn-iirth
of Kvanston, 111, before a recent meet
ing of the Woman's Home Missionary So
ciety :
"During a conversation with a manager
of one of the factories at Chicago Height
the other day, he told me that the aver
age wage of their laborers were from tl
to $2.25 per day; that the majority re
eeived about $1.0.1 per day, and that two
third of their employe were foreigner,
and the average family of children u
nre, ana aoout one-half of their earning
three men s;nt in the saloons.
"Chicago Heiihta is a Ivniol fi.-tnru
town, twenty evcn mile from Chicago,
on the Chicago and Kastern Illinois rail-
roan. u on a population of about 6JcM
inhabitants, and yet arventv-two saloon
lira and thrive within its limits nrf
able to pay $500 per year liquor licenee,"
rtkM Told ilea TnrtTi.
The Iteliaiou TeVscune IV.mn Ok,.
effectively comments:
"When thoughtful people look at the
figure which represent the enormous
liquor bill of this country they are wont
to ay within themselves, 'Where dor all
the money come frm-i?" A statement re
cent y made by I. M. Arthar chief of the
Jlrothc-rhood of locomotive Kngineer. i
?f "', l'rtal answer to tbat cpientiOB.
He aaid: 'If it were not fur the saloon,
do vou know, 1 think that rvrn-lentw
of the wurkin-nen would have their own
home instead id paying ivnt. It'im a
at the bottom of the whole trouble.'"
The OaaaMle la BrlL
Btuflton, Ind., ia mukiug a bis; fight
ag.onit the amloon.
Public aentimrnt at Fairfield, lnd a
Prohibition town, baa drivra it one joint
iat out of the phiee.
I.iizi Lawk-r. a.wd eleven year, wa
employed aa borU-ncler in a saloon at New
Haven, t una, llrr eaipkryor wa n.xd aJu) .
and coat.
Four htlle hoy fraa a many different
families oj Ureenaburg, Ind, acre mad
drunk oa lienor sold thrm try a ulooa.
keeier oa bauoay, and la iui-v that de
cided the raae kl tha rascal aha sold tt
go acot free.
A sharp rontrat brtwora the temprraaee
and salooa I jrrea ia ljr, ind-, as tteea
earned aa all year. Already five auuj
cations fur lioeaac twvci kw I defeated.
Frienda of a mi was- was prcvente!
by resaoastraac I rem opening a aalausa
in Bear Crrsk tsnBip, lad, refuse t.
hire a school tw-ntr any one whom
Trustee Kitmaa Via inyatyd. Jla v Ui-c.ai-
thiv in.1 ai'.ibjaUjr uut; tk Ms)oa
keeptr ;tl a hceaao.
The frrcaii'y Trust aid l.Te Iterate
loutiiaay, u I'ati'jvkNuaNV, is sitlering a.
special form of po i.jr t thnae raa mm
idiyajcallv mmJ aod who atxt ii from
a coiuc U'vc-. The uiom'itt expe-rt-ance
of taa traipamta w to aa Iicjh e
aiatj .'rum tka t-mf .uy' genrial expest
euce, and full uxdu aJtca Xlic Jtwa-uaera t