"JESDS HIS OWN SIGN"
A Brilliant Sunday Sermon Bj Ret.
Hugh Hack, M. A.
Iter Wssder Wsrklsf, to Ns Evldeact l la
TklBft Christ Caa to Tick lb World.
' Nrw Tows ClTT. Fifth Avenue Pres
byterian Church, which is a very large
building, was filled in every part Sunday
jnorniug to hear the Kev. Hugh Black,
pi. A., associate of Dr. White in t lie Free
1. George's Church. Edinburgh, Scotland.
Mr. Blnck hnd for hi auhjcct "detn Hm
llwn Sim and Miracle." The text was
from Matthew xii:H8: "Then certain of
the scribes and of the Pharisees answered,
caring: Master, wc would see a aim from
9'hee. But Ho answered and said unto
then), An evil and adulterous Reiteration
Seeketh after a sign; and there shall no
sign be given to it, lint the sign of the pro
Vliet Jonas." Mr. Black an id:
We gather from its source, as coming
from the Pharisees, that this question had
C malicious purpose to undermine the au
thority of the new Teacher with the peo
pie by asking from Him what He could
Kot or would not perform, but from the
istorical connection in which the evan
gelic! place it the purpose va not only
(nalieioua, but almost insult inn. Our 1onl
isd bsen in tho pursuit of Ui beneficent
baling ministry, tmd cured many suffeiing
men and women, and the Pharisees' expla
nation was that He had power from an
evil source; He did it, they asserted, by
virtue of His connection with Beelzebub,
the prince of devils. And now, after this
explanation of the signs and wonder
Jesus did among men. they came with the
insulting question, "Master, we would see
sign from Thee." What cort of cign
did they want, nnd what cort of evidence
could convince them if they could attrib
ute His healing ministry to diabolic art?
The veiled insult of the demand is the
supercilious passing over of all He had
been and of all He had done, as if it did
not count and as if He must now begin to
do something of sufficient magnitude to
convince them that His pretension were
trustworthy.
Now there is a demand for .evidence
which ic legitimate, evidence which is
necessary for the highest faith, but in this
case, apart from the hypocrisy of the ques
tion, there underlay a wrong conception of
revelation and a wrong conception of the
nature end the place of miracle. They
wanted Christ to perform some prodigy, as
if a piece of wonder-working could be real
evidence of apiritual things; hence, our
Lord's rebuke. It ic a religious rebuke.
God should be recognized for what He is,
and the recognition of Him should not be
dependent upon external signs, which in
themselves, after all, have no spiritual sig
nificance. Christ's feeling ac regards this
is seen through graphic touch recorded
by St. Mark, who writes that when the
Pharisees came seeking a sign from Him
Jesus sighed deeply in Uic cpirit. It
showed to Him a lamentable dullness of
soul, to think that the recognition of the
spiritual ahould be made to hang on prodi
gies and on miracie-mongering of any kind.
"There chall no sign be given unto thin
generation." This attitude of our Lord,
notice, ic not contradictory to the value
He elsewhere 'placed on miracles ac evi
dence. He pointed, you remember, to Hi
deeds of mercy to authenticate His claims
.when, as in the case of John the fiaptist,
there was a sincere desire to know the
mark of the Messiah, but His miracles
were moral acts to educate and to reveal,
not to surprise and to astonish. He knew
from sad experience that it was possible
for men to believe in the reality of miracles
end at the same time lose all its true evi
dential force, even to ascribe it to evil
fiowers ac the Pharisee did.
"There shall be no cign given to curios
ity monger." There can be no cign given
to those who imagine that the spiritual
ban be proved by the material. Mere won
der working ic no evidence of the things
whiea Jecuc came to teach the world. Men
re not to be led to (Jod, then or now
men are not to be led to God, in the sense
that Jesus meant by display and conjur
ing trick. The demand of the Pharisees
chowed radically false idea of the whole
nature and place of the miracle and the
came mistake ic possible to us, and possi
ble to us in many way and forms. Wo
make tho same mistake, for example, when
We think that faith in God would be easier
to us if only some portent were vouch
safed to us; if only we could see some pliy-
cical evidence, especially designed to con
vince us. We fall into the Pharisee' error
end merit their rebuke when we sigh for
the certitude which we imagine would
tome from a celestial appearance or from a
voice from heaven, or if we could put our
finger into the print of the nails,
i To understand Christ's attitude o-i thia
question we need to have our minds dis
abused of the idea that a mere miracle in
the sense nf prodigy is ever evidence of
spiritual things. Nome miracles are signs
indeed, but on'y when there is sniritual
evidence in them; that is. when they are
more than mere wonder-working, which
the Pharisees here desired. For example,
our Lord's healing ministry wes a great
nnd constant sign of the love of God, car
rying a revelation with as truly as any lov
ing word of the Master ever did. This lets
light in upon the true way in which to
view tho whole question. Our Lory- mir
acles cannot be separated from thY "great
revelation of Hi whole life and V .ach
ing. Hi words and His works nreV'o-re-lated;
the miracles are not to be looked on
as. isolated exhibitions of power, but as
themselves contributing to the revelation.
I'licy were not signs, but vehicles of teach
ing. They are not signs externally at
tached to the teaching to give it weight,
end therefore to make it creditable; not
1 utxplained occurrences testifying in a
i.vstt-rinus fashion to the possession of di
vide power; they did not evidence the
leaching, thry them-ielvn are the teach
ing. They are parables in action instead
.f in words, moral nnd spiritual in their
effect, not evidential at all, except by the
way. TUH are an integral part of the rev
elation of the love of God in Christ Jesu
our Ijord. They have an essential place in
the whole round of the Christian revela
tion as fruits -fruits of the pity of God.
(is manifestations of the divine love and
wisdom; they are part of the manifesta
tion oi Christ; they are not guarantee of
His message as the Pharisees here meant
tiicn, but part of the message itself, a
much evidence of God's love as His gra
cious, tender words are or ever could be,
therefore Christ's minifies are never to be
conceived of a mere displays of power.
He persistently refused from first to last
to ticrk wonder to make men believe. It
is not that the demand for evidence is
Wrong, it is a natural demand that proof
chi.uld he given of all claims, but we must
make sure what really is evidence. A mir-
aide in in iUdf no proof of a moral truth,
end a miracle can never in itself engender
suiiitaal aith not if one rose from tho
lirad v ou'd it necessarily imply the exist
lnc nf Gna and the soul's immortality.
Of course, it is true that every miracle was
a sign n sign designed to induce to spirit
ual result i, Id lead men to God, but, like
1li. teaching itself, I hey could find no foot
ine :n tho sou! nf man extent throih
spiritual susceptibility in the man hiuistt1'.
We rightly ask for evidence, art what
evidence, and evidence rf what? Wc say
we wmiM believe in Christ if only wi could
lie convinced, but convinced how, and be
lieve what about Christ? Men have some
times asked, with an injured air, why they
cnuld not be convinced n- an unmistakable
sign from heaven, why Christ if He should
lie what HA claims could not break down
by supernatural means le barrier of un
be'iif and forcibly open the door of Uut
lieart and find entrance? What would
such an entrance be worth morally A
mere sensuous or intellectual gralMtratlos)
Mliich might come from sign from lies-
' cu would be quite outside the purpose
rimed at by our Lord. What would per
suade the rarnal maid of the spiritual,
what not the -carnal, surely. Not if one
lone fro nithu deed. Christ wa acered-
. iimi to Hi generation, not by this or that
kign or wonder-working, but by Hi whole
minislty, by Himself, by His life end
teaching. He Himself was the cign. If
the sign of Jesu will not be to Jerusalem
what the sign of Jonah was to Nineveh,
would s moment of astonishment st some
wonder working create spiritual certitude?
' it the snn of Christ will not now convince
?ou of las eternal lore of God, what igu
) yu Lcivta will?
In asking to be convinced of the apirit
ual by some impression of the senses w
ask the impossible. A sign to prove the
apiritual must itself be spiritual. If God
asks from man love, will some celestial ap
pearance create love? If God asks from
man that free allegiance of the will, could
a voice from heaven or a succession of
voices subdue the mind and rapture the
heart? If God asks for righteousness or
loval obedience of the life to the law of
life could anything material generate the
moral? There can ne no sign given to men
who cannot see the sign which Jesu is
Himself. He authenticates the spiritual
to us. Seeing Him we must believe in
God, or if not now could we be made more
mire of God? Christ is the revealer of the
Father. He is the sign nnd symbol and
evidence of God. He is Immanuol, the
Sign and Seal of (Jod with us and God fur
lis, the proof of the divine in our midst.
There shall be no sign given to thia gener
ation other than that; there can lie no
other. He is the highest sign, and if the
greater fails how can the lesser convince,
and as a matter of fact Jesus has con
vinced the world of God, and is convincing
Hie world. Through Him we, too, know
God. By Him we have access to God. In
slim we recognize God. For His sake we
love God. The vision of Kim ic the vision
of God.
Thia generation thirstcth for a sign. We
think it an evidence of our spirituality
that we do so thirst, and so we iind many
modern versions of the demand of the
Pharisees, (sometimes in the name of
sejence, sometimes in the name of religion.
We can even manufacture signs when they
seem to be lacking. Sometimes by emulat
ing the methods of medievalism, in which
the so-called lives of tho saints are flouted
before us, and asking us to believe in the
great realities of spiritual life because of
some material sign. Answers to prayer, it
may be, providences which, however co
gent to the individual concerned, have lit
tle meaning to others, or sometimes we
have a recrudescence of the crudest spirit
ualism, spirit rapping, table turning, tea
cup manipulating, after which the devo
tees go home feeling that they themselves
have been assisting nt some act of pro
found worship, as if the melodramatic vul
garisms of ' spiritualism could prove any
thing but the folly of the race. Or again,
we have the same claims appear in a more
pretentious garb in Theosophy, or Chris
tian Science, or whatever happens to be the
fashionable form of it at the time, where
esoteric mysteries of some kind are prac
ticed. The root of all auch things ia this
same unspiritual thirst for a sign, after
thaumaturgical wonder.i, faith healing and
other things pretty much on the level of
conjuring tricks.
Ah, me: All this is a sign in itself, a
sign of the weariness and despair and
breakdown of the black materialism of our
day to satisfy the heart of man. but it ba
the terrible danger of inducing a worse
form of materialism sti l, deceiving the
carnal heart by wearing the dress of spirit
ual religion. How unstable it ia we see
from the constant swing of the pendulum
now from atheism and materialism to the
most outrageous supernaturalism as in the
cuse-of Mrs. Besant and others, and now
in the opposite direction from ultra-mysticism
to ultra-rationalism. The cause of
these seemingly contradictory changes it is
not far to seek, as both are really based on
the same foundation a wrong conception
of what the spiritual is and therefore of
what is true evidence of the spiritual. Thia
Eeneration thirsteth for a sign. There shall
e no sign given to it. No sign can be
given to an unspiritual generation which
would judge all things by material stand
ards, a generation that is blind to the snir
itual signs of which life is already full.
There can be no voice from heaven to men
who are deaf to the heavenly voice of
which the whole world is already full; if
the spiritual does not evidence itself; if
man will not see God in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself; it the sign of the
cross cannot convince Ihe stubborn heart
and bend it to acknowledge its divine pow
er. If Jesus Himself is not seen to he His
own sign and miracle. His own evidence
and proof, there shall be no sign given;
there can be no sign given. .
"There shall be no sign given unto this
generation." Is that the last word? Is
that the clang of the closed door in the
face of a seeking soul? "Master, we would
see a sign from Thee." That pitiful cry
if truly asked, not a by thoee Phurisees,
but craving for spiritual enlightenment
and spiritual communion, that pitiful cry
has ever been answered. Never turned He
away from earnest, sincere, honest inquiry
after light and truth. He condescends to
our weakness when we cry, "Oh. that I
knew where I might find Him." He meet
us by the way. He makes our hearts to
burn within us as we walk, with Him, con
vincing us of His love, convincing us of
the path, showing us the path, and it suf
ficeth us. When the heart thirsts with a
deeper thirst than for a sign, when it
thirsts after the love of God, when the
heart and flesh cry out. He shows us the
signs of His passion, at with Thomas, "lie
hold My hands and My feet." He com
forts us. He comforts us with the sign of
the cross, and before that wondrous mani
festation of the eternal love, before that
revelation of the Father's heart, we be
lieve and worship, and adore and love, and
we say in peijtenee and in faith, "Mv
Lord and my God." l)o we believe?
"God's Veils."
Little Mary had juxt come from the win
dow with evident pleasure, und tat down
on her little stool ut her pupa's feel. It
was just ut sunset, and a most glorious
suuet it was. The Western sky wo man
tled with clouds of the most gorgeous
hues, upon which the little girl gazed
tilth thuughttul pleasure.
"Papa," she said at length, "do you
know what 1 think when I ice those pretty
cloud?"
"No. What do you think of them,
Mary?'"
"1 always think they are God's veils.
Doesn't He have beautiful veils, pupa,
to hide Hiin from lis?"
'"True enough, my little one. .thought
I. The clouds that veil Him from our
sight are now beautiful. There is a rain
bow on them if we will see it. They shine
with mercy and truth."
Was that not a pretty thought of little
Mary's? Does it not remind you of the
time when the veils shall be parted, and
Ho shall come without clouds and every
eye shall see Him ?
Think More of Others.
The surest criterion of our advancing
in real excellence and perfection of char
acter, is our acquired disposition to think
less of ourselves and of our own happi
ness and more of that of others.. ii
Priestley, Enriched smd Expaud.
Life is the goal of knowledge. All
learning has, as its ultimate aim, better
living. When what one knows is assidu
ously applied to what one does, the knowl
edge itself becomes enriched and expanded.
Scottish Beformur,
Kitten Aroused Dog's Jealousy.
A curious instance of a dog's lutein
gent jealousy is reported from Uuul
alien. A happy family there consisted of a
lady, a cat, a kitten, and a Yorkshire
terrier. All four were on excellent
terms until the terrier took umbrage
at attentions, which its mistress t
towed upon the kitten.
The terrier straightway began to
dig a hole In the garden, and finished
Its task to its satisfaction lu three
daya.
Then the kitten disappeared. A
search waa made, and aa the terrici
wan seen patting down the earth ovt-i
tbe bole which It had refilled, the aoll
was removed, and tbe kitten was
found to have been burled alive.
Tbe dog waa punished, but It took
(be kitten to the grave again, and t
following day took it to a ditch a.id
left It there. Ixmdon Dally express
Scotland Claims Oldest Twlna.
Scotland claim to bar the oldest
living twlna in the world. They arc
Thomas A. and George Hill Melville i
Fife, and ant la thnlr 5 vr.
THE SUNDAY SCH001
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENT!
FOR DECEMBER' IS.
Itsvtew of the Fourth Quarter Rearf
Psalms Ulll., 1-11 Oolflen Text, Lnk
lv 8 Toplci Israel's Ueelln sn
Fall,
Lesson I. Topic: Elisha entering npor
tbis work as a prophet. Place: Gilead,
east of the Jordan. Klisha saw Elijah
w-hen he was translated, and cried, "Mv
father, my father, the chariot of Israe!
and the horsemen thereof." Klisha toot
up Elijah's mantle; returned to the Jor
dan; smote the waters: the rivet war
divided; Elisha crossed over on dr
ground; the spirit of Elijah rested on
Klisha; fifty sons of the prophets aiked
the privilege of seeking Elijah: Klisha re
fused; they urged until Elisha wa
ashamed; he permitted them to go; they
sought three days, but found him not.
The men of Jericho told Elisha that the
water of the city was poor; Elisha cast
salt into the spring of the waters, and the
waters were healed.
II. Topic: Elisha relieving a poor
widow and her family. Place: Not known.
A woman in trouble came to Klisha and
said that she had lieen the wife of one
of the prophets, but that her husband
was now dead and the creditot bad come
to take her sons aa bondsmen. Elisha
said: "What shall I do for thee? Tell me,
what hast thou in the house?" She replied
that she had nothing save a pot ot oil.
Klisha instructed her to borrow vessels
of her Beighbors, "not a few." ghe was
then told to pout out oil into all the bor
rowed vessels, and set aside those whioh
were filled. She did so and all of the ves
sels which she had borrowed were filled;
the prophet instructed her to sell the oil
and pay the debt, and to use what re
mained over foi herself and children.
Hi. Topic: Restoring the life of a dend
child. Places: 1. Shunem. 2. Mount
Carmel. Elisha in his work as a prophet
traveled from place to place; he frequently
visited the village of Shunem; was en
tertained by one of the leading families of
the place; as a reward for this woman's
kindness Elisha promised that within a
yeai she -hould embrace a son; when the
child was four or live years old it was in
the harvest fields with its father; it was
suddenly taken sick; carried to the house;
died at noon; the mother went to find
Elisha; the woman told Elisha about her
great affliction; Elisha went with her;
the child was restored to life.
IV. Topic: The healing of a leper.
Places: 1. Damascus. 2. Samaria. These
cities were about 110 miles apart. Naaman
was a leper. The Syrians had taken cap
tive a little maid who waited on Naaman's
wife. This child told her mistress about
the prophet in Samaria. It was probably
Naaman who told the king of Syria what
the captive girl nad said. The king sent
Naaman to the king of Israel. The king
of Israel rent his clothes; thought the
king of Syria sought a quarrel with him;
Elisha sent to the king asking that Naa
man be sent to him: Elisha instructed
him to wash in the Jordan seven times;
Naaman waa healed.
V. Topic Divine protection. Places:
1. Samaria. 2. Dothan. The king of
Syria was warring against Israel; ETisha
warned the king of Israel of the plans
of the Syrians; Israel was thus saved from
defeat by the Syrians; the king of Syria
asked his servants to show which of them
was informing the king of Israel; they
replied that none of them were acting as
traitors, but that Elisha, the prophet, wo
telling ihe king of Israel the words which,
he spoke in his bedchamber; the king -of
Syria sought Elisha; found him in Dothan; 1
sent horses and chariots and a great
host to take him; the Syrians were smitten
with blindness; Elisha led them to Sa
maria; the king of Israel asked if lie should
smite them; Elisha provided for their
necessities; sent them home; the Syrian
came no more unto the land of Israel.
VI. Topic: Joash made king. Place;
Jerusalem, the capital of the southern
kingdom. Our lessons now return to the
kingdom of Judah. At the death of Je
boram, Ahaziah became king; at his death.
Athaliah usurped the throne; she com
manded that all the members of the royal
family be put to death- in the midst of
the general slaughter, Joash was hidden
in the temple, where he remained con
cealed for six years; Jehoiadu the high
Iiriest then brought bun out and made him
:ing.
Vlf. Topic: God's bouse repaired.
Place: Jerusalem. As soon as Joash be
came king steps were tuken to inaugurate
a great reformation, and a solemn covenant
was made between the Lord, the king
and the people; Baal worship was over
thrown, and the priests and the Levites
were appointed to serve in the temple;
a chest was placed beside the altar in the
priests' court, and the people were asked
to put their offerings in the chest. In this
way much money was raised, and the tem
ple was repaired,
VIII. Topic: Isaiah warning Judah.
Place: .Jerusalem, the prophets home.
There was great prosperity in Judah, but
in the midst of it the people were rebel
lious and profligate, the claims of God
were forgotten, and His worship ignored.
Isaiah saw that because of their wicked
ness tbe Lord would soon permit heathen
nations to carry them a way captive; he
Warns the people.
IX. Topic: The evil effects of strong
drink. Isuiah shows that the people were
especially given to drunkenness. The laud
was tilled with tilthiness, and God pro
nounced a woe upon them because of this.
To-day the liquor traffic is like a cancer
eating the very lif out of society; it de
stroys the moral of the country and
blights wherever ic touches. The man who
sanctions this iniquitous business is a par
taker of all the evil connected with it.
X. Topic: The temple rededicated.
Place: Jerusalem. Hezekiah was the
twelfth king of Judah; he sought the Lord
earnestly; under Abas tbe people had be
come exceedingly wicked, and the kingdom
was fust going into decay, but now Heze
kiah cleansed the temple; made great
offerings unto the Lord; lie and the people
worshiped the Lord; the singers sang; the
people brought sacrifice in such great
numliers that it became necessary for tbe
Levites to assist the priests.
Al. Topic: The cuusc of tbe captivity.
Place: Samaria. Hezekiah was king of
Judah; Hushes was king of Israel; the
kingdom of Israel had become thoroughly
corrupt and the government was now over
thrown, and the people were carried away
captive; Hhalmaneaer and the Syrian army
came upon them and besieged Samaria for
three years; Samaria waa taken; Shalman
eser was succeeded by Sargon, one of his
generals. Although Israel was very wick
ed yet God put forth every effort possible
t save them; they had been warned by
the prophets and urged to repent, but
Israel was rebellious and would not listen,
therefore the Lord removed the ten tribes
out of the holy lai.d and none but the
tubes of Judah aud Benjauiia was left.
VICTIM OF RED TAPE.
Lift of Brilliant Russian a Sacrifice to
Official Dilatorlness.
Vassll Youisbkin, a brilliant gradu
ate of Moscow University, hat Just
died there In poverty at Ut aao ot
60, and tbe story of his which
was ruined by tbe policy of tbe cen
sor's department, baa attracted great
sympathy and Interest. Twenty-three
years ago Yaruoshkln wrote a work
on physolo j, .embodying a number
of remarki.ole discoveries he had
made. His scientific friends pro
nounced it epoch-making. The manu
script went to the censor In 1873.
Again and again the author applied
for permission to print, and for tbe
return of his manuscript. He accumtt
lated a drawer full of formal replies,
saying that the matter' wo-jld receive
attention. Soured and disappointed,
M. Yaruisbkln never undertook othoi
work. On the very morning of the
funeral a packet of manuscript ar
rived at the house where be died,
with tbe stereotyped' approval of the
censor expressed in a firmulnoto.
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR NOTES
D'ICEM JER EIGHTEENTH.
"Whatever He Would Like to Have
Me Do." Matt. 6:10i John 15:
10-16.
Scripture Verces. Ps. 119:9, 11:
Matt. 6:10; Gal. 5:22-2(5; 1 Tim. 4:8,
12; 6:6-14; 2 Tim. 2:16, 16, 19-22;
Titus 2:11-14; Jus. 1:21, 22, 2G, 27;
1 John 2:1-3.
Lesson Thoughts.
t'nlcss we aro willing to do what
ever He would like to hnve us do,
we ore not truly fulthful; if a husband
is faithful to his wife only in pnrt.
though that pnrt he very small, he Is
yet not worthy of Iming culled faith
ful. Tho doing' whatever He would like
to have me do niukex the humblest
service glorious, for the glory is not
In the tusk, but In the doing It. for
lira.
Selections.
The Southern Pacific railway ha9
recently secured for president at a
princely salary a man noted for faith
ful performance of duty. As presl
dent of the Grand Trunk he was cull
ed upon to Institute unpopular re
forms. But he sotiKht to do whatever
duty demanded. Thus he pleased the
stockholders und won promotion.
Christ desires of us similar obedience.
He will help us to please hlui thus;
then he will call upon us to enter into
the Joy of our Lord.
The theory of war is that every
soldier must yield himself to give in
stant and entire obedience to his com
manding officer. "Whatever" means
"whutever," in the army. Now If this
Is true of the obedience paid to poor
blundering mortals, how much more
should It. be true of our obedience to
the all-wise, all-loving Lord ot tbe
universe!
Of a man chosen by tho church
council of a Uganda mission, to act as
father to the , boys and to see that
they kept out of mischief, a missionary
writes: "An ordinary candidate, an
extremely nice, sensible man, was
suggested, and I was much struck by
his reply when asked If he would un
dertake the post. He at once said.
'Is it for me to choose my work?
You tell me what to do, and I am
ready to obey.' "
Every duty, even the least, duty, in
volves the whole principle of obedi
ence, and little duties make the will
dutiful that is, supple und prompt to
obey.
EPWORTH LEAGUeIeSSGNS
DECEMBER EIGHTEENTH.
The New Testament Standard of
Experience and Life. Matt. 6.
10; John 15. 10-16.
Heaven could not be heaven if
God's wlli were not there supreme.
The will of the all-wise, the ever-present,
the all-loving, that makes para
dise. Each one of us may hinder or
hasten Its arrival. Indifference as
well as active disobedience will re
tard It. But never can It be perma
nently checked by any form of opposi
tion. Every living kernel contains a life
germ. It is a mystery. Just what it
is, how it got there, what are its limi
tations, we know not. As a part of
Ihe great vegetable kingdom It is vi
tal to plant, flower, fruit. In the
spiritual realm the life-germ is Christ.
There can be no vitality without
him. It Is In the very essence of
Christ's kingdom to gain final and
universal supremacy. Knowing this,
who Would ask a standard of lire low
er than that of the Now Testament?
The highest success is achieved only
through observing highest standards.
Willingness to do whatever the
King desires to have done 13 the se
cret of spiritual progress. To accept
cheerfully his plan lor our lives, to
question neither bis wisdom nor his
Impartiality, to chetlsh bis dictates
as the whisperings of Infinite love, ah.
this is the way to real blessedness
here and eternal joys hereafter.
The Koran contains a story . which
Illustrates the spirit of perfect obedi
ence. Gabriel while waiting at the
gates of gold was sent of God to
eurtb on two errands. One was to
prevent King Solomon from forgetting
the hour of prayer while exultiifg over
his royal steeds, and the other was to
help a little yellow ant on the slope
of Ararat that was almost exhausted
in trying to get its food to the nest,
and would soon perish In the threat
ening tempest If unaided. To Gabriel
the one behest seemed Just as dig
nified as the other because God gave
the orders.
Ye are my friends, If ye do what
soever I command you (John 15.14).
Your power Is not lu your own
strength, but in your obedience.
One of the most valuable effects of
friendship with the goad is assimila
tion into His likeness.
By u genuine friendship with Christ
will be secured the highest and best
attainable character.
Friendship Implies mutual service.
We often make It hard for Christ to
be our friend because we fail so sadly
in doing our part.
RAM'S HORN BLASTS
HE Father of lights
makes the family of
ligbt. .
A man with a big
sign la not alwaya
the sign of A bi(
man. ,
ratientfl pays.
Kailb makes nt.
Life la all a les
son. Frost leads
fruits. .
No prayer.
to
uo
praise,
Worship fl for work.
Borrow is God's sieve.
Pardoning another may our
own pride, .. , .
The III at to shout for war aro the last
to enlist. .
Painting tho wagon puts no ginger in
the horse.
Tbe steps of greed do not lead to tua
tin one of grace.
Huian can always make, better use of
a saint Jhan of a sinner.
God's augels are never apparent lost
we should depend on them, nor ever
absent lest we ahould despair without
them. ,
lUllh! lnalD always make the man
racket.
A Htralght sword ia belter thao
t looked tanuou, , . .
What Will It Malterf
What will it matter, dearest,
When the day of life is done.
And the sheaves we've toiled to gather
Shall lie counted, one by one.
Whether we worked in sunthinr,
Or whether the storm cloud rose.
If only wc have the bundles
For the Master hath need of thonet
What will it matter, dearest,
When the pearly gates are paed,
And our feet, all torn and bleeding.
Find shelter and rest at last,
Whether the path was thorny.
Or whether the way was plain,
If India's poor lost children
Shall join in our glad refrain?
What will it mutter, dearest.
At rest at the Master's feet.
Chanting our hallelujahs
In rapture and jov complete;
If China can join the chorus.
And Africa latest, born
Shall rise up to call us blessed
On the Resurrection morn?
What will it matter, dearest
Thrice welcome the toil and care,
Thrice welcome the pain and heartache
iThere will be no tears up there!)
Thrice welcome the thorny pathways
For our Christ Imth led the way;
And. finally, with "all nations"
We'll praise Him through endless day.
Christ Taught Courage (o Live.
Courage to live, to take up our burden
again and go forward, stageerini, stinnh
jing it may he. but forward: to an back
into the fight, thounh it seemed a losing
fight: the courage to assume a great re
sponsibility an l dare 'o face a poililo
crushing disaster: the courage to live
that is what Christ has given to men. In
nn incomparable way .Tesns ha renewed
among men the desire for life. The Budd
hist says this instinct is sin. and pleads
for the holy Inc. which is extinction, with
the result that his civilization is without
accomplishments; science, he knows not
what it is; nhilisophy is but a system of
disordered dreaming: sncial prorcs he
has none, neither universal education.
Pessimism is the tone co'or of his thouc'it
and paralyzes his will. But to Jesus the
instinct to live is holy. He claim it for
God, and seeks to change the desire into'
love love hat is pure nnd glorious iov.
Therefore, for the race t'.at wants to live.
Christ must be Hie sunrcnie guide and
teacher. When He came into life men
shook off the look of despair and smiled
with ioy. censed to iah fr relief in dcatli
and thought of work to 'n.
, The assurance that because .Te lives
we shall also live, gives increased cour
age to live. M"n have nrntested awrnst
belief in the life bevond. beer.u." it his
taken the thoughts of mm sviy from the
duties of the present and led them to tem
porize with the evil feelinir that thrv
vnuld soon be rid of the whole world nnd
attain a quiet nlaee in the heavenly man
sion. I svmp.Uluze deen'v with that tiro
test. Such assurance of the life bevond
fs riart of a cownH or a tired man. ft is
selfishness enrried up into the most holy
of holies of life. Such n" assurance -'ves
no courage to li.c, but the cowardice to
run away, the co'"rdiee to die. in the
hope the God will giyp everlfing Hfe
to one who hnd never begin M live. Tut
this is not the assuranr- nf Christ. It is
the man into whom the Fnthe" mid the
Christ has come and t-iken up His abo-le
who is to be where He is and share His
gloiy. It is not a oaaiv waiting, bur an
active endeavoring, seeking the things
which nr .- above and not a nook in a cor
ner of tbe heavenly mansion. It is the
assurance Mint we are hghtintr a iiuht for
eternity, that we are encaged in a wnk
which is everlasi iug. that gives n the
coinage to live. The flev. Howard M'ih.
in hi sermon in the Church of the Holy
Trinity.
The Joy ot Our tnrcl.
M:'V ft rule, and prav to nr1 to Iic'o
you to keep it, never, if possibly, to lie
dow i at ii i; t without being able to snv,
''I heve made one human being at le.nt
n little wier or a inle hnnpier o' u lit'le
better tin dav. You will find it easier
tliiin you think, and p!e;i-anr--r. Fa-,ier.
b-CMir" if yn-.t ivi'i to do God's vnik.
God will stirelv find you work to do: nnd
lileasanter, hecniitc in return for the little
troub'e it irn- cost vnti or the Jiti'e c'io'.:
ing of toolisii. vulvar pride it may
co-t you. you will hnve a peace of rn' ul. a
ei'iel of temper, a dic'riiilne- nnd liooe
fu'ncss ahni' yourself nnd all around
jom. fucIi a vo'i never 'elt h.-fore
And, o''er anil above that, if you loctr for
n re'.vnnl in the lite to come. reo'Wt
th'S: What we have to hone fur in the
life to come is to enter into the tov ot
our lord. .Am ho'v did lie lul'i'l that
lo ? Bv humbling iliuiself and tabiua the
f'.rin of n i-'.ave a'd roniine. not to lie viin-i'l-'Med
.to. but to minister and to uivc
His whole life, even unto the death upon
th- eros. a ransom for many.
He mre that unless von tike up l' s
I cro-s you will never share Mis crown: be
sure that unless you toll- in His toot
steps you wnl never reach the pliiee where
lie is. If you wi-h to enter into the juv of
our f.oril. be sure that His joy i now. :n
it wiw in the Judca of t Id. over every "in
ner tint renentetli. iveiv mourner that
Is "on,frted. every hungry tumuli thai is
ft -I. everv pcor nnl, suk or in prison, v. ,io
i aiilcd. C. Kinsley.
The tlylia-lles.lf.l Sin.
sins, comnnraiivelv. may dii
be.
fore us: but pride hath lite in it. seiisiu.y,
as long n wc. It is as the heart ot all.
tiie I i rl living, und the la! living, and it
h.uh this adianlau'e. that, wheteas other
sir. are foui.'Uted by one another, this
feeds tven on virtues and graces-, as a
moih that breeds in them and consumes
them, even the finest of them, if it be not
rarefiiiiy looked to. This hydra, as one
head is cut oil, another rises up; it will
secretly cleave to the best actions aud
prey upon them. And therefore is there
so iii'itli need that we continually watch,
and titrht. and prav against it, and be rest
less in the pursuit of real and deep hu
iniliation. I.tightoii.
l ie To-day Itlaln.
The only preparation for tho morrow Is
the right use of to iluv. The stone in the
baiiii. of the builder must be nut in its
iiiace and lilted to receive another. Neg
lee. nut the call that comes to I lice this
day, lor such neglect is nothing else than
boasting thyself oi to-morrow. O. llnweu.
Ouinlsrlrot-c ("" "Inroiivenlsm.'
A missionary iu Japau tells of a little
heathen gill who went to Sunday-school
twice, and, going home, said to her heath
en grandmother: "The tiod iu Sunday
school is very different from my god.
I hsve to go to the temple to pray to 111 v
god. hut this God they have in Suuiluv
school you can piay to when you air
warm iu bed, or most any time and H
can hear you just as well. But there i
one thing 1 don't like. He cuu see you all
the time everywhere, aud sometimes I
should think that would lie quite incon
venient." Miuiouary He view ui the
.World.
Enormous Debts to Milliners.
Tbe other day I saw published the
balance sheet of a limitod liability
milliners' establishment. If I remem
ber rightly, the debts unpaid were set
down at about 30,0(Kl. ay the amount
cf credit In this one establishment one
can Judge of the- enormous sum owed
to all milliners by their customers col
lectively. It Is well known that heavy
commissions are offered to ladles who
introduce customers, and that many
ladles are not above accepting then
l,ondon Truth.
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.
Unman snil Intemperance all" Is the
(Inn Wlui StufTers the Most Frnm tho
sle nnd Manufacture or Intoxicating
Keversees.
Women, as a genera! thing, are not In
temperate: yet ahc is the one that suffers
the more from the sale and manufacture
of nch beverages.
The wife sits up alone till the' midnmht
hour mil often much Inter, waiting for the
coming nf him who but a few years ago
pmmi'cd " love and protect her. ami now
with trembling heart and baied breath she
lis, ens for his coming footsteps, longing
to have him conic, yet dreading his imbe
oil" words and often cruel words.-
Don't you supnose. as she looks on the
drunken fin e and bloated form nf htm thnt
nt 'nc time she loved with all the strength
of her mire, 'ounr heart, and real ires the
bliul'i that hs fallen on her life, the
!'nne'esne of her future, don't yon think
she lias n depth of suffering of which no
one 'an hsve any idea save those who
and in the iir storm toed shadows
nd thre are thousands and thousands
of won-en in this free, benntiful land of
ours who ninht after night keep just such
rtTnvv viirils.
And sure tbu mother, who for days to- i
"ether denies herself the full nmnunt of j
tood that she may the Letter feed her lit
tle rhi'drcn: and. as she tucks the thin,
wen covering nroitnd them in their little
bed". P"il sees their pale, pinched faces,
hamuird from wnnt of food, and hears them
murmur in their troubled sleep. "Bread,
mamma," and knows that he who should
be th" snnport of those little ones, is
sncnHing his eamintrs in drink drink! As
sh" kneels beside the empty urate, nnd
litis her eyes to heaven in nrnyer. she sure
ly knows whnt it is to suffer when, in low.
nconiinp wail she rries out. "Oh, Cod,
wl"- hnst Thou forsaken me?"
There is nnnther .pother. Time l;s
written lona lines on her face: her hair
is well silvered. Years ago she was leit
a widow with one chihl. a lovely little
lmv. She loved him with all the strength
of her intense nnin-e. She made many
saeriPces that he midil be the better fitted
for life's journey. She tried to teach him
to svoid evil, and to become a good and
useful man. She thought her teachings
were heeded. But they who deal in strona
drink iinlnced him to visit their places ol
ruin nnil death. Many and manv a night
that faithful mother st up and listened
with aching heart for the coining footsteps
of her once pure, now ruined, boy. Amidst
it all she still loved him, and prayed and
honed b" might reform.
One night she waited all the long, weary
hours for him to come, but the morning
light found his bed still emntv. He had
gotten into a drunken quarrel, and in a
heat of passion struck a companion a blow
that deprived him of life. He had his trial
and was sentenced to a long term of years
in State Trison. The evening before he
was to be taken to prison his mother vis
ited him in the count v jail. The narting
of those two broutht tears to all who wit
nessed it. Then the poor old mother went
slowlv back to her lonely home. She went
in nnd direcflv up to her boy's room; there,
with clasped hands, she knelt down h'-snle
her boy's empty bed. and bowed her head
on the white counterpane. And there hct
neighbors found her the next morning.
One soft, silver lock of hair fell beside the
tust parted litw. It hung there motion
less. No breath caused it to tremble. Sho
was dead dend of a broken heart.
And yet, amid all this suffering that wo
man is constnntlv enduring, we see everj
(lav some pure, fair, young girl giving her
self in marriuge to a man that she must
know is a user of stronir drink. And so
long as woman will do this, so long must
sh bear untold suffering.
If every young woman would utterly re
fuse the' company of every and all men
who indulge in intoxicants of anv kind or
form, or who in any way favor the lirpioi
traffic, it would bring about a greater tem
perance reform than ad and everythinn
that is now or has ever been done.
But will they do it? -Western Christian
Advocate.
The "Colli Weather" Ksenae.
Another talk about whiskv its deadly
work, the great harm that it does.
Read this patiently, be thankful if the
advice and the lesson do not apply to
you. and hand both on to others badly
in need of them.
With the beginning of the cold season
there conies a new set of whisky argu
ments the winter set, or cold weather
set.
The poor devil who can't leave whisky
atone now takes his drink with the mum
bled explanation thai he needs it to keep
out the cold.
He miiihl much better light a match
and, hold it to his tinner. That would
only burn the outside instead of burning
the inside, and attaching, i -st of all, the
machinery of thought.
The whisky is taken with the old foolish
customary remnrk about "happy days"
or "good health," and the mnn goes out.
just so much nearer to the end of his hap
py days and to the end of his good health.
The foolish whisky drinker imagines
that alcohol really keeps nut the cold,
that it really heats him. It docs nothing
of the kind. It deceives him by sending
the blood to his brain, start" within him
an artiticinl fire which burns at the ex
pense of permanent vitality.
When thnt sues out. as it soon docs.
leaving him colder than before, there is
another ehillv feeling and the demand for
another drink and so it goes, until that
particular human diip goes ashore in the
same old rocky place. New Yurk Evening
Journal,
Drunk!
Young man! Did you ever stop to think
how that word sounds? Did you ever
think what misery and woe you brought
upon your friends when you degraded your
manhood bv getting drunk? How it rings
in the ears of a loving wite? How it
makes the heart of a iond mother bleed?
How it crushes out the hopes of a father
and brings reproach and shame upon lov
ing sisters! Drunk! See In in as be leans
against some friendly house. He stands
ready to tall, uurnnscious as to his ap
proaching fate. The wife, with tearlul
eyes and aching heart, aits at the window
to hear her husband's footsteps; alas! they
come not. The husband, the parent, is
drunk, spending bis means of support for
liquor, while his family ia starving for
bread, his children are suffering for cloth
ing. His friends, one by one, reluctantly
leave him to a miserable fate; still be con
tinues on, step by step, in drunkenness,
until at length he tills a drunkard's grave.
Fathers, mothers, sisieus, brothers, are
taking their final and farewell look upon
their beloved one, and iu silence they utter
to themselves "11 was stronv di-niL dul it
all." Header, do you use ll?
Tbe Supreme Demand.
To .stop l fie liquor industry that defraud
myriads of people oi tbe chance to buy
the necessaries of life it the tirst concern
of every producer and of every working'
man. There ia 110 question of economics
or h nance that comtMres with this. This
is the supreme demand' in our industry to-
day. But business indiutrv is nut the su
I pieine good of man. "The lite is more
1 than meat, and the body than raiment."
. Health to enjuy is more Ihsu tut abund
ance of ihinus to be enjoyed. Life to ed
I joy and work and help and love is more
than quantity nt treasure that life can
gather.
Not a Cent of Uoad 1st It All,
The Itu nor traffic gives us .10.004 trsmps,
l.Vl.ism insane people. S.'sl.OUG criminals,
sud lOn.'JOD drunkards. It costs more
ti.au three tiiuea as much as meat, live
times as much as Vhues, aeven times as
much sa tea aud lottre, ten times as much
as our public schools, snd fifty times as
much as preaching the Uosk-I. Ann with
all its cost there is nut a caul's north nt'
I good iu it all
The Harper high liceiu.' law in Illinois
fixes the minimum license for selling li
quors iu the Stale st SrtX). Anv i-it'.
town or municipality may hx the lirenae
foe as much hiahr as it desires, but it
cannot b lest tluu If WO, - ,
COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
R. C. Dun & Company'a "Weekljr
Review of Trade" says:
"Holiday goods arc moving free!y
and in staple lines there is more ac
tivity, even the products that are be
twecti seasons finding a fair market
Packing and shipping departments ar
increasing forces, and traffic conges
tion at several points indicates thai
the growth of business has overtaxed!
railway facilities. Earnings of ait
roads excepting for November show
an average gain of J.l per cent, ovet
last year.
"Weather conditions have forced
jobbing and retail distribution ol
heavy wearing apparel, and also ac
r.elcnitcd the marketing of new coin,
but there is not sufficient moisture for
winter wheat or coke production. Ai
record breaking yield of cotton i
brinuing the price nearer the point at
which normal consumption may be re
sumed, although t!n.rc is still much
idle machinery at Fall Kiver.
"Cither manufacturing news !s most
gratifying, especially regarding th
leading lines. Structural work in
creases and car slinpj are crowded
with orders, while many idle steel
mills have rcnimcd.
"Relations between supply anil de
mand in the iron and steel industry
must be largely in favor of the pso
ducer when quotations advance stead
ily without checking distribution.
"Commercial failures this week in.
the United States arc 245, against 203
last week, 2t" the preceding week, and.
,V?t the corresponding week last yew.
Failures in Canada number 20, against
,19 last week, 27 the preceding week
and. 2.) the corresponding week last
year."
Bradstrect's says: "Wheat, includ
ing flour, exports for the week aggre
gate 2,101,773 bushels, against r,3.V."
306 last week, 4,201,504 this week last
year, 5.704,440 in 1002 and 4,604,846 f
1001. Corn exports for the week ag
gregate 364,841 bushels, against 29,69.
last week, 1,008,951 a year ago, 1,151,
563 in 1902, and 362,844 in 1901."
WHOLESALE MARKETS.
Baltimore. l'iour Quiet and un
changed; receipts, 4,402 barrels; ex
ports, 6077 barrels.
Wheat Firmer. Spot contract, 1.1
1 t oj-i ; No. 2 red Western. Novem
ber, t.ioi&i.io!4; December. i.ioVi
i.iofi; January, 1.1 2-4i.l3; steanace
No. 2 red, i.p2f!.03; receipts, 4,94&
bushels; Southern, by sample. 90(gfe
1.10; Southern, on grade, ool.ll.
Corn Firmer. Spot, new. S3
54; November, new, year, 5.VS34
January, SU'i'SjzM; February, 5i-st
Q'siy; March. S'5j'S5'4; steamer
mixed, Sl52; receipts, 27,586 buh
els; new Southern white corn, 48f'Sf
53)i; new Southern yellow corn, 48f,
(5.5.VU-,
Oats Firm. No. 2 white. 35&
talcs; No. 2 mixed, 34'S35; receipts,
6,261 bushels.
Rye Dull. No. 2 Western, up
town, 90; receipts, 7.755 bushels.
Hay Steady and unchanged.
Butter Firm and unchanged. Fan
cy imitation, i8jo; fancy creamery,
2627; fancy lablc, i6l7; store pack
er, I3i5-
Eggs Firm and unchanged, at 28-
Cheese Firm and unchanged. Larga
1 1 A'g, 1 1 yt ; medium, I Ijgfu: Ifi; small
Sugar Strong and unchanged.
Coarse granulated, 5.55; fine, S-S5-
New York. Flour Receipts, 20,83
barrels; exports, 537 barrels; sale
4,300 packages; market was quiet n
nominally higher.
Potatoes Steady ; Long Island, r.7J
642.00; State and Western, 1.401.60,
Jersey sweets, 2.00(03.50.
Peanuts Steady; fancy band-pickedV
5' a; other domestic, iMQ'l'i.,
Cabbages Firm; per barrel. SO'S'ZS
Lard Steady; Western steamed.
7.50; November closed 7.50 nominal
refined firm; continent, 7.70.
Cottonseed Oil Easy; prime cruds
nominal; do. yellow, 2$i'i(il.:6i.
Turpentine Steady ; SJ'-Sffi-SJ-
Coffee Spot Rio'stcady; No. 7 in
voice, 8)g: mild steady.
Sugar Raw firm; fair refilling, 4Tl'
centrifugal, 26 test, 44'. molasses, su
gar, 4; refined nominal.
Live Slock.
Chicago. Cattle Market steady ts
10. lower; good to prime steers, 6.o
C'i7-15'i Por to medium, 3 SO'?5 8o
blockers and feeders. 2 oo(Vi''4.io; cows,
1 .351S.4.20; heifers, !75(i5-00; canncrs
1.3512.35; bulls, 2001:4.20; calves,
3.00(06 50; Western steers, 3.00 (5.13-
Hogs Mixed and butchers, 4.55'
4 75; good to choice heavy, 4.65(475,
rough heavy, 4.401Q4.60; light, 450;
4.67'i; bulk of sales, 4 SS'QlA-S.
Sheep Sheep steady; lambs closed?
weak; good to choice wethers, 4.301
500; fair to choice mixed, 3 50(g4-3
native lambs. 4306.I5.
New York Beeves Good to choice
steers firm to 15c. higher; medium and
common slow to 10c. lower; bull
firm to loc. higher; thin cows iol5c
higher; others full steady; about air
sold; steers, 3 50575". bulls, a.aj'ov
190; cows, 125(33.30; cables quoted
iive cattle higher at 8'iiiKc per
pound; tops 12c. dressed weight; sheep
higher at I2uc; lambs, 14c. dressed
weight; refrigerator beef lower at B'ic
per pound.
Calves Market firm; veals, 4S
875; culls, 400; good grassers, 3.25:
dressed calves firm; city dressed
veals, 7(0 M P pound; country dress
ed, 7i"l.
WORLD OP LABOR.
W?.icrloo County (Canada) farmers
are to build a telephone system.
.There arc over half a million team
sters and dra inert in the UnitcJ
States.
A section ol tlte Mexiran press ia
combatting the immigration of Chi
nese to that country.
Mincowners in Wales have appealed
to the miners to concede a reductior
of 5 per cent, in wages.
The Ontario Government has de
cided to abolish the manufacture of
biooms at the Central Prison, To
ronto. j All members of the famous Boston
'Symphony Orchestra have quit rftr
Musicians' Union. The orchestra thus
becomes definitely and absolutely
non-union organization.
! Steel mill men snd sheet mill roes
in the Wales tinplate industry liavf
withdrawn from the wages dispute
board.
I.ynn (Mass) Knights of Lafcot
shoe cirtlcs and stitchers organisa
tions have requested tbe Saturday
half-holiday all the year.
It b expected the construction- work
on the New York barge canal, ?"
ploying' thousands of men, will t
started about January t.
It is claimed that in New Zc -
the fisc in prices of the it-ceswn?
of life is out of all proyort.u ti t t
incrra.e in wages.