THE PULPIT, A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BV REV. W. T. BEST J heme: Well Doing. To.t: "If thou doest well, shall thou Dot be accepted? and If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." Hen., 4:7. The farmer and the shephed both brought an offering unto the Lord. V.'o look at Cain's offprint? and we say, the Lord will certainly bless Cain. What a costly offering he li presenting and how much hard work It must have taken to Bet It ready. Kai ly and late has he worked through the long summer days. In the sweat of his fare he has plowed, and har rowed, and sown, and cultivated, and now Providence has blessed him with a bountiful harvest. Look at the choice vegetables and the delirious fruits that go to make up his offer-In.-' Surely the blessing Is his. Abel selected a lamb from his flock ml"iout spot or blemish; he cuts Its thn.at; se the blood gush out! How cruel: Cod will certainly reject Abel. Rut God had respect unto Abel and hl offering, but unto Cain and his ohi-ring he had not respect; Why? If." 1 he not worked hard and faith fully? Hadn't he acknowledged dl vlt'j Providence? Yes, all this la true, but his heart was not right. Ills offering was one of s-lf-rlKhteousness and good works. Abel came In God'i way, not by works, not by self-righteousness, but by the blood. "Without the shedding of blood there Is no re mission of sin," for "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." God taught our first parent) this great lesson when He slew the animals to get coats of skin to clothe them. Abel hnd faith In God, and coming in God's way, he believed God would receive him, so God testi fied to his gifts that he wa9 right eous. ; When Ca!u saw that Abel was ac-c- ited he was wroth, and his coun tenance full. "And the Lord said unto Cain. Why art thou wroth: and why is thy countenance fallen? II thou doest well, ahalt thou not hi accepted? and If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." What a warn ing this! As if the Lord had said, "Cain I am no respector of persons; If you do right I will bless you Just ai willingly as I did Abel; but if you don't do right, why, then, sin like a wild beast of prey is crouched at jour heart's door, and is only wait ing for a good opportunity to leai upon you." Instead of heeding God'i warning, Cain watched for an oppor tunity, and as soon as it presented Itself, he rose up against his brothel and slew him. "And wherefore slew he him, because bis own works were evil and his brother's righteous." Here are two young men both en gaged in good occupations and with equal privileges. One made a suc cess of life, the other a failure. Up to the time of our text, it we look at Cain from the standpoint of this world, we would say he had done well: but it was he that did it. God'e word says, "by the workB of the law -shall no flesh be justified." "Salva tion Is not of works, lest any man should boast." Cain lived long enough to make a mark In the world; but Instead of making a mark in the world, God had to put a mark od him lest the world should kill htm. Even to this day he Is despised as the first murderer. Abel's life was short compared with that of Cain, yet l( was long enough to be successful; and he Is honored more to-day than ever before. Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the meek: blessed are the pure In heart; blessed are, blessed are." Here we aro distinctly told that : It is not wh it a man has. not yet whBt he does, that obtains for him ; God's blessings; but what he is. Sol omon said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of It are the issues of life." Well-doing Is dependent on ( U-belng. I. The first step In well-doing if to Elve one's heart to God. If a man does not do well in this respect what is the result? He may have ever so good an opinion of him self, all his ways may be clean in his own eyes, he may think he Is better ' than anybody else; but God says his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things, his throat Is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under hla lips, his mouth full of cursing, his feet swift to shed Inno cent blood, destruction and misery are In bis ways, no fear of God be fore his eyes. How can he escape the damnation of hell? What worse error is there than tc suppose a ijian ran do well with a wrong heart? We make an awful mls'ake if we suppose that religion Ij slMijiiy for the church and Sunday school. The farmer needs it to run bl-i f:irm. The merchant to run hla store. It Is needed by every individ ual that expects to make a success ol life. But remember that when a mnn'i heart Is right with God he Is Just In potltlon to do well; the doing U till before him. Salvation Is in three parts, an art, a work, a state. A man repents of his sins, accepts Christ by faith and salvation Is to him an act ot God's frou grace whereby he is saved. But how many there are that supposo that this Is all there Is to salvation. The fact that a man was saved five years ago Is no proof that bo Is saved to-day, or that be will be finally saved. From the day of a man's conversion until the day of bis death salvation Is a work and ho must "work It out," or be forever lost. After death salvation is a state. Jf. The second step in well-doing Is to take the Bible as one's guide. It Is doubtful whether there would be such a country In the world as the Unltud States of America, were It not for the longings of Christopher Col urabus to spread the knowledge ol tbls book. To it we owe the Immor talization of the Mayflower and thi sublimity of Plymouth Rock. Tba command rolled from bow to stern on tbe grand old Puritan vessel. "Pull down that sail, let not an oar touch the water, this Is the Sabbath Day!" When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Newburyport, tbey put down the old Bible and aald, "We are f olng to .build a nation on this Book." it supported Oeorge Washington, the "'r of this country, and purchased for u our freedom. It mad Daniel lrbif the tilblical Concordance ol :h L'nl ted States 8enate and Patrick Henry and James Otis, like unto the Hebrew prophets, and now It you Uh to understand one of the great it crenta In our history, look at thli I ictur. It Is that of a Kentucky toutn, hla arms are tired after chop ping all day. yet he alta up till the siidnlght hour, and aa the snow-wet togs crackle on the hearth and blast sp the chimney, he reads from tbti grand old Book, the Book, that Ic Ifter years made him a leader, whose administration subdued a rebellion ol tight million people, and tbe emancl tor whose pen struck the shacklet (rout tUa limbs of four million slaves. neflher in this country nor eisewners, in the world shall ever dies the mem ory of Abraham Lincoln. I heard Rev. John Mavlty say one limn that In his younger years he ased to preach that If a man had a right heart every thing else he did would be right; bat, said he, "of late years, I have concluded that a man needs not only a right heart bnt a right head." There Is somn truth In I this statement. Isalnh tells ns, we i must "learn to do well." Paul says, ! "Studv to show thyself approved ol I God." While I would say to every young man and woman, yon ought to have ! the very hest education possible, I would also say. let the Bible be to you the Book of Books. Nearly all the great men of the past owe theii greatness to this Book. It is almost impossible to name any rnle by which men have succeeded In life that hai not Its foundation In tbe Bible. The Book of Proverbs Is especially full ol inch rules. John Qulncy Adams made the Bible his constant companion. Amos Law rence, the millionaire merchant ol Boston, had inscribed on his pocket hook, the text, "What shall It profit a man If he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" No wonder he ?ave thousands of dollars to the cause of Christ. But what about the men who reject the Bible? Why, sin lieth at theii loor. The superstitious life of Byron or the dying words of Voltaire will prove this statement. III. The third Btep In well-doing Is to be honest. Your Hook, the Bible, says, "Thou nhalt not steal," or In other wordt be honest. 1. Be honest with God. You have accepted Christ as yonr Saviour, and taken His Book as youi guide: the Book tells you what is ex perted of each one of His followers, and He tells you Just the work what Ho wants you personally to do. Have you met both these requirements? 2. Be honest with yourself. You have a soul to save and a body to rare for. You will be rewarded ac cording to your works. 3. Be honest with your fellow man. A man would steal a dollar on the same principle that he would steal a pin. Watch the little things; a gnat choked Pope Adrian; a nail turned a ship out of its course; a fly by walking from tree to tree revealed to the onlooker that the supposed dis tant landscape was only a picture. Said a wholesale merchant to a customer, as he pointed to one of hit rlerks: "That young man, sir. Is my banker, he handles every cent ol money that passes through the store. He could cheat me out of thousand! of dollars every year if he wanted to, but I am not afraid to trust him, he has proven himself to be strictly hon est." Said a merchant to one ot his clerks: "Why didn't that lady buy those goods?" "Because, sir. she wanted Middlesex cloth. "Why did you not show her the next pile, and call them Middlesex?" "Because, sir, they were not Middlesex." "Well, said the merchant, if you are (is par ticular as all that you will never do for me." "Very well." said the young man. "It I have to lie to keep my po sition I will lose It." When Abraham Lincoln had charge of Orfuts' country store, he walked two miles to give a lady sit cents that he had overcharged her by mistake Another time he made a mistake and sold a quarter of a pound of tea foi a half pound. Aa soon as he discov ered his error he could not rest till it was made right. After he was ad mltted to the bar It wan said of him that he would never defend a persot whom he believed to be In the wrong even if they offered him a large amount of money to do so. He undertook the Paterson trial believing the man accused of niurdei to be Innocent; but when the trial was half through he changed nil mind and dropped tbe case, refuslni pay for hla services. When the time came In onr htstorj as a nation that tbe people began tc distrust the corrnpt politicians wht were governing In the Interests ol slavery, the on! hope of saving the ship of state was to place an honest man In the Presidential chair. Hon est Abe Lincoln was tbe man selected From a spiritual point of view wi are debtors to all men, let us try an pay this debt, not only by our livei but by giving our substance to thi cause of Christ throughout the world IV. Tho next step In well-doing li to be men and women of Tact, Pust and Principle. Upon these three qualities depenf the success of every man or womai from a business point of view. Sam uel Budgett, tbe great English mer chant, attributed his success to them 1. Tact. Tact is nothing mon nor less than the use of commoi sense, and it Is so common that ver: few people possess as much of It at they ought to. Mntiy so called cultured peopli often speak of the farmer as thi "hayseed from the country." Hu' some of them when they visit thi farmer show themselves to be de Ilclent In this quality of tact. Salt one young man to his farmer friend: "What kind ot a bird do you cat that?" "A goose," was the reply. "O I see; you keep that to get gooseber ries with." A young lady from thi city ot Ottawa asked a friend ot mini which of his cows gave the butter milk. Every one who has heard ot read Dr. Prlce'a addrets to young peo pie will remember his apt illustration "Tabby, why don't you get up?" 2. Push. Many people have tad enough to succeed. If they only had push enough to go with It. They cat sell a book, or a bill of goods, but 11 takes them so long to do so, that there is no profit In It Many ot thi greatest victories In the world'a hla ory have been won by men while yui roung In years. David, Luther, Alex tnder and the world'a Redeemer tlluiselt are Illustrations of thlr :ruth. 3 Principle. Tact and push would be a detriment to a man If he sere without principle. An employer promised a clerk higher wages If be would treat the customers now and then to a glass, in order the he might tell them a bill of goods. The young man replied: "I thank God there if a poorhouse In my native town, and ( will go there and die before I shall do such dirty work." That wai Principle. Nicholas Blddle, the first presldont of the United States Bank, requested his employes at one time to work on Sunday. One young man lost his position rather than do no. That waa Principle. When President Lincoln was re nominated for tbe Presidency It be came necessary to call for 600,000 re. erults to reinforce the men at the front. His friends everywhere ad vised him not to Issue the order jk II would endanger hla re-election. He went personally before the congres sional military committee where I Imllar attempt was made. With the Bra ot Indignation flashing la his eyes be replied: "It Is not necessary foi tne to be re-elected, but It Is neces yarv tor the sorters at tbe Croat to be reinforced nr ROO.000 men, and I I shall call for them: and If I go down I under the act. I will go down like the j Cumberland, with my colors flying." i O, for more men and women of ; tact, push and principle. V. The fifth step In well doing If ! to be a man or woman of faith. I When Thomas A. Edison first con I reived the Idea of the phonograph, he ' ald: "I can make It." During nine j long years he never lost faith, though I at times It seemed utterly impossible for him to succeed. And so It has been with nearly all ot his great in ventlons; through faith he hat plodded on night and day, sometlmet ; forgetting to eat or sleep, yet ever i confident that he was going to sue ; ceed. The whole history of our country has been largely one of faith. From the day that Columbus crossed 1 the Atlantic to the present day, near, ly every great move haa appeared un ' reasonable from a worldly standpoint, . but has been undertaken through i talth. And what shall I now say, for the time would fall me to tell of Old ; eon, and ot Barak, and of Jephthae, and of the wonderful thines they have accomplished through faith, i The man or woman who lacks this ; quality of faith Is of all persons most i miserable, yea. Bin lies at their door , and wreaks vengeance upon them, : They don't enjoy their meals because they cannot trust the cook. The rail way conductor is liable to run the train off the track, so what Is thf good of traveline? The very earth ! Itself is liable to open up at any mo- mcnt and swallow them, ana as Tot the Bible, it says, "He that doubtetb Is damned." VI. Be men and women of cour age. I Perhaps there was never a time when we had so many examples oi courage as we have to-day. When the ports of Europe closed against the Asiatic Squadron there waa nothing left but to go to Manila. Many of our people feared the re- i milts. Rut Enslen Dewev was a man mines and Into the harbor he sailed, The Spanish fleet was destroyed, i many of the forts captured and finally Manila taken. I Hobson was no less courageout : when he sunk the Merrlmac In the i very centre of the enemies' fire. i I The Plattsburgh boys while storm ing the hills of Santiago sung in the . very hottest of the battle: I " Tis the Ntnr spangled banner, I f)h! long may it wave. O'er the lnnd of the free i And the home of the brave!" We need more young people to-daj who are not afarld of the fiery fur- I nace, or the den of Hons; young peo- I pie who shall go out and meet Go- ' Math in the name of the God of Is rael. I VII. Tbe last quality I shall name , Is Perseverance. j Perseverance Is the "long pull, j strong pull, and pull altogether" or "the home stretch." 1 President Lincoln said of Genera! ; Grant, "He Is not -easily excited, and j he has the grip of a bull dog. Whei j he once gets his teeth In, nothing cap shake him off." Jacob said to the angel, "I will not , let thee go unless thou dost blear me." The unjust Judge said, "Though fear not God, nor regard man, yet be cause this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lust by her continua,' coming she weary me." The King dom of God suffereth violence, ant1 the violent take it by force. Robert Bruce made several unsuc ceastul attempts to possess his king dom and crown. While seeking con. cealment from his toes In a shattered barn: "He flung himself down in low despair, As grieved as man could he; And after a while as be pondered there, 'I'll give it all op,' said he. Now just at that moment a spidtv dropped With its silken cobweb clew, And the king in the midst of his thinking Stopped to see what the spider would do " 'Twas a long way up to the ceiling dome And it hung by a rope so fine. That how it would get to its cobweb home King Bruce could not divine. "It soon began to cling and crawl Straight up with strong emleavor, But down it came, with a slipping sprawl As Dear to the ground a ever." Nine times the spider tried to react Its cobweb home, but every time V seemed to fall still lower. " 'Sure,' cried the king, 'that foolish thing Will strive no more to climb, When it toils so bard to reach and cling, And tumbles every time." "But up the insect went once n.ore, Ah me, 'tis an anxious minute, Tie's only a foot from his cobweb door. Oh, lay, will he lose or win it? "Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, Higher and higher be got, And a bold little run at the very lui ranch. Put bim into his native spot, iddregg", one of the greatest reform ers that has ever blessed our coun try. When her funeral car drew slowly Into the city of Chicago, at many as 30,000 people turned out midst falling snow and sleet to takd the last look at one of their greatest benefactors, Frances Elizabeth Wil lard. They came from the North, South, East and West to pay their last tribute of respect. A wreath o flowers was sent by a young lady who had met Miss Wlllard but once. She was then on the correspondence staff of a city paper, and had been sent to Interview Miss Wlllard, who was sick at the hotel and unable to fill her appointments. Miss Wlllard was seated In an easy chair, but when she taw the young lady's pale and ema ciated face she said, "Dearie, you have this chair, you look so tired." The young lady said, "I never forgot those words. She was the only per son that had spoken a kind word to me since I said farewell to mother and the dear ones at home." Miss Wlllard was true to Christ, denying herself every pleasure or comfort that she might fill the posi tion to which He had called her. Her Influence Is giving to the youth of this land a portion of knowledge that cannot fall to prove beneficial to them. Her honesty as well as her patriot Ism may be seen in the fact that dur ing her visit to England, when strained political relations existed be tween England and this country, she said: "I am first a Christian, then I am a Saton, then I am an American, and when I get home to heaven, I ex pect to register from Evanston." Her tact, push, principle, faith, courage and perseverance may be seen in the great organization known to-day throughout the world as "The Wom an's Christian Temperance Union." An army of heroic women who are battling for God and home and na tive land. In conclusion, let ine say. life li to each one of ns a great battle, and we must either win or lose It. Which shall It be? Let us take unto our selves the whole armor of God. fight the good fight of faith, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. The Captain of our salva tion has never lost a battle. "The Ideal Minister's Wife." The following description is from one ot tbe Methodist papers ot Lon don: The ideal minister's wife is queen In her home, ruling her affairs with discretion and looking well to the ways of her household. She has a keen Interest In her husband's people and spares no pains to get to know them. Unselfish as regards her hus band's company, because of the many ciulms made upon him. she waives what seem to be her rights and find? her Joy in knowing be is helping oth ers. She practices the happy art of adapting herself to circumstances, and is able to converse easily with the Intellectual and the unlearned. Her manners are perfectly natural and entirely free from any tincture of patronage. Her dress is becoming, without, dowdiness or loudness. She Is not oversensitive to criticism. She is discreet with her lips and thor oughly good in heart and loves to sec ond her husband's efforts In all the church work. She avoids being the leader of any clique, but acts In sucb a way that all feel they can approach her easily and confide In her perfect ly. She listens to tbe sorrows of the people and feels with them and re joices In their Joys. She knows howtoentertaln and how to be entertained. She keeps abreastof the times In reading and delights in self-culture. Knowing for what special branch of work In the church she is gifted, she devotes herself to It with all her heart. Amiable, bright, pa tient, tactful, ever striving to unlock human hearts with the key of love that she may lead them to the Divine Lover, she finds the minister's wife's lot though "onerous and difficult," yet delightful and blessed, and the "heart of her husband and his peo ple doth safely trust In her." "Who Is sufficient for these things?" and what minister is worthy of such a wife? There Is nothing said about who takes care of the chil dren while the minister's "ideal wife" Is doing all these things. Christian Advocate. CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR NOTES APRIL EIGHTEENTH INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM MENTS FOR APRIL 18. Hravo, bravo! the king cned out, 'AU honor to those who try; i spider up there defied despair. He conquered, and why shouldn't I?' Th. "And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind. And gossips tell the tale, flint he Hit-1 uute iiii.i e ne tried bciurc, Ajid Unit time he did not fail. "Pay goodly heed, all you who read; And bewnre of enviug, '1 can't;' Tie a cowar'lly word niiii apt to lend Vo idlnes, fully ami want." I am now going to make a state ment that I do not want anyone to misunderstand. I would not have you think for a moment that I don't believe that Christ is our example In all things, but Paul said follow me even as I follow Christ. I am now going to hold up before the young people two persons who accepted Christ as their Saviour, His Word as their guide, and on the qualitter named made a succass ot life. Let me first speak to the young men. England haa given to tbe world tome of the greatest men In all branches of learning.. To-day we place In the front ranks William Ewart Gladstone. He was born of wealthy parents and with royal blood in his veins. Instead ot becoming dissipated as many a young man In such circumstances would have done, or Instead ot depending upon his so cial standing, he took the course that I bave already laid out In this sermon and by so doing "he being dead yet tpeaketb." As a Christian be said, "Christ It the hope of my poor wayward life." He never missed service on Sunday when well enough to attend. As a student he was graduated with high honors from Oxford, at the age of twenty. His library contained twenty-tour thousand volumes. H Is tbe author of a number of very Imi portant works; several of them are on the Bible, He waa one of the greatest orators, and statesmen of his time. To be familiar with bis life Is to know EngJ land's history for a period of sixty years. Before the young women I would, hold up as the embodiment of the. principles I hare referred to In tb.li The Uses of Trials. I always tear lest trial might leave me as the wind which passes over tbe rock leaves It, hard and dry as befor. H. Bonar. AN ODDLY SHAPED CHURCH. And Other Freaks of the Brooklyn Approach to Manhattan Rridge. When the work of extending Flat bush avenue to form a proper ap proach for the new Manhattan Bridge was well under way Brooklyn thought that the Fleet Street Methodist Epis copal Church would have to go. The first Montauk Theatre by a mighty effort was moved over the danger line and turned a new face upon the new thoroughfare, but It did look as if the church couldn't escape. But It has escaped, though not un scathed. Workmen got to work at It, but they tore down only a part. Then they built a new wall along tho line ot the extended avenue. Tho result is somewhat curious. Imagine a rectangular building with an arched roof, and then take a gen erous slice oft one corner. Tbe result Is a very Irregular pentagon at the base and an Indescribable Jumble ot lines and curves from the eavea up. This church Is tbe most striking example of buildings made into odd shapes by the Flatbuah avenue exten sion, but many smaller atructurea now appear In grotesque form. Some corner buildings, once aquare, are now triangular and In other cases mere slices of structures have been preserved. Buildings have been fronting this new street for some time, but the street Itself Is a series of hillocks and wreckage and hoardings. Brooklyn hopes It will be a real thoroughfare some day. New Tork Bun. Subject: The Conversion of Saul, Acts 9:1-80 Golden Text: Acts, 0:4 Commit Verses la;, 16 Com mentary on the Lesson. TIME. A. D. 37 (?) PLACE. Jerusalem. Damascus. EXPOSITION I. Saul the Mur- derous Enemy of Jesus, 1, 2. Saul's Intense anger against Jesus and His dlsclplen was not a matter of a single hour or day. The extent to which he carried his hatred in action we see In ch. 22:19; 26:10, 11. In this Saul had persuaded himself that he was doing right (ch. 26:9). It Is a striking illustration of how a man who Intends to be conscientious can be thoroughly and awfully wrong. II. Saul the Humbled Penitent. 3 O. The Lord allowed Saul to go a long way In his mad career. But at the proper moment He put forth His hand and saved the little flocks In Damascus. Probably Ananias had prayed, though he could hardly be lieve when he heard. The Lord often acts "suddenly." The "light out of heaven" that shone around Saul was the light ot Christ's resurrection plory (v. 17; 1 Cor. 15:8). It was "about noon" (ch. 22:6), and the glare of the eastern noon is exceed ingly bright, but the glory of this was "above the brightness of the sun" (ch. 26:13). Our Jesus is ex ceeding glorious. The stout-hearted persecutor Is thoroughly humbled (v. 4). There are many to-day who Epeak great, swelling words against our Lord, who, If they should get one look at Him as He is, would "fall to the earth" before Him (Phil. 2:10, 11). Evidently, for all his zeal In persecuting the church, Saul had many a goading thought that he might be wrong, and Jesus Indeed the Lord (26:14, R. V.). A start ling question (v. 4). He puts it to every one to-day who Is persecuting His people. Note how tenderly Jesus Identifies Himself with His disciples (v. 6; comp. Matt. 25:35-40, 42-45; Eph. 5:30). What an awful mo ment it must have been In Saul's life when it fully broke upon him that the glorious One who stood before him was Indeed Jesus, whom he had so bitterly hated, and so relentlessly persecuted. What an awful moment it will be for many now living when they see Jesus In the glory, and real ize that it is He whom they have spurned and persecuted. Tbe light Saul saw was no mere subjective vis ion or effect of sunstroke; the others saw it, too (ch. 22:9), and heard the voice. When we look at the original the apparent contradiction between v. 7 aud ch. 22:9 entirely disappears. In this passage "the voice" Is in the genitite case, which with the verb translated "hearing" Indicates the person (or thing) heard speaking the message. In Acts 22:9 "the voice" is In the accusative case, which indi cates the message which is heard. There was no hurrying of Saul Into the light. It is not a bad thing tor a man to bave time to think and to re view the enormity ot his sin. III. Ananias, the Obedient Disci ple, 10-ltt. Ananias was simply "a certain disciple." This destroys tbe doctrine of the Mormon church (and ot many others) that tbe laying on of an apostle's hands was necessary to receiving the Holy Spirit. Arir.r.!us wa ready instrument to the Lord's call. But when the definite direc tions came Ananias was staggered. He quite overlooked what Jesus had just told him about the change that had been wrought In Saul. Saul, tbe terrible, fills his whole vision and be protests. Jesus enters Into no dis cussion with Ananias. "Go thy way," He says, and then He tells what Saul of Tarsus really was "a chosen ves sel unto Me." How wonderful are God's ways, to transform the bitter enemy into "the chosen vessel." But this former persecutor must' hlmsolf suffer for the sake of that name he once hated. This, too, a gracious act on Jesus' part to permit Saul to suf fer for Him; and to-day the buffer ings that Saul once inflicted upon Christ are quite forgotten in the uuf gcrings he endured for Christ. IV. Saul, the Hold Witness For Jesus, 17-19. Ananias protests iio longer. Readily and promptly and heartily he obeys. The moment he sees Saul he tenderly lays his hands upon him and exclaims, "Brother Saul." There were no men on earth that Saul had hated as be did disci ples ot the Lord. There was no man on earth that Ananias had dreaded as he did Saul. But thia was all changed. Faith In one Lord had Made them brothers. "And be filled vlth the Holy Ghost." The Lord . ad said nothing about that to Ana nias (v. 12). But the Lord bad said "he is a chosen vessel to carry My name before tbe Gentiles," etc., and Ananias knew he could not do that properly unless he was endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 6; ch. 10:38). Saul did Just what every man ought to do a soon as be is saved and Spirit-filled (v. 20). There is no fndicatlon that 'Saul at this time received miraculous gifts through being filled with tbe Holy Spirit. He took God's wor.1 for It that he was so filled, and went ahead, and tbe filling with the Spirit manifested Itself In the power with which he preached (v. 22). The Good Grows. ', How Indestructibly the good grows and propagates Itself, even, among the weedy entanglements of evil! Carlyle. A Dubious Tribute. The young theological atudent what .bad been supplying the Rushby pul pit for two Sundays looked wistfully at Mrs. Kingman, bis hostess for the time being. "Did you like tbe sermon' this morning, if I may akT" he in-' quired, "You done real well with the mai terlal you selected," said Mrs. Klngj man, with much cordiality. "As I said to Zenas on the way home, I'vej beard a doten or more sermons; preached on that text, and this young! man's the first one that ever made me realise how difficult 'twas to ex plain." Youth's Companion. Why We Observe the Lord's Day Mark 16: 1-6; Acta 20: 7; 1 Cor. 16: 2; Rev. 1: 10. A day of rest. Ex. 20: 8-11. A day of worship. Isa. 58: 13, 14. A day of holy memories. John 20T 19-23. A day of loving service. Mark 3: 1-0. The outcast's day. Isa. E6: 3-3. -A pattern for all days. Rom. 14: 6-12. It was very natural that the early Christians should come to observe the first day of the week, when Christ rose from the dead, 'rather than the last day, when He was In the grave (Mark 16: 2). It Is not known when the Chris tians ceased to observe both the last and the first days, but the New Tes tament gives Indications that quite early the church settled upon the first day, doubtless by divine direction (Acts 20: 7). It was upon the first day, and not the last, .ttmt the church was to set aside its gifts to God, another Indi cation that the apostles observed our first-day Sabbath (1 Cor, 10: 2). The first day very early came to be called "the Lord's day," as we see In the Revelation (Rev. 1: 10). Suggestions. Changes In the calendar, and the fact that the year is not made up of an even number of days but has a fraction of a day over, prevent our ob serving the exact recurrence of the Sabbath as originally Instituted, which is proof that such observance is not required by God. It Is impos sible. The essential thing is the observ ance of one day In seven for rest and worship. Another great event which probably fell upon the first day of the week was the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Sunday Is one of the highest privil eges ot mankind. Those that look upon the day as a duty or a task en tirely miss the spirit of It. Illustrations. Every edged tool must have periods ot rest; and, certainly the human brain Is an edged tool. Sunday worship Is a furnace which warms the whole week, and not mere ly the room where it is. Sunday Is a sun-day, and like tho sun, it Is for giving out, for blessing others. Sunday put on our beads a golden crown, but some people melt It up Into a chain. THE TEMFERANCE PROPAGAND CONCERTED ATTACK ON nrtvt HISI.a ALL ALONG Ll.Vlf, EPWORTH LEAGUE LESSONS SUNDAY, APRIL 13. Started a Run on Roses. - A very sby young man bad been calling on "tbe sweetest girl In tbe world" for many moons, but. being bashful, his suit progressed slowly. Finally she decided It wss time to start something, so the next time' he called she pointed to the rose In the buttonhole of his coat and said: "I'll give you a kiss for that rose." A crimson flash spread or hit countenance, but 'the cxcnaugi was made after some hesitation on his part. Then he grabbed his bat and started to leave the room. 1 "Why, where are you golng? she asked In surprise. "To the er florist for more roses," he called hack from the front door. Sketchy Bits. - Oa the basis of a bushel of'oora producing 1.6 gallons of alcohol, It has been figured out that last year't corn crop la the United States was sufficient to furnish 30,000,000 horse power for tea hours a day for an en tire year. . t .7 The Appeal of Our Necessities Mark 8. 1-9; Matt. 9. 36; 14. 14; Mark 2. 13. Words are not requisite to have God understand our needs. ' Indeed, In our limited knowledge ot oursel ves, we more often seek the supply of our wants than of our needs. It Is blessed to know that our heavenly Father, who is "too wise to err and too good to be unkind," passes over our prayer and supplies our need. This answer to what Paul says in Phil. 4. 19: "My God shall supply all your need according to bis riches in glory." It may be that we ask what is second or third best for ourselves or for our friends, but God who gives exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, sees to It that we receive the very 'best. And here we have a suggestive bint to those who seem to think that everything must be spelled out to God before he can understand, that he will not impart the needed bless ing until the soul brands it with the right name. Does not thnt look like putting a limitation to his under standing? But the moral says "His understanding is infinite." "He aearcheth the heart and trleth the reins of the children of men." He made me, he knows me, he Is my Father. No good thing will be with hold. In Isa. 65. 24, God says: "Before they call I will answer, and whlla they are yet Bpeaklng I will hear." "Deep calleth unto deep." The deep of our souls crleth out In groanlngs that cannot be uttered for tbe deep in him. A man may. be shut In a dark and dank cell, with tongue re moved and sight and bearing gone, but the appeal to heaven may rise from his heart just the same, and will be answered by divine compassion and blessing. A Line of Talk. Two telephone girls were talking over the wire one afternoon. Tbe subject ot the conversation was a lawn party, which was to take place tbe next day. Both were discussing what they -should wear, and after five minutes had come to no decision. In the midst of this Important con versation a masculine voice Inter rupted, asking humbly what number he had. Tbe lack of any reply did not squelch the inquirer, for he aBked again for the number. One of the girls became Indignant, and scornfully asked: "What line do you think you are on, anyhow?" "Well," said the man, "I am not aure, but Judging from what I heard ! should say I was on a clothesline." Philadelphia Ledger. The Modern Way. The modern method of tempermJ reiorm laaes a Deiter turn. Nobo now goes to hear a temperance i ture. Nobody cares to hear a t, formed drunkard picture the baucherlea of his past life; nobod now holds up the brand snatchy rrom tne nurning as a pattern youth. The world has grown iti. Deiter sense ana Detter standards r taste. The true temperance reform" now is the employer who makes , nriety at all times a ntea conditio of employment In his business. Wh,. the Pennsylvania Railroad a dm, years back made It a rule that no tna who drank Intoxicating liquors o- nuty or on duty should nave a pi(: in its service, it old more tor tmi cal temperance than all the Gonv'r ana Mitrpnys who evr lived. Th example has been followed now b preny umcn an rne rauroaa cnmti! nles in the country, and It has k come the rule of Industry everywhere Something, no doubt. Is due to tb introduction of machinery wh calls for clear heads and stesiii hands, but perhaps more is due t: the development of common snt( which recognizes that no hahltm drunkard Is a man safe to be trust?: in any relationship. A few yeat. back half the lawyers and doctom o' the country were drinking men. No your drinking lawyer or doctor is m. known. Nobody will employ a ma for any careful service when It known that he Is a drinking mat With the growth of sentiment aim; these lines the whole fashion of M has changed. Twenty years ago m: habitually drank to excess in club- barracks, and elsewhere. At anv n. called gentlemen's dinner at lear two men out of five grew "happr' before the evening was over. Now tt drink overmuch Is the very extreme of bad form. One who goes coi. stantly into the club llf of San Frac Cisco, or any other city, will no; once In a ypar see a man obvloiuh affected by drink. Drunkenness hat been banished from resoectable cli rles, and Is only to be found amont the socially disreputable. In th' slum nnd the gutters. All but universal temperance has come to us. no: through the grotesque recitals an( melodramatic appeals of John B Gnughs, not through the vulgar sell- expositions of reformed Francis Mur- nhys, but through the enforcement c! higher standards of personal efficlpn cv In all grades of life, and throne: the development of a progressive so ;lal refinement. Argonaut. Alcohol Fiercely Arraigned. Writing to th Medical Record. Dr T 1 7 Ifllnhon ati-ltraa Dnnlhn cruel blow at tbe now much perse cuted Demon. Admitting, with ob vious reluctance, that eleohol has It! uses In certain conditions of health, he Insists that, with the pres ent knowledge of sunnnrtlng methods of nourishment, to talk of race dew denee as likely to result from cuttlni off Intoxicating beveraces is ahsuri while he thinks that the world woiiH be well rid of the verv few Individ uals whose life, despite Intellltjen! treatment, might be hortened b; complete derivation of alcohol. The question now before soclety.lt Dr. Kitchen's opinion. Is whether ll must suffer the consequences of thi grossly lenorant nnd damnslng I'M of alcohol, in order that those whe are only slls:htlv hurt bv moderntf Indnleenee tnsv he allowed th plea nres o' that indulgence whether thi! agent Is to remain In force s one o! the infli"nep for rld'ng the world of those least fit to s-trvlv or whether hls suhstsnce, ro intent bcause ol Its tiectllar prore-Kes. Is to be winced with things too dangerous tor gen eral use. Those inquiries are sufflclentlv In teresting, bnt even mora so, perhnpi. are the following "propositions' wh'ch Dr. Kitchen n'ltzests fir gen eral d'scsston. evidently bollevlnr himself, that, they sn" un the het present opln'on a to the physiologi cal effects of elconol: 1. The habitual i of so,",' small quantities which to st'"rf "lal observation does io hprrr-, repl''- "'i physical damage bv lnd''cl a hnWl of dilatation of the arter!o's with 8eondary results due to thro'in! undue arterial pressure on varlnui oreans. 2. That any Individ'--'' n:ne alco hol even In small dnses Is In the iras" of the alcohol bsblt. and is In hired In proportion to th amount Inated and to the regnlarltv of Indule1"- 3. tinder all ordlnarv condltinni of health anv physical nrfvpn? d'f to the pleasure of ln.lgpnco or tt the nutritive effects o' aiohol l ft outbalanced by Its evil effc'r. whirl are not nercelved immediately, lint nre cumulative. 4. Thnt the primary nV-sioiocI"il efTect of apparent stlmi''a''en s on'! the beginning of Tmra''sls. (in tf the coagulatlve effect o' te alcohol on cell peripheries. pM' tht fl""! en'"? of the effect to h cell rontrrt reducos vital activity In te rll. f. That so-called rodrtlnti suits In the vast majority of H Indulgence that Is wp"'rbly moderate, and nsuallv hortens II.'' and weakens self-control. A Thrilling Sport, An exciting Mexican pastime Is that of flooring hulls with the hand from horseback! Tbe rlder. galloplng after the bull, aelsea It by the tail, and, passing his leg over the tall for the sake of leverage, pulls the poor beast round sideways antll tt trips and goes crashing to earth amidst a cloud .ol dust. Needless to say. the bull thrower needs a strong hand and steady nerves,, or he may find him aelt In trouble. Wide-Awake Maga sine. The Tactful Servant. "I'm afraid 111 never be able to teach you anything, Maggie," was the despairing utterance of a Trenton woman to a new Irish domestic. 'Don't you know that you should al ways hand me notes and cards on a salver?" "Sure, mum, I knew," answered Maggie "but I didn't know you did. Harper's Weekly, , Greater Menace Than the Itiirslir. The drunkard, says .i S'inrem' Court Justice, who has had plntv ol chance to make comparisons. Is greater menace to society than tn bu-rglar. And experience also sho' that If minors could he prevented from acqulrlne th9 bablf. altbnur many might still drink, there would be very few drunkards. Temperance Xotrs. If there were not so many Inns there would be less down-and-outs. Local option has lately driven brewer at Ironton, Ohio, Into tb bands of a receiver. Orators have blessed Boots wit11 their subllmsst flights and then mum bled curses oa lbs monster from th gutter. La Rue County, Kentucky, tn birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, voted against the saloons January 81 1M by a majority of 180S. Booze la the moat democratic mon ster In the world. It Is equally home In the darkles' blind tiger In tbe millionaires' lub. It plays u part tn tbe holiest offices as well in the vilest orgies. Though It tbe chief power in Harmony ban quets It Is a universal cause of strife . Japan and England are roughlJ comparable in population, and b' practically tbe aame poor-laws. Yel Japan has only about 14.000 P'"" pers. while England has 1,000,000 Asked for the reason a Japauei statesman replied: We drink tea l Japan; you drink alcohol tn Knf Und. Oeorge C. Lawrence, In IV piston's..
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers