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answer to prayer could bring him through the
fervioe at all. Some of the most effective
words spoken in personal work have been when
the worker was convinced that unless God
used him as He uses even the weak things, the
effort was useless. Somehow we are willing to
recei\e assistance from any other source a little
quicker than from an answer to fervent,
desperate prayer to God; but let us glory in
our infirmities;, if they lead us to seize upon
His power. One of the great conimimion sea-
,sons at the Indian Mission was one where, in
the circumstances connected with the preparatory
services, Satan seemed to have a new triumph
every day. Paul said he had learned to
glory in tbe things that seemed to hinder his
work, in "infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities,
in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's
sake;" that the power of Christ might rest
upon him.
' We must be willing to be used. Our weakness
should make us "relax" our self-will, but
also be ready to press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling. God-given strength
does not give the Christian a tool; it makes
of him a tool. And God is the workman who
must use it.
Weakness in a Christian should tend to trust
"AYHOM THE GODS DESTEOY"
By Eev. J. M. Coleman.
The -Teuton and the Slav are struggling for
the mastery and, unfortunately, others have
been into the conflict. Each military leader
claims that God is with him in the battle: both
try to impress on their subjects that fighting
is a religious duty. The German claims to be
THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol 61.
the world's leader in culture. This war to the
Kaiser is for civilization and progress. The defeat
of the Gei-man arms, he maintains, would
mean a return to barbarism. The Kaiser as
a medieval knight is standing between the world
and savagery. AYhatever doubt others may have
of the divinity of his mission, the German has
none. Bismarck wrote "God will not allow the
most obscure German to be conquered, much less
a great coimtry like Germany." The Czar also
claims to stand for God and progress. About
culture he does not make such large claims as
does the Kaiser but no less does he believe in
his divine mission. It is the aim of each of
these to dominate Europe. One or other must
fail, hopefully both shall fail. Neither has regard
for the rights of any smaller nation that
may stand in the way of his plans.
That other people do not see them in the
light in which they view themselves is to be
expected.
The English poet, William Watson, writes:
"At last we know you war lord. You that flung
The gauntlet down. Fling down the mask you
wore.
Publish your heart, and let your pent hate pour.
You that had God forever on your tongue."
Twenty-flve centuries ago two empires sought
to dominate in Asia as these in Europe, one
was on the Nile, the other on the Euphrates.
Each stood for culture as they saw it; each
stood for progress; each claimed, as do the
Kaiser and the Czar, to represent divinity. Also
did each show a disregard for the rights and
the conditions of smaller nations.
in God. "According to your faith, be it unto
you," is Christ's word to the weak who would
be made strong. Dr. Chamberlain standing with
his back to one of the pillars of the market
house in a village in Hyderabad, India, with his
two helpers in a like position, and an angi-y
mob before him ready to stone him to death if
he spoke a word against their religion, was
enabled to win many of the mob to Christ and
make the village friendly, just because he trusted
so much that he would not flee nor keep
silent. Strength for spiritual work is not developed
separately from faithful obedience. To
him that hath his present talents in trustful use,
shall more be given. The man who refuses to
come out openly for Christ till he is sure that
he can live a Christian life, will die in his
weakness and sin. The one who will not promise
to quit an evil habit because he fears ho
cannot do so, ought to consider whether he
really desires to quit. If he does, he can trust
God. The weakling who waits for strength
to develop before he will undertake commanded
duty, cannot get strong.
Such perfected strength abides, oidv Avhile
advanced people in the world
we continue to fillthe conditions. That was
why the disease could not be taken away. .\nd
Paul looking forward to a continued weakness
of body rejoiced that when he would be weak,
then God would make him strong.
AVhat has your weakness done for you
Germany admits doing a great injustice to
Belgium, but it is for culture and progress and
in the name of God. In our view Pharaoh
oppressed the Israelites. Probably it looked
quite different to him. He had given them the
best of the land near the delta. To him, perhaps
to others,.they were an uncivilized people,
used to flocks and herds. They had never lived
in a settled condition that allows for development.
Here in Egypt they had about them
the pyramids and the genius which raised them.
They had the greatest libraries of the world and
its most cultured men. One of these Hebrews
had been given the highest training Egypt could
furnish, perhaps others as well. Was it not a
distinct benefit to this backward race that they
had been brought into contact with the most
Suppose that
they did suffer at times as the Belgians have
lately done, it is for the advancement of culture.
Perhaps it was better even to build cities and
dig canals, as was done in Egypt, than to suffer
as some sinall people do now.
There was another empire on the Euphrates.
Here, too, were great works of art. Here were
the hanging gardens, along with the pyramids,
a wonder of the world. Only cultured people
were capable of such monuments of genius. Here
also were libraries and schools for the philosophers
and for the common people. Here also
the Hebrews were held captive. At this later
date than the Egyptian captivity they had more
culture, but to the Babylonian they were as
barbaric as the Slav to the Berliner. Was it
not an advantage to the Hebrew to be permitted
to live even as an exile in the midst of the most
cultured race. Nebuchadnezzar walks through
tnese proofs of Babylon's advancement and he
says, "Is not this great Babylon which I have
builded!" "What if I have laid burdens on my
people! What if I have defrauded weaker peoples!
See the monuments wliich I have raised,
the learning that I have conserved."
We have read and been puzzled doubtless by
the repeated statement that God hardened Pharaoh's
heart. How Simply by allowing the
message which he sent by Moses to strike on
his arrogant pride in culture, in prowess, such
as developed by the Nile and by the Euphrates,
by the Spree and the Neva. No heart is hardened
in this way until the message comes as it
did come to Pharoah and to Nebuchadnezzar,
to Nicholas and William of Hohenzollern. The
refusal to hear the cry of the oppressed leaves
the heart harder after each refusal.
The Pharaohs lie iu the mausoleums they
built, and the stranger succeeds to the rule
which they abused; peoples of whom Nebuchadnezzar
never heard squabble over the desert
lands where once his armies moved. The confidence
that they had ia thlemselves as the
representatives of culture and the gods, is
scarcely exceeded by the rulers at Berlin and
St. Petersburg. To Nebuchadnezzar it was
said that he should be driven from men until
he should learn that "the Most High ruleth
in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever
he will." Nor are these the only rulers,
or the only peoples, where insolent human pride
provokes divine omnipotence.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON THE
STATE OF EELIGION.
"What will ye see in the Shulamite"
The life of the Chnrch has in some respects
been marked by transition during the past year.
Yet the changes in her various activities have
been so slight from those reported one year ago,
that it is the purpose of your present committee
on the state of religion to devote its report
especially to certain principles or tendencies in
the life of the Church which are an evidence
of her spiritual condition and attitude towards
her Lord and Saviour.
In preparing this report, observations have
been solicited from a goodly number of those
called to be spiritual overseers, and who. from
their peculiar position or from the nature of
their work, have been given a comprehensive
view of their section of the Church, or of the
Church at large. Among these were returned
missionaries, who were going about among the
various congregations, representatives of the
College, and settled ministers.
The observations, thus gained, revealed certain
features in the life of the Church that
give evidence of the religious standing similar
to that experienced by Jacob at Mahanaim,
where the company of angels on the one hand
assured him the divine favor he enjoyed