Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

Mar, 8,1893A FAMILY PAPEE.a God-fearing woman a right totake her place?Was Mordecai justified in placing his adopteddaughter where she was certain to become oneof many wives or concubines?God brings good out of evil. " The Son ofman goeth as it is written, but woe unto thatman by whom the Son of man is betrayed."PRAYERMEETING TOPIC,Eev. T. H. Aoheson.Prayer Meeting topic for Wednesday, March15,1893. Subject: " The Fearers of the Lord,"" Then they that feared the Lord, spake ottenone to another; and the Lord hearkened," etc.Mal. 3:16,17.I. The persons referred to: "They thatfeared the Lord."2 They consulted with one another.3. God heard and recorded their words.4. They shall bo God's when he makes uphis jewels.Parallel Passages : Job 28.28. Ex, 20:20.Deut. 4:10; 6:2; 10:12. Prov, 3:7; 16:6. Eccl, 12:-13. Dan. 2:17,18. Prov. 11:14, Heb. 10:25.Acts 2:42. Prov. 15:3. 2 Chron. 16:9. Ps. 34:-15. Jer. 32:19. Zeph. 3:17.Suitable Psalms: 34:11-16. 115:12-18. 103:-11-15. 66:16-20. 33:18-22 125:1-5,Those who are here spoken of are referred toas, " They that feared the Lord." Their characteris in contrast with different utterances inthis same chapter. The child of God is a fearerof God. Very prominently is the idea andduty of fearing God held fortb in the Scriptures.This characteristic of the child of Godimplies the others, of believing, repenting,praying, obeying. This fear is not the fear ofdread; not the fear which the slave has of hismaster, cr the dog has of the lash. But thisfear has love and trust associated with it. Yetwe are truly to fear and reverence God, and notpresume to be on terms of easy familiaritywith him. While ha is our companion andfriend, he is also our Lord and Judge.These fearers of the Lord spake often one toanother; perhaps both in assemblies for Christianworship, and when they would meet carnallyhere and there. They that feared the Lordwould naturally confer together for mutualcomfort and direction. Their common love toGod bound them together in feeling and purpose.God's people have ever gathered strengthand cheer from association with one another.God was listening. " And the Lord hearkened,and heard it, and a book of remembrancewas written before him," etc. God hears botheood and bad. His eye is always on his peopleand upon each one of them. He knows theircondition, their good purposes, their goodpurposes, their good works and deeds. And hedoes not forget. If God shall in any way keepa record distinct from his complete and permanentmeniory, it will not be because he wouldotherwise not know. He will not forget. Hehas at least one book of remembrance.These fearers of God are to be his by and by,in a special sense. " They shall be mine, saiththe Lord of hosts, in that day when I make upmy jewels," The Eevised Version prefers thisreading: "Inthe day thati do make even apeculiar treasure." Whatever other previousfulfillments this verse may have, it evidentlypoints ahead to the end of the world. At thattime God's people shall be his in a specialsense. He will spare them, as a man sparethhis own son that serveth him. God's peoplewill be his "jewels," his " peculiar treasure."Not only do they love him and delight in him,but God loves them, and will love and takegreat pleasure in his own when all shall begathered home.Y. P. S. C. E. TOPIC.By Eev. T. Holmes Walker.Authorized subject for the week beginning March19, 1893 ; Temperance Meeting, Prov. 23 :15-23.To speak more correctly ic should be calleda Total Abstinence meeting. We should betemperate in the use of good things; such as church says " Can't," which interpreted by thefood, recreation, etc. There is need of instructionon this point also. For men will so mis­wonder the church has not reached the masses,Lord simply means, " Will not." It is nouse the gift of God's love, the necessaries andshe has not yet touched the Will of God. TheWord of God expressly teaches that it iscomforts of life as to make them a positive injury.They should be taught what the moder­aright," that is feraiented, alcoholic. Therewrong to use at all, drink that " moveth itselfate use of these things is, what honors God and can be no snch thing as moderate use of it, formakes them of benefit to us. Our lesson todayis concerning strong drink. In treatingany use at all is immoderate.ofit it is wrong to even mention temperance. Asstrong drink is a poison one might just as welltell a man to be temperate in killing himself,that is, not to be in a hurry about it. Temperanceis the wrong word. There are many reasonswhy Christian Endeavorers should be totalabstainers. Among them these three:I. Because Prudence teaches it. What yousee of ruined fortunes and blasted hopes shouk-lbe a lesson to yon. It should lead you to shunthe cause of the ruin. If a drunkard's grave isa pauper's grave, and oftentimes a maniac'sgrave, or a murderer's grave, you should shundrunkenness. But prudence goes still fartherand warns you that the drunkards are madefrom moderate drinkers; that the solid chain ofthe drink habit is fashioned out of the separatelinks of solitary drinks and that sooner or laterthe master becomes a slave and the slave adwelling place for devils. Prudence says: "Stopbefore you have taken the first drop," That if,be a total abstainer. Prudence should dictateto the Government also the absolute necessityof the Prohibition, yets, the annihilation of theliquor traffic, or the licentiousness that destroyedEome will lay the pride of America inthe dust. Fortunes lost at the bar, or manhoodwrecked in the saloon, are lost forever to thestate. She is losing the means of her supportand her defence.II. Because Morality teaches it. No manwith a good moral character would engage inthe liquor business. That is either to standbehind the bar and sell it, rent the place to sellit, or be seen entering the place. For the saloonis the hot-bed of immorality, vice andcrime. It is the open door to hell. Its swingingdoors conceal the murderer, the thief and thelibertine. They open upon the gambling denand the house of prostitution. They are theeasy road to the penitentiary and the gallows.Has any good thing ever come out of the saloon?Any benevolence or charity ? Any purityor holiness? As it is the love of moneythat is not only at the root of evil but also atthe root of the saloon, the saloon is the synonymfor everything that is evil, and it will beharder for a saloonkeeper to enter into theKingdom of Heaven than for a camel to gothrough the needle's eye. Morality says, donot be contaminated by touching, tasting orhandling strong drink.III. Beoause the Bible teaches it. Themembers of our churches should rise as oneman today and complete the destruction of thewhole drink traffic for simply one reason : allsufficient good dema^ids tt. No wonder thatthe meu of God who have been in close communionwith Him and know his mind and will,are terribly exercised by the apathy of the professedfollowers of Jesus Christ on this question.When God says, stamp it out, theTHE MINISTRY OF HASSAN,By a clear well, beside a lonely road,Hassan, the humble, had his poor abode.He could not roam abroad in search of fameAnd noble deeds, for he was bent and lame.No eyes smiled back to his at night or mom,And evermore he moaned, " Why was I born?" What good can I achieve? Why do I live.Who have no strength to strive, no gold to give?"Others are opulent, beloved, renouned;What can I reach? Why cumber I the ground? "i Even then a honey bee, in passing, fell,j Burdened with pollen, in his crystal well.; And Hassan raised it as it struggling lay.Dried its wet wings, and sped it on its way.And, still repining, sought his daily toil.Digging and watering the needy soilAbout his grapevine, that he might one dayShare its rich fruit with those that came that way.He pruned the cruel thorns and briers which torei The feet and robes of travelers by his door;He picked the sharp stones from the trodden way; Where barefoot pilgrims plodded, day by day,And beggar children, with unsandled feet,I Wandered along, in weariness and heat., He brought them, in his carven cocoa shell,Draughts of sweet water from his living well.He found the lost lamb, wandering frotn its own,And soothed its shivering by his chimney stone.Spared the poor moth that sought his taper's blaze.And feed the hungry birds in wintry days.Saved the weak fledgeling,fallen from the nest;Calmed its wild fear, and warmed it on his breast;Eesoued the flre flyfrom the spider's snare.And sent it on its shining path in air—And was a helper and a friend indeed,To every suffering creature in its need—Tet all the while bewailed his lack of worth.And marvelled what his use oould be on earth.But when his V.lameless days had all gone by,And Ha«san sought his bed of boughs to die,A tall white angel stood beside him there,And said: " Thou hast had many ills to bear;" O Hassen, and hast grieved in solitudeBecause thou couldst not do great deeds of good;" But since thou hast consoled the humblest thingsWhich weep, or crawl on earth, or soar on wings," Cherishing all with thy wiae charity.Behold, beloved, thou didst it unto Me."Then Hassen saw how blindly he had weptHis narrow powers. And he smiled, and slept.