Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

Mar. 22,1893A FAMILY PAPEE.him on the ground ; for seven days no onespoke. When the words did come they broughtno comfort. The trouble was Job's friendsdid not know what I ad brought this troubleupon him. They thought it was because hehad done a great wrong, and that God waspunishing him. So they set about to convincehim of his sin ; they tried to show him that hewas a greater sinner than any one about him,because his trouble was so great. Job tried todefend himself and they had a long discussion.The verses we have today are a part of whatEliphaz, one of his friends said. They didnot apply to Job because he was not beingpunished for his sins, as Eliphaz supposed.So they stung him, for they showed him thathe was not understood by his friends. Howeverthey are the truth and we may learn helpfullessons from them.I. The Value of Coreection. As thefather corrects his child, as the surgeonwounds that he may heal, so the Lord " makethsore and bindeth up, he woundeth, and hishands make whole." We are brought closerto God through suffering than by any othermeans. " For a small moment have I forsakenthee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.In overflowing wrath I hid my face from theefor a moment; but with everlasting kindnesswill I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord."II. God's Help is Constant. Men growweary with frequent calls for aid and say,"There I've done my share, some one else mayhelp a while." Not so with God, we may go tohim in every time of need.III. God's Powee is Unlimited. Men arenot always able to give help. Famine, war,the slandering tongue are evils beyond man'spower. To have a friend who " is able to saveunto the uttermost" is well indeed. All mayhave this friend who call upon him in truth.One word about the "scourge of the tongue."These friends oame to comfort Job, yet theirtongues did not spare him. We are more helplessbefore the tongues of our friends than ofour enemies.Eliphaz classed the scourge of the tonguewith famine and war. We cannot see the evilwhich it does, so it is often passed by. Weeach have control over one tongue ; Jet usprove ourselves masters in this case.Boys flying kites haul in their white winged birds,But you can't do that with your flying words.Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead.But God himself can't kill them when they're said.IV. The Eewaed Ceetain. The end of thechastisement is full of joy. The binding upis more easily understood than the making sore.God will prove the helper in time of peace aswell as amid trials. We need his help in thelittle worries and vexations which appear trivial,but which work such destruction to thepeace of the household, as well as for the greattroubles. Perhaps we may learn from thefriends of Job, some of the mistakes whichmen make in attempting to comfort those introuble.There are also lessons for us when we aretried. God has a purpose in all that he does." Our light affliction which is for the moment,worketh out for us more and more exceedingly,an eternal weight of glory."PRAYERMEETING TOPIC.Eev. T. H. Acheson.Pra/ermeetingtopicfor Maich29, 1893, "Consideryonr ways." Hag. 1: 7.1. In the light of God's Word,2. With the aid of memory and conscience.3. In view of a Judgment to come,4. With the purpose of improving them.Parallelpassages :'Lam 3 : 40. Ps. 119: 59. Luke15: 17-18. Is. 1: 16 17. 2 Oor. 13: 15. 1 Cor. 11 :-28. Gal. 6:4. Ex. 7: 23. JNeh. 13 : 17 18. Acts8: 19. Matt. 3 : 2 ; 4 : 17. Eev. 2:5; 3:2.Suitable psalms : 119 : 59-64 ; 119 : 9-14 ; 24: 3 615 : 1-5 , 1 : 1-4 ; 32 : 5-6 ; 25 : 7-11 (S. M.)These words of our topic were addreased by God,through Haggai, his prophet, to the Jews, in the timeofthe building of the second temple. Tliough therehad been d ifficulty in the way of erecting this structure,and may have been at this particular time, from theopposition of enemies, the people of God were notdoing what they couid and should do, in completingthe temple begun some time before. They weredwelling in their own ceiled houses, while the houseof God lay unflnished. God was also chastising themfor their neglect. They were suffering in the failureof their crops, and in perhaps other ways. God hereby his prophet sternly calls them to consider theirways. So it is wise for u», specially in a time of neglest,or backslidini?, or chastisement, to consider ourwayi ; and it is well also for us to engage in suchwork, now and again, even though there may seem nospecial providential call to do so just then.We should consicier our ways in the light of Ood'sWord. Our own judgment is not the basis for decision.Men too often judge of their ways from theirown ideas of right and wrong; man in his sinful,statecannot properly judge. Sin has marred his vision.And even though man were not a sinner, he wouldneed God's revelation, within or without, to teachhim what true conduct is. Neither must we considerour ways in contrast with our fellowmen. That is nosure way ; and we are much prone to measure ourselvesnot with those better but worse than we are'.God's Word is the touchstone, the plumb-line, theL.._JCHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPIC.By the Eev. T. Holmes Walker.Authorized Topic for week beginning April 2Resurrection Power of Jesns.—John 11.25; 14.19.If we lose anything of our faith in the resurrection ofJesus as an incontrovertible fact, faith's keystone is loosenedfrom its position. The triumphal archway of our faith,that bridges the awfnl darkness of a life without hope, isfalling stone by stone. We lose the hope of salvation, ofimmorality, of transformation and heaven. Can we facethe tremendius weight of evidence that comes crowdingout of the past nineteen centuries, and not be convinced?Shall we discredit such men as Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,Peter and Paul? Can we set aside the gospels or hope tocontrovert the deductions of Paul logically drawn from ahistorical fact? No! Tell your heart the glad news, Jesuslives." The living Christ is lovingAnd the loving Christ's alive."In the passages for consideration, we are taught threfacts with respect to the Resurrection Poiver of Jesus.I. That he is the Resurrection- What is involved in thistitle of our Lord, " The Resurrection?" Itis life contestingwith and overcoming death. Bead the account of the con­scales, the measure. It is nof a history of our owntest as recorded by the four gospels. Stand by the crosspersonal life, but is an analysis and description of theoharacter, tendencies and conduct of maukind ; andit states to us the divine requirements for a holy life.It also gives us the history of the perfect life of Christ.Not self, friend or church is to furnish the basis ofjudgment. God's Word does so. It is the rule offaith and manners. But let us consider our wayswith the aid of memory and consoienoe. These twofaculties will help us to know how far we are at variancewith the scriptures. Memory is the witness.Conscience is the judge. God's Word is the lawgiver.It is most wise and helpful for us to withdrawat times from the world, and sit alone with conscienceand memory. Let memory go back into thepast and bring to us the recollection of deeds, words,thoughts, wishes, feelings, purposes ; and let an enlightenedconscience give its full, free, strong decision.These will be hours of gracious seed-time, andof quiet, vigorous, healthful growth. Let there bemany such still hours ; and let us question earnestlyour souls. How have I acted in the crisis of my life?What have been my motives? Have I loved God?Have I properly loved my fellowmen? Have I hadthat we have no longer any room or desire, for the things ofreal delight m God, hispeople, his Word, his kingdom,this world, our afifections are above where Christ sitteth onhis work? Have I evidence that I am in Ohrist; thatthe right hand of God. This life transfigures us. It's workI am an active, growing, working Christian? Whatwithin ua is not merely a reformation, it is a transformation,Lat us seek this life, its beauty, its fulness, its power.are my tendencies, my special sins, the weak andwicked places in my character? Such consideration" 'Tis life whereof our nerves are scant.should be made in view of a Judgment to come; notOh! life, not death for which we pant;only that we might improve our own comfort here,More life and fuller tbat we want."and be more helpful to others in this world, but becausethere is a future. The grave is not the end ofJohn 14:6; Isaiah 38:16; IJohn 1,2III. That thoiigh the -world sees him not, yet it is to see tisall. Man's life does not go out like the flame of theextinguished taper. When he dies, he merely changeshis sphere of existence. There is a future beyondthis life. There is to be a Judgment Day, when menshall be judged "according to th^ir works." "ForGod shall bring every work into judgment, with everysecret thing, whetherit be good, or whetherit beevil." It is prudent then to consider our ways, thatwe be not condemned for them ; that we may learnthe need of salvation from them ; and that we mayknow how we can be acquitted on this last great day.And we should consider these ways of ours with thedeterminationto improve them ; for we shall fiudtheyneed reformation. The supervisor examines the roadthat he may improveit where needed. The watchma,kerexamines the watch that he may repair it. Thephysician examines the patient that he may restorehim to health. God wished these Jews of old to considertheir ways, that they might go up to the mountain,and bring wood, and build the house. And theunto 5 able pent good own but people ing. God. necessary : our God 21. strength. thee, us ; and We reformation And did that to must A.nd are in meet improve yet O all henceforth to even Lord, help, We let the this; examiue ; of when us need Judgment that their and life, that not we God's ways. we our forget no but should cannot. are may shall of ways one Spirit, to turned the They that forsake Ohrist can be not that great " resumed God's turned." Turu let We reform serve Jesus, we evil Day. must not thou may help sin and build­to try, trust Lam. his but re­doen­and hear the victorious Christ say, " It is finished." " Fatherinto thy bands I commend my spirit." Hasten to the tombwith the women on that firstSabbath morning of the NewTestament era, and see the evidences of your Savior's divinityand resurrection power. He burst the bands of death.He could not be holden of them. There, life was the deathof death. There, physical decay was vanquished. " I amthe Resurrection" is the death knell of despair. Isaiah 2fi:-8; 26:19; Dan, 12:2. This title shall still belong to Jesus untilall immortality shall be swallowed np in life and tbe lastenemy is put nnder his feet.II. That he is the life. He Is the iJesttrrecWon. to the dead;he is the life to the living. Christ asserts his absolute lifegivingpower in John 5:26. This is the trne spiritual life ofthe SDul, and kindles the flame'ofdivine life within everychild of God. Nor do we have to wait until death lo feel themovings ot this life; it beg'ns here to endure forever. It istrue that this life belongs in heaven, but it has been implantedin our hearts here upon earth that we may make itas near like heaven as possible, for the perfection of thislife is the perfection of love. In this life also there shallflow into the soul the highest, richest blessings of heaven soalive in hitn. The latter part of this 19th vsrse would beihore properly rendered, " For I live and ye shall live."The life of every true believer is "hid with Christ in God."That is, it is bound up in the life of Christ. That, too,marks the great distinction between the world and the disciplesof Christ. They cannot see Christ, for he is only tobe discerned spiritually and they are spiritually dead."But ye see me, " because born again of the Spirit. Whatwas the evident purpose of the Master in speaking thus tohis disciples. That they might recognize the fact thonghthe world could not see him yet it could see them,- andGLASGOW'S HISTORY:that A they few copies were to of be Glasgow's the living representatives History of the or Reformed representationsPresbyterian of Ohrist Church, upon also earth. on hand "Ye wrapped shall live." ready Every formailing, Christian willbe should forwarded be an incontrovertible at once,on receipt proof of oi the reduced resurrectionof Christ from the dead. The message of the angelsis for you, " Go and tell." Make sure that you areprice, $3.50.in Christ. Make sure that you live Christ.n