Christian Nation Vol. 18 1893 - Rparchives.org

May S, 1898.A FAMILY PAPER.D E V O T I O N A L .we give glad attention to what he says. Awhite haired old man whom some of you mayhave seen calls tbese verses, "Tbe drunkard'slooking glass." But it is a better one than youhave at home for it shows bim, not only how helooks now, but bow he is going to look afterwhile.Let us peep over hia shoulder and see thepicture.1. Woes. Tell me some of the woes andsorrows tbat come to a drunkard and to hisfamily.2. Contentions. Ycu all know how quarrelsomea drunken man is. Fathers who lovetbeir children when sober, often abuse themwhen intoxicated.3. Babblings. Drink makes wise men foolish: but never makes foolish men wise. Menwould be disgusted with themselves if theyknew how foolishly they talk when they bavebeen drinking.4. Wounds without cause. Drunk men fightover small matters: expose themselves to allsorts of danger. This brings tbem into accidentsand disease oftentimes.5. Redness of eyes. The red eyes are only asign of the disorder of the whole system. Youare studying in scbool about the effects of alcoholon the body. Tell something about it.Sometimes when you come in from play yourmamma says, "Run and look at your face inthe glass," and you look to find it all blackwhere you brushed back youi hair with dirtybauds: you hurry to wash it off, because yousaw in tbe glass how badly it looked.So God put this drunkard's looking glasshere, that we may see how it looks and what itwill lead to. Many have seen tbeir folly in thisglass and have hastened to wash away theirsins in the blood of Jesus Christ, before it istoo late.II. The Wise Fatheb's Advice. Theseevils come to drunkards. Why then does hesay, "Look not thou upon the wine!" Willlooking at wine make you drunk? Tell methis—Would you like to be near a snake?Why not, looking will not hurt you. See itsbeautiful skin—come close up to it, being nearit will not hurt you. Put your band on its tail;it cannot bite with its tail. You will not?Then why will you touch the firstglais of wine ?for wine can draw and charm as the serpentdoes the little bird; and tbe fate of its victim ismore terrible ; for, "No drunkard can enter tbekingdom of Heaven."III. The Dbunkaed's Folly. Let me readto vou the last three verses of our lesson andse- if tbe description does not suit tbe drinkersyoa know. Reckless, deceived, they do notknow their danger. They say they can stopwhen they please, and then go right on to destruction.We sign tbe pledge tha' we will nottake the firstglass for that is the only certainway to avoid the woes of the drunkard. Hereare little pledge cards whicb you may takehome and get your parents' permission to signthem. We must not depend on our ownstrength, for it is only with God's belp tbatmen can resist the appetite for alcohol.PRAYER MEETING TOPIC.By the Eev. T. H. Acheson.Outline-by Dr, C. D. Trumbull.Prayermeeting topic for Wednesday, May 10, 1893 :Walking by the Spirit. " If we live by the Spirit, bythe Spirit also Ut us also walk." Gal. 5 : 25 ; R. V.1. Implies spiritual life.2. Possession of the graces of the Spirit.8. Following the guidance of the Spirit.4. Such make progress in the divine life.Walking in the Spirit, or walking by the Spirit, orwalking in the sphere of the Spirit, or walking withthe Spirit dwelling within us, implies spiritual life.The dead man oannot walk. Lazarus could not oomeforth from the tomb until life was restored. So noone oan walk spiritually who has not been made spirituallyalive i who has not been born again. Thiswork of regeneration, this transition from death tolife, is performed in us by the Holy Spirit, who continuesto dwell in those whom he re-creates. John3 : 6. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thouhearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whenceit cometh, and whither it goeth : so is every one thatis born of the Spirit."This walking implies also the possession of thegraces of the Spirit. The indwelling Spirit sheds itsgracious influences abroad through the heart. Heimplants Christian traits and gives spiritual power.The fruits of the Spirit in the heart and life are justthe opposite of the results of tliis world in the heart.'' The fruit of the Spi) it is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,gentleness, goodness, ftiith, meekness, temperance."Verse 23.This spiritual walking is following the guidance ofthe Spirit. This includes two things : the guidanceof the Spirit, and our voluntary foiiowing of that guidance.God's Spirit does guide every believer. "Asmany as are led by the Spirit of God, they are thesons of God." God's Holy Spirit is the persuading,guiding, controlling principle and power of the newlife. Yet we must, and do, follow voluntarily. Wewalk of our own accord, of our own free choice, afterthe leading of the Spirit. Let us keep the divine andhuman sides both in view in this spiritual work."Wotk out your own salvation with fear and trembling.For it is God which worketh ir> you both towill and to do of his good pleasure. ' Pbil. 2 : 12,13.They who walk by the Spirit make progress in thedivine life. We have not reached our journey's endas soon as we are born again. There is a race to berun, a work to be done, a growth to bs attained. Thechild is to become a man in holiness. Those whowalk by the Spirit will grow. The Spirit dwellingin them will develop their knowledge, power, love andholiness. He will by and by make them perfect inholiness. But we co-operate in the work of sanctification.We use the power God has given us, to attainto greater things. We follow after the Spirit. Weflght against evil. We put on good. And thus working,thus walking, depending on God we grow ; wecome, year by year, n^rer to the perfect life and theperfect day.CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR TOPIC.By the Eev. T. Holmes Walker.Authorized Topic for week beginning May 14, 1893.Winning souls, Prov. 11:30; I Oor. 9:19-23.We would count it a blessed privilege if the Lordshould ask us to fix a star in it^ place in the heavensto shine forever, or ask ub even to put the green leaveson the bare twigs ot the forest tre«B,and flllthe swayingboughs with the woodland songsters, sight andsound so entrancing to our earthly senses. He atksua to step to his side,— entrancing thought that we,the reedeemed ohildren of his love, may ourselvesshed abroad that love in its attracting, drawing powerand win,— not worlds, not starry systems to his order,but souls of men, sinful, polluted, dead, to himself,for his own glory. To be won for the day of the triumphof the Son of Man, to satisfy the yearnings ofthat great heart of love, won for happiness eternal andthe home everlasting; " not built with hands, eternalin the heavens." Such grand work aa this demandsjroM, all of 2/ou,—your time, talents, means. To winsouls there must be:I. Personal loueh. The touch of our warm, livingsouls, to sinners' cold lifeless souls. We cannot winsouls if we hold them at arms length. No man takesaccount of the casket, but of the priceless jewels within.He handles the casket, filthy though it may be,for the sake of getting at the jewel. We are copyingthe Master if we would be successful and shall straitlyfindourselves talking to the neglected, to the outcasts,to the poor in spirit and the broken-hearted.There is much influence too in allowing the sinner to" tooch" you without the conscious start of self-righteousness.A right shake of the right hand is as goodas any tonic, and a sympathetic look out of an eyebacked by a clear conscience is a moral invigorator.But what of all this personal touch with others if wehave not now personal touch wiih Christ. That is,II. Personal Prayer. Pray for certain ones. Thosewho have been brought to your notice in some way orother as needing salvation. Be sure of three things:1st, they have been sent to you for help,that you mayminister their wants: 2nd, that Christ stands ready toflll you abundantly for the work, and 3rd, that thefllling comes through prayer. Activity may accomplishmuoh or little according to ytinr habit of prayer.Not more brains, but more power in prayer, is whatwe want. You eannot live without air: you cannotwork without prayer. If we work in winning soulswithout prayer, we will work without interest in oxifwork or interest from onr work. We labour withoutthe help of God.III. Personal Help. '' Preach the gospel in seasonout of season." When a man, a sfnner, is in the deepwaters of conviction, he needs help; he may need helptoo, to get there. And all along the way heavenwardhe needs help. More by tact than by tract. Livingwords, fresh from a warm sympathetic heart are worthfar more to him than any amount of well ehosen wordsin cold ink. " H'lp, help," is the soul cry of thiscentury. " Lend a hand" will meet it.IV. Personal Joy. Let the sower and the reaperrejoice together, for both handled the golden grain.Have you followed the plough in the furrowClear to the end?You shall rest in his comforting presence,Your dearest friend.Have you faithfully sown the golden seedTo the last grain?You'll joyfully gather golden sheaves,The Master's gain.Have you cast the seed in the cold, dark earth.With much of care?You shall reap a harvest of joy no doubt.In heaven fair.For his promises, sowers and reapers,Are good and true.Sealed wfth his blood, shed on Calvary's cross,For me and you.DR. J.R. W. SLOANE:We have four more copies of the life of Dr. J. R. W,Sloane. These four books have just come into our possession.They are packed ready for mailing and willbe forwarded immediately on receipt of price, $3.00>with 28c. extra for postage.