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February T H E *
field left the Cathedrals and pomp of Christendom
for the-field.s and the common people.V1 And
others had trials of cruel Blockings aud scourgings,
yea, moreover of bonds aud imprisonments
; they were stones, they were sawn asunder,
were tempted, were slain with the sword;
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins;
being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Of
whom the world was not worthy."
Do we not forget in these days of materialistic
thought that, "God is not a man that he should
lie, neither the Son of man that he should repent."
Has this age with its wonderful achieve
ments in the arts and sciences forgotten the fact
that, ''Known unto God are all his works from
the beginning of the world."
The ministry is more than a profession, it is
a calling, and this calling is of God.
Our Confession teaches that "As God hath
appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he by
the eternal and most free purpose of his will
foreordained all the means thereto," etc.
Is it possible for the Church to cut the ecclesiastical*
garment larger than the divine pattern?
And is it reason that the ministry of today
should "leave the Word of God and serve
tables?" May we heed the inspired words of
the apostles, "No, but we are to give ourselves
continually to prayer and to the ministry of the
Word:" and not be entangled with the many
so-called plans and panaeaes that are now being
fostered upon the Church of God, viz.:
"Humanitarianism," "Socialism," "Labor
r* i? - --
.rrouiems," "Universal Beace," and other kindred
subjects. Jesus Christ our Lord has said,
"My Kingdom is not of this world." "This one
thing 1 do," and "fo know nothing among men
save Jesus Christ and him crucijicd," is the lifelong
work of men called of God to preach his
Gospel. Suffering, hardships, trials, heartaches,
reproaches, and even the hatred of the world we
must expect. But, "the servant is not above his
Lord." And "All that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution." For "Unto
you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only,
to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake."
"But none of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that 1 might
finish my course with joy, and the ministry
which 1 have received nf tha Lord .Taviio ti\
testify the Gospel of the grace .of God." "We
must through much tribulation enter into the
Kingdom of God." "Whosoever he be of you
that forsakcth not all that lie hath he cannot be
my disciple. "He is either Lord of all, pr he is
not Lord at all.
"Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave aud follow thee.
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken;
Thou from hence my all shalt be,
Perish every fond ambition,
All I have or hoped, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
God and heaven are still mine own."
"Be thou faithful unto death and I will give
thee a crown of life."
Until the last one of God's elect is brought
intn flin fnM Hrtrl will null mnn nnrl onrwl tlinm
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declare the "unsearchable riches of Christ" for
the heirs of Salvation." And if doors are to be
opened and shut it is all of God, who "doetli all
things after the counsel of his own will."
Paul was forbidden by the Holy Ghost' to
preach the Gospel in Asia, but was directed by
the Lord to Phillipi in Europe. Lydia and the
jailor are there to believe the glad tidings.
"Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel" is the
burden of every minister called by the Holy
Spirit. "Ye have not chosen me but I have
chosen you and ordained you,'*
PEES BYTE# IAN OF THE 8 O
Tli* only remedy given for- calling men into
s, the ministry is given by Jesus Christ himself
when the need was just as great then as it is now.
"Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly
is great, but the laborers are fqw: Pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would
send forth laborers into his harvest.
Should we not take heed in this age of doubt
lest we usurp the work of the Holy Spirit, for he
alone has prerogative of calling men to preach
the gospel of Christ.
"And he gave some,; apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers: fnr th# norfontim?
_ J ? *??W AVVVlUg yi lily
Saints, far the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ..
Bunkie, La.
THE MEN AND RELIGION FORWARD
MOVEMENT IN BOSTON.
BY H. M. HALL.
New England's biggest city's share in this
republic-wide campaign for men and boys began
eight days ago, with the very efficient aid of
the committee of one hundred of business men.
Sunday night, January 20, at half past nine
o'clock, witnessed the farewell meeting of these
earnest Forward Movement volunteers, who now
depart for Philadelphia as another held of work
for the Master and his earthly children. Since
tiie campaign started, on January 13, 179 meetings
lor men and boys have been held, and three
mothers' meetings, with an attendance of over
22,000. Meetings have also been held on board
of naval ships; also in the prisons. Many parts
of the city have been benefited by ten district
platform meetings. Ministers and laymen from
all the Protestant churches of Boston and the
surrounding towns have largely and enthusiastically
joined in this movement. At the last
meeting ministers and laymen told of the "greater
vision" of Church and local work they had
been afforded by these new methods of supplementing
their regular Church work. Many of
the older boys, also, in the churches of all denominations,
nave been enlisted to gain boyaccessions
to the Church and Sunday schools,
and promote a higher and purer life.
Methodical plans have been laid to start active
work in the churches in a persistent endeavor
to bring men into church woik, engaging all
evangelical churches to unite in the promotion
of Christ's kingdom on earth. These tifteen
special campaign leaders, now so well-known,
are Fred. B. Smith, Charles Stelzle, Albert IS.
Rietz, Fred. S. Goodman, R- A. Waite, C. C.
Robinson, John II. Elliot and Charles Stelzle,
of New York; M. A. Honline and W. L. Blinger,
of Dayton, O.; W. E. Biederwolf, Indiana; A.
M. Bruner and Graham Taylor, Chicago; John
M. Moore, Boston, and the educated Japanese,
Yutaka Minakuchi, of Baltimore.
The Federation of Church work suggested by
these earnest men is as follows:
Membership; Christian publicity meetings;
Bible study, community-extension, local service,
missions, boys' work. Each one of these propositions
was fortified by specific methods. As for
instance, in boys' work: Life work groups, High
school, religious meetings, play-grounds, summer
camps, boy scouts, athletics, and interest .
for employed boys, etc. These conservations,
suggestions for local and inter-church work, so
well conceived, were eloquently elucidated to
Boston audiences, as they have been in so many
sections of our country, north and south. The
inauguration of thb awakening movement for
the men of our churches, and the good seed sown,
will doubtless by the wise providence of God
bring forth large harvests for present and future
periods.
/
* t H l : ? ?
THE REASONABLENESS OF FAITH. ? ?
The world is lull oi its doubting Thomases,
who reiuse to believe until their eyys can see or
their hands handle. Tity .them lor tneir poverty
oi iaith! We bemoan tne sure tragedy ol their
end. iJoor indeed would be our lives ii we.
should conline our beliels to the narrow sphere
oi human rigtit or mortal reason. Frogiess is
possible omy to hiin who believes in tne unseen
and stretches his every, energy to attain that
which at present is an n reamy and nou existPllt
io 1~~
u uVt u uiumwi m our lives when
we do not exercise taith and sweep beyond the
limits of sight and reason to appreheud those
things which to the human mind are iooiiskness.
Aoilung is more, reasonable than lank. in the
unseen and eternal. It is that which distinguishes
us Irom the biute creation. Should
we eoniine ourseives to walking by sight, we .
should place <ourseives a little lower than the
beasts of the held. Our vision is limited by
distance, by weakness; in-fact, the sight, is probably
the most imperfect of our senses. The
eagle's eye, the dog s nose, flic hearing of the
horse, are better than our corresponding senses.
Our senses of sight and hearing and touch are
very limited.
There is. a world around and above and in the
natural world, which is not open to our senses,
bUt iS knOWn OUV bV thfi Snirit (if rrvnr? W"
r ? -r->.? %/*. Uiuu. f I M LIU
not speak of spiritualism which peoples spaee
with absurd aud ignorant beiug, but a world in
which move God's agents. God employs means
to direct, assist and protbet his people, "In Scripture
the nieahs are called his ahgelS." To Abrla- "
ham's tent they caihe to bring God's" directions
and a knowledge of his will; to Daniel "they came '
as God's protectors; they eilcoil'ttigo'd lilijah in
his despondency and helped llagar in her distress;
they warned Lot and assisted him to tiee'"
from the city of destruction. They were messengers
of good tidings'to the shepherds who
watched their flocks by night, they brought the "
greatest of all opportunities to Cornelius, the
Gentile, and forced Pbtcr through 'the gate that
had been opened for the Gospel among those who '
sat in darkness. In the hours of darkness they '
ministered unto Jesus and twelve legions of them '
waited with drawn swords to hear the command "
to rescue the Son of God from-his enemies:
We may not perceive the angels of God with
natural vision, but call them by other names,
and we believe the world is full of them We '
hear much of "leading of Providence." As '
God led his people by the pillar of lire and cloud,
he will not fail in these latter times, to vouchsafe
guidance to those who in all their ways acknowledge
him and lean not to their own understand
ing. "Call them opportunities, or Providences; or '
leadings of the Spirit, impulses or compulsions
which we have all experienced and for which we"
cannot always account. The vision "has a large *
place in God's economy and he hais often used it
in imparting his will unto "his servants and
through it has worked some' of his most beneficent
plans! To one who believes in'the sover- 1
eignty of God, these are all God's agents which
minister unto the saints. When we know that
upon the use or neglect of one of these means
our whole future may depend,'our prayer to God
is mat ne would open our eyes that \\*e may see.
? . / >
. J,.. iK? *
Lord, often have J .thought, with myself I will
sin but this one sin more, and then I will re- .
pent of it, and o,f all the rest of my sins together.
So foolish was I, and ignorant. As if
I should be more able to pay my debts when
I owe more; or as if I should say, I will wound
my friend once again, and then I will lovingly
shake hands with him; but what if ray friend
will not shake hands with me.?.Thomas Fuller.
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