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2 \50) THE]
lice 01 salary, trust or coutrol in our education
ul system without sufficient aud successful
previous work as a practical educator.
As our school systems are now generally constituted,
every popularly elective office with a
salary attached, pusses at once under the domain
of partisan politics. Candidates for
State, county or city superintendents, or other
controlling educatiouul offices, ? announce
their candidacy "subject to the action of the
party," and the school system becomes
as much a part of the party prey as any
other offices of the spoils system. Brokendown
politicians, wire-working schemers; all
without a day's practical work in the educational
field?seek the places and the spoils.
From such administration no forward steps
in educational work can be expected. But increase
of saluries, additional offices, perhaps
were sinecures?with more burdens for the people.
Yet when legislatures and administrations
bankrupt a State, the public school teachers
are the first to feel the blow in decreased sal
aries, or long-deferred payment. Some cleaning
of Augean stables; some cutting out of
dead wood, is needed first of all.
But to return to our vocal music: We maintain
that ours may be made a singing people,
not oniy in religious assemblies, but as to publie
meetings of all kinds; also in clubs, lialls
and in private parlors; vocal music may be
made to substitute in large measure many questionable
amusements, e. g., "progressive"
euchre, and many other "progressives" toward
the gambling table and toward destruction, if
we will but begin the work by a system of
vocal music study engrafted upon our public
school education.
The old-fashioned singing school has passed
away; it accomplished some trood though with
many defects. It was too irregular, too transient;
it did not demand enough proficiency in
music reading; it dealt generally with adults
rather than with children. Such pupils had
not the time, nor the concentration of mind to
become proficient, then the schools were "too
far between." Our public schools are the
places to teach vocal music thoroughly. H.
Parkville, Ky.
CHASTENING.
Sometimes, yea, often in this militant state,
the thing most greatly feared comes upon the
Christian, .from the hand of God. And other
afflictions follow of a kind to be peculiarly and
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than that God apportions this discipline to the
particular temperament, bent and so forth of
each one in His family. Often, what is a real
grief and burden to this Christian would
scarcely be felt by another; but God is wise,
all-seeing, knowing and choosing the best way.
Does the suffering Christian rebel in mind, virtually
refuse "the cross" and desire to get
from under the correcting hand of God! The
man of the world may feel thus, but he should
seek a higher plane. Christ is our exemplar in
all things, as well in meek unquestioning obedience
to the Father's will. True, we cannot
imitate Jesus in degree of submission, but ours
should be of the same kind.?"not. mv will
"7 ff
only Thine be done." It is a solemn thought
when He, our great High Priest and Sacrifice
was treading that mournful road to Calvary
and sank from physical exhaustion beneath the
visible material cross, He did not turn from
the cross or refuse it,?nay His face was still
toward Jernsal%ip,::"l}eyond the gate," or else,
fellow-'sinfier, vHi'ere would you and I be? Tjet
us foliow Christ and suffer and be still.
God'8 noly Spirit standeth ready at all times
..... . to help our infirmities, and should we faint be
PEE8BYTER1AN OF THE S(
God Testfyin(
la a recent article on "Giving and Thanksgiving"
1 tried to show the intricate associa
tion oi' the two, and the joy which comes from
giving to the Lord.
Now in this, 1 hope to show even a higfter
motive ior giving, that is, to please our Heavenly
Father, Who has given all we have to us,
and Who notices (eitliyr in approval or disapproval)
what we give in return.
in Hebrews 11:4, we have this verse. "By
i'aith Abel offered unto Uod a more excelleut
sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he wus righteous, God testifying of
his gifts; and by it he being dead, yet speaketh."
Abel is yet speaking to us, after these
thousands of years, "that he brought the first
lings of bis iiock and the fat thereof," and s>?
obtained witness that he was righteous, and
God lliuiself was his witness to this, and had
respect to his offering.
In those early days, when they had no
churches to build, no poor to be ministered to,
no heathen to send missionaries to, Qod instituted
the sacrifice; to show that without shedding
of blood there^s no remission of sin, as a
type of Christ; and secondarily it taught the
people, that God requires gifts at their hands.
Cain felt no need of atouetnent, and so
brought a bloodless offering, the fruit of his
own wora, and this was not acceptable to God.
XT L i 1. - r- ' .
?ucu xtuuu tuuii. or every ciean oeast, and
every clean fowl, God was pleased with his or
fering, "it smelled a sweet savour unto Him."
So Abraham's sacrifices were acceptable ,?iid
pleasing to Him, particularly his great sacrifice
when he offered up his only son.
God gave Moses minute and explicit instructions
about all sacrifices and offerings, that
they must be perfect, without spot or blemish,
to be acceptable to Him.
In Nehemiah, 13:10. God tells us that "J
perceived that the portion of the Levites had
not been given them." Doesn't this show His
over right of those who minister to Him, and
suuuiu ue u warning to mose churches who artcareless
and indifferent about the salaries ut'
their ministers.
In Malachi 3:7-10 He asks the significant
question "Will a man rob God, yet ye have
robbed me in tithes and offerings. Ye are
cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me,
even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes
into the store-house, that there may be meat
in mine house, and prove me now herewith if
I will not. onon vnn flio win^Amo
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and pour you out a blessing that there shall
not be room enough to receive it!"
Why can't we be as honest with God as the
law compels us to be to our fellow men. Then
and not till then, have we a right to expect the
windows of Heaven to be opened, and for these
great blessings to be poured out; that He promises
on these conditions of bare honesty.
I imagine that poor widow must have been
occupying a very inconspicuous place in the
neath peculiar dispensations of His providence,
let us never, never once rebel or wiish ourselves
out of the hand of God, for this is really the
sum ana suostance or undue fretting and overmuch
sorrow at anything grievous or personal
in our lot. Said one to a greatly afflicted parent,
"do you not see that this is for the best*
"No," returned the weeping aged father, "T
cannot see that is so, but I can believe."
Tho' slain, believe, trust Jesus still.
And kiss the chast'ning rod;
Not willingly doth He afflict
Who is thy Savior-God.
?Mrs. A. L. Price.
Marlington, W. Va.
}?TH [ January 22. 1913
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^ V# 1 HO VJll (O
temple, wheu she cast iu her two mites, yet
Jesus saw and commended her.
In Hebrews, 7:8, we have this verse, "And
here men that die receive tithes, but there he
(Christ) receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed
that He liveth." Doesn't this look as if
Christ in Heaven is receiving our earthly ties.
What a very solemn thought! particularly if
our gifts are not tithes!
When God has filled our cup to over-tlowmg,
do we want Him testifying to our pennies ami
uickles and dimes? for with these paltry guts
so many seem to think it's all they owe their
Lord.
Saul with his deep spiritual vision knew
what was pleasiug to God and said to the Philippins
"Not because 1 desire a gift, but I desire
fruit that may abound to your account; an
odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable,
well pleasing to God." Jesus also tells how
to receive a reward, "That thine alms may be
in secret, and tin Father's which seeth in secret
Himself shall reward thee openly." He
also tells us 4'that even a cup t?: water in His
name will receive a reward."
When Mary poured the costly ojutmeut on
Jesus' head, she was rebuked for her extrava
gance by some, but Jesus gave her the most
beautiful commendation, we read ol" in the Bible.
Note the difference Mary intended b? r
offering as a memorial to Jesus, and He turuel
it ;'.to a memorial to her, anil in all these ages
Hie name of Marv r?f itpthnnv v.oo
j uuo '?ccu no
sweet and fragrant as the ointment she used.
No costly gift to Jesus but is returned to us a
thousand fold.
"Great in counsel and mighty in work; for
thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the
sons of men; to give every one according to
his ways, and according to the fruit of his doing."
Jer. 32:19.
What a beautiful combination in this verse
of the omnipotence, the omniscience, and the
justice of God.
The great and mighty Jevohah, who has
made the universe, with its worlds and planets
and innumerable stars is great in counsel
to guide and direct all their movements, yet
at the same time has his eyes open upon all the
ways of each puny man, and in keeping an
open account to give to every one according to
his ways and according to the fruit of his doing."
Suppose there is no fruit? Haven't we
a right to expect the fate of the barren fig
tree?
Let IIS Crlnn/?<> fnr a mnmont ?* ~ 1
0 ?? u uiviusm ai uur personal
responsibility for the Foreign Mission debt.
Our Southern Presbyterian Church is not made
up of the poorest class of people, probably it's
a reproach to us that we haven't more of the
poor and destitute, but as a rule our members
are well-to-do, prosperous people, and many of
them wealthy! If we belong to a club and
that club assessed us a dollar apiece to pay a
debt on our club house, we wouldn't hesitate
an instant for it's our club, our dues and our
debt; now what is the difference when it's our
church, our dues, and our debt. If every member
of our church would honestly assume their
proportion of this debt and send in one dollar
to .the treasury, it would not onlv nav it. but
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leave a surplus for enlarging our activities.
Our Bible tells us "Render therefore to all their
dues." "Owe no man anything but love."
With such flagrant disobedience to this Bible
law, how can we expect a spiritual blessing?
When we are stinting our missionaries, losing
credit with our banks, and retarding our share
of the evangelization of the world? 01 dear
Christian friends remember that the question
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