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\JfclT WILL I NOT FORGET THEE."
"Vet God remembers. If those hands of mine
Cease from their clinging, yet the hands divine
Hold me so ftrmlj' that I cannot fall;
And if sometimes I am too tired to call
For HUn to htlp me, then He reads the prayer
Unspoken in my heart, and lifts my care.
1 dare not fear, since certamly I know
That 1 am in God's keeping?shielded so
From all that else would harm, and In the hour
Of stern temptation strengthened by His power.
1 tread no path in life to Him unknown;
1 lift no burden, bear no pain alone;
y:y> soul a calm, sure hiding-place has found;
The everlasting arms my life surround.
?Edith H. Dixall.
ONE OF THE LEAST.
\Vith no money save for the bare necessities of
life, with no beauty save a pleasant, winsome
smile, Ruth Troy was one ot' the members of a
large city churcii. She never 1 ailed to be in her
place at all the services and could not help becoming
known for her very faithfulness.
To tiie member^ of her church she seemed almost
as much of a fixture as the pastor or his
wife. The pastor was always sure of one more
ihan himself and wife at the mid-week prayer
meeting, though it rained in torrents.
Ruth was always in church a few minutes
ahead of timq, that she might welcome strangers
with a smile, and then she had a way of gathering
a little pile of hymn books around her that
she might find the place and hand a book to
strangers as soon as they came in and sat down.
People always like to go to ehurch where a
little attention is sliown them, and Ruth Troy
was helping to make her church popular without
knowing it.
When the church was looking for ways to
economize because they could not raise money
euough to pay their expenses, Iiuth came to the
front at once by saying she could save the expenses
of flowers, for she had a little window
garaen in tne winter time, and could puck wild
flowers during the summer. The church was
only too glad' to accept her offer, for flowers in
that church were quite an item of expense, and
never a Sunday passed that a tasty little bouquet
did not occupy a place on the pulpit beside the
Bible.
If Kuth could not help make contributions of
money to the poor, she would offer to help sew
for them or even to solicit aid for them from
other quarters.
At one time when a new preacher came, Ruth
went from house to house inviting people to
come out to church, and representing her church
in such glowing colors, that the next Sunday the
audience doubled, and this so encouraged the
preacher, that he was heard to say that no
preacher could fail with such a godily woman as
Ruth Troy to hold up his hands.
It was Ruth who saw to the little comforts of
the church, and when some one asked her why
she did so much for people who dad not care a
straw for her, she answered:
"Why, I do it for Christ, and that sweetens
labor. When I place a glass of water on the
desk beside the preacher, I am doing it for Christ
for he said: 'Whosoever shall give you a cup of
water to drink in my name, because ye belong
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lose his reward.' I give it in Christ's name, because
our preacher belongs to Christ."
"I would let the sexton do that," said her
worldly friend.
"Sometimes he forgets, and then, again, he is
*
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SC
"leadings
not carel'ul enough. I always polish the glass
and pitcher until they shine before getting the
water."
"I see, Ruth," said her wordily friend; "you
are a saint, one of God's holy ones."
"Oh, no, no," said Ruth, tlushing, "only the
least otf the least. That is the reason I am not
above doing the humblest things required.
Somebody must do them, and I am not above doing
anything when 1 know it is for Christ."
'"Was that the reason you put on a gingham
apron and washed dishes all Saturday night at
the festival, while other young women of your
age, were dressed ud in their best, selling iee
cream, candy and iemonade?"
"I saved the church three dollars by doing
that," laughed Ruth, 4'for no one wanted to
wash dishes. Everbody wants to do the pleasant
and easy things at church suppers."
44O Ruth, Ruth!" was the rejoinder, 4'almost
you persuade me to be a Christian. If I knew
I could be one-half so faithful as you, I wouldn't
hesitate a moment:" and not many months later
this wordly young woman became an earnest
Christian.
Two years later, it was announced from the
pulpit that the church was about to present a
costly, beautifully illustrated Bible to its most
faithful member, and no one was so much surprised
as Ruth Troy herself when her name was
called and she was asked to come forward.
She covered her face with her hands and burst
into tears, saying: "Oh, please, I don't want
anything i'or doing my Master's work. The debt
was all paid long ago when he shed his blood for
me. Please give it to our pastor."
But the pastor refused to accept it, and as
Ruth went out of the church, clasping the beautiful
Bible closely to her heart, he said. "There
will undoubtedly be more stars in that young
woman's crown than in yours or mine."?Mrs.
A. E. C. Maskell.
CHRIST, THE SOUL'S ETERNAL SATIS
FACTION.
(Continued from pagp 3.)
7. When shall we reach this blessed estate?
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jxi ueatn me cmici 01 uoa will De superlatively
happy. 1 have read somewhere of
a saiut of God who had been thrust into a prison
cell. He is dreaming of heaven. The impression
made upon his fancy was so strong
that when he awoke he knew not his cell, could
not tell the night from day. He continued to
call for his vision, saying, "Give me fresh and
fragrant fields again, my golden pillar of light,
Jerome my companion, angels my assistants."
If heaven in a dream produces such ecstacies,
what must the reality be as the scene first
bursts upon the vision of the redeemed, immortal
soul emerging from the dark valley of the
shadows. What must be the feeling when for
the first time he gazes upon the glories of
heaven and listens to the anthems of nrftiso
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sung by celestial choirs?
To illustrate, imagine the case of Helen Keller,
a blind, deaf mute. Suppose her faithful
teacher, Endowed with supernatural power,
should have placed her, one bright glorious
May day, when all nature was musical with
new life, on some central tower in the harbor of
Boston. She stands now in absolute isolation.
She touches the world, so wonderful, only
through her feet and the breezes which fan
her cheek. She is enveloped in darkness and
>UTH [ June 4, 1913
1 silence infinite. Now the teacher in the exercise
of supernatural power touches her ear and
immediately there flows in and through her
soul all the melodies of sound. Again she
touches her eye, and suddenly that isolated
soul passes out into the infinite world and takes
into consciousness all the visions of earth and
sea and sky. Without moving and without any
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ear and eye widens her horizon infinitely and
brings her face to face with a thousand worlds
she knew nothing of before.
Some such experience will be yours and mine
when ear and eye are opened to heavenly realities
in the hour when we enter in through the
gates into the city. This wonderful change
shall bring us at once into the presence of the
whole universe, of the music of all its spheres
and of the effulgence of all its suns. And we
shall see the King face to faoe.
(2) But this will not be the time when the
soul shall say, "I am satisfied." While super
lauveiy nappy, mere is something more to be
added. If the capacity for happiness is increased
there will be joy greater still. The resurrection
will be the time when the redeemed soul
shall realize its eternal satisfaction. It is true
that the believer at death 4 4 is made perfect in
holiness and does immediately pass into glory,''
yet that is not final. There is something more'
complete to look forward to?when all the redeemed
shall pass forever from under the
power of death and each entire person shall
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Lord in the new heaven and the new earth.
The resurrection means much in the great
scheme of redemption. Man consists of soul
and body. The entire person is the only possible
subject of complete and final judgment.
Rewards and punishments are according to the
deeda done in the body. Resurrection is equally
necessary in the case of the finally saved and
Ihe finally lost.
The saints, in lieaveu, have not yet awakened
in the complete likeness of Christ. There is
something more to be added. And hence one
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every saint of tiod and in the history of redemption
will be the victory and triumphs of
the resurrection. We naturally think of some
glorious triumphal procession of the past for
illustration. When Kome was in her glory and
a foe invaded her territory, a great general
was sent forth at the head of a mighty army
to meet the foe on the field of battle . The
enemy was met aud conquered. A great victory
was gained. The general and his victorious
army marched back to the City of Kome. As
they enter the city they are welcomed and con
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gioiumicu uu every iiunu. iney are nappy indeed,
but on the morrow that victorious army
re-enters the city in a glorious triumphal procession.
As they near the city all Rome turns
out to welcome them. They crowd upon housetops
and in the windows to applaud them and
to shower upon them roses and lilies of Rome.
They were happy before, but now with the
royal welcome added to their victory they ask
for no more. Their cup is full.
The saints have not yet entered into the full
possession of all the fruits of their victory in
Christ. An enemy invaded Godte territory.
God sent his Son forth to meet the foe. He
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upuu i4io uciu 01 sirne. lie conquered
though He fell in the struggle. He went down
into death's kingdom. He conquered death
Himself. He rose from the dead, and ascended
to the right hand of God. All heaven rejoioed
in the great victory gained. Angels shouted
the news from every hill-top of heaven, from
world to world, from star to star, and from sun
to sun. Sacrificial redemption, the greatest