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ESTABLISHED 1821.
The Christian Index.
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HOW THE DEACONS GAME DOWN
ON THE PRAYER-MLETING.
BY AN EYE WITNESS.
The pastor sat behind the table
on which the great Bible lay open,
the leaves of which he was slowly
turning as he looked for a lesson for
the evening. It was nearly time
to open the prayer-meeting. Scat
tered about over the large audito
rium, sat a few people whose faces
he could barely discern “By the
struggling moonbeams’ misty light
and the lanterns dimly burning.”
The congregation was composed
of a few faithful and godly sisters,
one old brother who could not pray
in public, andanumberof giggling
young people who had come to
look at each other. The sexton
snored in the gallery. The pastor
rose to give out the first hymn.
Looking over the congregation he
said : “This is an ideally beautiful
night; the atmosphere is balmy,
the moonlight is enchanting. One
does not expect the brethren to at
tend upon the services of the
sanctuary on damp evenings nor on
hot days, but I very much wish we
could get our Christian heroism up
to thi point where we cou'd stand
a little moonshine.” The hymn
was announced. While they were
singing the first verse, to the sur
prise of everyone, who should enter
but deacon A ? With some embar
rassment he stole quietly to a seat.
The composure of the little com
pany was visibly ruffled, but noth
ing occurred beyond some curious
glance* and a few discords. When
the pastor was looking for the sec
ond hymn, the door opened and
deacon B, followed by deacon C,
came down the aisle. The sisters
looked at each other, the young
people took their eyes off of one
another for a moment to gaze upon
the invaders. The pastor sat trem
bling from head to foot with ex
citement and confusion, and the
cold perspeiation stood in great
beads upon his forehead. What
could it mean? Utterly discon
certed he forgot that he was look
ing for a hymn and said “let us
pray”—being too excited to collect
his thoughts he in desperation
called on deacon A to lead the
prayer. That functionary fell on
his knees and said in a quick, me
tallic voice, “We thank thee that
everything is as well with us this
evening as what it is ; and finally
save us in heaven. Amen ! ” When
deacon A resumed his seat his face
looked like the Aurora Borealis,
and he was blowing and perspiring
as if he were just out of a foot
race.
The nonplussed pastor began
looking for another hymn, when
deacon D, deacon E and deacon F
came in. This was too much ; the
now paralyzed and frantic pastor
called out a number at random,
which the choir sang with voices
trembling with emotion and sup
pressed excitement. Deacon E was
called on to pray, for the dumb
founded pastor could neither do
nor say anything. He feared there
would be no response, but he was
mistaken, for deacon E, dignified
and white-haired, “got down on the
perishing knees of his mortal and
fast decaying body to give thanks
that while many as good as we
were by nature, and far better by
practice, had gone the way of all
the earth, we were the spar ed
monuments of love and mercy.”
He rattled off very glibly our grat
itude that we were “still on mercy’s
side of the grave, and on praying
grounds and pleading terms.”
After “praying for all for whom we
ought to pray for,” and making
some other patented remarks to the
Lord, he said “ Amen.” During
this deliverance deacon E pulled
out the tremulo stop of his vocal
organ. This showed his intense
earnestness and was very affect
ing.
The pastor, having by this time
recovered his composure sufficient
ly to proceed, proceeded. He made
a talk on prayer. The meeting
closed. As the awestricken com
pany filed out, the pastor pointed
to the gallery from which a sonor
ous noise had proceeded through
out the service like a musical ac
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
IS, 'ION. Pru Yi»b,.-*2.00.
• TO . 'S, 1.00.
companiment to a .ecitation or a
marriage ceremony, and said,
“tread lightly, please, I am afraid
you will wake the sexton.”
The retiring congregation no
ticed as they glanced back, that
the deacons all remained seated.
The pastor remained also, and when
the last foot fall had died away in
the distance, like a brave man he
peremptorily demanded of the
deacons an explanation of their at
tendance at the prayer-meeting.
They hastened to explain that they
had found it necessary to hold a
business meeting; that the mer
chants had been saying right
hard things about the pastor for
not settling his accounts, one of
them having gone so far as to call
him a dead beat and a thief ; where
upon a good 6ister had reminded
the deacons *hat the church owed
the pastor all the pastor owed the
merchants, and at her suggestion
they had decided to hold a deacons’
meet’ng to see if any plans could be
devised by which at least a part of
what was due on the pastor’s salary
could be arranged for in some way.
The church had been agreed on as
the place of meeting because it was
central, and they had selected
prayer-meeting night as the time
because the church would be al
ready lighted. They had made it
a point to inquire as to which was
prayer-meeting night for that
reason. They promised not to do
so any more, and with that under
standing the matter was dropped.
The explanation gradually be
came known to the little prayer
meeting company, and by degrees
the excitement died out ; but little
boys who were at prayer-meeting
that night (and some were there as
escorts for their mothers) when
they are gray haired men, will take
their grandchildren on their knees
and tell them of “ how the deacons
came down on the prayer-meet
ing.”
CHRIBTIAN EXPERIENCE.
BY' REV. THOMAS WALKER.
What is it? Worcester says,
that it is to know by practice or
trial. But what do we say about
it? Can we bear witness? Have
we a Christian experience? If so,
have we suffered much in cross
bearing? Did our suffering cause
us to think of the suffering of Jesus?
And of Paul the great Apostle?
Are we not reminded in our suffer
ing, of the great suffering, of Huss,
Jerome and Luther and hundreds
o! others who died a martyr’s death.
This was their experience, that,
“through floods and flame, if Jesus
lead, I’ll follow where he goes.” 1
shall never forget the first divine
impression made upon my heart.
I was a boy about 17 years old. It
is true, I was not an Angel of a boy
by no means, but just to the oppo
site, however, the Lord called and
1 obeyed. It was on a Saturday
night when I began to think most
seriously about my condition. I had
been out during the evening hav
ing what we boys called a good
time, but not knowing at that time
that it would be my last Saturday
night spent in that way. Between
the hours of 11 and 12 that Satur
day night I returned home to my
dear mothers house, she loved ine, I
knew that, and she was never too
tired to get up and let her boy in.
That old mother is in heaven now
waiting and watching for me.
How we ought to love our mothers,
we seem not to realize their worth
uniil after they are dead and gone.
But that night my mind was deeply
impressed, and but little sleep for
iny eyes. The next day was the
Lord’s day, and when the church
bell was tolling it sounded to me
like a funeral bell, and so it was all
day with me. But in the little
village of Graniteville, S. C. where
I lived, there was a protracted
meeting going on at the Baptist
church, and on Monday night I was
led by some unknown power to me,
to the church. I listened to the
Rev. A. P. Norris preach, and
when the invitation was given for
prayer, I presented myself among
the rest. Tuesday night came, and
with it came the temptation, the
two young men that I had prom
ised on Saturday night before, was
there, and high up to carry me with
them, that we might take our fill of
sin, but I quietly declined, and said
boys I am going to the church, and
I went. Again I asked the prayers
of the church, and so the next
night, and on Thursday night I ask
for membership. The preacher
said my brother, do you feel that
God for Christ sake, has forgiven
your sins. In reply, I said, Ido not
know, but one thing I do know, I
know that I have forsaken sin, just
the Tuesday night before. I con
tinued by saying that I loved the
church and wanted to follow Christ
through Baptism. And on that
experience I was received, and bap
tized. Then like Jesus trial began.
The young man that was before
my bosom friend, began at once to
haunt me with the little brown jug,
but God was with me, and helped
me to resist the temptation. At
one time he (the young man) fol
lowed me home and tried his very
best to get me to drink with him.
He went so far as to pour the
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY, JUNE 27 1895.
whisky out in a glass, but God gave
me grace to say no, and I have
teen saying no ever since. Some
months after this, that young man
professed faith in Christ and was
baptized into the fellowship of the
same church of which I was a
member. He is now in heaven I
trust. But the trials did not cease,
for satan was as busy then as he is
now. For another young man
came and tried to provoke me into
a difficulty with him. Satan failed
with the jug, and now resorted to
other means. In this battle I must
confess he worried me not a little.
But through God’s strength I came
off victorious. But in a very short
time after this I entered the minis
try and have not failed to preach
the Gospel the best I could. But
that young man, what about him?
Oh, he took the other way. “the
broad way,” this way leads to death.
This young man was charged with
murder, tried, condemned and sen
tenced to death. I was sent for by
him, and I went, and oh, what a
spectacle he was, what a change,
soon he must die. I read God’s
word and then prayed for him, and
pointed him to Jesus Christ the
sinners only friend. But soon after
this he paid the penalty of the law,
by forfeiting his own life. I offi
ciated at his funeral —I made choice
of God and religion, and he saw
fit to do otherwise—God help the
young men to be wise, and choose
right rather than wrong. God
bless our young men. I would be
glad to finish this article some time
in the future.
For the Index.
MIGHTY TO SAVE.
Isaiah 63: 1.
BY O. C. PEYTON.
Why is Jesus “mighty to save ?”
To this question, there are many
answers. Note two or three.
1. Because of the infinite efficacy
of his shed blood. That blood shed
on Calvary was shed for sin. The
gospel we rejoice to preach is the
report of peace purchased and paid
for, the shedding of the precious
blood of the incarnate Son of God.
The gospel, which means “good
news,” is good news of liberty to
guilty and condemned captives, it
is the joyful sound of pardon to
criminals, freedom of slaves, life to
tl e dead. The blood of Jesus is
the only basis of true peace. Be
ing baptized of itself is never going
to give peace. Simply being a
church member is not going to se
cure peace. Being a man or wo
man of high moral character is not
going to bring peace. But, “being
justified by faith” in the blood of
Jesus “we have peace with God
through him. The peace of God
which passeth all understanding is to
be secured only in andthrough hum
ble, earnest, person all trust in the
blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus
lies at the very threshold of the
Christian life. It is the very alpha
bet of true Christian experience to
know the real value of the blood
of the atonement. The very first
step in the Christian race is to the
“fountain opened” on Calvary for
sin and uncleanness. Alas ! If our
hopes are not stamped with the
blood of Jesus they are idle, vain,
useless as castles in the air.
2. The omnipotent power of
the Holy Spirit. Oh ! I fear we
lose sight of this all-important
truth—mid all our multiplied agen
cies we are forgetting, I fear, that
we can do nothing without the
Holy Spirit’s mighty help I thank
God for all the varied agencies in
operation for doing good. I
thank him that the gospel is
preached far and wide. lam grate
ful that the truth on printed
pages is being scattered to every
wind. Yes, thank God for all
the effort of his people to save men.
But, dear brethren, let us not for
get, God forbid that we forget, God
keep us from forgetting that all
our effort is utterly useless and un
availing save as the power of the
Holy Spirit is put forth. It is not
eloquence of preachers. It is not
force of moral suasion. It is not
graces of oratory or finish of rhet
oric. Let us use all these and con
secrate them to God’s service. But
none of these can save men and
saving men is one divinely appoint
ed work. The Holy Spirit is the
great factor. ‘“lt is the Spirit that
quickeneth.” How can I impress
this on you? The Holy Spirit
must illumine the truth until it
shall fire the heart of the preacher.
The Holy Spirit must stir the heart
of the preacher with love for souls
and longing to save souls until he
shall speak his message in words
and tones that shall stir men’s souls.
Let us honor the Holy Spirit
more. Let us recognize more his
Divine might.
“Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove!
With all thy quickening powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.”
3. His ever-living intercession.
Christ intercedes at God’s right
hand for all who believe and trust
in him. I wish all of us gave more
thought to this part of our Savior s
work for us. I would not have
you think less of the Savior’s aton
ing death. I would not have you
look less on the cross but I beg you
dwell more on his interceding life-
He who loved us and gave himself
for us ever-liveth to accomplish the
very objects for which he died. As
our Mediational Priest, he liveth to
intercede for all who come unto
God by him. As our Medi
aorial King, he has all power,
all authority. He pleads not
our merit but his own perfect righ
teousness. He asks favors not be
cause we are worthy but because
he is worthy. He pleads the merit
of his own atoning death. He has
authority to intercede for us. He
pleads his own righteousness. This
is more that authority. A king
may have all authority to rule, and
yet, be corrupt. None deny that
Henry S, of England, was the right
ful ruler of his time but he was
base in morals. But, our king is
perfect—“holy, harmless, undefiled
and separate from sinners.” And
he is in full sympathy with us He
knows our need. He is full of
compassion.
Jesus, dear reader, is mighty to
save you ! He is willing to save
you now. He will save you com
pletely, fully, in all the richness and
fulness of the meaning of the word.
He stands ready and waiting to
save you from the power of sin,
from its guilt, from its ruin, from
its presence, for in the home of the
saved there is no sin. 1 beg you
come, come to Jesus !
WHERE WORK SHOULD BE DONE.
If development in piety and mis
sionary zeal be the object in view
by our State Board, then there is
much to accomplish along these
lines in the mountain sections of
northeast Georgia. The time has
come when it is no longer safe for
our Baptist poople to neglect this
important section if they expect to
retain their denominational hold
upon the masses.
Here, in the bounds of the North
Georgia Baptist Convention, we
find about 35,000 Baptists. This
great host is lying perfectly dor
mant, so far as religious work is
concerned. It is true there is much
genuine piety among the people,
but there is almost no concern
about the question of mission work,
either at home or abroad. Many,
many of our people have a low
conception of moral life, especial
ly when it touches the question of
making,selling and drinking moun
tain dew. It is not an uncommon
thing to find Baptists who are in
rebellion against the laws of the
United States on this question, and
while some of our people Would
not violate the law themselves they
would not give ar»v information
ezainst those whfA--"- Put .there
is progress in educational work go
ing on among the younger element,
and this means that there is going
to be a new stream of religious life
rising among the people. The
question we have to face is as to
whether our Baptist people will
lead this new life, or whether they
are going to allow others to take
charge of it. Already other denom
inations are realizing the impor
tance of this field and are opening
up schools in different sections,
which schools will be important
factors in the development of their
denominational life. We must
push this phase of work and make
the most we can of it. Then in
some way our Board must get hold
of the leading pastors, secure their
sympathy and confidence, and then
gradually get them to see the im
portance of Sunday-school and
church work. Thousands of these
people only attend church once a
month and the children have no
Sunday-schools to go to. Many of
the pastors are not in sympathy
with progress in any way, because
they have not been educated along
these lines. The time has come
when the Board must turn its at
tention to this work, or we will
suffer irreparable loss.
A GOOD MEETING.
The First church, Gainesville,
has recently enjoyed a helpful pro
tracted meeting. It continued for
three weeks. There were not so
many conversions, but the member
ship seemed to be greatly revived.
Pastor Jameson, Atlanta, gave as
sistance that was greatly appreci
ated. His preaching is pungent,
because Scriptural. His work here
in this meeting, has greatly en
deared him to our people.
AN EASTERN TRIP.
The pastor of the First church,
Gainesville, has decided to take a
trip to Europe and Palestine at an
early day. He will, the Lord being
willing, accompany the Whittle
and Hale party, which will sail
from New York, August 24th, on
the ship “Mobile.” The route
from London will be through Paris,
Rome, Athens, Ephesus, Smyrna,
Tarsus and other places ; then on
across Lebanon to Damascus ; from
there to Palestine, where they will
spend seventeen days in October.
All the leading places in the Holy
Land will be visited under the di
rection of Rolla Floyd, who has
been in Palestine twenty years.
The party will sail from there to
Egypt, and visit the most interest
ing places. After this they will re
turn through Europe ami thence
home. The party will be gone
about ninety days, and the trip will
cost $690. It wdl be under the
business management of Henry
Gaze ifc Sons, who will take charge
of the party in London. There will
be no extra chaifjes for anything,
scarcely, except laundry. Any
who do not want to go any further
than Europe can go with this party
for the sum of $365* and enjoy a
splendid stay in different places.
I would be glad indeed to have any
one in Georgia, who desires such a
trip, to go with us. If any who
reads this would like to go, and
wants further information, if he
will write to me I will gladly fur
nish it. Ladies, as well as gentle
men, are going, and their company
is especially desired. #
G. H. Carter,
Gainesville, Ga.
“PALM SUNDAY.”
BY I*. S. WHITMAN, D. D.
Few readers are apt to be con
scious how many and varied are
the‘events, and how large a part of
the teachings of Christ belong to
that interval of time between his
triumphal entry into Jerusalem and
the hour when having left the tem
ple for the last time and ended all
his sayings on Olivet, he arrived
with his disciples at the house of
Simon, the leper in Bethany One
may well be surprised at the
amount of inspired record given to
this space of time when he consid
ers how short the space must have
been.
As for what occurred on the day
of entrance aside from the entrance
itself, the account is brief, “And
he entered into Jerusalem, into the
temple; ind having looked around on
all things the hour now being late,
he went out to Bethany. Mark 11 :
11. The discourse attendant on
the Greeks wishing to see Jesus
was no doubt, on that first day that
Jesus entered the temple. All that
is embraced in the remaining part
of the record commences, we think
with the day after the triumph.
Now it is claimed that the tri
umph was on Sunday: it is also
generally conceded that it was on
the ensuing Tuesday n ght that Je
sus arrived with his disciples at Si
mon’s in Bethany. Hence the time
thus given for all those events and
all the teachings above referred to
is from Monday morning to the
next day night. We were first led
to query as to this short space of
time by an expression which Mark
subsequently makes in closing up
the account of a day’s proceedings,
v. 19. “And whenever it became
late they went forth out of the city.
Such an expression seems to be
made in order to avoid repeating
afterwards how at night he left the
city. But Mark has already said
that on the night before, he went
out to Bethany. If that night was
Sunday, then this was Monday,
and there was no subsequent night
that Jesus “when it was late,” left
the city ; for on the next day, (his
last in the temple), he must have
left long before night, in order to
give time for all those sayings as
he sat on Olivet. —Hear, also, Luke
19 =47. “And he was teaching dai
ly in the temple.” How can any
reader, especially an expositor, be
content to make this expression ap
ply to a duration of time extending
only from onemorniog to the next
day evening? Hear Luke again,
20:1, “And it came to pass on one
of the days as he was teaching the
people in the temple and preaching
the gospel.” Who can believe that
the whole number of days was
scarcely two?
After going on further and fur
ther with his narrative, note how
Luke winds up, 21 137,38. “And
during the days he was teaching in
the temple ; but during the nights,
going out, he lodged in the mount
that is called the Mount of Olives.
And all the people were coming
early in themoroing—[came morn
ing after morning | to him in the
temple to hear him.” It is about
as certain as anything can be, that
the duration of time here indicated
could not be merely from one morn
ing to the next day evening.
But where lies the necessity for
supposing the time was thus limit
ed? It lies in the one premise,
namely, that the triumphal entry
was on Sunday. But there appears
to be no Scriptural warrant for this
premise. On the contrary, the in
spired narrative shows quite clearly
the t reverse —that the premise is
false. John, 12:1, says “six days
before the passover Jesus came to
Bethany, etc.” Every expositor,
in our keowledge, says this must
have been on Friday. It is in har
mony with the other gospels to say
Jesus had come from Jericho that
day morning. When John says,
“So they made him a supper there,
deipnon, (it was probably a late
dinner) no one has any right to
tell us it was on any other day
than that Friday, or, to confound
it with a night repast at Simon’s
the week after. Having related
the incidents attendant on that sup
per, John proceeds to say “On the
morrow,” here bringing in his ac
count of the triumphant entry of
Jesus into Jerusalem. Now we do
not have to harmonize this state-
ment with any thing the other gos
pel writers tell us, for not one of
them has a word to say of this ar
rival of Jesus at Bethany and his
reception there. We are obliged
to take the account here for just
what it says. According to the
context, the common reader, and
Ihe scholar as well, cannot allow
himself to think for a moment oth
erwise than that “the morrow”
means Saturday ; if it was on Fri
day that Jesus came to Bethany.
Now what does John say occurred
“on the morrow ?’’ It was that
notable entrance into Jerusalem.
That entrance was then on the
Sabbath. The exposisors say in
deed that “Jesus rested on the Sab
bath at Bethany.” But had not
the Son of Man proclaimed himsel/
Lord of the Sabbath ? And did he
not show himself Lord of the Sab
bath by presenting himself on that
day in Jeruselem asking in Zion?
Was it not fitting for old and
young to fill the air with hosan
nahs, and for a glorious prophecy
to have its fulfillment on that dly
which had been set apart from the
creation of all things for the wor
ship of the creator, Christ himself?
Indeed it is quite possible that
when Jesus thus entered the city
and was so signally the object of
worship on that Sabbath day it
was the tirst time the Sabbath had
ever been truly kept in Jerusalem’
We conceive of nothing more fit
ting than that the distinguished
prophecy of Isaiah “Lo, thy king
cometh”should be fulfilled on God’s
holy day? If we find fault with
this, we may as well adjudge Christ
in fault when he avowed himself
Lord of the Sabbath.
Thus the New Testament nar
ratives do not appear to give man
kind any chance to speak of a
“Palm Sunday.” Just as sure as
it was Friday that Jesus ar
rived in Bethany six days be
fore the passover, just so sure it
is that he made his triumphal en
trance over the branches of palm
into Jerusalem on the Sabbath,
which, as we here see was the
Lord’s Day, sure enough. The
fanciful reader may call it palm
Saturday or palm Sabbath, but he
cannot say “palm Sunday” without
wronging the truth.
As for what was done on that
Sabbath, the adoration of the peo
ple is certainly prominent. Con
joined with this we must place the
discourse of Jesus which seems ti
have been induced by the desire of
certain Greeks to see Jesus. The
request seems at once to have taken
the mind of Jesus to the great cen
tral event in the work of redemp
tion; and it led him, in the dis
couisc ;hat followed, to intimate
that he would soon be lifted up
where all could see him. It was a
tender association, a blessed day,
that Sabbath in Jerusalem!
It was on the next day—and no
one need question that it was Sun
day —that Jesus came early from
Bethany, even before breakfast, to
Jerusalem. And evidently he
meant business. When he went
into the temple, it was not just to
look around on all things as he
did the day before and then leave.
It was real work when he proceed
ed to cleanse that temple. He was
there early to have this done as
soon as possible and be ready for
the people when they gathered.
An immense amount of instruc
tion was to be given, agreement on
agreement and controversy on con
troversy held the great lessons of
wisdom in manifold ways to be
taught, and he had not a moment
to lose. We don’t know that the
whole is told us ; but what is told
as transpiring between his entering
the temple that morning and his
arrival at Simon’s the Tuesday
night, occupies about a tenth of the
whole record of the public minis
try of Christ. We have no dispo
sition io assign so large a part of
the record to barely two days and
an intervening night It could not
have been less than three days and
two intervening nights. This con
clusion we gladly accept; and with
no regret we leave the theory of a
“palm Sunday” to fade forever
from the imagination.
BOASTING OF TO-MORROW.
BY J. S. SATCHWILL .
The Holy Spirit repeatedly
warns us against presumptuously
trusting to our own plans or of
boasting of the future as though it
belonged to us. The following
Scriptures are sufficient to indicate
the mind of the Holy Spirit con
cerning the matter:
“Boast not thyself of to-morrow ;
for thou knowest not what a day
may bring forth.” Prov. 27:1.
“Take therefore no thought for the
morrow : for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.” Matt. 6134 . “Behold,
now is the accepted time; behold,
now is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor.
6:2. “The Holy Ghost saith, To
day if ye will hear his voice, harden
not your hearts, as in the provoca
tion, in the day of temptation in
the wilderness.” Heb. 3 “Go
to now, ye that say, To-day or to
morrow we will go into such a city
VOL. 75—NO. 26
and continue there a year, and buy
and sell, and get gain : Whereas ye
know not what will be on the mor
row.
For what is your life ? It is even
a vapor that appeareth for a little
time, and then vanisheth away.
For that ye ought to say, if the
Lord will, we shall live, and do this
or that. But now ye rejoice in
your boasting: all such rejoicing is
evil.” James 4 113-16.
The Holy Spirit does not mean
by these Scriptures to prohibit us
from wisely, and in the fear of God,
making provision for the morrow,
but, from relying upon our own
plans regardless of the will of God.
Notwithstanding the urgent and
oft repeated warnings against this
wicked presumption, they have
been treated with repeated heed
lessness. It appsars that the Jews
were possessed of a strong predi
lection to self-reliance and went
about devising ways, forgetting
that the Lord directed their steps.
“Thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judgest:
for wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemest thyself; for thou
th it judgest doest the same thing.”
Rom. 2:1.
The nineteenth century Chris
tians cannot with safety throw
stones at the Jews for they too live
in glass houses. Many of us have
had little or no progress—though
living in a progressive age—during
the past eighteen hundred years of
schooling. We go about our af
fairs planning for the future, post
poning from day to day, as though
God did not exist or, is unconscious
of the devices of our hearts. If we
have made no proficiency in the
schools of divine instruction and
experience, it is because we have
not applied ourselves with that de
gree of intensity which should
characterize the child of God. Let
us, with dligence. betake ourselves
to the school of wisdom and there
learn, instead of encluding God
from all our thoughts, to include
him in all of our purposes lest we
become vain in our imaginations
and our foolish hearts be darkened
and we become fools in the sight of
God.
There are several reasons why
we should not boast ourselves of
to-morrow.
First, because to-morrow is not
ours. Time belongs exclusively to
God. Jeremy Taylor says, “In the
distribution of our time God seems
to be straight-handed, and gives it
to us, not as nature gives rivers,
enough to drown us, but drop by
drop, minute after minute, so that
we can never have two minutes to
gether, but he takes away one
when he gives us another.” “This
should teach us,” he continues, “to
value our time, since God so val
ues it, and, by his so small distribu
tion of it, tells us it is the most
precious thing we have.” Since
time belongs to God and he deals it
out to us in so precious a manner,
is it not folly, yea a species of in
sanity for an unconverted sinner
to say to the Holy Spirit in his ten
der entreaties, “Go thy way for this
time; when I have a convenient
season I will call for thee?” Acts
24:25.
It is even worse than insanity to
defer a present duty to the indefi
nite future, for it is laying claim
to that which does not belong to
us, which we call, in common par
lance, stealing. Furthermore no
man who defers a present duty can
claim the guiding hand of God be
cause God’s time is now. “To
day if ye will hear his voice, har
den not your hearts.”
Again, who except God is suffi
ciently wise to know what the is
sues of to-morrow will be? “Thou
knowest not what a day may bring
forth.” “It is not for us to know
the times or the seasons, which the
Father hath put in his own pow
er.” Acts 1:7.
Our absolute ignorance concern
ing future contingencies should
preclude all boasting and teach us
to form our plans with reference to
the will of God because it is sinful
to ignore his will in the formation
of our purposes The apostle James,
in writing to the Jews who were
guilty of ignoring the pleasure of
God in what they were about to
do and even rejoicing in it, says
“But now ye rejoice in your boast
ing , all such rejoicing is evil.”
“Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof.”
Therefore let Gods children say,
“If the Lord will, we shall live and
do this or that.” This lesson learned
and faithfully practiced will save
us from much anxiety for God
keeps in perfect peace those who
have their minds stayed on him and
trust in him, but “He that trusteth
in his own heart is a fool.” Prov.
28:26. In conclusion, if you de
sire perfect peace of mind and wish
to avoid being associated with the
fool “Commit thy way unto the
Lord; trust also in him; and he
shall bring it to pass.” Psa. 37 ’.5.
Campbellsburg, Ky.
Our good brother W. S. Rogers,
of Lake City, Fla., had two children
to graduate in the State College at
the late commencement —Willie and
Daisey. Both graduated with dis
tinction.