Newspaper Page Text
2
(Onv
THE AIM AND METHOD OF
CHRISTIAN PROGRESS.
A SERMON BY REV. H. W WILLIAMS.
PREACHED AT THE COMMENCEMENT
OF THE GAINESVILLE FEMALE SEM
INARY AND CONSERVATORY OF
MUSIC, GAINESVILLE, GA., MAY 81,
1896.
“I account not myself to have appre
hended ; but this one thing I do, forget
ting those things which are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which
are before, 1 press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus.” —Phil. 8:18,14.
These words were the keynote of a
great life. They were written by a man
who was unsatisfied with himself—with
what he was and all he had done.
They express his real aim in life, and
declare it still unattained. But they
suggest no despair, nor even discourage
ment Like other writings of the great
apostle, they place him down on a level
with the people to whom he wrote. It
was for our encouragement that he thus
let himself down There was an almost
superhuman aspect of his life, the con
temptation of which only excites our
wonder and admiration, and places
him entirely beyond our imitation.
Great characters do not excite our de
sire of imitation unless there is some
point in their career at which they are
let down low enough to touch common,
weak humanity. One purpose of God
in appointing his Son to live a human
life was that he might not be removed
from our imitation. It is expressly
stated that "he was tempted in all points
like as we are." The evangelists are
particular to record the play of human
passions in the Savior's breast. He was
deeply grieved at times when he saw
the people so slow of heart to believe.
At other times there were expressions
of surprise and even discouragement
when his own disciples seemed ready to
forsake him He wept with afflicted
sisters. He displayed anger when he
saw the temple desecrated by the
traders. He groaned with dread as he
contemplated the coming agonies of the
crucifixion And in every recorded
prayer there are manifested the yearn
ings of a tender, sensitive human heart.
Therefore it can be said that we have
not a high priest who cannot be touched
with a feeling of our infirmities." And
this sympathy between him and ns is
our greatest encouragement to strive to
be like him. If the great apostle, after the
manner of the modern ‘holiness " cranks,
had lifted himself into an air of saintli
ness, above all temptation, above all
struggles, beyond the possibility of sin.
he would have left out of his writings
every passage like my text and his life
would have been far too ethereal to ad
mit of imitation. But to our great joy,
he represents himself as a mere man.
unsatisfied with past attainments, still
yearning and struggling to lay hold of
an aim yet unreached
What was the apostle's aim ? It was
nothing short of perfection. It is surely
not necessary for me to state that no
Christian should aim at anything less
Do you ask me if it is possible to reach
such a high purpose in this life? No ;
nor is it possible for any finite being to
reach perfection even in eternity. It is
a school in which no one can graduate
It is a mark whose golden center yet re
mains untouched. There are some
problems in mathematics whose exact
answers cannot be expressed. Every
calculation approaches more nearly the
exact truth by a very small fraction,
but were you to continue these calcula
tions for centuries, you still would only
approximate the real answer So it is
with the Christian's aim. No day need
pass without some approach toward its
attainment. But when we have been n
heaven ten thousand years, we shall
only approximate perfection Then
when we have been there ten thousand
years more, perfection will yet be un
reached. To be perfect is to be infinite,
and there is but one infinite Being His
character is the standard of our aim,
and as the ages roll by his saints will
approximate more and more without
ever attaining his perfection An oppo
site view would not bear the test of rea
son If we should ever become equal
with God, then there would cease to be
any God. We then would be as worthy
of worship as the Creator, and there
would be no worshipers, unless there
still remained some imperfect angels
There must al ways remain some degrees
of perfection between the Creator and
all of his creatures.
But why should we aim at a standard
which it is impossible to reach ? Per
haps the best reason exists in the origin
of this aim. which is the divine nature
dwelling in us and striving to lift us up
to God s level. This at least explains, if
it does not give a reason for. the lofty
aspiration of the Christian But in
order to reach the highest possible mark
we must aim at the highest standard.
For in real attainments we are sure to
fall below our aim No poet was ever
able to put into words and measures his
dream of beautiful sentiments and di
vine thoughts No master musician
was ever able to produce, on even the
finest instrument, the symphony to
which his soul listened while he was
composing. No orator has ever been as
eloquent as he intended to be The
artist, even in his greatest production,
never sees on canvas the picture which
he aimed to paint there The sculptor
cannot put into marble form his ideal of
symmetry and loveliness. So the great
apostle whose words we are studying
never builded the character which he
aimed to build, but be ouilded better
by aiming at perfection.
We should mark and imitate the
apostle's method of accomplishing his
aim ; and it is worthy of being men
tioned first that his aim was single.
"This one thing I do." Everything else
was made subservient to this all impor
tant purpose. By obtaining this he
would realize other things, but he aimed
at none of them Happiness itself would
be realized, but it was not aimed at To
be happy should not be made the mark
at which we aim. Neither should one
strive to be good and useful for the sake
of the happiness it will afford. There
are some who seek an education, not
for the sake of knowledge itself
but for the sake of the honor and
success which it may bring them.
But such are not genuine lovers
of knowledge. The attainment < f
knowledge is itself reward enough for
the labor spent in acquiring it. and so
ought to be sought for its own sake. So
with goodness and holiness. Indeed
goodness that is sought for the sake of
rewards it may bring is a spurious type.
The child who speaks the truth only for
the praise and other rewards given by
its parents is not a truthful child The
man who is honest because "honesty is
the beat policy" is not an honest man at
heart. So the hope of heaven should
not be the motive for living holy. Vir
tue is its own reward, and should be
sought for its own sake. We should
aim at the mark, not the prize, even
though the hope of winning the prize
may stimulate our efforts to reach the
mark. The Christian's aim should be
single, and it should be to know Cl rist
and to be like him. In the context the
apostle says ; ‘‘l account all things to be
loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Jesus Christ my Lord ; for whom I
suffered the loss of all things, ami ac
count them refuse, that I mav gain
Christ, and be found in him." This was
his single aim. and it should be ours.
Another part of his method was to
forget the things which were behind.
Os course there are some things in our
past Christian experience which we
should not forget. To remember God’s
mercies in the past will encourage us to
expect his mercies in time to come. The
children of Israel recounted again and
again the kind providences of God
which had delivered them from bond
age and brought them safe to the goodly
land ; and nothing proved a greater
stimulant to their courage in times of
trying warfare than to be told of the
decisive victories which God had won
for them in the past- So in the Chris
tian's warfare, the memories of past de
liverance and victory dispel despair in
every present struggle But to remem
ber either the failures or the successes
of our past will only clog the wheels of
our progress. It absorbs present energy
and weakens present effort to spend our
thought on what we have lost or gained
in the past.
So if we would not hinder our prog
ress, we must forget our past failures.
There is nothing gained in brooding
over our losses. There is one thing at
least that is impos-ible with infinite
power ; that is to undo what has been
done and perform it another way . It is
said that he who never makes mistakes
never makes anything. A mistake of
itself may in no respect hinder us, while
brooding over it will take the time we
ought to employ in correcting it. One
man through his mistakes fails in busi
ness, ami the thought of it saps his
energy and robs him of all courage to
begin a new venture. Another man
makes bigger mistakes and meets with
a more disastrous failure, but, forget
ting what is behind, he begins where he
began at first, with a wealth of experi
ence and an increase of knowledge
which he did not have at first, and
which serve as a foundation for great
future success. A young lady in college
fails to pass a certain degree necessary
to her promotion. She broods over her
failure until her ambition dies She
throws up that study and with it the di
ploma promised at her graduation.
Another student fails, but does not de
spair. The increase of mental power
which is sure to accrue from the exer
cise of her faculties is worth quite as
much to her a« a high degree on her ex
amination papers would have been, and
the time the other spends in regretting
her loss, she spends in congratulating
herself on making the same study easy
another year. Those who fail ultimate
ly make but one more mistake than those
who succeed, and that is the mistake of
looking backward and condemning
themselves for their errors, repenting
of them and brooding over them, in
stead of leaving done what cannot be
undone and hastenirg to do something
better.
Sometimes a young man, after pursu
ing a calling for several years, decides
that he has mistaken his profession He
has spent much of his youth and all of
his means in special preparation, but he
does not seem to succeed ; his talent
does not seem to adapt him to the work
which he has chosen. But what has
been done cannot be undone, and there
is no time left in which to make another
special preparation Even in this situ
ation there are at least two possible
ways of escaping failure and ruin He
can use his increased knowledge and
experience in the pursuit of some other
calling, or, what is better, he can devote
himself with greater zeal and determi
nation to his first purpose and compel
success ; or he can do as many a man
has done, look back with a rueful, self
condemning spirit upon his wrong
choice until he loses all self confidence
and self respect, joins the low hoodlum
of humanity, ami buries forever a name
which might have adorned many pages
of the world's history
That which makes it still more foolish
to look back with gloomy regrets upon
what may seem the failures of the past,
is that in the events which make up a
life we cannot distinguish failures from
success. Sometimes the natural current
of a stream would carry italoug thiough
deep, dark mountain gorges, where it
would not so much as quench the thirst
of a few cattle, and the music of its
falls would greet no human ear. But
the artisan placesan obstruction in that
stream which turns its course around
the hillside until it falls upon a wheel
that drives a great factory, giving em
ployment and bringing a blessing to
thousands of people So in the current
of a human life the great Architect may
place as an obstruction what we would
call a failure and turn the course of that
life into another channel where it be
comes a power and blessing to many.
Was that a failure which wrought the
change, or was it a providential contri
bution to success ? The relation of a
single event to the whole careerof a hu
man life may be entirely different from
what it seems tons As seen by God, it
may be an essential element of success,
when it seems to us a calamitous failure.
Why, then, should we gloomily brood
over that which did not happen by
chance, but which was a divinely or
dered preventive of our loss and ruin ?
Forget it, forget it, and press on to
something yet before.
Forget, also your past successes. The
accomplishing of greater things depends
on your being dissatisfied with what
has already been done Dissatisfaction
with the pen led to the invention of the
printing press. Dissatisfaction with the
stage coach was the first step toward
the invention of the locomotive. Dissat
isfied even with the velocity with which
a message could be sent by the power of
steam, man brought into use the light
ning with which to transmit his
thoughts. It often turns out that the
member of a graduating class of young
ladies who receives the highest honors
at commencement, falls far behind
other members in subsequent attain
ments, because she dotes on what she
has done, with an air of satisfaction
which dwarfs her energies and stops her
efforts. The most promising graduate
is the one who receives her diploma
with a feeling of disappointment. It
seems to her to signify the minutest
fragment of what is to be done in life.
The close of her school days is indeed
to her a commencement. The joy which
accompanies the honor is not as thrilling
as she expected, and the whole event
soon becomes a dim picture in her mem
ory . So it will be all through her life,
that no past attainment will be great
enough to dote on, but forgetting the
things which are behind, she will press
on to the things which are before.
A student of art had painted his first
picture He had far surpassed his own
expectations. He only hoped that his
future efforts might come up to this
one He sat for hours at a time gazing
at and admiring this wonderful product
of his genius. The master under whose
tuition he had studied, marked his
pupil's undue admiration of what was
indeed a very inferior production. One
day as the young artist sat gazing with
delight at the work of his own hand,
the master seized a brush dipped in the
coarsest paint and smeared it all over
the idolized model of his young pupil,
who was greatly indignant and sorely
grieved at the seemingly rash conduct
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX : THURSDAY, JUNE 18. 1896.
of his teacher. But this event marked
the beginning of progress in the young
artist's skill which finally placed him
among the masters of his profession.
The best we have done in anything is
not as good as we can do. Truly great
men have never done anything which
seemed great to them. Egotism and
self praise are characteristic of medi
ocres and weak minded men. But it is
not egotism in one to aim at and expect
to do great things. Such is a worthy
and holy ambition. The great keep no
record of past exploits, but the egotist
is always telling us of some wonderful
accomplishment of his in the past. He
never forgets his past success, and so
never reaches forth to something greater
and better yet to be done
Especially in the divine life is this
law in force. Contemplation of past
merits is an obstacle in the way of
growth in grace It is characteristic of
the good to deplore their imperfections
The best thing we can do with our
deeds of charity and liberality is to for
get them We may be assured that
heaven will keep the account of our
virtues and merits correctly, and we
shall not be permitted to compare books
in that great day. Many a saint has
spent a long life in serving faithfully
his God, and has built a monument that
will s’and to perpetuate his memory
among men for all time to come, but as
he looked back from the eventide of
that life he could see nothing that he
had done of which he could boast, and
he felt that it would strain mercy to
save his soul. Mr. McLaren, of -Edin
burgh, was dying. A friend coming in
said to him. ‘‘What are you doing,
brother?” His answer was, *’ I’ll tell
you what I am doing brother; lam
gathering together all my prayers, all
my sermons, all my good deeds, all my
evil deeds; and I am going to throw
them all overboard and swim to glory
on the plank of Free Grace.” If we
have been good, or have done good
deeds, it has been through divine grace,
so ‘where is boasting then? It is ex
eluded.”
But you should forget, also, your past
guilt. There is a disposition on the
part of many a Christian, even after
he believes his sins all pardoned and
washed away by the blood of Christ,
to review them and censure himself for
them every time a fresh error is com
mitted. Even though God has blotted
them out and said that he will remem
ber them against us no more forever,
yet every time we sin, or discover in
ourselves any weakness, we feel that we
must repent anew of all our past trans
gressions, as if God were so unjust as
to present for a second settlement an
account which he had cancelled once.
It is possible that remorse has done
more to weaken and hinder Christians
than recklessness. Remorse is such a
heavy load to carry that no man can
expect to run the Christian race at a
very rapid pace with this burden upon
him. Christian, in Bunyan's wonder
ful allegory, trudged along at a slow
gate bo long as he bore upon his back
the terrible burden. But when he came
to the cross, that burden tumbled from
his back down into the sepulchre, where
he never saw it any more and then he
leaped for joy and ran more swiftly.
How foolish it would have been in
Christian to go back and pluck out of
Christ’s grave the burden of guilt which
was already buried I have been at
meetings where Christians were urged
to come to the "mourner's bench" that
they might groan again under the bur
den of their eins which God had for
given and forgotten. Allow me to say
in this preßence that if the "mourner's
bench" is fitted for anything in the
world, it is surely no place for a Chris
tian. A Christian may backslide and
lose the joy of his first love; but there
is no need of his going back to the ru
diments of religion and laying again
the foundation of repentance from
dead works. The exhortation of the
inspired Word is, “ Let us go on unto
perfection.” God does not want any
man coming to him to look backward.
The only thing which can be done with
past guilt is to unload it on Christ.
This is precisely what we are told to do.
The Lord does not command you to go
back and undo anything you have done,
or to straighten any crooked deed of
your past life, but simply that you will
start out from where you are and go
on to perfection. It is well to remem
ber that we were not created so much
for what we have been as for what we
are yet to be. If you will let go your
past sins, they can have nothing to do
with deciding your future destiny. If
God is willing to blot out and forget
your past guilt, why should you re
member it -only for the • remorse it
causes, you ? There stood before the
Lord Jesus one charged with a terrible
sin. They who brought her clamored
for her condemnation and punishment.
But none of them were sinless enough
to be made her executioners, and when
a guilty conscience had driven them all
away, the Lord looked up and said:
" Woman, where are they ? did no man
condemn thee?” And she said. “No
man, Lord.” And Jesus said, "Neither
do I condemn thee, go thy way; from
henceforth sin no more," as if to teach
us that we should think more of what
we are to be than of what we have been.
What sin sick souls need most of all is
encouragement, not the despair that
comes from a retrospect of past guilt,
and there is encouragement for every
one who sees his sins, even for the man
who has sinned the best part of his life
away. For if he will let go his sine
and reach forth toward God. he will
feel the divine hand laying hold of him
to help him; and if he will listen, he
will hear the voice of inspiration say
ing, ‘ ‘ The blood of Jesus, his Son,
cleanse th us from all sin,” or, as writ
ten by another, " Though your sins be
as scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow; though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool.” The gospel
given us proclaims a Savior who is able
to go to the lowest depths of human
want and depravity and lift the worst
sin-smirched soul up to the highest
heaven and fix it as a gem in the
brightest constellation of pure saints.
Despair comes from the morbid self
censure of a soul that looks back into
the dark abyss from which it has al
readv been rescued. The author of
our text could have looked back upon
as black guilt as ever stained a soul,
but God had blotted it out. and why
should he keep an account of it.
To the young ladies who this
year leave these college walls
let me say, that while you
should carry with you pleasant mem
ories of delightful associations here, do
not look back either to regret your fail
ures or to dote on your achievements,
but rather think of what is yet to be
done, and give yourself to some single
noble purpose. ' And whatever may be
the plan of your life work, through,
and beneath and above that plan, let
there run the purpose to be perfect in
character. The chief business of a life
in this world is not to do but to be.
You should make it the business of your
life to polish the graces and talents
with which God has endowed you.
There is nothing beautiful in woman if
she has not a beautiful character, and
there is nothing beautiful in character
that is not Christ like. The laws of
spiritual development are so adjusted
that the faithful discharge of the daily
duties belonging to a common liveli-
hood will conduce to rapid spiritual
growth. There is no honorable calling
in life bo humble but that you may re
gard your appointment to it as from
God. The noblest sphere that any
mortal can fill is possible only to wo
man, a»d if God shall appoint you to
this sphere, let your first and chief aspi
ration be to use the opportunities of
your position to be Christ like. Aim at
no lower.standard of patience, gentle
ness, forbearance, long suffering, de
voutness, usefulness, and trustfulness
than was displayed in the earthly ca
reer of Jesus. Os course to be like him
you must know him. One chief subject
of your future study should be the life
and character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The knowledge of him is greater than
all other knowledge, and not to know
him is to lose all and be ruined for
ever.
He who aims at perfection has a pur
pose which goes to the bottom of every
other principle of his being. The coun
ter currents of his life, with whatever
impediments they may carry, cannot af
fect his course. In the arctic seas the
mariner often beholds what for a long
time was a puzzling spectacle. He sees
the great icebergs moving steadily and
unyieldingly toward the south, while
the small ones and all floating debris
move rapidly toward the north. The
explanation of this phenomenon is that
the large icebergs sink themselves deep
enough into the ocean to reach the
strong undercurrent and are borne by
it toward the southern seas, while the
smaller bodies float on the surface cur
rent in the opposite direction. The
huge mountain of ice is not affected by
the surface current, and even in the
midst of the terrific storms which
sweep over the arctic waters it is borne
steadily onward toward the summer
land of the South. So the soul whose pur
pose it is to be holy even as God is holy,
strikes down deep through every other
aim of life, moves steadily in its course,
unaffected by counter currents and the
obstacles which they carry, unhindered
by the fiercest storms of human passion
or temporal misfortune that may beat
against it, and cannot be stopped until
it shall bask in the sunlight of a never
ending heavenly summer.
It is a glorious thought, too, that as
we reach forth toward Christ he is
reaching forth toward us, so that our
approach toward the Christ likeness is
not measured by our efforts alone.
While we are building, Christ is also
building in ns. Even at times God may
tear down what we have done that he
may have a better foundation for his
own structure to which we are not able
to contribute. It matters not how lit
you may have done, nor how far aside
from duty it may seem you have turned,
it is probable that you have made more
progress in the spiritual life than you
discern. Wherever there is life there
must be growth.
On one of the ways which lead up to
Jerusalem the city can be seen from a
long distance; and as the traveler pro
ceeds on his way, he seems at times to
be going in a direction which will lead
him farther from the city. Then again
he seems to lose the ascent which he has
gained by passing down into deep and
dark valleys from which he must climb
a more precipitous hill beyond. But
when the city is reached, and the trav
eler reviews his journey, he sees that
all the time he has been coming toward
the point at which he aimed, and that
every divergence and every descent
were necessary to his progress. So it
will be when the meandering journey of
this life is passed, and we stand within
the walls of the eternal city, we shall
see that every Jfirn by which provi
deuce led ue, asSevery seeming descent
which we made, only brought us nearer
to heaven and to God. Sometimes it
seemed that we were falling away from
God, but even then an unseen hand
was lifting us over the chasm into
which we thought we were falling,
and when we stood on firm ground
again we found that distance had been
gained. Even when the way seemed
dark, and the foundation of our faith
seemed slipping away from us, we
found that it was God letting ub down
to the rock-bottom of a firmer trust in
him Whatever may be the changes
about us, whatever may be the seeming
hindrance in our way, if we are in
Christ, it is certain that we are ever
making progress toward the goal at the
end of the race, and that we are draw
ing nearer to the prize which every run
ner shall win. Our aim is all that we
need to take care of; God will take care
of our progress.
Finally, as a part of the apostle's
method of accomplishing his aim he ex
erted himself to the utmost to lay hold
of it. The struggles of this life are
among its greatest blessings. What are
regarded our disadvantages usually turn
out to be our greatest advantages. The
apostle accounted it no disadvantage
that he had to strive to reach his aim.
The contests of life only develop char
acter. The strength of any human
power depends upon a frequent strain
ing of its capacity. In the words of
my text is the expression of intense ex
ertion. The writer's mind was on the
great games where human strength and
skill were severely tested. Like the
runner who bent forward and strained
every nerve and muscle to reach the
goal and pluck the prize, he was exert
ing and straining every God-given
power to reach the object of his aim:
and as he had advised others, he was
willing to lay aside every weight, to cut
loose every hindrance, and run with
patience the race. As a general would
lead the forces under him to victory,
heedless of the losses and suffering by
the way. so he marshaled every force
of his being and aimed at victory at
whatever cost it might come.
During the late war a small detach
ment of Southern soldiers were station
ed in close proximity to a detachment
of the enemy which greatly outnumber
ed them, and from whom an attack was
momentarily expected. Reinforce
ments were coming by rail, and. should
they arrive in time, the day would be
easily won. The train which bore
them was made up of several coaches
loaded with soldiers, one loaded with
arms and ammunition, one with pro
visions, and the last with blankets and
other baggage. At the first station a
despatch from the little detachment
was received urging a more rapid speed
of the train lest the reinforcements
should be too late and the day be lost.
In compliance with this request, the
coach containing the baggage was drop
ped and the speed of the train increased.
At the next station another message of
like import was awaiting them. The
coach containing the provisions was
dropped, and the train sped on At the
next station another message urging
haste was received. The soldiers were
ordered to take their arms and ammuni
tion in hand, and the third coach was
left and the train's speed increased.
The reinforcements drew up in line just
as the enemy made their attrek on the
helpless little detachment, but the en
emy were repulsed and the field was
won. In life’s race for victory what
matters it that the struggle is intense;
that it costs the exertion of every pow
er; that all comfort and some seeming
necessities must be sacrificed; that much
suffering and hardship must be borne;
that hope must mingle with anxious
fear, and no rest come to the contest
ant, if at last we shall stand as victors,
and as a trophy of our triumph present
our rescued and sanctified souls to the
Captain of our salvation, who shall wel
come us into his glory, and place upon
our heads crowns of everlasting life.
the
Any publication mentioned in this de
partment may be obtained of the
American Baptist Publication So
ciety. 93 Whitehall St., Atlanta, Ga.
When prices are named they include
postage.
The Editors of the Christian Index
desire to make this column of service
to their readers They will gladly
answer, or have answered, any quee
tions regarding books. If yon desire
books for certain lines of reading, or
desire to find out the worth or pub
lisher of any book, write to them.
The Fisherman and His Friends
Rev. Lewis Albert Banks. D.D. Funk
& Wagnails Co., New York. Price,
♦1 50.
The author is a Methodist preacher
in Brooklyn and is pastor of one of the
largest churches there. This volume of
sermons is composed of a series of re
vival sermons preached during a month
of extra meetings held in his own
church. They were carefully prepared,
being mapped out months ahead and
material gathered. They show also the
intensity acquired from the interest
awakened during their delivery. As a
specimen of clear and comprehensive
revival work they are most excellent.
Especially does Dr. Banks excel in the
use of pertinent illustration. The vol
ume abounds in them. The truths pre
sented are evangelical and sound. They
will be found suggestive to preachers
and good family reading.
Gospel Pictures and Story Ser
mons For Children. Rev. D. W.
Whittle. Fleming H. Revell Co.,
New York and Chicago. Price 50
cent 8.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable little
volume. It contains six object sermons
for children. Mr. Whittle uses Scrip
ture aptly and evangelically to enforce
his troths. He really makes these ser
mons an object Bible reading. The sub
jects are The Poison Sermon, the Candle
Sermon, The Magnet Sermon, two Com
mandment Sermons, and The Heart Ser
mon. These enforce Bible truths as to
sin, the power of Jesus to draw us to
him. our influence, and how- to live
rightly. We hope more attention will
be given to this matter of Children’s
Sermons.
The Minor Prophets. Benjamin
Douglas. Fleming H Revell Co ,
New York and Chicago. Price 60
cents.
We do not know the author's reputa
tion for scholarship but we are inclined
to look with suspicion on this attempt
at a new translation of the Hebrew
prophets
He s’ates he began the study of the
prophets because the teachers generally
did not rightly get from them his views
as to the pre millennial coming of the
Savior. With this predisposition, lie
translates for himself. We have not
care ! to make a critical examination of
his work because he has evidently begun
with a purpose to translate his own
way.
The Wonderful.
Fleming H. Revell Co., New York
and Chicago. Price $1.25.
We have here another of the stories
of the life of Christ. We presume the
competition of a Chicago firm that re
suited in the story of "Titus" is respon
sible for many of these religious novels
This one has some good advantages of
standpoint. By it the early days of the
childhood and life in Egypt are brought
out clearly. It is interesting and among
its class stands well.
Stepping Heavenward. Mrs Eliza
beth S. Prentiss. A D. F Randolph
& Co., New York. Price 50 cents.
This is a new and cheap edition of a
standard work. It is clearly printed
and well bound. As for the book, a
reading only serves to deepen the favor
able impressions of the genuinely
healthful influence of this book. It
presents a picture of thoroughly natur
al religious development. This edition
is so cheap it can easily be obtained by
all.
Asa of Bethlehem. Mary Elizabeth
Jennings. A D. F Randolph & Co.,
New York Price $1 25.
This is similar to the above, only pos
sibly a little better written. It gives
some new aspects and tells again the
story of how Jesus appeared to Jewish
eyes and how his labors of love entered
into their homes and blessed them. It
is worth reading and good for a Sunday
school library.
The Release. Charlotte M. Yonge.
Macmillan & Co., New York. Price
SI.OO
A most readable historical story by
the famous writer of most interesting
histories We think Miss Yonge at her
best in history, of more intensity and
purpose than this. It is most entertain
ing, however, and deals with the
France of a hundred years ago. It en
forces many good lessons and is clean in
tone.
Scribner's Magazine, June. Chas.
Scribner's Sons, New York. Price
25cts. $3.00 a year.
Scribner's occupies a peculiar position
between the more expensive magazines
and the cheaper ones. It gives an ad
mirable diversity, and its quality is al
ways of the best. Sentimental Tommy,
by Baine, continues. It is Baine's best
since the Little Minister. "In the Bal
kans" is of interest. Among the stories
one on "His College Life."comes from
no less a source than a college president,
Wm. DeWitt Hyde, of Bowdoin. It is
worth reading as a picture of the stages
of college boys' mental and religious
life. Valeina Table Talk is a recital of
Stevenson's sayings at his home in
Samoa. There are many other interest
ing features.
The Review of Reviews. June.
The Review of Reviews Co , New
York. Price 25 cents; $2 50 a year.
Alaska is treated of at length and
most interestingly, in some three arti
cles. The People's Food is one of the
leading articles. It deals with the gov
ernment efforts to secure pure food and
to experiment as to the best food. It is
of great importance. Russia and its
Rulers is“ one of Mr. Stead's excellent
character sketches. It is not as good as
usual because the material is not exten
sive. St. Louis, as the Convention city
for 1896, is given a fine description. The
usual resume of affairs and extracts
from periodicals is given.
The North American Review, June.
North American Review Co., New
York. Price 50cts. $5.00 a year.
This number is exceptional in its
interest. The Ship of State Adrift, by
Carnegie; Policy and Power of the A.
P. A., by its ex-President; How to Ar
rest the Increase of Homicides in Amer
ica, Progress of Theosophy, Environ
ment and Man in New England, are a
few of the subjects dealt with by Mr.
Gladstone. "The Future Life and the
Conditions of Man Therein” is con
tinued. Altogether it is an unusual
array of strong and helpful articles.
McClure’s Magazine, June. S Mc-
Clure Co., limited. New York. Price
lOcts. SIOO a year
McClure’s is one of the cheaper maga
zines, but always entertaining. It is
about the only magazine in which we
want to read everything. The Life of
Lincoln and Reminiscences of Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps are continued A Sketch
of Grant as Colonel, by one of his chap
lains, is valuable. Phroso, by Anthony
Hope, is thrilling. A Century of Paint
ing, by Will H Low, deals with the
pre Raphaelite brotherhood.
Usefulness.
We are not here by chance,
but by the ordering of a Provi
dence that never errs. We must
be here for a purpose. We owe
it to ourselves to make the most
of existence. This life is like
the shadow that courses over the
plains, never to return. It is as
certain in the spiritual as in the
natural world that ‘‘as we sow,
so shall we reap.” Au aged
minister once remarked to his
daughter, just married and
about to leave home: “Remem
ber, my dear, usefulness is all
you can get out of life. ’ At first
thought this may seem like lim
iting the possibilities of life,
since there are so many other
things within our reach—wealth,
honesty, influence, and worldly
pleasure. These we must leave
here; ihey will not avail for the
life to come. But the results of
a useful religious life are a
treasure laid up in heaven be
yond the possibility of loss.
How, then, can we be useful? Is
it not necessary to be great or
rich in this world’s goods,
though wealth may be a great
help. All can do good. “Go
labor in my vineyard, and what
soever is right I will give you,”
said the Savior. The world is
full of needy and suffering ones,
and “whensoever ye will ye may
do them good,” and whether
privately or publicly, the service
will be sure of reward in heaven.
A cup of cold water to the
thirsty one. a word of cheer to
the desponding, visits to the
sick and dying, feeding the hun-
CURED OF
PARALYSIS
Carlos F. Shepard, a Member of the
Indianapolis Board of Trade,
is About Once More.
A Case of Weighty Interest to Anyone Suffering With
Nervous Compiaints, for the Patient was Cured
by “Feeding” the Nerves. This is a
New Term in Medicine.
I'rom the Sews, Indianapolis, Ind.
One of the best known men about the In
dianapolis Board of Trade is Carlos F. Shop- j
ard, who for several years has been eon- i
nected with the house of H. E. Kinney, grain
broker. Mr. Shepard is a bluff, hearty, old
gentleman of medium height, gray-headed
and with a mustache like a French veteran,
lie is a man of very decided views on all
subjects and is especially orthodox in poli
ties and medicine. Notwithstanding his firm
ness in his convictions and the vigor with
whi.li lie nirtintains them he is a man of many
friends for manly men, even though some
times obstinate in their opinions, have the
force of character that win admiration and
friendship.
So a few months ago when the news came
to his old associates on the Board of Trade
that Mr. Shepard had received a stroke of'
paralysis and that the probabilities were that \
his days of usefulness were over, and that j
perhaps, his hours were numbered, the deep
est sympathy went out to the smitten man
mid his family. It seemed to all his friends j
almost impossible that this rugged old man,
always so wholesomely hearty and cheerful, j
always a picture of health for
HIS CHEEKS WERE LIKE THE ROSE
IN THE SNOW;
could have been so suddenly laid low. But
it was true and many weeks passed before :
his well-known form and kindly face re
turned to his former business haunts. His
re-appearance was made the occasion of a I
hearty welcome and the story of his illness ;
and recovery is well worth the telling.
“ 1 was taken sick,” said Mr. Shepard, |
“on the 17th of August, 1895. As I had all
along been of the opinion that I was made of
iron, you may well believe that it was hard
for me to entertain the thought that I was to
be laid up for more than a day or two. I
am 58 years old, and for 40 years up to
the time of this attack, I had not had a day’s
sickness. The doctors who diagnosed my
case saw at once that it was something seri
ous. They- at first said that it was lumbago i
then sciatic rheumatism. They finally I
came to the conclusion they did not know ;
what was the matter witli me. I expert- :
enced no pain, my head was clear, my ap- :
petite good, but I lost the use of myself from ’
my hips down. This was a hard stroke
to an active man who has always had an
easy going pair of legs. My brother-in-law,
who is a physician, came from a neighbor- .
ing city to see me. He pronounced niy as- ;
fliction to be locomotor ataxia. lam of the
opinion that he diagnosed the case correctly
for I was absolutely paralyzed from the .
hips down.
‘‘ Before he came, however, a day or so be
fore I had begun taking Dr. Williams’ Pink
Pills for Pale People. That was on the 20th
day of last October. I read an article in the
Indianapolis Xews and saw testimonials de
scribing cases cured that were similar to
mine. It struck me that the remedy could
not do me any harm and I began to take the ■
pills. ,
“ Before I began taking them I could not 1
stir a peg, but had to be carried from place ;
to place. I had not got far into the first box i
when I felt that deliverance from mv en
forced inaction had come. Before I finished i
the second box I was able to walk alone <
with the aid of a cane. About home I do t
That Pleasing
Paralyzing Pie! j
How good it looks! How <,
good it is! And how it ;
hurts. Why not look into the <i
question of Pill after Pie?
Eat your pie and take Ayer’s
Pills after, and pie will please -
and not paralyze.
AYER’S
Cathartic Pills j
CURE DYSPEPSIA.
gry, clothing the naked, will by
no means fail of reward.
What opportunities the wealthy
have to make much of earth, and
heaven, too. It is within their
reach to aid in efforts to save the
lost and perishing. They can
endow institutions, which will be
blessings to the present and fu
ture generations. It is encourag
ing to know that they are seeing
more and more these ways of
usefulness, and thus making
much of life with the means
which they must ere lone leave
behind their. — Herald and Pres
byter.
One of the vice-presidents of
the British Bible Society has
issued a pamphlet which shows
that the Bible is now printed in
381 languages, no less than fifty
two versions having been added
in the last live years. Forty two
of these versions are credited to
the English and Scotch transla
tors and societies, and to Ameri
can societies, five. What toil
this meant to the translators is
easily seen from the fact that in
the list, twenty three languages
and dialects belong to the Afri
can Bantu family, four belong to
each of the following: Malayan,
Chinese, and Melanesian; three
are Indian languages: two each
belong to the negro, Turki, Drui
dian and Hamitic groups, and
one each to the Tibeto-Burman,
Aryan and Micronesian families.
Such a description is strikingly
significant.
not use a cane now but when I come out on
ilw slippery pavements 1 feel that 1 need a
I little >up(H»rt to make my footing sure.
' “ I am still nsiug Williams’ Pink Pills,
but I have reduced the dose to one after
each meal. It seems that I have been able
to throw some discredit on the predictions of
my doctors thanks to the pills. They said I
could never walk again but here I am, and
I think the credit must be given to the pills.
It is said the pills are stimulating, but I can
not say that they give me an v sensations that
I am aware of. They merely cure and that
is quite enough for me.
“Since I have been out I have been a
walking advertise ment for Williams’ Pink
Pills. I suppose 1 have recommended them
to et least a hundred persons. What! You
want to print all this? Why, my dear sir,
I never gave a recommendation to any pro
nrietary medicine before in my life. Per
haps it may not be a bad thing to do so this
time if it will help any sufferer to regain
health and bodily activity.”
Carlos F. Shepard has been a resident of
Indianapolis for over twenty years. He lives
at No. 720 East Ohio Street. He has always
been an active, enterprising man and his
many friends will rejoice that he has liter
ally been put upon his feet again. He is
not only well-known locally but to grain
shippers all over Indiana ami Illinois.
Dr. Williains’ Pink Pills for Pale People
are an unfailing remedy for all diseases aris
ing from a poor and watery condition of the
blood, such as pale and sallow complexion,
general muscular weakness, loss of appetite
depression of spirits, lack of ambition, ame
mia, chlorosis or green sickness, palpitation
of the heart, shortness of breath on slight
exertion, coldness of bands or feet, swelling
of the feet and limbs, pain in the back,
nervous headache, dizziness, loss of memory,
feebleness of will, ringing in the ears, early
decay, all forms of female weakness, leucor
rhcea, tardy or irregular periods, suppression
of menses, hysteria, paralysis, locomotor
ataxia, rheumatism, sciatica, all diseases
depending on vitiated humors in the blood,
causing scrofula, swelled glands, fever sores,
rickets, hip-joint diseases, hunchback, ac
quired deformities, decayed hones, chronic
erysipelas, catarrh, consumption of the bow
els and lungs, and also for invigorating the
blood and system when broken down by
overwork, worry, diseases, excesses and
indiscretions of living, recovery from acute
diseases, such as fevers, etc., loss of vital
powers, spermatorrhoea, early decay, prema
ture old age. These pills are not a purga
tive medifine. They contain nothing that
could injure the most delicate system. They
act directly on the blood, supplying to the
blood its life-giving qualities by assisting it
to absorb oxygen, that great supporter of all
Organic life. In this way the blood, becom
ing “ built up ” and fyeing supplied with its
lacking constituents, becomes rich and red,
nourishes the various organs, stimulating
them to activity in the performance of their
functions, and thus to eliminate diseases
from the system.
These pills are manufactured by the Dr.
Williams’ Medicine Company, Schenec
tady, N. Y., and art sold in boxes bearing
the firm’s trade mark and wrapper, at 50
cents a box or six boxes for $2.50, and'are
never sold in bulk. They may be had of
all. druggists or direct by mail Dr.
Williams’ Medicine Company. The price
at which these pills are sold makes a course
of treatment inexpensive as compared with
other remedies.