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TLlE ATLAa* ±*± iiLv/iu
. u. Aw'-ll':* ?,
THE HEROISM OF HELPFULNESS
By REV. RICHARD ORME FLINN,
PASTOR NORTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
“And Jonathan Saul's son arose and
went to David Into the wood, and
strengthened his hand In God. And he
n ld unto him, Fear not; tor the hand
of Saul, my father, shall not find thee;
and thou "halt be king over Israel, and
I ahall be next unto thee: and that
also Saul, my father, knoweth."
There are certain lives which, by the
force of circumstance, are conspicuous,
and whose values are evident. And
there are other lives which, by the
aame force of circumstance, are ob'
soured and whose values are less ob'
vious. Our text is notable, in that It
presents a striking Illustration of each
auch life and in that It affords a fine
example of the respective relationship
of each of these and their mutual lm
portance. ■
The names Jonathan and David pre
sent to us two men who well may stand
as representative of these two phases
of existence. Jonathan was the prince
royal, who, by right of birth and suc
cession. was heir-presumptive to the
throne of Israel. David fras the son of
a herdsman in Southern Judea, and the
last-born of a large family. Yet, It Is
David who Is destined to live In the
light and Jonathan who Is appointed to
walk In the shadow.
When a mere stripling David had
been suddenly called home one day
from the field where he was tending
his father's flocks—a most humble and
Inconspicuous task, committed to the
least In the household—to find await
ing him the greatest man of the age,
Samuel, the king-maker, the prophet-
ludge of Israel. Samuel had greeted
him with marked consideration, and
had proceeded immediately In the name
of Ood to anoint him as successor to
the reigning king. Following this un
expected honor, without any effort on
his part, by a series of circumstances
over which he seems to-have had no
control, he was thrust to the front
upon the stage of action, caught In
the sweep of a mighty current of events
and borne irresistibly onward. Inci
dent after Incident which * at first
threatened to result in his overthrow
hail eventuated In his advance, and had
but proven the means of furthering his
fortunes. So constant Were these oc
currences that It soon became evident
to all that there was a hidden Hand
directing his affairs, a higher Power
controlling his career, and that un
doubtedly hoUvaa marked as a man of
destiny.
On the other hand. Jonathan, the
prince royal, though a man of splendid
courage and of great promise (seeing
that through his Intrepid Initiation the
nation had already been led to victory
when threatened with defeat), seemed
as truly to be designed to find his Ood-
appolnted task In a faithful occupancy
of a secondary place as was David to
take the lead. Eor at the very time
that David was becoming tho Incarna
tion of the movements of the day and
the exponent of the Issues of his hour
so that the history of the age might be
gathered up In his biography, worthy
as he was, and great and noble by na
ture as he was, Jonathan was being
steadily retired until it was evident to
all that hla star was declining and des
tined finally to be eclipsed by the rising
star of David.
In our consideration of this passage
we are arrested not so much by the
conspicuous honor accompanying such
a life as David's as by the nobility and
tha- value of the service rendered by
Jonathan. At the time qf which we
write, David was hiding like a hunted
deer, and Saul, the king, was pressing
him sore like a hunter fired with the
fever of the chase. Conscious of Da
vid’s Divine call, Saul had deliberately
resolved that he would, If possible,
frustrate God's purpose and put an end
to David.
Impelled by this determination, which
had become the dominating purpose of
his life, he had relentlessly pursued Da
vid from hold to hold, until, well nigh
driven to desperation, David was in
danger at the hour of which we speak
of seeking relief In one of two equally
fatal alternatives. Exasperated by the
unreasonable malignity of Saul, he was
tempted to retaliate, to turn and hunt
the hunter, to overthrow the man who
was so unjustly seeking to accomplish
his overthrow, or forspent by Saul's un
wearied animosity and his own many
hair-breadth escapes, he was tempted
to forget the consecrating oil that Sam
uel had poured upon Ills brotv, to forget
the high design which he knew God
had for his life, and to abandon his
purpose, forsake the cause. Identify
himself with another people and find a
haven In some foreign land.
It was Just at this time, when pa
tience was well-nigh exhausted and
resolution almost gone, that hla faint
ing heart was cheered and Ids falling
purpose quickened by the timely visit
of Jonathan,'who, leaving the court,
“arose and went to David Into the
wood nnd strengthened his hand' Jn
God."
Let us bo sure we appreciate tho slg.
S lflcance of this service. All the future
(story of the race, according to God's
plan, depended upon David’s fidelity:
all the history of the future Church of
Christ, yea, all the history of the pres
ent Christian civilisation, hinged upon
his standing staunch and proving true
to God at this hour of trial. And yet
he was about to fall—this man of des
tiny was wavering: tried beyond meas
ure, he was almost ready to give way.
to compromise, or even worse. If this
be possible, like Saul (and for which
cause Saul had been set Aside from
being king), he was tempted to lose
patience with God. to doubt and to
mistrust Him, yea, and by taking the
reins Into his own hands and resorting
to extreme measures of retaliation, to
challenge Hint.
It was at this critical moment upon
which hinged all the future that Jona
than appeared, whose coming to David
was like the coming of Blucher at
nightfall to'the aid of Wellington as
on the field of Waterloo the fate of
Europe trembled In the - balance; his
coming turned the tide, decided the
Issue, confirmed him In the high calling
of God and translated Into victory his
Impending defeat.
In this act of Jonathan we have a
striking illustration of the value of suoh
a service as a lesser man may render
a greater, or as an Inconspicuous per
son may render to the race, when as
he encourages the one who at the
crisis la the only one able to meet It,
he assures the future of the cause.
And having perceived the value of such
a service, let us consider Its nobility.
In order that we may fully appreciate
this, let us observe: /
First, the encouragement that Jona
than rendered was noble, because It
was spontaneous and free. What he
did was voluntary; it was not forced:
his assistance was not solicited. David
was contending'for his cause In cour
ageous silence, and was making no ap
peal to Jonathan for sympathy or help.
REV. RICHARD ORME FLINN.
But Jonathan knew that David was
right, - ho knew he was seeking to do
that which was pleasing to God, and he
know that he was being hard-pressed
and must need a )vord of cheer. With
out waiting, therefore, for pressure to
be brought to bear which should pre
cipitate his movement or necessitate his
taking a stand, of his own accord he
arose and went to David Into the
wood and strengthened his hand In
Ood. This was a noble service, noble
because of Its spontaneity.
Second, the encouragement, he ren
dered was noble because of Its hazard.
It vas Saul’s son, the prince royal, the
child of David’s arch enemy that arose
nnd went to him Into the wood. There
was great risk of personal violence In
such an adventure. There were 600
men with David, every one of them
an outlaw, and with a price set upon
his head, and Jonathan's father was
doing all he could to apprehend and
kill them. It was Into the midst of
these desperate men, Into a dark wood
In whose remote fastnesses they were
hiding, that Jonathan went unattended,
save possibly by a single man. This
called for cool courage and manifested
a real nobility of soul. He haznrded
everything to do what he felt was right
And there was another phase to his
hazard. He was risking estrangement
from hts father, and he loved his father
defeply, and was loyal to him to the
Inst. Though he loved him, however,
when It came to a question of prlncl*
pie he did not hesitate to disregard his
desires that he might do what he felt
to be right.
There are some good people who can
not seem to see that there can be any
distinction between their friends differ
ing with them upon matters of prlncl-
S ic, and even opposing them If need
e, and their being unfaithful and dls-
lo-al. There are some who feel that
; friendship demands that they be sus
tained even when they stand for that
which Is wrong, and that those who are
to be counted as true to them can have
no option but to defend them, no mat
ter what they do. Jonathan was not
such an one ns this. He recognized
that a man must be loyal to right first
and that only thus could he prove true
to hla friends. But, on the other hand,
his father, Saul, was Just such a sen
sitive and unreasonable man as to de
mand that his son side with him, even
when ho knew himself to be wrong.
When Jonathan went to David to
strengthen his hand In God, he went
fully conscious of the risk he ran of
losing hla prestige and his standing at
court and of mortally offending his fa
ther, who once before In a fit of pas
sion had sought to kill him by hurling
a Javelin at him because he had main
tained the cause of David when David
was In the right.
Third, Jonathan’s going thus to Da
vid was noble because of the utter
self-abnegation of the act. He mani
fested a sublime unselfishness In
strengthening the hand of one who was
his rival to the throne. He went not
only at personal hazard, but with the
certainty of personal loss. He clearly
understood that in encouraging David
he was confirming him In a cause
whose success meant Mb own over
throw. Do you appreciate this?- He
not only risked loss—he courted It;
and It was not merely a financial loss
he courted, nor the loss of mere
friendship, though his act was cer
tain to entail censure fron) many who
would consider it disloyal to his fa
ther, but It was a kingdom that was
at stake, which he must lose, and yet
he goes not only at the risk of loss,
but on purpose, that he may moke It
sure; certainly this manifests a lofty
magnanimity. Thank Ood for the tonic
of auch a splendid type of manhood,
for the bracing Influence of such a
noble nature, for the stimulating chal
lenge of such an heroic soul as could.
In order that he might advance the
right, hesitate at nothing, but with
the courage of an ardent abandonment
devote himself to duty, even to the
point of Immolation and self-efface
ment.
In conclusion, let us suggest three
among the many lessons that are
learned from this Incorruptible and
chivalrous life.
First, a life like this that seeks Its
highest attainment In furthering the
cause of right, no matter at what cost
or consequence to self—a life that Is
willing to ntrlve uncompromisingly for
justice, and to work In an Inconspic
uous way without the Stimulus of rec
ognition or applause—a life that Is
willing to efface Itself In order to make
effective the work of another whose
glory will eclipse Its own. provided the
other’s advancement will best serve
the cause—a life like this, - I say, ex
hibits a heroism, manifests a nobility
and renders a service so valuable ns
to be worthy of a vlctos'r crown and
an eternal Immortality. And though
such an one as this, because of the
quiet unostentatiousness of their serv
ice, may be temporarily overlooked and
not estimated at their royal worth, yet
God, who values each aright, will not
overlook,them, but will give them en
trance Into the heavenly Valhalla of
the great nnd Inscribe their name with-
In TT la nlannnl kail . ’
In His eternal hntl of fame.
Second, whatever be our gifts, en
vironment or circumstance, we each
may enter this exalted sphere. Great
talents or attainments are not required,
but only a changeless loynlty to right,
a fear of God, a- faithfulness nnd cour
age. If even so Insignificant a crea
ture as a spider was enabled to have
a part In making Scotch history, when,
despite US many failures It persevered
until It wove Its web across the cav
ern's mouth where Bruce was hiding,
nnd thus encouraged him to likewise
persevere, so may the humblest man,
through simple faithfulness or through
a kindly word spoken for a righteous
cause when other lips arc silent, ren
der a service so signal and exert an
Influence so vast os that only God can
estimate and eternity reveal.
Third, the need for such a minis
try as this la very great. About us
on every side there are discouraged
souls who. like David In the wood, are
ready to faint, souls who are con
tending with overmastering odds, who
are striving against wrong, strug
gling to live clean, fighting to be fair,
and straight anti pure. And round
them aro surging the terrible tides of
sin, eddying with almost superhuman
power to draw them under. God only
knows how terrible and deep and des
perate, how long-drawn-out Is this
duel In the dark that Is forever going
on, as multitudes about us are In
mortal conflict, and God only knows
how sorely they are in need of en
couragement.
A story Is told by an English naval
officer concerning a kindness shown
to him when aa a midshipman of 14
years of age he entered his first bat
tle. The rattle of musketry had filled
him with terror and hts heart Was
well-nigh fainting. The officer who
was over him, observing his panic,
came to his side and keeping his face
fixed on the . enemy, quietly took his
id bending close
hand In his own and
beside him, said: "Courage, my boy;
I know how you reel; I felt Just that
way myself In my first battle. It will
pass off In a moment." And thus the
narrator sold: “As my superior minis
tered to me like an angel from heaven,
the fear did pass, and courage did
come. His sympathy delivered me
from the thrall of terror, and I was
as cool nnd as fcarlesa as the most
seasoned veteran.”
My brother. I say to you again,
there are men around you whoso fate
Is trembling In the balance, who need
only your word of cheer to strengthen
their hand In God, that they may
press on to triumph. Men with evil
Impulses, writhing like unclean things
within their breasts, who long to be
holy: men In whose heart the smoul
dering embers of a subdued passion nre
being fanned Into a hellish glow which
threatens a moral conflagration, and
you can save these men If you will.
Then up! Arise and go seek them
out and speak to them as did Jona
than to David. Yea, and If by God's
grace you do, you will ot length dis
cover that you have, through such
humble helpfulness, won an Immortal),
ty and become participants with vic
tors In their glory.
JOTTINGS OF A JOURNEY—ATLANTA TO BOSTON
WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR THE GEORGIAN BY REF. EVERETT DEAN ELLENWOOD. PASTOR UNIVERSAL1ST CHURCH
Chicago, III., Aug. 2.—-The divine
command to labor Is coupled with an
equally imperative Injunction to rest.
The mandates of religion here reach
the noblest humanity and their high
est efficiency as a practtcadl means of
presen? salVatlon. It Is one ot the en
couraging signs to be found In an In
tensely materialistic age that the “rest
ing time,” the vacation period Is
gradually coming to be regarded as a
necessity rather than a luxury. In the
midst of our frenetic hurry to be some
where else In the shortest space of
time or to get something that the other
man possesses ere he discover our de
sign, we have been forced by physical
If not by psychological processes to ac.
cept the scientific fact that the human
machine requires its periods of re
cuperation and repair. Happy Is he
whose customary vocation enables him
to tecure needed rest without complete
cessation from labor, and to so com
bine toll and recreation aa to find mind,
and body refreshed thereby. Best Is
nut Idleness. In fact, nothing Is so
really tiresome as enforced inactivity.
Rest Is rather the wholesome change
of occupation and Interest. And, just
os It Is found beneficial to occasion
ally change the customary activity of
mind and body, so la It also of Inesti
mable advantage to occasionally se
cure a complete change of scenes and
sounds and physical environment. We
love home and friends all the better
for being away from them for a little
while.
in Old 8avannah.
With a little company of Atlanta
friends, the writer and his wife took
train for Savannah, en route for New
York and Boston. Just as our fair
home city was drawing to a close her
enthusiastic and fitting celebration of
the nation's birthday. While we wait
ed for the turn of the tide which should
bear us safely out of the river on the
great sea beyond, the day was mosi
pleasantly and profitably spent In
Georgia's beautiful and historic sea
port city. A drive through the broad,
level, well-kept streets, many of them
shaded by semi-tropical foliage and
flanked by quaint old houses whose
builders knew the varied experiences of
colonial days furnished an unusual en
joyment and a healthy stimulus to the
study of the splendid history of our
own land. Here, too, the springs of
religious fervor received fresh Invlg-
oratlon as we were shown the different
places, now appropriately marked by
bronze tablets, where the founder of
one of Christendom’s greatest and
grandest religious Institutions en
deavored to Inspire those who gathered
to hear him with the enthusiasm for
righteousness which had filled hla own
heart. The city where Wesley first
Preached on American soil lapses into
no forgetfulness of the splendid pioneer
who thus honored and hallowed her
streets and her homes.
“The City of Atlanta.”
The Ocean Steamship Company,' of
Savannah, certainly displayed com
mendable wisdom In nomenclature by
• hristenlng one of Its largest, most
beautiful, and moat comfortable steam-
ships plying between Sawannah and
hew York, “The City of Atlanta.” And
fight well do the entire crew, from
captain to cabin boy. fulfill the exalt
ing demands laid upon them In at
tempting to live up to so splendid a
name. The business-like efficiency, the
“fder, the comfort, the courtesy of our
home city ere faithfully reproduced on
ihls floating palace which bears her
name. During the entire voyage from
Savannah to New York the passengers
•earned to be the welcome and happy
luaats of the ship's company, rathes
than merely a group of people who
though not professionally employed
during the journey, and a representa
tive group of lawyers that we might
not forget the responsibilities of cltl
zenshlp.
More favorable weather could scarce
ly have been provided. The beneficent
Influence of Forecaster Marbury seem
ed to reach out and safely hold
In order the ocean highway and not
a single cose of ”mal de mer" lessened
the genuine Joy which came to every
one with the call to meals. Tho sun did
his bravest nnd did not desert us dur
ing the entire trip, but tips ardor of
his affection was fortunately moderated
sufficiently by the ceaseless breeze, cool
and fresh from Its Journey across the
Immeasurable stretch of waters, and
sent, for our enjoyment, to tease Into
millions of tiny white-capped waves
tho dull and stolid ocean.
No Telephones Here.
All top swiftly went the hours. In
shaded nooks about the decks were to
be found the studious, reveling In the
enjoyment of books long postponed,
and absolutely secure from the un
timely Interruption of telephone, door
bell or postman, neither troubled nor
stirred Into action by the latest reve
lations of the dally paper. Here, too,
were the lovers, for what Journey, by
land or sea,, or what vacation outing,
whether upon mountain top or In hill-
locked valley. Is complete without Its
pair of lovers? For those whose cus
tomary vacation meant close compan
ionship with books, the never-ceasing
wonder of the varying ocean life proved
a stronger attraction. Many splendid
cases of sunburn were developed by
tho groups who resolutely kept watch
of land. For aught that we knew, we
might be "by all the world forgot.” Yet
no face was disfigured by a cloud of
anxiety. A holy calm, a comforting
peace, brooded over all. hearts. Still
were we In the keeping of Hint who
holds the waters In the hollow ot His
hand, even though the absence of the
church bell's familiar Invitation to wor
ship brought Juat a suggestion of lone
liness to those for whom the appointed
day passes disappointingly without the
customary assembling of ourselves to
gether for the Joy or human comrade
ship and the spiritual refreshing of
meditation, and praise and prayer. But
"God dwelleth not In temples made with
hands” and the promise of Christ to be
With us "where two or three are gath
ered together In His name” Is always
as faithfully kept upon the sea as upon
the land. Many there ware on board
who earnestly desired a religious serv
ice, and the word having reached the
captain that two preachers were among
hla passengers, he sought them out.
and Invited them to convert the social
hall and adjacent upper deck Into a
house of worship. The cnll to worship
was sounded throughout tho ship, and
the entire company gathered at tho ap
pointed hour. A sweet-voiced singer,
the director of music In one of Atlan
ta’s churches, led the voices of the
worshippers In the grand old hymns of
REV. E. D. ELLENWOOD.
praise, so dear to every church-going
heart, the Rev. Crawford Jackson, of
Atlanta, voiced In prayer the supplica
tions and the aspirations of the com
pany. and the writer delivered the sen
mon. The one thing lacking In order
that the service might be full of help
fulness was the opportunity for all to
have some part, for all to worship by
serving. It seemed wholly wrong that
any vital element of a truly religious
service should be omitted, and, in order
that the sermon might have a practical
ending the writer Introduced In his
closing sentences the Rev. Crawford
Jackson, chairman of the Central Ju
venile Protectory Committee, who wns
en route to Chautauqua to deliver an
address In behalf of God's little ones,
who, by circumstances or by environ
ment, have become a menace to them
selves and to the stnte. Dr, Jackson
was at his best, and In a brief and
forceful address he told of the accom
plishments, tho possibilities, and the
pressing nerds of the Central Juvenllo
protectory, nnd made an appeal for a
practical demonstration of sympathy
and Interest In this great work. The
responses was Immediate and gratify
ing, a collection of nearly 1150 for this
work being realized, and several per
manent annual subscriptions being se-
cured. Thus closed a religious service,
which. If somewhat unique, was none
7HE RELIGION OF HEALTH
bad paid for sate nnd comfortable
transportation to a desired destination.
And, as might well be expected, a good-
[Y contingent of Atlanta folk were on
board, variously bent on business, on
Pleasure, and on recuperation. Tho
fjjy* traditional hospitality and aoclal-
inlllty deserted no ono of hor citizens
t-urtng the trip, nnd soon wo were
“• one large family, each anxious to
contribute his full quota toward the
Fholesomo and ontertnlnlng story-lell
ing. while, to provide for the possibility
of serious moments, two preachers had
at the forward rail lest any roving
shark, or playful porpoise, or gravely
floating turtle should escape due notice
and commeht, while the dainty flying
fish. In schools or as Individuals, like
great dragon files, darting out of the
water and sailing long distances In the
air on their wing-llke fins, never failed
to cnll forth enthusiastic exclamations
of wonder and admiration.
The regular routine of tho Journey
was entertainingly punctuated by In
cidents, each with Its lesson and Its
profit for those ready to receive. As
our vessel sought the sea by her fa
miliar pathway down the river from
Savannah, the passengers w;ero fur
nished the sensation of a collision of
a modest nnd well-nigh Innocuous
character. A small, stern wheel river
boat, whose light draught gave her
practically all of the river upon which
to float, apparently failed to heed the
City of Atlanta’s repeated appeal for
the deep water right of way, or, It
I ... keen Hint hnn ullnl'a Innr.
Terse Comments on the Uniform Prayer Meeting Toplo of the Young People’s
8oeleties—Christian Endeavor, Baptist Young People’s Union, Epworth
League, Etc.—For August 4, “The Consecration of Our Bodies.” I Cor.
6: 19-20j Rom. 12i 1-2.
may have been that her pilot’s Inex
perience was responsible for the unfor
tunate miscalculation of distance and
of speed which resulted In the lighter
craft receiving from the steel prow of
the outward bound vessel an admoni
tory push. Which sent her scurrying
toward the dock with shattered wheel
and damaged steering gear. Whether
that vessel's captain bothered himself
with any private theology or not, ha
there received a moat convincing re
minder of the Immutability of law and
of the certainty of Just retribution for
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
The fad for physical culture which
two or three years ago swept over the
land has largely abated. This wns In
evitable, for It was excessive and as
Ill-proportioned ps the worst of the
bodies which It proposed to mend. A
residuum remains, however. People
have a saner mind toward their health.
The world more clearly understands
than ever before the Importance of a
good physical condition. Sound bodies
are the basis ot all. Hor Is there any
thing unseemly In this present topic
far consideration by the young people's
sbdetles: “The consecration of our
bodies.” We know better than those
saints of the Middle Ages who thought
they could glorify God by mortifying
the flesh. A perfect body Is the best
temple of the Spirit of God. The well
man Is best qualified to be the good
man.
.A personality Is the first and best
Midway In our voyage we hailed one
of the several lightships which mark
a safe pathway along the coast, that
the voluntary prisoners who keep
bright the beacon might come out to
our ship for the mall which hod come
up to them from Savannah. Word
had been circulated about the ship,
and a goodly number of papers, maga
zines and books, contributed by the
passengers, were tied In a bundle and
let over the side, along with the mall
and a beautiful bouquet of rosea, the
gift of one ef the Indies on board. The
four stout, sun-burned seamen who
rowed out to us from the lightship
brought their tribute also, and very
acceptable Indeed It was, a fine mess
of freshly caught red snapper, enough
to furnish a splendid meal for all on
board. And how good they were! That
evening at dinner there were many
expressions of thanks for the generous
hearted lightship men In their lonely
home, rocking ceaselessly on the ocean
Sunday on 8hlpboard.
The beautiful dawn of the Sabbath
romfort and happiness of tho whole. The beautiful dawn of tne Baonatn
TWe wa, no dearth of music and “'t^'daT-nd "ounS £^*araatlr
the only tenants «f an Immeasurable
sweep of burnished waves. For hours
... . . —_ a -kin an J f., r* mnrfi
, moments. two pr«ia<rnera nuu ■ f
been shipped, along with tho rest of we did not pass * * h, P? •"!*
•be cargo. Doctors were with us, than a day we hod seen no glimpse
WAIT FOR THIS
COMMENCING AUGUST 0TH
AND DAILY THEREAFTER
MOST ATTRACTIVE TRIP
Round—$31.30—Trip.
JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION
Going via Cincinnati, Pittsburg or Cleveland—Boat or Rail to
Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Albany—Rail or Boat down Hudson to
NEW YORK. Boat to Norfolk or Rail via Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Washington—Boat to Norfolk down the Potomac
River. (Return Direct.) Liberal Stop over privileges.
60 days’ limit. For further information, call
CITY TICKET OFFICE,
4 Peachtree Street.
J. G. HOLLENBECK,
Division Passenger Agent.
gift that any devotee can give to his
Lord. Before you can bq anybody for
Him, you must be somebody In your,
self.
Robust religion Is most natural when
accompanied by a robuat body. There
Is something askew when the weak
and sickly and miserable predominate
In a compnny of Christiana. The mod
ern young people’s movement has
wrought mightily In that It has shown
that vigor of body and spirits Is en
tirely consistent with the highest relig
ious standards.
the less genuine in Its spirituality.
End of the Voysge.
About bedtime on Sunday night, as
we approached New York harbor, our
boat began to blow her whistle at reg
ular Intervals, to be frequently an
swered by trumpet-llke blasts from
other vessels whose hulls wc were un
able to see. Hastening on deck, we
discovered that vwe were experiencing
one of tho mysterious phenomena of
the sea. A “land fog" had completely
enveloped tho vessel, and rendered
progress exceedingly slow and not un-
mlxed with hazard. Overhead the sky
was perfectly clear, and the air free
from mist, and the brightly blnslng
stars seemed to flash downward to us
reassuring messages of the eternal
presence of the One who nightly hangs
these sky lanterns In their accustomed
places, but. clinging closely all about
us, though rising only a few feet above
the deck, wns a wet, enveloping cur
tain of mist, so dense es to render the
prow of the ship scarcely visible from
amidships. With engines slowed down
so thnt we barely made headway, we
slowly felt our way Into the harbor.
Occasionally a whistle would bellow Its
hoarse note of warning from appar
ently so close ahead as to prove mo
mentarily startling, and suddenly there
would emerge out of the thick haze a
huge schooner, passing us so close
that, without difficulty one might have
toseed a stone down on her deck. Al
most Immediately she would disappear,
leaving us to continue our wondering
speculation aa to how long a collision
might be averted. But keen nnd fog-
trained eyes were at the lookout, and
accustomed hands were at the wheel,
and so, "soothed and sustained by an
unfaltering trust,” we went to bed to
be lulled to sleep by the fog horn's
sonorous serenade, and to be wakened
by the sun streaming Into our state
room window and buildings along New
York's water front slipping silently
past In stately procession.
New York is too big, and too noisy,
and too hurried and utterly discourte
ous to suit a m*n who has learned to
love Atlanta. Also, the true Atlantan
misses the Invigorating breeze from off
tho Piedmont range and the suffocating
humidity of a New York July day Is
for him entirely too full of a Joyless
suggestiveness of "the old-time relig
ion’s" fabled destination of unworthy
and unblessed spirits. Hence It wns
thnt the happiest moment spent In New
York on thnt July Monday wns when
we stood on the deck of tho splendid
steamer "Priscilla." of the' Fall' River
line, and felt the throbbing of her en
gines as we began the Journey up Ieing
Island Sound toward the city of beans
and of "Cultuah."
Since the Creator took auch palna
In fashioning the body so wondrously
the creature should take pains to con
serve It carefully.
The Christian worker who “breaks
down” because he has lacked the cour.
age and Judgment to care for hla health
la answerable for two sins—hts own
Impaired health and the work that la
undone because of neglected health.
A traveler In Ceylon Is Impressed
with the splendid physiques of the
men. They are veritable black Apol-
loe. But nine out of ten of them will
cringe and fawn for a gratuity. They
are miserable ' beggars, lacking the
stamina of true manhood. Perfection
of body does not In Itself constitute
manliness or womanliness; but a noble
spirit does, whatevar Its outward form.
Battar a great heart In a trail body
than a frail heart In a great body.
Old Paul had a penetrating pen, and
he loved to puncture shams and fal
lacies. Take his thrust at the mis
taken notion that spirituality la some
thing dissociated from the everyday ac.
tualltlea of life. Paul says, "Present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which la your
spiritual worship.” “Spiritual worship"
—the dedication of the body! That la
what Paul says. On* does not have
to experience ecstatic flights of emo
tion In order to be spiritual; the real
teat of spirituality Is surrender of the
person to the holy will of Ood. Apart
from this practical servlet there la
no spirituality: although spirituality
does rise to still greater heights. But
It never gets off this base. The sur
rendered body la the teat of the con-
seerated will.
Somebody once asked Mr. Moody If
one could be a Christian and smoke.
"Yes, a dirty one," was the terse re
ply.
Though It la wisdom to take proper
care of the body. It Is weakness lo be
fussy and fastidious about It. Some
persona are ao nnxloualy careful of
their health that they accomplish noth
ing with either their bodies or their
minds; and one la tempted lo ask
whether the result Is worth the effort.
A tool Is taken care of not for the
tool's sake, but for the sake of the
work It may do. The chief warrant
for taking precaution about one's
health la that the latter may be
means to aervlce.
churches. Rev. Yoltsu Honda, who 1*
well known on this side of the Atlantic,
was elected the first bishop. This
makes the third great Independent
Christian church In Japan, free of mis
sionary control, the Congregational nnd
Presbyterian being the others. It Is
freely predicted that ere long these In
dependent churches will unite In one
Japanese church.
8EVEN SENTENCE SERMONS,
You may depend upon It that he Is a
good man whose Intimate friends ara
all good.—Lavater.
As Christ gave His body to save
men'* souls, so men should give their
bodies to honor His sacrifice.
The Lord can use broken vessels, but
not dirty ones. The life that Is clean
within and without la alone meet for
the Master’s use.
they who aln In theebody, suffer In
both body and spirit.
Churches are not used for atables or
factories, because the Innate reverence
of mankind revolts against auch sac
rilege. So "the temple of the Holy
Ghost”—which Is the high title the
Scriptures apply to the Christian's
body—must be kept from pollution and-
In good repair.
NEWS AND NOTES.
Two young Chinese students at New
ton. Mass., have carried off the prizes
for beat scholarship.
Only two graduates are reported this
year from the Hebrew Theological
Seminary In New York, and only one
from a still older seminary.
A plea for the kindly treatment of
Chinese Immigrants was made to -all
Christian nations by the recent Shang
hai missionary conference.
The priest of a Roman Catholic
church In Troy, N. Y., Invited the sec
retory of the local Y. M. C. A. to speak
at the opening of SI. Josephs Club, and
1,500 men heard the address.
What the present governor of North
Carolina said to the present governor
of South Carolina was probably some
thing ecclesiastical, for both gentlemen
are Presbyterian elders.
One of the reactionary decrees of the
Chinese Empress Dowager la that Con
fucius shall be worshipped as the equal
of "Heaven and Earth," the highest
form of Chines# religion.
The Pittsburg Railway Company re
cently Issued an order declaring it tube
the company's policy not to continue In
Its employ men who use cigarettes or
liquor, or who are In the habit of gam
bling.
In a commencement address at the
Unlveralty of Michigan, President Ira
Remsen, the great scientist, said; “It la
coming to be recognised more and more
clearly that science can do true relig
ion no barm, but can only strengthen
Children have more need of modela
than critics.—Joubert. .
To look up and not down;
To look forward and hot back;
To look out and not In;
And
To lend a hand.
—E. E. Hale.
How much trouble he avoids wh<?
does not look to see what hts neighbor
■ays, or does, or thinks, but only to
whst he does himself, that It may be
Just and pure.—Marcus Aurellua.
To do the common duty of eaqh day
uncommonly well—this la success.—
Anon.
The world Is weary of new tracks of
thought.
That lead to naught- -
Sick of quack remedies, prescribed In
vain
For mortal pain:
Yet still above them alt, one Figure
stands.
With outstretched hands.
—Ellen Thomejrcroft Fowler,
Baptists and Disciples of Christ, two
strong denominations, have come to a
tentative agreement, looking to dose
co-operation on the mission field and
In rural communities. The movement
Is expected to eventuate In the union
of the two bodies. •
An epochal event In the religious his
tory of Japan was the organisation this
spring ot tbs new Methodist Church In
Japan, exclusive of foreign control. The
church was created by the consolidation
The body la not an end, but a means of the missions of the Northern. South
Thou wilt keep him In perfect peace
whose mind Is stayed on thee.—Isaiah.
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