apeKin ne il SPosiness HOME OF TI A 1919THE KING’S BUSINESS MOTTO: HL Reep it night and day. the Lord, do keep it, F will water it every moment, lest any hurt it. I Isa, 27:3 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES Enteed os Second-Clan Maer November 47, 1910, a the Po Office at Les Angeles, Coifoni & Acceptance for mailing at special mite of postege provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917 fh suthorised October 1, 1918+ Volume X March, 1919 Number 3 Editorials: A Contrast in Value (15 . Wilbur Chapman (199) God-blessed Chureh (196. norance of Great Men (1 That “Suspicionsly Teutonic’ Bible Doctrine (198) A Han some Proposition from the Seminaries (199) Seriptures for Special Meditation (200 -- Remarkable Remarks: Shiort Helpful Sa) Our President’s Collosal Blunder, Dr. Tor The ‘‘No Man’’—aA Sermon by Dr. Mark Matthews (206) The Devil's Children: Timely message from Dr. Oliver (211) Bible Institute Happenings (213 “All Things to All Men’: A letter from Rev. H. J. Scott (216) Heart to Heart Talks—tor unsaved people (218) Evangelistic Stories from Experience ( International Sunday School Lessons (230) Daily Devotional Home Readings, hy Dr. Farr (265) Homiletical Helps, Bible Readings (2 Book Reviews, by Dr. Torrey (274) Translation or Tribulation—Which?—Kev. W. TH. Pike (2 Advertising Section (279) Will you help the Bible Institute of Los Angeles to take the Gospel to the people? ONLY ONE DOLLAR A YEAR SUBSCRIPTION PRICE— In the United States and Its Possessions and Mexico, and points in the Central American Postal Union, $1.00 per year. In all other foreign countries, including Canada, $1.24, Ge. ad) Single copies 10 cents. See expimtion date on the wpper. BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 536-558 South Hope Street - - Los Angeles, CaliforniaDO YOU NEED =i | NEW HYMN BOOKS | ! IN YOUR CHURCH OR SUNDAY SCHOOL | a Get this magazine into 35 homes in your 4 HERE'S community and we will send you FREE for your church 50 cloth bound hymn books, A CHANCE | vour choive of three standard publications TO KILL listed below. To get this mayazine with its TWO BIRDS | devotional helps into 35 homes is itself a WITH real work for Christ, which may lead not ONE STONE:| only to the spiritual uplift of many homes, jf but to the salvation of souls as well, GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS, popular Rodeheaver book, selling for 35 i cents each. Fine book for all-around work. GREAT REVIVAL HYMNS, one of the very best collections of hymns, old | and new. Sells for 35 cents. SUNDAY SCHOOL SONGS, another Rodeheaver book, one of the best for Sunday School work. Sells for 35 cents. Ove chureh has just subscribed for 600 capies of the King’s Busit . monthly, to take the place of Sunday Sehool quarter: lies, Th 1 people not only have the lesson helps, but profit by the daily-devotional readings connected with the lessons, as well as all the other Bible helps and inspirational articles, They will have a better church, Why not get the teachers and adults in your school to subseribe and get FREE a new set of HYMN BOOKS? If you cannot get them in your church you van surely vet them amon the Bible-loving people in your community | | Get the Young Folks Busy | | Sample Copies of the King's Business sent on request. Copies of Hymn books for examination, 25 cents each. Get on the Job at once. Write— THE KING'S BUSINESS, 536 So. Hope St., Los Angeles. Keith L, Brooks, Manager. MENTION “KING'S BUSINESS" WHEN ANSWERING THIS ADVERTISEMENTTHE KING’S BUSINESS T. C. HORTON, Editor KEITH L. BROOKS, Managing Editor R.A-TORREY,D.D. FREDERIC W.FARR,D.D. J,H.HUNTER W. H. PIKE Contributing Editors EDITORIAL A CONTRAST In Values A half a dozen lines in the press dispatehes were used to inform the pub- lie that Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman had passed away. In the event of the demise of a noted pugalist. a smooth politician or a mavie actor, a column would be used to chronicle the event. The world’s estimate of human life is in marked contrast with God's, A revelation awaits the people of the world, -when God opens His Books and makes His announcements. When God wrote King Herod’s obitua He tells us that Herod sat upon his throne in royal apparel and made an oration. The people shouted. ‘‘It is the voice of a God and not of a man, and the angel of God smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms.’’ But when He records Stephen's departure, He tells us that when Stephen was stoned to death, he testified that the heavens were opened and and that he saw the Glory of God and the Son of Man standing on the right liand of God God’s thoughts are not the thoughts of the 20th Century newspapers. God’s estimate of values is just the opposite of the world’s estimate, If you are looking for popular approval or applause, play to the world’s gallery, but if you want God’s smile, God’s will done. and God’s crowns, play to the great cloud of witnesses and run with the patience the race that is set before you, looking unto Jesus— ‘Who for the that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.’"—T. C. H. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN A great and good man has departed to be with the Lord. As a pastor. evangelist and writer he was a true man of God. In character, he was sweet and gentle as a child; as a preacher a sturdy defender of the truth, He had a whole Bible and stood square for the fundamentals of our faith. ‘We are told that when he returned from his world tour, he advised the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church to order home those missionaries on the field who were tinetured with higher criticism. The Presbyterian Church honored Dr. Chapman with its highest gift when they made Him the Moderator of the General- Assembly, which office he filled with marked ability and his tour among the churches, his ringing soul-stir- ring messages to the men of the church will never be forgotten. The Church of God has lost a valiant leader; his loved ones a beloved196 THE KING'S BUSINESS band and father. and those who knew him intimately have lost a true i nd. Wilbur Chapman fought a good tight and kept the faith. He lived not in vain. Thousands of souls have through his preaching repented of their sins and confessed Christ as Saviour and Lord. Heaven is ri rth is the poorer by reason of his going. We thank God for vice and pray that it may please Him to raise up more of his kind that the Gospel may be given and God glorified —T. C. HL. A. SHORT STORY of a God-Blessed Church It is located in Los Angeles and is ‘three years old. It is interdenomina- tional. It meets in the Auditorium of the Bible Institute. It has no organic relation to the Institute but is in hearty affiliation with its work. Its spiritual officers are Elders. Itg financial officers are Stewards. Its benevolent officers are Deacons. Its Pastor is Dr. R. A. Torrey. This church has a statement of doctrine covering all the Fundamentals of the Bible. In connection with the statement is the following, which every candidate is compelled to sign: It is my desire to be received into the membership of the Church of the Open Door. I cheerfully accept the statement of doctrine of this church as recorded above, and subscribe to the Constitution and By-Laws. In assuming this membership I agree to be loyal to the interests of the church, to seek its purity and prosperity, to do some definite Christian work. to be subject to the discipline of the church, and to contribute to its support as the Lord shall Prosper me. If at any time I find myself at variance with the teaching, life and rules of the church I agree to ask for my letter and quietly withdraw. This is a saving clause, and saves the church from an: Dissatisfied, disgruntled people are under obligation to ask for their letters. This is fully explained when the candidate is examined by the Session. The present membership is 673. There is a strong endeavor to ke p the roll clean. Mere statistics mean nothing to this chureh. The morning and evenin. 8 average in attendance from fourteen to sixteen hundred. The total gifts for all n 1918 amounted to $24,000. There are twelve of the member China, South America, Central America, Honolulu, The church supports the Sunday School and the offerings of the latter pass through the chureh for missionary purpos Dr. Dowling, formerly State Seeretary of the Sunday School Association, is the Superintendent of the Sehool. Members of the church were visitors for the Home Departinent last year. The midweek prayer meeting is a great gathering. Several hundred people, including many visitors, are attendance. lt is a real prayer meeting. There is no exposition of scripture. The members read the scripture out of their hearts. A few moments are given to praise for answered prayer, then requests are made and prayers offered. Requests come from many sections of the country for prayer. There are always testimonies to God’s faithfulness in answering the requests. cliques or parties.DR. A. C. DIXON ome associated with the Bible In: , The Spurgeon Tabernacle, April Fi sre is a live Christ eavor Society, and a Communion Service every Sunday evening at 6 those who desire to attend. Exeeption of members oceurs the first Sunday of each month and morning Communion Service every second month. ‘There are no distracting features in the nature of soc’ ys emphasis upon godly ing and stresses the obligation for personal work upon all of its members.—T. C. TL churel THE IGNORANCE of Great Men King David said. “‘T have more understanding for Thy testimonies ave my meditation; | understand more than the aged because | have kept Thy precepts.” Psa, 119.97, R. Ve Isn't it stra that great. statesmen should make such collossal blunders as Napoleon and the Kaiser?) They both aimed at a world-wide Empire, and drenched the world in blood, but failed. In the dream given to Nebuchadrezzar and interpreted by Daniel, there are only four world-wide Empires mentioned. Namely the head of gold representing Nebuchadrezzar’s kingdom of Babylon; the silver shoulders representing the supremacy of the Medes and Persians; the waist of brass setting forth Greece in her world-wide supremacy under Alexander; and the iron thighs and limbs of the image representing Roman domination. Note that only four world-wide Empires are mentioned and all of these have been fulfilled. They have taken place in the history of the past, and yet men of brains and position, because they know not God, and know not His Word, have acted contrary to His Word and have brought thousands to 1 all my teache198 THE KING'S BUSINESS death and the world into a condition of famine and pestilence. The ignor- ance of the Word of God is the gigantic blunder of all blunders, And what is true of these great leaders of mankind is true in a lesser way of all indi- viduals. Wherever men go contrary to the Bible they deal suffering and woe to themselves and their neighbor: In talking with a Jewish lawyer a few years azo, he sneered at the Old tament as a book not able to enlighten us in these days of advanced civilization But,”’ said 1, ‘*where did all of the best laws tind their origin?’ ‘In the ten commandments, | suppose.’ he replied. ‘Then shame ona lawyer who does not make a daily study of the principles of truth as found in the five books of the Bible. the true foundation of all law. Some statesmen are negleeting the Word of God today and in eternity perhaps hefore, they will see that they have made as wreat a mistake as Napoleon or the Kaiser.—W, H. P. THAT “SUSPICIOUSLY TEUTONIC”’ Bible Doctrine Rev. W. T. Ellis. a religious newspaper correspondent. who in his weekly treatment of the International Lessons has oft told us how the old orthodoxy of the church was being smashed to smitherecns by the shot and shell of the world war and who has prophesied of the new world religion after the war, has recently taken to writing articles azainst the belief in the literal second coming of Christ. Mr. Ellis is a close student of Dr, Shailer Matthews and L Shirley Case of Chicago University, and has: quoted freely from Dr. Case especially. in his newspaper writin Of Dr. Case a Canada. periodical. ‘Word and Work” says. ‘He is one of the most abandoned of infidels that ever stole the livery of heaven to serve the devil in.’ and of Mr.-Ellis, the same magazine says, “He holds the modern critic's position on the inspiration of the Seriptures. the miracles, ete. and th throws some light of explanation on what he has to say on the pre-millennial coming of Christ.”* Mr, Ellis, in one of his widely cireulated articles says: “Without waiting ta learn the effect of the war upon the religion of our soldiers and vf our allies, a growing number of Ameriean Christians have seized upon the idea that the present cataclysm is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies and that the return of the Lord may be expected seon. There is a great propa- ganda at work to spread the teaching and two wealthy oil men are devoting large sums to this doctrine in which they themselves strongly believe,” and then quot- ing Shirley Case, he adds, “With a thoroughness suspiciously Teutonic, this move- ment in its present activities is everywhere making its influence felt, and in so subtle a way as to threaten our national enthusiasm at one of its-most vulnerable points.” It only needs to be said of these religious leaders who are now so zeal- ously attacking the belief in Christ’s second coming, whieh Scripture terms “the blessed hope’’ of the Christian and of the Church, that their first quarrel is with the Word of God as a whole. Pre-illennialists only need to take note of what sort these men are who are saying ‘‘Where is the promise of His coming, for all things continue’? (2 Pet. 3:4)—‘‘deniers of God’s Word.’? Even those sincere post-millenniarians who are joining with them in the fight and circulating thitir literature, should on this account, have reason to be suspicious of the merit of their cause, and be ashamed of their allies.THE KING'S BUSINESS 199 In regard to the ‘two wealthy oil men’? mentioned by Mr. Ellis (refer- ring to the “two laymen’? who published and sent ont free, the twelve volumes of ‘‘Fundamentals’’} R. H. Boll of “Word and Work”? says: “This is not itself the coal that got into the higher critie’s shoe. The real reason the ashes are flying concerning these two laymen is that they everlastingly sat down on that camouflaged infidelity which has been propagated ‘with a thor- oughness suspiciously (and certainly) Teutonic’ in its origin, and which these ape- ing professors have repeated after their German professors. This stuff which has eaten the heart out of Germany, these professed patriots would fain foist upon this nation also." - All who possess copies of ‘*Fundamentals’’ know they were printed, not for the propagation of the doctrine of Christ’s seeond coming, but in defense of the inspiration of the Seriptuy nd all the fundamental doctrines of Christianity to which the Spirit of God has through the centuries, set His seal. Thousands have said, ‘Praise God for the two laymen and the Funda- mentals.""—I L. B. se ode A HANDSOME PROPOSITION from the Seminaries A few weeks avo. Dr. Cortland M, man-Examiner. said among other things, **We must protect our young men in the ministry from false teaching and false teachers. Here is one of the great reasons for the sad lack in the number of young men entering this holy ig. TI have now placed my finger on a sore spot, but if it is caneerous, better ke the discove: and like a good and skillful surgeon, eut it out before its deadly h erecp any further into the body of the church. Some of the semina are bemoaning the lack of students but fail to sec that the abominable now theology imported from Germany is'one of the principal sources of the trouble. Place a higher critic behind the teaching desk and a question 1 after the fundamentals of Christianity, and at last you ean close the doors of these institutions and then elose the doors of the ehureh.”’ Dean J. F. Vichert of Colgate Seminary came back with a vengeance at Dr. Myers for daring to insinuate that there might be anything caneer- ous about any of onr theological semi *s. Tle said: * “It it be still insisted that any of the teachers of our seminaries are denying the fundamentals of our Christian faith, are tearing the Scriptures to tatters-and are dethroning Jesus Christ, I should like to suggest an investigation. All our seminaries would welcome it. NONE OF US ENJOYS BEING LIED ABOUT, Let there be an IMPARTIAL JURY, composed not of men who move in a closed circle of ideas (by which he evidently means—men whose views of Spiritual things are bounded by what God alone has to say in His Word) but men who are acquainted with the problems of science and philosophy, who know something of the CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL METHODS OF INVESTIGATION. Let such a jury be impancled. We shall welcome it to our class rooms and wait with ealm- ness for its verdict.” “ Generous proposition—is it not? It would of course have to fall to the heads of the critical seminaries to select such a jury, for a jury composed partly of “‘liberals’’ and partly of those who cling to the Seriptures, would make a terrible mess of it. Furthermore, the presence of any kind of a jury in a seminary would naturally put everyone on their guard against making any statements that might be interpreted in-only one way. And -what jury would want to spend four years in each of the seminaries, which writing to the Baptist Wateh-200 THE KING'S BUSINESS would be absolutely necessary should they undert ings on all the fundamental doctrines? But, Dr, Samuel Lindsay of Brooklyn replied in the Examiner to Dr. Vichert’s offer, that ‘such a plan would never work.’ He suggests a plan to Dr. Vichert that sounds more like reason. He s “Let Dr. Vichert_or some authorized representative of the seminary tell us just the attitude of Colgate on such questions as the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures; the virgin birth of Jesus Christ; the sacrifice of Christ iu relation to the salvation of men; the resurrection of Christ; the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the saints; the final estate of those who fail to accept Christ as Savior, ete. After Dean Vichert has spoken, let other seminaries in the order of their seniority, make their confessions of faith. We shall know then where we stand. The churches then can choose the seminaries they will support, ‘The young men can choose the seminaries they wish to. attend.” The question is—will they listen to a proposition so simple? —K. 1. B. ke to judge of the teach- se a SUGGESTIVE SCRIPTURES for Special Meditation In these days every believer should meditate prayerful upon seme “Scripture, evidently designed by the Holy Spirit for that purpose. For this month we suggest the following: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13-14: This know also, that in the last days perilous tines shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent. . despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. . Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and wo being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of. knowing of whom thou hast learned them. fie . deceiving, and THE MEN’S BIBLE CLASS of the Church of the Open Door The Men's Bible Class, of which the Associate Pastor, Mr. Horton, is the _teacher, has issued a Gospel message prepared by the President of the Class, Mr. Lyman Stewart, and 50,000 are being distributed in the residential district of the city. Accompanying this booklet is a unique folder, dealing with the various false teachings, arranged in comparison with the Word of God. We believe that God has set His seal upon this church because of its unanimity of purpose to be true to. the-Word-and-work-of God, as-clearly defined in the Scriptures. Samples of the Statement of Doctrine and booklet and folder will be sent to any interested, upon application and enclosure of stamp. Will you put “Bible In tute Of Los Angeles” on fear through your prayer list’ for 1919? i " students.oc. Really Remarkable STRIKING SENTENCES FOR BUSY READERS Remarks Be not so ready to charge ignorance or mpéstake upon others as to suspect yourself of it. Light somebody's torch and your own will burn the brighter. Make God your Trustee. His care of your welfare. ‘That prayer ascends highest that comes from the lowest depths of a hum- bled heart. It is strange how some people can withhold from the world, without com- punetion, the best news that ever came into it. ‘Walk in the company of vain thoughts all the day and thou wilt hardly shut the door upon them when thou goest into thy closet. Many call the Church their mother whom God will not own to be His children. No man -can worship intelligently any more of God than he knows. Difficulties and distresses when you are in aggressive Christian work, are no indication that you are out of divine order, but are, rather, a vgorous hint that you should put into it more wit, wisdom and warm work. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. We are but the janitors, whose business it is to keep them swept clean. ~ Some preachers lambast_ the people because they do not pay’ more when the people are feeling they are paying for all they get. Lip praise is never outlet_enough for grateful hearts when God gives the ability for other service also. ‘There is much so-called “penitential crying” that is only “hypocritical lying.” ‘If we were to believe in “the survival of the fittest” there would be little hope for most of us, but the glory of the selieve in Gospel is that God comes to the unfit. There are many monkey-Christians. Monkeys will come and warm by the fire, but will never throw on a bit of wood. It should be our aim to draw all we can from Christ by prayer and return all we can to Him by praise. The fear of being called a fool has driven many to folly. It is the things we cannot spare which make our offering alive. If we are branches of the True Vine and feel the edge of the pruning knife, it is God's way of éelling us we are to bear more fruit, He who would save his life trom all possibility of failure will lose his best possibilities. One is sometimes tempted to think that the Lord made one mistake in His process of creation, in distributing the Power of speech indiscrimfinately. One repulsive Christian will away a score of prodigals, God's love for poor sinners is very wonderful, but His patience with il- natured saints is a deeper mystery. We learn wisdom trom failure much more than from success, and he who never made a mistake never made a discovery. Reckon him a Christian indeed who is not ashamed of the Gospel nor a shame to it. ‘The man who will go out of his way to kick a dog cannot be trusted any- where. z - God never puts anyone in a place too small to grow in. It is while you resist little tempta- tions that you are growing stronger. Christian Science is a cure for an imaginary ailment or.an imaginary cure for a real ailment. drive_this will certainly kill it. This is a. Protestant na Our President’s “The bowing of our Chief Magistrate to that strange and pernicious mixture Collosal Blunder of politics and religion that is headed up at Rome” By Dr. R. A. TORREY Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles The writer of this article has been a great admirer of President Wilson. While he has had oceasion to eriticise his attitude and his action in some matters, on the whole he has been in the heartiest sympathy with President Wilson’s conduct of our national affairs and our international relations. He has considered him in many ways one of the wisest statesmem that we have ever had in America. But certainly President Wilson has made recently one of the most colossal blunders that was ever made by an Amer- ican President. We refer, of course, to his t to the Pope. Nothing could possibly be more foolish in itself and more injurious to the highest interests of this country than this visit. It was entirely unnecessary. Pope Benedict has done nothing to entitle him to any consideration from this country. He has played, as far as he dared, into the hands of the Kaiser and the Central Powers. This was so evident that President Wilson himself was compelled to treat his peace proposals with something of the seant courtesy that they deserved, and yet our President, not merely as an individual, but as he has repeatedly said in every country that he has visited, representing the United States of America, has seen fit to do the subtle and wily eecle- siastic an homage that he has rendered to none of the kings or leading states- men among our allies who have fought so nobly with us at so great sacrifice. King George of England came to see the President first. King Albert of Belgium welcomed him ‘with great honor. The King of Italy visited him first in Paris and afterwards went a long ways to meet him in Italy. But President Wilson went to see the Pope instead of the Pope coming to see him, and permitted the Pope to make the conditions under whieh alone he would receive him. We are filled with shame of face. This is no time to stir up religions antagonisms, antagonisms between Protestants and Roman Catholies in this country, but nothing could possibly he done more caleulated to stir up such antagonisms than this action of our President. It is not likely that President Wilson could have been re-elected even if he had not taken this action ; for the people of America have what is probably an ineradicable hostility. to a third term on the part of any man, no matter how wise nor excellent his administration. But if there had been any prospect before, a, and the nation as a whole will not tolerate the howing of our Chict’ Magistrate to that strange and pernicious mixture of polities and religion that is headed up at Rome. The two great perils of this country at the present day are Anarehy, or Bolshevism, and Romanism, Rome is not concealing her aims regardine America. The following Roman Catholic utterance from the National Catholic Register is an illustration of this: “Catholicism is, and always has been, a practical religion. There is no sin that it cannot forgive or absolve; there is no human soul so ignorant, lowly or degraded that cannot seek shelter and peace under its divinely protecting wings.THE KING'S BUSINESS 203 It was founded on Jesus, the Son of God and Mary, upon the eternal rock of truth: and Jesus was practical. He bestowed spiritual blessings upon every soul-weary sinner who came seeking the life eternal; He healed the sick and fed those who hungered. In founding His chureh he beseeched His apostles to be practical, using whatever good thing the Father placed within their reach, be it political power, education, money or other material thing. All things consecrated to the use of the Holy Catholic Church. “It is God's plan that the Holy Father of Rome should be the spiritual and temporal head of His Kingdom on earth. It is the same today as in the time of the first pope. The best way to accomplish this is through political power, through religious education and service. God has doubly blessed the Catholic Church of America by placing one of its most faithful sons at the right hand of President Wilson. Next to the President, Hon. Joseph Tumulty, Knight of Columbus, thirty- third degree, wields the greatest political power of any man in America, and as a true Catholic he is exercising the great trust which God has given into his hands for the glory of the holy church. Through his tact and holy zeal he has created a warm friendship between the Catholic Church and President Wilson, together with the Democratic party. Other presidents have feared the power of the holy Chureh and have courted its support, politically, by granting it childish favors, which deceived no one. But this is the first time in the history of the country when the President and a great political party have openly sought an equal and honest- alliance with the Catholic Church, (This was written before the President visited the Pope. The writer might have much more to add along the same line now.) And before seeking this political alliance, the President and his party have shown their good faith by works. Through the efforts of Hon. Joseph Tumulty, Presi- dent Wilson has practically granted that education in the Philippines shall be under control of the Catholic Church; and that religious activity in the great American Army shall be under the direction of the Knights of Columbus. This means the addition to the chureh of one million of the country's best and bravest young, men, or at least their strong preference and sympatiy for the Catholie hureh.” Furtier on the writer says: “‘All these things, and more, show that Prest- dent Wilson and the Demoeratic party are sincere in their friendship for the Catholic Church. This is only as it should be, because the Democratic party is the one in which is found almost ninety per cent of the Catholics. By an alliance between the Catholic Church and the Democratic party, the ideals of both will be made secure by creating a dominant political organization, This may be proved by actual figures. The country is normally Republican by about three million votes. There is nat much doubt that the Catholic Church can give to the Demo- cratic party two million more votes, especially with woman suffrage, because in their devotion to the cause, in their noble devotion to the Church, the women of the Catholic faith will vote first for its interest. ‘he Catholics will soon have an opportunity to prove their appreciation: of President Wilson's friendship, and at the same time increase their political -pres- tige and strength.” Further on the writer say: ry Catholic must awake to his duty and stand by his chureh and President Wilso1 Is it not time that Protestants awaken to the peril that confronts us? History-abundantly proves-what-Rome-in- political power in any nation, means. Every evangelical Christian, and especially every member of the Presbyterian denomination, which has made so much boast of our President being a Presbyterian must be filled with shame of face and sorrow of heart to see-a-leader- who-has probably had -a-more—general backing fromthe people in this country than any President of modern times handing himself over to be the conscious or unconscious tool of that most dangerous of all existing organizations, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. These Roman Cath- olie words should startle the most indifferent and somnolent of us and arouse us into a sense of the daily peril of the hour. It is a significant fact that none of our great secular daily papers, as far as the writer has seen, has dared to criticise President Wilson’s204 THE KING'S BUSINESS eonduet in this matter. Even the papers that are most hostile to him have kept strangely silent about this. The Roman Catholic Church has a perilous power and influence over the politicians and press of America today. Many far sighted Christian people shook their heads when John R. Mott consented to an alliance with the Knights of Columbus in the reeent War Work cam- paign. Dr. Mott gave as his reason that though first it was against his judgment, it was ‘‘the wish of the President.’’ We see how unsafe it is to goby the wishes of the President when it concerns the question of the Roman Catholic Church. A very prominent Bapti i niinister of the South, Rev. J. B, Gambrell, in the Baptist Standard of December 5th calls attention to the fact that: “In the course of events every non-Catholic Christian body in America was barred out of the camps, and the Catholies had free access to the camps for their buildings and their denominational work on both sides of the sea. And in a great so-called non-sectarian drive for war work funds, the Catholics get the rise of $30,000,000 for their special work. Not another Christian denomination was recognized in any way. It may be well to say, that the Y. M. C. A. did not and could not represent any denomination. I betray no confidence when I say Brother Truett wanted to go overseas as a simple Baptist preacher, but he was not per- mitted to do it He had to wear a “Y¥’’ uniform or not go. Our boards wanted to send men, but were not allowed to do so. We besought, we protested, we did all we could to get some privileges, but nothing could be done. The Catholics swarmed over in their clerical garbs and used their special privileges and the great sums given them in the interests of their Church. It is in this way that they hope to swing.1,000,000 boys their way.” Is it not time that the Protestants of Ameriea awakened to the serious- ‘ness of the erisis that is upon us, and spoke out, and spoke out in such a way that President Wilson would be forced to listen, and that others who are trying to hand this country over to the Roman Catholic Church would be forced to listen. Mr. Gambrell further says: “Baptists and others have been put at a great disadvantage. The unionizers and the Catholics, working in accord, have had full swing in the greatest times we have ever seen. And they still occupy the war stage, all of it. We must recognize accomplished facts, face the difficulties made for us, get under the heavier burdens, and prove ourselves worthy of our ancestors by matching diffi- culties with a new consecration and valor. One good thing has already resulted, Baptists, of every section of the country, and all shades of opinion on other mat. ters, have been brought together on the war issues. The first try out of the Catho- lic combine with the Democratic party in national politics proved disastrous. ‘There are many reasons to believe that the South, after the war issues are settled, will not be so completely shut up to one party. Naturally prohibition and Woman's suffrage will soon be settled. We will then face the Catholic issue in politics. No party will live in the South that dickers with Catholicism. The great non- Catholic denominations, side-tracked during the war, will smash sectarianism in politics as irredeemably as the Kaiser and his military machine have been smashed, and thousands of true American Catholics will help to do it.” _._ We hope that Dr. Gambrell will prove a true prophet. We are inclined to think he will. Any way, President Wilson’s surrender to” Rowian Catholicism ought to arouse all who have any conception of the iniquities and subtleties of the Roman Catholic machine to nation-wide and effective action.THE KING'S BUSINESS NO BAN ON “JESUS IS COMING” It has been reported from time to time that Dr. W. EB. Blackstone's book, “Jesus is Coming” was one of the books banned by the Censor from the libraries in military camps. An article in the Literary Digest of October 12 gave in the list of books barred from the librar- ies, one entitled “Jesus is Coming,” whereupon many who are opposed to the truth of the second coming of the Lord jumped at the idea that the gov- ernment had thus branded the teach- ing as “pro-German.” However, the fact is that it was not Mr. Blackstone’s book at all that was put under the ban, but a curious pamphlet issued at Kan- sas City. Mr. Blackstone's book has béen translated into 26 languages and has had a total issue to date of over 500,000 copies. It is without doubt, one of the strongest books published setting forth what the Scriptures teach in regard to the blessed hope, A letter to Mr. Blackstone from Major R. Hughes for Brigadier Gen. M. Churchill, director of military intelligence and chief military censor, says: ‘The book with the title ‘Jesus is Coming’ which was included in our list of books barred from camps ard which doubtless the Literary Digest quoted is a tract pub- lished by the Truth Publishing Co., Kansas City, Mo., under date of 1918. Evidently there has been some con- fusion in the identity of the book in question owing to the similarity in title.” a2 GETTING AND KEEPING TRUTH God, who gives an eye to, see truth, must give a hand to hold it- What we have from God we cannot keep without God; keep, therefore, thy acquaintance with God, or else truth will not keep her acquaintance with thee. God is light; thou art going into the dark as soon as thou turnest thy back upon Him.—Selectei. 205 CAMOUFLAGED PROFANITY In the Girls’ Companion, published by the David C. Cook Go., of Elgin, Ill, we observe the following expression: “Gee, I wish there was something I could do.”” It is a singular thing that people who are otherwise scrupulous about avoiding profanity will freely use this word “Gee. We have even heard ministers use it. The David C. Cook Co. is well known as one of the biggest religious publishing concerns in the country, and the fact that it would ad- mit such a term into one of its publica- tions, especially one intended for girls, shows how much carelessness there is on the subject. “Gee" is simply an ab- breviation of ‘Jesus’ and you might as well swear by taking the name of Jesus in vain as by using this abbreviation of it. Everybody would be shocked it the Girls’ Companion had sma: ‘Jesus, I wish there was something to @»,"" and yet the one form would be no less pro- fane than the other. It is not surpris- ing that when church people who pro- fess to set a good example te others and who certainly should do so allow themselves to use profanity’ in this way. Every Sunday school teacher in the land should impress it on the children that “Gee'' is as much swearing as “Jesus” is, and the ministers should issue the same caution, People who use: such camoufiaged profanity do not realize that it is profanity; they consider it a harmless expletive. But if they are ig- norant ef the facts they should be told of them and they should make it a point to avoid such faults if they want to be good. As the Pathfinder has pointed out before, practically all the expletives in common use are euphemisms for pro- fanity. They were adopted and perpet- uated by: people who did not have the courage to swear roundly but who wished to vent their feelings py adopt- ing something that sounded as near like it as possible.—Pathfinder.The “No Man” A Characteristic Sermon Preached Several Weeks Ago at his Great Church in Seattle, Washington By Dr. MARK A. MATTHEWS “The impotent man answered him, Sir, T hive so tan when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool, but while Tam coming another steppeth down ‘before me M18 miracle is in the book at this place, not because it is the second miracle, but because it marks the begin- ning of the anger of the Jews, those in authority, who finally concentrated their anger in their efforts to crucify Christ. First, let me recite the eireum- stances. This pool, called Bethseda by the sheep market, was supposed to con- tain certaiil curative properties. Per- haps it had in it salt, sulphur and some of the other things you find in some of the mineral springs that are today used by rheumaties and others who are afflicted with similar troubles. It has been improved very much. Around it were four oF five porelies for the pur- pose of receiving and aiding those who were trying to enter its waters, These porches were crowded. People of all descriptions were there. People with all kinds of diseases were there. The lame, the blind, the halt, the diseased of every description-went to this-pool, occupied these porches, remained there until they had an opportunity of enter- ing the waters, Some frequented this place often. They went day after-day before they had an opportunity of test- ing the curative powers of these waters. The man in this text had gone there for many weeks and months, He was there at the opening of the season. He was there in the middle of the season. He was there at the end. He was suffer- ing from locomotorataxia, brought on by disease the result of sin. Every ply sician here knows the character of disease. He was suffering very much and every time the waters were dis- turbed by the Angel, he made an effort to reach the pool. It is impossible for anyone afflicted with that disease to walk with any degree of precision. It it only a question of time when the mind and the mental power of the man will be completely destroyed. So he made an effort to enter the waters. He would arise in his faltering unsteady way.- He could not reach the pool, because the men who were not afflicted with the same disease, but who had other troubles entered the waters firsi and crowded the pool, kept him out, consequently he would recline, sit down, and wait. He had been afflicted for thirty-eight years and had grown accus- tomed to his affliction and disappoint- ment. A man can grow accustomed to. disappointment. A man can. bring hi mind down to the condition of his bod: and, there are people who actually luxuriate in their sufferings, I have known people who were really happy when they were suffering and ‘1 have known people to get into a state of dis appointment that they would actually commercialize. “ Now this man afflicted for thirty- eight years, had grown accustomed to his affliction and to his disappointment, because he had been going to this pool for many years. It seems he was satis- fied to try and try, repeatedly, and when he had failed to reach the waters heTHE KING'S BUSINESS De. MARK A. MATTHEWS, would sit down wholly contented. He never seemed to think there was any- thing else he could reach except that pool. He did not seem to have any faith in anything except the water. Christ came to the man and said to him, Sir, wilt thou?” You might ask me why Christ said that. Because He ha to bring the man’s will into play, It ble to do anything for him until the man himself had his will stirred, until the will power began to move, display life and began to grip. He had been to the pool for weeks and months and perhaps years, but nobody had put him into the pool, He had not reached it himself, but his faith had not been stirred. He had not bee lifted, and Christ wilt thou be made whole? You might ask whether or not tha was a superfluous question. No, It is impossible for one to he saved until he is conscious of the helplessness and hopelessness of his state, Christ put the question to him for the purpose of whole said to him, “Sir lifting his will above the pool, above his surroundings, above the waters. above everything else. “Wilt thou be made whole?" Yes. He did not say Yes" because he was there at the pool, but because something had been injected into his will by the question, There was a new life, and a new power put 207 into his will when Christ said to him Wilt thou be made whole?” He said no man will lift me into the waters. I e “no man” who will pick me up and put me in, when the angel disturbs ‘aters. There is not a more pathetic text in all the Bible than this one. ‘There is pathetic sinner in all the this one. not a more world th Second et me present him again: Here are scores of people asking for the benefits of these waters, and here is & poor man, afflicted for thirty-eight years, and here is the angel disturbing the wa people leaping in, When the angel comes again and dis- turbs the waters this poor afflicted man starts, but only the shuffling of the feet, only the: halting mind, he can make no headway, and by that time somebody else is in the waters and nope is blasted, Then the great Son of God comes to him and says, “Sir, wilt thou?" There-is a remedy, there is a heal ere is a power, there is some- thing you may have. There is some- body who will take the place you need to have taken now. 1 would be made whole, but no man lifts me in.” My friends, I want to stop aud talk to you about that “No Man.” That is the most pathetic sinner in all history That poor afflicted man looking into the face of Jesus says to him, “No Mah will lift me up." First of all let us admit are perfectly wil afflicted one which we ng to do, that the are all around us, the depraved ones are all around us, those in need are all around us, and those whe need the ministering hand of the “No Man" are all around us. In every department of life you will find suffer- ing, sorrow, dise bankruptcy, fail- ure and the downcast, the outcast, and the man who has lost his grip lying at the pool Within reach of restoration of Hfe, of health, of power and initiative, But between the pool and the poor diseased man there is “no man" who208 will put the diseased and the pool to- gether. There is no man standing in this gap who will close it up, That is true in business, There are hundreds and thousands of men all over this country, speaking of them commercially and in a figurative sense, who are suf- fering from lecomotorataxia. There is a pool of commercial restoration, but “no man” is there to put them to- gether. It is true politically. There are hundreds and thousands of men in this country and in other countries who might be good citizens and who might occupy places of power and influence, but they are impotent, they are dis- eased, they have lost grip, and power over the things of life. There is poli- tical restdration, but there is “no man” to bring them together, And it is true socially. There are hundreds and thousands of people all over this country who are valuable people, who were people of power, influence and might at one time but the wheel turned, misfortune came, disease followed. They stepped aside out of their place, and when a man gets out of the place in which he was once standing, it is most difficult for him’ to get in again In fact he will never get-in unless some man fills the gap between him and his lost opportunities. I stood the other day and looked at a crowd on the street, and asked God to give me power to make a sermon. I looked around and knew a great many of the people. Many of them were going to waste, many of them were out of line, so many of them were not in the place God would have them occupy. They were impotent, mentally, morally, socially, physically, financially. ‘There is a pool of restoration, but there is “no man” to bring them to the pool while the God of Merey disturbs the waters. My friends, this is an appeal to you, I say to you that the utterance of this poor afflicted man is first an appeal to you, and, second, if you do not heed THE KING'S BUSINESS the appeal, it is an indictment of you, and, third, if you do not heed the indict- ment, then it is the greatest warning you have ever had given to you. Why? Because if the appeal is not answered, if the indictment is not quashed, then the judgment and the penalty for not filling the gap will fall upon you. Sup- pose Christ had not come to that poor man by the pool. Suppose Christ had not come, he would have gone on to the pool for weeks, he would have crawled up on the poreh for months, he would have shuffled his way through that crowd for years, and, then, poor fellow unhelped and unsaved would have gone out into the darkness of eternal torment, and in his dying mo- ments said that he lay at the pool afflicted for thirty-eight years, but “no man," “no man,” “no man” would lift him into the waters, Tsay to you that that “no man’ whoever he was would have stood before the bar of God and been made to suffer the damnation of that man. It is an appeal, it is an indictment, and if you do not clear yourself of the indictment then it becomes a warning of the execution of the judgment to follow the crime of neglect you have committed, Now let us see. The same thing is true, my friends, in church work. There are hundreds and thousands of people all around you, who are lying near the pool of God's grace, but no man lifts them up and puts them in. Where are you? Where are you? I say this is the greatest appeal from an evangelis- tic standpoint that could be made to an audience. There are people who are today waiting for you to lift them into the pool of salvation. You say they ought not to wait. You say they can accept Christ. You say they ought to find their way into the pool. You make many excuses, but the fact remains they will never take the step until you offer yourself as the crutch upon which to lean. I say, without the fear of con- tradition, that there is somebody onTHE KING'S BUSINESS the streets while T am talking, that you passed on your way to chureh You walked out of your hotel, out of your apartment house, or even from your own home and left some unsaved man, This whole picture brings that man before you as an indictment, He will never enter unless “no man’’ picks him up and brings him in, Why didn’t you do it? I say to you, brethren, that had you not failed to pick up that man now, whom you came in contact with this morning, who is not a Christian, and had you brought him in, believing and praying, he would have been saved this morning, and would have joined chureh I go out on the street tomorrow and weren't you at church?” “No man brought me in." You walked out of your hotel lobby this morning, your apartment house or from your home and left some man to whom you have never talked about-his soul's salvation You have never asked him to be a Christian. You left the cook in your kitchen, the nurse to whose care you have intrusted your precious children to whom you haven't said a word about Christ. You have not tried to bring her to Christ. You sit here this morn- ing, the poor man lies at the pool and Christ says, “Why aren't you saved?" He says, “No man put me in the waters." You reply the man ought to have gone in himself. 1 will admit, but, as I said the other day in talking to a group of women, there are two things in church work you must remem- ber—two fundamental principles: First, you are dealing with human nature as it is, not-as it ought to be. You have to take a man as he is. He is an unsaved, peculiar, irascible being. S« ond, you cannot apply human rules, human proprieties or guides of social etiquette in doing evangelistic work Go the mile, go the extra mile, go the extra ten miles. Go! Go! Go! until you reach him and save him. It does not make any difference what it costs to 209 do it that is the meaning of this text, “No Man. My friends, somebody is going to say in a minute, as somebody writing on this subject once, said, there is a great deal of room in the world, but it is being occupied rapidly, ‘There is truth in the statement. There are very few vacant places in business today. Banks and stores are crowded and positions are hard to secure, but let me say, here is one place you can always oceupy, the ‘No Man's’ place, There is not a single spot in all the world where this place is crowded. There is not a single place in all the world where a man who undertakes to fill the gap between the needy and the thing to be administered cannot find someone whom he can help. There is not a place where that gap is so completely oceupied that you ean- not get in. Is that not true? Did you ever think about it? You say the places are full in the church, but here is one place where you can fit, this “No Man" place You ask many are going astray Because the false doctrines, heresies and other frauds which are coming into the congregations, are talked about by their adherents inees- santly, They talk their heresy morn- ing, noon and night. They talk it everywhere they meet. A poor woman came to me the other day disturbed about one of the fundamentals of Chris- tianity, beeause a certain man belong- ing to a certain cult had been going to her home disturbing the religious thought of the family. She was so dis- turbed and unsettled she was about to quit all Christian work. I said, “My friend, why were you not talking about Christ, about your Christianity and about your church? Why weren't you testifying of Jesiis’ power to keep? Why weren’t you working out all the time the living testimony of the eternal Son of the eternal God, and there would not have been time to listen to the world? My friends, you have something That is Christianity; why so210 to talk about. You have something that has stood the test of ages. You have something that has stood the test of the fires of hell. You have some- thing about which Christ said “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Why don’t you talk it?) Why don't you talk it? That woman is indifferent to her church duties, but it is your fault. She does not perform her church duty; it is your fault. “No woman"? came in, filled the gap and lifted her into the pool of loyalty, faithfulness and zeal. Why didn’t you lift her up? I sent you to see Smith, begged you to go and see Brown, and to follow up Jones. I begged you to look atter somebody else. Why didn’t you do it? Brown is dead. Jones is in the peniten- tiary. Smith is a fugitive from justice Why didn’t you go after him when I told you to go? He was tying at the poo! begging and I asked you to fill the gap between his necessities and the remedy. Why didn’t you act the "no man” and fill the gap? Why didn’t you? Oh, my friends, if the zeal of the Christians of today were more mani- fest there would not be an auditorium in America that would hold the people. If the house of God were filled with people on fire trying to get sinners to accept the plan of salvation, they would be knocking at the doors asking for admission, in order that they might propound the question, “What shall we do to be saved No man helped me in, 3 oe rd FIRE AND WATER BAPTISM During one of the late advances of the American army, while German aero- planes were buzzing overhead and Ger- man artillery was throwing shells about them, 300 American soldiers were im- mersed in the Marne river by a Baptist clergyman. THE KING'S BUSINESS THE BIBLE, NOT BULLETS It was Bibles. not bullets, that whip- ped Bulgaria, It is not a war correspondent's job to investigate and praise or criticize missionaries and their work abroad, but if I tell the truth, as I've seen it first hand in the Balkans and the Levant, 1 am forced to say that through mission- ary influence in the Levant the Bulga- rians are lovers of America. In Monastir, in 1915, when the allies were entering before the Germans and Bulgars, one American flag floated over that town that never came down, It was the flag on the missionary school conducted by Dr. James Clark. Into the school he took hundreds of refugees and the Bulgars considered it as ganc- tuary. The children in that school were taught English. In Sofia, Dr. Clark's father, almost 90, who had spent 7 years in the Amer- jean mission schools in Bulgaria, was one of the most notable and influential onages in the Bulgarian capital. It s estimated that some 40,000 Bulgar youths had passed through his schools and into the public and business life af Bulgaria. Americans like C. R. Crane and oth ers have put tremendous sums into 1 sionary work in this part of the world. Most of it has centered about the Robert's College, Constantinople. With the Bible as a basis of their work- because it was in this part of the world that St, Paul did his most vigorous work the American missionaries taught farming, shoemaking, mechanics, car- pentering and many other practical things that might serve to make life more comfortable for the Levantine and Balkan folks.—W, G. Shepherd, eae a we Will you help the Bible Institute of Los Angeles to take the Gospel to the people?The Devil’s Children A Timely Word on the Political and Ecclestestical Decay Now in Evidence, and Pointing to The End of the Age By Dr. FRENCH E. OLIVER Pasedena, California TE process of moral decay always follows a well de- fined principle. Faith in Almighty God and in His Word and His plan of Sal- vation is closely related to moral character. When men are opposed to the foundational principles of moral purity—their shal- low pretences along the lines of poli- tical reform are disgusting in the extreme, Atheism and Nihilism are twins! Infidelity and Bolshevism are brothers born in the devil's family. “Down with God” as a slogan means the destruction of property, virtue and life, The American Bolsheviki are largely lined up with the I. W. W. gang, and with the rabid socialists, and other enemies of gaod government. Political and Ecclesiastical decay run hand in hand. Popularize rotton theology and its logical outgrowth— infidelity, and you will produce lawless- ness in the nations. The situation as history records it can be shown in parallel columns. ‘The Mystery of Ecclesiastical Dee: {Destructive criticism | Liberal theology | Unitarfanism | Universalism Mormonism Russellism | Adventism Spiritism Eddyism | (Christian Seienee™) | Theosophy Scepticism Agnosticism Infidelity Atheism Lawlessness? Political Decay + Socialism (Communism 2 | Bolshevism * "Anarchism | Ninitism Where you notice the prosperity of theological degeneracy you will always find governmental and political decay, The amazing blood thirstiness of the Bolsheviki and ‘Social Democrats” in Russia, Germany, Austria and the I, W, W.'s in America all keep step with their slogan “Down with God—down with the Church—down with Government.” The first sentence—“Down with God’212 —is the death knell to virtue, man- hood, womanhood, respect for law. human life or property rights The criminal theologians who have preached "Higher Criticism." “Modern- ism,” and Tom Paineism in the name of science and scholarship have brought a reign of terror to the very doors of the institutions of liberty and civiliza tion. The governments have done well to lock up Ru: of defensive wa: re but the leaders of opposition to all governmental author- ity are the scholastic criminals in the theological seminaries. pulpits. univer- sities, colleges and other institutions who have popularized contempt for the Government of God and the authority the Virgin Birth—the deity and the substitutionary atonement of His Son. our Lord Jesus Christ! And thority, Divine Origin. inspiration and inerrancy of the original scriptures. The best protection I know ture ther progress of these insidious theo- logical and philosophical demagogues would be to intern all of the breed who teach and preach the Prussian atheistic Nites and other opposers the au- of against philosophy in the form of the “Higher Criticism The blight of Bolshevism can be seen at a glance at a recent message from Russia via London, which 1 cut from a Winnipeg, Canada, paper recently while conducting an evangel- istie meeting in that ci “Bolsheviki Open Pree Love Bur London, Oct. 25, 1918.—Russian maidens under the jurisdiction of cer- tain provincial Bolsheviki soviets be- come the property of the state. when they reach eighteen years of age and are compelled to register at a govern- ment bureau of tree-love, according to the official gazette of the Vladtvimir Soviet and Workers and.Soldiers depu- ties, which recently published that soviets decree on the subject. Under the decree every man between the ages of nineteen and fifty has the THE KING'S BUSINESS DR. FRENCH E. OLIVER right to choose a the consent of cohabitant without Children the prop: the born of such unions become erty of the state.” the fact and its the blood-red “breathe out tl Almighty, the thereby home that outlet is hell through gaz which eatenings” against God Chureh, the State and threaten to undermine the nd the virtue of our women and nis indicates has boiled over socialistic girls. The greatest work of our age vt to “make the world safe for democracy but to make the world Jesus Christ and His Gospel. came 1900 -and the theological Nihilists in high places safe for When He years ago they crucified Him aided and abetted by the Socialists, Communists, Bolsheviki, Anarchists and Nihilists and all Anti-Christian sects would nail Him to a cross should He come in humility today, God’s pro- gram is this: “And to you troubled rest th us, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. In flaming fire taking veng- eance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with the everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power."’ 2 Thess, 1:7-9, who areBIBLE INSTITUTE HAPPENINGS to Friends and Stu of Interest Cc Partic. NOTES FROM THE BELLS: years and when I heard the bell When a set of chimes was inst hging out that song, 'Rock of Ages the Bible Institute, to be used as cleft for me; let me hide myself in thee stimony is Christ, there we 1 thought it was a message from heaven some who seemed doubtial ir such an direct to me.” That very evening, the expenditure could ever bring any ade- Woman came into the service and was quate result in souls saved or x saved helped, As the months have rolle A woman who had obstinately letters received and testimonics Fejected Christ as her Savior for a long d, furnish abundant evidence that Ume. sat one evening in the darkness he Lord has set the seal of His Holy by ker opened window when the bells rang Just as 1am without one plea. that thy blood was shed for m he message of the old song came back to her and while the bells rang, her heart broke and she wept as she had not since a little child. When Bible woman, the next day, chanced to call upon life, God, 1 come, 1 come she found a changed Oh Lamb of A party of several people were one evening playing cards with much gaiety when the notes of familiar old hymns came from the hells. They left their card tables to gather about the open windows. When the bells ceased ring- ing the guests found they had lost their relish for the ecard tables and the cards were put away without finish the mes A boy dying of tuberculosis always Spirit to the testimony of the Institt begged to be drawn up to the window bells as the bells rang, and sent word that The fi young man ha m who | © bells were rung. his favorite hymn was “Sweet hour of to the roof to prayer, that leads me from a world of lis, for he care."" Often for his benefit this piece played, and he has now gone on woman rushing frantically about, look. beyond, his way having been made a ing in every direction, as if to ascer- little easier because of the testimony of tain where the strains of the familiar the bel hymn “Rock of Ages" were coming An aged saint, for months has drawn from, Bursting into tears, she ex- close to the window to cateh the notes claimed, ‘That was my mother’s favor- from the bells and with paper and pen- ite hymn, I haven't been in a church cil in hand jots down the words of the t time t ned ad rung the bi le had encountered in the street below wi2i4 MOTHER HORTON who called a soul to Christ the first time she played the bells hynins being played, to the great inspir- ation ef the Hfe. Many a backslider has sought out the chime-ringer to tell how they were led to pause in their downward way by the message of “Jesus lover of my soul, earer my God to thee,” “Almost persuaded,” or some other of the familiar hymns. Scores have heen seen to stop at noon- time in the streets to pray with bowed heads as the bells chimed “Sweet Hour of Pri rr.’ Only eternity will reveal what the Holy Spirit has been able to do with the testimony of bells consecrated to God and played by those who hacked the message of with prayers. the bells their As we go to press a great evangelistic campaign is opening in Angeles, under the leadership of ‘Torrey and Alexander. The meetings are being held in the Institute auditorium. Ac- companying Mr. Alexander are Mrs. Alexander; D. Albert Brown, solo’ Geo, W. Cooke, pianist and Leonard €, Voke, leader in personal evangelism Several of the churches are co-operating with the Institute in the meetings. Los THE KiNG'S BUSINESS who has but mod- Kini jonaries us a Christ. A former student a sent 's Busine: toot mas present © means, the oreign m Mesech Krikorian. °17. bas been tours ing the country in the interests of the Armenian Relief Society A boy has come to the home of Mr. nd Mrs. H. J. Ranton, former students, He was honored with the name “Hor ton’ Van Orsdel Ranton, Their address s G90 XN. 1601 St. Salem. Ore vangelist, Chas, MH. Harrington of Sunbury, Pa. says of ‘The King's Busi- ness, “The magazine is one of the finest, if not the best of its kind that I have seen, I expect to see it become a mighty factor in the spreading of the Truth. . William C. William: s successfully Manzanor, Val. hi completed the corm spondence course in Bible Doctrine. cow. engages in the Costen, a former student, is Lord's work at Sterling, ©, He is running a bakery to pay expenses. Mr. Reynolds of Biola Hall asks that former students who wish to be remem: bered at the meeting at Biola Hall write 8.8. Spring St., Los Angeles A son was Mr. and Mrs. former students. dally noon will him born December 27th to Howard E. Gates, both Mrs. Gates was for merly Miss Mabel Christiansen. ©. A. Kilwinski who has been doing missionary work among the Indians ut Flagstaff, Ariz. sends us the sad news that the Indian school and living quar- ters were burned to the ground Decem- her 21. ‘The loss is a serious one as the winter supplies were destroyed together with all the personal effects of the workers and many of the students. In our December number we gave an account of this work among the Indians. Mr. Kilwinski states that the tempera- ture has been running at about 10 degrees below zero and many of the students have inadequate clothing.216 “All Things To all Men” nana! ‘The statement of the apostle Paul," am made all things to all men that by all means I might saye some,” is won- derfully illustrated in the experience of Herbert J. Seott, a B. I. student, 1918, who is now located at Whitesburg, Ky., among the mountain whites. Writing to students of the Bible Institute, he gives them an idea of how he and his wife spend their time for the Lord Jesus among these forsaken people. May it stir our readers to redouble their dili- gence in service to those in need who are all about, that “by all means they might save some.” He says: “In your student days did you ever have visions of pastoral calls in a com- munity of bright and cozy homes, whose occupants met you with a cheery smile and a word of welcome and gave you a pressing invitation to eall again? But suppose that in the divine providence you were called into a field right the ores to your student vision! As you fart out on your pastoral calls, you come to a mountain hut that from all outside appearances is deserted. When you knock, there is a feeble response, “Come in,” and as you open the door, you stare into semi-darkness in a win- dowless room, in which there is a fever- ish stench. Then you will remember the words of the Master, “Inasmuch as. ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” You advance over a floor carpeted thick with dirt, wondering how many million disease germs are peering at you through the cracks in the wall. The crying of a sick baby, or the mut- tering of a delirious person, remind you that there are human beings about, and as your eyes are becoming accustomed to the gloom, you see beds with—one, two, three, four—eight all told, father, THE KING'S BUSINESS mother and six children in two beds, and the mother says “all down with the flues." She tells you “the ole man aint doin’ very good—went out in his bare feet to feed the hog yesterday and got a setback.” The missionary stands be- wildered, What shall he do? He fixes up the fire, gets some fresh water, then inquires as to when they had their last meal, only to find that some neighbors a day ago lad come in and fried some “taters."" There has been nothing but doctor's medicine since. Everywhere in the hut there is filth and disorder— dishes, pans, etc. all unwashed, Out- side of a sack of corn meal there is nothing in the place to eat. After giv- ing sundry instructions as to keeping in bed and keeping warm, you go in search of something for them to eat and someone to look after them once in a while. At the next house, there sits old “Aunt Liddy" with a pipe the color of a stovepipe Letween her teethless gums. All around her on the floor is influen spitum, You notice the fever flush on her cheeks and the watery eyes, and you ask if she has had a doctor. “Naw,” she replies, “the old man don't believe in ‘em. He sent for one once and he never comed, and he got better, and aint had no use for ‘em since.” You do what you ean for her and pass on to the next house. Here you find five in bed, three with pneumonia, having refused to take any medicine. On your way to the next house, you meet’a man staggering along by the aid of a cane. You stare at the apparent apparition, for only five-days ago you knelt at his bedside as he tossed in the pneumonia delirium and the doctor said he could not live the night through. You remember how, as they lowered the casket containing the remains of his wife, the bystanders said, you would have to conduct his funeral in a few days. And there he is, trying to navigate on a chilly day. You giveTHE KING'S BUSINESS him words of warning, which he prom- ises to obey if he ever gets back home. In the next house, the mother is down in bed and father has been trying to take care of her and the children. He cooked two pounds of rice and it filled the bucket and ran all over the floor until he declared there must have been some mistake in the size of the packet. On top-of this, he-had had poor success trying to make hot cakes, for the bat- ter was so thin it ran all over the pan and burned down before it had set. In the next room you find grandma, who has come in from the country to help a bit, and she is washing young “Fess,” eleven years old, who smokes cigarettes before his parents. but is not old enough to wash himself and who hasn't been washed since mother got the “flues.” You try to get someone to do some washing for them, but everyone is scared of the flu, and the only one you can get to do the job is an outcast woman. The next day you call on the man you saw staggering along the street to find him in bed with inflammation of the lungs, but this does not bar him from smoking cigarettes while he tries to talk to you. This the missionary has an infinite variety of experiences every day, and often there are heart-breaking services to render. You remember the night you rode in a lumber wagon carrying a coffin containing that sweet little child whose parents were too" sick to follow the remains to the burying ground. (The mountaineer loves his children with a fervor that is almost worship.) You ride over ten miles of the roughest possible road, holding to the sides of the wagon watehing the mule driver who sits upon the coffin to keep it from jolt- ing overboard. You wonder if the jour- ney will ever come to an end. Almost frozen you arrive at your destination, only to have to sit up all night at a mountain wake, where you are obliged 217 to hear all the sordid ghost stories and of people dying, until you wonder it you are in America or some far away heathen land, where superstition reigns supreme. The above is the true story of some of my experiences, and you will under- stand the great need when I say that “the half has never been told." Won't you try and interest some of the swu- dents and friends to pray for us and our work here? Letcher county is said to be the greatest field for missionary enterprise in America Sincerely yours, H. J. Scorn. AMERICA’S SUICIDE RATE F. L. Hoffman, statistician of the Pru- dential Life Insurance Co,, in a recent number of the Spectator makes the sur- prising statement that in the period of 142 years since. the United States took its place among the nations of the world, more than 500,000 Americans have ended their earthly careers by sui- cide. He estimates that in 10 more years, making allowance for an increase in population and for a further increase in the actual number of ‘suicides, an additional half million adult lives will ve ended in the same way. Suicidal fre- quency is found to be higher in Cali- fornia than in any other section of the country. * ab ALLENBY A PROPHETIC STUDENT General Allenby, it is interesting to learn, is the “son of Mr. Hynman Allenby, who was a great student of prophecy, He is a thoroughly Chris- tian man and thankful to be used by Almighty God in the liberation of the Holy Land. x Will you pray daily for the work of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles?HEART TO HEART TALKS with Unsaved People This is the difference between Chris- tianity-and all-human religions. They try to bring God down to the level of man's sinfulness and adjust the moral seale to the low standard of man's aet- ual condition. God's plan of salvation is the oppo- site of this, and aims to bring man's condition up to the level of divine law, Not one principle of justice is comprom- ised; not one’ jot or tittle of the law is modified or evaded. Every requirement of justice is met; and when man is saved, he is enabled to stand without a blush of shame and claim his acquittal from the very decrees of eternal jus- tice, as much as from the gentle bosom of forgiving mercy. I remember a noble friend of twenty years ago—a business man of high standing among his fellows. I often used to mark his manly bearing, the high and noble dignity of his face, and his walk, and the profound respect in which he was held by all his acquaint: ances, One day I learned the secret. He had failed in business long years before and was offered a settlement by his creditors involving a compromise of his debts. This he would not accept, but asked only for time and opportunity to pay every dollar, with interest, and he went back again to the struggle of life to do this, and never ceased from his high purpose until he had redeemed his pledge and met the claims of every man to the last cent. Then he walked the streets of that city with the majes- ty of a king among men. He was not forgiven; he was justified. This is what God aims to do in the plan of-salvation, He does not want to pass over the transgressions of the sin- ner by a mere act of kindness. He wants us to know that every sin has been actually dealt with, punished, and ended, and that we are in just the same position with the law of God as if we had never sinned; nay, better still, as if we had kept every command of the law blamelessly, Through our great Substitute, sin has not only been met and punished, but, through His atone- ment, we are made blameless and th same as if we had suffered ourselves. The life which He laid down is ac- cepted for our forfeited life, and the obedience which He rendered~is” ac- counted as our obedience. “He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And so the sinner can look in thé face of even the Holy Ghost and say, “There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” He can face the great accuser and ery, "Who is he that eon- demneth? It is Christ that died.” He may look even in the face of his con- science and at the victims of his very crimes, and with a heart breaking with humble contrition, he can still ery, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justi- fieth.” ~~ The work of Jesus Christ is complete, final, evernal. ‘By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sancti- fied." “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” “And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salva- tion.” !s not this a glorious redemp- tion, a divine foundatfon, a strong con- solation, a Rock of ages? Is this not a better resting place for your" confidence and hope than all yourTHE KING'S BUSINESS ‘our iniqui Z < AMAL 219 nist a ines es? hath faid on bir the of us.all;'(Is9'*" THEREFORE: Let the wicked forse! unto the Lord,ene Aave mercy upon himan’ to our God, for he will abundantly, pardon, The enduring reasonwhy P Godcan righteously profer mercy to sinful men. Courtes 7 transitory feelings and variable experi- ences? Is not this a blessed place to rest when the brain gets clouded, when the heart gets sad and cold, and the adversary hurls his fiery darts into the self-accusing conscience? “He that heareth my word, and be- lieveth on him that sent me,” Jesus aid, “hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemmation, but is passed from death unto life.” “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”—From a sermon by Dr. A. B. Simpson. igh S527 Moody Bible Instituts of Chicago. AS “BROAD” AS THE WORLD The Unitarian Dr. S. A. Bliot in his writings sent over the country speaks of the religious work of the ¥. M. C. A. with the soldiers as ‘deficient in com- mon sense and in ‘broad’ Christian spirit, failing to command the respect of the soldiers.” At the same time he acknowledges there is no other organ- ization that could have taken its place. But why not? The Unitarians started the “Young Men's Christian Union.” One wonders why it is that their organ- ization is still plodding away on Boyl- ston St., Boston, while the Y. M. ©. 4 which, for the most part, stands for evangelical religion has belted the220 globe. Evidently the Lord blesses the institution that gives the greatest place to His Word. A GERM-PROOF ABODE A lady in a prayer meeting at the Church of the Open Door testified that she had been carried safely through the influenza epidemic because she took refuge in the ninety-first Psalm. Rela- tives had told her that reading this Psalm would not keep germs away, but she insisted that there were no germs in the ninety-first Psalm and that she was living in this Psalm daily, and therefore she was not affaid of the “pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”” Xe YOUR CATHOLIC FRIENDS It may perhaps supply a little stim- ulus to some of our readers to help them to put the Gospel before their Catholic friends, to mention a few things that they have never been taught by their chureh, and as to which you should —and probably do—thank God you did receive instruction. They have never been tadght that God loves them now, as individuals; that they can pray to Jesus Christ at any time, in any place under any circumstances, on any sub- ject that is near their hearts; that He invites them to come to Him direct if they are burdened and troubled with the promise that He will hear and an- swer their prayers; that they can know that the sins of the past are forgiven; that they can be delivered from the power and dominion of sin; that they can have the assurance of going to be with the Lord in the hour of death, without having to spend any time in Purgatory; and that the Bible is THE Word of God to them personally, that God sends it to them, that it shall be a lamp to their feet, a light to their path and a guide, solace, comforter and coun- sellor in all the varying circumstances THE KING'S BUSINESS of life. These are only a few of the things they don't know, and that you do. This being so, it 1s your plain duty to do your best to share these blessings that God has given you with those who are ignorant of even their existence.— Protestant Review, ay PREACHING THE SECOND COMING Evangelist A. H. Burton says: Dur- ing the course of a long and varied ex- perience in Gospel work in many lands and many languages, I have always, found the preaching of Christ's second coming, in God's hands, the means of awakening the unsaved and reviving the saved. The most remarkable con- versions I have ever known have re- sulted from the preaching of the Lord's Coming. Indeed, it is impossible to preach a full Gospel without including the “Blessed Hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Sa- viour Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2:13). Only let it be with unction from on high, ever remembering that we have to do with living men and women, and children, too, who have Eternity before them. Apart trom this it may become as dry and wearisome as an old almanac. DEMONS BE ACTIVE A Larger Amount of Demon Posses- sion in the City than Usual is reported by a writer in the Bombay Messenger. “Hundreds of people from among the Detter classes are being possessed of what they call the spirit of Matha. They are going about in carts visiting differ- ent shrines and are being worshipped by others who believe the goddess has come into them. The story is told of a young man who had actually died and afterwards Matha came into him and re- vived him. He is kept in a temple and is worshipped by the better classes. ‘The possession comes at intervals and is manifested by twitching of the muscles all over the body and by _pe- culiar powers of clairvoyance.”THE KING'S BUSINESS BE YE VALIANT Everywhere are ‘men's hearts failing them for fear for those things whieh are coming upon the earth,” but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Many are departing “from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,” turn- ing to New Thought, Destructive Criti- cism, Spiritism, Russellism, Christian Seienceism and many other “isms,” but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Many are “luke-warm and neither cold nor hot,” but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Many are “luke-warm and neither faith which was once delivered unto the saints," but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Many deny the Divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, the existence of Hell, the eternal punishment of the unsaved, etc., but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Some are turning away from open doors and God-given opportunities, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” ,- Some are turning back from chosen paths and God-appointed labors, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Some live to eat, make a God of their bellies, and ruin their health, but, "Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Some who once cried fervently unto God have ceased to pray, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” . Some are bitter and clamorous and speak evil of others, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye val- jant. Some murmur and stew and fret and scold and criticize and make life a bur- den to themselves and others, but, “Let, your hands be strengthened and. be ye valiant.” 22r Some are much given to foolish talk- ing and jesting, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant.” Some have no interest in giving to the cause of Christ or in the souls of men or im the salvation of the heathen, but, “Let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant." Some who call “the Mother of Har- lots and Abomination of the Earth” a Christian Church, have no interest in giving the Gospel to Roman Catholic lands (as dark as Africa), but, “Let your hands be strengtliened and be ye valiant. See to it that you are fully yielded to God; see to it that your life stantly under the direction of the Holy Spirit; see to it that you rightly divide the Word of Truth; see to it that the Bible is your daily companion; see to it that you have on the whole armour of God. ONLY THUS AND THUS CAN YoU BE VALIANT WITH STRENGTH- ENED HANDS. A. E. Bishop, Central America. is con- sey a CATHOLICS EXALT MARY Catholic University of America is asking from the people of that faith the immediate gift of at least $1,000,- 000 with which to commence the erec- tion of a magnificent cathedral on the University Grounds in Washington in honor of the Virgin Mary, “The Hea- venly Patroness of the Catholic Church in this country.” The eall sent out by - the trustees says, “We feel that to the intercession of Mary Immaculate we owe our liberation from the horrors_of. war, and from the greater horror of an intolerable slavery. We appeal also to all those’ who desire to manifest in this way their belief in the supernatural life and who revere in the Mother of God, the wonderful privilege which the poet Wordsworth calls, ‘Our tainted nature’s solitary boast’."”Evangelistic INTERESTING STORIES from REAL EXPERIENCE Department ; AS TOLD BY BIBLE INSTITUTE WORKERS couraging Signs their work and are making good pro- Changsha, Hunan, China gress October 1915 Our temporary school building is October first, nnounced the opening day of the fall term of the Bible Institute, was Inauguration Day in China, and all the Changsha sehools the day as had a holiday, BIBLE INSTITUTE we therefore IN CHINA Postponed our Dr. Frank Keller opening to Octo- ber econd. We have thirty-eight students representing eleven different missions and four pro- vinces. The Changsha missionaries are giving most generous and valuable help inthe teaching. One’ missionary gives three hours a week, another two hours and three others one hour each. For all this help we are deeply grateful The students also have frequent oppor- tunities to hear strong speakers and teachers from other centers. The stu dents thoroughly interested in seem filled to capacity, and we need to pray earnestly that God may make it possible for us to get our permanent buildings ready for next fall sionary who visited the school fall wrote us afterward: “In twenty years in China I have seen noth- ing which seems to me so perfectly the thing needed for hastening the work of this evangelism as that Bible School. God less it."” Our own hearts are just full of grati- tude to God for the marked help He has given, and for the great possibilities offered by this work. Our five parties are all at work, though war conditions in Hunan have made it necessary to change the fields of two of the parties temporarily, these two parties are now working in the field ‘of a mission that has been begging forTHE KING'S BUSINESS their help for years, so thelr work was interrupted only for the short time necessary for the change of location. A few of the men have been quite ill, suffering from the terrible epidemic of influenza that has caused many deaths in China. In some localities not far from here so many have died that it has not been possible to secure enough coffins to bury them, and they have been buried without coffins. A number of the Changsha missionaries have been quite seriously ill with it. One of the students of the Union Theological Sem- imary died within a week or ten days. I am grateful’ to be able to write that the few of our students who suffered from this influenza are now practically well, and the same was true of our col- porteurs at the time the last letters were written which was about ten days ago. I will enclose some newspaper clippings with Mr. Stewart's letter that will show you how severe and general this epidemic has been. Barly next week, God willing, our party No. 6 will start for Kiangsi to begin work in that province, another blessed answer to many prayers. Last week the Rev.-R. W. Porteous, the mis- sionary in whose district they will begin work/Spent a few days with us to study our colportage methods, and to get into close touch with the men. Last Sat- urday I secured a good negative of this party, and as soon as I can get them printed I hope to send. you copies, together with some other photographs which I hope will be interesting and useful. Truly yours in service for the King, FRANK A. KELLER. Remarkable Results With Men ter the Hall has been closed for a months, and the worker sick for over three weeks, we praise His name that we*have again commenced 223 sowing the seed, God giving BIOLA the Harvest. HALL Among the interesting cases, is that of a man of some fifty-four years of age: For some years he was one of the first class me- chanics in the Chalmers Garage. Then came a stroke of paralysis which left him a cripple for life. Coming to Cali- fornia without a friend or any money and unable to work at his trade, he was helpless. As is so often the case, this man had to be made helpless before he was willing to be helped. Then ten- derly and patiently he was led to the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing that it was because he was so helpless that Jesus came to save Him, he broke into tears. Kneeling there on the floor he told the Lord Jesus how thankful he was that He had come to save him, asking Him to lead him into His own ways. He left the place with a New Testament in his hand, with a new light in his eyes and with a heart that was full of love, to the one whom having not seen he loved. Day after day God is sending men in and we get a chance to present the Gospel to them as we have come to know it, in its fullness. And how thankful we are that God has made this an open door for those who have no one to help them, and that we ean be His instruments, Over fifty conversions in December. seg In these days when things are so uncertain and when work is so hard, we need prayer for the work as we never have before. During the time our Soldiers and Sailors rest room has been in use, over one thousand men have been in and made use of the stationery, magazines, books, etc.A large number of them have taken notice of the free coffee and lemonade on tap at any time and have brought lunches and lunched close to the supply. Many notes of apprecia- tion have been received from them, thanking us for the fine room we have. A large number of them have come to224 . Jesus through personal work done in the rest room by our men, who under- stand how to deal with these dear fel- lows. Over two hundred twenty-five men have left their names that we might send them a letter when we have the opportunity. One of the boys from San Pedro, while doing Military Police duty, came into the Hall looking for boys not wearing their flu masks. Before going out he found Jesus, and became a new creature in Christ Jesus our Lord Sometimes men get something they are not looking for. Pray that many more may do as he did. Times are changing! God is speak- ing to the world. A year or so ago-meni would not listen to what God was say- ing to them from the Bible; today. standing in the hallway of Biola Hall, we can reach from ten to thirty or more men every fifteen minutes and keep them listening as we read the Scripture, and here it is that many of them come to know Jesus. M. J. REYNOLDS, Supt. ae icholson at Redwood City God is blessing here, in spite of fes- tivities and cold and “Flu.” The meet- ings are growing in interest and num- bers. I fe@h sure we will have a big time her, Our congregations are inereasing and we are praying for a real “burst.” WM. P. NICHOLSON, Evangelist The Gospel Among Seamen Another month has gone and another new year is beginning. What will it bring? The believer, looking for ttt blessed hope, has nothing to fear. The nations and individual un- HARBOR believers would do -well if WORK they would heed the invita- tion to be “reconciled to God." A striking sentence is contained , "In this place will I give “Hay- in Haggai 2: peace, saith the Lord of hosts.” THE KING'S BUSINESS ing made peace through the blood of His cross” He offers it to whosoever will take it, and dealing with the nations, the Prince of peace alone can give peace. There are so many broken hearts! The work of the gospel worker carries him on the ships where so often much is hidden away to keep up an “out- ward appearance.” It is not always easy to gain access to hearts. Who knows, but God, what sins, multitude in number, are “hidden,” when a man is converted from the error of his way, “saving a soul from death.” A very sad case came to our observation, where the worker was enabled to present Christ and bring comfort to a very sad- dened heart in the throes of despair. The worker entering a cabin, found a young fellow packing his suitease and handed him a tract. “This world would be a better place if people would heed the message this tract bears,” the young fellow said, with tears in his eyes. He was apparently suffering agony of heart and had waited to unburden his heart to someone who could under- stand, The shipmates would only laugh and joke over it, so he had kept silent to all around. Finding a sympathetic heart in the worker, the story of his sorrow was told, and what a relief it brought was apparent. “I went to Franee and left my old mother in the north and after some time came home again. To be of service during the war, I took this job on the ship, although I dislike shiplife, and a few days ago, arriving here in San Fran- cisco, thought I would see my only sister. Looking her up, I found her living with other.men. She fell lower than the animals and, oh, what will my poor Mother say? Mother, nor I, had the slightest idea-that she had deceived us all this time and when I insisted that she should go back with me, she refused." The tragedy of the revela- lion broke him all up and what was he to do? He wanted to shoot and killTHE KING'S BUSINESS the two men he had met there, to revenge his sister, and asked the work- er’s advice about it. Well, there was only one way—to bring the matter to God and speak a message to the heart of the poor soul who was too much in pain to know what to do. Finally the spirit of revenge was broken and he confessed to have been brought up Christian influence and seeing the folly to commit murder, he promised not to go to fulfill his plan, but to stay on the ship and to leave it all to God. He had but an uncertain conception of Christ, but took the literature eagerly and gladly. He needs our prayers. A man who boldly came out for Christ, being reached through the Word and’personal work, had a story to tell, how relying upon self all his life, and trusting to his will power and morality, he found himself slipping and a slave of Satan. “I would never have believed it that I could go the way I did and I know the end I would have come to. ‘When the message came I said to my- self, ‘You are in the wrong and you must get right ‘now if at all,’ and so I accepted Christ.” He went his way rejoicing and we praise God for opening the eyes,of this man to see Christ. Another man, who accepted the Lord some time ago, told the worker of his steadfastness, in a letter received recently. He has a sweet, unassuming spirit and lives a clean life among his co-workers. Of his past, he writes: “1 was raised in a saloon, my father being a saloonkeeper; my memories of home are nothing but a jumble of drink- ing stevedores, bad women, quarreling children and filthy, scorching streets.” God’s grace is surely sufficient and is it not glorious to know that His power can save as of old, Pray for us and the interests of His Son in the men along the Pacifie Coast and on the ships on the seven seas. OSCAR ZIMMERMAN, Supt. “whose life has 225 “Flu-Time” Opportunities That “they are blessed who sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass,” has been graciously mace real in our experiences during these SHOP “flu” days of barring out WORK from many of our shops and meetings. To be constantly confronted with a “positively no admit- tance without a mask"’ is somewhat dis- concerting to those who are desirous to be in subjection to the powers that be and yet must needs be about the Mas- ter’s business. For “he that observeth the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” but love will always discover a way and if the heart keeps right with the channel of prayer clear of all rubbish, the way will be open to constantly reach souls for Him, The need was never greater than in these truly momentous days when men’s hearts are failing them for fear and countless lives are being swept into eternity without more than a few day's illness. Oh that the laborers were many and Christians were truly awakened to the wonderful possibilities of the present moment. Here we are up against Christian having discovered from a nasty fall, that the old carnal nature is not eradicated, and is plunged into the very blackness of despair. What a joy to sit down and open the Word of God to such an one, presenting the priesthood and advocacy of Him “who ever liveth to make intercession” and maintain all who are sheltered by that precious blood till He presents them blameless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, and to see such an one going on his way rejoic- ing. A fruitful call comes from another been wrecked by a tragedy too fearful to name and yet even here Christ’s ministry is sufficient to heal and lead the demon-possessed one, back to Himself. a young226 ‘The tired old woman selling her evening papers on the corner amid the rush and confusion of the day hears the old- old story whispered in her ear and takes heart to still go on. The boy caught in the act and quickly rushed to San Quentin for twenty years writes the srateful message which turns even prison life to helpful enduranee with the faith that changes mings, as he looks up from behind the prison doors and sees Him who is invisible. The woman with darkened mind drinking at the muddy stream of spirit ualism for seven long years has the scales removed and begins to see men as “trees walking” as she carefully put- ting the little New Testament in her bag promises to stick close to the book until she can intelligently warn and rescue others from this terrible. strong delusion, The poor down and out comes back to the Father's house with pen- itent tears not this time to try to do better, but to trust Him who nas done His best for us, And here again we kneel at the close of a busy day around the old mission altar rail with ten poor. human wrecks, praying and yet won- dering if they are hungry for more than {loaves and fishes, and how much” they really touch of His gar- ment's hem. Then as we climb on the car home- ward-bound there is the college lad whom we learn is just beginning to nibble at Science, falsely so-called. The poison is carefully and prayerfully extracted and the real Christ of Calvary substituted for the “divine principal,” and the shadows fade away with the touch of faith pressing the print of the nail in His hand. Once again we see Jesus who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our gustification. Then lastly there is always the con- ductor and motorman just waiting for a word fitly spoken in season. The seed sown, and to bed with a prayer backing it all up for the glorious day THE KING'S BUSINESS. that's coming and the reaping by and by. DAVID CANT, Supt. A Jew's Dying Message Though the Spanish Influenza has greatly interfered with our visitation work among the Jews, God has blessed our restricted efforts to reach them with the Gospel message. JEWISH One young Jewish man WORK — had been approached sev- eral times in regard to his spiritual welfare but like Gallio of old, it seemed “he cared for none of those things.” His parents had died when he was very young and his religious edu- cation had been neglected He knew little ng Chri lianity and still less of Judaism. His lack of knowledge concerning the religion of his Fathers made him more tolerant of Christianity than he might otherw have been, It was difficult to get him to consider seriously, the claims of Christianity not because of antagonism toward its teachings but through indif- ference and procrastination The love of pleasure and self indulgence had fet- tered his soul with chains of habit whose tendency was hell-ward rather than heaven-ward. At one time, when confronted with reappearance of Tuberculosis ch he had been afflicted, he seemed to give “earnest heed to the things of God, but when the expected trouble did not develop, he lapsed back into the old ways again. The next we heard of this young man was that he had been suddenly taken ill with Influenza-Pneumonia, had been taken to a Hospital for treatment, and was in a very serious condition, Con- cern for his spiritual as well as his phy- sical condition led us to try to see him, but because of the malignant character of his disease we were not permitted to do so, We called one of the hospital nurses on the telephone and telling her our concern for his spiritual condition asked her if she would give him verba- very much very concert the with wTHE KING'S BUSINESS tim a message which, (if he had not already accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour,) would make the way of salva- tion clear to him. We felt that though the nurse was not a Christian, God would bless the truth thus given and might even bless and make clear to the nurse as well, the way to God. Not knowing but that he might have accepted the Lord after the last con versation we had with him and which had seemed to deeply impress him, we instructed the nurse first of all to ask him {f he remembered the last conver- sation we had with him about his spirit- ual condition, and second if he had yet accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour. The nurse said that he was delirious mueh of the time but that during a lucid interval she asked him the desired questions and his message given shortly before he passed away was, ‘Yes, I do remember that last conversation and you may tell them that I have received Jesus Christ as my Saviour,” JAMES VAUS, Supt. The Power of Prayer A young woman from a home where Christian training and influence were unknown, accepted Christ as her Say- four and surrendered her life to Him. Then her troubles WORK OF began. She received BIBLE WOMEN nothing but dis- couragement from the members of her family. No matter what she did, it seemed to be the wrong thing and many times she was sorely tempted to give up. She was asked to join a Bible Class and as the truths of the Book were reyealed to her, she found that there she could find the solu- tion of her particular problem as well as every other problem. She learned the value of prayer and began praying definitely for the family. The atmos- Phere of the home is entirely changed now and there is sympathy where there was ridicule. She is claiming the 227 promises of God for the conversion of her people. I am thanking God today for the news that comes from a far away city of an answered prayer. For days and weeks did our class join a young wife and her mother-in-law in prayer for the salvation of her husband. Today comes a message from far away that God has answered, and the young man has received Christ as His Saviour and has confessed Him by associating himself publicity with God's people. A worker was asked to call on a woman who was a skeptic, and she made this fact known very quickly, but was courteous and pleasant in her man- ner, and after a short conversation asked the worker in. During the con- versation ste told of a Christian home and parents, and remarked that if her parents could know of her present atti- tude toward God, they would rise from the grave. She was given appropriate Scripture, and the worker left with a prayer that she might be led into the light, for she seemed an honest skeptic. She asked the worker to call again, but said it would be impossible for her to believe the Bible. Several later calls were made covering a period of over two years, when she said one day, she would give all she had if she could believe the Bible, for she was far from satisfied with her life as it was. - God was answering prayer and her heart was yielding to His spirit. Then and there she promised to read the gospel of John and pray the infidel's priyer, “Oh God, if there is a God, teach. me thy will and I will do it; Show me whether Jesus Christ is thy son or not, and if he is, I will accept Him as my Saviour and.Lord, forsake my sin.-and confess Him as such before the world.” Of course you know the rest, for she came out fully into the blessed light, and a more earnest personal worker cannot be found. She is not having an easy time, for all her friends and asso- ciates are skeptics, but she started in228 at first by telling them of her stand, and that further more, God and his word were to be honored in her home, and she would not permit jesting and light talking about the Bible in her presence. She is standing true, and who knows. how many of these people she will lead to her Saviour. MRS. T. C. HORTON, Supt. ae Ave Catholics Christians? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” Did you ever realize that the people that we are called to labor amongst do not believe on Jesus, yes even though they are Catholics. Unfortunately many protestants class them as rellow- Christians. We wonder if any such ever tried to have Christian fellowship with a Catholic, that is, have a Bible study on sin, or idolatry, or God, and sing Gospel hymns and have a season of fiarer. It would be a good experience for a protestant who believes that Cath- olies are Christians, to try it out once. We wish it were possible for such to accompany the worker on one of his expeditions which is made every night and twice on Sunday. Surely one night's experience would prove to him that Catholics are not Christians, Cath- olics who have been trained from infancy to believe in the infallibility of the Pope, in the efficacy of the mediator- ship of the Virgin Mary, as the Mother of God, haven't the first idea of the work of Christ for the salvation of the sinner. ~For instance, when we have given a simple Gospel message to the Mexicans and have asked for a decision to accept, we have found that the only confidence was “en la virgin purisima la Madre de Dios,” (in the virgin, the SPANISH WORK THE KING'S BUSINESS Mother of God). ‘They rather glory in it and think their religion is so much superior to the protestant, because they are taught to believe that we do not believe in the virgin. We make men- tion of this ta show you how much need there is to preach Jesus to this people in order that they might believe in Him and call upon Him. If we are faithful and do not faint, and continue to preach, the entrance of His word en- lightens them Our hearts have been rejoiced as we have seen the progress of the new babes in Christ. One young convert does not lose an opportunity to confess Christ to his former friends and companions. Just recently he has been talking to a young lady about accepting Christ and she said, “Why, I ean’t give up my religion,” and at first would not listen to him, but later she confessed that his life was different trom hers and listened to the Gospel, even asking for a New Testament, which she reads daily. soon this young lady consented to attend a protestant service, so last week the con- vert brought her to a service held in a Mexican home and we are praying and hoping that she will soon make her decision for Christ. In another place we hold a weekly cottage meeting in the home of one of our believers, who has been the means of getting seven or eight families to attend meetings. So we see that once they are soundly converted they are not backward in confessing their new-found joy to friends and neighbors. During the holidays through the help of some friends; we were enabled to bring cheer to several families in different railroad camps, holding a little service with many who had gathered and thus reach them with the Gospel. We have a wonderful opportunity before us and are praying for an auto in order to reach the largest possible number. The time is short and what we do we must do quickly, for Jesus is coming again. B. H. BENDER, Supt.THE KING'S BUSINESS MISSIONARY APOSTACY I have had the great privilege of visit- ing practically all the mission fields of the world, and of coming into touch with much missionary effort and much native Christian life and thought, and I have learned from that experience that the tampering with the Divine inspira- tion and authority and integrity of the Bible is a grave menace to Foreign Mis- sonary work. This shows itself in many directions. I believe it is seriously cut- ting the nerve of what I call missionary enthusiasm at home, and it is certainly inflicting a very subtle injury to some workers in the field. But what con- cerns and hurts me more than all is that already it is bringing injury and damage to some native pastors and teachers who have been called out of heathenism, Just imagine, if you can, a native pastor stating publicly that Abraham was a myth. Or think of an- other, a native tutor in a divinity school, telling the students that they were not to imagine Philip was “Caught up of the Spirit and landed in Azotus,” as the Acts of the Apostles states, but that Philip hid himself behind a bush, where the eunuch could not see him, and went on his way. Think of one missionary “Saying to another, “The writings of Mrs. Eddy are as much inspired of that book you call the Bible!” If this is not crim- inal, I do not know what is, Even if these men hold these views, to promul- gate them among these new native churehes is treachery against the mis- sionary ideal and the purpose of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Ch Chas. Inwood. NOT A POLYGAMIST—BUT— According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Joseph Smith, late head of the Mor- mon Church, was survived by four wives, thirty children and ninety-one grand children. 229 MRS EDDY HEARD FROM Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy has been heard from. She has communicated with the followers through a spiritual- istic medium. She has gone back on her entire system. She says her teach- ings were false. So false that she could secure the forgiveness of God and entrance into Heaven only through humiliating confession of her sins in believing and, teaching these doctrines. ‘We haven't much use for spiritualistic mediums, but they do admit the truth onee in a while.—Exchange. a A. I. M. GREATLY BLESSED The African Inland Mission reported last year 107 missionaries on its staff. ‘The number now is 188—111 of whom are at present on the field. An agree- ment was made in 1916 to pray for a hundred new workers. The answer is described by the Mission’s leaders as more remarkable than any event that has oceurred in-the history of the Mis- sion, Not only were there a hundred applications within a comparatively short time but more than fifty of these have been accepted and are either on the way or preparing to sail. PRINCE OF PEACE In such a sin-cursed world as this, Peace, never peace; 7 ‘The serpent’s trail and serpent’s hiss Will never bring release. And no power on earth can bind, ‘The Devil superhuman kind, And then who think they can, are blind, And dupes in erying peace. But there is coming sweet release, ‘When all strife will cease; In the coming Prince of Peace ‘There will be release. He will bind Satanic power, And before Him all will cower, Tn that great and awful hour, The bright omen of peace. —Selected.EXPOSITIONS . J. H. Hunter HEART of the LESSON, T. C. Horton ILLUSTRATIONS ~~ W. H. Pike INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS SpP LESSON PICTURE, C. A. Kilwinski COMMENT Keith L, Brooks GIRL'S CLASS ‘Clara Silliman ELEMENTARY + Mabel L. Merrill MARCH 2, 1919 THE REPORT OF THE SPIES Sam. 8:7, 19 There is a real danger in making our plans and then demanding that God sanetion them. Better far to wait on Him for His plan, and to obey His com- mand Unbelief was responsible for the spies being sent out, God had promised Israel the land. They should have gone up and taken it. God’s commands are always His enablings. Prudence is Golden Text: “This is the victory that overcomett the world, even our faith.” 1 Jno. 5:4. LESSON TENT Num. 14:1-10, (Read Num. 13:1-14:38.) G) And all the congresation Mfted ) Jephunneh, which were of them that up their voice, and cried: and the peo- | searched the land, rent thel ble went that might, (2) And all the | (F"And they spake children of Tarael murmured against pany of the children of Isract, Moses and against Aaron: and thewhole | ‘The land, which we pussed through, to Gongrexation said” unto them, Would | search it i an exceeding good land. God that we had died in the land ef | (3) Jf the LORD delight in us, ‘then Egypt; or Would God that we had died | he will bring ws into this land, and jn‘ this wilderness; () “And wherefore | give It unto us) a land whieh flowell hath the LORD brought us ‘nto this | with ilk and honey. ay Only, pels land, to fait by the sword, that our wives | not against the LORD, either feat Ye and ‘our children should be a prev? | the ‘people of the lund: for. they" ate vere it not better for us to return to | bread for us; their defense is departed Berpt? (And they said one to. an- them. and the LORD is with us other Jet us make a captain, and let fear them not. U0) Isut all the cone us return into Egypt, |G) Thon Moses jon bade stone them with stane And Aaron fell om their faces’ before | Aid the glory of the LORD. appeared all the assembly of the congregation of | inthe tibernaele uf the cangvegation the children of Israck. (6) And Joshua | hefere all the ehildten ‘uf. ksrtel the son of Nun, and’ Calely the ‘son of 1./Their Appointment. sometimes, perhaps oftentimes, another A comparison of Deuteronomy 1:19- name for unbelief. When prudence 22 with Numbers 13:1 shows that the considers the feasibility of doing what appointment of the spies originated with God commands, it is always unbelief, the people, God only let them have and consequently it is sin.» “Theirs their own way in it. not to reason why; Theirs not to make LESSO} Reeall a similar ac- reply; theirs but to do"—not die. EXPOSITION tion when Israel de- , There were twelve spies, one from John H. Hunter — manded a king, 1 each tribe vi; Ephraim and Manasseh each sending one, thus giving Joseph two representatives, and making up for Levi's absence. Thank God that the priestly tribe were guiltless on this occasion, See Num. 18:20. I. ‘Their Mission. ‘They were to report on the character of the land; though they had God's word for it already. Ex. 3:8. The inhabitants and their means of defense were to be investigated. They were toTHE KING'S BUSINESS bring back samples of the produce of the land to verify their report. All this might have turned out right: but it did not. it started from a wrong motive. What God had done for them in the past should have been evidence enough of His love and power to trust Him now. What have God's past dealings Are vou trust with you done for you? ing Him more fully? MIX, Their Report. Nearly six weeks passed from the sending out of the spies until they returned. The report they brought back regarding the land was a unanim- ous one. God had not said more than Was true about the land and its good- ness. The grapes, and figs, and pome- granates were all up to the description. All agreed regarding the people and their fortified cities. Then there came a sharp cleavage of opinion as to what was to be done. The majority report was that the odds were so great the case was hopeless. The minority report was for an immediate advance, “we are well able to overcome it." The major- ity looked at God through the difficul- ties. The minority looked at the dim- culties through God. The majority lopked at themselves and felt like grass- foppers. The minority looked at God and felt able for anything. Even grass- hoppers are formidable when God sends them. See Joel 2. A worm is less than a grasshopper; but see what God can do with a worm. Isa. 41:14, 15. It is a good thing to feel like a grasshop- per, if we do not forget that the Lord is with us, Caleb remembered, and was ready to accomplish the impossible. Recall General Foch’s celebrated tele- gram to general headquarters: “My center gives way, my right recedes; the situation is excellent. I shall attack." He attacked and won. IV. The Result. The completely discouraged people spent the night in weeping, and in mur- muring against Moses and Aaron. Bet- 231 ter to have died in Egypt or in the wilderness, than face those sons of Anak. Some suggested they choose a new leader and return to Egypt, forget- ful of their groans and tears under the task-masters. What a terrible burden is unbelief! What a sad blunder is di obedience! Moses and Aaron, faithful to an un- grateful people, began to intercede for them with God, Joshua and Caleb, the faithful minority, began to exhort and encourage the people. What a blessing such men are in any nation! There is always room for intereessors and encouragers. Now, as then, the ques- tion is not one of our power to over- come the difficulties; but are we right with God. The conductor's care is not the power house, but the trolley pole. The power house is another's business. God’s power house never gets out of order; but human trolleys jump the wire sometimes. Praying is more suit- able and more satisfactory employment for a Christian than grumbling. Unbelief refused to listen to faith, and proposed putting Joshua and Caleb to death. Then God interfered and threatened to sweep the ungrateful, unbelieving, rebellious people away with a pestilence, which would have been just. To preserve His promise and fulfil His covenant He proposed to make Moses the head of a new nation. Moses, despised and rejected, pleaded the poor sinners’ ease and secured a modification of the sentence, the men only should die in the wilderness (just what they had wished they might have done), but the nation—a new genera- tion, should wander in the wilderness for forty years, before entering the land. See Chapter 14:21, 28, 29, 33. Faithful Joshua and Caleb only were excepted from the general doom. Note the “Causes of Failure in Life,” which is the topic suggested for treat- ment in adult classes: Unbelief, dis- obedience, murmurings. Are these232 Present in your life? Get rid of them by believing God’s promises and obey- ing God's commands. See 1 Cor. 10:13; Phil, 4:13; 2 Cor. 9:8; 12:8-10. It has been said that no one can tell whether we ever see things just alike or not, There has never been so much eye trouble as now exists. Some have one eye near-sighted HEART OF and the other far- THE LESSON sighted. Others are T. ©. Horton —near-sighted with both eyes, and most people are too near-sighted to get any vision of eternal things. Im our lesson it is all summed up in two words—giants and grasshoppers, but these two words are very sugges- tive to us. Our whole view of life depends upon our proper vision; upon seeing things as God sees them, look- ing through God's glasses. The prom- ised land, as we term it, was land prom- ised to Israel. God had promised to them a land flowing with milk and honey. ‘There was no call for a com- mission to sit upon God's promise, to verify God’s word. God had come down tg. make His home with them and had romised to go before them. Where was the song of Moses and Miriam? How soon we forget His gracious deliver- ances, His overshadowing providences. They had what we have in larger meas- ure, the Word of God and the wondrous works of God, verifying His promise and testifying to His faithfulness. God accommodated Himself to their lack of faith in Him and consented to the appointment of a committee of trus- tees to prove that He .was true, that He had not lied to them. We some: times talk about grace as though it was an unknown quantity in the Old Dis- pensation. It is Grace, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Why does He per- mit us to live when we constantly doubt His word, disbelieve His promises? Why? There is no answer but the THE KING'S BUSINESS answer of the Cross—He loves; He loves. We cannot tell why, we cannot fathom the depths of God's unaccount- able care for us poor, grumbling, fault- finding children of His, And what of the land? The majority report was that God had deceived them. The land could never support them; there were walled cities and the men were giants. It was not feasible to go up. Their report was a half truth, which is always a devil's lie, ‘The min- ority report recognized walled cities and giants, but the land was good and the grapes were a proof of it. The majority made two mistakes,—they exaggerated the difficulties, and ignored Jehovah's power. The voice of the people is not the voice of God. Majorities. have sel- dom been right. They were wrong in Noah's day; were wrong here. They were wrong in Christ's day and there- fore they crucified Him, They are wrong today. The great bulk of men reject Christ. God says, “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.” They say, “Give us the result of scientific investi- gation; give’us man's opinions. What does the professor say? What does the D. D. say? What is the latest news from the Chicago University about God and His Word and His Son?” They w: not have Christ to rule over them today. “Fear not, little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” The little band says, “Let us go up at once and possess it.” Us— mutual action. At once—prompt action. Confidence—possess it. The natural eye sees giants. The eye of faith sees God. Goliath is not so very very big seen through David's eye. If God fills the vision, giants are noth- ing. If giants fill the vision, God-is noth- ing. The majority ruled and ten unbe- eving men filled ten hundred thousand with unbelief and discontent. They manifested ingratitude and sedition. They denounced God and Moses and selected a grasshopper to lead them. ‘They were ready to murder Joshua andTHE KING'S BUSINESS to all the law.” The best translation of the Bible that we know of is to translate ‘t into action. Remember that in Eph, 6:17, the Word of God is called the sword of the spirit. To wield the spirit’s sword aright, the man, himself, must be surrendered to the Holy Spirit. ‘The Holy Spirit uses His own weapon in His-work-ofslaying men, in order to make them alive again Heb. 4:12. After all, it is not your words, nor my words, that the Holy Spirit can use to the best advantage, but it is His own, words. Robert Murray McCheyne, Scotland's great Gospel preacher, was certain of this and so he gave God's Word the greatest place in his ministry. Theoretically, we all believe in the power of the Word of God, to convict and convert sinners, but practically how often we act at variance with our pro- fessed belief and give God's Word but little opportunity to do its work. Joshua 1:8, coupled with Acts 1:8 shows what a mighty equipment the surrenaerea Christian has. How large a place has the Word of God in your life and your work? ‘The topic suggested for adult classes, in this lesson is, “How to Serve One's Country.” tet us read what two great American patriots and leaders have said about the Word of God. President Roosevelt, said: “Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes what a very large number of people tend to forget that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally—I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally—impos- sible for us to figure to ourselves what that life would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both publie and private morals; all the standards toward which we, with more or less of resolution, strive to raise ourselves. Almost every man who has by his-life-work added to the sum 241 of human achievement of which the race is proud, of which our people are proud, almost every such man has based his life-work largely upon the teachings of the Bible. Sometimes it has been done unconsciously, more often con- sciously; and among the very greatest men a disproportionately large number have been diligent and close students of the Bible at first hand. If we read the Bible aright, we read a book which teaches us to go forth and do the work of the Lord; to do the work of the Lord in the world as we find it; to try to make things better in this world, even if only a little better, because we have lived in it. That kind of work can be done only by the man who is neither a weakling nor a coward; by the man who in the fullest sense of the word is a true Christian, like Great Heart, Bun- yan’s hero. We plead for a closer and wider and deeper study of the Bible, so that our people may be in fact as well as in theory “doers of the word and not hearers only.” President Wilson says: “Let no man suppose that progress can be divorced from religion, or that there is any other platform for the min- isters of reform than the platform writ- ten in the utterances of our Lord and Saviour. America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of right- eousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture. I have a very simple thing to ask of you. I ask of every man and woman in this audience that from this night on they will realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this great book of revelations—that if they would see America free and pure, they will make their own. spirits free and pure by this baptism of the Holy Seripture.” ‘ a The Lord spake unto Joshua. ‘We can never accustom ourselves to this242 strange statement we find so often in the Word of God. The Lord, the Crea- tor, the Ruler, the HEART OF Omnipotent One, ‘PHE LESSON speaking, Himself, to T.C, Horton a man, Yet there it is and that is the strangest part of our lesson. Joshua Was eighty-one years old, a descendant of Joseph. He was a com- panion of Moses, a prince Israel and @ victorious leader. God chooses His own men. He always has them in training. He can put His hand on them in any emergency. God uses men but ‘He is not dependent upon them. There are many men upon whom He could not depend and it is a fair question to ask ourselves, “Can He depend upon me?" Were He looking for a real leader would we feel like saying, “Here am I, send me." Forty years of service with Moses had given Joshua some practical experi- ence. He was a man of strong con tions, of sturdy courage and sane con- trol of men. God wanted a servant. “My servant Moses is dead. I am going to make you my servant." And He immediately tells His servant what to do. Look at-the orders the Lord gives is servant. Over there, across the river is the land 1 gave to Israel. Go over and take it. That is a simple, definite command, but it was not so easy as it looks. There is a river full to the brink, beyond is a walled city. There is a nation of war-like people Israel is a shepherd, unarmed people. How can it be done? The solution of the difficulty is in the command. “Every place the sole of your foot shall tread upon is yours.” A promise good for a river or for a walled city. And if we could stop and learn this lesson it would be well worth while for it is the supreme lesson in the Christian life. All of our inheritance in Jesus Christ is to become ours when we take it. There are a lot of things which belong to us, which we have never: possessed. God does not So He says, THE KING'S BUSINESS lay things in our laps. He describes them. He tells us they belong to ug and He gives us the privilege and urges upon us the obligation of going over and possessing them. The Chureh is multimillionaire in possessions, never possessed, The taking of our own is not an easy job. We must have much of the heroic in us, so the Lord exhorts, “Be strong because of my grace.” I have promised—believe, trust. It is yours, You did not earn it, You do not deserve it, but it is yours. Be strong because of my Word. PRACTICAL POINTS When faith finds a place for its foot, it comes into a possession. When your standard is the Lord's, ne man can withstand you. Give God’s plan for your life the preference. Courage and cowardice are contagious. Be a soldier. When you pay the price you get God's best, Here is God's of God Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Have faith in God's word, courage of your convictions. a “To be a good patriot,” said Bishop Berkeley, “a man must consider his countrymen as God's creatures, and himself as accountable for his acting towards them.’ Joshua was all this and more. Courage. Courage is something that pushes us ahead in spite of fear, We need more of it in our work for Ged. Two so! diers were charging up a hill with their regiment in a des- a) both message to a man the LESSON perate attempt to ILLUSTRATIONS capture a battery. W. H. Pike When half way up one of them turned to the other and said, “Why you are asTHE KING'S BUSINESS pale as asheet. You look like a ghost. I believe you are afraid.” “Yes, I am,” was the answer, “and if you were half as much afraid as I am, you would have Tun long ago.” ‘Add 40 your faith courage.” 2 Pet. 1:5. David is an excellent illustration of this in his approach to Goliath. He ran toward the giant saying, “I come in the name of the Lord God of Israel.” It is said of Constantius, the father of Constantine, when he came to the throne and found a considerable num- ber of Christians in office and at court, that he issued an edict requiring them to renounce their Christianity or give up their places. The greater number of them cheerfully gave up their em- ployment in order to preserve a good conscience; a few cowards renounced Christianity. When the Emperor had thus tested them, he turned out every- one who had complied and took the others in again, saying that those who would not be true to Christ, would not be true to him. Joshua Did Things For God. ‘A young pastor, bending over an aged minister who was dying, said to him, “Give me some word, my brother, that will be a help to me after you are gone.“"The aged minister looked up with an earnest expression, and seemed to pack a whole half century of experi- ence into a single sentence. “Hurry up, my brother, and preach the Gospel.” “General, I fear the battle is lost,’ said one of Napoleon's marshals to him during a fierce fight. Napoleon coolly looked at his watch and replied, “Time for another battle, summon the army for a fresh charge.” Courage without Faith is Fatalism. When-the Carthaginian troops were investing Rome, the spot outside the wall was up for sale at auction, in the forum. On that ground, at the time stood the tent of Hannibal, the dread invader. After a spirited competition the ground was knocked down to a citizen who bid for it a large sum of ‘ 243 money. He and the other bidders had faith in the triumph of their armies, although the foe was at the gates, Such faith ought a Christian to have in Christ, otherwise, no matter how reck- less his courage may be, he is doomed. An infidel orator in Hyde Park was shouting out to the people around him, “There is no God! I can prove there is no God! Two wounded soldiers from the trenches listened ‘to him for a time, then one said loudly, “We can believe there is no God in London, but we know there is a God in the trenches." They had been reading their testaments and offering their lives to God for others. ae v. 1, Joshua. Literally “Jehoshua;” means “‘Jehovah-Saviour.”” He is a type of Christ as “Captain of our salvation.” Heb. 2:10, 11.—Seofield. . v. 2 Moses is COMMENT FROM dead, The servant MANY SOURCES is’ dead, but the K. L. Brooks Master is not, and the work must go on. The removal of useful men should quicken survivors to be so much the more diligent in doing good.—Henry. No man is indispensable. God's work goes on. The instruments are being changed, but the Master hand is the same, and He lays one tool aside and takes another out of the tool chest as He will.—Maclaren. Arise, go over. We may trust God not to command im- possibilities. If we see that the path is one appointed by God, we may boldly tread it, and we shall see the difficulty yanish.—Sel, y. 5, As I was with Moses. Those who go where God sends them shall have Him with them wherever they go, and they need desire no more to make them easy and prosperous than the con- sciousness of His presence.—Henry. Will be with thee. God calls for those who have no might nor power but yearn to be filled with His power—Jacobs.244 Whom God calls He qualifies, and whom He qualifies He sends.—Jolnson, A man who is trying to fight the devil in his own strength is the man who is in danger.— Echoes, ¥. 7. Re thou strong and very cour- ageous. The drummer boy who never learned to heat the retreat won a lot of vietories—S. S. Times. Courage is halt the battle—Elatus. True courage is like a kite—a contrary wind raises it higher—Semm. He who loses wealth loses much, he who loses a friend loses more, and he who loses courage loses all.—Cervantes. Courage is always greatest when blended with meekness. —Channing. Courage by keeping the senses quiet and the understanding cleir puts us into a condition to receive true intelligence, to make computations upon danger, and to pronounce rightly upon that which threatens us.—Elmes. Notice that the courage was linked with the Word of God and obedience to it. Spiritual growth and enjoyment are im- possible apart from meditation on the Word and obedience to it—Gaebelein Observe to do. Joshua had to be fitted to command by learning to obey. Dar- ing and discipline must go together, and to know how to follow orders is as essential as to know how to despise dangers.—Exp. Bible. y. 8 This Book. If a man is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss which he had better make all possible haste to correct.—Roosevelt. A studious perusal of the sacred yolume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands Jefferson. The Bible is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace-and salvation—Woodrow Wil- son, The Bible is certainly the best preparation that you cam give a soldier going into battle to sustain his ideal and faith.—Marshall Foch. Moses had no Bible. Moses lived on the spoken Word. There was nothing written in the sense in which the word is used in THE KING'S BUSINESS this verse. A new responsibility is im- Posed upon the Church. God has a written Word, a declared testimony, something requiring attention, intelli- gence, sympathy and obedience.—Peo- ple’s Bible. Shall not depart. If you find more pleasure in reading the Sun- day newspapers than the Bible, there is something wrong with your heart.— Sel. Meditation is the soul's perspec- tive glass whereby she discerns God as if He were near at hand.—Feltham. It is not he who reads most but he that meditates most on divine truth who will prove the strongest Christian,.—Hall Those who make the Word of God their rule, and conscientiously walk by it, shall both do well and make great progress. We will be animated and emboldened for God's work as we keep our hearts upon the divine warrant.— Sum. Bible. Day and night. If ever a man’s business might excuse him from meditating on the Scriptures, one would think Joshua's might at this time. Whatever the rush of our affairs, we cannot afford to neglect the one thing needful—K. B, That thou mayest observe to do. A man who lives right and is right has more power in his silence than another by his words.— Sel. Christianity is not a cloak to put on but a life to be put in—Crabill. Be an Amen Christian, but don't shout louder than you live it—Seott. God wants your obedience, not your patron- age—Sel. Many will wear a crucifix who will not be crucified, and many will give Christianity their countenance who will not give it their heart.— Brookes.. Many people pray and talk cream and live, skimmed milk.—Davis. God cannot be cheated with deftly quoted texts——McNeil. Shalt make thy way prosperous. Bible verses save from spiritual reverses.—K. B. v. 9. Be not afraid. If we are meet- ing the tempest alone, the best thing we can do is to fear, for the fear may drive us to seek for God’s help. If we know that Christ is with us, it is wiseTHE KING'S BUSINESS to be strong and courageous. Courage that does not rest on Christ's presence is audacity rather than courage and is sure to collapse—Maclaren. There are believers who, by God's grace, have climbed the mountains of full assurance of God's power. These are they who do great exploits for God and are men of renown.—Spurgeon. = Moses was dead. There was a pecul- iar sadness about the death of Moses at this time. Have you not often felt the same when you have seen some great leader fall when MY CLASS just about to finish a OF GIRLS great work? Moses Clara Silliman had been appointed by God to be the great leader of the children of Israel and they had not yet reached their destination— the Promised Land. How seldom we finish our work! We lay plans for a lifetime but God alone dictates whether or not we finish what we plan, and very often another completes what we have started. Doubtless you all have plans for a life work, but you do not know just where, for you at least, that work may suggenty be cut off. Toshu&, Israel's New Leader. It seemed Moses could hardly be spared but God is not dependent upon any man, and His work goes on just the same, no matter how great the leader or important the worker who drops from the ranks. 1 suppose the children of Israel felt they could not go on without Moses but God had a man ready to take his place. God is never at a loss. He has chosen to work through—human agencies and when He has a work to be done, He has a person to do it. Joshua was appointed “after the death of Moses” but he was not God's afterthought. God knew Joshua was to succeed Moses and had been preparing him for years for that place, His whole life had been a 245 preparation. He had been in servitude as a youth and knew how to obey orders and those who have learned how to obey are best able to rule. You.see when God chooses a person, He makes what seems to be the most adverse cir- cumstances a time of preparation. Joshua had been in personal attend- ance upon Moses and so learned much about leadership from him, and he had been faithful in the little things and so was able to do great things. God has a work for each one of you. For all you know it may be the great work of leadership, but whatever it is, you are being prepared for it each day. The joys, the sorrows, the easy things and the hard things are all a part of your training. God never promotes us until we do our present work with credit. Are you doing with your might what your hands find to do? Conditions of Joshua's Success. st—God’s Promises——The chil- dren of Israel had literally to tread with the “sole of the foot” upon the land they wanted to receive from God. It could not be theirs unless they did. They could enjoy only as much land as they conquered and took possession of. God has given to every believer a land to be possessed. Redemption in Christ Jesus is of no benefit to a sin-sick soul unless it is appropriated. Have you made it your own? The promises of Scripture are not ours until we cldim them for ourselves. Second—Courage and Faith.—Joshua was to “be strong and of a good cour- age.” Nothing but the consciousness of God's presence could have given Joshua courage for his task. He knew God had chosen_him, and that when He appoints and leads the way, He also sends the power to execute. He knew of God's care for His own through the experiences of the wilderness journey, and what God had done, He could do again. It is a comfort to us too, to know that the same grace that was246 sufficient for those who have gone before us, is available for us if we claim it. Third—Constant Study of the Word of God.—Joshua was a man of great power and authority, yet he must him- self be under command and do what he was bidden. All men, however great, are in the service of another, God's orders are set forth in The Scriptures and those who would be guided by them, must earnestly study, Surely the advice given Joshua concerning the study of the Word could well be fol- lowed by all who want success. The meditation of the Word was to be con- stant—no merely glancing through: and then the meditation was to be fol- lowed by obedient conduct. Do we live up to what we know of God's will for us? The one who has not repented of his sin and accepted God's Son as Saviour has not properly read the Word of God. How are you reading Bible? The Christian life is the only one that. can win real success. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousne: and all these things shall be added unto you.” - your Story of a Brave Leader. Joshua 11-9. Memory Ver Iwill be with thee." Joshua Approach: Who would like to be a soldier? Show me how a soldier stands, how he salutes, and haw he holds his gun when marching and firing. There was a splendid sol- NERS: dier once named AND PRIMARY = Joshua. Have you Mabel L. Merrill heard about him? Yes, he was one of the good spies in last week's sto! ‘Today we are to hear something more about Joshua, who was such a good soldier, so brave and true, that God made him a gréat leader, Prayer THE KING'S BUSINESS Lesson Story: Are you all really and truly awake this morning? All right, here is a test to prove it. There are some people in the world who always want their own w. Did you ever hear of any people like that, and what happened to them? (Go on question- ing. covering events in last week's les- son, permitting children to answer.) It has been quite a long time since God sent the people of Israel away from the Promised land, and all the grown-up people who were living then have died, except the two good spies, Caleb and Joshua; still there are just as many People, for all that were children then are men and women, and many of them are married and have ehildren. God is looking over his people for a leader. for the great man Moses, who had led the people so faithtully, is dead also. God spoke to Joshua and told him now that Moses was dead, he was to be the new leader. Joshua had helped Moses all the time, and God had seen how brave and faithful he had heen, so He knew. Joshua was the right man to become the leader of His people Israel. The first thing God told Joshua to do was to get ready to go over into the new land which He (God) was going to give to them. You remember this lind was called Canaan, or the promised land, and God (old Joshua to be strong and brave, for He would be with him just as he was with Moses. Joshua had the people march from the place where they were until they came to the bank of a big river, called the Jordan River, where they camped for three days, get- ting ready td eross over into their new land. How were they to get across this great deep and wide river with its swift- ly running water, when there were no. bridges and no boats? Then across on the other bank of the river was a great walled city called Jericho, with its sol- diers standing guard; how could they pass them, for they had no weapons to fight with. But this time there is noTHE KING'S BUSINESS fault-finding, or afraid to go; showing they were they had learned their lesson and were willing to do just as God wanted them to do, and they knew God would plan some way to get them safely across the river. Men went among the people and told them to prepare enough manna (which was the, bread God had sent down trom heaven) and to gather plenty of fruit, which grew in the place where they were camping. Then Joshua said to the people, “Make yourselves ready; tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." Early the next morning the people break camp and pack their things ready for the journe: The priests or ministers start- ed first and marched down to the wat- er’s edge and the people formed in line’ behind them. They could see and hear the raging waters of the river and then look across on the other side and see the large haryet fields—flowers and fruits. Joshua gave the command to move forward, What would the min- isters do, for they were right down to the edge of the water? They started Does Busines: et? your pastor Why not see that he gets 247 forward, for God had told oshua He would work wonders, and just as soon as their feet touched the water, it rolled ack and left the ground bare across the whole hed of the river, As soon as the people came up out of the river, the water began to flow, filling the river as full as it had been before. The people camped on the bank of the river. Here they found some corn that had grown in the land, whieh they parched and ate. On the morrow after they had eaten the corn, the manna stopped coming. For 40 years the Lord had sent them manna in the wilderness where no grain grew, but now they were in Canaan, where there was plenty of food, so the manna stopped. Joshua was a great leader and God gave him vietory. over the people living in the land, for they worshipped idols and did not love God. Closing Prayer: We thank thee Lord for thy, promise to be with thy children, and help us to be true soldiers of Jesus every dai get “The King's ‘od doth not choose leaders ©, according to = their Physical Streneth, Know- ledge,Temporal z possessions or because you are a dolly Good Fel-}| low but only as Vlei ‘ou are, consecraled Spink //God ever is /SeeKing leaders ‘among men — be Pre pared, Eph.6:10,It-“o~ 248 MARCH 16, 1919. THE KING'S BUSINESS THE CITIES OF REFUGE ~ Golden Text: Matt. 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” LESSON TEXT Joshua 20. (). The LORD also. spake unto Joshua, saying. (2) Speak to the chil Gren of Isracl, ‘saying, Appoint out for You elties of refuge. whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: (3) That ‘the man-slayer that killeth any person unawares, and unwittingly. may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. (4) And when he that doth flee unto one of these cities shall stand at the ente: ing of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the cars of the elders of that city, they shall take him Inte the eity unto! them, and give him @ place that he may dwell among them. %5) Ana if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then shall they not deliver the slayer up Into his hands; because he. smote. his neighbour unvittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And_he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for I, The Number and Position of the Cities, Six cities of the Levites were set aside and designated as Cities of Refuge, Three of these were on one side of the Jordan and three of them on the other. - It Will be well to take a map of Old Testament Pales- tine, and note just how the cities were situated. They were located so that a city of refuge was within a half a day's journey of the pursued man: We are told that the roads to the cities were kept in a continual state of good repair and that there were signs placed frequently enough that no man need stop to ask the way. I. Why They Were Provided, In that day and in that land, the cur- rent law was that the next of kin should avenge the death of a kinsman. This was not in any way like our modern lynch law in the United States, with its lawless and maddened mob, breaking down all law. God distinguished very clearly be- LESSON EXPOSITION John H. Hunter (6) | judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and comé unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.'(@) And they appointed Kedesh in’ Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem In mount Ephraim, and Kir- Jath-arba which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah, (8) And on the otherside Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reu- ben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Basham out of the tribe of Manasseh, (9) These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth’ aniong them, that whosoever Killeth any person unawares might flee thither; and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, unul he stood before the congregation. tween willful and accidental slaying. Note the language of verse 5 and see also Deut. 19:1-13. The cities of refuge were provided for the unintentional manslayer; the man who had not anger in his heart toward his fellow. The deliberate mur- derer, however, had no claim, whatever, upon the city of refuge, except that it might offer him a safe trial. If it were shown that the murder was will- ful and intentional, no matter what may have been the causes leading up to it, then the elders of the city must refuse ‘him refuge. ‘The innocent manslayer was not only safe from the avenger of blood by escap- ing to the city of refuge, but he must continue to reside in the city until the death of the High Priest. After the death of the High Priest lie was at liberty to go to his home again. The Une is drawn very clearly between the guiltless and the guilty man. The guilt- less man is not shown mercy. He is dealt with on the strictest grounds of justice, in being rescued from the hand of the avenger of blood, The guiltyoo THE KING'S BUSINESS man, on the other hand, is denied mercy, and strict justice is meted out to him. The topic suggested for our adult classes, from this lesson, is “Our Responsibility Toward Offenders.” ‘The lesson, itself, is a startling con- trast to the weak sentimentality, which marks much of our dealing with guilty offenders today. Every day or two one reads in the paper of some audacious robbery or dastardly crime committed by a criminal, who is out on parole. That sort of thing is absolutely con- trary to what God teaches in this lesson. This does not mean that first offenders should be thrown into the same cell or into the company with hardened crim- inals, which ordinary, common sense would tell us was not wise; but it does mean that criminals who have robbed d murdered, and broken the law shall. not be set at liberty, to prey upon society until they are arrested, not merely once, but usually two or three times miore. THI. The Gospel Tlustrated. The following points of resemblance between the cities of refuge and the salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ, are worth noting: (1) A refuge is needed. (2) The refuge is appointed by God and no other place will do. John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5; John 10:9; 14:6. Rom. 3:23. (3) The refuge avails only for those who avail themselves of it. John 1:12; 8:18; 3:36. (4) The refuge is ample for all. John 6:37 (last clause); John 3:16; Rev. 22:17. (5) The refuge is sure and certain. John 10:28, 29. “Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; Leave, O leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me. All my trust on Thee is stayed, All my help from Thee I bring; 249 Cover my defenseless head = \_ ‘With the shadow of Thy wing.” - Have you fled to the refuge which God has provided? a This lesson will afford many oppor- tunities to speak to scholars concerning God's laws,—of their necessity, of their purposes, of the distinction between crimes and the grad- HEART OF ing of punishment for THE LESSON 'T. C. Horton the commission of crimes. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. There are degrees of pun- ishment. Here is a lesson on a place of refuge for one who is unwillingly a murderer. Here is a wonderful oppor- tunity to present Jesus Christ as God's refuge city for sinners. Men are born sinners. By no fault of their own were they so born. Men are born with a sinful nature and there is no power within man or men to change the law of their nature. They are born rebels against God; born with hearts full of hatred for God and for His laws. They have sinned ignorantly and wilfully, but it is all sin. They have violated God's laws. They deserve death, There is mo escape from the Hand of the Avenger. The law of God is simple in terms, “The soul that sin- neth it shall die.” A guilty world in danger, every unsaved man and woman in danger of wrath, “But God commendeth His love." (Rom, 5:8), ‘There is no ran- som, no satisfaction. The justice of God is the avenger. God demands per- fect righteousness, perfect obedience. Nothing can deliver from wrath, but flight to a place of refuge. To tarry is to be slain, To do nothing is fatal. There are three witnesses to testity against the sinner—the Word of God, the Spirit of God and the sinner's own conscience, There is a place of refuge, divinely appointed—a city set upou a250 hill. Its towers are noted in prophecy; its foundation is built upon berfect obedience; its walls are the fin- ished work of Jesus Christ. God has ordained Him to be the propitiation of sin, the Saviour of souls The refugee is 0 one is excluded. (1 Cor. 6:9-11.) There are sinners of every Kind and degree. The way is plain, accessible to all, not far away. There is provision for all need No criminal can ever be punished in that city. It “God so loved.” It is a stronghold. "There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." There there. God tells out through Christ all of the wonders of His love. It is a joy ful place, “Whom having not seen we to be free. is a sanctuary. fellowship love.” “The joy of the Lord is their strength." What provision almighty God has made for poor sinners. We ought to spend our lives in telling out the story of God's plans and purposes in Christ Jesus, clearing the pathway of obstacles, making plain the directions, aiding in every way men women and chil- dren to find refuge in Him. PRACTICAL POINTS: (1) Uiberty is the life of a nation, Lie eas is death (2) Punishment of crime is for the purification of our civilization, (2) Whoever winks at wrong-doing is doing wrong. (4) God is the avenger of every broken law. (4) The City of Refuge is a type of our Saviour and His work for sin- ners, (6) “The soul that sinneth it shall die." (“All have sinned and come short of His glory.") (7) Jesus says, “Iam-the Way, the ‘Truth and the Life.” He has shown us the way, left us the truth and given us the life. (8) The way is plain, “The wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein.” THE KING'S BUSINESS Noah's ark was a refuge to Noah and bis family from the storm and waves without, And like the cities eit had to be entered in order to shield the of- fender. So we must MWLUSTRATIONS enter through the WH. Pike door of Christ (Jno. 10:9) if we would find shelter from the judgment of our Heb. 6:18. ar the Door But Lost. Some of you will remember the door of the Electricity Building at the World's Fair in Chieago in 1893. The door could only be opened in one w One step on a mat outside the door and an electric current opened the door, Stepping on the mat suggests our willingness to enter: believing that the door will open if we step in faith They go hand in hand in entering into salvation through Christ “A stranger onee. in Sy An old A. square of refu, must aw hgeptold without a door. enclosed by rough: stonewall, Av_opening, and nothing more. He asked in wonder, “Where's door?" A Syrian answered his surprise “The shepherd is the door, himself; Just in that opening he lies,” So Jesus, by thy parable Thou art. the Shepherd and the Door, Keep out our deadly enemy, Keep in Thy sheep forevermore." Molineaus during St. Bartholomew's massacre took refuge in an oven, There he laid, crying in his heart, "Oh God, cover me with thy hand.” As he prayed a spider wove its web across the oven's mouth, a gust of wind filled the web with dust and the dew settled down upon the dust of the web. His pursuers, next morning, seeing the spider's web said, “He is not here,” and passed on. The True Refuge, How applicable is Phil. 3:9, “And be found in Christ, not having any right- eousness of mine own, even that which is of the law, but that whieh is through theTHE KING'S BUSINESS faith in Ch¥ist, the righteou is from God by faith, A little girl was dying: the doctor came in, and after examining her, quietly remarked to the nurse, “Her life is just finishing.” The Kittle girl opened her eyes and looking at him said, “No, doctor, it is just beginning. fo be found in ( live and ever to continue to live. ess which rist is to begin to Large Refuge But Little Faith. ‘The condemned Israelite did not need much faith, but he did need a seeure refuge, A woman who was well known for her simple faith and calmness in trials was asked by another lady, who called to get the secret of her fortitude: “Are you the woman-with great faith?” No,” was the reply, “I am not the woman with the great faith, but T am the woman with a little faith in the great God.” An illustrious nobleman, who had filled offices of high responsibility in the state, thus expressed himself towards the close of his life: ‘I m: however declare, that in an advanced age, | am enjoying far more solid com- fort by trusting to the mercy of God _7Pirough the Gospel of His Son, than I ever did in the days of my thought- lessness and folly; nor would I exchange it for any condition of youth, wealth or worldly joys, accompanied by a vicious course.” = ¥. 2. Cities of refuge. In Heb. 6: 18-20, He of whom all these refuge cities speak is set before us. To Him give all the prophets witness that through His name COMMENT FROM MANY SOURCES K. L. Brooks whosoever believeth shall receive remis- sion of sins.—W. T. ‘M. This intimates what God's spiritual Israel had and shall have in Christ; not only rest to repose themselves in, but refuge to 251 secure themselves in.—Henry. They illustrate the relief which the Gospel provides for penitent sinners, and their protection from the curse of the law and the wrath of God in Christ, to Whom we flee for refuge. Heb. 6:18. um. Bible vy. 3. The slayer, 1800 years ago the man slayer lifted up his hand, inno- cent blood was shed, and from that day Canaan has been defiled. The man slayer has lost his inheritance. The Jews are banished from their land, strangers dwell in the lands which Jehovah apportioned to the tribes, but within the veil, in the heavenly sanet- uary, the High Priest dwells. So long. as He abides thus, Israel will remain without their inheritance, but He will come forth, and Israel will then receive full forgivenes more, inherit every man his dwelling place. —Witherby. Killeth any person awares, The same act when done from different mo The avenger took no heed of the motive of the slayer, so the lesson was taught that motive is of supreme importance in determining the nature of an aet.— Maclaren. In God's sight a deed is done when it is determined on.—Sel. There is no want of discerning in the eye of God. That eye distinguishes between the accident and that which was from malice, It will be found at last that many things were done unawares and unwittingly and were never meant to be done, and who shall say what mercy shall be revealed when that fact is made clear?—Parker, God wished to impress upon His people that to put an end to a man’s life under any circumstances was a serious thing. Man is something higher than the beasts that perish — Blaikie. In many minds the city of refuge is taken for an illustration of the Gospel, but the type fails in several points to characterize the Gospel of grace. Who is the man slayer? It seems from Scripture that Israel is the one who slew a man unwittingly, the and = much un- ves is not the same.— 252 man being none other than Jesus Christ. (They know not what they do). See 1 Cor. , 1 Tim, 1:13. Israel is in the same case as the unwitting man slayer, and because of shed blood must suffer the consequences. Acts 3:15-17.—Dunbar, The avenger of blood. From time immemorable in the east, if a man were slain, the duty of avenging has lain as his sacred obliga- tion upon his nearest relative. Even to this day, the distinction between intentional and unintentional killing is not too strictly observed, and men are often done to death in revenge for what was purest accident. To prevent such a thing, these cities were instituted.— Ewing. vy. 4. When he that doth flee, The hurried, eager flight of the man who, with the dread of the avenger behind him, feared every moment to be struck to the heart, will set forth what should be the earnestness of our flight to lay hold on the hope set before us in the /Gospel—Sel. Declare his cause. Does /he plead righteousness? No, but mercy, and asks for shelter from the avenger of blood. He acknowledges his guilt, and is allowed to enter. So with us (Rom. 3:23) Delaney. v. 5. Avenger pursue after him. Considering Israel as the man slayer, anti-christ is the rod to be used for the final chastisement of Israel. When the whole earth is feeling the devastating power of the man of sin, there will be a sanctuary where God will hide His people safely (See Dan. 11:41; Rev. 12). Who during those days before the King comes will succor the fugitive? Isaiah 31 throws some light upon Dunbar, In Old Testament times. it was the duty of the nearest relative to execute vengeance. In the New Testa- ment, the term “ayenger” occurs but once (1 Thess. 4:6). The Lord is the avenger—Comp. Bible. Shall not deliver the slayer. All that the man slayer received in the city was safety, but from Christ, our Refuge, there is a THE KING'S BUSINESS constant flow of higher and holier Dlessing. He saves His people not merely from the penalty but from the sins themselves.—Blaikie. v. 6. He shall dwell in that ci ‘The involuntary slayer had thus to undergo a considerable penalty. He could not longer euitivate his farm. His friendships, his whole associations in life, were changed. It was a testimony respecting the awfulness through what- ever cause of shedding innocent blood, —Exp. Bible. Until death of high priest. The cities of refuge, being cities of the priests, bore the sin of the man slayer. What the High Priest was to the Levites the Levites were to the nation, On the day of atonement, the sins of the nation came into his hand. On his death he was freed from the law (Rom. 6:7; 7:1-4), and those whom he represented were freed also. (Cf. Rom. 41; Heb. 7:23-25).—Comp. Bible. The death of the earthly high priest became a type of that heavenly one (Heb. 9:14, 15).—J. F. & B, v. 7. They appointed, The cities stood in three parts of the country so conveniently that a man might in a half day reach some of them from any corner of the country. God is a refuge at hand—Henry. There were six sities. Six characterizes human imper- fections. Look which way we will we can but see our own utter sin and imperfection, yet where sin abounds grace much more abounds, and the mercy of God extends to all.—Witherby. Kedesh signifies “holy.” Our refuge is the holy Christ Jesus. Shechem, “a shoulder"—the government is upon Christ's shoulder. Hebron, “fellow- ~ship"’—believers are“called into the fel- lowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, “a fortification”—Christ is the strength of all who trust in Him, Ramouth, “exalted’’—Christ has been exalted by God’s own right hand. Golan, “joy of exultation’—in Christ all the saints glory.—Treas. Scrip. Knowl.THE KING'S BUSINESS Separated ‘from us by so many cen- turies, with manners and customs so different from our own, the affairs of the Children of Israel present a peculiar fascination for us. It MX CLASS is interesting to note OF ‘GIRLS the way in which they Clara Silliman dealt with the prob- lems of their day— problems not unlike ours in character but in mode of treatment widely differ- ing. We study today about the cities of refuge which God provided for the protection of those who had taken life unintentionally. The Avenger of Blood. From the earliest times, there was no general government to enforce the law among the tribes and to exact jus- tice when men committed crimes against each other, and so there grew up a custom of blood revenge. When blood was shed, blood was to be shed. Death was the penalty whether the act was intentional or accidental, and the nearest relative of the injured person was the one whose duty it was to settle the account. The Six Cities of Refuge. Even in the darkest hour, God sends some ray of light. At His command six “cities, conveniently placed in different parts of the country so they could be easily reached, were appointed as a pro- tection for any slayer till he was de- clared guilty or not. You see vengeance had to be under the direction of the law. God regards human life as a sacred thing and any attempt to take it a most serious crime. If the murder was accidental, the slayer was entitled to a dwelling place in the city, having its protection, though confined as a prisoner at large. It he ieft the city, he naturally lost protection, Here he was to remain for lite unless perhaps the High Priest died before he did, in which case he might return to his own city as a free man. The High Priest was to be thought of ( 253 as dn intercessor entering within the veil and the refugee safe beneath the protection of his prayers. The death of our High Priest Jesus Christ was an entering within the veil which gives protection to all who take refuge in the place God appointed. Christ Our Retuge. There is a strong resemblance between the city of refuge and the gos- pel way of salvation. They both tell of shelter from the fatal stroke of the avenger; both are a place of refuge for the most guilty, Jesus Christ came into this world to be our City of Refuge—a Refuge from all dangers and the conse- quence of our own acts. The Cities of refuge were easy of access, no part of the country being more than a half day’s journey; Christ is in our midst. No time is needed to reach Him. The heart can surrender in an instant and safety result. The refugee was lost unless he entered the city; Christ, our Refuge must be entered to secure safety. You may be inelined toward Christianity and you may know the truth of it, but that is not enough. as the fugitive must enter the city to be safe, so must the sinner be in Christ. Rom. 8:1, The Cities of Refuge were available for every inhabitant in the land—strangers and sojourners as well as the residents. God is no respecter of persons. He gave Jesus Christ that “whosoever believeth on Him—might have everlasting life.” The gates of the cities were always open and the way to them plainly shown, Jesus ever liveth to make intercession and the way has been made plain and easy for anyone who believes himself to be a sinner. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” There was no specially appointed time for entrance to the city. The need of a hiding place indicated the time. Are you outside the shelter of Jesus Christ? “Behold, now is the accepted254 time; behold, now is tlie day of salva- tion.” Will you accept the protection He longs to give you? ae Cities of Refuge, « People in Trouble. Joshua 20. Memory Verse: “Be ye kint one to another.” Eph, 4232. Approach: (Arrange sand table with walled city at one end, Take piece of cardboard, mark with erayon to repre- sent stone, cut and bend back for gates Being Kind to and you have a BEGINNERS splendid wall, AND PRIMARY = which is held up- Mabel L. Merrill right by sinking in * sand. A piece of stiff cardboard with sand covering edges makes a good road leading up to city gates. Arrange trees and shrub- bery, making as real as possible, having the road cross a stream with bridge. Place figure to represent man just en- tering gates, and at other end of road two or three other figures in pursuit.) Before we uncover our sand table, we will bow our heads and ask Jesus to help us understand our story for today. THE KING'S BUSINESS Lessoh Story: Take a good look at our sand table and let us see if we can guess what our story is about. Ken- neth, what do you see? (Ii a live boy, he is Hable to see a good place to go fish- ing in the stream. Let the children ex- press themselves few moments ‘The worst bay or girl in a class is often won for Christ by a teacher who enter into their life. Plan to have an outing with them when possible some Saturday.} It looks like the man who is just entering the city gates is run- ning away from the other men farther down the road, doesn't it? That is what he is doing, and the subject of our stary for today is ‘Cities of Refuge," or, “Being Kind to People in Trouble.” That word refuge means a place of shel- ter, where people can he saie from harm or danger. When it rains hard you run in the house, and the house is then your refuge or shelter from the rain, At the time of our story there were a number of walled cities in dit- ferent parts of the land. called Cities of Refuge, and when people were in trou- ble or danger, and some one was going to hurt or Kill them, they would run as fast as they could go to one of these for a can\ THE KING'S BUSINESS. Cities of Refuge. and when the men at the gate saw them coming, they would open the gates and let them come in and then they would close the gates so the men, their enemies coming after them, could not get in. Then, after the gates were closed, the judges of the eity would ask the man questions to find out whether he had done anything wrong and deserved punishment, and if he had not done anything wrong, he could stay in the city and live where he would be safe from those who were his enemies and wanted to hurt him. Sometimes, you know, right here where we live people have accidents and hurt or kill others, and then they have a trial to sea if it was really an accident or if they really meant to kill the peo- ple. In those days, just like now, peo- ple would become angry and try to kill the man who had hurt or killed someone by accident, and really did not mean to hurt him at all, so God told Joshua to have some of the cities as a special place of refuge. They had to keep the roads leading to these Cities of Refuge clean and free from stones or sticks, so there would be nothing in the way as the people ran along, and when there was a river there was a bridge across it Then a wicked man, one who really wanted to hurt or kill people, came into a City of Refuge, the judges would put him out as soon as they found out, and he would have to be punished. There were signs along the road to guide the men to the Cities of Refuge. Could the people be saved if they just went up to the gates of the city? No, they had to go through the gates and in the city. Could they get into the city any other way than through the gates? Do you know, children, I think this is such a lovely story, for it makes me think of Jesus, who is our refuge or shelter from sin, and keeps that great enemy, Satan, from harming us. You know, while we are living down here we are like the man on the road, for Satan, our enemy, 255 is always after us to hurt us by getting us to do wrong things, and Jesus is our Refuge, and when we go to Him, Satan cannot harm us, for we are safe in our refuge, Jesus, just like the man was safe in the City of Refug only we are safer, for Jesus is stronger than all the cities in the world. ‘The sign on our road to guide us is the Bible, and it is a safe guide, for it is God’s word. The men could not get into the city except through the gates, and we cannot get into heaven exeept through Jesus. When we want to do things we ‘know are wrong, let us always remember it is our enemy, Satan, and let us turn to our refuge. Jesus, and ask Him to help us, Clos Pray Dear Jesus, we know there is sin and wrong in this world, and we thank thee for becoming our refuge and shelter, = cd ONE WAY TO ECONOMIZE A little boy went to Sunday School for the first time. His mother gave him a nickel to put in the collection-box. When he returned, he had a sack of candy, “Where did you get that candy?" asked his mother. “From the stand around the corner.” “But what did you buy it with?” “With the nickel you gave me.” : “But that was for Sunday School.” “Well,” replied the boy, “I didn’t need it. The minister met me at the door and got me in free."—The Chris- tian Herald. “LIVER US FROM EVIL" “Mother,” said a Topeka four-year- old, “I know three kinds —of-livers— liver that you eat, the liver stable, and “liver-us-from-evil’ & Keep your copy of “The King’s Busi- ness in circulation and spread the bless- ing. *256 THE KING'S BUSINESS MARCH 23, 1919 ISRAEL WARNED AGAINST COMPROMISE Golden Text: LESSON Josh. 23: (Read Josh. 23:1-14: 13. (2) Ana it came to passa long time | atter ‘that the LORD had given rest | unto Israel from all thetr enemies round About, that Joshua waxed old, and well stricken In age. (2) And Joshua called for all Israel, and for thelr eld (rg, and for their heads, and for thelr judges, and for thelr officers, and sald unto them, Tam old and stricken in age: (3) And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto ail | these nations because of you: for the LORD Your God is he that hath fougnt | for vou. (4) Behold, T have divided unto you these ‘nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that T have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. (5) And the LORD yout God, he shail expel them from before you, and drive them from out of vour Sight: and ve shall possess their land, | as the LORD vour God hath promised unto you. (6) Be ye therefore very | courageous to keep and to do all that | is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ve turn not aside there- from, to the right hand or to the left; ("That "Ye come not among. these nations, these that remain among you; Introduction, Some years passed between the set- ting apart of-the cities of refuge, which was the subject of our last lesson, and the gathering together of the people to - hear from their old leader, which is the subject of today's lesson. Get in mind the setting of the story as suggested in verse 1 and 2. ‘Three topics are dealt with by Joshua in this address. I. What the Lord Had Done. It is always inspiring and helpful to review God's past dealings with us as individuals, and His dealings with us as a nation. Our national holidays,— Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Memorial Day, it properly observed, would be sources of great blessing to us as @ nation. How impressive the Memorial Day service is when partici- pated in by a group of old veterans. LESSON EXPOSITION John H. Hunter “Evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Cor. 15:33. TEXT 28.) neither make mention of the name of thelr gods, nor cause, to swear by them, “neither serve them, nor bow down yourself unto them;' (8) But cleave “unto the LORD vour God, as ye have done unto this day. (9) ‘For the LORD hath driven out from be- fore vou great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand Before you unto this day. (10) One man of you shall chase a’ thou- sand: for the LORD ¥our God, he it is that fighteth for vou. as he hath prom- ised vou. (11) Take good heed there- fore unto yourselves, that ve love the LORD your God. (12) Else’ if ye do jn v Wise go back, and cleave into the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and_ shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: (13) Know for a ¢ertainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any Of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto You, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eres, until ye perish from of this good’ land which the LORD your God hath given you, Joshua directs the thought of the people to God's past goodness. In verse three he says “The Lord fought for you.” Seven great nations did the Lord over- throw to make way for His people. Israel had possession of the land, not because of Joshua's superior skill, or the superiority of her soldiers, but because God had fought for her, Simi- lar testimony is borne by some of our great generals over in France. Joshua also assures them that the Lord had given them the land and that He would deliver the gift when they were ready for it, but not until then. See verse 13. Il. What the People Must Do. The Lord had done His part, but if ‘the people were to enjoy what the Lord had made possible for them, they must enter into it, for they had not yet taken complete possession, and sad to say, they never did. Restored Israel (and do we not see the restoration begin-THE KING'S BUSINESS ning to take place under our very eyes?) will possess all the land whieh has already been deeded over to them by Jehovah Jehovah also commands the people to be “very courageous," “To keep and to do all that is written in the book.” Joshua was simply passing on to the people as a whole, what God had said to him personally, when He had made him the successor of Moses. Josiua also commands the people to ‘Cleave to the Lord." y. 8. He enjoined on them not only obedience to the Word of God, but attachment to His Person. Our Lord's question, to Simon Peter, by the shore of the Sea of Galilee was not, “Whom say ye that I am," but “Lovest thou m Jno. 21:13. The charge that He brings against the church in Ephegus is not that they were unortho- dox, but that they had teft their first love, Rey. 2:4. Joshua again exhorts them to expect continued victory through the strength that God would supply. v. 10, “One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord, God, He it is that fighteth for you, as He spake unto you.” It seems some- times, as though instead of one Chris- tian being more than a match for a thousand unbelievers, it took a thou- sand Christians to mateh one unbe- lever. Pris would not be so if Chris- tians Were living in the strength which God is waiting to supply. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. In vs. 11 and 12 Joshua exhorts them first to love the Lord and then not to go back. Prac- ticing the first, will save us from the second, Joshua is careful to specify along what lines they are in danger of going back. Are believers today, not sorely in need of that same warning?) How many splendid Christian lives have been ruined by Christian women marrying unconverted men, and Christian men marrying unconverted, worldly women? See 2 Cor. 6:14 your » 257 TI, “What the Lord Would Do. If\Israel would heed Joshua's exhor- tations and remain true to Jenova, He would drive out the rem: ing nations before them (¥. 5) and would give them actual possession of the land. In other words, He would fulfill what He had Promised them and their ancestors, if they would fulfill the conditions. This was what He had planned to do through all the years. This was God's will con- cerning Israel. Israel could thwart God's will and hinder the carrying out of His plan, if she chose to be so foolish as to do s0, and Joshua warns them that if they prove untrue, God would not drive the nations out, but would let them remain and that they would become a snare and a trap and a scourge and thorns for the punishment of His people. Israel should have remained true to God, if only as a matter of selt- protection. Joshua warned the people further that in the event of their prov- ing untrue, God would bring all the threatened evil things upon them. What these were will be found in detail in Lev. 26:14-39, Deut. 29:15-68 Last of all, God would cause them to perish from their land, “the good land,” which He had given them. Israel has been dispossessed of her land for nearly two thousaud years. What a warning, not only to nations, but to individuals! What a warning to our own land against any national compromising with evil doers! What a warning to us as individuals against compromising with evil doers! What a warning to our great cities against compromising with civic unrighteous- ness! What a warning to us as individ- uals against compromising with the worldliness that is mot only around about us in the world, but that has, in some places at least, swamped the church! Better to be laughed at by the world as Puritans, than to be punished by God as compromisers. A little girl got up to read a verse in Mr. Spurgeon’s prayer meeting one258 night. The verse was Daniel 5:12. The little girl was mixed up a bit, and instead of reading that “an excellent spirit” was found in Daniel, she read it ‘an excellent spine.” The folks all laughed at her, but the great preacher declared that if she had not read the exact letter of the Word, she had cer- tainly brought them a very excellent rendering of it, for what the children of God needed today, more than anything else, almost, was an excellent spine, that would give them moral courage. = Joshua has grown old; grown old in service; grown old well. Men must grow old, but what a sorrow that so many grow old so poorly. There is something splendid HEART OF about the name of THE LESSON Joshua; a fragrance Y.C. Horton about his life and deeds. When you think of Joshua you think of a strong, sturdy soldier, a heroic character. He was a clean-cut, clear headed leader. The thought’ of Joshua, if you know him, is inspirational. You think of conflict, of service and of sacrifice and suffering, You think of danger and deat’ You think of splendid achieve- ments and vietory, and then you think of the God of Joshua and of how that all he wrought was in the power of the God of Israel. Here he is on the threshold of his departure for the land beyond and he has some strong, searching words to say to the chosen people. Joshua is true to the people. He knows that dangers await them and he lifts his voice in a message of warning and admonition. Note some of the strong expressions he uses—‘You have seen what the Lord your God hath done; Be very courageous to keep and do the commandments; Cleave unto the Lord your God; One man of you shall chase a thousand; Take good heed to your- selves.” God has been very gracious THE KING'S BUSINESS 18 them. God has fought thelr battles. God has separated them from other peoples. They must keep separate. To break down the partition will be to invoke God's wrath and bring judgment. It is not easy to be true to God; to be true to His Word; to rebuke; to warn It is not easy to prophecy evil, but Joshua is true to his trust. He will not lay down the reins until he has dealt faithfully with his beloved people He charges them to drive out the enemies; to live a separated life. There is danger in association with them. “Come out from among them and be ye separate," is a New Testament mes- sage also. There is no agreement of the temple of God and idols. This law of God is as old as God Himself. Joshua understood it. He gave emphasis to it and how different would the history of Israel have been had they heeded it. And if you who read these lines ean sense the full meaning of it, how differ- ent will be your life. Then Joshua gathers them to the val- ley of Sheckhem, memorable with hal- lowed associations. Here Abraham had built his first altar to Jehovah, Here Jacob had buried the idols, the strange gods of his wives, It was a place of purification and an appropriate place for Joshua's closing testimony. To Israel it is the valley of decision. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” And it will be an appropriate time for the teacher to put the matter definitely before the class, as to confes- sion of Christ as Saviour and of a sep- arate life as a believer. We need never fear to make things very definite and to urge a prompt, positive, out and out declaration. Israel promised but failed through failure to live the separated life. May our Lord keep us from fail- ing and falling as they did. ° PRACTICAL POINTS (1) Here is a solemn appeal for a sep- arated life, (2) Freedom from foes is the fruit of God's victory, not ours.THE KING'S BUSINESS (3) Give God His way and He will make away with your enemies. (4) Take your stand with God and no man can stand before you, (5) If God is your chosen leader you ean chase a thousand (G) A backslider is a dust biter. (7) Israel's promises were better than her performances. Are yours? (8) Every day is a decision day, when you face such facts as you study today “Compromise,” said Lowell, the poet, “makes a good umbrella, but a poor roof; it is a temporary expedient often wise in party polities, almost sure to be unwise LESSON in statesmanship.” ILLUSTRATIONS It is always un- W. H. Pike wise to make alli- ance with the ene- mies of God. Separation Fosters Power. Why is the electrician so particular about the wire not touching the trees or any other wire? Only that it shall convey the power unhindered to the place where it is utilized for light or energy. hy is the water company desirous that the pipe be absolutely watertight? Just to make it a fit channel of water to those needing its refreshing. Every- thing in this world that is useful has to be separated from other things. We never put the table linen in our shoe boxes, nor our knives and forks in the woodbox. Then why should the Chris- tian so mix with the questionable sins and pleasures and work of this world until he ceases to become the channel of blessing God intended-him to be? ‘We are told that in Japan there is a certain kind of spider which throws its web over the telegraph wires, some- times from tree to tree, or from the wire to the ground, and when a suffi- cient number of these webs have been spun it is impossible to send a tele- 259 graphic message out from the can we reach us. The sun never compromises with the darkness. It shines on and the dark- ness flees. Whatever gets in its path is lighted up whether it wishes to be or not. No planet or cloud has ever been able to persuade the sun not to shine. That is his God-given business and he is separated to this work. Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, did not mingle with this world in a way that would hinder His living, teaching or work, Not until we come world and be separate, xpect the messages of God to Compromise Spoils Attraction, A London newspaper said, “Bird- lovers will regret to learn that hordes of sparrows have lately invaded the thicket of Epping Forest, above Chingford, which was formerly a favorite haunt of nightingales."” The chattering sparrow- like worldlings are driving away God's nightingales from the church. It has been truly said, “God put the church in the world, but the devil has put the world in the chureh."” There is ‘a curious little spider in South America that has a heme under the water. It forms a bubble about itself in which, like a diving bell, i sinks to the bottom and will remain there for hours, living below, yet breathing the air of the world above. When it returns to the surface it is found to be perfectly dry, not the slight- est moisture having penetrated the atmosphere in which it lived. Even so the Christian should move in this world, always breathing the air of heaven. Courage Not Compromise Needed. A pastor who had left his church and was at the front giving the news of sal- vation to the soldiers, said, Let anyone in the ranks offer a word of closing prayer. Instantly a voice was heard praying, that sounded familiar, and opening his eyes, he saw one of his own flock, a young man he had baptised only a few years betoré, praying with bold-