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VOL. 29.

No. 4.

AUCKLAND,

N.Z.,APRIL,
Japan

1905.

TWOPENCE.

m~~~~'IHE

Peace Conference at the Hague does not seem to have yielded, as yet, any testimony that :it has been of practical worthas an aid to the settlement of inter" national disputes without the horrors of war. The general impression seems to be that the delegates took part in a huge picnic, and came eventually to an agreement on a number of non-essen tial matters which belong to the fringe of war. T'hat Conference has cost the sum of 600,000. That the delegates Jived high is witnessed by the bill for the dinners, which represented an average cost of 340 per dinner, lJ)eace and 317 of these dinners were proff)tcntc. vidod, An American paper says: "Tt would be interesting to know how many sat down to these functions in order to run down the calculation to the cost per plate." 'I'he fact is, the Governments of the world are not in earnest about the cessation of war. A few fervent souls are continually urging upon them the necessity for something to be done in the way of giving effect to peace proposals; and to meet these en" thusiasts, and to pose as eager for permanent peace, these Conferences are arranged; but they deceive no one. No one power is prepared to cede anything that would lessen its power and prestige as an armed nation, and thus it comes to pass that the delegates can devote much of their time to feasting, and agree at the close of their deliberations upon a programme which is hardly worth the paper on which it is written.

seemed to hide from men the actual cost to that nation of the glory won. A writer -U:be :tlftermatb in WorZcl's Work has recently called of 'UUlar. public attention to this matter, and has affirmed that had the war con" tinucd for six months longer Japan would have been wholly bankrupt. "As it is, her war debt involves 16,600,000 in interest, an expenditure raised on the Is. (ld. a day of the Japanese carpenter, the Is. Id. of the jeweller, the 10d. of the printer, and similar star" vation wages." He affirms, too, that to-day Japan has slums worse than those of London, Paris, and New York; and so impoverished are the poor that they "de vour every scrap of fish entrails from the markets, and eat wi th avidity rotten fruit, stinking vegetables, rancid grease, and fragments of meat." Yes, the aftermath of war is the feature that endures long after the "glory" has faded. There have been many suggested ideas for the in" bringing of the Millennium. There has hardly been any scheme for present improvement, but its fervent advocates have looked upon it as the destined means of inaugurating the hoped-for era of bliss. The sober believer in the :fSl'ittotno tbe Bible knows that these human flNllenntulll. plans and projects will never contribute in the least elegree towards that desirable end. The Millennium is a period of time, yet future, which will he introduced by Divine power, and by the overthrow of man's cherished programmes and operations. We say this, not because we are opposed to thought and action for human betterment in the present, but that men may work within the li mits assigned, and may not fcel disappointed if their best-laid schemes gang aft agley." Of all devices f'or introducing the era of happiness, we think we have never heard or read of a more liieliculous suggestion than was made recently by a reverend gentleman who was invited to a certain Masonic lodge in Scotland to deliver an oration on "Burns as a Freemason." After eulogising the Scottish poet, he expressed his regret that there was no national monument worthv of their peerless bard, and went on to say: "Tnstond of spending 100,000 on new churches and manses, as ono branch of thc Presbyterian Church now

When thc Russo-J apaneRe war closed, there were glowing tributes to the valour and patriotism of the "little brown man," ant] the glflmour of the "glory" won hy

50

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

APRTL,

190R.

proposed, would it not sooner bring the millennium if church differences were forgotten and the sum devoted to a Burns memorial!" It would doubtless be a good thing if church differences were done away, provided that the pacification took place on a Bible basis; but who in his wildest dreams ever imagined that the hoped-for thousand years could be brought nearer by the erection of a Burns' memorial? And he who broaches the idea is a cleric! Recently, in our columns, we have reviewed the "Millennial Dawn" writings of Mr. C. T. Russell, and believe that we have sufficiently shown some of their fallacies. Another feature of Russellism is commented upon by an American writer who attended a Bible Students' Convention, at 1J)l'acttstng Oakland, Ca1., held under the ausIDecepttoll. pices of the Watch Tower and Bible Tract Society. This writer says: "Imagine our surprise when, at the very outset, in a colporteurs' meet" ing, Mr. Russell advocated, unblushingly, methods for getting his publications into people's houses that were reprehensible indeed. He considered that he and his colporteurs were doing the reading public a favour by introducing his works to them, even if he had to lie in order to effect an entrance into some guileless, unsuspecting home. In the late editions of his works the title, 'Millennial Dawn,' has entirely disappeared. In fact, no trace can be found of it, inside the covers or out. In its place, 'Bible Helps,' or some such title, is substituted. When his book agents should be asked by some prospective buyers if this were 'Millennial Dawn,' they were instructed to evade a direct answer, and to say it was on similar lines. :I'o add to the deception, the colour of the books has been completely altered." On this the editor of the paper whence we extract these remarks adds: "If Mr. Russell can believe and teach as he does, that our Lord Jesus practiced a deception on His disciples after His resurrection, by showing them a body as His very self which was NOT His real resurrection personality, it is no wonder if he can practice deception through his agents." That the doctrine of Purgatory has a valuable business side, has long been the belief of Protestants who have given attention to the doctrines of Rome ; but perhaps that particular feature of it has not been so prominently set forth as in the rejLosing a IDalu'"' cent restriction of Romanism by able :asset. the French Government. Tt pears that the Government has ventured to interfere by means of legislation with the funds which have been left for the saying of masses, and dev-otes these funds to other pmposes. According to the Christian, a Roman Catholic contemporary denounces the injury done to the dead, and points out that "the prayers and masses will not now be said," and that, in fact, "at the present moment no masses are said in France for the Catholic dead who gave up their lives fOT

their country during the battles of 1870." Now, why are they not being said? Why?' Because the Govern" ment is diverting the money which paid for them, and the alleged "injury to the dead" is permitted to accumulate because the priests' fees are no longer forthcoming. No money, no prayers. Let us add that, from the Pro" testant standpoint, the prayers when offered had no efficacy, and the dead will not miss them. They "know not anything," and priests may mumble their formulas, and the dead are neither helped nor hurt by them, though sometimes the living have been troubled, If the doctrine of Purgatory had not been such a valuable asset to the Papacy, it would long ago have passed into Eorgetfulness. It can be rightly said, "No money, no purgatory," and this example of it is confirmation sufficient. The Hev. Griffiths Thomas, who writes answers to querists in the columns of the Christian, is not allowed much quietude by those who are inclined to ask awkward questions. In a recent issue of the Christian he is asked: "Do the words 'them which sleep in Jesus' (1 Thess iv. 14,) conntcr of refer to the body or the soul?" @ptntolls. The reverend gentleman answers thus: "My own opinion is that they refer to the body, and that it is not Scriptural to speak of the spirit sleeping until the resurrection. I am, of course, aware that honoured servants of God take a different view, but you ask for my opinion." On which answer we crave liberty to express "our opinion." First, then, we are grateful to him that he recognises what so many are eager to deny, that "honoured servants of God" think otherwise, and yet remain "honoured." Second, his opinion is valuable or worthless just to the extent that it agrees with, or opposes, the Scripture. Third, that he confuses two Bible terms, which are always within that book kept distinct. His questioner uses the term "soul," and the answer contains the word "spirit" as its equivalent. This one little item reveals the fact that the whole subject of Bible psychology needs to be investigated, as surely as an elementary error in any other subject would show that the person making it needed to give attention to that subject. Fourth, that he overlooks the force of the pronoun "them." Note that the word is introduced to us by the apostle thus: "1 would not have you ignorant concerning them that fall asleep." These are the persons referred to in verse 14. "Persons," we say, for that that is the meaning is obvious at once when the two verses are compared. The Thessalonians were not sorrowing about "bodies" simply, but about the persons who have died, EoI' concerning them the apostle gives the information that they shall be brought again from the dead. Our "opinion," then, is, that "persons" are intended, and this, we hold, is sustained by a full Bible appeal. . The NIorning Star is a paper which has for some years (lone good service in calling the attention of Christians

r-

APRIL, 1008.

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

SI

to the doctrine of the Lord's Return; but we have noticed again and again that the doctrine of Conditional Immortality is to it as the proverbial Ube " fiDorning red rag to a bull. If assertions Star" ano would refute our position, they <!onbitiona IiSI11. could be found sufficientlv nurnerOUR i~ the c.olumns of the JJ!Ioming Sia, Fortunately, L1fe. m Christ believers are not moved by assertion, bu t requrre a "Thus saith the Lord." A pamphlet was recently issued by a writer, of whom we know nothing. who asks, "'Wbere are our dead friends ?" Th is writer has evidently gone to the Bible for his answer, for he rouses the reviewer to pen a notice of the pamphlet, which runs thus: "We regret that our notice of this number must be altogether condemnatory. In it the writer teaches without reserve the oft-refuted error of 'Conditional Immortality,' asserts there is no conscious state between death and resurrection; also, that all are not resurrected, and that the wicked, who are punished after resurrection, pass, by destruction, into non-ex istence. The usual weak arguments . too well-known to rlesire continued refutation, are advanced in favour of this foolish, weak, and mischievous heresy." We print this as a sample of the kind of review which is aiven too o~ten in orthodox publications. Here is plenty of assertion.rbut we venture to say that the Mm'ning Star would not permit anyone to give an argument in favour of the positions assailed. But does not this reviewer weaken his own assertions considerably when to describe what is taught in the pamphlet concerning the punishment of the wicked he has to use a Bible term to express it: 'they pass by destruction into non-existence.' Just so. Let us once more ask, "If the Bible were actually desizned " b to teach Conditional Immortality, what language would it use, other than it has used?" The endeavour to answer that simple question would open the eyes of the opponent to Conditionalism. Our friend, Henry Varley, is still preaching and writing, apparently as vigorously as ever, and we notice he is still as fervent an advocate of the doctrine of Eternal Misery as when in Auckland many years ago he taught that the sins of the future would have to be thrown into the @ur jfrienb Wm'le}? Bgain. scale to explain the continuance of suffering for the sinner. He will not, apparently, be satisfied unless God does just what he imagines God ought to do. In an article assailing Freethought, he holds that men who have abused their talents to lead others astray must suffer endless torment. He cites the case of distillers, brewers, and publicans, in whose houses men are tempted to drink, and where they become drunken and criminal. He goes on to say: "Now these distillers, brewers, and publicans not only know the constantly-proved results of their fatal traffic in strong drink, but they willingly made great fortunes out of the sin and misery of their customers. Not only so, but they lived in ease and luxury upon the money profits of their degrading trade. Death to these guilty thinkers

and actors can only mean a fearful looking for of future judgment and fiery indignation. There is, there must be, unending torment arising from their terrible crimes. This, in our judgment, is as certain as the fixed stars." Now, let us say that Mr. Varley has, according to our view, selected a most telling illustration of the power to work incalculable evil; but that the dogma of eternal su ffering- is thereby justified is far from apparent. Granted that these men work fearful evil, why should tllC), suffer for ever? What object is gained? Who is to be benefited or warned thereby? Not the saved, snrclv ? Not their fellow-sufferers , for there is no hint . that the sufferings of any of the lost would be in any wise eased by the torments endured by another. We venture to believe, knowing Mr. Varley a little only, that he would be amongst those who would soon est cry 011 t for the intolerable suffering of such men to cease, and he would plead with God to drop them out of existence in preference to such purposeless misery. The attempt to show that eternal misery is a just award for their sin is farcical. A misery that shall never end cannot be, in the very nature of the case, proportioned to any degree of sin which even the vilest men can accomplish on earth. Let us rather believe that such men adjudge themselves as unfit to live in a universe that shall be ruled wholly by God, and that, as Scripture affirms, they shall die. God's capital punishment is death, and any man who would add to that the idea of unending torments is surely either thoughtless or blinded, or he is unutterably cruel. It is one of the commonest things in connection with the present controversy regarding religion and science to hear it intimated that science is opposed to the literal acceptation of the Bible as a revelation from God. It is well in such a time to retain one's coolness, and to remember 1ot'b 1ke[\?in'S that not all men of science are Uestimon}? agreed on this. To instance one only, Lord Kelvin, of whom a recent writer in the Ohrietuui says: "Lord Kelvin's friends knew that amid the great scientific discussions of the age, he was a man of simple Christian faith, holding fast to the facts of revelation. His utterances on the platform of the Christian Evidence Society were recognised as those of a man who, knowing all that could be said on the part of scientific materialism, yet saw no reason for Christian faith to waver on that account. Public attention was attracted by his statement of loyal adherence to Christian positions, when lecturing under the auspices of the British College Christian Union, at niversity College, some years ago. Lord Kel vin unhesitatingly held and declared that 'overpowering strong proofs of intelligent and benevolent design lie around us, and if ever perplexities, whether metaphysical or scientific, turn us away from them for a time, they come back upon us with irresistible force, showing- to us through Nature the influence of a free will, and teaching us that all living thing depend on ono everlasting Creator and Ruler.'

S2

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

APRIL, 1908.

'I'he fact that the prince of scientists spoke thus shows how Iittlc reason there if' to be concerned about the utterances or lllany who criticise the facts of Revelation."

18ibNng Hbien to tbts ~lb 180b)?
C'AN A -:'If AN RE ANYBODY vVITHOUr]', A BODY?

IT is not strange that those who regard the human hody as b11 a prison-house in which the soul is confined. t should f'ecllikc bidding "adieu to the old body" at death, which, from this standpoint, is tantamount to saying, "Farewell, old prison, we have no further use for you," after the escape of the soul therofrom. The advocates of this theory, however, seldom pa1lse to inquire f'or what crime the soul has been imprisoned, or whether it has been unjustly imprisoned before committing crime; or whether, if imprisoned for crime, in what world the crime was committed, and why we do not remember our transgressions in a pre-existent state; or whether the one who remains in the body the longest was the greatest sinner before entering the body ; or whether the doctors are appointed agents to protract the time of the imprisonment; 0]', if imprisoned in innocency, why some are kept in prison ten times as long as others, thus showing partia lity, seeing the imprisonment must be either beneficial or calamitous-if beneficial, the longer the imprisonment the greater the benefit, and if calamitous, the longer the imprisonment, the greater the calamib'and if innocerit persons should be consigned to imprisonment at all, why should one innocent person bc imprisoned so much longer than another one? But when we come back to the Heavenly Record, we fail to find the theory which avers that the human bodv is a portable prison, and the soul a kingly prisoner transporting his prison at will, like a turtle emigrating wi th its shell, hither and thither; but this record treats of man as a physical being, sometimes called a soul, and sometimes said to possess a soul, or life clement: and sometimes represented fll-'having- a mental spirit resulting from the JiYing organism, and at other times as being animated bv the spirit of life-for "the bodv without the spirit is eleac1"-this being the spirit given to man at creation, and which at death "shall return to (Iod who gavc it," not as an entity, hut as an clement, just as it was when given at the creation, being "the breath of life," or "tho breath of the Almightv," a vitalising emanation from Deity, instead of a mere atmospheric infusion. The body is not treated in the Bible as a worth less and detrimental appendage, to be jovfullv discarded for ever at the earliest epoch, but rather as a part of the wonderful work of Goel, planned by divino wisdom: and though now in its fallen condition, with its aches and pains, subject to sickness and exposed to death, Yet inspiration distinctly points to the future "redemption of the bodv," when "He that raised up Christ from the

dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies," like as Uh rist was quickened, even "with the powcr of an endless life." H the body were really so bad a thing, why did not Christ bid it an eternal adieu at Llis death, instead of having it raised and inunortaliscd :' Paul affirms : "Christ being raised Irom the dead dioth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him" (Rom. vi. 9). Why resurrect and immortalise a prison, if the body is really such? Paul, instead of instructing us to bid an adieu to the old body at death, rather encourages us to hope for its future change, saying: "Our conversation (citizenship, n.v.) is in heaven; from whence also wc look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change 0111' ile body, that it mav bc fashioned like unto v His glori011s hody" (Phil. iii. 21). We arc not satisfied with OUl' body as it is in a mortal condition, hut instead of seeking a remedy by bidding it an eternal adieu, we look for its improvement bv change to immortality. But, says the objector, Paul desired to be "absent from the body, and present with the Lord." Certainly, at a specified time, and in a particular way; but most surely :NOT AT DEA'L'II, no)' in a disembodied condition, for his own language in the immediate connection makes this Iact clear: "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdcncd : not for that wc would he unclothed, bu t clothed upon, that mortality m igl1t be swallowed 11pof l if'e, :\ ow he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing [that' "mortality might be swallowed up of life"] is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore [for the reason "that, mortali ty shall he swa llowcd 11 of life"] we arc always p confident, knowing that whilst we are at homc in the bodv [referring to the mortal bodv] we are absent from the Lord (for we walk h~' faith, not by sight) : we are confident, J. say, and willing rather to be absent from the body [meaning the mortal body] and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. v. .J:-8). So the epoch at which Paul desired to be absent from the mortal body, was not at the time of being unclothed, if that means death, or even means the present state of mortality, but rather at thc time of being "clothed upon;" and the only process of being absent from the mortal body here specified, is by being "clothed upon, that mortality might he swallowed 11pof life"-an event never witnessed at death, and that cannot be expcrioncod till the resurrection, when "this mortal shall put on immortality." 'I'hen we shall be absent from the mortal borlv bv virtue of its transformation into an immortal bodv, and not by virtue of being rendered bodiless. While in the mortal tate we arc absent from the Lord; but when we got into the immortal state, "re shall not only be absent from the mortal body, as the result of a transforming change to immortality, but shall also then be with the Lord : for at this very timc of imrnortalising the resurrection and living saints, the Lord comes to receive them unto Himself: "For the Lord Himself Rhilll descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice 0 f the archangel, and with the trump of Gorl ;

AYmL,1908.

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

53

and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are uli vo and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever bc with the Lord" (1 Thoss. iv. Hj). Then, and NOT TILL '1'IlEN, wo shall "be with the Lord;" with Him, not as floating '8 pectres shrouded in garmonts of moonshine ; as bodiless myths, 01' intangible ghosts; but as resurrected and iuuuortaliscd personalities; with Him, not before the judgment comes, but after the day of reckoning shall have pronounced us worthy; with Him, not in heaven before His return, but after He descends to gather His friends. 'I'hen we shall be 101' ever absent from the old body of mortality, and present in the new body of immortality, fashioned like Christ's glorious body. But we cannot bid adieu to the old body till the time arri ves to have it made new, for a man without a body would as really be nobody in the world to come, as ill this world; we prefer to be somebody, even in the future world.

'NIlA'l'

IS

THE VALUE HflVIOl{rl'ALI'l'Y?

or

SOUL-

... --

commuuron : 1bow Ulose?

Mu. Sl'UIlGEONused to tell the following, and he clearly endorsed its thrust at "close" communion, as he practised open communion in his own church:Dr. Stedman, of Bradford College, was a vcr,)' strict Baptist. Onc day he preached for some Independents, and there was to be a Communion. He prayed earnestly that the Lord would vouchsafe His presence to the brethren around His table. As he was putting on his great coat to go home, one of the deacons said:"Doctor, you will stop with us, will you not, to the Communion ?" "Well, my dear brother," he said, "it is no want of love, but, you see, it would compromise my principles, 1 am a strict Baptist, and I could not commune with you who have not been baptised. Do not think it is any want of love, but it is only out of respect for my principles." "Oh," said the deacon, "it is not your principles; because what did you pray for, Doctor? You prayed your Master, the Lord Jesus, to come to our table; and if, according to your principles, it is wrong for you to go there, you should not ask your Master to come where you must not go yourself; but if you believe that your Lord and Master will come to the table, surely where the Master is it cannot be wrong for the servants to be."

"That which is not taught in the Bible is not Bible doctrine." "All reasoning again::;t facts is false." "Holy Scripture containeth all things ne(;e::;::;aryto salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation."-Article vi., Church of England. "Life, eternal life, the immortality of the man, not the immortality of the soul, is the message of the Bible, alike in the Old Testament and in the New, in Christ, and in Apostles, in John, and in Paul." - Professor Salmond, in "Christian Doctrine of Immortality," I lLUSE to-night an important question, and I shall be exceedingly grateful to any orthodox believer who will attempt to give a reasonable Biblical answer. The efforts which arc so frequently made to oppose the teachings of Conditional Immortality show that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is believed to be of pre-eminent value, Many hard and discourteous things are said of us who cannot accept it as Biblically taught, and our doctrine is viewed as one of the worst of heresies. It is admitted that apparently wc accept the Word of God. Indeed, one of the charges laid against us is, that we accept it too literally. No onc can truthfully say that we do not accept the Christ as our Saviour, and the death upon Calvary as the base of merit for the poor sinner; yet not a few would exclude us from the privilege that are in Christ for His people, because we deny the existence of any immortal soul in man, It is sometimes said that we den}' the existence of the immortal soul because we revolt against the dogma of eternal misery. But we take our stand on no such purely sentimental ground. It is quite true that we are in reyolt against that awful doctrine; but we arc so because we do not find that man is so constituted that he can live for ever in misery, and we have no evidence that God will exert His power to keep him alive to torture him. 'vVe throw down the gauge, and affirm that we arc in open opposi tion to the popular doctrine of soul-immortality, because not only is there no valid Scripture or "alia reason in its favour, but all Scripture statements on man's nature and eo-related themes, together wi th all purely .rational arguments, do assuredly oppose it. ,Ve have long done battle in defence of our belief, but now it is high time that the war was carried to the enemy's camp, So to-night I bluntly ask our friends,

"The holy man hoards not. The more he does .for others the more he owns himself. The more he gives to others the more he acquires himself." "Live while you Jive," the epicure would say, "And seize the pleasures of the present clay." "Live wlrile you live," the sacred preacher cries, "And give to God each moment as it flies." Lord, in my views let both united be; I live in pleasure, when J li ve in 'I'hee. -Doddriage.

54

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

APRIL,

1908.

-,What is the value of your doctrine of soul-immortalj ty ?" 1 want )'0 u to think, and to think hard; J wish you to explore your doctrine in the careful quest for its intrinsic worth, and then to tell, if you can, in what is yom doctrine a valuable asset for you individually, or for Ihc Bible doctrine of salvation, that you should contend for it so determinedly, and sometimes so bitterly? Why should you preach it so fervently? Why should you en list the services of your eminent men to defend your doctrine, and to assail the Conditionalist ? Doubtless .rou believe in it as a doctrine of worth, and believe that you are doing God, the Bible, and the Church, service in contending for it; but we press upon you just now thc idea that you should stay the fervour of onslaught sufficiently long to hear and answer the question, "What is the value of the doctrine for which you are contending?" If it be a fact that man is now an immortal soul in a inortal organism, then that fact must be of great importance. It will be of importance as affecting his present need of salvation, the provision made to save him, the character of the good news preached, and it must be of slIprellle importance in regard to the method of entering upon the future, and of man's entire future prospects. The answer required to the question must show that the doctrine has a value and a status that no other doctrine can fill, for if another doctrine is possible which can fill all requirements of the Word and of man's nature without the necessary idea of an immortal soul, then it is obvious that it may be true, and the common view is not a necessity. Of course, Conditionalisb, arc considered to be prejud iced against the doctrine, and their witness ought not to be accepted; but it should not be forgotten that the majority of us once held the common view, and only gave it up because the weight of evidence compelled us to do so. I am not intending to do anything but to IJl'\eSS home the question I now raise, and in doing so will endeavour to make my meaning clear, so that any person who may feel disposed to answer the question from the orthodox standpoint will know exactly what he is asked to do. (1) If the doctrine of soul-immortality is true, what is its present value? From the way in which it is cherished it has surely some present worth-s-but what? As a matter of personal experience, it has none that we know of. There is no part of our everyday experience which surely testifies to its existence, and bids us believe that it is necessary. :Jlan is visibly an organised being. As a member of the animal kingdom, in his birth, life, nutrition, growth, decay and death, he is one with other Jiying organised creatures. In the domain of psychology, whilst differences are noted separating him from other members of that kingdom, they are allowed to be of degree rather than of kind. He obtains knowledge through the avenue of the sense organs, and if any of these arc absent, he is correspondingly deficient. In the absence of anyone of these organs, the immortal soul does not step in and fill the breach, enabling the man to acquire ati well as by the material organ. The man

as wc know him, without the obvious presence of an immortal soul, is held to be responsible towards his fellow-man, and there is no reason why he should not in the same manner, without the immortal soul, be held to be responsible towards God. Let me add an illustration here. According to the J3ible the man Adam was placed upon trial, and threatened 'with death if he were disobedient. He fell, and became amenable to the penalty. J3ut suppose he had remained obedient, is it not obvious that he would have continued to live? But if so, then he would never have had the experience of possessing an immortal soul. So far as his continued experience would carry him, he would depend upon his sense organs for acq uisi tion of knowledge, and for the exercise of his capabilities. In view of present facts, and of this hypothetic caseywhat is the present value of the doctrine of soul-immortality? (2) Its sole value, judged by the method of presentation generally adopted, relates to the future-e-to that period which commences at the moment of death. 'I'he usual exhortation is, that men should seek to "save their immortal souls." Well, we will press the matter here also. The value assigned lies in the supposed establishment of the existence of a conscious state between death and resurrection. If that phase of the subject is true, then it is deeply important to the sons of men-s-all of them; but that collective importance is only the importance that it has to the individual-s-to every individual without exception. It is important to every man in the past; it must be so to every man now, and it must be so to every man for ever. Why for ever, is it asked? Because if the' soul is immortal, then its immortality can never be contingent upon any person or thing. But I think it is possible to make a breach into the idea that it is important to every man. There is a Bible history which says that Enoeh "was not, for God took him" (Gen. v. 24). A further statement is that Enoch "was translated that he should not see death" (Heb. xi. 5). So far as we know, it has never been suggested that man can have the existence of the immortal soul more certainly made known to him than by its absence from the body in a conscious state. Yet here is a man who, although a splendid example of faith, never has had, and never will have, that experience. Are we to believe that closeness to God in his case means that he is to be deprived of the actual experience of that for which men now contend as their most precious possession? A further breach in its supposed present value is the fact that, according to the Scripture teaching, a multitude of the Lord's people will be alive on the earth when He shall come, and will pass into His presence "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." Not a few believe that many now living will see and experience that changc, and will ascend to meet their Lord, "that living and believing on Him they shall not see death." 1 they thus arc to be instantaneously changed from mortal i ty to immortality, from corruption to incorruption, "like unto His glorious body," of what value is the immortal soul to

APRIL, 1908.

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theiu ? The supposed freedom from this "fettering clay," the jOy1:3 an intermediate state, the power to think, of feel, and enjoy without an organism, will be for ever unknown to them as personal experience, and they will remain in ignorance of that which is now dilated upon as if it were the only thing worth preparing for. That Bible fact largely discounts the value of the doctrine of soul-immortality, does it not? (3) There is another thing which seems to discount the value of this current belief, and that is, that future blessing for the saint is in connection with a bestowed incorruptibility (2 Tim. i. 10; 1 Cor. xv. 13-19,42-55). Wc mean by this that eternal blessings are to be enjoyed in body, in an incorruptible organism, vitalised by eternal life. Apparently these future eternal experiences arc not in any way dependent upon the possession of an immortal soul. In view of these' things, our question is pertinent. Soul-immortality has no evidential value for the present; it has no value fOTthe eternal state. Its only value could possibly be in its supposed power of carrying over consciousness and identity to the future; but, as we have shown in the case of Enoch, and of the members of the Church who are to be "changed," this supposed value does not exist. At this stage, then, we again press the question, "What is its value?" (4) But it is possible to take another line of inquiry, and ask, to which of the Bible covenants and promises does the doctrine of soul-immortality give value? Is there onc of them which cannot be realised without it? Is there one to which its introduction would not do positive harm? The promise in Eden, the covenant with N oah, the promises made to the fathers, these all were provided and given by Divine wisdom, and are realisable in every feature without it. 'I'hey deal with, and provide blessing for, material man, not for any supposed immortal soul. 'I'he law of Moses is constructed without reference to it, and psalmist and prophet alike ignore it. What is its value in the Old 'I'estament ? Open the New Testament, and in the light of its teachings ask, "What is its value?" So far as the atoning work of Christ is concerned, it is provided and carried out without any reference whatsoever to an immortal soul. If man now possesses an immortal soul, and it is liable to any danger because of disobedience to God, no provision is made for its redemption. This may seem a bold thing to say, but it is not said without thought, and if the statement is not sound, surely some of our friends who arc so zealous in defence of the popular view will put me right. It has no value in relation to the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead. vYe are under no obligation to import an immortal soul to provide a way for God to overcome what may seem to us to be a difficulty, nor should we need it as a crutch for faith. God will fulfil His word, and He has the power to accomplish it, without the humanly-devised proviso of an immortal soul. A text of Scripture may be called to mind which says,

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"Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matt. xxii, 29). ~ ow I have put my question. 1 trust it is understood. It is not put for display purpose;;. I have seriously, earnestly, put it, because of the active opposition shown to the doctrine which I advocate, and because it is believed that Conditionalists are assailing a fundamental of the faith, and are robbing the Church of a vital doetrine of the faith. Let me say: Your positions have been examined and have been found weak. We have advanced our Bible proofs for the doctrine we hold, but these arc either not examined or their force is not appreciated. Therefore, to waken you to serious thought, and to persuade you to the study of the question, I now press upon you, my orthodox friend, if you would "be ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concern ing the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. iii. Hi), and would satisfactorily show that we are holding a wrong doctrine, arc opposing Scripture, or common sense, or fact, that ,)'OUseriously set yourself to ask in regard to the doctrine of soul-immortality that you cherish, WHAT IS ITS VALUE?

Eorrou.
[T'he foregoing is a summary of a lecture delivered by the Editor OJ) a recent Wednesday evening, and is an extension of a paper appearing in the STANDARDfor K ovember, 1896.J

tbe 1:Ups.

1J)oice from

"DOWN on your knees!" Greatly astonished was the triumphant Alpine climber once more to hear from his guide this warning cry. For many hours, amid many dangers, the two men had pursued their laborious way up the precipitous side of the towering, snow-clad peak, here and there the leader carving with his ice-axe a foothold for his less expert companion; and many a time their upward progress could only be achieved on hands and knees. But now the goal was reached, and on the narrow pinnacle of the mountain the traveller stood exultant, waving his handkerchief with a shout of joy. Yet he dared not to disobey his guide's command, and speedily he realised its vital import. For the veteran clim ber well knew that the sudden, icy blast now sounding its onslaught, perilous on the ascent, was tenfold perilous on its summit, and that their lives depended on instant prostration before its assault. Is it not thus when in the course of our spiritual life or of our ministry for God we have attained some longedfor standpoint, won some hard-fought battle? In such an hour, more even than in the valley of discouragement, or on the sheltered hillside of steady advance, do wc need to seek strength "because of the enemy," and our only security is "down on our Imees."

The grumbler makes a blue und makes himself a nuisance to him. An infallible receipt for Phil, iv. 4: "Rejoice in the Lord Hejoice." atmosphere about him, those who associate with grumbling is found at alway : and again I say,

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THI< MONTH BIDDING ECHOES ADIEU COMMUNION: How CLOSE STHIi:E'l'

.. '1'0 'I'IUS OLD BOUY ..

F'HOlll WEST NOTES

A VOICE FROlll THE ALPS ASSOCIATION THJi: ZlONJS'1'

l\1ovE~n;N'r
'['HUTHS OF MAN";

PATIENCE THIi: HOlllE CIRCLIi:-ALPHABE'l'IC NATUHE LETTF;RS ~O A YOUNG FHIEND CHURCH SUNSHINE ANI) MISSION BAND CORNER .. AJ<TICUCS Nxw s

ON THE STUDY O~ PHOPHECY ..

jects discussed have been: "What is the Value of SoulImmortality?" "God's Gift-Eternal Life," "God's Penalty for Sin," "Where are the Dead?" "Hell: It's History, Geography, and Use." 'I'he attendance at these meetings has been satisfactory, and the opportunity given for questions has been availcd of quite freely . We arc grateful for the revived interest in these themes, and intend that, so long as that interest is manifest, these weekly lectures shall be continued. On the whole, we can say that wc arc very grateful to oUTfriends of the 'I'ahernacle that they have contributed, albeit unintentionally, to this revival of interest. One good orthodox brother who, we know, could speak from experience, said, in regard to the lectures against Condi tionalism, that it were "better to let sleeping dogs lie." Now, wc protest that we arc not dogs, and that we are not asleep; but from his standpoint the proverb was sound. He knew perfectly well that any attempt to attack Conditionalism would rouse us to the defence, and his belief from former experience was that orthodox) was not likely to achieve any very brilliant result. 1 only our ministerial friends would speak out as Mr. U rquhart did in favour of the unreal things they believe, we are certain that there would be a rousing and widespread revival in the truth of Life only in Christ. Will they do it?

CHRISTIAN

MISCELLANEOUS

~ (b~ 6ibl~ Standard. ~

r
'-<-d>Y
MONTHTLY ORGAN

ntW Ztaland oangtllstlc and Publication JlssQdatlon.

EDITED ASSISTED BY GEORGE BY SPECIAL ALDRIDGE. CONTRIBUTIONS.

The Editor wishes it to be understood that. while he exercises & general super.i~ion over the articles and Correspondence appearing in the STA.NDlltD. responaibility for sentiments expreeaed rests upon the individual writer.

No, 123 of "The Faith" Library is to hand. lL is a \re beg to acknowledge receipt of the following sUIU::; Iourpenny pamphlet on "Christ's Second Advent," by Alfred l'ontifex. The author discusses whether the [or the Edgchill fund :-From D.D., 1; from P.C., 2. Advent will be pre-nullonnial or post-millenniul. The Bro. and Sister Cox, of 'I'imaru, are now on their way writer believes in "a state of conscious blessedness for to England for a trip. On the eve of their departure the the redeemed between death and resurrection," but docs members of the Church invited them to spend a social not dogmatise upon the point. His conclusion is that evening at the residence of Bro. H. H. King, that all the Advent is pro-millcnnial. Concerning the general might have an opportunity of saying farewell. Several apathy which exists amongst the orthodox concerning of the brethren had kindly. words to say of and to the the Advent (an apathy, by the way, we believe to be departi.ng couple, and Bro. Cox replied expressing his largely owing to the belief that "the redeemed are in appreciation of the brotherly send-off, which he valued conscious blessedness l-etwcen death and resurrection), more than any tangible presents 'which might be given. the author says: "Does it not strike our readers as surThe meeting was very enjoyable, and served to show the prising that what God thinks so much about, anc1 moves reality of the "tie that binds." Bro. and Sister Cox the inspired writers to say so much about, most of our expect to be absent about eight or nine months from the Christian teachers almost entirely ignore, neglecting to colony. giYe it any place in their pulpit ministrations. Why is The Secretary of the Association is away just now on it so? Because of willing infidelity to their Divine a well-deserved holiday. Should any of our readers be master, and unfaithfulness to their congregations? J0 ! writing to him, they will understand, if an answer is Xo! But because their post-millenarianism renders it delayed, that correspondence must be held over till he impossible for them to preach the doctrine with practical returns. effect as Christ and His apostles did, For well-nigh The attempt of Mr. Urquhart, a month ago, to give fifty years the present writer has listened to sermons with Conditional Immortality a quietus, has resulted in helpboth ears open, but never once has heard a preachering us to a series of meetings at West Street, at which other than a pre-millennarian-refer to the great fact of the phases of Conditionalism have been popularly set Christ's return, except in quite an incidental way." This forth. Week by week ever since the rev. gentleman's is a statement wh ich is well worthy of consideration. lecture a large audience has assembled to hear further A correspondent writes: "T'here is so much talk just teach ing on this great theme. The topics discussed have now about the separation at death, that I should like to been chosen to' give as clear an idea as possible of the mark clown a few Scriptures on the subject, that others extent of ground covered in the Bible on Man's Nature may comment upon them. The Bereans of old were and Destiny, and of the wealth of evidence available in noble enough to receive the Word with readiness of mind .. proof of the soundness of the positions taken. The sub-

BSSOcIation

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and searched the Scriptures daily to see what was truth. Here are the Scriptures :-"Man gives up the ghost, and where is he" (not where is the ghost, but the mau ) ( (Jo~ xiv, 10) ; "Man licth down and riscth not till the heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep" (Job xiv. 12) ; "If a man die shall he live again?" (Job xiv. 14); "What man is he that livcth, and shall not see death?" (Ps. lxxxix, -18); "In death there is no remembrance of thee, in the grave who shall give thee thanks" (Ps. vi. 5) ; "In Adam all die" (1 COl'. xv. 22); "1 will ransom them from tile power of the grave, I will redeem them from death ; 0 death, 1 will be thy plagues; 0 grave, I will be thy destruction" (lIos. xiii. 1L.1:) ; "He knowcth our frame, He rcmcinboroth that we are dust" (Ps. ciii. 14) ; "11'01" uvid is not ascended D into the hoa VUllS" (Acts ii. 34). '1'11iscollection of lJa::;::;ages mean souiething 011 this Cl ues tiou. "\ ' ha t is the \ testiinouy lhey give ?-H.J .H.

~be ZlOnist fll)oveJllcnt.

T 11E inauguration of the greaL :0iolli::;t movement JS U token that the end of the Gentile age is drawing nigh. 'I'hat the Jews would ono day thus act is neither unanticipated or unexpected. Enlightened readers 0 f the words of the Old 'I'estamcnt prophets have for centuries looked forward to that which our eyes now see and our ears now hear. 'I'wo thousand 11\'e hundred years ago lzckiel, ill vision, saw the valley of dry bonus (chap. x xxvii.}, which he was told represented tile whole house of Israel. And by tho coming together and re-vivifying of these dry bones was set Iorth to him the wondrous truth that God will yet reconstitute Israel as a nation, and place them in their own laud. For nearly two thousand years they have been a dead nation, a hopeless body, a corpse, and the nations of the world, as a huge grave, have swallowed thorn. But, how astonishing! God speaks to this heap of dry bones, and calls them "My people," and the country of Canaan He calls "your own land." This prophecy then will fit no one except the people of Israel. 'I'here is no reference here to either Church or Gentile. This vision was not fulfilled in the return from BabyIon, but-we think and hope-it is beginning to be fulfilled now. Is not the movement of Zionism to be seen in this vision? There are two distinct stages to be percci ved. The first is the coming together of the bones, and the second what happened afterwards. There was a noise and a shaking, and a gathering, and a forming upon the bones of sinews, and flesh, and skin. That completed the re-formed body. But there was no breath. Spiritual liCe is as yet wanting. It is this first stage wh ich we believe is in process of fulfilment in Zionism. 'I'his new movement-a little more than ten years oldhas affected the Jewish people in a truly marvellous way. Nothing of the kind has been witnessed among them sinee the destruction of Jerusalem by 'I'i tus. A tremendous enthusiasm has taken hold of this people. The

world ha" been taken by surprise, und wonders how it will end. Humanly speaking, what chance is there that the Jew shall recover I',ion from the hand of the Turk!' A hundred years ago the Jew had no civic rights. But France, England, and Uennany granted Jewish cmaucipa Lion, since 11'11 in money-making, learning, science, ich, and scholarship, they have climbed to the top of the true, aud Gentiles are envious of their prosperity and position. But the son of Abrahaiu holds aloof from his late Gcntile Oppl"eS"Or, even though he may 110W call him "Iricud." There is no amalgamation. A Jew will be Cl good German in Uoriuany and a good Euglishman in 1'~llglal1ll, but he is never Jew-German orTew-English. ll c is a U orruan J cw, an English Jew, he never ceases to be a J cw, a dcsccn daut 0.1'J udah, et son of 1srael. 0 Ll twa rd c ire UJIl" lances make 110 d ifloroncc, Bieh or poor, learned or ignorant, free or oppressed, a Jew is always a Jew. It i" not the privileged Jell's of France, Germany, or Englandwbo, for purposes of their own needs and necessities, have started the Zionist movement. It took its rise among the J ell's of the backward countries, who are i:itiJl grievously oppressed. 'I'he cause which sti rred ::\Ioses to deliver Israel Iroru Egypt is the same cause which to-clay is stirring the Hebrew leaders to demand the emancipation of their people. Zionism is founded 011 auti-Semitism (against the Hebrews who are descendants of Shem). Take, for instance, the deep antiSemiLism of Russia, which is perfectly appalling in its fiendish cruelty, and the distrust of the Jew constantly manifested in Franco and Germany. It is this which has caused the drawing together of the Jewish nation, j ust as did the barbarities of Pharaoh of old in Egypt; and 11011, almost without warning, the startling cry is raised, "Back to our own land-we will be like other nations." Not so very long ago, scattered and isolated, it was a shame lo be a Jew; but now, uniting into one body and bccoining consoious of their wealth and strength, their heads are uplifted, and the old feeling of pride of their name and nationality is being manifest. It was in 1894 that Dr. 'I'heodore Hertzl wrote on the Jewish state. 'I'hat gave the start to the Zion movement. And in 1897, in Basle, Switzerland, one hundred Jewish delegates assembled from all corners of the earth and held the first national congress of the Jewish people of the world-the greatest gathering of representative Jell's since the days of 'I'itus, Following this, other congresses have met with ever-increasing numbers, added reputation, growing power, and undiminished enthusiasm. 'I'hey have but one theme and one aim-the Jews are united in the one desire that Canaan, the land of their I'athers, may again be their land, and they take their place and be formally recognised as onc of the great families of the nations. ] t is difficult to conceive of any other cause than antiScmitism which would have so rapidly anc1 ::;0effectually united the Jewish nation in this twentieth century. The Jews oftenhate each other with a religious hatred greater than the Gentiles. At the last congress there met some

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who were nearly perfect agnostics, some being outspoken ('hri:;Lians, and others of the orthodox .Iudaic beliefnotwithstanding this they fraternised, they hugged and kissed each other, and shouted in their joyous excitement. The Zionist movement has nothing to do with religion. The religious element is purposely put on ono side. And thus the German reformed Jew, and the English Christian Jew, and the infidel Jew, and the Orthodox Jew, can all meet on one common platform. It was resolved that no prominent reference to the Messiah should be made, and no question concerning the religious future should be raised. Zionisru admits every school of thought. Every man is left to his own religious convictions. It only asks, "Are you a J-ew, desiroue of our return as a nation to Zion?" From a human standpoint, this movement is only history repeating itself. Years back, in what a degraded, neglected state were the inhabitants of Greece, Servia, Iloumania, Bulgaria. Yet, notwithstanding their political dissolution and servile condition, in spite of the stupidity, ignorance, and enervation in which the inhabitants of those lands were held for long centuries by the terrible and despotic 'I'urkish Government, they awoke out of the national sleep of centuries, and enjoy free national life once more. Look at Hungary, forsaken and abandoned by all the world. What power was that which restored life to its withered, clried up bones, which recovered its suspended constitu tion, reasserted its nationality, and has raised it to a position of great prosperity? You may say that, so far as the Balkan kingdoms arc concerned, it was the mighty hand of Russia that compelled the 'I'urks to let the captives go free. But, apart from the actual moment of liberation, what were the contributory causes to the restoration of those five nations ? Was it not the patriotic songs concerning their ancestors' courage and strength, the never-forgotten stories of the self-sacrifice of their heroes, the inspiriting, inexhaustible love of Fatherland, the irresistible impulse to wards independence and free do m ? Just so is it with the J-ews. They have a glorious past upon which to reflect, powerful kings have reigned over them, as a nation they have been respected and feared, their heroes were men of strength and courage, and their poets sang of a golden age for the nation "in the latter days." And their prophets, in God's name, promised them that, under the rule of their Messiah, they should be the greatest nation in thc world. Every Jew knows this, and so in all hearts is kept alive the flame of hopeful patriotism, and a looking forward to the time of liberation and prosperity. And for centuries=because of this hope-the Jews have groaned and sighed and cried for their political redemption. At last they have succeeded in uniting as a body gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and made known to an astonished world their aspirations and ambitions, which are likely to develop into a complex political question which the rulers of the earth must take into account as a problem to be faced, and to which Cl solution must be found. Already the English GoverIl-

mcnt has offered land in Africa. But this would in no way satisfy the na tional desire. It is not land an!)where that is sought, it is Zion, in Immanuel's land (is. viii. 8) , and onlv Zion which the"J seck. And what political .v' combination and complication may arise out of which a plan shall be devised by which their national aspiration mav be satisfied-who can tell? The brcaking up of the" Turkish Empire may open a way, and the return of the Jew to Canaan settle a grave international difficulty. But it is idle to speculate as to the "how." Wc know it "shall be," for the mouth of the Lord hath declared it. 'I'hcre are about ten millions of Jews in the two hemispheres, and more than seven millions of these are opp .essed and down trodden. The six millions of Jews in Russia are watched like criminals, and constantly great numbers are deported from the cities to the frontier stations, to be crushed in most frightful misery. In Roumania they arc forbidden to send their children to school, and may be expelled the country at fOUl'-a11l1twenty. hours' notice. In Poland are 780,000 Jews who have not the legitimate rights which all should posses::;. Emigration is the only safety for these seven millions. But where can they go? If they journeyed west, they wonld riot be admitted to the Western countries. Their return to Palestine is the only soluiioai possibZe-that is beyond all doubt. But it is a gigantic business, and all but an impossibility. 'I'he leaders of the Zionist movement have well weighed all difficulties, and doubtless have a plan to suggest at the critical moment when God shall permit the chosen nation to emerge from the dust 01' ages wherein they have for so long remained buried. They will return in unbelief. It is only the fulfilment of the first stage in Ezekiel's vision. 'I'he graves arc opening, the dry bones are being gathered together, and a shapely form is developing. This is God's work, and is marvellous in our eyes. But as yet there is no spiritlife. It's a movement of dry bones-nothing more as yet. 'I'hey are still blinded, the veil is over their eyes. Jesus, who claimed to be "King of the Jews," is not yet their choice. The Son of Mary is still despised and rejected by the Jewish race. As a nation of unbelievers they return to their own land, and so ends the first stage of the prophecy. Let us thoroughly grasp this. The Jews of to-day arc as sinful, as hardened, as stiff-necked, as two thousand years ago, when they filled up the cup of their iniquity by rejecting and crucifying the God-appointed Iossiah. And they have an awful time of tribulation to paso through after they have returned to Palestine, and bejore they take first place among the nations of the earth. There will be jubilation when, by favour of the Great Powers of Europe, they at last take possession of Zion. And in the early days of Antichrist peace and prosperity shall abound. But when a cessation of the worship of J ehovah, the God of Abraham and Isaae and J acob, shall be decreed, and a transfer of homage to "the Man of Sin" (2 'I'hess. ii. 3-4) be demanded, the national conscience will be aroused, and though many will apostatise, the nation, a::; a nation, will stand firm in their allcgi-

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ancc to thc God of heaven, which will bring upon them the wrath of Antichris]. This will indeed be "the time of trouble" (Dan. xi i. 1). "Alas! for that day is greal, ::;0 that none is like it" (Jer. xxx, 7). And we read the dread doom of the apostate Jell's who rccoivo the false Christ and refuse the true, who reject the testimony of thci I' own prophets, and so arc given up to the lio of Satan and the service of his "lawless onc" (2 Thoss, ii. 8-12). Their carcases (defiled by worms) shall be exposed in the valley of Hinnom, just outside Jerusalem (wherein shall burn the unquenchable fire) as a warning to their fellow Jews (Is. lxvi, 24). 'We hope in a following paper to set forth the Scriptural revelation as to what shall befall the Jews after their restoration to Zion and previous to their national acceptance of Jesus as "Kjng of the Jews." Rotorua. C. Crusr Buo wx.

!patience.
"Bu t let patience ha re her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing."-Jas. i. 4. 'I'uoucn not mentioned by Paul in his great tribute to charity (1 Cor. 13) as one of the trio of graces there compared, it is, nevertheless, one of the Christian graces, and a mighty handy thing for any man or woman to keep in stock ready to do business with-a useful tool, which should always be in its place where you can Jay your hands on it at an instant's notice. Where there is so much fire and tow, benzine 'and cotton, shavings, dust and gunpowder around, as there is in the shape of human tempers and dispositions nowa-davs, it j a good precaution to ha ve this fire extinguisher right within reach and in good working order; because, when needed, it must be worked to tile limit, 01' the fire will spread and a general alarm be given and the whole town be in an uproar. BlI t this valuable Christian grace is apt to be misunderstood, or underrated. The coloured host whose company could hardly be seated was reminded that he hadn't chairs enough. "Yes, I have," he replied, "but 1 have too much company." There arc good Christian housewives, God bless them, who have as nruch patience as other folks have, but tile} have weaker nerves and "too much company" for the 11e1"l"eS, too many children or crying and tugging at their apron strings ; and so they gi re out and fly to flinders and think they have no patience at all. It is a mistake; they have lots of it. They think they ough t to "go forward for prayers' and get a fresh supply. Well, that would not hurt anvbody, but what they need most is to go back-way back-for rest and recuperation, and give that poor body time to catch up with the .stock of patience, and then they can go ahead and do business for God at the old stand as before, with the old results. Tal k about injecting more patience into such folks, they arc boiling over with it now! and ,)"OU might as well

jJump water into a ship that is sunk. A little nervine of some kind, or what is probably better, a good lot 0 I rest, with change of scenery and people, would do some poor women more good than all the catechisms, hymnbooks and such J ikc in Christendom. On the other band, these will be what others will need. Get your case rightly diagnosed by the Great Physician before YOLl gi vc all)' medicine, especially before you hurry folks alive, 'I'he writer once had an aunt who to most people seemed the perfection of patience. But law! she WH:; not. She never had any children-didn't get married until about fifty years old-didn't have much companv, and had little work to do and a splendid husband. Such a woman couldn't help being good if she tried, unless she feU out of bed or made some equally foolish stumble. She was as tranquil as the morn and as cool as an evening breeze-a good woman, of course, and not to be discounted, but to have lull face value; but then she never would set the world on fire, unless somebody first saturated it well wi th benzine, struck a match for her, and told her where to light it. 0, yes, disposition and environment have much to do with good people. Put yourself in the other fellow's place, you "sweetly saved" man, and try it a week, and report.-E. C. Copp, Lawrence, Mass.

:a
f1Dartial 1b}2 111 n.
The hymn, "Stand uP, Stand up for Jesus," was written by Rev. Geo. Duffield. ~r.A. (1818-1888). He WHi> a Presbyterian pastor, who held pastoratcs both East and \rest. The following circumstances gave rise to the hymn :-Rev. Dudlev A, 'I'vng was holding a remarkable mission in Philadelphia in 1858. On the Sunday before his death he preached to 5,000 people, onc thousand of whom <11"eaid to have been converted. s Leaving his study a day or two later, he went to the barn, and coming in contact with a power-machine, shellj ng corn, the sleeve of 11 is study-gown caught in the gear and his arm was torn from the socket, and he died in a few hours. Before his death he sent the message to the Y.i\I.C.A. prayer meeting, "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus." Mr. Duffiold, who conducted the Hadfuneral, caught from this message the inspiration for the hymn, which is sung wherever the English language is spoken. -Bible in Braeil.

Most people think, if thov keep all the best rooms ill their hearts swept and garnished for Christ, that they may keep a little chamber on their heart's wall for Bolial on occasional visits; or a three-legged stool for hi m in the heart's counting-ronm ; or a corner for him in the heart's scullery, where he may lick the dishes. It won't do! You must cleanse the house of him, as you would a plague, to the last spot. You must be resolved that as all :Y0Ll have shall be a od's, so all YOLl are shall be God'o,-Jahn Rusk-in.

APRIL, 1008. hy the "three" and for t.ho fourth (sec Matt. xxi ii. 35-36). n lso

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STANDARD.
eients" (Ez. vii, 26), but in vain. For -to quote the Psalmist-"\Ve sec not our signs, there is 110 1I10re allY prophet, IlCiLIICris there alllollg us any that knowcih how long" (Ps. lx xi v. \J). How long it shall he cre God shall openly resume His deal iugs wi th Israel, who can say'! But as believers in the trut.. of the prophetic writings, let us pray e"ery day that God will soon exercise His saving mercy towards His chosen people.- Your friend, CARPUS. Errata.-On page 45, col. 3, line 28, roarl disruption. for "description."

Damascus was one of the oldest cities ill the world, and wus outsid the ccrritory assigned to israel, u nrl was never Illole~ted by them. Xel'p!'thcle~s, Huz.u-l, Its king, had behaved with great bn rbu.r. ity to the Israelites ill the land of Gi lead, situate on the east side 0, thrriver -Iordan. Gaza was the southernmost city of the Philistines, bordering on the deser~ which stretched to Egypt. Probably It was the stronzest fortress of the Philistines. Here, to~ was the vast temple of the god Dagon, wh icn became the death-place of Samson n nd the Philistine wors.hippers. Tyre wa-s the great northern city whose king. Hiram, "was over n lover of David," and after David's death made a covenant with King Solomon. Edom was the nation desce ndorl from Esau the brother of Jacob-a nation of cousins. Moab and Ammon-the sons of Lot-were nations tainted fr.nn their birth (Gen. xix. 30 - 38). The" were under physical as well as mon~l disadvantage. .Iudah was the small section of the house of .Iacob that remained faithful to tIle throne of David and nominally and outwardly to the worship of -Tehovah. And, last of all, the overwhelming majority of the Hebrew nation, known by the name of "Israel," comes under l:eview. Its "four" transgressions are pla.inlv set forth: (1) i:'erversion of justice; (2) oppression of the .poor; (3) uncleanness; (4) luxurv with idolatrv (ii. 6-8). Upon each ~f these nation's was to come a fierv judgment. from which there should be no escape. Having warned the nation of .r;l(lah and the nation of Israel separately (ii. 4-16), Arnos, in the name of God, 'spa];:!' to the Hebrew nation as a whole (iii. !-8). ~e explains to them God's ways 111 certain brief parables or comparisons. "Can two walk together except they be agreed?" etc. And then follows intimations of the sorrows in store for them. the lion's roar for his prey, the snare for the bird, the trumpet blast of warning for the careless people. There was no "chance" in what was to happen. God's hand was to be acknowledged. Others may look at the secondary instruments, hut no events occur without Him. "ShalJ thoro be evil in a citv and .Iehovnh hath not clone it?" Not'mol'al evil. .Iehovah has naught to do with sinful practices. Evil means the execution of judgment according to -Ichovah's word. Th passage speaks of .Tehovah's pun ishment as an evil to be borne, and so it is, a fearr ul scourge for anv city' 01' nation that has to endure it. What was the ground taken up bv (lod for His severe dealings with Israol ? The twelve-tr-ibod nation had beou ~ill,~I('(l out and kept separate from the Gentiles. and specially privileged and blessed. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth." But the er-ucl uxion is oxtremclv solemn, "Therefore T will punish you for all your iniquities" (iii. 1, "'). The rnoa sure of relationship is n.lwnvs the measure of responsibility. Tho nearer T am to God, the heavier will bo my stripes if T depart from my allegiance to Him. This is a mora.l truth. It

is the same in human relationships. The failure of a coufldon tin] clerk is ineompambl,r greater Lhu n ihat of thc hall porter. The light of revelation shone upon Lsruel, while the Gentile ua.tious gWI'clled in the du.rk uoss of heathendom. lsruol therefore must. reccive gl'it)Y!)dS chastisement for ha ving departed from the living God. The surrounding nations are summoned to assemble on the mountains round Samaria, in order to witness tile violence and oppression in the palaces. and to heal' the doom pronounced (iii. 9-15). And then follows chapter iv., which is one of complaint; chapter Y., one of lamentation; and chapter vi., one of woe. Intense selfishness is laid at the door of Israel. Notwithstanding great outward prosperity under Jeroboam n., the morally and spiritually low conclition of Israel is here set forth. Their feasts and fasts and sacrifices and show of piety and sacred songs and instrumental music were all outward shams there was no substance or reality in' these things-all was offensive in the sight of God. "Let judgment roll down as waters an d righteousness as a mighty stream." That was what God sought. Let there be truth in the inward parts fust. God bids the people consider the fate of Cal neh, a very ancient city of the East (Gen. x. 10; Is. x. 9), and Hamath, in the North, and of Gath, on the \Vest, and see how vain the resources of nature and her impotent human strength to withstand and prevent the workings of the judgments of Jehovah (chapter vi. 2). And as surely as they were overthrown. so surely shall Israel's doom be fulfilled. And in chapter vi. 9, 10, we have a picture of the utter desolation and despair which should overtake Samaria at the time of her downfall, when men would be so awe-stricken and terrified that they would fear even to give utterance to the sacred name of Jehovah. The crisis of the prophecy is reached in chapter ix. Jehovah is represented as about to inflict the long-delayc.t punishment. Not one wilful sinner should escape. "Though they dig into shoot, though they climb lip to heaven, though they hide in the top of Camel, I w i ll search and t.c'l,kethem out thence. All the sinners of my people shal l die, \'.'11 ich say ""e evil shall not overtake us." It is not tbe eternal judgment of the dead raised, but a divinely inflicted judgment of the living in this world. "For 10 I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations as corn is sifted in a sieve. yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth." All faithful ones shall share in the earthly blessings set forth in the closing verses of this prophecy. Meanwhile, what is and has been .lSrael's spiritual condition since the descruction of Sarnaria and Jerusalem ended their natura I career? Righteous retribution must follow inexcusable impiety. Israel clava to idols and forsook the trne and living God. Therefore, in the day of darkness and perplexity they should hunger and thirst for an .. word from heaven, and should not obtain it (viii. 11-13). They would "seek a vision of the prophets and counsel from the an-

AUCKLAND.-The ordinary monthly "Church News" was left out to make room for more important and interesting matter. In order, however, that those who live too far off to attend the meetings may join with us in looking up the passages of Scripture spoken to by the brethren, we pen the following:Sunday, January 26: Bro. C. B. King presided. Acts xxi i.: Paul's appeal to his brethren. In the evening the subject was, "Christ, as Judge of Israel." Sunday, February 2: Bro. C. B. King again presided, and spoke from 1 Cor. K., showing the great love, forbearance, and encouragement manifested by Paul towards the Church, also God's faithfulness. With us in fellowship, Sister Ba ttersby, of Petone, Wellington. In the evening Bro. Aldridge gave a telling address entitled "'1 he Judge of Satan." Sunday, February 9: Bro. White presided. Bro. G. A. Green gave a practical address from 1 Cor. i., "God's \Visdom and Power, Compared with Man's Weakness." With us thiR morning, Sister Bull, of the Tuames. In the oven ing the subject spo-.en to waR, "Christ, the .Iudge of Nations." Sunday, February 16: Bro. Laurie lVilcock conducted the meeting, and spoke from Rom. vii., last verse. and first verse of chapter viii. We had the pleasure of witnessing a brother put' on Christ this morning in the water of baptism, Bro. G. \V. Whitcombe. wru. us in fellowship, Bro. and Sister Graham, Sister Smith and daughter, of the Thames, and Bro. and Sister Penman. of Paeroa. In the evening a very forceful discourse was delivered on "The Last Judgment." Sunday, February 23: Bro. Aldridge presided, and read the 40th Psalm, but based his remarks on Col. iii. 8. The speaker referred to the sadness he felt at an n.sscrtion made by the Rev. Urquhart in hi s last lectnre at the Tabernacle -that the Church in the future will be hold by two things: the thought of Christ's ngony on the Cr058 and the sight of the otornn 1 snffrrr-

62
ings 01 the lost; these would hold the redeemed faithful. 'Yith us in fellowship, Bros. Allen Windsor and Rtanley Saunders, ' isters Mabel Smith, :'I[adge Taylor, and Ba ttson, all of the Thames. As will be seen by referring to the Ma rch No., the subject this evening 11"<1 a review of Xlr. LJrquhart's attack on Conditional Immorta.li ty entitled, "Paul's Desire to Depart." Suuduy, March 1: Bro. AId ridge conducted the meeting this morning. n.nd g,n"e an exhortation from Gal. i. 3. 4: "Christ died to cover over our si ns." \\'ith lIS in fellowship, Bro. and Sister \ \. iII i'"IIS, of Xorthcrn \\. n iron. In the cI'ening BI'O. Ald ridge dcn l t wi th that controversiu I subject. "Absent from the Bodv, Present wi th the Lord." The ('xp~sition appen red to gil'e great sa.tisIa ctiou. Sunday. :'Ifarch 8: Bro. Erncst Aldridgo presided, and gave a good address from .Ioh n i. 4. The subject advert ised for the nvon ing was, "Chri t's Promise to th(' Dying Robber," but, O\\'iIIg to n hni s to ro us, wet night the n udioncc was vel'." small, find thc subject wn s. thoro lore. postponed for a larger n t ir-ndu ncc. A splendid discourse was, hnwcver, delivered from 1 Peter i.: "13egilt us again unto n ]iying hope." Sundav, Xl.u'cb 15: Bro. C. B. King in chair. :'I[aU. vi i, With us in Icl lowship, Hro. and Sister Battson. of the 'I'ha mos, and Sister Dickson, of Nortucote. In the cI'ening the topic was, "The Robbcrs Prayer-I.he Lord's Reply." Sunday, Xfa rch 22: Bro. \\,llIte spoke f rorn 1 .Iamos i. 17. In the evening 131'0'. Aldridge ga ve a splendid exposition of the subject advertised, "Not the God of Llu- Do.id, but of the Living." The 15th of Gen. was read, but the discourse was taken from :'IIatt. xxi i. 2.5-32. Thl' eo111'~C'of lectures on Alphabetical Truths on ,fan's Nature was continued I.ill .Innun ry If). The fourth of the series treated of Soul in the' K C"- Testament; the fifth and sixth, the Spirit in :'Ifan. Owing to the interest nrousod by the Rev. L'rquhart's addresses it was cons.dorcd achisablC' to givo some public locturcs in reference to what had been se't forth against C'onditional Trnrnorta litv. This action has been fully justified. as evidenced by the verv large audiences find the ma.rxed attention paid, many quest.ions bring put and satisfactorily answered. The subjects were as fot low : "L'nconditional Immortality-is it Scriptural?" "\,lIat is the Value of Soul lmmortalitv?" "Gou s Gift, Eternal l.ue. \Yhat is it?" "God's Penalty for Sin." "Wlere arc thr Dead?" A 11 the meetings have been well attended. W.C. On the evcning of February 28 Bro. and Sister .Ta rvis celebrated their golden wedding. A reception was held at Buchanan's Cafe, in Symonds Street. A large number of guests were present, and we were pleased that so many were members of 'Vest Street Church. Bro. and Rister .Ia rvis have been members of the a. sembly since its inaugurat.ion in thc 'I'empernnce Tla ll, Albert Street, and

THE

BIBLE

STANDARD.

APRIL, 1908.

"'-'====-="------_.---_ .. -=== ===",= _

so are well known to all the members. For many years Sister Jarvis was an active worker in connection with the social meetings of the Church, and is looked upon as one of its surviving "mothers." It was a great pleasure to Mr. and Mrs. J. Buchanan (daughter and son-in-la\\' of the honoured pair) that the social gathering passed off so succcssf'ul ly. Bro. C. B. King acted as master of ceremonies, and during the ovening Bros. ]~dlVin Can, T. I~. Wilcock and others had some pleasant words to say in connection with the toasts wh icl; were duly honoured. A lengthy mus'ica l programme was gone through, and was closed bv all singing, "Blest be the Tie that Binds." 'Ye wish that our dear friends mav have yet years of health and happiness. GEORCE'l'OWN (B.G.). - Another year has gone, bringing us nearer to the desire of all nations, yet between the preRent and His appearing lie dark days of wickedness. Knowing these things, it behove'S US to tell them out upon the highl\'ays. T spent Christmas Day with some of my friends at 'Vismar. a town on tho Demarara River. Here I had the opportunity of discussing "Man's Nature and Destinv." I had most of the talking, for verv Iitt.lo was sa id in opposi tion to me. The day following a goodly number came together. Xlost of them had heard of me, 01' had read our literature. Amongst those who came was the schoolmaster. The talk was listened to very quietly, and at the close T sold some literature and gal-e away some. Thus the 1I'0rk goes on, carried forward by plodding endeavour, and leaying results to Him whose is the 'Vord we preach. 1 see that death has laid its hands upon Bro. G. A. Brown. Another victim to the dread enem~', but we rejoice knowing that it cannot alwnys reign. Many in this land mourn his death, because of the benefit they have derived from his writings in "Words of Life," but what of us who have known him? I last saw him fifteen years ago, in :'Ilelbourne. A visit to Sydney which he paid shortly before that served to sta m phi m upon my memory. .Tob called death the "King of torro rs." but, (Iorl IJP praisc'. death shall have all end for 11i, people. "There shall he no more death." W. R. EDGmnLL. Moral principles in the right actions in the life. heart mean

CHRISTIAN BAND. ~
~~~~

As r look around in our own and in other denominations I am reminded of wh a.t a certain country undertaker said. There \I' as no minister to pronounce the commital at . e grave. The undertaker, feeling it irreverent to lower the casket without a few words, said: "This corpse joined the church nine years ago." Too many corpses have joined the churches. Xo life in them for active service; no feeling of responsibility for the children that come within the four walls of the cnurch building. .. Let someone else look after them" is their motto.-Mrs. E. 1V.

March 2: Bro, A. Smith gave a short address on "Earnestness of Purpose." wh ich showed us how to war against thC' evil and cleave to that which is good. 'l11IS is an age of earnestness, and if we would prosper in a nything we must go auout it earnestly' and continuoualv. Thought must ahl:a~'R go wi th actio~; get a purpose in view, and then do it with all our m ight. Let righteousness be our watchword, gOI'C'rning our actions one towards another. Xlav it clevatl' our thoughts and desi ros. I~elping us to serve the Lord with all our heart; let us not think that our service is too small, and so not do anything but press forward and (10 whu tsoevcr ou r hand findeth to do. ~Iarch !): Bro. G. Aldridgc gave us n short address on "Redeeming the Time;" how to take alhantag(' of the time as it wi ngs past in its on ward fIight , 1.0 do things at once, and so save much trouble and confusion. Time is important in our daily life: it must not be wasted. for yani~hl'd hours eau never return, and the thought of them brings regret if they have been unwisely used. Let us use our opportunitieR 'as t.hey come along. a.11(1 do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. ~[arch 16: "The Ch risti.m I~ife" was the subject of our Bro. F. Firth's paper. II hen we started in the Clnist.ian Life we did not dream of many failures \1'(' should make. Our desire' was to overcome temptation; but we had failed many times. 'Ye havo tried to serve God: but our service has been poor. Our lives ought not to be one continuous failure. 'Ye should be more than conquerors through Him that loved us. '.Ve were called, not to serve sin. but to wall, in newness of life. HO\y is this to be done? Only by giving our bodies a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service, krl'ping our hrart. in the peace of Cod, and suhmitting ourselves unreservcd ly to Il im , doing it not as a command, but with gla.dllC'ss of heart, delighting to do 1lis will. :'ILtrch 23: Bro. A. Green ga\'e a. blackboard lesson on "Con fession to God," showing by many Scriptures that confession is a Bible doctrine; that God must be acknowledged as the true God; and that confession of sin be made to Him. In Old 'I'ostarnen t times God required confession from man. The command is, "Thou shalt serve no other Goel but Me." Then, we must confess before men, as our Lord did, who wi Lnessed a good confession before Pirate. We must also confess Christ as Lord and ~laster; our Imperial Owner will then confess us before His Father. e.c. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Owing to absence of Secretary, we can name only the following:-Robert Flanagan .. J. Dixon , R.. Tudd, .T. M. Miller.

Smith.

ApRTL, 1008.

THE
"Let

BIBLE
have

STANDARD.
her perfect work."WHAT A BOY DOES.

~ * * * * \V * * * * ~
~II~ ~ f ~ if f
couple of issues

patience HAVE

:: IKSunshine Corner. ~I ::
Jj\

PATIENCE James i. 4.

YET.

~!I *

1f 1f 1f 1f ~
paper.

Have patience yct l Though now by trials beset, (Iod's hand controls the storm; He wi l l ]1('rfonn. Have patience Yl't! Have pa tionce vot l ('an'st thou so SOOn forget That .Tesus d iorl for l heo. On Ca l v 1'.1? , l:1 YC pa tionce vo t! HaY(' patience vct t ITushed bp each va in regret, Christ lives, Christ reigns above; H is (keels a re love. Ha ve patience yet! JTal-e patience Yl't! 'Yhy shou Id'st than pine a 11(1f'rr t ? Cod will t.hv neerl suppl. On I l im rely. Hn vo pa tionco vot! Have patience vot t 1'1,,- Lord doth not forgl't, lli~ love, boundless and -[1'l'(, Enei rclos thee. Have paticnco yet! -Ruth 'I'homos, A SUNSHINY WOMAN.

Our usua 1 month Iy report has not appeared in its accu stomod place for a of this Once it had to yield its space to more important matter, n ncl onco overlooked un ti l too la to to fisk tho Eclitor "corner." to find a

But we can say tha t on r Comm itteo lives, and hopes to aspire to greater usefulness in the coming clays. During the summer wo have usually little call upon our funds. for bright. wn rm and drv weather commonlv brings plenty of employment with it. and needs :t re not so apparent. Now it is autumn. and the changing 00101\1' of tho foliage, the falling leaves. the shortening davlight. the cool "feel" of the air. remind us that wi n ter approachos , so we shou Id be pre[la ring for tho needs that win tor bri ngs to many of our fellow-beings. An oxam inn.tion of our resources at the present time is not out of place. vur clothes-bin is ernptv, our stock of literature out of date, the Treasurer's purse is very 1 ight indeed. \Ve mean to change th is sta te of things before the opportunit.ies of help present themselves; and we know you all so wel l by th is time that all that is needed is to say, 'We "pea yOU?' SttPP01-t antl help, and we know that vou'Il do the rest. The Sunshine 'I'rensurr-r begs to acknowledge receipt of 4s. from A Friend. and 1 from P.C.

TRANSFORMED

BY

LOVE.

A .Cluistian grows lovely by just loving-by going on in love of Christ. It has been fabled from old times that the graceful swan was changed from a most ugly bird into its present beauty merely because of its constancy to its mate. But, oh. how Christian fact is sure to outrun classic fable! The soul grows wondrously lovely just by loving, by pouring out its faithful affection, and all the more so when the object of its affection is the Lord Jesus Christ, the "one altogether lovely." \Ve "behold His face," "Jesus' face." "as in a glass," and "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by t~e Spirit of the Lord." But the result IS permanent. The soul gets more and more set in the way of holiness, in the beauty which holiness brings. "Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is. And every one that hath this hope set upon him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."-

Reo, G. B. F. l1allock, D.D.

The trained nurse adjusted her cap and re-tied her snowy apron. Yes, she said, I see a great deal of misery. but most of it comes from a habit pa tiont-, have of thinking that thsv are the oniv sick folks in the world. They discuss every symptom and gloat over overv pain as if the disease was a new one and they had just discovered it. The patient I have now is not of that kind. She is old, and deaf, and beuridden with an agonising disease. She said to me to-day: "Life is so good! T hope YOI1 will get as much happiness out of it a~ [ d when you are old." "Life good!" I said. "But you have been sick for many years." "Yes, but who ever had such a pleasant room to be sick in? T can look out at the sky and mountains from this window. I might haw had onlv smoky roofs outside." "But," I said, "you can't hear without this trumpet." "But I can see! The mountains change so; they are always company:' "You have so much pain," I insisted, "that I should think you wouldn't care for the mountains." ",Vhv I don't have half the pain some people 'l;ave! Some days there will he nearly an hour that I don't have a twinge. and I lie here ane! look at ~he sun and the hills and thank God. LIfe is so good and beautiful!" The effect upon those who come in contact with such patience and genuine submission to the inevitable cannot fail to be of lasting benefit, and make life better worth living.

The Editor of the 'Washington Oapitol has evidently seen a boy, and perhaps he was once a boy himself, and so ho tells what a boy does: He comes out 'at the front door, brightfaced and happy. He comes out for no particular reason, save that he wan ts to be moving about. He is Iu ll of physical action, and he must get some of it out of him before bedtime or he won't be fit to sleep. He doesn't know this with his head, but his body knows it; for. after a 11, the body doe's a great deal of its own thinking independently of what we call consciousness. He stands on the step and looks up and down the street. He doesn't know what he is looking for. Indeed, he is not looking for an~-thing. He just looks with a sort of undefined hope that he will see something sltggestive to him of what to do. Ho jumps clown the stops and goes to the gate, hangs on it a moment, ma kos n ff'\\" sounds with his voice such as nobodv hut a hoy can make. and nobody els(' would make if he could. They don't. mean anything. He makes them becn uso -well, because he is a boy. As if he had suddenly t.rought of something to do, he bangs the gate' open and rushes down the middle of the street. yelling like a young Indian. But he has not suddenly thought of something to do. He has sirnplv done that because ho couldn't think of anything to do, and must clo sornetru ng. Then he picks up a stone and fires it at a dog, and cringcs and feels sorry if it hits the mark. Ho doesn't want to hurt the dog. He LoIrOI\"S the stone because he and the dog and thc stone are there, and it is handy to clo so. For a few seconds he stands and looks up into a tree at--nothing. Then he breaks into a run again, and suddenly sits down on the kerbstone as if he had accomplished something and was con~~ I

That is about how it is with a boyat least, many boys are built that way. You never know what they will do-in fad. thcy do not ,,11011'themselves. They are skittish, coltish. boyish. But then they wil! learn. All the men were boys once; and a good manv of them arc qui to decent people now, thanks to mother's love, father's counsels, grnndmothor's patience, and a little birch on special occasions. Be patient with tile boys. LoY(' them, teach them, counsel them, reprove them, and rod them a little when needful; but train them in the right path. and the oest way to do that is to walk in it yourself and they will be pretty sure to follow you.-Sel. "Sir," said an old Scotchwoman to an Aberdeen minister. "I dinna ken a part of your sermon yesterday." "Tndeed! \\ hat was it?" "You said the Apostle used the figure of circumlocution, and T dinna ken what it means." "Is that all'!" said the minister. "It's very plain. The figure of circumlocution is merely a periphrastic mode of dictum." "Oh! oh! is that all?" said the good woman, "what a puir fool I were not LO understand that!"

----

;j

,.

I~----,---_~_-

THE 'El 1Roman '1ie.

BIBLE

STANDARD.

APRTL, j ,.,,~.

\rbe

:JBible Stanbarb.
(1.

UH page 2'1 of La Petit Caiech.isnie; of the Proviucc of Quebec, is found the following question and answcr: "Q. Can one be saved outside of the Catholic, Apostolic, and Jioman Church? A. No, outside of the Church I lioman, Catholic, and Apostolic] there is no salvation." 'I'his is Rome's teaching. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the lifc ; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me" (John xiv, 6). "I am the door; by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John x. 9). This is God's teaching in contradistinction to Rome's. Christ never taught that the church, either Roman or any other, could save a soul. Not outside of the church but outside of Christ, there is no salvation. Herei~ lies the truth. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" ( 1 John v. 12).

The Bible Sian.da.rd. can be ordered d i rect, from the 'I'reasurur MIC A. M. SKI';A'l'JI;", View Road, Mount E'len. Au ck lund ..
i"i.

Price per annum, post f rec Si I1gie copies BOOK STEW AltU-K H. FALlC"'''<' Queen :::i\reet. AGR;N'J'S THI<; BIRUi; STANIJA NI):

ron

:tubge $lot.
WI;: have no right to judge others until we know all the circumstances that influence their conduct. In manv cases we might act like those we condemn under lik'e circumstances. A young man employed in a printing office in one of the large cities incurred the ridicule of the other compositors on account of his poor clothes and unsocial behaviour. On several occasions, subscription papers were presented to him for various objects, but he refused to give his money. One clava compositor asked him to contribute for a picnic party, but was politely refused. "You arc the most niggardly man ever employed in this office," said the compositor angrily. "Stop," said the young man, choking with feeling. "YOU have insu lted me." "'rhe other compositors gathered around the excited man. The young man looked at them for a few moments with a famished look and a strange fire in his large eyes, "You little know," he said, "how unjustly you have been treating me and accusing me. For more than a year J have been starving myself to save enough money to send mv poor blind sister to Paris to be treated by a physician, who has cured many cases of blindness similar to hers. I have always clone my duty in this office. and have minded my own business. I am sacrificing everything in life for another. onld either of \"011 do as much? Could anyone do more?" TT c hall heen judged without knowledge of circumstances. Re slow to censure and condemn. Wc cannot read the heart of others, and in many cases to know is to forgive all. "Juclge not, that ye be not judged." - The Indian Helper.

NEW ZIALA:"IJ. Auck la.nd=-Mr. Hancock, Bookseller. Queen St.rcet . Wellington-H. J. Barracloug h, Myrtle Crescent. Dunedin-Mr. Lawrence. Hope Street. Kaiapoi-Mr. James Holland. Rang ioru=-Mr. Will. Smith, South Brook. New Plymouth-Mr. Fred Good acre. Cou rtncy H,oHd. East 'Jxford-Mr. A. Rngland. Thames-Mr. C. Sanders. Macky Street. 'Limai-u=-Mr. H. H. King, Stafford St.reet., 'I'i n wuld, Ashburton-Mr. Shearer. Waihi-V1r. Josoph Foster. SOUTH AUSTHALIA. Adelaide-Mr. C. Gamble. Magill Itoad, Stepney . NEW SOUTH W ALI~S. Sydney-Mr. H. Cropp, Mitchell Street, Kogarah. Oommunications to the Ed itor to be Brent.wood Avenue, Mount Eden. Nook." A 11 communications to the Association to be addressed to the Secretary and Mu rdoch Road. Grey Ly n n , Auckland. addressed: Telegraphic G~;O. ALIJRIDGE Address .. Rocky

and orders for B-ible Stamdard TI'cas''''''I' MR. A LRX. PAGF,.

CHURCH
AHld Ser v tces 88 under:

OF CHRIST

AUCKLAND-West

Street. Sunday, at 11 o'("o~'k n.Ul . If't"lIuwsbliJ Meelluj/: BA5 p.rn., Prcach iuz Ser-vice. Sunday Scbool at 2.45. Wednpsday ev e n l n g, Bible Ctass at 7.45. fnvangelist'R add ress=-Ge o. Al(I,ir1~c. Hre nt.wood Avenue Mount Eden. Secret",ry-W. Gibson, Ponson hv Road. HALLSunday at 11 a.m .. F,>lIowship Meeting.

HOSKILL

OUNRDIN-Oddfellows' Hall. Stuart Street. Sunday at 11 a.m .. Fellowship and Meeting. EvenIng Pr eachl ng S"rvlcp. 6.30. . Secretary's Address= S. Laurence, Hope Strep\. Dnnedm. HELENSVILLE-Church. Sunday, Sunday Sunday Cnu rch Secretary,

Fellowship Meeting. at 11 a.m, School, at 2.30 Evening, Prea chi ne, 7. R. M. Camnron.

rH A 111fl1S-Pollen Street Lecture 8all. Snnda v at 11 a.m .. ~plloW8hlp MpetlllR. Flvenlng Service at 6.:l0. Sunday School at 2.30. Rlhle Class every Wpones(lay ev enl ng e t ltvangelist-"Ri. H. 'I'aylor. Bowen St.rect, Par~:vvfl.i. Sccrct",ry-Chlts. Sanders, Mack av Street, 1 hnrnes W Al Hl-1'he Miners' Union Hall. Sunday 11 a.m. Fellowshin Moet ine : ,. 2.30 p.m. Su nday School. Sunday Evening. at 7. A P"hli~ Bibl" Ad d ress. Chrrrch Secretary-D. Donn.lilson. Irvn.ngclist-c-J'oseph Foster, Waihi. Street Hall. Sunda v. at 11 A. m .. FplIowshlp Mp"tln~. Address-H. H. King. RtnlTorrt Rtrppt.

7.H'

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TIM A RU-Sopbla Secretary's

T'Irna r n

ADRLAIDE. S.A.-Druids' H",I1. Beu lah Hoan. Norwood. Secretary's Add rcss-c-Geor-zo n. Gamble. Magill Road. Stepnev, Adelaide, S.A.

A11 human owners are, and whether they possess oulture, their possessions and mankind.-Dr. John

in scriptural phrase, stewards, money, time, talent, genius OT are to be held in trust for God Hunter.

Pr

int.od bv rl'nF. RRF.T'I' PRT~1'[NG ANO PURT.TSffTNG COMPANY. Short land Str~et. tor the New Zea.land RVRng~liBt.iD and Publ icat.ion Association. and publish eo hv W. A. SMITH, Selwyn Read, Mt. A ibcrt, APRIL 1008