VOL. VIII APRIL, 1917 No. 4 (SSS The King’s Business 1A 7 BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES NUMBER / Published once a month by the LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S. A. u Ik Ee) UH OE ONE DOLLAR A YEARTHE KING’S BUSINESS VOL. VIIL APRIL, 1917 No. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial: Pleasing Jesus Christ—Manuscripts Not Desired —Dead with Christ—Persuasiveness va Pugnacious- ness—Ought Christians to Go to War?—Entangled— The Increasing Darkness—Enduring Hardness—Mo- rality of the Modern Theater Is the Bible in Danger? By Dr. R. A. Torrey ‘Victor Over Death.” (Poem). A Call to World-wide Prayer Punishment of Evil. By Rev. W. L. Watkinson... Our Folks. The Berean Band Through the Bible with Dr. Evans 2 Evangelistic Department. By Bible Institute Workers wun 3 Puzzling Passages and Problems. Homiletical Helps. By William Evans The Far Horizon International Sunday School Lessons. By R. A. Torrey’ and T. C. Horton Daily Devational Stadies inthe New Testament for Indi- vidual Meditation and Family Worship. By R. A. Torrey SUBSCRIPTION PRICE In the United States and its Possessions and Mexico, and points in the Central American Postal Union, $1 per year. In all other foreign countries, $1.24 (5s, 2d.). Single copies, IU cents, Receipts sent on request. See date on address tag. “Sept. 17° means Expires Sept. 1917. ete PUBLISHED BY THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 536-558 SOUTH HOPE STREET LOS ANGELES, CAL.290 THE KING’S BUSINESS BB. Py Gold Bonds! A BAD beginning will almost invariable result in a bad ending. Begin by thinking seriously about the needs of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, and that will make you wish to have a part in the great work of preparing consecrated men and women for the work of soul winning. Have you ever investigated our Annuity Bond Plan? If not, doit now! You will be glad! There are other ways in which you can help. Interest others in sub- scribing for . The King’s Business that they too may know what the Bible Institute is doing. There are yet a few six per cent Gold Bonds which may be purchased. Address T. C. Horton, Superintendent, Sixth and Hope Streets, Los Angeles, Cal, for full particulars, x UUENDENAENCUU ONCE MERDEOGESE ATCT CUP ECD EPEAT EEE EEE Ee HELP THE “K. B.” Subscription Fund Through the Generosity of pppreciatiie Christian People, this Magazine goes to MANY MISSIONARIES. HO cannot afford to pay the sub- scription for themselves. The fund for this purpose is now exhausted but the requests continue to come, Last year one lady sent us $25 to be-So applied, and here is a sample expression of gratitude: “It helps me in so many ways that I look for- ward to its coming each month. I hope my few words convey some idea of the gratitude I feel, through-being one of those fortunate ones who receive your magazine.” BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES Oeqe THE KING’S BUSINESS [| vous APRIL, 1917 neal gq] EDITORIAL To please Jesus Christ should be the great ambition Pleasing of the Christian's life. Everything that he does should Jesus Christ, be done as unto the Lord and not unto men, and for that reason, done heartily (Col. 3:23). In our every day secular work we should aim to please Christ. Paul sought just as much to please the Lord when he wove goats hair into tent cloth as when he preached to philosophers on Mars Hill. In our distinctly Christian work our aims should be to please Christ. If we please men, well and good, but please Christ anyway. A number of friends are submitting manuscripts to us Manuscripts for acceptance for the columns of THE Kine’s Bust- Not Desired. Ness. We do not doubt that if we made a request for manuscripts to be submitted that many would come of great value, but with our numerous duties we find it impossible to read manuscripts in order to select from the mass of them some that we could use. We therefore pursue the policy of not receiving manuscripts at all. We are forced to do this for lack of time to give them proper consideration. The policy of the magazine is to write to specific persons from whom we wish manuscripts on any given subject, instead of the policy of having manuscripts submitted to us for approval. Twelve of the most searching words that Paul ever Dead With wrote are found in 2 Tim. 2:11, “If we be dead with ‘Christ. Him, we shall also live with Him.” There must be death before there can be real life. We must be dead with Him if we are to live with him. To be dead with Christ is to have renounced the things that living men ordinarily long for, the things that appeal to them, ease, reputation, wealth, pleasure, comfort, and life, to be dead to the world and its allurements, so that they have no power over us, to be to them as a man literally dead is to them. To be dead with Christ is also to renounce any powers and strength of our own that we possess, or fancy we possess, and “Tet Christ live in us with His power and strength. The Christian worker should be thus dead. The cross of Christ should make him dead to sin, to the world, and to self. One of the greatest needs of the church today is a few dead men, dead in the sense explained above. We have plenty in our churches today who are dead in another sense, but what we need is men “dead with Christ.” Reader, are you dead?292 THE KING'S BUSI tA S We can persuade a hundred men of the truth where Persuasiveness vs. we cannot knock it into the head of one. Every Chris- Pugnaciousness. tian worker should learn and never forget the immeas~ urable superiority of gentle and patient persuasiveness to contentious and dictatorial argumentativeness. The wife of one of the great- est religious leaders that America ever knew once said of him to the writer, “He is the most yielding man I ever knew, but he always has his way.” They certainly ould. That is what Christ has called Ought Christians us to be, soldiers (2 Tim, 2:3). But what war should to Go to War? they goto? Ah! that is the question. The war against Satan (Eph. 6:12, 13); the war against sin and unbelief and error in all its countless forms. We should fight the good fight of faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Oh, that Christians, in these days of courageous, merciless war, would be as courageous in the warfare to which God has called us as the armies of the world are at the present time in defense of national interests and ambitions. Oh, that we might be as merciless in dealing with sin and error and unbelief as the armies of the world are in dealing with their fellowmen to whom they are opposed in battle. If there is any fact that Christians in the present day need to be impressed with it is the fact that they are in this world as soldiers, soldiers of Jesus Christ. We are not here for a pienic or a frolic, we are here to fight. It is a hard battle that we have on hand. In order to win in this battle we need to take unto us the whole armor of God, and having put the armor on we need to stand, withstand and fight. We are not to be “carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,” we must fight to gain the prize, ‘and it may be sail through bloody seas. We should rejoice that we are called to be soldiers, I do not believe much in man fighting his fellowmen, but I do believe in fighting the devil and sin and unbelief, and I do not believe in com- promise or arbitration in this war. In these days the thoughts of most men are more éccu- Entangled. pied with soldiers and war than with any other subject. Paul says, “No man that warreth, entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Cor. 2:4). The thought is, if we are to be efficient soldiers for Jesus Christ we should keep free from everything that would entangle us and impede us in our warfare. This, of course, does not mean that a Christian soldier should withdraw himself entirely from secular life or pursuits. Paul himself wrought as a tent maker while preaching the gospel. But it does mean to avoid all business, social, or domestic entanglements that will interfere with our successful warfare as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and so render it impos- sible for us to please Him who enrolled us as soldiers. How many a Christian allows himself to get entangled, to the great hindrance of his warfare for _ Christ, Before entering upon any business, social, or domestic enterprise we should first ask ourselves very honestly and prayerfully, will this be an entanglement, will it in any way interfere with the consecration of my every power and every moment to Christ and His holy war, will it interfere with my moving out where He may lead at a moment's call? It is a blessed thing to be thoroughly disentangled and ready to move out at a moment's call, to the great Captain’s call.THE KING'S: BUSINESS 293 As we write these words (February 15th) the dark- The. Increasing ness that overshadows the earth is rapidly becoming Darkness. deeper.. A month ago there seemed to be a rift in the clouds, but today the clouds are thicker and blacker than ever. There seems to be no possibility of America’s being kept out of this most appalling war in all the world’s history. The course being pursued by Germany has no shadow of excuse in international law or humanity.- In their desperation that nation and its rulers seem to have gone mad. It looks as if there was nothing left to be done but to utterly crush the nation, to bring it to its senses, But however indignant we may be at the utterly inhuman methods now pursued by Germany, no thoughtful Christian can contemplate the humiliation and suffering that awaits them, and the burden of debt that they will have to carry for years to come, without deepest pain. Many of the Germans are among the most enlightened people of the earth, and some of the finest Christians in the world are found among the Germans, and to think of the sorrows that must overtake them in common with the rest of the people, must fill the heart of any true Christian with heavy grief. But that is not all, there is a great peril for all Europe from Russia, and Germany has been the bulwark that stood between Russia and the countries lying to the west, and when this bulwark is thrown down, as now seems almost certain, there will most likely be in coming years awful experiences for the whole-of Europe. Dark indeed is the future of Europe and the world. One cannot look into the next ten years of world history without the deepest apprehension and fore- boding. In such an hour as that in which we live, what shall the Christian do? Christ Himself answers the question; He tells us that when men’s hearts are “fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world” we should “look up, and lift up our heads; because our redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:26-28). He also tells us that at such a time as this we should watch at every season and give,ourselves to earnest prayer that we “may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Out of the many increasing evils of our time there is Enduring at least one good coming, and that is that many Chris- Hardness. tians are being shaken out of their false conception of the Christian life as an easy-going life. We are beginning to appreciate the fact that the one who would work effectively for Christ must be ready to suffer. A new meaning is coming for many of us, into the words of our Lord, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The Christian worker who wishes an easy place is not a Christian worker after God’s pattern. The Chris- —tian worker who shrinks from hard knocks better go out of the business. Paul wrote to Timothy (and the words apply to all who would be Christian workers after God’s pattern), “Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2°"Tim. 2:3, R.V.).. The kind of hardship that is meant that we must suffer is the kind of hardship that Paul himself suffered, it is interpreted by *2 Cor. 11:24-27, “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night294 THE KING'S BUSINESS and a day have I been in the deep; in journeyings often. in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my country rils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in labor and travail, in watehing often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” We had fallen into the way of thinking that the day was past for this kind of suffering, but the events of the past few months have, awakened us to the fact that if we are loyal to Christ we will find that the time for suffering for Christ is not past. There never was a day when men and women who are willing to be persecuted and lied about and hated and stoned for Christ's sake, men and women who are willing to hunger and thirst and be wearied and sicken and die for Christ's sake, were more needed than today. But this suffering has its abundant reward, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12); “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Paul called his afflictions, which were among the heaviest that any man ever bore for Christ, “light afflictions,” and said further, “Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17), When, in the world to come, we see the glory that has come to us from the suffering that we have endured in this present life for and with Christ, we will not regret that , We suffered so much, but that we suffered so little for him. The Bishop of London has shown his fearlessness time Morality of the and time again. Recently he has done this in a cour- Modern Theatre. ageous attack upon the stage, speaking of the demoral- izing influence of “lecherous and slimy plays,” ‘This has naturally stirred up the theatrical profession and they have objected to what they call the “loose employment of such phrases.” Mr. H. B. Irving, the well known English actor, has especially attempted to take the Bishop to task for his utterances. He says that such plays as the Bishop describes “do not pass the censor; and if a play in any way answering to that des iption has found its way upon the stage, it has been a very rare occurrence and has generally met with the fate it deserved.” It could be wished that Mr. Irving's statement were true, but those who have studied the stage know very well that plays that-well deserved the characterization that the Bishop of London gave them have had a large success from a financial standpoint, and it is well known that there is an increasing tendency in this direction. It is true ‘that the stage has not gone to the appalling extreme in this direction that the movies have, and the moral tone of the stage, as far as the plays are concerned, has been far higher than that of the movies, but there has been much produced on the stage that is altogether deplorable. Mr. Irving says, “In point of actual decency the English stage always has been, and is, the most decent in the but that is not saying much. While the English stage may be “the most decent in the world” there has certainly been vast room for improvement. * Mr. Irving goes on to ask church people to deal more kindly with the theatre and to recognize its necessary place in life and help to realize its highest ideal. This suggestion has nothing to it: For a generation, perhaps for many generations, ° World.” We are inclined to think that this statement of Mr. Irving’s is true, _THE KING’S BUSINESS 295 the attempt has been made to lift the stage to where people of decent morals would have it, but the attempt has failed and always will fail. The people who desire that which is evil, at least in suggestion, far predominate among theatre going people over the men and women of high moral standards, and theatrical managers feel that they must appeal to the people from whom they get the largest patronage, and the largest patronage of the theatre always has come and always will come from those whose moral standards are not high. Many and many a woman has gone on the stage with high moral ideals, but as a rule they have soon discovered that they must either lower their moral standards or give up the stage. Mr. Irving says that people “must be amused, just as they must be fed and clothed.” That is true, but the question is how to make amusements élevating and not demoralizing, and the general influence of the stage from time immemorial has been demoralizing, and it is certainly increasingly demoralizing. Mr. Irving discloses his superficiality and utter lack of sense of moral propriety in a comparison of the church with the stage, in which he says, “The preaching must be, if possible, stirring and exciting— even in the gloomiest religions the hell fires to which the sinful are assiened must be made to flame brightly.” His words need no comment, they are a sad revelation of the lack of depth-and moral earnestness of the man who wrote them. Mr. Irving himself admits, though apparently somewhat uncon- sciously, “the steady growth of every form of lighter and more frivolous entertainment.” He says further, “There is a spiritual side to the theatre as well as to religion.” This is simply an illustration of the very loose way in which the word spiritual is used. Evidently Mr. Irving has no conception of what the word means in its proper sense from a Christian standpoint. One of his strongest statements in defense of the stage is, “If the primary object of the theatre must always be to amuse and interest, yet it can interest in such a way as to elevate men’s minds and make them think of something higher and nobler than the mere trivialities of life.” This is entirely true from the the- oretic standpoint. It is very easy to conceive of a theatre from the mere stand- point Of theory, that would elevate men’s minds, but the question is not what is theoretically possible, but what is an actual fact, and beyond’ an honest question the effect of the theatre as a whole has been extremely demoralizing, though it is only fair to admit the theatre at its worst was never as demoraliz- ing as the movie shows which are so largely taking its place. The movies put on the stage without the slightest hesitation, things so vile and foul as the theatre would never have thought of staging, and yet the movies resent all censorship. They have recently seen the commercial peril that there is before them from an aroused public, and therefore, while resenting outside censor- ship, have promised that they themselves will organize and suppress the vicious, but their ideas of what is vicious are so unsatisfactory that nothing can be hoped for from that source. If the church undertakes to elevate either the stage or the movies it will undertake an impossible task. The true attitude of the church toward the stage and the movies is that set forth by the Holy Spirit-in 2 Cor..6:12, “Touch not the unclean thing.” The Bishop of London’ is to be congratulated that his words had such force as to awaken opposition.Christ, the Gord, is Risen today! Gallelujah!Is the Bible im Danger? . enclietim iy Dr. R. A. Torrey Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles think that the Bible is in danger: First, there are those who think it is in danger because they are glad to think so; because it gives their consciences some little consolation in a life of sin to think that the Bible will not stand. But there i8 another class who fear the Bible is in danger, and it is with great reluctance that they think that it is, they love the Bible, they would be glad to believe the Bible, but they are afraid the old Book must go. Let us then honestly face the question, is the Bible in danger? I shall prove to a demonstration that it jg not in danger. I will not deny that the Bible has enemies, and most able enemies, most persistent enemies. Eighteen years ago when Colonel Ingersol suddenly died there were many who breathed a sigh of relief, for they thought that the most dangerous enemy of the Bible was gone, But Col. Ingersol was not the most dan- gerous enemy of the Bible. There were more dangerous enemies of the Bible even during his lifetime than he himself was, and there are far more dangerous enemies of the Bible than he today. They are more dangerous because they do'not make the mistake that he did of thinking that the world would accept caricature for argument, and ridicule for reason, and rhetoric for logic. They’ are more danger- ous also because they do not come out into the open, as he did, and frankly avow themselves to be infidels. They claim, in some sense, to believe in the Bible, but aff the while that they claim it they are seek- ing, consciously or unconsciously, to under- mine the daith of others in the absolute inerrancy and authority of the Bible, The most dangerous enemies of the Bible today are the college professors and principals of high schools, and even theological pro- fessors, who, while they claim to be endeay- oring to establish faith upon a broader, and therefore better, basis, are all the time attempting to show that the Bible is full of errors and not in accord with the assured results of modern science and history. These enemies are legion, they are found practically everywhere, many of them are able men, and some of them are brilliant-men, and’ they-have-formulated-a skillfully planned campaign. against the Bible. Nevertheless, the Bible is in no danger. There are six reasons why the Bible is not in danger.298 THE KI I. Because the Bible has already sur- vived the attacks 1800 years. The attacks now being made upon the Bible are not something new. The Bible has always been hated and assaulted. The Bible's stern denunciation of sin, the Bible's uncompromising demand of a holy, unself- ish, consecrated life, the Bible’s merciless laying of human pride in the dust, have aroused for the Bible a more bitter hatred from men than any other book has ever met. No sooner was the Bible given to the world than it met the hatred of men, and they tried to stamp it out by every method and instrument of destruction they could bring to bear against it. The arguments that are brought against the Bible today are not new arguments, all of them were met and answered long ago. I am not aware of one single new argument that has been brought forward against the Bible in the last ten years. The antagonists of the Bible have tricked out the old argu- ments in new and more attractive gar- ments, but they are the same old argu- ments, The arguments brought forward by the most learned and most able enemies of the book today are the very arguments that have been employed for more than a century. If any one will take the trouble to read Tom Paine's “Age of Reason,” he will be amazed to discover how many of the positions which men persist in calling “the new views” of the Bible were exploited by Tom Paine in his “Age of Reason” more than a century ago. Dr. Howard Osgood, a great scholar, in a discussion with the destructive critics some years ago, read a statement of the positions of the destructive critics as he understood them, and then turned to President Harper and inquired if the statements that he had read were not a fair statement of the positions they held President Harper_replied_they_were, and then Prof. Osgood startled his auditors, and especially his opponents, by saying, “In this statement that I have just read of your positions, I have been reading verb- atim from Tom Paine's ‘Age of Reaso of more than VG’S BUSINESS Indeed, many of the arguments urged by the destructive today cen- turies old. as old as the time of Celsus. With all the researches and all the labored etfort to find something against the Bible, not one single new argument has been forged in the last twenty years. There have been times in the past when the Bible has seemed to be in more peril than today, bat when the storm of battle was over and the smoke of conflict had cleared away from the battle field, this old, impregnable citadel of God’s eternal truth has been seen standing there absolutely unhurt and unsearred, and the battle has only served to illustrate how impregnable was the citadel. Those who fancy that they are going to destroy the Bible with their puny weapons, and those also who fear it is going to be destroyed, would do well to reflect upon its history. The book that has so triumphantly withstood the terrific critic: are assaults of eighteen centuries is not likely to succumb in a day. Voltaire, a far more gifted, versatile and skillful enemy of Christianity than any enemy living today, once boasted, “It took twelve men to estab- lish Christianity. I will show the world it takes but one to destroy But somehow or other it did not destroy as easily as he imagined it would. Voltaire has passed into history, and largely into oblivion, and he will soon pass into utter oblivion, but the Bible has gained in power, and the very room in which Voltaire wrote the words has been packed from floor to ceiling with Bibles for distribution, owned by the Brit- ish and Foreign Bible Society. The advance of research from excavations in Bible lands, the advance of historical investigation, and the advance of science, have all served to confirm the truthfulness of the Bible, For example, the unearthing and deciphering ‘of the cuneiform inscrip- tions, and the Moabite stone have-shown the truth of Bible statements that were once questioned by scholars. As another illustration, not so many years ago ridi- cule was heaped upon the Bible implica- tion of the existence of a great HittiteTHE people. The investigations of compara- tively reeent years have proven the Bible right. and the critics utterly wrong. The skeptics of my early years made merry over the Bible mention of light before there was a sun, but today every man of science knows that according to the gen- erally accepted nebular was light, cosmic light before the sun became a separate body, and he also knows that even after the sun had become a separate body and the earth had been thrown off from the sun and the moon from the earth, that such dense clouds surrounded the earth for a long period of time that no light either from sun or moon could reach the earth, and that after- wards the clouds became thin and dissi- pated and then, and only then, in that day, or period, of the earth's history, did the sun and moon appear as definite heavenly bodies, giving light upon the earth by day or night. A very few years ago the destructive critics ridiculed the 14th chap- ter of Genesis and its mention of Amra- phel, whom they asserted was an alto- gether mythical character, and many of them asserted that Abraham himself was a mythical character, but inscriptions made by this very Amraphel, or to use the mod- ern name Hammurabbai, have been dis- covered, and a code of laws issued by him hhas been found, a code of a very lofty character, and now instead of sneering at Amraphel as a mythical character, the critics are trying to make us believe that Moses derived his legislation from him. The greatest scientist that America pro- duced in the nineteenth century, my own friend and beloved instructor in geology, Prof. Dana, said, “The grand old book of God still stands; and this old earth the more_its leaves are _turned_and_pondered, the more .will it sustain and illustrate the sacred Eighteen centuries of triumphant history and eighteen centuties of accumulating confirmation show that the Bible is not in any peril. hypothesis there word.” KING'S B INESS 299 Il. The Bible is not in danger because it meets and satisfies the deepest needs of man in every generation. rthur Hallam said, “I see that the Bible fits into every fold and crevice of the human heart.” This is true, but more than this is true, The Bible has an answer to every ery of the human soul, a balm for every wound of the human heart. a supply for every need of man. What are the deeper needs of man? 1. First of all, the need of pardon and peace. We are all sinners. We may try to dispute or obscure that fact, but we all know it is true. The Christian Scientist may assert that there is really no such thing as sin, that sin is only “mortal thought,” or “illusion,” and yet the Chris- tian Scientist himself shows that he really believes that there is such a thing as sin by his holding other men responsible for their wrong acts, New theologians of the Reginald Campbell type may assert that the supposed fall of man was a fall upward, and that even man when he gets drunk or goes into lust is seeking after God, but in our deeper moments we all know that this is utter nonsense. In our deepest moments we all know we are not right and though we may try to question it, we also fear that there is a holy God to whom we shall have to give answer for this sinful life of ours, and even if there is not sucha holy God we know we shall have to give answer to our own consciences, whose accu- sations like Banquo’s ghost, will not down. Man is a sinner. Every man is a sinner. The great question then is, is there any place where pardon from God and peace in our own consciences can be found? The Bible answers this all-important question. It tells us that pardon and peace can be found in Jesus Christ through His atoning blood, and when we seck pardon and peace in Him we find that what the Bible says on this point is true. ‘There are many on every hand who can testify that they have found pardon and peace in Jesus Christ to whom the Bible pointed them. Years ago in Chicago a woman came to me who had- been in a very real hell for fourteen years.300 THE K NG'S For fourteen vears conscience had tor- mented her with the thought of the man into whose throat she had driven a dagger and Killed im. she had gone down to Lake Michigan by night and thought of plunging into its dark Oftentimes in her agony waters to drown herseli in order 10 from her accusing conseience. Init she hesi- tated to do it for fear « that might lie beyond deat! Tsa, 53:6 and she found pardon and perfect peace through the One who had borne hher place the murder she ‘The last three days of week before last and the first two days of last week T was in Chicago again. The first day I there this woman came smiling face and told me how happy she was in Christ, and time and again she eame to me at the close of some of the mectings, telling me how God was using even her in service for Him. hhas saved many a conscience tortured one from suicide and despai L pointed hers had committed, This. book 2. The next need of man is, deliver- ance from sin’s power. Men are in the grip of sin, we all know that, They are tunable to break away from the grip of sin Tt is well enough to tell a man to assert his manhood, but it don't work, The very leeturer who tells men that they do not need a Saviour, Jesus, to set them free from the power of sin, that all they need to do js to assert their manhood, has not asserted his own manhood and broken away from sin’s grip. This slavery of si is awful; the soul cries out, where deliverance to be found? The ery of Paul in his failure and defeat is the universal cry of the thoughtful heast, “Oh, wretched man that Tam, who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24). ‘The Bible answers the question in John 8:36, “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When we try it we find it is trae. How many men there are whom we know who have been saved from lives of drunkenness and sin by this book? How many homes there are in Los Angeles and throughout the land that were once his BUSINESS poor, and dirty, and quarrelsome, that today are clean, and well supplied and loving through the influence of this book? How men and women have been saved this book? With Where is the man has heen saved from drunkenness by iniidelity? Where is the poor, and dirty and sarrelsome that is today clean, and well from lives of sin by his. contrast infidelity he power of home that was ¢ supplied and loving, which has been made so by the power of infidelity? Where is ing woman who has been saved from a life of infidelity the sin sin by in any 3. The nest need of man is comfort in We live in a world that is full of sorrow and bereavement. Families are broken up. dear ones taleen Man the dying bed of wife or child or mother; he needs consolation as he looks im the grave into which the dearest one of carth has been lowered. Where ean he find consolation in such an hour? In the Bible, and in the Bible alone, On October 19, 1994. five yedrs after the Johnstown flood, T stood in Johnstown cemetery. T looked upon the graves of several thousand who were in one day, May 31, 1889, swept into eternity; 816 unknown ones lay ina single plot. I read the inscriptions on the tombstones. What stories of sorrow they told. There lay side by side a young mother and her baby child; in another place lay “father, 4 years; Anne, 10 years; Tommy, 6 years; Elmer, 2" and the rest of the family were left to mourn. In another place lay seven of one family side by side, ‘There was need of consolation in those days in Johnstown. Was there any place where it could be found? Yes, in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ of whom the Bible tells. On one tombstone I read, “Annie Llewellyn, died May 31, 1889,-five years, three months, seventeen days, ‘Safe in the arms of Jesus!” Was there at comfort in that for those parents as they thought of their little one caught by the swirling flood, tossed about mid trees and away needs consolation as he standsTHE KING'S BUSINESS crashing ruins, buried at last in the aw‘ul mass of drift and dying ones at the bridge? On the family tombstone named above | read these words. “Be ye also ready. for at such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 24:4), Tread not one single inscription from Tom Paine. Voltaire, Col. Ingersol, or from any infidel writer of speaker, ancient or modem. Why not? Because there is no comfort in them. A few years hefore his death Col. Ingersol recommending sicide as the best refuge he could suggest in gre and failure. The Bible has something im- measurably better to offer. 4. Man's next need is hope in the face of qleath., We must all sooner or later stand face to face with death, then the soul of man, unless it has been burned ost by sin, eries, Does this end all, is there no light in the grave? The Bible again meets aM satisfies this cry. Col. Ingersol once asked in a lecture delivered in Ci (October 13, 1894), “Why did not He (Christ) say something positive, definite and satisfactory about another world? Why did He not turn the tear-stained hope of heaven into glad knowledge of another life?” ‘Then he answered his own question in this way: ‘I will tell you why. He was a man and did not know.” The audacity of such an answer to am intelligent audience with an open Bible, is amazing. To imply that Christ did not tell something “posi tive, definite, and satisfactory about another world.” To imply that He did not “turn the tear-stained hope of heaven into glad knowledge of another life,” and then try to account for His not doing so! Col Ingersol must have thought that his hear- cfs either had no Bible or else would not read it, Jesus said in Jobm 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, 1 would have told you; for T go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Is not that believe also in me. 301 something something world? positive, something definite, satisfactory about — another Again Jesus says in John 11:28, “Tam the resurrection. and the life believeth in me, though he were And whosoever eth in me shall never di omething positive, something something, about another world? Again He says in John 5:28, 20, “The hour is coming, in which dead yet shall he live and bel Ts not that liver! detinite satisfactory all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have ood. tmto the resurrection of life, have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.” That certainly is plain cnough, definite enough, positive enough, though it is not very satisfactory to those who are living lives of sin. But has the critical Colonel himself ever sai anything “positive, definite and satisfae- tory” about another world? He had a most excellent chance to do so if he had anything to say, when he stood beside the grave of his own brother, but his pathetic but hollow eloquence on that occasion, served only to illustrate the utter hollow- ness and emptiness of skepticism. The Bible has_given men courage to die bravely and triumphantly in all the ages of its history. Infidels sometimes die stolidly and clinch their teeth and face it out, but they never die joyously and gloriously. We might go on and show other needs of man that the Bible meets, but enough hhas been said to show that the Bible meets the deepest needs of man. As long as man needs pardon and peace, as long as man needs deliverance from the power of sin, as long as man needs comfort in sorrow, a8 long as man needs hope in the face of death, the Bible is not in danger. Man will not give up to satisfy any number of keen satirists of carping eritics o plausible rea soners, the book that mects his deepest needs, that brings pardon and peace instead of guilt and remorse, that brings liberty, manhood and nobility instead of bondage to sin, that brings comfort in the darkest hours of sorrow, transforming the thunder| | 302 THE cloud into the rainbow, that inspires man with unguenchable ape in the face of death Wd its terrors, ‘The Bible is not in danger because there is nothing else to take the place of the Bible. ‘The Bible contains all the truth on moral and spiritu’ subjects that all other books together contain, It contains more than all other books put together, and it contains all this in portable compass. Not 2 truth fon moral or spiritual topics that -cannot Ihe found for substance within the covers fof this Title book. Even infidels! best thoughts are stolen from this hook. For example, Ingersol once said, “The doctrine that woman is the slave, or serf of man— whether it comes from hell or heaven, from God or demon, from the golden strocts of the New Jerusalem or the very Sodom of perdition—is savagery pure and simple.” This statement is true, but where did Col Ingersol learn this. doc equality with man? He either Iearned it from the Bible or from some one else who hhad learned it from the Bible. What is the first thing that the Bible says about woman? You will find it in Gen. 2:18, “And the LORD God says, it is not good that man should be atone; T will make him ‘a help meet for him.” Here in its opening chapters the Bible proclaims the equality of woman with man, It declares that woman is not "the slave, or serf of man,” bat his eompaion and equal. Ingersol was all right in his doctrine about the equality ‘of woman, but he was unfortunately three thousand five hundred years behind the book that he sought to hold up to sco. Turning to the New Testament he might hhave read in Gal. 3:28 the statement that in Christ Jesus “there is neither male nor female.” “He might have read again in Eph, §:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the chureh, and gave Himself up for it” Certainly there no suggestion there that woman is the slave, or serf of man, And he might have reag a few verses further down in verses 28 and 2. "So ought men to love their 1 of woman's KING'S BUSIN B S their own bodies. He that loyeth c loveth himself, For no man ‘but nourisheth and cherishetl it, even as the Lord the church.” And then he might have read two verses still further dwn, *For this cause shall ‘an leave his father and his mother, and his wile, and they two shall MIL the respect and honor and love and care bestowed upon woman woman owes to the Bible, But not rly can we find every truth in the Bible his own ever hated his own flesh. shall eleave The ae flesh.” today that we tind clsewhere, but there is more tenth in the Dible than all ofher literature put together, and it is im portable compass. In the lecture already referred to Col Ingersil proposed to give to the world nd fetter Bible i place of this ethyl what he says: “For thousands of years men have been writing the real Bible, and it is being written from day to day and it will never be finished while man has life. “AIL the wisdom that lengthens and ennobles life—all that avoids or cures dis- S, of conquers-pain-rall just and per- fect laws and rules that guide and shape our fives, all thoughts that feed the ames of love, the music that transfigures, enrap- tures, and enthralls, the victories of heart and brain, the miracles that hands have wrought, the deft and cunning hands of those who worked for wife and child, the histories of noble deeds, of brave and use- ful men. of faithful loving wives, of quenchless mother-love, of conflicts for the right, of suiferings for the truth, of all the best that all the men and women of the world have said, and thought and done through all the years “These treasures of the heart and brain— these are the sacred seriptures of the human race.” ‘That sounds pretty, don't it? T challenge any. man to say that that ig not a master- piece of diction. But after all it is only thetoric. Where is this Bible of which Ingersol spoke? People want a Bible that they can lay their hands on, that they can make use of, that they can carry with them. another fone, Dut where is it?THE KING'S A poor man cannot very well carry a Carnegie library in his trunk, and it would not do him much good in the great emer life if he could, Bur fn this book we have a Rible that a man can carry in his pocket wherever he goes. and in this one small book he has more truth of eternal value than in all the Tih the world, No, the Bible is not in any danger, for there is nothing gencies of here else to take ite place, IV. The Bible is not in danger becas it has a hold that cannot be shaken, on the confidence and affection of the wisest and best men and women, ‘The Bible has the distrust and hatred of some, but it has the confidence and affec tom of the wisest, and especially the holiest of men and women, The men who know the Bible best are the men who trust it most and love it best. ‘A superficial knowledge of the Bible such as Col, Ingersol, for example, had, or Tom Paine had. or that many a college and even theological professor today fas, may Iead one to distrust it and hate it, but the deep and thorough knowledge of that hook that comes from a pure heart and pro fund study will always lead one to love and trust it. The Bible is distrusted and hated by those whose influence dies with them, ‘The Bible is loved and trusted by influence lives after and Porphyry were great influence died with them, but the influence of John and Paul lives on in cver widening power. Voltaire and Volney were able men, among the ablest men of their day, but their influence belongs wholly to the past, but the influence ‘of Whitfield and Wesley is greater today than when they were here on earth. Cole Ingersol was a man of brilliant gifts, but his influence has not lived after Indeed it is amazing how completely he the eighteen years that have elapsed since his death. But the influence of Spurgeon and Moody is with us still, No, the Bible is not in those whose them, Lucian, Celsus, men, but ¢ him, has sunken out of sight BUSINESS 303 danger, for it has the ever-increasing cori- fidence of the best men and women, of those men and women whose influence lives aiter them, and only the distrust and hatred of those whose influence dies with them V. The Bible is not in danger because it is the Word of God. T have not space to go into that at this time. Many things prove that the Bible is the Word of God: its fulfilled prophecies, its unity. ite Divine power. its inexhaustible depth, the fact that as we grow in knowl edge and holiness—grow Godward—we grow toward the Bible. Just a moment fon its fulfilled prophecies Look at the chapter of Isaiah rock upon wh always gone to pieces. Men have tried to get around the force of the argument by the desperate expedient of saying that the chapter does not refer to Christ but to ing Israel, but even one careful read ug of the chapter will show that it cannot refer to suffering Israel. Look at Daniel 9:25-27 with its prediction of the exact of the Messiah to Israel and its prediction of His death and what would follow. Look at Mieah 5:2 and ite prediction of the very place in which the Messiah should be born. Right before our own eyes in the last.two years we have seen predictions the Bible fulliled that men said never could be ful- filled. ‘They told us that wars were at an end forever, that man had made such pro- ress in his evolution that a great war would never be possible again among civil- ed] nations of she earth, and that the pre= dictions of the Bible that greater wars and times of distress were coming than the world had ever seen were foolish and im- possible of fulfillment, but today we see these prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes. The other arguments to prove that the Bible is the Word of God I have not time to go into at all, but they are absolutely conclusive. ‘The Bible is not in danger because it is God's book. “Heaven and carth may pass away, but God's Word een the time of the manifestation30+ shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:25), or to put it as Peter puts it in 1 Peter 1:24. 25. “AML flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof _falleth away: but the word of the Lord abideth forever.” Vi. The Bible is not in danger because any honest and earnest seeker after truth can find out for him- self that the Bible is God's Word. In John 7:17 Jesus offers a test that any He says, “If any he shall know man can try for himself. man willeth to do his will. of the teaching, whether it is of God. or whether I speak from myself.” Many have tried this test and it has never failed. A few weeks ago, at the close of one of our evening services, a man came to me saying that he was full of doubts, that while he believed that there was a God, he doubted that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. or that the Bible was the Word of God. He said furthermore. he had been advised to accept it on blind faith without evidence, I told him to do nothing of the sort. I told him that believing without evidence was not faith but credulity, and that God did not ask any man to believe without evidence, Then I gave him the passage just quoted, “If any man willeth to do his will. he shall know of the teach- ing, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself.” I told him to sur- render his will to God and then ask God to show him whether Jesus Christ was His Son or not, and whether the Bible was His Word or not, and to take the gospel of John and read it, not trying to believe it, but being willing to be convinced if it was true, and promising God that he would take his startd upon everything in it that he found to be true. Within a week I received a letter from this man telling me how he had come out into the clear light of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. I have seen the man again today, and not énly has his scepticism utterly vanished, but he is leading other sceptics to Christ. THE KING'S BUSINESS The Bible is in no danger. As far as the Bible is concerned all these attacks from different sources upon the Bible do only good, they set people to thinking about the Bible, they set preachers to preaching ahout the Bible. they serve to illustrate the invineible truth and power of the Bible by showing the case with which such fierce attacks upon it are repelled. But while the Bible itself is in no danger. those who vent their apleen upon it are in danger. It is no small sin to ridicule the Word of an all holy and all mighty God. There are others also who are in danger. Those who listen to the fascinating eloquence of gifted unbelievers and allow it to Tull them to in. they are in danger. Men, and especially young men, your con- sciences were once troubling you and you were contemplating forsaking your folly, but have allowed yourselves to be blinded by the voice of some brilliant agnostic and you are now about to trample under foot the Word of God and the Christ of God." Do not he deceived, these voices that speak to you are not the voices of truth, but the voices of falsehood. infa- mous, dastardly, soul-destroying falschood. To listen to these voices means ruin, eter- nal ruin. Do not listen to such voices, listen to the voice of God that speaks to you in wondrous love frém this book and says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Yes, and there is another class in danger. Ail those whe do not accept Jesus Christ are in danger. repose in a life of This book is not in danger, every utterance of it will stand, and this .book declares in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” It is true, and if you do not believe on Christ, if you do not speedily give up your unbelief and put your trust in Him, you must perish.BUSINESS 305 ee THE KING'S sage a oN purer eae Wictory Over Death ROM morn to eve they struggled, Life and Death. SS At first it seemed to me that they in mirth 9 Contended, and as foes of equal worth, Tighten and bear that radiant form to earth, And suddenly both fell upon the heath. And then the wonder came; for when I fled To where those great antagonists down fell T could not find the body that I sought, we And when and where it went I could not tell. One only form was left of those who fought— fy} The long dark form of Death, and it was-déadT —Selected. E : t 5 hums ec A NN CNR HO306 THE KING'S BUSINESS WORLD-WIDE PRAYER An Earnest Call from the Recent Revival Conference Held in Chicago HE Revival Conference at the Thirtieth Annual Reunion of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, commemorating the cightieth birthday of Dwight L. Moody, its founder, has received from the Rocky Mountain Bible Conference at Denver, Colo., the following message “The Rocky Mountain brethren send Christian greetings, and pray God's bless- ing on the Conference. World conditions are growing more critical, Kings and Presidents seem to be groping in darkness. The 5 market is sen to world events; the Church of Christ should be more sensitive. Only God ean ‘give light and guidance. In the solemn hour we recommend that you issue a call to. Chris. tians of America to amite in humiliation, confession, prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to God, to manifest Himself in power, that eyes may be opened to understand His sovereign plan for the world: that our Republic may be led to face this hour in His wisdom and courage; and that a great multitude of hearts may be made ready for the coming back of the King, our Lord and Saviour. “Perry V. Jexness, Chairman” This call has found an immediate, unanimous, and most profound response at our Conference. We believe the brethren of the Rocky Mountain Conference were led by, the Spirit of God to make, this recommendation. We cordially reciprocate ‘it. and accept in the name of our Lord Jesus the most solemn obligation of humbly passing on the call, with the earnest prayer that in this hour of surpassing sor- row, sin, and fearful world-tragedy. fellow Christians of every name and in every land, may be united in besceching the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for mercy and help; that Christians may be convicted of their sins as Chris- tians, and the world convicted of “sin, Tighteousness, and judgment” by the Holy Spirit; that we may be moved to. deep humiliation for and confession of our manifold sins, especially our sins of omis- sion; that we may have poured upon our quickened hearts the spirit of grace and supplication that we may be led to a deeper its 5 consecration and a return to the primal Christian duty of preaching the Gospel to "overs that hy the over-ruling grace of our Almighty Father the fearful sorrows of this hour may be translated ing, and unify- ing the sadly separated children of God, and preparing the world for Kingdom con- ditions. We therefore pass on this “call,” praying that the spirit of supplication and unity may possess Christians of every name and land. Humbly disclaiming any attitude of leadership, and desiring only that believers throughout our sin-scourged world may be seized hy the common impulse of a new reliance on God, and a fuller surrender to His will, we urge through the disseminat- in uence of the public press that indi- and families begin at once daily prayer for the special manifestations of God's grace and power, and that bodies of Christians be called by their respective leaders to meet for public prayer and sup- plication on Ash Wednesday. February 2ist. or on Februas . the birthday of heseeching the God of Nations to overrule all things for His glory and to hasten the answer to our daily. prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” James M. Gray. Presiding Officer of the Conference, Dean of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago Luther B, Wilson, Bishop of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. Robert M. Russell, ex-Moderator of the United Preshterian Church. A. B, Winchester, Pastor Knox Presby- terian Church, Toronto. A. T. Robertson, Professor Baptist The- ological Serinary. Lantisville, Ky. Paul. Rader, Pastor Moody. Tabernacle, Chicago, John Timothy Stone, Pastor Presbyterian Church, Chicago. R. A. Torrey, Dean of the Bible Insti- tute, Los Angeles, California, creature :” into a blessing, refining. | George Washington FourthPunishment “Thus saith the Lord: depart from us: for they shall not depart. west By Rev. W.’L. Watkinson - Preacher and Author, Manchester, England Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.”— Jere! 37:9, 10. @ 99g EREMIAH had prophesied q C the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Chal- > EN deans. The Chaldeans came TOGO) against the city, but hearing that the Egyptians were coming out against them they forthwith raised the siege. and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were ready to believe that the storm had blown over and that they were safe. The Chaldeans had hastily departed, and the dark predic- tions of Jeremiah seemetYelied by the event. It is. at this point.that Jeremiah speaks in the text, “Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not yourselves saying, The Chal- deans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.” And so it came to pass.—Pharaoh’s-army-which-came forth to help Israel returned to Egypt, and the Chaldeans coming again to Jerusalem invested the city and burned it with fire. The great teaching of the text is, then, that we must not allow appearances to mis- lead us respecting the fact and certainty of the law of retribution, God has threatened the transgressor with severe penalties, and we may be sure that these penalties will be inflicted, however unlikely such retribution may sometimes seem, and however long it may be delayed. By wonderful ways God brings His judgments to pass. 1. We mark some illustrations of the law of retribution furnished by the his tory of the nations, The Old Testament records many instances of the fact that God makes the law of retribution to act by unlikely instru- ments, in unlikely ways, and at unlikely times. Very memorable was the retribution that Israel brought on Israel. For four hundred_years the Egyptian oppressed the Israelite, and at the end of that period nothing seemed more unlikely than that those groaning slaves could retaliate and do Egypt any hurt. On the one side was a mighty people, with palaces, temples, drmies,308 THE KING'S with wealth, pride, and power: and on the other nidful crushed and Meeding through the hitter bondage of four centuries, So far as human calenlations went. Pharaoh might well despise them, But these helpless slaves were God's “wounded men,” and by them was the throne of Pharaoh turned and the glory of Egypt darkened At the other end of their national history. Israel itself furnishes a most striking ilus- tration of the working of the law of ret bution through all improbabilities. When the Christ was crucified through weakness. the people cried, “His blood be upon us, and upon our children.” How unlikely did it seem that the Victim of Calvary could ever be avenged upon an unjust nation! And yet that “wounded Man” rose up invested with strange powers, and burned their city with fire. 1 NATURAL CONSEQUENCES And let us not think that these instances of retribution are to be placed in the cate- gory of the miraculous; they were the natural consequences of great denials of truth and justice. Men unjustly “pierced through” are terrible avengers in all ages and nations. For centuries did the kings and nobles of France oppress the peasantr: it is impossible for us to think adequately of the vast hopeless wretchedness of the people from the cradle to the grave. When Louis XVI. came to the throne it seemed incredible that the long-suffering people would ever avenge themselves upon the powerful class by whom they were ground to the dust, and yet by a marvelous series of events the “wounded men” arose in awful wrath, burning palaces with fire and trampling greatness underfoot, “Pierced through” were those hungry, hopeless millions; but the day of doom came, and every bleeding wretch arose invincible with torch and sword. For generations the African was wronged by the American; the negro had no military, political, or literary power; he was bought and sold as are ghe dumb driven cattle, and it seemed as if the fetters of a shameful degradation side was a hi of | ves, over- BUSINX were riveted upon him forever. “Was. there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel As late as 1854 Wen- del Phillips wrote despairingly. “Indeed the Government has fallen into the hands of the So far as national politics are concerned, we are beaten—there’s no hope... The future seems to unfold a vast slave empire united with Brazil, and darkening the whole West. I hope I may be a false prophet, but the sky was never so dark” And yet imme- diately after this the “wounded men” arose, delnging the land with blood and burning the cities of the great Republic with fire, Have we not another illustration in the wonderful way in which God finally delivered Italy from the deadly Ecclesiasti- cal misgovernment of ages? The Pope of slave power completely. Rome and the King of France together declared that the Italian people should never acquire Rome, and with it the sovereignty of Italy. Garibaldi was lying terribly wounded; there seemed no hope; yet once more the ‘wounded man” pre- vailed—France was burned with fire, Italy was free. And God rules among the nations today as certainly as He ruled the nations of old; and just as certainly will He bring us into judgment if we are guilty of atheism, injustice, unrighteaus- ness. If we keep back the hire of the labourer who has reaped our fields, or if our labourers fail to fulfill their share of the covenant and are guilty of extortion, indolence, and excess; if we starve or wrong those who weave our purple and create our luxuries; if we get gain by adulterations which defraud and poison; if, for the sake of any base gratification or mercenary end, we take advantage of those who are inferior to ourselves in knowledge and station ; if we employ our political and military ascendency to wrong any subject tribe or nation; God will surely visit us, humble us, destroy us. JUSTICE REIGNETH Brethren, let us again believe in the reign of cternal justice. Such was the faith of the glorious prophets of Israel;THE KINGS they believed in the just God, and taught with profound and unflinching courage that no nation can violate the law of righteous- ness with impunity, and history gives its sanction to the sublime teaching. Retribu- tion may not come in the form of a loss of territory, but it will come. Some of our writers argue that retribution does not fol- Jow on national wrong-doing, because ter- ritory gained by cruelty, treachery, blood- shed, is not as a matter of fact torn away from its-guilty conquerors, but such ill- acquired territory remains a permanent portion of their splendid empire. But there are other ways of inflicting retribu- tion upon a nation than by immediately depriving it of provinces. There is some- thing very like irony in the government of God, and He sometimes punishes the victors through the spoil. Our Indian Empire is said to have been ill-gotten, and yet we retain it, that country being to Britain what the tail is to the peacock—our glory and pride. But the gilded tail, it will be remembered, has been already splashed with blood, and the end is not yet. Retribu- tion may not come in the form of specially inflicted judgments. but it will come. No pestilence, war, earthquake, or famine marks the Divine displeasure, but the retribution arises out of the iniquity, With great injustice and cruelty the French drove out the Huguenots, but in expelling these sons of faith, genius, industry, virtue, the French fatally impoverished their national life, and they are suffering today from these missing elements which none may restore. Retribution may not be revealed in material disaster, but it will come. “And he gave them their request: but sent leanness into their soul.” It is possible for a people to increase in material wealth and _ political consideration whilst its true grandeur, its greatness of soul, is gradually passing away. Very strange and subtle are the causes of the decay of nations, and little by little, quite unconsciously, does a people lose the great qualities which made it. Poets lose their fire, artists their imagination, mer- chants their enterprise, statesmen their ~ BUSINESS 309 sagacity. soldiers their heroism, the people their self-control: literature becomes com- mon-place, art lifeless, great men dwindle into mediocrities, good men perish from the land, and the glory of a nation departs, leaving only a shell. a shadow. a memory. Retribution may not come suddenly, but it will come. “Alas! alas! that great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and decked with gold, and precious stones and pearls. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.” The destruction of Babylon is not always thus sudden, but it is sure, As Mommsen, one scarlet, and of the greatest of historians, declares, “History has a Nemesis for every sin!" INFINITE WISDOM It may seem that all might and majesty are with the unjust nation, and that “wounded men” only are on the other side; but at God's call wounded men are Michaels wielding flaming swords. “The foolishness of God is wiser than men.” Sometimes we are greatly amazed and per- plexed at the way in which history unfolds itself—it would seem as if the diplomacy of evil were too much for the Ruler of the World, as if Providence made hesitating moves, weak moves, fatal moves; but we have only to wait awhile to know that God’s foolishness is wiser, than men. “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” “The Lord shall have them in derision.” “The weakness of God is stronger than men.” The sun is sometimes dark, but its earliest ray in the dawn is more than all our elec- tric lights, the first faint beam of the spring is infinitely more than all the sparks of our kindling; the sea is sometimes weak—it is a mill-pond, we say—but in its softest rip- ple is a suggestion of power that fills us with awe; the wind is sometimes weak, but in the gentlest zephyr is hinted the majesty . of infinite strength. Nature shows how the weakness of God-is immeasurably-stronger than men; so does history with equal clear- ness. The oft-quoted saying, “Providence is always on the side of the big battalions,” is one with an imposing sound, but it is disproved by history over and over again.310 THE Some of the decisive battles of the world were won by the small battalions, More than once has the sling and the stone pre- vailed against the Philistine army. Battles are won by the big brain; and wherever that may be, slight weapons and resourees are sufficient for splendid victories. Now the all-wise God sits on the throne of the world, and werare often filled with aston- ishment at the insignificant agents with which Heaven smites its foes, and causes victory to settle on the banners of right and justice. The world's Ruler “defeated Pharaoh with frogs and flies; He humbled Israel with the grasshopper; He smeared the splendour of Herod with worms; on the plains of Russia, He" broke the power God has no need to despatch an archangel; when once He is angry, a microbe will do. of Napoleon with a snowflake. “The heavens make no sound. Their laughter’s in events.” Il. We note the law of retribution as exemplified in the individual life. The great law works infallibly in the personal-history as it does in the national life. “Who will render to every man according to his deeds... Unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but ohey unrighteousness. indigi wrath, tribulation and anguish y soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile.” It was very difficult for men of that age to realize their individuality; but the Apostle declares to ‘them that they stand out personally quite distinct from Church or State. and that each of them will be dealt with in cqu justice, And in these days of cosmic philosophies and large social conceptions. we must not forget that the individual has not parted with an iota of responsibility. What is true of the 85 is first true of the atom ; what is true of the ocean is first true of the drop. It is easy to see the law of retribution when it is exemplified in the broad effects of national calamity. but not 0 casy to apprehend its action in the indi- vidual fortune. We stand in awe over the KING'S ‘BUSINESS shattered greatness and buried splendour of Egypt, Babylon, Judea, Phoenicia. Greece: but the ruin that sin works in the just as certain. and infinitely more awful. If we could once see a soul in ruins, we should never speak again of Nineveh. Memphis. Jerusalem. Tyre. Ather Deeeive not yourselves.” God has wonderful ways of confounding us, and we may he sure that our sins will find us out. FLATTERING PROPHETS 1. Let us not permit ourselves to be deceived fy flattering prophets, There were prophets who spoke comfortably to Zedekiah. assuring him of his own safety and of the safety of the city, and these prophets were popular whilst Jeremiah was t into prison; nevertheless, the dark things predicted by Jeremiah came to pass. In the present time there is no lack of soft-tongued prophets. Loudly does revela- tion declare the obligation of righteousness. and grievous are the judgments that it pronounces against transgressors, but all this in our age has been accepted in quite a modified sense. Men will now hardly allow such a word as “wrath!” They will not permit a man to suffer simply as a punishment for his sin; the violation of Jaws human and divine must be condoned und passed over with the least reprobation and vengeance. Let us rejoice in the growth of the sentiment of humanity, but we must shut our ears to the effeminate and sentimental teaching inevitably relax and destroy a noble moral- it The greatness of Rome was built. avs the historian, on a “law of inexorable severity.” and the greatness of the universe is built on such a law—a law that will be eternally enforced. Look at the severe laws which constantly are in action to keep the physical universe pure! Whatever is decay- ing, languishing. stagnant, is injurious, and must he cleared away. Terrible forces stand ready to annihilate rottenness. In the river is the crocodile; in the ocean creeping things with insatiable appetites ; in the heavens the vulture, eager and cruel; individual destiny which willTHE KING in the air insects ‘full of blind wrath, cree ated to devour as the fire is to consume; on every side are these anatomists, dis- sectors, destroyers, without sobrie eration. or pity, devouring whatsoever is unclean, and keeping the world pure as with a consuming flame. And are there not in the world of spirits stern faws Are there mod- ever working to maintain its purity? not tnpitying messengers casting out of the higher kingdom whatsoever does offend? Are there not living executioners eliminating and destroying the morally unclean, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie? Let us be sure that as death and filth are seized upon in the physieal universe and cleansed away forthwith, nothing that is defiled, nothing that defileth, shall escape in that moral universe. in the centre of which sits One the eyes of whose glory cannot look upon iniquity. Listen not to flattering words. God is merciful. but fire does not forget to burn, tecth to tear, water to drown, and no transgression of the Law without detection and punish- “And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay." God's complex system of retri- bution permits not the cleverest sinner to slip through. BE NOT DECEIVED Let us not deccive ourselves because to promise immunity The lad who determines to rob his employ- ‘ers acquaints himself with the business methods of the house in which he is engaged—the store-keeping, the book-keep- ing. the system of checks; and at length, feeling perfectly sure of the situation, he proceeds so skilfully to work in his embez- zlements that detection seems simply impossible, But the acute youth forgets that society is a great deal older than he is. that it isa great deal cleverer, that through vast experience it has claborated-a-delicate- and comprehensive system of detection, and the young sinner is forthwith entangled in the meshes of the law. We sadly smile «to think of the boy’s infatuation, of his folly in matching himself against the ages. 2. appearances scom S, BUSINESS Sik But think of the Divine system of retribu- tion—how wide-reaching. exact, inevitable! Our severest supervision, our keenest espionage, our most adroit arrangements, our most vigilant police, our most exquisite and effective instruments. all are coarse and clumsy compared with the working of that delicate and inevitable law inwrought hy God into the very constitption of the race. and into the very constitution of things. When Joseph's brethren had thrown their young brother into a pit and left him there, how utterly hopeless seemed the lad’s condition! He was to all intents and purposes buried alive, and it seemed absolutely impossible that he should ever enge himself upon the fratricides. But. in due time the wounded man was on the throne of Egypt. and the strong-handed, clever sinners were lamenting, “Verily we are guilty concerning our brother.” And we may be sure that this was no singular instance of God's retributive government, but rather a dramatization of that vast eternal justice which works sleeplessly in the life and destiny ‘of all men. Our modern knowledge of science, of the unity and interdependence of all things, of the continuity and persistence of force and jolable integrity of all organisms. ought to make it easy to us to believe that whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap, however appearances may promise otherwise. Let us not be beguiled hy the immediate aspects of life and cir- cumstances. God's blind men watch us; His lame men run us down; His deaf men filch our secrets; His dumb men mpeach us; His wounded men arise, every man a messenger of revenge. JUDGMENT IS SURE 3, Let us not deceive ourselves because judgment is delayed. Scherer objects to Milton's conception of Satan: “How are motion, of the it we-to-comprehend-an-angel-who. enters-on a conflict with God, that is to say, with a being whom he knows to be omnipotent? ... The idea of Satan is a contradictory idea: for it is contradictory to know God and yet attempt rivalry with Him.” [Essays31z THE on English Literature. | But the fact is, that what Milton pictures in Satan we sce every day in men around as: we find it in ourselves. It appears strange, when we are suddenly called upon to contemplate it in poetic heings, that they should array themselves against Omnipotence, hat it is what we ourselves are doing constantly: the difficulty of comprehending an angel who enters on a confict with God can hardly be insurmountable to that humanity which perpetually wages a lar conflict with Him. It may to pure thought and logic he contradictory to know God and yet attempt rivalry with Him, but it is a sad fact to which there is abundant evidence outside pandemonium, and we are com- pelled to regard the contradictory idea as part of the mystery of iniquity. Men do enter into conflict with the laws of the world; they marshal their petty forces against the constellations; they set at defiance the profound arrangements of nature, society. and mind, and fancy that by some chance or other they will strew the firmament with ruin and plant their throne above the stars the mystery of iniquity that creatures can be the victims of such a mighty illusion. But the truth is, man has a vast power of self-deception, he has always at hand a variety of sophistries, and so he persuades himself that he may with advantage chal- lenge Eternal Wisdom. Justice, and Power. And one of the causes of his sad blindness is found in his misinterpretation of those pauses which occur in the government of God. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Brethren, let us not thus misconstrue the order of events and the delay of justice. “Deceive not your- selves. saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. T though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans, . . . yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.” Final success in evil is impos- sible. In contending with God we are plot- As we say, it is KING'S BUSINESS ting against a Wisdom that seems some- times to hesitate and fail: hut never is that Wisdom more profound than in the moments of seeming perplexity. and if we yield w flattering hopes of victory, our final overthrow will only be the more complete irreparable for these protractions of conflict. In contending with God we are warring with a Power that ever and anon seems baffled and beaten; it seems to retreat, it allows us to win skirmishes here and there—only the more conspieu- ously to erush us in the decisive battle, we persist to fight it out to the bitter end. In contending with God we are provoking a Justice which sometimes seems incapable of asserting itself: but inveterate perversity and the discovers in the event that all such hesita- tions and delays were the whettings of a sword which needs not to smite twice. Slowly it may be. but surely, do we ripen for judgment; and when once ripe, how little a thing is necessary to precipitate the calamity! When our health has fallen away to a certain point, a breath of bad air will throw us unto a fever, the prick of a pin poison our blood, a sudden emotion stop our heart for ever. So we ripen for judgment, and when the moment comes, which God only knows. the sinner, appar- ently triumphant, falls a ready victim to the wounded man. As the Hindoos say, “When men are ripe for slaughter, even straws turn into thunderbolts.” MERCY IS A FACT 4. Let us improve the gracious respite. How different the issue would have been if Zedekiah and his people had listened to Jeremiah, and humbled themselves before God for their unrighteousness! We, too, amid deserved judgments, are granted kind reprieves; let us heartily avail ourselves of them. Many rebel altogether against the doctrine of grace, sternly insisting on exorable—law,—justice, retribution; ~ they’ utterly reprobate the ideas of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. But mercy is a fact as much as justice is. Within that great system of severities we call nature there are ameliorative arrangements soften-THE KING'S ing the rigours of broken law life and government, still, only on a human too, which is nature higher plane, mercy and for giveness assert themselves, and society greatly prizes the gracious quality; and it is therefore a mistake, judged by the light of nature, to make an antithesis of equity and grace, as if these qualities were mutually antagonistic and eternally they both exist side hy side in this tangible human world with which we are so famil- iar, Now, the grand burden of the Gospel is to bring into fullest light that doctrine of merey hinted by nature, and to show us that grace is not arbitrariness. the negation of law, the neglect of justice, but that the fullest and most splendid revelation of grace may take place on the basis of eternal irreconcilable— truth and justice. Michelet calls the Epistle to the Romans “the Marseilles Hymn of the Gospel of Grace, the utter setting at nought of the Law.” [“Bible of Humanity."] But this is strangely to misunderstand the significance of that glorious Epistle. It was no part of Paul's Purpose to set af nought the law, or to extol an arbitrary grace, but exultingly to show the compatibility of law and grace, and to point out how the death of Christ was the supreme illustration of both, “That He might be just, and the Justifier of the ungodly.” The problem suggested by nature is solved in Christ crucified, and the sublime solution is declared at large in the Marseilles Hymn of the Gospel, the BUSINESS 313 Epistle to the Romans; it is a song of revolt, of liberty, of glory; of revolt from the tyranny of lust, of liberty through the keeping of the law. of glory as it gives peace and immortality through righteous- ness The great reason why these thinkers are so bitterly opposed to the doctrine of grace is. that it is supposed to encourage men to sin by opening to them a door of escape. That men may turn the grace of God into lasciviousness has heen acknowledged by Christianity from the beginning, but the denial of “that grace would multiply. sin finitely. It is a mistake to believe that insistence on the inexorableness of justice is necessary to the maintenance of virtue; such insistence would mean only hopcless- ness and despair. Denying men space for repentance, denying the grace which softens the heart, denying the possibility of merey and forgiveness, shutting the race up to legality and retribution, simply means uni- versal remorse and desperation. The death of Calvary is the most solemn and tremen- dows sanction ever given to law. and yet it opens a door of escape to a world of sin- ners. There is forgiveness with Him, and plenteous redemption. Accused and con- demned by the law, let us seek that mercy, claim that forgiveness, enter into that liberty. and in the day of doom we shall be hidden in the secret place of the Most High. oo John A. Hawks, Shelburne Falls, Mass. : “Enclosed find my check for $5.00, for which please enter my subscription to THE Kinc’s Business, to continue until March, 1922. The magazine and Institute are doing a good work and filling a great need on the Pacific Coast. It is refreshing to note, also, that _it_stands ‘four-square’ for the ‘faith once for all delivered unto the saints.’ Wishing you prosperity and success in your various lines of endeavor in the interests of the King, I bid you God-speed until He comes.” R. E. Moss, Pastor United Presbyterian Church, Templeton, Wis.: “How grateful Tam to God for all the good things He is bringing to me through the columns of this magazine. It rings so true to the great doctrines of the Word, and as you are cer- tainly aware, this is greatly needed. in this _ day. But another thing for which I am also_grateful. is the great work which by_ God’s help you are enabled to carry on, on the Pacific Coast. I have been follow- - ing this work very carefully, and am asking God to mightily use His servants in that part of His great vineyard.”314 THE KINGS BUSINESS THE BIOLA CLUB The Biola Cl 648 South Spr e of H. M tute worker among men, rters at No, ne superin Reynolds. a Bible Insti- the has quick efficient upliftin The accompanying picture was made at a recent with headq et, under ten gh of quite recent inauguration, y justi itself as an agency gathering of the fellows who have been reached, and of some of the workers. They had dinner at the Bible Ins! aad then. with a number of students, 1 compa v the where nty Hosp old Gospel message for the sufve Return- ng inmate: the converts ig passed the their All ne headquarters any day wes as hav lives. , NOON. AUSTRALIAN CONVENTION “Boxing Day" D held at the Gosp and New Year's a convention wa Union Hall, Commonwealth and Reservoir streets, Sydney, New South W sider the various aspects of Scripture teach ings in connection with the return of the Lord Jesus. G. E. Ardill, the convener of the gathering, presided at each session. The topics and speakers were as follows “Antichrist,” Mr. J. B. Youdale; “Radiant Light and the World's Dark Horizon,” Rev W. Lamb; “Angther Coming of Christ Necessary to Complete the Perfect Sym metry-of~Scripture~ Revelations,”-Rev—€ Benson-Barnett; “The War, Jerusalem and the Lord's Coming,” Rev. Sale Harrison; “Looking for the Glorious Appearing,” Mr H. G. Harward; “Christ's Personal Reign,” Rev. R. O. Todd; “Some Aspects of the les. to con- Blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearin| v. T. R. Coleman; “How to Prepare for Our Millennial Duties,” Mr, W. H. Wooster; 1 Five Incentives.” Mr. H, Alexander; ¢ Prophetic Word,” Rev. A. R. Shaw; “The Star of t ast Movement: For Whom Is the Welcome Being Prepared?” Rev. J. D. Mill; “In the Twinkling of an Mr. J. McDonald. A Question Box Hour provided an op- portunity for many to present difficulties Mr. J. McDonald and Rev. Sale Harrison made reply to the questions. Adresses on ‘Aggressive Evangelism were-delivered-by Messrs. J. T. Furnass; G. H. Cooke and John McDonald, each of whom has been working in connection with the Evangeliza- tion Society of N, S. W. in various parts of the State. Eye.OUR FOLKS OF THINE OWN HAVE We GIVEN THEE HE following roster of — thirty-two foreign missionaries, all of whom are fuates of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, will prove most interesting to the readers of Tne Kixe's Business APRICA—Harry P. Herdman, C. T. Youngken, Kenneth Allen, M.D., Mrs. Kenneth Aflen, Joel Soderburg, Bet Pierson, Flora Pierson, Pauline} 5 R. Kolachny, all located at Kijab British t Africa: Edith Ha Gishumu, British East Africa: Christine Suderman, Lolodorf, West Africa. CHINA—Harry Costeris. Tai Ming Fu. Chili, North China; Luella Donaldson, Helen Smith, Soo Cho: iden Pratt, Lien Chow, Canton; Hans G. Von Klitzing, address unknown; Martha Pobnert, Pi Yang, Honan; Bessie E. Pike, Wuchang, Hupeh; Florence F. Pike, Yeung Kong, South China; Albert Johnson, Rancheng, Hupeh; Mrs. Albert Johnson, Rancheng, Hupeh; Eliza ) 7 No. Shansi Road, Shanghai; Dr. Kate McBurney, Tok Hing Chan, West River, South China; Mrs. Richard Tenness (Li lian Keys), Peking; J. R. Benning, Tai Ming Fu, Chili, North China. INDIA—Mrs. D. Bergthold (Anna Sud- erman), Anna Hanneman, Hughestown, Hyderabad, JAPAN—Frances E. Davidson, Tokio; Jessie Asbury, Sendai; Kuku Fujita, Kana- zawa. SQUTH AMERICA—Van Vieck Ed- dings, La Victoria, Venezuela; E. J. Gillis, Santiago, Chile. C. T. Youngken is at present home from Africa on furlough, and Thomas Hannay and Hugh Wallace died while on duty at Kijabe. Mrs. C. T. Youngken and Mrs. homas Hannay are also missionaries at Kijabe, the former being now here on fur- lough with her husband. Neither are graduates of the Bible Institute, but they are efficient workers in the mission. Finn, TT BE Correspondcinee School of the Bible Institute is growing encouragingly. Its hundred. students represent eighteen States one leading denominations, twenty-two of the Union, and the following foreign countries: Canada, England, New South Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, Aus- tralia, Wales, Central America and Portu- gal. The following words of appreciation from students tw their wortit Miss F. S. Joplin, Mo. the Bible lessons great Rey. J. D. R. Norfolk, England: “I assure you I quite enjoy this helpful Bible study. and believe its usefulness cannot be overestimated, and you certainly have my best wishes and prayers for all the encour- agement you need and success you deserve.” Miss S. H., Akron, Colo.: “I am enjoy- ing the Bible study so much, Every lesson gets more interesting.” E. S., St. Jacobs, Ontario: enjoy these studies blessed by the sami Miss C. M. Hu Los Angeles: “I am enjoying this work exceedingly. I feel I am being greatly enriched by this splendid study of the Word of God, and Iam sure it is drawing m& nearer to the Lord, because it makes me understand Him more and more. The study of the Word in this way has been so enjoyable and profitable that I have invited in the ladies of my neighborhood, once a week, that 1 may give them, with God’s help, a taste of the delectable things on which I am feasting.” E, P. T., Riverside, Cal.: “I have learned how by these studies to follow any subject in the Bible and get what the Bible teaches on them.” Rev. C. M. B., Athol, Kansas: “I am finding this study to be most helpful and of especial benefit to me in my work.” Rev. L. L. H., Urbana, Ohio: “The course is leading me closer to Him! taking the courses testify “Tam enjoying “T certainly i have been greatlyES me eee 316 THE KING'S BUSIN THE BEREAN BAND Its Aims Set Forth in a Circular Just Issued by the Secretary WE ate glad to call the attention of our readers to the following circular. telling of the aims of the Berean Band, just received from Key. J. A. Gordon, D.D., of this Seeretury for the United States: city, The Berean Band was formed for the purpose of promoting the habit of storing the memory with the Word of God. Every member is supplied each year with a list of Bible verses for the year and is asked to memorize at least one verse each week, and Yo endeavor to influence others to do the same, The following are some of the sub- jects and verses for 1917: God's Com- passion, Psalm 86:15: Salvation through Christ, John 3:17; The Qne Foundation, 1 Corinthians 3:11; Transformation by the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Gracious Words, Acts 20:32; The Sabbath, Deuteronomy 5:12; The Son of Man Cometh, Matthew 25:13, In the list the verses are printed in fall. This year they are ina handy little booklet suitable for carrying in pocket or purse. A contribution of 3 cents a year is made by every one who receives annually one of these lists, 7 cents if postage is required. Postage stamps may be used in remitting by mail. Membership inv: no obligation except that of memorizing at least one of the verses each week and that of contributing the amount named for the expenses of the work. ‘The attention of members is called to literature that would be a help to them in their_study of the Word and in their work for Christ Who should j “Those who know much of the Scripture, for they will want to know more. Those who know little of the Scriptures, for they ought to know more.” The young, for the Holy Scrip- tures received into the mind and the heart are the Divinely appointed means for mak- ing them Christ-like in character and life “Those of riper years, for it is never too late to store the memory with the Word of God” You are cordially, invited to join our Band. [tis our Lord's will that we lay up His words in our hearts, “Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your ul” Deuteronomy 118. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly?” Colossians 3:10, It will he to you an nerring guide, lt will be a defence against temptation, Matthew 324.7. 10. It will be a safeguard st the false teaching that is so widely prevalent in our day. It will he a powerful incentive to ho g and faithful service, Ir will he a source of peace and joy, peace that passeth understanding. joy’ unspeak- je and full of glory. It will equip you for the work of influencing others to trust and obey our Saviour and Lord, a work that every follower of Christ is called to do. work for Him who gave His life for us. If you wish to become a member of this Band of Bible lovers, send your request and the contribution above mentioned. 7 cents, to J. A. Gordon, 536 South Hope St.. Los Angeles. Cal, and you will receive the list of verses for 1917 and further information regarding our Band and. its If you do not wish to he enrolled nher of our Band but would lke now about it, send him your request and 2 cents postage, and he will gladly give You the information desired The Band is international. The general secretary is Charles J. G. Hensman of London, the founder.” ‘The president of the American section for 1917 is Dr. Wm Evans, of the Bible Institute of Los Ange- les; president-elect for 1918, Dr. GT, Scofield. Many of the great leaders in the Evangelical churches in Great Britain and the United States are identified with the Band and are earnestly aiding in its work. You should join just naw. “Good habits should be started at once. Much blessing and usefulness may be Lost by delay, rs aes By the will of the late Mr. Charles K. Smith_of Philadelphia_something like a million dollars has been left to the Pres- byterian Church for the erection and sup- port of mission churches and schools in the United States and Mexico. The Pension Fund for the ministry of the American Presbyterian Church now stands at $5,350,000, and it is expected that it will reach $6,000,000 before the next meeting of the general assembly, The yearly pension planned will be $500 and for the widows of ministers, $300.Y| T 2 3 iT AM ENT ROMANS (Continued) FANING completed our study of the first two general divisions: Sin—The Wrath of God—Despair (1:18-3:20) and Justification—The Righteousness of God— Hope (3:21-5:21)—we now take up the third general division: Sanctification—The Holiness of God—Assurance (6 :1-15:13) Ill. SANCTIFICATION — THE HOLI- NESS OF GOD—ASSURANCE (6:1-15:13), Can a man, who has thus been made good. be kept good? We are told in this section that he can. The question—Is salvation by grace a safe doctrine? here answered in the affirmative. In Section I, the apostle has dealt with the question of Sim, and has proved that all men, without respect of person, circum- stance, , or privilege, are sin- ners and alike under the wrath of God. and destitute of His righteousness, thereby showing that the first step in saving a man is to cause him to realize that he is destitute of any inherent goodness or righteousness. In Section I, Paul has dealt with the doctrine of Justification, showing that a man is not justified by any human merit or works (c, 4), but by faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (c. 5; ef. 3:21-25), thus setting forth the fact that, although a man may be destitute of goodness in him- self (1), yet he may be counted and reckoned good in another, that is Jesus Christ. nation: In the section before us now (6 the question of Sanct Put in another way, the proposition may be stated thus: Is the doctrine of free grace a safe doctrine? Can it be safe- guarded against license in Christian living? The answer is, Yes; for the righteousness of God, which this epistle emphasizes, is active as well as passive. The justification of the believer is not a mere matter of right reckoning, but also of right living. Justif- cation is not merely an act of God by which He reckons a sinner righteous in His sight and deals with him accordingly; it is also an impartation of the character of God, who is just and holy, to the sinner who has been justified by the free grace of God through the redemption in Christ Jesus. Justification may be looked upon as a crisis with a view to a process—that pro- cess, Sanctification. Justification and sane- tification go together. We cannot have one without the other. The same Christ who justifies a man, sanctifies him too. The man who is reckoned good, is also kept good, The same divine provision which deals with the guilt of sin in the death of Christ, deals also with the power of sin by_giving it its death blow in the resur- rection of Christ. Where there is death for sin there is death fo sin. The righteous- ness of God begins with justification, but ends with sanctification, The doctrine of the free grace of God is an apology for 1-8:39). nis discussed, ca318 sin, but, on the contrary, argues for a life of holiness. A general view of chapters 6-8 may be set forth as follows: In chapter 6 we have the principle of holiness dealt with— Ch: in chapter 7, the futile struggle after holiness—self and legalism: in chapter 8 the secret of victory—the Holy Spirie. 1. The possibility of a holy life (6:1-23). It is apparent from a careful reading of the chapter that the apostle supposes an antagonist who brings forth an argument against the doctrine of God's free grace. The apostle has already shown in the con- cluding verses of chapter 3—the contrast between the sin of Adam and the righteo! ness of Christ—how the work of Christ not only thoroughly undoes all the evil that the sin of Adam did, but “much more” (ci. 5:10, 15, 17, 207. “Granted. then.” says some one, “that grace exceeds sin and that sin brings grace into such a magnificent light, why should we not sin in order that grace may be all the more magnified?” “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (6:1), It is a similar argument to a similar objection in 3:8, 31—“Let us do evil, that good may come?” “Do ye then make void the law through faith? God forbid.” The apostle would have the Roman Christians understand that the doctrine of God’s free grace is not, by any means, to be looked upon as allowing. permitting, or encouraging man to sin. On the contrary. the justified man has been delivered, not only from the guilt, but from the power of sin. The doctrine of lawlessness or anti- nomianism finds no support in the teaching of Paul, He who looks upon the gospel as a thing of license misunderstands the lib- erty of the gospel, which is a liberty to serve, and not a license to sin. Christ delivers us from sin in order that we may has died to sin in Christ lives unto right- cousness for God. No man can be both dead and alive to sin at the same time. The, sixth chapter “deals with the funda~ THE KING'S BUSINESS mental principles of a life of holiness from a twofold point of view: First. With regard to and as a state (vy. 1-14), indicated hy the word “therei in in the nature, This thought is "No justi- fied man need of will live in sin as an element. The sinful nature shall not have control over him, In God's sight the justi- fied man died with Christ. He must eckon himself to he dead pndeed unto sin, Second, Sin with reference to individual acts (vv. 1 Not only is it true that a man need not be controlled by his sinful nature or live in a state of sin, but it is also asserted that he may have complete mastery over individual acts of sin. This mastery is accompanied by the presentation of the members of the body to God. Tn verses 1-H the question is looked at from God's side. and the key-word is “reckon.” In verses 15-23 the question is looked at from man’s side, and the key- word is “present.” Further enlarged upon, the point is this: Because the believer. has become identified with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection, he will not be able to live a life such as he formerly lived (vy. 1-14), nor will he want to commit individual or single acts of sin, if he realizes what it is to be under grace (vv. 15-23) : That these are the two thoughts in this chapter ‘is clear from the two questions in verses 1 and 15—“Shall we sin, that grace may abound?” and “ Shall we continue in sin because it docs abound?" Or shall we continue to sin in order to obtain grace? And shall we continue in sin because we are in grace? A Brief Exposition of Romans 6:1-14 The grace of God delivers from the thraldom of sin (6:1). A proper knowledge of what took place in our regeneration and justification should lead us to see clearly ——~bring-forth the fruits-of holiness He who —thar the life of the justified is like the life —— of the risen Christ. The jusitfied man actually died with Christ. That is to say, he died to sin. He cannot, therefore, liveTHE KING'S BUSINESS Sin as a state and an element of life is impossible to the Christian, for his life communion. with sin was destroyed at the cross. To acknowledge that this actually took place at the time of justification és to admit thg foree of the apostle’s argument for a holy life, because the believer has entered into a new condition of life by reason of his identification with Jesus Christ and in His death‘and resurrection. He cannot possibly live in sin as a state or an element (6:2, 3). Every conversion is, in a sense, a funeral —the “old man” tied, and the believer arose by the power of the risen Christ into new- ness of life. The “old man” of sin was crucified, died, and was buried with Christ. It was a new creature in Christ Jesus that came forth (6:4-6). The “old man,” by which is meant the unregenerate self, the former life, a sinful and fallen nature, “was crucified” and “done away with.” This docs not mean that the old nature was annihilated, but that it was rendered inef- fective, became paralyzed, entered into a condition of impotency and inactivity as though it were dead. Indeed, the believer is to “reckon” the old nature as though it were actually dead. The apostle next shows that a life of holiness is possible, not only because of our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, but also because every claim that sin and a broken law have made against the sinner has been met by the death of Christ (6:7-14). Faith in the crucified and risen Son of God means acquittal from the guilt of sin, and redemp- tion from its power. Sin and a broken law have no claims upon the man who accepts Jesus Christ as his substitute. Just as the resurrection of Christ meant that death had no more hold on Christ, and also that the life he lived after the resurrection was different from the life he lived before, in “the sense” thatthe resurrection released Christ from the sinless limitations of human nature, so the believer who by faith has not only died with Christ, but has also risen with Him, finds himself 319 living in the element of a life altogether new and different from his former expe- rience. Sin no more has dominion over the believer, He who is risen with Christ as thereby constituted a complete victor over sin. Sin shall not reign over him. He may not be able to banish it altogether nor entirely expel it, for it will ever remain with him until the resurrection, but he can, by the power of the risen Christ, prevent it reigning and ruling or having the upper hand over him. He need not obey it in the lust thereof (6:8-12). Aman and his “self” are to be dis- tinguished. “Self” is not the whole self, but only that part of man which lay under sin's dominion. This truth kept in mind will help us to understand the great argu- ment of chapter 7. This “self” is dead; the new and true “self is alive umto God through this union with the risen Christ who can live only after God. The word “reckon” is an important one in this connection. We are to regard and acknowledge something to be a fact which really is a fact by God's grace, namely, that deadness to sin is the element in which the believer lives. “In Christ Jesus” is the atmosphere and environment of the Chris- tian, just as the air is for the bird, and water is for the fish. Sin is not to “reign” in out mortal bodies. ‘We may not be able to entirely expel or banish it, for the old nature will doubtless still remain with us until we get our resur- rection body, but we can prevent it reign- ing and ruling and getting the upper hand in our lives. The “lusts,” the perverted bodily appetites, must not hold sway. Another important word in this connec- tion is the word “present.” Twice in 6:13 is it used, and with a change of tense in each case. We present ourselves by one definite, decided act, one resolute effort to the service of our Lord, and then as new opportunities confront us, we continually present ourselves to Him for these indi- vidual acts of service. We are to present “ourselves,” which means our entire personality; and we are320 THE KING to present “our members.” which indicate the different partial presentations from time to time. Such a surrendered life is made possible hecause of the omnipotence of the grace of God. in which element the believer now lives, His idemtitication with Christ permits him to do things it was impossible for him to do when “under the law.” Lessons from 6:1-14 There are some interesting and helpful "S BUSINESS forth by an illustration from slavery (vv. 15-25). Our identification with Christ has brought us into the service and under the control of a new Master. The recognition of this fact leads the believer to make, not only a detinite surrender of his members to Christ, his new Master, once and for all, but also to make a constant series of such surrenders oF presentations of his members as opportunity may arise from time to time. ‘There isa sense in which the state of grace but this lessons to he derived from a gencral view is a state af slavery, service is of these verses. They may he summarized perfeet freedom, The Christian is saved to as folloy serve. Like the servant in the Old Testa- First, The identification of the believer ent who was anwilling to leave his master, with Christ in His death and resurrection 24 to exhibit his devotion, was willing to such an one to live 1 John 3:7-19) saty for such a makes it impossible in a state of sin (ef, ccond. Ner is it nece: heliever to commit individual acts of sin. To him has hecn granted “the expulsive power of a new affection” (cf. 1 John 2:1) Third. When a believer comprehends what has actually taken place in his life, in his state und standing heeause of his relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. he has found the sceret of a victorious life (ct. the expressions. “Know ye not?” 6:3, 16; 7:1). Just as failure to enjoy the peace of God comes from failure to grasp the fact that peace with God has already taken place through Christ (3:1), so is it with regard to a victorious Christian experience. There is great need today of teaching these deeper truths of the believer's standing in Christ Jesus. Fourth. To understand the import of the words, “reckon,” “reign,” “present” is to enter into the divine secret of triumphant living. A Brief Exposition of Verses 15-23 ‘The first part of this chapter (vv. 1-14) presented the matter of sanctification from the divine side—the key-word was “reckon.’ The section we are now to consider (vv. 15-23) presents it from the human side— the key-word is “present.” The method of victory over sin is set have his ear bored to the post, and say, “I shall go away free.” so is the heliever in relation to Christ, his new Mas- ter. Antecedent to our conversion we were slaves to Satan. the master of sin. To him and his service we yielded our members— eyes, lips, tongue, fect, hands, and mind— int now having died unto that life, and ving risen to the new life in Christ, we have our service unto righteousness. Just as sin grew by the continual handing over of our members to its service, so we grow in sanctification by the constant and con- tinual handing over of our members to righteousness. not To practice sin would be to belle our new Master, We have taken His form of doc- trine, and so must take His form of life. Christians or believers can do just what they want to do. They are free in this respect, but they will not want to do what is displeasing to their new Master. It is possible for them to do always those things that please Christ. To this position the Roman Christians had evidently attained (cf. vv. 17, 18) by the process mentioned in verse 19. When they were living in sin they were free from the claims of right- ousness (v. 20). Now that they are living in righteousness they are free from the claims of sin. The fruit of their former service, as they look back upon their past, was shame (v. 21); the fruit of their new service is life and peace (vv. 22, 23),THE KING'S -BUSINESS 3: 2. The Method of a Holy Life (7:1-8:39). (a) The fruitless struggle after holiness (751-25). * There has been considerable discussion with regard to the contents of this chapter as to whether or not the Apostle Paul was relating his own experience either before conversion, during conversion, or after conversion but before he had discovered the secret of holiness. It does not seem to be absolutely necessary, in order to’ get the meaning of this chapter, to relate it to the apostle’s personal experience, although the arguments of the chapter may have found some place in the apostle's life at one time or another. Any reference to Paul's personal experience, however, is to be understood oaly by way of illustrating the main argument, which is that the law cannot sanctify, nor can fleshly struggle or human willing. The main purpose of this chapter, it seems to us, is to show the inability of the law to sanctify (vv. 1-6), just as it was unable to justify (cf. cc. 3-5) ; also the uselessness of the energy of the flesh (vv. 7-25) to sanctify, just as it was helpless to justify (1:19-3:20). Not “the commandment” (vv. 1-6), not “I” (vy. 7-25) can sanctify. No outward legalism no inward personal self-effort can make men holy. This is impossible because there is something wrong without (vv. 1-6) and there is something wrong within (vv. 7-25). Not by “the commandment” are we sancti- fied, for “the commandment” but intensi- fies the failure of our conduct. Not by the personal “I,” for the flesh is weak and in it dwelleth no good thing. Help must come from the mighty Christ. Vain is the help of man. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God... Jesus Christ.” Sanctification is not to be attained by legalism (7:1-14). times in these verses. That this part of the chapter deals with the function of the law with reference to sanctification is clear from the expression in the first of the chapter, “Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law)?” According to the apostle’s argument it is just as necessary to die to the law for sanctification as it was to die to the law for justification. The only thing the law can do is to make sin exceedingly aggra- vating and plunge the sinner into despai Indeed, the very purpose of the law is to show us how wicked and sinful we are and how utterly impossible it is for fallen human beings to keep the holy law of God. Is the law then sin? God forbid. “The law is holy, just, and good.” It becomes sin to us only because we, by reason of our sinful nature, are not able to keep it. “For what the law could not do"—that is could neither save nor sanctify, because it was weak through the flesh, not weak or unholy in itself, mark you, but because of the weakness of our sinful nature—these sen- tences indicate the drift of the apostle’s argument in Romans 7:1-6—the inability of the law to sanctify. . Sanctification’ is not to be attained by self-effort (7214-25). No self-effort, no energy of the fiesh can make one “holy.” Just as in the pre- ceding section the prominent words were “the law,” “the commandment,” so here the prominent words are “I myself” and “the flesh,” all of which would indicate self-effort. Just as no outward legalism, so now no inward personal effort can sanc- tify, for in the flesh dwelleth no good thing; “not I,” for sin dwelleth in'me. The failure of the flesh to sanctify is set forth graphically in verses 15, 18, 21, 23. There is something wrong within as there was something wrong without. The will is weak, the nature is sinful. the “law of sin” is in the members, and spiritual law cannot be kept by one who is fleshly and carnal, Because of these things man finds himself a slave instead of free. That he knows the law, consents to it that it is good, endeavors to keep it, is quite clear from verses 16-21, But notwithstanding all this, he finds evil lying inAmbusgh for him and ready to spring on(him at/the first oppor- tunity (v. 21), &322 And so at last, when at the end of all his efforts, “slain by the law he had dil gently sought to keep, enslaved by the sin he had fought so desperately to overcome. betrayed by the flesh in which he had so determinedly trusted, the apostle at last turns to and catches a glimpse of a new power, a new Master, and this glimpse arouses hope and cnables him to enter into another realm.” Outside help is what he clearly needs, and so the struggle is given THE KING’S BUSINESS up to Christ. “In Christ” all struggle is past. By faith rest and sanctification come. What a lesson these verses have for all those who are tempted to think that while they are justified by faith, they are yet sanetilicd hy conflict and struggle. Jesus Christ is Himself our sanctification just as He is our justification. This is the argu- ment of chapters six and seven, Chapter eight will let us into the secret of the sanc- tified life —_—_¢—__—_ HOW HE GOT IN Remarkable Career of a Man Who Hung onto Mr. Moody's Coat Tail, Little Expecting Ever to Stand in His Shoes HERE are few better stories told con- cerning noted men, than that told by Rev. W. Leon Tucker, formerly of Los Angeles but now a traveling Bible lecturer, concerning a famous preacher of Chicago. He tells it as a story for children, in “The Wonderful Word Once there was a hoy whose name was Paul. His father was a preacher—a Methodist preacher, in Colorado. Of ‘course Paul spent his boyhood days in a Methodist “parsonage.” Paul was not a very good boy, In fact Mr. M. of Denver showed me a church in which years ago he told Paul that he would have to get out if he did not behave. Paul knew all the great preachers as they came to his father’s house. One day Sam Jones, the great evangelist, told Paul that if he ever got a chance to hear Moody preach, he must do it. So Paul heard that Mr. Moody was going to preach in Denver, where Paul lived. Paul determined to get in if possible. He did his best to get a ticket, but when he reached the building where Mr. Moody was to preach, he found it was filled and they would not Jet him in. There was no way to climb over, or under or in, so not knowing what to do, Paul went around to the back of the building. While he was standing there, a strong and solid looking man came up and saide “Boy, do you want to go to meeting?” “Yes™ said Paul, “but I can't get in.” “What do you want to get in for?” said the man, Paul answered, “Sam Jones told me to hear Moody preach if I ever got a chance, and now here is the chance and I can't get in.” The man said, “You take hold of my coat-tail, and ll get you in.” So Paul took hold of the big man’s coat- tail and went into the meeting where thou- sands were, and straight up on the big platform. O, how bashful Paul felt before that big crowd. Well, what do you think—the man on whose coat-tail Paul had been hanging, was the man who got up to preach—it was Mr. Moody, himself! How surprised Paul was! He had really been hanging on to Mr. Moody's coat-tail! Of course Mr. Moody did not think much of it, because I expect he had taken other boys in this way too. Mr. Moody little dreamed what would happen twenty-three years after. Well, what did happen twenty-three years afterwards? Paul had become a big man and one day in New York City, found him- self to be a big sinner and found Jesus Christ to be a great Saviour. His life now is a new life, just like every one’s is when they take Christ to be a Saviour, Paul was called to be the pastor of the church Mr. Moody founded, and that boy, "Paul Rader. now pastor of the Moody church in Chicago, preaches to such ‘big crowds that I expect some day some boy will want to get hold of his coat-tail and get into meeting. ~& | EVANGELISTIC DEPARTMENT | (QJ | Review oF THE MONTH'S ACTIVITIES By Bible Institute Workers ‘B THE SPANISH WORK R. H. Bender, Supt. Tie durin three mo! F it of t Kine’s Be Ess, let us st is that of ing the Fr: tered throughout the Mexicans are housed. county, where the At present, we have Our work is the com- mand of our Lo: ways and hed; in.” This kind of work has been largely neglected and sequently we have to spend ‘same: tine soil and ave this assur- He that goeth forth and weepeth, inig’-the seed, sowing the seed ance An Interesting Spanish Bible Group some of in the month. sixteen such camps on our list, whieh we can only visit twice Our method is to hold outdoor services + four of the larger camps every Day. and every night during the week we hold indoor services with groups of men and their families. In many places are loc Me: for whom nothing is done; here we distribute tracts and Gospels, and to those most interested we often give a New Testament these ed we find small settlements © where camps bearing precious seed. shall doubtless come h rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” One thing concerning this work in the camps is this: If th to them they will ne: more than the tea Catholic church. er know anything the Roman For instance, in one of our groups of Mexican families, one of the women remarked: “All our lives we have been taught to believe what the priest said, and consequently were kept in ignorance as hing of324 to the truth of God's Word. and perhaps we should never have known any better, But, thank God. He sent you to us, and we have become enlightened and now we who were ignorant and blind, are awakened and have been made to see the true Light.” In connection with the remark of this woman, Jet us say that if we give them the true Light. “which lighteneth every man.” they will soon be convinced of thei and thus will be led to separate from all their idolatrous practices. To. illustrate: In our last service this same woman went to her room and brought out a fine oak and glass case in which was enclosed an image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and said to us, “What shall I do with this now?” We replied, “Do you think you will need it to worship God?” She answered that she had read in the Bible, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” “Well,” we said, “you know God is a Spirit. and they that worship Him must worship errors. THE KING'S BUSI) SS Him in spirit and in truth.” This is one of the evidences of the efficacy of God's Word and a confirmation of the words of the Psalmist. “The entrance of thy Word giveth light.” The group of three famifies shown in sumbers fifteen, including the chil- dren. They have already made a distine- tion from the Catholics, calling themselves, Lord Jesus Christ.” Their hunger and thirst after righteousness is great and at every meeting they say, “The week is so long until you come again.” B we six other groups which are regularly visited every week for Bible study. In several of the groups, different ones have purchased the Bible, not being satistied with only the New Testament. One young man has definitely received Christ as his Saviour, and testifies to a rest and joy never known before. To God be all the glory. Pray especially that the Holy Spirit may conviet of sin as we Iahor among these people. the cut Sclievers in the les this, we at WORK IN THE OIL FIELDS By Frank J. Shelley URING the month just past our travels have taken us through not only Kern county (where the preaching stations were visited), but also to Orange and Los Angeles counties. The very bad weather in the north cur- tailed to some extent the attendance for the first ten or twelve days, but the good weather the remainder of the month more than made up for the loss, by giving us a good attendance, and good trowds to speak to each evening, as we held meetings from Jease_to-lease._One_very. stormy_evening, when we felt somewhat discouraged over the attendance, we were made glad by seeing two young men come forward and seek the Lord. So it goes: We are only inspired when we see a good crowd, but how different it was with our blessed Lord, John iv, who, “must needs go through Samaria” to preach the truth of the “Gift of God” to one perishing soul. This ought to make us ashamed of ourselves, and it should also encourage us when we remem- ber that this woman became the first Home Missionary. and of whom the Word tells us, “many believed on Him for the saying of the woman. ... He told me all that ever I did” (John 4:39), We held some very encouraging meetings onthe Columbia Oil lease and other leases close by, preaching the Gospel in the even- ings, and teaching the Word in the after- noons, and it was a great pleasure to sce so many with their Bibles, some of whom attend the Institute frequently, and love theTHE KING'S BUSINESS Truth, However, others are ensnared with some form or other of false doctrine. One dear good soul, thoroughly discouraged, had been made to believe we were all in “Babylon.” and that it was useless to preach the Gospel any more. Two others, who professed to find the Lord in a meet- ing we held here some years ago, had become ensnared with the Russellite delu- sion, and still others with Christian Science. We tried to show them the Truth of God, but they would not listen, The Church here was organized out of a revival we con- ducted a number of years ago, and which had been left a “Union” Church with a nice building, but a certain sect managed to get control, and their minister had decided objections to the teaching of the Lord’s coming, or of kindred premillennial truths, However. we managed to get the churel and it was a very great help to us, and we were not hindered from giving out the Full Gospel. But where one opposes the blessed truth, the Holy Spirit is hindered and the real ground of peace is not known, consequently the enemy comes in with the 325 “tare” seed, and the people “perish for lack of knowledge.” Where one is not grounded and separated unto the Gospel, how can he possibly stand the assaults of Satan? Is it any wonder so many are “led away with the error of the wicked?” (1 Peter 3:15.) In blessed contrast with this, is the com- mendation in 1 John 3:4, “I write unto you Noung men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you.” We have talked with about 400 persons about their relation with God; preached the Gospel twenty times; given fifteeh Bible readings. taking up the teaching of the four Gospels, the Epistles of John and Hebrews, and have done a great deal of house-to- house visitation and personal work with the boys on the leases. The Lord has been very precious to us, and we believe the work done will be watered of the Lord, and bring forth fruit to the praise of His holy name. May the dear Lord grant it, and grant to us more of His Spirit; more faithfulness to Him, as we go forth to do His will while we “wait for His Son from Heaven” (1 Thess. 1:10), ca ep SAN QUENTIN PRISON By Loren 8. Hanna. F you fully realize, dear reader, the awful burden of sin and sorrow in the lives of those who are out of Christ, I am sure that you are devoting your every energy to telling out the Gospel message. “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy Jaden, and I will give you rest,” is the invi- tation of the Lord Jesus to a sin-sick world. Are you extending that invitation? Come with me for a few moments into the great. State penitentiary at San Quentin, and sce some of the awful consequences of sin, and spme of the glorious conse- quences of the Gospel of life. A young man came with tears rolling down his cheeks, and told of a wife and two little children, strangers in San Fran- cisco, without friends, money or any means of obtaining either; he has been in prison three weeks, and will be there three more years. At the close of our visit he put the whole matter in God’s hands. A woman, sentenced for two years, said: “This experience is driving me to. the Throne.” Fifteen years in Folsom, and now begin- ning a sentence of several years in San _ Quentin, one man whose face is that of a typical criminal, but now rapidly changing under the influence of God’s grace, a mem- ber of the class, said one day: “These last three months of life in Christ are better326 THE KING'S than all the previous years of my life. I am happy in telling others about the love of Christ for lost men, "I shall go on trusting in God, and I know that He will not desert me, but will give me strength to bear whatever burdens may come to me," writes a prisoner who a short time ago found Christ to be his Saviour. “L like my cell, for I study God’s word BUSINESS and talk to Him there," is the testimony of another. One prisoner had his lawyer send me $10 with which to have Bible study outlines printed for the class. He has had great quantities of sound religious literature sent to friends on the outside, Please be pray- ing for these saints in prison, and for those who are not saints, and for your representa- tive. saa ae WORK IN PACIFIC COAST HARBORS Oscar Zimmermann, Supt. At ER several years of service, there are some things that loom up as espe- cially desirable, one of these things being the need for a Japanese translation of the “Way to God.” by D. L. Moody. Gad's marked blessing has rested upon this book. to the conversion of countless souls, and the printing of it in the Japanese language would without doubt mean a Targe return from the investment of the $100 or $200 needed, An ever-increasing number of eager men would carry the message to the homes of thousands in Japan. We dost if there is a like opportunity to give a whole nation a book which would mean such a harvest for God. Pray with us. and share with us in the need and the harvest Tn these war times, of the fact that “the time is short.” there is no place of Christian service where the need seems greater for giving out the Gospel and the Word of God, than in the work on the ships. On one vessel which had escaped the perils of the war zone, the worker was shown a so-called “submarine belt,” or and in view ——rather “submarine jacket,” a safety device used in these days by crews traversing the war zone. The officer showing this device was not a Christian, but as the conversation was turned to Christ and the safety of the soul, he accepted Chi A few weeks later this ship was sunk, Whether or not saved from the sea. we feel sure that this man was saved from sin. and found that, indeed, the time was short. On the same vessel a number of India men were reached through the Gospel in print, some hearing the Gospel for the first time. On this el was boarded in San Francisco a certain afternoon month a ves Tey, and exceptional courtesy was shown the worker by the officer of the deck in charge of the vessel. Shortly to depart to AMaskan there for seven months. the crew received the books Scriptures gladly. After several inter- views with young men, a Filipino was found who said that he was a Christian, saying that the reading of a Bible before his conversion kept him from killing his own wife. “Just as I was ready to shoot her in my anger, I thought of what Jesus said, and words I heard at a mission came to me and prevented me from becoming a murderer.” He said he became another man after that and read the Bible regularly. A Scotchman not over 25 years. old was found lying in his bunk, having in his pos- session, as did the others, a New Testament given him by the British Bible and Tract Society. Coming from the war zone, this man accepted Christ, the worker having the Coast to remain anTHE prayer with him, God i we rejoice with great joy. On a Japanese steamer, a small freighter. a Christian captain was found, who, after inviting the worker and his helper to din- ner, detailed an officer to get the crew together for a service. Although the time was limited and the service had to be saving souls and closed almost without an invitation. at the Jast moment one man sprang to his feet and said, “What must I’ do to become a Chris- tian?” Told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he said he was willing to become a ‘Christian, making a public stand for Christ then and there. “I, if 1 be lifted up, will drawn all men unto me,” is being proven, and found to be the power of God unto vation, for which fact we praise Him. LOS ANGELES HARBOR DR a long time we have felt the need of a meeting place at Los Angeles Harbor (San Pedro). for the benefit of the seafaring men and longshoremen who pass to and from the ships that come to this KING'S BUSINESS 327 port, so that it was a great joy to our hearts that the way was opened for us to establish “The Biola Hall,” at No. 427 Front street. San Pedro, under the superin- tendency of I. L. Eldridge. The opening meeting was held on the night of January 14, and we have since then held an evangelistic service every night, and have had several very promising conversions, in one instance a man being saved and reunited with his wife; in nother case a young girl was saved, and is now doing fine work in the church which she had been attending for some time. The hall is open during the day, so that men can come in and find a place to read, rest and write letters home. giving us. also, a chance to do personal work. We feel that God has really opened a door for great service at this place, and as this part of the city enlarges—which it is doing rap- —wwe will have an unlimited chance to re:eh men of all classes. God has set His seal on the work already, and owe trust that the prayers of praying people may follow this work and give us wisdom in laying the foundation. 9 ‘WORK AMONG THE JEWS James A. Vaus, Supt. W OK among the Jews is progressing in a very encouraging manner. The meetings for Hebrew Christians and inter- ested Jewish friends, which are being held regularly now in our “Mission Home,” are being well attended. The interest is grow- ing, and we believe they are proving, a means of spiritual encouragement and inspiration to the Hebrew Christians of our chy At the close of the last meeting, we asked if there was any one there who would like to know for a certainty whether Messiah had come or not, and if Jesus of Nazareth was He. In response, a middle-aged man, who has spent years in the study of various philosophies of the day, arose, anxious to have more light on these great questions. A further invitation to any who believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and were willing to accept Him, was given, and one of the Jewish women stood up, and wi her little babe in her arms, walked boldly out_into the middle of the room and said, “[ wish to take Jesus Christ to be my Saviour.” She had been a secret believer for some time, and at this meeting received courage to make public her acceptance and confession of Him.328 THE KING'S BUSINESS Just before the meeting was dismissed the hymn, “Almost Persuaded.” was announced, but owing to some slight change in the program was not sung. Afterward a young Jewess, who had been an attentive listener to the speaker's message. said to one of the workers: “Do you know when they gave owt that hymn, ‘Almost Persuaded! I thought. as I glanced at the words. how much like that I am.” After repeated urg- ing on the part of the workers, she became altogether persuaded. Those who still lingered after the meetings were asked to gather around and hear something that she had to tell. How our hearts rejoiced as we listened to the sweetest music in the world, the first words of a new-born soul. Mrs. Blank was very bitter against all the teachings of Christianity, and her hus- band, who had become a Christian, was the object of the most awful curses she could think of. Bible after Bible of his she had taken and committed to the flames. In spite of all this, the husband (who had been for a time a student at the Moody Bible Institute) kept sweet and patient, and “when he was reviled, reviled not again.” and in due time his patience and faithfulness was rewarded by hearing from the lips of his wife that the one she had so long rejected, she had at last received, True it is that a life speaks a message that is compelling in its power. A man was confined to the hospital with that most dread disease, tuberculosis. When a Christian worker visited him he seemed to take pleasure in ling and scotfing at the claims of Christianity. Prayer was offered in his behalf again and again, until one day the worker found that a great change had been wrought in his attitude toward Christianity. He became very much interested and asked all sorts of questions, finally opening his poor, sin- sick heart to the Great Physician, who alone is able to cure that universal heart- disease called sin. Without our knowledge. this young man died, but not before he had testified to the men on the cots around him. The Jewish authorities refused to allow him to be buried ina Jewish Cemetery, no doubt because of thé fact that he had died in the Christian faith, Pray for God's blessing on the work among the Jews. a WORK OF THE BIBLE WOMEN Mrs. T. C. Horton, Supt. OST trying circumstances often sur- round wives and mothers in the homes, these days, The following is but a sample: A hungry-hearted woman was found one day and led to the Lord, in our house-to-house visiting, The husband was so against anything religious that if she attended any services on Sunday he would go off and be gone all day, often drinking, For good seasons, she could not attend any Bible‘class, so it seemed that she was cut off from all outside help. The worker felt led to visit her frequently, sometimes wondering just how much good it was really doing, until one day the lady said: “You can never know what these visits and your holding on to me, has meant in my life. It seems to be the one thing that has firmly established me in Him.” In another instance. the Bible woman found that the lady upon whom she had gone to call was away from home, but the daughter was there. It was found, upon conversation, that this young woman, while a_member ofa Sunday School _and an to young womanhood without accepting Jesus as her Saviour and King. After a long conversation, she professed to accept Him, It was done in such a quiet way,THE KING'S BUSINESS however, that the Bible woman could not feel sure about it. She would give no Promise that she would join the church and thus make her public confession of Christ. The Bible woman left, not feeling satisfied that soul was born again Some weeks passed and the Bible woman went back to the home to. see the girl she was praying for. She was not at home. but in talking with her mother, she found the daughter had told her mother of her decision and that she intended to join the church, and the mother said, “O, she is a different girl in the house!” Thus God gives us surprises and shows us that the sced sown shall bear fruit. Calling upon another lady, we found her very approachable. She was clearly shown this 329 the Bible way of salvation, from 1 Cor. 15:1-8; also God's estimate of any other “gospel,” from Gal, 1:8, 9. Then she was shown pages 23 to 25 from “Science and Health.” and she admitted that there was no harmony between the two. She said she had always “believed in Christ” as her Saviour, but had never definitely received Him, and refused to do so then, because she had determined “to find out what there in Science." She has promised to prayerfully read John, and to write us if she decides to receive Christ before we call . which we hope to do soon. She also promised to call her husband’s attention to the diserepancy between "Science and Health” and the Bible. Please pray with us for this soul. oO WORK IN THE SHOPS David Cant, Supt. NE of our boys handed us a letter the O'vrnes day. It was thrust into a pocket and then, at the close of a heavy day's work, it was found to be from his old home across the sea, and read as follows: “Dear Boy: Your mother has been spending a few days with us and showed me a letter received from you which has” delighted us very much. Your aunt and. I are so pleased to learn that you have received the only true friend in this world, Jesus Christ. Thank God our prayers have been answered unto your giving yourself into his care and keeping. Now, my dear boy, keep close to the Master. He will never fail you. We are also pleased to hear who was the means in God's hands of leading you to our blessed Lord. ‘Blest “be the tie that binds, our hearts in Chris- tian love. The fellowship of kindred minds. is like to that above.’ “T am pleased to inform you that your brother is an active Christian worker and a very good boy. (Of course, you under- stand that you are all boys to me.) May God keep you ever under the shadow of His wing, arid don’t neglect to pray that you may be kept very close to Him. Also, read a portion of Scripture daily, for with- out these two things you cannot succeed in your Christian life. And always choose Christian men for your companions. All your friends here are so pleased to hear the good news because the time is short and it will not be long until the blessed Lord will come, and we want you-to be with us at’ His coming. Your aunt and mother have gone to church as I am writing this note. I want to say to you, dear boy, be careful. You are in a dangerous business, but God can take care of you no matter where your Tormmay be cast, if you wi only put your trust in Him. He is faithful that hath promised. Drop me a line when it is convenient for you; though ‘absent in the body, we are praying for your welfare330 THE KIN before the Throne of Grace, and we shall always be pleased to hear from you. Gi your friend my kind regards. We are all brothers in Christ Jesus, and he will under- stand my motive in sending him my good wishes.” This boy's mother's prayers had followed him from far away across the seas for twenty-five or thirty years. Doubtless there was not one night in all that time that her heart did not cry out for her lad- 'S BUSINESS telling out the story; new doors have been opened; we have seen indifference, antagon- ism, skepticism, crumbling down beneath the searching Word of God, backed by the prayers of those who bear us up before Him, and men in all places are thinking as never before as to the outcome of things. ‘This affords us great opportunities, as with in hand, we bring before them the things which must shortly dispensational chart die, to who hears and knows and come to pass. for the things concerning our cares. blessed Lord have an end; but, blessed be We have had a wonderful month God, He abideth forever. > THE NEGLECTED FIELDS HIS community (Mendocino county) was voted dry a year or so ago, and they are now using the vacated saloon building for the neighborhood dances, a dance being held here about every two weeks, generally on Saturday nights, and caried on until Sunday morning, people of all ages attending. We were told by one girl of fifteen that she and her nine-year old sister were regular attendants, and had many times danced with men old enough to be their fathers, who were so intoxi- cated they could hardly stand on the floor. Under such conditions, we find it hard to do any real definite work on our first visit, yet the Lord gave us six souls at a meet- ing we held in a nearby schoolhouse, and if we can get back to this place in a short time, we feel sure that the Lord will honor the effort and we will be able to organize a permanent Sunday school. Herbert Grings, who for the past few “Weeks fas been reaching the more isolated families, has had several very interesting experiences, visiting families who rarely see a stranger. He had to go through snow three feet deep on the level, ford mountain | Geo. P. Wicker, Evangelist streams and encounter snow storms. He tells some of the needs: ‘A boy 15 years of age, whose parents Mived for a long time in Alaska and who knows very little about Jesus, yet is much interested in the Gospel, needs religious literature, A young man and wife, who have made an absolute surrender to the Lord and are thinking of going to the Bible Institute to prepare for Christian work, are hesitating to step out on God's promises. Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead them into a defi- nite decision, A little girl 13 years of age, whose mother is dead, and who is acting as mother in this home, needs some good Bible stories and other literature.” The nearest church and Sunday school are ten miles away. A young man 17 years of age, recently converted and sincerely interested in the Bible. No Sunday school or church within twelve miles, A mother of seven children. She is a Christian and is trying to teach the Bible stories and verses. They live away back in the mountains with only a narrow bridle-THE KING'S BUSINESS trail leading to their door, and their nearest Sunday school and church fifteen miles away. This home has but one room, such as many people use for a woodshed, but the poverty and squalor are offset by the sweet disposition of the mother. The old- est child is 13, Gifts of clothing, books, wall mottoes, would be acceptable. A twelve-year-old child, the only Chris- tian in the family, would appreciate some Bible story books. A young lady, 17 years old, who is attempting to teach the neighbor's children the Sunday school lesson in her own home. Hold her hands up in prayer. Another young lady 17 years old. Her mother is dead and she is taking her place as mother to her four younger brothers and sisters. She was recently converted and is undertaknig to teach Bible stories to the children. She needs Bible helps and Christian Endeavor World. 331 The above will give some idea of the people with whom we come in contact in. these neglected districts, almost every day. The greatest need is for religious litera ture, Sunday School literature is fine for the children, but we need something more definite for the older ones, and especially for strengthening the weak Christians. We find THe Krxo’s Business very helpful for this purpose. It seems to meet every need. Then we could use several dozen Bible story books, and could use another fifty colportage books every month, 'We are already distributing fifty of these books cach month, but have to pass up a good many homes where a book could be left to advantage. We would also be glad to furnish names of families to those who would send them their week-old Christian ndeavor Worlds. Christian Heralds and similar papers. Will you join us in prayer that the Lord will supply the necessary funds to meet every real need? = t—— THE EXTENSION DEPARTMENT . Geo. W. Hunter, Representative HE work at Seattle bas grown in spiritual fervor during the past month, and the reason, we believe, is the definite prayer for wisdom that has been going up from many of those interested. When the Bible Institute was established here in Sep- tember of last year, the faculty, with one or two exceptions, was made up from the regular staff of assistants in the work of the church—those who are doing pastoral work during the day and teaching at night. ‘The regular work of Dr. Matthews’ church is a stupendous thing in itself. In one —week-eighty-three-events-were-scheduled-in connection with the church organization proper, and besides these, there were classes in several portions of the city con- ducted by workers—some of them under salary but many of them volunteers. Dr. Matthews is the executive head of all this work, and is carrying more classes than some of his assistants, besides being fre- quently called on to speak in other cities of the State. f In view of the heavy demands on the time and energy of the workers, it is won- derful how the work of the Institute has grown. The power of Jehovah God is being manifested daily, in a very definite way, in deepening the interest in this teaching service of the church, At this writing, we are anticipating an cightdays'—Bible Conference, with Dr. William Evans, Associate Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, as prineipal speaker. The Conference will open with @ mass meeting of all the Bible classes con- nected with the Church and Institute, to332 be followed Sunday night by another mass meeting, at which Dr, Evans will speak. Then from Monday to Friday, inclusive, we are anticipating a feast of good things, with Dr. Evans as teacher every afternoon and evening. We are hoping to have other helpers during the year, such as Dr. A. C. Gaebe- lein, editor of “Our Hope,” and Dr. james M. Gray, dean of the Moody Institute, and are much in prayer that His ‘will may be accomplished in it all. One: of the chief problems confronting us in the development of a definite experi- ence among the people, and when we look over the field, witness the utter indiffer- ence of the multitude toward the real things of life, and the trend of things gen- erally toward rationalism and social service, THE KING’S BUSINESS rather than toward the old Gospel, it is discouraging. But when we look back at the things accomplished in the few short months since the Institute was established, we thank God and take courage, for we know that the God who has blessed the work so far will, if we are submissive to His will, lead on to victory. Looking at the progress of the work, we are filled with and thanksgiving to God for His ed favor in the ministry, and our joy vl hearts go out in prayer to Him “for con- tinued guidance and blessing, as we plan and develop the Institute activities from month to month, Will you not join us in intercession that the will of God may be accomplished in every move being made and anticipated? LIGHT ON PUZZLING PASSAGES and PROBLEMS By R. A. TORREY Is it right for farmers professing to be Christians to hold their grain until they get $2.00 a bushel? Is it right for them to hold their eggs laid in the fall, until they can sell them at 50 cents a dosen? That depends upon circumstances. If there is more than is needed of grain or of eggs in the market, it is a wise and benevolent act to keep them until they are more needed and then put them on the market when there is greatest need for them. Of course, when there is greater need there will be higher prices. Of _course, a man should not sell as fresh eggs those that have been kept in storage or preserved in_any way, but I can see nothing unchristian in keeping things until they are most needed. It is simply that kind of prudence that is commended in the Bible. There certainly would be nothing wrong for a person who had a surplus of apples in September to keep them for his own use, either fresh or dried, or preserved, until January or February, and why should there be any reason why he should not keep them for the use of others? What do you think of the 1911 Bible? We have already answered this question in Tue Kine’s Business, but it was per- haps three or four years ago, and as the question is of great importance we answer it again. The first requisite in the translation of the Bible is that it~be—dependable:-—The——— 1911 Bible is entirely undependable. ‘The work is done in a careless and slovenly way. There are changes made in it from the Authorized Version. when there is noTHE KING'S BUSINESS need of a change and where the Revised Version makes no change, and there are other places where changes are desirable where they are not made. Sometimes a change is made in the translation of a Greek word in one part of a verse, but is not made in another part of the same verse. For example, in Matt. 6:45, in the first part of the verse, “Take therefore no thought" is changed into “Therefore be not anxious,” which is a change that is warranted by the Greek, but further on in the verse the English for the same Greek word is not changed, but left as it is in our Authorized Version, “shall take thought.” It should be rendered “will be anxious,” as in the Revised Version. In other words, the 1911 version is entirely inconsistent with itself in its translation. When the version first came out we went through it with some care and found 138 very unfortunate renderings, either changes being made where there was no reason for making them, or changes not being made where they were positively demanded, or other unfortunate things in the translation. In making the Revised Version the Ameri- can and English Committces met once a month, practically the entire Committee, and went over the work that the individual revisers had done during the month, com- paring notes and thoroughly debating the question of making changes. This went on through a long series of years. The men who did the work were the most eminent scholars in England and America. But in the case of the 1911 Bible the Committee never met but once, and then went over the work that the individual members had done, in the most hasty and careless way. Furthermore, some of the men engaged in the work were in no sense Hebrew or Greek scholars. At the time of its publica- tion we called the attention of the manager of the firm who put the Bible out to these the truth of the criticism, and furthermore inquired whether we would undertake with others a correction of the book, but we were obliged to say that the mistakes were 333 so many, and to do the work properly would take so much time, that we thought any effort in that direction must sarily prove futile. The most dependable translation of the Bible, take it all in all, is the American Standard Edition. This, however, does not differ in any essential respect from the Revised Version put out by the Oxford University Press, incorporating the sug- gestions of the American Committee in the text. Furthermore, there is no very essential difference between the Revision as originally published, and the American Standard Version, though the American Standard Version, or the edition of the revision with the suggestions of the Ameri- can Committee embodied in-the text, is for some reasons to be preferred. Any of these translations are immeasurably more to be depended upon than Weymouth’s, or Mof- fatt’s, which in reality are not translations, nor even paraphrases, but interpretations, and frequently very poor interpretations, However, probably any of these is to be preferred to the Twentieth Century New Testament, in which some of the render- ings are positively ludicrous, and the whole work is characterized not only by very crude English, but by entirely unwarranted renderings. neces- é Dr. De Witt, the dean of the Western Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, states that for many years the seminaries of his church have hardly sup- plied men enough for the ministry to meet the death rate of the clergy. “The dis- parity between the number of our parishes and of our clergy was larger by ninety last year than the year before. Bishops, par- ticularly in the West and South, are seek- ing priests to fill vacancies. Wardens, dis- tressed and discouraged, are writing to the —__facts,and_he wrote very frankly admitting seminaries-asking—for—assistanee—in- a rector. Lay readers were never so numerous and in many places congrega- tions are thus being trained to get along without the sacraments,”FOR THE SERMON, BIBLE READING, GOSPEL ADDRESS @ | Homiletical Helps By WILLIAM EVANS ol (a) SERMON OUTLINES Theme: *The Credibility of the Resur- rection of Jesus C! + Text: 1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:3. INTRODUCTION, The important place of the doctrine in the Christian sstcm. I, The nature of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1, The meaning of credibility. 2. The meaning of Christ's resurrection, Negatively: (a) Not a swoon. (b) Not a resuscitation. (c) Not continued existence of the soul only of Jesus. Positively: A literal resurrection of the physical body of Jesus Christ from the tomb in Joseph's garden. II. The proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Methods of proof: 1. Cause and effect. Here are certain effects, the causes for which can be traced only to the fact of Christ's resurrection, (a) The empty tomb. (b) The Lord’s Day. (c) The Christian Church. (d) The New Testament. 2. Testimony. (a) The number of witnesses. (b)-Phe-eredibility-of the-witnesses. (c) The nature of the fact witnessed. (d) The lack of motive for perjury. 3. Experience (1 Corintians 15:17) : Paul's; Corinthians’; Ours. "Repeated by Request. HUI, The necessity for the resurrection of Christ. 1. The sinlessness of His life made it impossible that He should be holden of death (Acts 2:24) 2. The vindication of the truth of all His claims (John 2:19; Matthew 12:38-40)., 3. The sign of God’s approval 2:23, 24, 31-33) 4. To that God had accepted Christ's redemptive work behalf (Rofnans 4:23-25). IV. The resuits of Jesus Christ’s resur- rection. 1, With reference to Christ Himself: (a) It marked Him off as the Son of God in a umique sense (Romans 1:4). (b) It was the seal of the di approval upon all (Acts 2:23, 24). 2. With reference to the believer: (a) Assures him of all needed power (Ephesians 1 :19-22). (c) Grants to him the Holy Ghost (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:33). (d) Is a guarantee of his own resur- rection and immortality (2 Corinthians 4:14; John 14:19). 3. With referend&to the world of men: (a) Guarantees the resurrection of -all-men—(1_Corinthians15.:22). (b) Assures them of the certainty of a coming judgment (Acts 17:31). Conctusion. (Acts show in our e His claimsTHE KING'S BUSINESS Aets 17:30, 31. Inrropuction. I. Its Certainty—“God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in , righteousness.” 1. The Universality of Judgment—"God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world.” IIL. The Basis of the Judgment. _ 1, The deeds done in the body (2 Corinthians $:10). 2. “The secret things” will be judged (Romans 2:16). 3. Our words will be judged (Matthe 12:36). = IV. The Judge—The Son of Man: “By that Man whom he hath ordained.” —From “Revival Addresses,” by. R. A. Torrey. Theme: The Drama of Life in Three Acts. Text: Luke 15:11—"A certain man had two sons.” Act I. Wandering; or the Nature of Sin. 335 Scene 1, A beautiful home. Scene 2. Leaving home. Act H. Desolation; or the Fruits of Sin. Scene 1. Gaiety. Scent 2. Great need. Scene 3. Feeding the swine. Act EH, The Wanderer’s Return; or the Remedy for Sin. Seene 1. Alone in the fields—Thinking. Scene 2, Resolving—Home going. —From “Revival Addresses,” by R. A. Torrey. Theme: Five Divinely Chosen Instruments. Text: 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28. I. The Foolish Things. I. The Weak Things. Il. The Base Things. IV. The Things which are Despised. V. The Things which are Not. ‘The purpose of all is that no flesh should glory in God's sight. This treasure we have in earthen vessels that the power may be of God and not of man, —D.L.M. BIBLE READINGS ‘ Thirty Traits of Christian Character Assurance (1 Thessalonians 1:5;’Hebrews 10:22). Blameless (1 Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 2:15). Boldness (Hebrews 10:19; Philippians 1:20). Charity (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Peter 1:7). Confidence (2 Corinthians 5:6; Hebrews 10:35). Diligence (2 Peter 1:5; Hebrews 6:11). Endurance (2 Timothy 2:3; Romans 5:3). Faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:17; Revela- tion 2:10). Gentleness (2 Corintians 10:1; Galatians Joy (James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:8). Kindness (2 Peter 1:7; Colossians 3:12). Love (Ephesians 1:15; Galatians 5:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 13). = Liberality (Isaiah 32: 9:13). Meckness (Ephesians 4:2; Titus 3:2). Ministering (Hebrews 6:10; 1 Peter 4:10). Obedience (Romans 16:19; 1 Peter 1:22). Prayer (2 Corinthians 1:11; 1 Peter 4:7). Praise (Luke 24:53; Psalm 150; Revela- tion 5:9-13). Quietness (2 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Timo- thy 2:2), Readiness (Titus 3:1; 2 Corinthians 8:11). ; 2 Corinthians —____5.:22)._____._____________ Soberness_(1_Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter __ Goodness (Ephesians 5:9; Romans 15:14). Hospitable (1 Peter 4:9; Romans-12:13). Holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:16). Integrity (Proverbs 20:7; Psalm 78:72). 5:8). Temperance (2 Peter 1:6; Galatians 5:23). Unfeignedness (1 Peter 1:22; 2 Corinthians 6:6). Vigilance (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Timothy 32).336 THE KING'S Watchfulness (Revelation 3:2; 1 Corinth- ians 16:13). Zeal (Colossians 4:13; Titus 2:14). —S. R. Briggs. “He will keep the feet of His saints.” (1 Samuel 2:9). BUSINESS Keep them clean (John 13:5, 6) Guide them in the way of peace (Luke 1:79). Pluck them out of the net (Psalm 25:15). Set them on a rock (Psalm 40:2). Light them upon their path (Psalm 119: 105). Keep them shod (Ephesians 6:15). Bring them within His gates (Psalm Keep them from falling (Jude 24; Psalm 122:2). 116:8). ‘ —D. L. M. JOTTINGS Silence—A German proverb says: A MWish—There are many who, with a “Speech is silver; silence is gold.” Carlyle burdened heart, sav: “f wish I were @ says: “Silence is deep as eternity; speech Christian!” But all your wishing will is shallow as time.” Denouncing the vapid verbiage of shallow praters, he again exclaims: “Even triviality and imbecility, that can be silent, how respectable are they in comparison!” Cato says: “I think the first virtue is to restrain the tongue; he approaches nearest the gods who knows how to be silent, even though he is in the right.”. He who knows when to keep his tongue still has a wise head. Yet, as some one has said, “Silence is just as far Trom being wisdom as the rattle of an empty wagon is from being music.” Many a man passes for wise simply because he is too big a fool to talk. : An Antidote for Frivolity—Culture is the best antidote for frivolit We hear of dancing circles, etc. How many reading circles do the young women of high society maintain? Figures would present a sad commentary. Is it not sad that the feet should be educated at the expense of the head and heart? How to Drive the Children Away from Home.—Reserve all your social charms for strangers abroad; be dull at home; don’t talk; forbid your children to come into the ~~ nicely-furnished rooms; have no~amuse=—— ments and no pleasures; make home as irk- some as possible; forget that you were once young—and your children will make every possible effort to get from home at night and run the streets. never make you one. There is a great dif- ference between wishing to be one and choosing to be one. A wish is not of itself a purpose. You may wish to go to Wash- ington, but unless you act accordingly— unless you make your preparations, go to the depot and get your ticket, and, instead of sitting down in the depot and wishing yourself there, get aboard the train—you will never get there. So. if you want to g0 to the capital of the skies, you must get aboard the line of Christian influences that will bear you there. Inability a sinner.” am unable to’ come; I am That is just the. reason why you are to come to Christ. You are not to stop on account of your sins, but seek the Lord because of them. Suppose the man with a withered hand, whom Christ met in the temple, when Christ bade him “Stretch it forth,” had cried: “Stretch forth my hand? How can I? It is withered!” Of course his hand would never have been healed. But when he heard the command he obeyed. The same Being who bade him act gave him strength to act. That is just what you have to do. ‘You hear the-command:—Obey-it —————— —M. C. Peters. Mr. Moody used to say that some preach all doctrine, for the head# that makes an imperfect man. Some preach all expe-. THE KING'S BUSINESS for the heart: imperfect man. ience, that makes an Some preach all works. for the hands: that makes an imperfect and man. Preach doctrine, experience, works, and you get a perfect man. Grandma’s Lament Oliver Muir Fuller Yes, take my bonnet, dearie, My gloves and glasses, too; I'm sad tonight and weary, ‘Yet I must talk to you. ‘We've been to meeting, dearie, For comfort, praise and prayer, But something told me plainly That the Saviour was not there. “Home Missions,” was it, dearie? I thought I heard it right ; But I would not have guessed it From what was said tonight. Not once they spoke of Jesus, His power to save from sin; No word of Gospel message To bring the wanderer in. They spoke of “Education,” And read a story, too; Oh, dearie, I was heartsick, For when I thought of you And then of Grandma's girlhood 337 When Christ was preached and taught, As the only way that sinners To the Father might be brought; I trembled, lest the teaching i Of other ways should prove The very means of keeping My grandchild {rom His love. For “character” ahd “uplift” They spoke of there tonight, Have never brought salvation, Or cleansed us in His sight, His Blood alone, my dearie, Is what the Missions need ; We want no education That holds a Christless creed. And when we come together Upon the Lord to call, We want to have our Saviour Exalted above all. Not education, dearie, And all that that may be, But Christ, our Blessed Saviour, Is the need of you and me. And though we've been to meeting, And two ministers were there, I want my Bible, dearie, And a little while in’ prayer, —Watchword and Truth. Never attempt to escape suffering at the expense of truth—Spurgeon. ~(er A TRE The Fav eT ’ the American Bible Society indicate that Mexican officials, troops and civilians are welcoming the Scriptures more eagerly and widely than they can be supplied. In the first two weeks of a campaign in Mexico City, 17,000 Gospels were distributed, and pas- tors and churches were co-operating heart- ily. The gospels were being sold for 10 cents each, or about two-fifths of a cent American money. In Puebla 5,000 Bibles or portions have been distributed in six months, and still more are demanded. “The wonderful Book is really becoming popular in Mexico,” writes one. “In the city concerts which the city gives, the orators seldom fail to refer to Jesus or the Bible, though they often misinterpret its teachings. When the Lord thus raises up political orators to help spread His Word, we can but see the great interest He is taking in this part of His vineyard.” EPORTS to No one can estimate the good results that have come to America and China in the return of the “Indemnity Fund” after the Boxer uprising. Last October eighty more Chinese students sailed for American colleges and universities—sixty-five men and fifteen women. There are now in America more than 1,200 of these “Indem- nity fund students,” who represent the best in intellect that the new China has to offer. The importance of reaching these men and women for Christ cannot be over-empha- sized. American Christians have a great responsibility in their manifestation of — Christianity to these visitors. Seventeen years ago a group of six students from the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of Louisville, Ky., found a sec- tion of the city thickly populated with A Glance at the Field at Home and Abroad hlorizom colored people, having no religious advan- es and in absolute ignorance of God. In the ensuing years the work has grown from a small mission school in a rented build- ing to two large institutional plants with 1585 people in attendance at classes, clubs and services, carried on under the direction of ninety-four white teachers. Probably no other agency is being more used of God among the soldiers of Europe than the Pocket Testament League. Through its instrumentality hundreds of thousands of men have accepted Christ, Small khaki-bound pocket testaments have been sent to the military training camps of Europe as fast as°the printing presses could produce them, Because advanced Chinese women have unbound their feet, there seems to be a widespread impression that foot binding is a thing of the past. Listen to the tes! mony of a young missionary in Tsingta “What is significant to me now, as a student of social conditions in China, is to see everywhere no little heathen girls with unbound feet. That is, none who have come to the foot-binding age. I have itinerated through hundreds of villages and never yet have seen a heathen woman with unbound feet. Nor have I seen any Chris- tian women as old as I am, with feet un- bound; though usually Chinese school girls have unbound feet, and many of the older Christian women have unbound feet as much as they dare.” “Theareaoccupied-by the Niger Mission in Africa contains a popttlation of 3,000,000 . souls, and is as yet largely unevangelized. At is everywhere open to us. We have the ear of the people and seldom has an out- station been occupied of recent years with-THE KING'S BUSINESS out visible results, In hundreds of towns and villages where it seems but the other day that the sowing of the good seed was commenced, the “fields are white already unto the harvest.” The unique opportunity so evidently given us by God should be caught up without delay. An annual gift of $1000 enabled the Shansi Mission of the American Board in China to open up new work in the remote province of Shansi, lying to the west. The first reports are full of encouragement, Mr. Pye has recently inspected and finds that already 267 converts have been made and that at several centers churches may soon be organized. On this trip he opened five new preaching places, The people who had not even heard there was a Christ, are keenly interested in the gospel story. Mr. Pye is bringing the new converts in groups of eighty to the city for special instruction in Christianity. The course lasts about two weeks and 1 help anchor the con- verts in the new faith. “The future of India will not be in the hands of the high caste Hindoo, but in the hands of the low caste and the outcasts.” This sentence appeared in a publication on the Arya Somaj, a high caste organization which aims at a revival of a purer type of Hinduism. Despite all persecution the Indian low castes and out casts are turn- ing to Christianity by the thousands. The challenge of opportunity is before the church. The low caste and the out caste do hold in their hands the future of India. 339 Whether India is to be won soon for the . Master will depend upon how fully Chris- tianity can meet the opportunity presented by the movement of these people toward the Church of Christ. The first Y. M. C. A. conference held in the Turkish Empire was held in June, 1914, A few men met together and prayed earnestly that the movement might gain headway among the college students of Turkey, consuming selfishness and sending forth young men and women eager to lay their lives on the altar of God's service in the spirit of Christ among the people of the land. The challenge is to remain in Turkey, in many ways a harder call, involv ing more sacrifice than the call to “go,” to which we listen at our conferences. These students face the reformation and deepening of the spiritual life of the great historic churches to which they belong, and ever before them looms that Gibraltar of resistance to the claims of Christ—that ightiest of Christianity's opponents in the field—Islam. . Latest reports received from the Ameri- can Ambassador regarding the Armenians indicate that the need is practically indescribable and will continue through the winter and indefinitely thereafter, with suf- ferings increased by cold and hunger. The telegram states that this is a crucial time and that the pressure brought to bear upon the refugees to compel them to embrace the Mohammedan religion continues in the interior.[ol ATTAIN iE TU International S. S. Lessons Exposition and Practical Application By R.A. Torrey Outlines and Suggestive Points By T.C. Horton {a} Jesus Gives Sight to the Blind APRIL 1, 1917. LESSON I. John 9:1-11, 35-38. (Read vs. 1-38. Memorize vs. 3-5.) Gotven Text: “I am the light of the world.”—John 9:5. DAILY BIBLE READINGS Mon., March 26—John 9:1-12. John 9:13. Tue: ., March 27. (The Lesson.) Wed., March 28—John 9 :26-41. Thur., March 29—1 Fri., March 30—Mark 8 Sat., March 31—1 John 2:1 Sun, April 1-1 John 2:1 Mark 10:46-52 26. EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS vo 1, “And as Jesus (He) passed by, He he was beyond human help (v. 32): his sawa man blind from his birth.” The three words “Jesus passed by” are of great nificance. Wonderful things may be es pected to occur when Jesus passes by. The case of this man was absolutely hopeless. He had been blind from his birth, no human skill could touch his case, but “Jesus passed by,” that changed everything. What man cannot do Jesus can, and Jesus is ever passing our way in these days, so we may constantly expect wonderful things to occur (John 14:12), But Jesus not merely passed by, “He saw” the man. Many a teacher would have been too busy with his own thoughts and too much filled with the sense ‘of his own importance to even glance at a poor blind beggar, but our Lord Jesus was not merely a great Teacher, He was a great lover of men, ‘a misfortune of any kind always attracted His attention and moved Him to compassion (Mark 6:34; Matt. , 9:36, R.V.; 14:14; 20:34; Mark: 1:40, 41; Luke , 13). This blind man is a sug- gestive illustration of the unsaved sinner: blind (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14), he never had seen; case was hopeless, humanly speaking (doubtless he himself had given up all hope of ever seeing) ; he was without sympathy, suspected, despised (vs. 2, 34); he was poor, a beggar. But just as the Lord Jesus saw this blind man He sees the sinner today and desires and is able to help. All this man’s need was only an opportunity for God's abounding grace in Christ, and Jesus is “the same yesterday, today and forever.” He ever sees us in our need and distress . 3:7; 6:5), and He is ever ready to . 2. “And His disciples asked Him, say- ing, Master (Rabbi), Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he is (should be) born blind?” What a striking contrast between the feeling of Jesus’ disciples as they looked at the man, and the feeling of Jesus Himself, The feeling of the disciples _ was simply one of curiosity and contempt, our Lord’s feeling was one of deepest com- passion (vs. 2, 4, 6). To which are we most like, the Master or the disciples? What is your feeling as you gaze upon theTHE KING'S BUSINESS poor, the outcast, and the unfortunate? Do you see in thet an opportunity to help and a Divine call to do something for them, or do ypu see in them simply the victims of own sin and consequently regard them h indifference or contempt? Our Lord saw in this man’s misfortune a call to help; they saw in it only the just consequences of his own sin or the sin of his parents, The disciples thought that all sickness must be the direct consequence of sin, v. 3. “Jesus answered, Neither hath (did) this man sinned (sin), nor (or) his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” Jesus here plainly declares that it is not true that all sickness must be the direct consequence of the sin either of the one who is sick or his He tells us that there is another parents. purpose in physical infirmity beside that of chastisement for sin, viz. “that the works of God should be made manifest.” In this particular case the works of God were made manifest in the man's healing. Sometimes they are made manifest by God’s sustaining grace in weakness (2 Cor. 12:810). Doubtless sickness is often the direct result of (Mark 12:23), in other cases it is the indirect result of sin. When God's children wander from Him He suf- fers sickness to overtake them to bring them to their senses and to Himself. Sick- ness does not always arise from sin either directly or indirectly. Sickness may arise from one’s faithfulness in the performance of duty (Phil. 2:27-30). The fact that a man is sick is no indication whatever that a man has sinned. A man may be sick even at a time when he is in the closest fellowship with God. Elisha was “sick of the sickness whereof he died” at the very time when he was in most close fellowship with God and when God made through him one of the most wonderful revelations of all Elisha’s life (2 Kings 13:14-19). We ~ live in a day when men are making swe; ing generalizations about sickness from a study of only part of the data in the mat- ter. Our Lord did not teach by verse 3 that neither this man nor his parents had 341 ever sinned (as might appear from the Authorized Version of the verse), What He did teach was that they “did” not sin as the cause of this blindness. The parents, so far from being sinless sinned before the chapter ends, but their sin was not the cause of their son's blindness. v. 4. “I (We) must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh (add ,) when no man can work.” That is a wonderful “must” with which this verse begins, “we must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day.” Indeed we must. Night is fast coming on, no man can work then, so we must up at once and at the work now. Those are very solemn words “the night cometh,” the night of death when we sleep. not work, not that we are unconscious, but we are shut out of activity in this world and shut up with Christ in blessed communion (Phil. 1:23), but beyond the possibility of finishing any work we have left undone here. And then there is another night that cometh, the night when the Church shall have been removed from the earth and the darkness of the great tribulation shall have settled down upon it (2 Thess. 2:9, 10, 7, 8). That night seems to be fast approaching, and what work there is to be done in this world must be done before that night comes, and we need to make haste. There are some who do intend to do great things for the evangelization of the world in future years. Better do them now for “the night cometh, when no man can work.” Note carefully the works that we must do: not our own. works, but “the works of Him that sent me.” Tt is plain from comparing verse 2 with verse 4 that Jesus considered deliver- ing men from evil far more important than speculating with the origin of evil. The philanthropist and the evangelist-are of far more value to the world than the meta- physician. 5. “As long as (When) I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” The world’s night is when Jesus is gone, and the darkest night for the individual soul is when Jesus leaves it. As long as He is342 in the world He is the light of the world,and causes division. but when He goes there is midnight dark- ness. vs. 6,7. “When He had thus spokes, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He (omit, He) anointed the eves of the blind man (his eyes) with the clay, and said unto him, Go (add ,) wash in the poot of Siloam (which is by inter- pretation, Sent). He went his way (away) therefore, and washed, and came ‘seeing.” Jesus helped the man without waiting to be asked to do so. The man’s need was a prayer. If we are to follow Jesus we ought not to wait until misery comes to us, we should go to it. Jesus in this case did not open the man’s eyes by a mere word, He used means, Of course, there was not the natural power in the clay made of the spit- tle to open the eyes of the blind man, though there is a certain small measure of healing power for the eyes in spittle, nevertheless, the Lord did use means in this case, though they were totally inade- quate means for the full accomplishment of the ends sought. The command, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” was a test of faith for which the anointing of the eyes with the clay made of the spittle was an inspiration (cf. 2 Kings 5:10-14; Mark 3:5; Luke 17:14), Siloam means “sent” and was a type of Jesus Himself, the One whom God sent (v. 4; ch. 10:36; Rom. Gal. 4:4). If we wish sight for our ind eyes we should go to Jesus Himself and bathe (John 8:12). The man gave the best evidence in the world of faith, i.e., prompt obedience. The result was “he came seeing.” If we wish sight, salvation, or any other blessing from Jesus the thing to do is just the thing He bids us do. vs. 8, 9% “The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him (saw him aforetime), that he was blind (a beggar), ——said;-fs—not-thishe—that-sat-and begged? Some (Others) said, This (It) is he: others said, He is (No, but he is) like him: but he (. He) said, Fam he.” The blind man's cure occasioned discussion and division. Christ’s work always arouses discussion THE KING’S BUSINESS In this case the dis- cussion gave an opportunity for testimony. The man showed his manliness by saying. ‘Lam he.” (ic. "he that sat and begged”). His frank testimony for Jesus caused him excommunication (w. 34), but it brought him a deeper, fuller knowledge of the Lord 38) (vs. 3! vs. 10, 11. “Therefore said they (They said therefore) unto him, How (add, then) were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, (omit, and said) A (The) man that is called Jesus, (omit ,) made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of (omit, the pool of) Siloam, and wash: and (so) I nt (add. away) and washed, and I received sight.” When this man was asked how his eyes were opened he gave a model statement of the case. short. right to the point, and giving the exact facts. He spoke of his deliverer as “the man that is called Jesus” Later in the day he said, “He is a prophet” (v. 17). Later still he recognized Him as “the Son of God" (vs. 35-38). Those who heard his testimony desired to see Jesus (. 12). Such is the power of testimony. He was then brought to the Pharisees, the recognized enemies of Jesus (v. 22, ch. 11:46, 47. 57: 12:42). The man did not dodge the issue even then. His testimony created division even among the Pharisees (cf. Acts 14:3, 4). Some decided that He could not be from God because He kept not the Sabbath according to their notions of Sabbath keeping, but others said, “How can a man that is a sinner do such signs?” That is an unanswerable question for all deniers of the Deity of Christ, for if He is not Divine He is the chief of blasphem- ers, The man was not at all daunted by the opposition his testimony had aroused, and boldly proclaimed of Jesus “He is a prophet.” —vs-35, 36. “Sesws-heard- thet-they-had cast him out; and when he had found him (finding him), he said unto him, Dost thou beliewe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who (And Who) is He, Lord, that I might (may) believe on Him?” WhenTHE KING'S. BUSINESS the rulers cast this man out they cast him right into the arms of Jesus. It is a good thing to be cast out if separation from human fellowship brings the fellowship of Jesus, and it oftentimes does, Their cast- ing him out led Jesus to seek him out. Jesus, having found him led the man on to a deeper faith. He had believed in Jesus far enough to obey is bidding and go to Siloam and thus be healed. He had believed in Jesus as a good man and a prophet and that He was “from God” (vs. 17, 30, 33), but now he is to be brought into the great saving, transforming faith that He is the Son of God (¢f. eh. 20:31). Jesus put to him the great question, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” Ah, there is a whole world of meaning, life and blessing and power in that question and its right answer. Put it to yourself, do I really believe on the Son of God? You say, “I do,” but do you? If you do, happy are you (John 20:31; 1 John 5:1-4). This man did not as yet, but he will shortly. Note his honesty and his eagerness. “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe on Him?” v. 37. “And omit, And) Jesus said unto 343 him, Thou hast both seen Him, and He it! is that talketh (speaketh) with thee.” Here isa plain declaration upon the part of Jesus Himself that He is the Son of God. There are those who say that Jesus never Him- self said that He Himself was the Son of God, but certainly He does say it in the most unmistakable terms in this place. What a privilege this man had of actually seeing the Son of God and having Him speak with Him. We too in a sense may see Him even now (ch. 14:21), and the glad day is coming when we shall literally see Him (1 John 3:2), and it is our privi- lege today to have Him speak with us. v. 38. “And he said, Lord, I believe: (.) and ke worshipped Him.” Just as soon as Jesus made Himself known to this man as the Son of God he cried, “Lord, I believe.” He proved that he really did believe by worshipping Him. Do you worship Jesus? You ought to. There are many who say that they believe that Jesus is the Son of God who stop short of actually worshipping Him, and by so doing they stop short of their full duty toward the Lord (Heb. 1:6; cf. John 20:28, 29), LESSON OUTLINE (1) The Blind Man, vs. 1-3. In Chapter 8, we have what He was toward men; In Chapter 9, we have what He was for men. Does the fact that the whole chapter is given to one miracle, signify its import- ance? Deut. 27:28 (Comp. John 3:19.) There are four instances of healing the blind, in the life of Christ: What is the test Christ made in Matt. 927-307 : What significant thing did Christ do with the man in Mark 8:22-26? What test was made with blind Barti- meus? Mark 10:45-52, How did the man in our lesson differ from the others? v. 32. Who noticed the blind man, Christ or the disciples? v. 1. Did the disciples consider him as an ob- ject of pity, or for theological discussion? 12:6; I Cor. 13:2. Was it the prevailing belief that sickness and suffering were judgments for sin? Acts 28:4, Is suffering sometimes the direct result of -sin?—Num--42:10;-2-Kings-5::35-37- Are special calamities always a sign of special sins? Luke 13:4, 5. Is some suffering for the special glory of God? 2 Cor. Ii344 What affliction ? was the purpose of this man's 2 John 2:11 (2) Bestowment of Light, vs. 4-11. Did the blind man seek help from Jesu Esa. 65:1 For what wa 12-44-46. Is the world in darkness? 1:5; Eph, 3:8. What did Christ see the blind man? Gal. 6:10 Jesus sent into the world? What is suggested by the clay? 1:14: Gen. 2: What is suggested by the spittle? Gen. 1:2, What is suggested by the command. “Go. wash?” Eph. 6; Psa. 119:130. Of what was that command a test? Mark 9:23. What Old Testament leper was similarly cleansed? 2 Kings 5:14. To the hungry what did Christ become? 6:35. What did he hecome to the thirsty? 7:7. What did He become to the dead? 11:25. What did He hecome to the Mind? 8:12. Why, after he had received his sight. was his identity questioned? 12:39, 40. What was his testimony? v. 25; 1 John 5:19. Was he a good witness for Christ? Acts 4:16-20. (3) Bestowment of Life, vs. 35-38. Was there abundance of proof that sight was restored? vs. 8, 20, 21, 15, 24. Why were the Pharisees not willing to receive the proof? 11:47, 48. What did they do with the blind man? vs. 22, 34. . THE KING'S BUSINESS Does Jesus ever lose sight of His own? Matt, 28:20; 1 Peter 312-15. If they wander, docs He hack? Luke 15:4, What more than sight did the blind man need? Who. alone 11:38 Does Jesus make a personal revelation of Himself to the sinner? John 4:26. thing did the blind man bring them could hestow that? 1:4; essen Acts 16:31. What logical thing did he then do? y. 38. do? In accepting worship, did Jesus manifest His Deity? 13:13; Luke 4:8. PRACTICAL POINTS (1) The sons of men are spiritually blind, from birth. (2) Jesus saw a man in need; the dis- t for theological ciples saw an obj discussion. (3) Sickness is not al specific sin. $a sign of some (4) Man's deep need affords the Lord an opportunity to display His great power. (5) Obedience to His Word will always bring light and life. (6) When a man is a saved man, he is a changed man. (7) Every Christian should be able to say, “Whereas I was blind, now I see.” (8) When they cast him out of the syna- gogue, the Lord took Him into His sanctuary.THE KING'S BUSINESS 345 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead APRIL 8, 1917, LESSON II. John 11:17-27, 43, 44. (Read vs. 17-44. Memorize vs. 25, 26.) Gounen Text: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life."—John 11:25, DAILY BIBLE READINGS Tues., April 3—John 11 Wed., April 4—John 11 Thur. April 5—John 11 :38-46. 4 Fri., April 6—John 11 :47-57. Sat., April 7—Matt. 28:1-10. Sun, April 81 Cor. 15 :S0-58. (The Lesson.) EXPOSITION AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS vs. 17-20. “Then when Jesus came, He perhaps it is vain to speculate. At alll found that he had lain (been) in the grave events she “still sat in the house.” four days already. (Add, Now) Bethony 2). “Then euid Martha (Martha there- wos nigh wat Ferusalem, about Bfteen sore said) unto Jeeus, Lords if Thou hedst Jurlongs off: and many of the Jews came oon pore ‘my brother had not died.” (had come) to Martha and Marx, to com- yeaa was quite-right, It is certain. that fort i(rousole) vihem ‘concerning: thir’ ie ya suy tad Seen there Lazarus would not brother. Then Martha (Martha therefore), an could not have died Mare. later the as soon as (when) she heard that Jesus was She aay when she met Jeals said. the coming, went and met Him, but Mery sat S208 thing (a. 32). “Evidently Martha THU Gat ab) ie the house.” Our Lord and Mary had talked it all over together rad Jeft Martha. and Mary to endure four’ aq said’ it over and over again to one days of agony and loneliness and per- onother, “Oh, if Jesus had only come, dear plexity. At last Martha hears the long Tuzsrue would have been living still” expected and eagerly desired message that Pronanty Jesus would mot have wesehed * Jesus is coming. Some glad day we will Bethany before Lazarus died even if he had Brae (Etoo. Tne moment the message came started at once after receiving the tidings Martha hurried forth to mect Him. There tht Tanaras was cick (el, ve. 6 17), bet were many Jews who had come to console 1. knew of Lazarus’ sickness before the Martha and Mary regarding the death of pcssage came (v. IK) and could easily have their brother, but Martha Imew that Jesus been there before his death, It did not alone could bring real consolation, and she goer ind in Him not to come, but it hastened to Him. "No matter bow. many’ 35 kind, in fact, the highest kindness our earthly friends may be who come to 7° had in store for Martha and Mary a comfort us in the hour of deep affliction : i F A eet i i, {aF better gift than the healing of their ene une One Defere hic brother, viz, his resurrection from the comfort, end that ie Jesus: Before thin: geod” eens ia never kinder. than -when household carcs had Kept Martha away ¥e seems least kind. ‘There seems to be ~ trom Jesus-tLuke 10:39,-403,but wow hers touch of reproof oF complaint in the sense of need of Jesus was too deep to words of Martha. On an eatlier occasion allow anything to keep her from Him. Just she had not hesitated to reprove her Lord why Mary did not hasten to the Lord (Luke 10:40). We, too, are often tempted together with Martha we are not told, and to complain of those dealings of our Lord—_—off_in_the dim and_distant future, and_she _ 346 which for the time we cannot understand, Martha had a certain amount of faith in Jesus, viz, faith that He could heal if present (cf, Matt. 8:8-10), but she had not yet quite risen to the faith that He would raise from the dead, v.22, “But I know, that even now (And even now I know that}, whatsoever Thou shalt ask of God, God will give it Thee.” Here Martha rises to a higher height of faith, not only believing that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying. but heliev- ing that whatever He asked of God “cren now" God would grant Him (ef. v. 42). In this utterance we see a faint hope on Martha's part that Jesus might raise Laza- tus from the dead in answer to Jesus prayers, but she hesitated to come right out and ask Jesus to do this. It showed however. a great faith in Jesus to believe that God would give Him whatever He asked. In Christ we too have this privi lege of being in such relations to God that He will give us whatsoever we ask (1 John 3:22; John 14:13. 14; 1 John 5:14, 15). vy, 23, “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.” Jesus perfectly under- stood the implication of Martha's remark and the unexpressed longing of her heart. He always understands our unexpressea longings, Jesus answered, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Blessed promise! What wonderful expectations it must have awakened in Martha’s heart. and He is saying it to all of us whose loved ones have fallen asleep in Him, y brother shall rise again.” “thy husband shall rise again,” “thy child shall rise again.” “y, 24. “Martha said unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha was not satisfied even yet, she feared that Jesus referred tc the general resurrection somewhere away wished to have Lazarus with her at once. Martha had an intelligent faith that there was to be a resurrection of the body. In that faith there was no element of uncer- tainty, it was absolute confidence, she THE KING'S BUSIN S could say, “S know that he shafl rise again.” How many are there of us today who could go even as dar as Martha could. We hope that our loved ones. shall rise again; we expect that they shall rise again; we quite conlidently believe that they shall rise again, but there are many who profess to he Christians who lack the absolute confi- dence in the assurance of God's Word “T know that he shall whereby they can s rise again.” vy. 25. “Vesire said unto her, Tam the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in (on) me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Jesus here gives Martha a new and glorious thought about the resurrec- tion, He says. “T AM THE RESURREC- TION AND THE LIFE." If then, we wish resurrection and life. all we have to do is to get Jesus Himself. for He is the resurrection and the life (cf. 1 John 5:12) Resurrection and life are not the same thing, resurrection has to do with the hody, life with the spirit (John 17:3). All men will ultimately receive resurrection through Jesus (1 Cor. 15:22; John 5:28, 29), but only those who believe on Him shall receive life in its highest and truest sense (John 3:36). In these words of our Lord we have another wonderful T AM, and in this “I am” as in the others there is a clear im- plication of the Deity of our Lord. Only He that is God could say, “I am the resur- reetion and the life." As Jesus is the resurrection and the life it necessarily fol- lows that the one who believes on Him, even though he should die, shall live again. v. 26. “And whosoever liveth, (omit, ) and believeth in (on) me, shall never die. Believest thow this?” Here is a very plain declaration that the one who is alive and believes on Jesus shall never die, But some one wills: ‘many of those who believe on Jesus do die.” No, they do not die, they fall asleep; their bodies die and-crum~ le into dust, but the body of the believer is not the believer himself, it is only the house that he inhabits (2 Cor. 5:1), and the believer himself, the spirit, departs to be with Christ in conscious ” blessednessTHE KING’S BUSINESS (Phil. 1:23), “absent from the body, at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8, R.V.). So it is literally true that “whosoever liveth, and “believeth in (Jesus Christ), shall never dic” In a similar way the Lord Jesus says in John 8:51, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my word, he shall wever see death.” After uttering His wonderful words Jesus put to Martha the searching question, “Believest thou this?” Just so today the Lord Jesus is asking us concerning every wondrous promise that He uttered and which we read in the Bible, “Believest thou this?” v.27. “She saith unto Him, Yea (add , ) Lord, (:) I believe (have believed) that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come (even He that cometh) into the world.” Martha did not hesitate to answer yes to the Lord’s question. Can you answer in the same way. “Yea, Lord?” Nor did Martha stop even then, with burn- ing heart and lips she continued, “I have believed that Thou art the Christ. the Son of God.” Di you also reaily believe that? It is all-important that you should. Believ- ing that, if you really believe it, means that you have eternal life (John 20:31). It means furthermore that you are a child of God and will have daily victory over sin (1 John 5:1, 4, 5). vs. 43, 44. “And when He had thus spoken, He cried with a loud voice, La. rus, come forth. And he (He) that was deed came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: (;) and his face was bonnd about with a napkin. Sesus saith unto thent, Loose him, and let him go.” In thesegverses, taken in connection with the verse$ that precede (39-42), we see a wonderful interplay of the natural and supernatural, man’s work and God's work. Before Jesus performed this. one of the most stupendous miracles of His life, call- ing back to Tite-a man who had been four days dead, He demanded that man should do what man can do. Jesus alone can 347 and will raise the dead, but man can, and man first must take away the stone. There is many a man today “dead in trepasses and sins” whom Jesus wishes to get at and raise, to whom He wishes to say, “Come forth.” but He is calling to us, “Take ye away the stone” (v. 39), and we will not obey, so the man is not raised. What is the stone that lies against the door of the cave wherein your dead friend lies? What- ever it is take it away. Even Martha, who had made the wonderful confession in verse 27, which we have just been studying, when she heard Jesus say, “Take ye away the stone,” forgets and protests against the moving of the stone, She says, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” As if it made any dif- ference to the omnipotent “Son of God,” “the resurrection and the life,” how long a man had been dead. Why, the time is com- ing when He shall speak the word and those who have been dead four thousand years shall come forth (ch. 5:28, 29). Jesus had prayed to the Father for the resurrection of Lazarus and knew that His prayer was heard and that Lazarus would rise (vs. 41, 42), so now He cries with a loud voice. zarus, come forth.” In- stantly the spirit returns fo the body (cf. Luke 8:55, R.V.) from which it had been absent four d: and Lazarus rises, stilf bound hand and foot with the grave clothes and comes forth. Now again man is called upon to do what he can do to free Lazarus from the grave clothes. How simple and sublime is John’s statement of what occurred: “He that was dead came forth.” A plain, calm, unvarnished state- ment of the wonderful fact. The story bears the marks of its genuineness in every line. And what a wonderful restraint there is on John’s part in recording it. Who is He that by a word thus raises the dead? Only. those_who_won't se who He is. Truly this is “the Christ the Son of God.” yet how