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VOL.

12.

No. 4.

AUCKLAND,

N.Z., APRIL, 1892.

TWOPENCE.

~~~~~~~

GRAND step in connection with the English theological forward movement is to be taken this year at Oxford. The council of the Mansfield Oollege intend that a short summer session, lasting about a fortnight, should be held there this year for the purpose of giving a brief course of instructiou in the higher theology. The Chautauqua (U.S.A.) school has set the fashion for these summer student meetings. England has followed the idea, and established reading circles, with annual meetings of students, to encourage home study; but this is a distinct advance upon everything hitherto attempted, to our knowledge. Ministers of all denominations are invited as students, and first-rank theologians have consented to lecture. Such meetings should be stimulating and helpful, and those who are privileged to share in them should return to their homes not only benefited in mind, but with their sympathies broadened by contact with other men whose lines of thought are somewhat different to their own. A movement such as this speaks much for the breaking down of denominational prejudices. It is not too early, we hope, to express the wish that our theological leaders will not be slow to catch the spirit which animates Dr. Fairbairn and his worthy coadjutors. , General' Booth has reached home again after a seven months' absence, and after travelling 35,000 miles; and, of course, the welcome was as sensational as could be devised. A special steamer was chartered to convey Mr. Booth from Cherbourg to Southampton. Excursion trains were run from Waterloo, and eight steamers took thousands of the General's admirers through the Solent to meet their chief. No doubt these demonstrations are made to pay, and like many huge advertisements, they bring grist to the mill.

Earnest-minded students of the Word will wonder whereunto this thing will grow. certain it is that this does not impress us strongly with the idea that there is any likeness between the Army and the Early Church, When the 'General' was in Rome he advocated his scheme of social amelioration, and it was noticed that at the meeting specially devoted to this, various representatives of the Vatican were present. At this meeting the absence of religious truth from the 'General's' address was so very marked that one of the next morning papers said : , General' Booth says-Is a man idle ~ Make him thrifty and industrious. Is a woman corrupt 7 Make her pure and chaste. Do circumstances cause a man to be bad ~ Then change the circumstances. All this is very easy. Does the' General' not .speak Italian ~ Give him Dante's 'Divina Commedia ' to translate. The danger is a real one for the Salvation Army. If its spiritual work is abandoned for the' serving of tables,' its present success is but the beginning of the end. The figures of the Indian census show an increase of twenty-eight millions during the last ten years. Here is a statement with matter in it for thought for those whe speak of the rapid increase of Ohristianity amongst the heathen. Hindooism numbers two hundred million adherents, Mahommedanism fifty-seven millions, but in India there are little over two million Chrietians. The natural increase is far and away beyond the addition to Christianity. Will m,!3n never learn ~ The mission of Christianity is not to convert the world, but to ' call out a people for the Name of God.' This is being done-the other never will be by the Church. It is not her mission. The death of M. de Laveleye, author of 'Primitive Property in Land,' has been noted and commented upon, and prominence given to his economic work. We have pleasure in giving place to the following :-Le Chdtien Belge says: ,It is surprising that in their estimate of the work of M. de Laveleye, the leading papers have taken so little notice of his religious views, and in some cases have maintained a studied silence on the part which the Gospel had in his mental development. He himself wished no

50
such concealment.although

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

he never paraded his religious

APRIL, 1892 .

18lia5 ano 30bn tbe 113apti5t.

'Then the disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Bapti!'t'-Matt. xvii. 13.

opimons. At the tercentenary of Edinburgh University, he said to the students: "Study the social question. Read, on the one hand, the books of the economists, but on the other the Gospels. If they seem to disagree, hold fast by the Gospels, for there must at least be harmony between the good and the useful. Take as your motto the words of Christ, 'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.' " We recall, too, his attitude when the Anti-Slavery League was holding its meetings at Liege, at the time when Cardinal Lavigeree was seeking to stir up Europe to the half-religious, half-military crusade which was to set Africa free. At one of the sittings the Archbishop of Treves exclaimed, "vVe shall go with the sword in one hand and the cross in the other." At that very meeting a letter was read from M. de Laveleye, who had 'refused the honour of presiding. "I belong," he said, "to a league of peace, which accepts in their literal meaning the words of Christ, 'He who takes the sword shall perish by the sword.'" Thus he again, without pretension and without ambiguity proclaimed his loyalty to Christ.' Many years ago, when resident in England, the post used regularly to bring us catalogues of lithographed sermons prepared for ordinary Sunday services, or for special occasions. A batch of fifty-four (one for each Sunday, one for Good Friday, and one for Christmas Day) could be had for a remarkably low figure. All were guaranteed specially written by experts, in clear, bold writing, beautifully lithographed. 'vVe never saw one of these sermons, but that there must have been an extensive trade in them seems evident, and doubtless a good many country congregations heard these sermons, and devoutly believed that the reader had' made it up out of his own head.' Our attention has been called to the topic by an article in the Nineteenth Century for February, entitled 'file Traffic in Sermons,' written by B. G. J ohns. The topic is treated by an enumeration with particulars of the current advertisements of sermons for the use of the clergy of the Church of England. The extensive supply of the article ad vertised betokens a corresponding demand, and the terms offered are most surprising. The semi-secrecy to be observed is the only vestige of shame apparent in the transaction. The reviewer says: 'The traffic in sermons, therefore, beyond all doubt, is a wide one, and carried on at a considerable profit, and the cool impudence of the vendors is only exceeded by the transparent folly of the clerical customers who invest in such worthless trash. No wonder that dull preachers and sleepy congregations abound.' , Once upon a time,' at a village church in East Anglia, a worthy rector of the old school used to preach sermons obtained in a similar manner to the above. On one occasion, when driving home from church, his coachman observed: 'That was a rare fine sermon you preached this morniu', master.' 'It ought to be, it ought to be,' replied the rector, 'it cost me three and sixpence /'

IN order to get the full connection in which, this text is given, we may look back to the previous chapter, verse 28. In conversation with His followers our Lord then assures; them that some who are standing there should see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom. Then six days after He takes with Him His three chosen disciples into a high mountain and was transfigured before them; He was changed from the Man of sorrows to the glorified Son of God, who from the excellent glory veiled by a cloud, acknowledged Him as His beloved son in whom He was well pleased, and they who were present were commanded to hear Him. Every kingdom must have territory-King-so rulers or subordinates and subjects. This vision represented the kingdom of God in miniature. Moses and Elias appeared. in the vision not in reality. Moses represented the saints who had died-for he died and the Lord buried him; and Elias represented those who shall not taste of death but will be translated at the coming of our blessed Lord; and the disciples themselves represented the mortal nations that will be left after the Son of Man sets up His kingdom. This thought is fully brought out in the writings of the prophets, but I pass on to the one point I desire to note particularly. The fact of seeing Elias in vision brought to the disciples' minds the prophecy of Mal, iv. 5, and they ask Jesus why the scribes, who were best acquainted with the prophets, said that Elias must first come. He answered them very plainly that Elias had come already, and they knew him, not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise, i.e, in the same manner shall the Son of Man suffer of them. , Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist,' verse 13. This surely is very plain, and puts it beyond all dispute that John the Baptist was the veritable Elias. of whom Malachi prophesied. Mark ix. 11-12, agrees with this thought, as also Luke i. 16-17. The failure to rightly apply this prophecy is leading many who profess the truth as revealed into very grave errors, and misapplication of prophecy. It is with the earnest desire and fervent prayer that such may be led to reconsider the teaching of the Word on this point that, I pen tl;ese few thoughts. Rightly apprehend the direct teaching of our dear Lord on this point, and there is no room, no foundations for the thought that Elias is to appear again before the Coming of Christ. The prophecy of Malachi was gi ven to the J ews. John the Baptist was sent as the forerunner of the Messiah, who, as their king, came to His people but was rejected of them. Over four centuries of dead silence from prophetic voice or pen had rested over Israel, when Zachariah's tongue was loo sed and the spirit of prophecy came upon him, and of his own son John, he said, 'And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare hIS ways,' Luke i, 67. This

APRIL, 1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

51

shows plainly that John's mission was marked out for him even from his birth. He came in the spirit and power of Elias. He could not come in his physical frame else he would not have been John but Elias. With this evidence from the written word, we need not look for either Moses or Elias to warn the world or the Church that the Second Advent of our Lord is at hand. The prophets have told of His' return. The prophets of the Old and New 'I'estaments more clearly represent the two witnesses than do mortal men, and those who are not mortal cannot suffer death. The time is even now present when we should look to the very foundation of our faith-when we should lay aside every weight, every theory, and search for that alone for which we can find a 'Thus saith the Lord.' May the dear Father bless and keep us all unto the day of final victory, is the prayer of your sister.

remembered that the Church had been overrun by rude, untaught barbarians, that the men of old time lived in an unsensitive age, when almost the only thing to appeal to a man's fears was a material hell, and that we western people had tried to explain the beautiful Oriental imagery of the Bible literally. Scripture did not teach this material hell, and the Church neither taught nor believed it. Lest they should say that this was simply his own teaching, he would draw from the writings of a much greater man, who was the pupil of One greater still. God had not made any man to be lost; the Bible said that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten SOil that whosoever believed on Him might be saved; that He willed all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and the Church said that not one man would be lost in hell whom infinite love could possibiy save out of. it. It was not true to say that any number of men in hell would CARRIE WILLIAM~. burn for ever and ever. Christ had spoken of an undying San Diego, Cal. worm, and also of un quenchable fires, and the one was as much a figurative expression as the other. Men B 'lRew :fJ3i5bop'5Sermon on 1bell. supposed that churchmen believed that all the heathen and most part of the Christians would be lost for ever and ever IN last month's issue we alluded to a sermon on 'Hell and in hell. He said they believed nothing of the kind. Damnation' preached by a Liverpool clergyman. This Scripture taught that the heathen would be judged month we give an extract from a sermon delivered by the according to the light they had and the way they had used Bishop of Christchurch to the firemen, on the occasion of that light. Jesus Ohrist taught that from the heathen the church parade of the United Fire Brigades of New who did not know Him he would gather many to stand at Zealand. Vie leave our readers to make their own com- his right hand. The very Church herself had classed among her saints some of the heathen who never knew ments thereon : , The Bishop was, he said, especially glad to welcome the Christ and were never baptised. The Church could not firemen to the Cathedral church, because he had a profound say that any man, however bad, was lost for ever; she left sympathy with the work of their Association, the object such a man ill the hands of One greater, wiser, and better Some men might say then, "That dear old of which was as good as it could possibly he; while the than we. qualities which their work trained and developed were of myth about hell means nothing after all; and I may do That was not true the highest. Courage, alertness, and self-sacrifice were just as I like and need fear nothing." There was an unquenchable fire, a great deal noble qualities, and every good fireman must have them. either. A writer of newspaper brevities had recently written, hotter than any depicted' by monks of old. If he wanted " Why does the Bishop preach to firemen at all 'I His duty to know what heaven was like, he would think of Jesus is to talk about one place where fireman are not wanted, Christ, and of the men who had loved Him and striven to and about another place where they are useless, because be like Him. He would think that these men, pure, the fire is unquenchable." There was not much wit in unselfish, working for others, knew in this world something that, and not much knowledge, and he wanted to show of what heaven was; and he would imagine that when that the last paragraph was untrue: there was a great deal they died God would develop their powers, and their for firemen to do in a place where fire was unquenchable. heaven there would be just as it was here, but better, richer, He would take a text from the 44th verse of the ninth and fuller, as they themselves were better, richer, and fuller. chapter of St. Mark: "Where the fire is not quenched." Heaven was within a man, and if it was not within him, he would never find it outside him. When he wanted to The Church was a, frequent victim of misrepresentation. One of her critics preached on the death of the Devil; he set think of hell he thought of a man who had sinned without up a devil of straw, and set a light to it. That would do repentance against light and knowledge-s-of a man torn by no harm if it were understood that Church-people had no the pangs of remorse, yet sunk in evil ways. That man interest in the preservation of the life of that particular did not need to die to go to hell: he had a worse hell devil. Another critic pictured a terrible, flaming hell, and inside him than ever monk painted. A man tied down by said that the Ohurch taught that God had created a vast foul habits which he hated, but which he could not resist, number of people merely that they might burn for ever in suffered from an unquenchable fire. If they had ever seen they would a place like it. No doubt that had been taught in past the agonies of a man in delij'iumtremens ages by some Christians; even now some Christian men acknowledge the realities of an unquenchable fire. They were teaching it, but the Church never had. It must be read sometimes in filthy advertisements-which they, as

zeatane

52

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

APRIL.

1892.

men, should sce cast out of their newspapers-of wasted manhood. The miserable wretch to whom that term applied need not die to he in hell. There was a deeper hell still, that of the man who had sunk so low in sin as to be past feeling sorrow or remorse. He did not believe that even God could find a deeper hell than that in this or any other world. If there was such a thi~g as unquenchable fire in life, why not hereafter 1 He did not know but that God might bring poor souls through hell into heaven, and, again, he did not know but that men might so harden themselves in sin that even God could not soften them. The Church, then, did believe in an unquenchable fire, and a very terrible fire, too. Now, he wanted to ask the firemen if, when they came to a house blazing from basement to attic, they went away because they dould not put the flames out. They would not be such cowards. There was, firstly, rescue work to be done. Now this was the very work of the Church. There were drunkards to be saved; there were the poor girls lost through man's lust and selfishness" But ther~ were. worse sinners in Christchurch than these-s-selfish, Idle sinners, living for the world and for self instead of for God and their fellow men. He knew that the qualities the firemen possessed were those which the Ohurch wanted, and he would appeal to them to help the Ohurch. Then, a fire which could not be put out might be prevented from spreading to the next house. Let them look at the curses of life in England-sin, to sum all up; and, if they divided them, drink, lust, and poverty. Poverty was not sin, but it was the fruitful parent of sin; and, if they were wise men in this country they would say, "We cannot save all drunkards and all brutalised creatures, but we can prevent the sin from spreading, we can play water on that lust, and we will have nothing of that cruel poverty that has held down our parents and grandparents in the old land." This was work for Ohristian firemen. If they were wise they would say to their Oity Fathers, "In the heart of the city you must build in brick or stone, and not in wood." Fires would not cease as long as buildings were dangerously inflammable, as the cholera had not left England till people began to live cleanly. Typhoid fever now came to Melbourne and Wellington, and it would until they drained their town and ceased to pave it with dead fish. So long as we built with perishable materials, so long the fires of God would burn. So long as we built up lives with education without religion, and smartness without Jesus Ohrist, so long the un quenchable fire would burn. Let them take care that the young generation now "rowing up was brought up upon the eternal principles cf ~ighteousness and faith, for only the religion of Jesus Ohrist could teach men so to live that the un quenchable fire should pass them by unscathed.' -Lyttelton Times.

U:be IDeatblc55 jltfe.

, As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,' and He 'giveth life unto the world' (John Y. 26; vi. 33). The life and immortality brought to iight in the Gospel was the immortality of the entire man. The Egyptian priests, ages ago, not only embalmed the body, but held to the immortality of the soul, an idea which was later tanght by Pluto and Socrates, and has been believed by the Greeks, Romans, Ohinese, Hindoos, Ohristians, Spiritualists, and many infidels down to the present time. The phrases used to express this type of philosophic opinion were well known long before our Saviour and His apostles were upon the earth, but these particular expressions were never used by the Saviour or His apostles, nor by the prophets before them. They are not found in the writings of Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Paul, Peter, James, or John; but those prophets, apostles, and teachers cherished a far more ~efinite and glorious hope, and looked forward to a grander immortalit;, extending not merely to man's soul, or to his spi:it, but to his entire being, 'spirit and soul and body,' which were to be preserved blameless' at the coming of onr Lord Jesus Christ.' (1 Thess. v . 23. Revised Version). They looked forward to the time when, though the worms should devour his body, yet in their flesh, or from their flesh, they should see God, and wear His likeness and image forth His glory. Their citizenship was in heaven, from whence also they looked for the Saviour to change their humbled bodies and fashion them like His glorious body (Phil. iii. 20, 21). They looked for the time \\'hen that body which is sown in weakness shall be raised in power; when that which is sown in dishonour shall be raised in glory; when that which is sown a natural body shall be raised a spiritual body, in the image, likeness, and glory of the risen Lord. But' a spiritual body' is 'a~ really a body as 'a natural body;' for spiritual in the Scripture does not signify ethereal Ot'. immaterial. The' spiritual man' who' discerneth the things of the spirit,' may be just as tangible, and weigh just as m.any pounds as a ' natural man' who 'discerneth n~t the things of the spirit' because they are foolishness to him. The dim and shadowy hopes of a disembodied immortality, of wandering ghosts roaming through impenetrable shades, and possessing and harassing men and women, contrasts very strongly with the Scripture teaching concerning that perfect and complete mental, spiritual, and physical deathlessness, revealed by Him who has 'abolished death and broucht light and immortality to light 'in the Gospel.' o How different. from the vague imaginings and hazy tra d' 1tions of the ancient heathen is that vision of Moses, called from his unknown grave to stand in glory on the holy mount, with Elias, who passed' deathless to the skies,The true scholar is known, not by the number of tomes, fittinz type of those who had been changed in a moment, b ponderous though they be, in his library, but by the number in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump. of substantial books in his brain. Moving matter is more How different from the popular representations of the wandering spirits, disquieted souls, restless and jibbering efficient than inert matter.

APRIL,

1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

5S

ghosts, and materializing mediums in the darkness of the jugglers' closets and secluded rooms, was that vision of the Son of God seen by the apostle on the Isle of Patmos, where the manifested glory of the risen Christ dazzled the eyes of the disciple whom He loved, and caused him to fall helpless at His feet as dead, until reassured by the words, 'I am He that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore.' There was nothing dim, shadowy, vague, 01' uncanny about the appearance of Him who was known unto His disciples 'in the breaking of bread,' and who said, 'Handle me and see it is me myself, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.' There was nothing uncertain or indefinite about the form and features of Him, who, after He died on Calvary, 'showed Himself alive to His disciples,' and said to doubting Thomas, 'Reach hither thy finger and thrust it into the print of the nails, find reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing.' By many infallible proofs the Son of God revealed Himself to His disciples after He was risen, and in the records of those manifestations there is nothing to lead us into the realms of doubt or mystery or uncertainty concerning the deathless life of the redeemed. On the contrary, we have the plain, definite, unmistakable testimony of men who relate what their eyes have seen, and ears have heard, and their hands have handled j and basing their faith upon such unmistakable facts, teach liS that these mortal bodies shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, into the likeness of our risen Lord, that the dead shall be raised incorruptible; that instead of weakness, infirmity, and decay, there shall be life, light, and joy, and gladness; and that when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, 'then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.' The heathen world has no such hope as this. Their best expectations were guess-work, their surest foundations were inferences and imaginations concerning an imcomprehensible and indefinite condition. But the hope of the Gospel presents a clear, definite, and unmistakable expectation, the 'hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, hath promised before the world began.'-Anno1"Y

'[be IDeNre"al 1bell.

THE Nineteenth Century, for October, contains an article entitled 'The Christian Hell,' by James Mew. The title is misleading, for few Christians would be foun d to- d ay to advance, or who would be willing to accept the medireval teaching which is here quoted. The article, however, is exceedingly instructive in showing the horrors which really good men have pictured to themselves as inflicted upon the wicked after death. It seems difficult to realize that men could ever have indulged, as many of the fathers did, in the most minute descriptions of the pains and penalties which they believed would be inflicted upon their fellowmen.j The following passages from this article will give some idea

of the lengths to which theologians of past ages went in their descriptions of the sufferings of the damned :-' The Medieeval Hell is a bottomless pit where the damned are confined under darkness in everlasting chains j a furnace where their fire is not quenched j a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth, where their worm dieth not j a Tartarean eternity of hunger and of tears, of which one hour is more bitter than a century here of acutest agony; a land of all evil, of every variety of moral and physical suffering j a land of lasting night and of never-ending despair j a deep fiery prison of Divine fury, full of cries, compared with which the cries heard by mortal ears are mere music j of pain, to which all earthly pain is pleasure j of a stench, to which the stench of rottenness is jessamine and balm j and of remorse, of which all remorse here is but a picture or a shadow. Everybody of the damned, says J eremy Taylor, is more loathsome and unsavoury than a million of dead dogs. One body, says St. Bonaventura, would infect the whole earth, Any human idea of Hell is Paradise compared with what is really Hell. We cannot conceive it. Suppose a man set in midwinter in a deep, dark, subterraneous dungeon, without fire, or table, or bed. Once a day, says DREWEL,who has supplied this illustration-c-once a day let a morsel of bread, hard as a stone and green with mould, and an egg-cup full of stinking water, be lowered to him by a long rope. This state of misery would be a state of luxury to him who is in Hell. The poor folk are closely packed in Satan's hall-the German square mile, it has been computed by an exact ecclesiastic, would contain 100,000,000,000 of the damned. They are jammed together like grapes in a press, like bricks in a furnace, like the salt sediment of fish pickled in a barrel, like wood in a pile, like coals in a brazier, like sheep in a slaughterhouse. Yet everyone hates his neighbour, and would tear him if he might, to pieces with his teeth. That noble passion, the queen of all the rest, the sun of life, has no being in Hell. In Hell there is no love. They would kill themselves, but they cannot. They have 110 solace from past, present, or future. Sleep never comes to them that comes to all. They feel not the season's difference; they have no almanac, no stars. There is no clock in Hell. Bridaine represents a tortured being rising from his bed of appalling agony, and asking, "What is the time 7" And a dull voice .out of the darkness answers, "Eternity!" There is no clock in Hell; only they hear the tick of the clock of conscience, forever and forever. There, in Hell, is no sunrise nor sleep, nor dew of dawn, nor tuneful song of birds. Nothing but devils, darkness, desolation, and despair.' Even Jonathan Edwards, a theologian not so far removed in time, however far removed in thought, from our own day, seems to have found peculiar satisfaction in thus minutely describing the duration of the awful nature of the penalty inflicted upon the wicked :-' After you shall have worn out the age of the sun, moon, and stars in your dolorous groans and lamentations, without rest day and night, or one minute's ease, yet you shall have no hope of ever being delivered j after you have worn out a thousand

APRIL,

1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

55

pathy and heartiest support to the objects for which he pleads, should see to it that the paper maintaining and expounding these objects or views is freely circulated among the congregation. The religious newspaper should be the channel of communication and vivification of the Church. If it speaks for you, give it your influence.'

'tlUlbat tbe 'UUlorlb <tan not

eo.

DURING et visit which the late Dr. Leifchild was once paying to the Mill Hill Grammar School, in the north of .\1iddlesex, and while sitting under one of the old oak trees (planted, we may suppose, by Lenseus, whose seat formerly occupied the spot), let us further pictnre to ourselves the doctor, surrounded by a group of .elder scholars, with whom he was familiarly discoursing on the study of Greek. ' Among other things,' says be, 'I would like to ask you what meaning you are in the habit of attaching to .the word Auf3Hv in John xiv. 17, commonly rendered, " receive,"-" whom the world cannot receive 1" Now, why may it not be accepted in this, as it is in so many other places, in the sense of seizing and carrying off?-and this by virtue of the following reason: "Me," our Lord might have said, "the world can take; yea, and they will take; and will even put Me to death, and thus you will be depri ved of My personal presence, but the Comforter whom the Father will send in My place, cannot be snatched away cy the world; consequently, He shall abide with you for ever." I do not put it before you,' Dr. Leifchild added, 'as an authoritative statement; I merely ask you to think it over, and see whether it is worth consideration.' Standing among that group of listeners was our friend Edward White, then a youth, on whose retentive mind the suggestion fastened itself, and we believe we are authorised in saying that it met with permanent acceptance. In his after-description of the scene, Mr. White was unable to pronounce on the source from which Dr. Leifchild had fetched the idea; nor can we, for Out' part, say whether the following considerations in its favour were those of the doctor or his narrator. Let it be observed, then, in the first place, that when the grand catastrophe at last arrived, we are told that' they took Him and led Him away'; the same Greek verb being employed in Luke's and John's Gospel. So, also, in Acts il. 23, 'Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified.' Lastly, we may quote the treatment which the messenger received in the parable of the revolting husbandmen : 'They took him and killed him and cast him out, of the vineyard.' What more natural, then, that it should be predicted concerning the illustrious Messenger about to be sent, that the world's efforts would be powerless in their attempt to take Him away, and that the Greek verb employed throughout should carry the same meaning 1 Another objection to the popular reading seems to lie in one of the reasons for the world's non-action, namely, that 'they see Him not.' Certainly this would be a valid reason why they should not be able to capture and lay hold on

Him; would it equally account for their inability to 'receive' Him in a moral sense ~ Would not, in fact, the same difficulty stand in the way of the disciples themselves , recei ving' Him, supposing this to be the true sense of the passage 1 But, in truth, we are capable of receiving many things which we cannot see. We can receive the atmosphere and live by it; we can receive and enjoy the element of heat, with various other physical and mental sensations, independently of the power of vision. The point in which the experience of the disciples was destined to differ from that of the world, lay, not ill their seeing the Di vine Spirit, but in their knowing Him, and realizing His ind welling energy. What will our readers say to this case 'I It is true that the sense of receiving, rather than that of taking away, is adopted by all the various European translators of the New Testament, and this must be taken into account. On the other hand, any expression which may seem to convey more truly the genuine emphasis of the Lord's utterances is well worth investigation. J.W., in J[essenger.

OVERthe space that parts us, my wife, I'll east me a bridge of song, Our hearts shall meet, 0 joy of my life, On its arch unseen, but strong. ' The wooer his new love's name may weal' Engraved on a precious stone; But in my heart thine image I wear, That heart has long been thine own. The glowing colours on surface laid, 'Wash out in a shower of rain; Thou need'st not be of rivers afraid, For my love is dyed ingrain. And as every drop of Garda's lake Is tinged with sapphire blue, So all the powers of my mind partake Of joy at the thought of you. The ~littering dewdrops of dawning love EXhale as the day grows old, And fondness taking the wings of a dove, IF<gone like a tale of old. But mine for thee, from the chambers of joy, With strength came forth as the sun, Nor life nor death shall its force destroy, For ever its course shall run. All earth-born love must sleep in the grave, To its native dust return ; What God hath kindled shall death out-brave, And in heaven itself shall burn. Beyond and above the wgdloek tie Our union to Christ we feel; Uniting bonds which were made on high, Shall hold us \V hen earth shall reel. Though He who chose us all worlds before, Must reiqn in our hearts alone, We fondly believe that we shall adore Toqether before His throne. CHAl~LES HAD DON SPURGEOK.
Swo1"(1 and. Trowel, 1865.

'Thou teach.' must be true thyself if thou the truth would,

/ ./

56
~~~~

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

APint,

1892.

~~C ~

'~\)

~~

113tble $tan~~ 1Il'd

ORGAN~:
OF THB

'ttbree caueee of failure.

IN an article under the above heading in the issue of the Christian Wor'ld for January 14, the Rev. Ed. White reviews a work written in the French by Chas. Byse, entitled 'Lessons from Chunder Sen's Life.' The reviewer highly commands a study of M. Byse's book to all educated persons who are interested in the spread of the gospel in India, as he thinks it reveals at least three great causes of failure of missionary effort in India and other heathen lands. (1) The first reason the Rev. Ed. 'White believes to be the persistent presentation of the Divine nature in the cold-blooded, anti-SC1'iptuml form of the Athanasian creed; while he believes the apostolic writings to clearly assert the divine nature and incarnation of the Logos, or Word of God, and the existence and activity of the Holy Spirit. 'Yet,' he says, 'there is no registered apostolic assertion respecting the unity of their" substance," or essence, or of their equality, much less to demand the acceptance of such from beginners in the Christian faith. And so long as Romanists and Protestants obstinately persist in forcing these fourth century defamations, phrases, and anathemas respecting "One Triune God" on Jews, Moslems, and thoughtful Indoos, as elementam] lessons in Christianity, just so long, I think, will Christianity be rejected alike by Jews, Moslems, and Indoos. But the responsibility rests with European Christians who enforce this, as well as that other invention of the endless torments of the un saved heathen.' (2) The second hindrance, he believes, 'lies in a failure to recognise th-e grace of God acting already in the souls of some of the" un-Christianised heathen.'" (3) The third and last hindrance lies, according to Mr. White, in the cold, dogmatic, impracticable form assumed by Protestant Christianity. The Scriptures, old and new, give ample outlet for passion in worship, and the Asiatic nature is full of passion, while modern Protestantism is half dead with ecclesiastical intellectualism and cold formalism. Therefore Asia, in the person of Keshub Chunder Sen, cries out for expression and warmth in worship. Such, according to Mr. White, is the substance of the three great causes that have led to the practical non-success of modern missions in India, viz., an unscriptural form of Trinitarianism, coupled with the dogmas of eternal torment; a non-recognition of the operation of the Spirit on heathens; and lastly, a want of warmth, zeal, and enthusiasm in worship. There can be no doubt that these three hindrances have played, and are- playing, a great part in the sad non-success of most of the modern missionary efforts ; but is it not possible that there are other causes that have operated, and are still operating, prejudicially to the success of modern missions 1 Is it not true that there are many who go out as missionaries, yet do not understand the gospel of the grace of od and the things concerning the kingdom of heaven themselves 1

~C3

~MONTHLY

cV~

Now Zealand Evangelistic and Publication Association.

EDITED BY GEO. A LDRIDGE.

ASi:iISTED

BY

SPECIAL

CONTRIBUTORS.

W 'l'he Editor wishes it to be understood that, while he exercises a general supervision over thc articles and correspondence appearing in the Standard, responsibility for sentiments expressed rests upon the individual writer.

aeeoctatton 1Rotee.
THE Editor begs to thank the friend who so kindly sent a copy of August STANDARD. Readers must excuse the delay in getting out this issue. The editor has been too ill to attend to it earlier. Dunedin brethren expected to hold their annual meeting on March 31st, and hoped to have a good time. The continuation of the article 'Mathematics in the Bible,' in our last issue, will appear in the May number of the BIBLE STANDARD. During the month of March Bro, Geo. A. Brown occupied the pulpit of the West Melbourne Independent Church, with perfect liberty granted to speak upon any subject of Divine teaching. The Melbourne Union is working in a humble but decided way for the advancement of truth. Arrangements have been made for the holding of weekly Bible classes, and the design is to supplement these by the holding of public meetings once a month. The idea of making this work as widespread as possible is kept- to the front, vice, presidents of the Union having been appointed in Sydney. Other centres will be communicated with as soon as possible. If only every believer in life in Christ and Second Advent truths would bestir himself and give himself heartily to the work, much could be done to make a real and ahiding impression upon the public. The Auckland Church has determined to make another effort to reach the public, as yet untouched by our message. On the first Wednesday in April a Lantern Mission will be commenced; to bc continued weekly, if possible, through the winter months. Bro. Chas. Cooper has, in true fraternal spirit, offered the use of his powerful lantern, and we are hopeful tbat by his assistance we may be able to put old truths in anew way, and win some adherents from the power of Satan unto God. The opening theme, which will cover some weeks, will be, 'Scenes from the Life of Christ.' We learn that Miles Grant has reached Melbourne, where he hopes to put in two months' work. He will follow this by a visit to Sydney, and thence to Auckland; so we may expect him in New Zealand in about three or four months. We hope that his visit to the colonies may be the means of stirring up many of the Lord's servants to more fruitful service in view of their Master's appearing, and that he may also, under Divine blessing, win many to righteousness.

APRiL,

1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

57

Is it not true that the heathen are appealed to by missionaries as immortals, whose existence is to be co-equal with that of Jehovah 1 Is it not true that missionary effort is directed towards saving immortal souls from eternal torment, instead of offerinz life and salvation from sin, death, and the grave 1 I:> Is it not true that the main hope put before heathen converts 'is to go to heaven at death,' while but little stress is laid on the return and reign of Christ and the hope of life and immortality at His coming 1 Man-y missionaries even do not believe in the advent and reign of Christ on earth 11 tall. Is it not true that the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which formed one of the central truths in Paul's preaching to heathens, is almost lost sight of, and a miserable sham-' the resurrection of the body' with some, and the resurrection of the 'immortal spirit' from the body with others-has been substituted 1 Is it not true that these and other errors have so changed the apostolic gospel, that the gospel of modern missions is almost, if not altogether, another gospel, which in many respects, and from an eschatological standpoint at least, presents but little superiority to the cultured heathen over that of his own particular faith, each religion as presented to him being based on a theory more or less of natural immortality 1 Is it not true that the terms of the gospel as offered by many modern missionaries are quite different from those on which the apostles offered it 1 Is it not true that most of the forms of church membership, organisation, and worship, as laid down by modern missionaries, differ materially from the apostolic order, and hence, being wholly human, are unsuited to man's deepest spiritual needs 1 And lastly, is ill not true that most modern missions start with the unscriptural object of converting the world to Christianity, instead of being witnesses to the world of the truths of Christianity 1 Thus they expect too much, and lay too much store by apparent results. Is it not true that what is wanted is a return to apostolic doctrine, hope, faith, and practice 1which, if it was effected, would certainly result in taking out of the nations (both heathen and nominal Christian) a large number of bloodbought ones, who should be ready to meet Messiah when ~e comes. Let each of us see to it that we are pure in doctrme and life. ~hen we at least shall not be failures. G.A.G.

\tbe )pre5ent 'Umorn ano )Po5ttton of our 1or~Je5u5 cbner.

again it is our privilege and pleasure to commune with old, and mayhap with new friends, and this time our subject will be 'The Present Work al~d Position of our Great Federal Head, Jesus the Christ.'
ONCE

The cheerful are the busy. When trouble knocks at your door, or rings the bell, he will generally retire if you .se nd him word you are engaged.
111

No man can avoid his own company; so he had better ake it as good as possible.

Narrow minds think nothing right that is above their own capacity. -s-Roohefoucculd. Discretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide in all the duties of life.-Addison.

When speaking of His departure-John XIV. 2-our Lord says, 'I go to prepare a place for you.' This, then is one of the officeswhich Jesus is filling now. If e is preparing a place for His ransomed ones; and over eighteen hundred years ago John in vision saw the completion of this part of Christ's work, which he describes thus in Rev. xxi. 10 :-'And he (the angel) carried me away in the spirit to a mountain great and high, and shewed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God, having the glory of God,' etc. Will some object that this is too material? I.i can only answer, The first are the words of the Master, the second those of His messenger, and they seem to fit so well, the one to the other, that I cannot help placing them as I have done. The words of Stephen as recorded in Acts vii. 55, 56 indicate the position of Jesus as being one of highest honour, viz., at the right hand of Deity, for he says, 'Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.' Paul, in Romans viii. 34, confirmsthis statement, and also indicates another aspect of the work of Christ in these words, 'It is Christ that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us '; while Peter, in Acts v. 31,says, ' Him did God exalt at his right hand, a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, -and remission of sins.' Now Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews ii. 17, 18, shows us how the Lord is able to understand our feeling and sympathise with our struggles, in these words :-' Wherefore, it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and. faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' If we refer back to Leviticus xvi. we see that it was the duty of the high priest to go into the most holy place once in every year, clothed in the proper insignia of his office: and there make confession and atonement, 0[' propitiation for the sins of the people, and none save he was allowed therein. But our great High Priest, unlike those of the Levitical order, is a 'priest for ever, after the power of an endless life, after the order of Melchizedek, and has through his own blood entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb, ix. 11-28), and having become the mediator of the new covenant, so that they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.' In John x. 28 we find the Master saying, 'I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand '; and in 1st Peter iii. 22 we get as it were a re-echo and confirmation of this assurance in these words, 'Jesus Christ who it;

58

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

APRIL. 1892.

on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.' Methinks I heal' someone object to the words' they that have been called,' add for answer would refer the objector to Christ's own words as found in Mark xvi, 16, 'He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved,' thus indicating another phase of His present work, viz., the gathering of the Church out of the world, which He is carrying on t.hrouzhthe aCfencyof His servants. Matt. xxii. 1-14, and e e Luke xiv, 15-24, give us an indication and explanation of this work, for though all are bidden to the supper, many reject the invitation and it is those who believe and obey wilD are described a: they that have been called.' Nevertheless, the invitation is to all. Acts xv. 14 speaks to us of the Gentiles being visited by God through His servants, to take out of them a people for his name '; and Paul, in 1st Cor. i. 21-31 tells us that 'it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.' Yes,' peace is preached to those that were afar off, and peace to them that are nigh: for through him we both have our access in one spirit nnto the Father' (Eph. ii. 19-22). , Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and a living way; let us draw near in fulness of faith, let us hold fast the confession of our faith that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised' (Heb. x. 19-25). This thought brings us to OUt' next subject for consideration, which will be, 'The Attitude of Believers during their Lord's Absence.' F.B.H.

Sabbatb eereue SUtll)a\2.

A SECT calling themselves 'Seventh-day Adventists' are very active just now. 'With great diligence they from house to house push the sale of their literature. The leaders of the movement consider they have a special 'message' to this generation which is to call attention to the fourth of the commandments given to Israel at Sinaiwhich command they insist is binding in its entirety upon all men. Their mission is to rescue the down-trodden seventh-day Sabbath from its present profanation. Moreover, we are admonished that in denying the obligatory rest of the seventh, and setting apart instead thereof the first day of the week, we are guilty of 'one of the most enormous errors,' for we observe a counterfeit and reject the true Sabbath. And further, it is boldly stated that when the fulfilment of Hev, xiii. shall take place' Sunday keeping will be the mark of the beast,' and all who then deliberately refuse to observe the seventh day, will incur the awful doom spoken of in the fourteenth chapter. All this is most serious if true-but is it true 1 After reading with some care three of the volumes published by these advocates, we have diligently reviewed and impartially re-weighed the Biblical utterances concerning the Sabbath (Genesis to Revelation) and can only come to the conclusion that the Seventh-day Adventists, so far as their seventh day is concerned, have revived an ancient error, and that the pains and penalties they threaten us with, we can afford to smile at. In a sentence, we think this teaching is one of the doctrines Paul warns us against and bids us refuse as ' an old wives' fable.' This controversy is really an eighteen hundred year 'old one. The members of the churches at Rome and Galatians in their day were at loggerheads as to the exact relation in which Christianity stood to J udaism, and consequently the oblication of various Jewish institutions came to be e discussed, and among the rest the Sabbath Day. One party maintained it was abrogated and done away with; another strongly maintained that the day was still binding, or as Paul put it, 'One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike.' Now it is remarkable that in his reply the Apostle Paul--although his own views were decided, ana strong against the observance of the Sabbath-yet passes no judgment of censure upon the practice of either of these parties, but only blames the uncharitable snirit in which the one party judged their brethren as irreligious, and the other party 'set at, naught' (laughed at) their stricter brethren as superstitious. He laid down this principle for the decision of the matter, i.e" the rights of Christian conviction or the sacredness of the individual conscience. 'Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.' ' Let no man judge you in meat, 01' in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon,
01'

1ba\Je WOll J8nemiea?

Go straight on and don't mind them. If they get in your way, walk around them, regardless of their spite. A man who has no enemies is seldom good for anything; he is made of that kind of material that is so easily worked that everyone has a hand in it, A sterling character is one who thinks for himself, and speaks what he thinks, the Christian always endeavouring to think in harmony with the revealed will and word of God, such a man is always sure to make enemies. They are as necessary to him as fresh air; they keep him alive and active. A celebrated character who was surrounded by enemies, used to remark, 'They are sparks, which, if you do not blow, will go out of themselves.' 'Live down prejudice,' was the Iron Duke's motto. Let this be your feeling while endeavouring to live down the scandal of those who are bitter against you, If you stop to dispute, you do but as they desire, and open the way for more abuse. Let the poor fellow talk; there will be a reaction if you perform but yOUl' duty, and hundreds who were once alienated from you will flock to you and acknowledge their error.

He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper; but he is more excellent who can suit his temper-to any circumstances.-H7t1ne.

of the Sabbath.'

We will start OUt' examination of this question by at once denying the binding nature of any of the, Ten ComI mandments upon the Gentile nations. Our denial stri es

-:

APRIL,

1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

59

at the very root of the teaching of the Seventh-day Sabbath rest was an institution unknown to the world till Ad ventists. They insist that the' Ten vYords' were given established by command of God at Sinai, and that command for the whole world. 'But while we admit the eternal referred only and solely to the people of Israel. principles of morality which constitute the basis of the Our second point is-that Israelitish law, is not binding Decalogue, yet we hold that the Decalogue as sucl was upon Gentiles, just as French law affects not the liberty of given of God through Moses to the people of Israel only. an Englishman. Some Christian writers break up the The preamble settles that: 'I am the Lord thy God which Jewish law into three parts which they call moral, cerebrought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of monial and civil. It is then claimed that the moral bondage.' Those words are not applicable to any of Gentile portion is binding upon all men. We cannot consent to birth. Those words distinctly set forth to whom and for such a distinction. The Jewish law stands or falls as a whose benefit the Ten Commands were given. And when whole. Where does Scripture point out or authorise such we read the fourth command we see this exclusive nature a division 1 Where does it say that uco-tlcird of the law of the Decalogue again affirmed, for in Dent. v. 15, the Gentiles may evade and ignore, while one-third is strictly reason for Sabbath keeping is as follows: 'Thou shalt binding upon them? But this three-fold division is simply remember that thou wast a servant in Egypt .... a fanciful and pleasing conceit, an artificial arrangement to therefore, the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the suit the purposes of theologians, but which is unrecognised Sabbath Day.' This seventh day rest then (rest merely, by either Moses or Christ, Old or New Testaments. What no command for any act of public gatherings for worship) are called 'moral laws' were more or less known to the was given by God through Moses to the Israelites, partly world at large from the days of Adam (a period of 2,000 as a sign between God and themselves which should mark years before Moses was born), and are not derived from them off from all other nations (Ex. xxxi. 13-17; Ezek. the Ten Commands uttered by God on Sinai. The Apostle xx . I" )0),an d par tl y as a reco11 f I cleIiverance Paul draws no distinctions between tile laws of Moses--he . ~-~ ection 0 t ieir " from Egypt. And the reason why the seoerul: day was terms the complete code 'the law,' and calls it 'the Jews' selected in preference to. another, is given in Exodus xx. religion.' (Gal.i. 13--14.) This religion he had abandoned 10,-11 (' Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy,' etc.), in favour of a new one the foundation stone of which was because on that day God rested from His labour, in what 'Christ, and Him crucified.' He contrasts the liberty of we commonly call 'the six days' creation.' There are some the Gospel with the bondage of the law which Peter, called who lay great stress upon the word 'remember' in this 'a yoke which neither they nor their fathers were able to passage, and argue therefrom that the Sabbath was an old bear.' And he complained of 'false brethren who came institution, However that may be, the word' remember' in .privily to spy out our libejty which we have in Christ is no proof. The people of Israel were bidden in all the Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.' Indeed, , . future to keep holy the day, just as a doctor might say to the whole epistle to the Galatians is a warning azainst a patient leaving home, 'Remember the medicine and take certain J eW5who pretended to be Christians, and who were it regularly.' Anyhow, it is undeniable that there is not trying to introduce J'ewish laws, feasts, holy days and the faintest trace in the Scriptures of any single person Sabbaths into the Christian Church, to whom Paul would ever keeping the seventh day or any other day as a Sabbath. not give subjection, 'no, not for an hour.' And the Great Not a word about a weekly rest, or the consecration of Apostle lays it down most distinctly that we, who believe one day in every week; for worship. And it is fairly in 'the truth of the gospel,' have another rule altogether argueable tpat as Gen. ii. 24 is an explanatory note inserted than that of the J'ewish religion. Ours is not a rule of the by Moses, so Gen. ii. 3 is a note added by Moses-s-showing laws of Moses, but of the Holy Spirit, and what He wouid the ground and reason of the institution of the Sabbath have us do is mentioned in Gal. v. 22-25. See also aithou~h the Sabbath may not have been instituted till man; Col. ii: 4, 8, 16.. And in .ROl~ansiii. 19 he tells us 'what centuries after the completion of creation. Moses partly soever the (Jewish) la\~ saith, It speaketh to those that are edited and partly wrote the book of GeneSiS-embodYino.\ under the law (the Jews).' But the Gentiles have no law traditions and documents preserved from earliest tunes, eng.raven on tables of stone, theirs is simply 'written in and he would feel himself at liber-ty to introduce additions their hearts' ; so, 'those who sin without (Sinaitic) law, explanations and comments. This in no way affects the shall perish without (reference to) such law.' Thus is question of inspiration. Our contention is that till the clearly seen that no part of the Israelibish law is binding fourth command was ziven at Sinai no seventh day upon either Gentile nations or Christian Church. Sabb~th was observed. If an opponent thinks otherwise, lOur third point is this: The Christian Sunday is not a let him produce proof from either sacred or profane history. substitute or successor of the Jewish Sabbath. The one It may be answ~r~d th~t there are indications that time has no more relation to the other than baptism has to ve~y.early was divided into weeks of seven days. But circumcision, or the Lord's Supper to. the .J ewish Passover; tlus III no way affects the question. There is no proof that excepting that both are resting days, they are complete one of those days was observed as sacred, no more proof contrasts in every sense. of ~ Sabbath rest than ~f a Thursday half-holiday. We With the Editor's permission we will next month point claim then to have established our first point, i.e., tha.t the out this contrast, as also the origin of our much-valued and
O. .'

60

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

APRIL.

1892.

precious heritage the Christian Sunday. The thoughtful words of the late Robertson, of Brighton, will fitly conclude this section of our subject. He says, 'If we strive to base a strictly observed Sunday on the requirements of the fourth Jewish commandment, we take ground which is not true; and all untruth-whether it be an overstatement or a half-truth-recoils upon itself. If we impose on men a burden which cannot be borne, and demand a strictness which, possible in theory is impossible in practice, men recoil, we have asked too much. Men rebel and refuse the yoke, and the result is an open, wanton defiance, and sarcastic desecration of Sunday-the Day of Rest.' C. C. BROWN, imaru. T

~~~:~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~

IDoing tbe J6nem~'a 'WlOl'R.

IT was Sabbath evening, the day's engagements were over, and I was seated alone beside a cheerful fire. Some friends who attended the same church as myself had come in for a little talk after the evening service, and had just left. Our conversation had mainly turned upon the lack of any deep spiritual life in the church. Of the sincerity and earnest ness of our clergyman we had no doubt. His exhortations i were so practical, and his appeals so powerful, that it 'lRew of 'Umai. seemed to us that we ought to have seen many brought to WHAT will be the military manner of beginning the next decision for Christ, and yet conversions were very few and great war, assuming that the chief combatants will be far between, and the whole spiritual tone of the church was France and Germany 1 Will it be open, with .confiicts far below what we should have expected. Our organ was a between cavalry and horse artillery on either side, or, as splendid instrument, our choir well trained, the various Sir Charles Dilke insists, will the first engagements be organisations of the church all that could be required. Vl e between the German cavalry divisions and a perfectly had all the needful machinery, but the powe1' seemed absent. handled body of infantry that will defend every farm, wall, Before my friends had left we had family worship stream, and wood, and make the advance of cavalry, in together. I read the parable of the Sower, and a friend these days of smokeless powder, impossible 1 led us in prayer .. I was particularly struck whilst reading On one point there seems to be no difference of opinion. by these words 'And it came to pass, as he sowed, some When men next fight, the carnage will be awful. The fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and smoke of battle will be a discarded metaphor, for there will devoured it up;' together with our Saviour's explanation of be no smoke, only a transparent blue haze. The thunder them, 'And these are they by the wayside, where the word of the artillery, too, will be greatly modified, and' the is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immevicious' ping' of the modern musket will never, however diately and taketh away the word that was sown in their intense may be the fire, develop into a roar. Low blasts on hearts.' My friend was .evidently impressed by the same the cowherd's horn are taking the place of the morning words, for in his prayer he offered this petition, '0 Lord, bugle-call. Bright uniforms and glistening equipments are keep us from doing Satan's work for him, and like the fowls going the way of coats of mail and gaily caparisoned steeds. of the air catching aWi1Yany of the good seed from the Death 011 the field of battle will show a more and more pro- hearts of the hearers.' nounced preference for a shining mark. And now as I sat alone these sentences kept on repeating The peaceful dove has been pressed into the service of themselves in my ears. I could see the patient sower war. In France each cavalry division has a cage-cart full scattering the seed broadcast, and even as he sowed the of carrier-pigeons. The mounted staff officer has given birds were circling round his head, and swooping down to place as a messenger to corporals on bicycles. The ~uman devour the seed which fell from his hand. No wonder so voice does not carry far enough to be of much use 111 the much of his labour was in vain. Could it be possible that command of widely deployed masses of infantry. It has I had been like one of these birds, doing Satan's work for been superseded by the whistle, by waving of the arm or him by catching away some of the good seed directly it had movements of the cap. The' fire zones,' the area within been sown 1 which modern musketry is fatal, extend wide and far. While musing thus I fell into a day-dream, and 10They are to be crossed by the ~tt~cking force onl,y by I was back again in church. I could see and hear dodging from cover to cover, or, If 111 the open, by rntermittent rushes. At the best, every yard of advan~e through distinctly the organ, choir, and preacher, but I had also a a steady hail of lead pellets must be bought WIth human strange power given 'me of knowing the thoughts of the lives. worshippers. I had thought the service had been barren, In preparation for the new conditions of w~rf~re Ge;many is no longer held to have unc~ntested superI.onty. E~'an~e now I saw there bad been no part of it but had touched is once more conscious of having the best private soldier 111 some heart. the world and in the words of Sir Charles Dilke, is almost The choir sung, 'I will arise and go unto my Father,' amazed at the ~ompleteness of her military recovery. It is and as the lovely sounds rolled through the church, I the deliberate opinion of this and oth.er observers of Eurobecame aware that Rosa Chambers, a young lady in whom pean war establishments that the relative strength of France I took a great interest, from the fact that years ago she had and Germany is a matter which now depe?ds chie~y ~pon points, which can only be tested by war.-The Rest~tutwn. been in my class in the Sunday School, was deeply affected.

~be

conetnone

APRIL,

1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

61

No one would have likened that quiet girl to the prodigal in his rags and wretchedness, but ,as the choir sang the words, 'I will arise and go to my Father,' there rose in her mind the desire to go to her Father. Instinctively I saw that she was not far from the Kingdom of God. She would not soon forget that strain, and it might be that the memory would lead her to utter the words as her cry for reconciliation with the Father. Even as those thoughts passed through my mind, I noticed that some singers in the choir were getting flat, and the singing was not quite egual to what we were accustomed to. When the sermon commenced I was astonished to see, by. means of the new faculty I seemed to possess, that there were few, if any, in the congregation who were absolutely unmoved or uninfluenced by it. To some there came a word of comfort, to some a new and holy thought, and some were aroused to concern for their soul's salvation who had hitherto been careless. Amongst these I noticed my partner, a man of strict integrity, but so wrapt up in business that it seemed' impossible for him to find leisure to think of God or of heaven. I could see that as the sermon proceeded he became more and more interested, until business was forgotten, and a new desire began to stir his heart-a desire for truer riches than any he was accumulating, and for a deeper satisfaction than the world could give. I was very delighted to see him thus moved; it had been my daily prayer for some time that he might be brought to see his need of a Saviour. But I had a greater cause for rejoicing, for I became aware that the Holy Spirit was also striving with my own daughter. She is a singularly reserved girl, and I never felt that I knew much of what her feelings were; however I was aware that she had not yet given herself to Christ, and 'my joy was therefore &;reatas I came to know that she was moved as the sermon proceeded with a longing to find rest in Jesus. Others there were who were similarly affected, but these interested me most. And now it seemed to me that the service was concluded, and the congregation, having bowed to receive the closing benediction, rose and began to leave the church. So far everything had been exactly as it had in the service that evening. I saw myself amongst the worshippers, yet was also conscious of myself as a different identity to whom all that I have spoken of had been made known. Then there came to me a strange command which filled me with dismay; it was this, 'Thou hast seen the seed sown, now see how diligent tluni art as a fowl of the air snatching away the seed, doing the enemy's work.' Then I seemed to cry out in me not mar Thy work, but give shall help to nourish the seed.' But the answer came, 'That been, and God requireth that seest now is but that which has ing.'

Then with unutterable dismay in my soul I saw what follows. The congregation was dispersing, and I went into the lobby of the church. Here were many acquaintances, all talking on various subjects of gossip and interest; if any spoke about the service it was only to make some such remark as, 'vVhat a beautiful sermon we have had to-night,' and it struck me that this was said much in the same way as an audience dispersing from a concert-hall might speak of the entertainment, only that it lacked some of the enthusiasm that would be manifested in that case. While I was exchanging commonplaces with others my partner came out from the church. Why was it that T failed to see the serious look upon his face? As it was the thought struck me, 'How fortunate that we have just met.' And laying my hand on his arm I said quietly, 'Could you manage to be at the office half-an hour earlier to-morrow morning, as I have something of great importance to speak with you about. I don't want to talk of business now, but I've heard something that makes me think it'll be all right about the Government contract. By-the-bye, did you notice that old gentleman who sat just in front of you, that's Thompson of Thompson and Maw, who cut us out of the contract last year.' I wished him 'good-night,' and he was gone, but as with this strange new faculty of mine I followed him in my dream to his home, I saw that all thoughts of the sermon had gone and in their place were calculations and schemes. He who a few moments before had bowed his whole nature in the truest act of worship he had performed for years, was now buying, and selling, and getting gain, The good seed had been caught away by me and the tares of business anxiety planted, and instead of my feeling 'an enemy has done this,' I had to realise that I had done Satan's work for him. On my way home I overtook Miss Rosa nhambers. She was walking alone, having slipped out quietly to avoid the companions who usually accompanied her from church. In her heart there was a refrain singing itself over, 'I will arise and go unto my Father.' . Oh, why could not I have left her alone to the Spirit at such a time 1 As it was I greeted her and walked a little way by her side. I spoke of the weather and of other trivialities, of the sermon and .the singing. Then in the lightest way, and with no thought of harm, I criticised the manner in which the introit had been sung, of how flat some of the voices had been. Her reply ought to have sealed my lips. She said, 'I , didn t notice whether the voices were in tune or not; don't you think we pay too much attention to the way the pieces are sung rather than to the words 1 Surely it is not a performance but an act of worship.'

response, 'Nay, Lord, let Now I was piqued by this rejoinder, and strove tojustify me some word to these that what I had said. I gave my idea as to how the words ought to have been rendered, and almost made game of which is to be hath already the way the choir sung. I prided myself that I said some which is past; what thou very smart things, and before I left her had got her so into already happened this even-\ my own humour that she had joined with me in a laugh at the expense of the choir.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

I plumed myself when alone again on the wit I had displayed; but now as I saw her go her way with the impression which had been created by the introit quite effaced, I knew that from a second heart I had been successful in catching away the seed that had been sown. When I got home I was joined in the drawing-room by my daughter. Oh that I could have rightly interpreted the sober quiet air with which she entered the room; as it was I rallied her on not looking well. My wife had stayed away from church to take care of the little ones, and asked me what the sermon had been about. I was still in the unfortunate mood which had been the outcome of my interview with Rosa Chambers, and was disposed to turn everything into ridicule. 1repeated some of the things I had said about the choir, and added others about the minister. Then I gave a few items of idle gossip as to members of the congregation. Whilst I was talking in this way I now came to see that the impressions created in my dear daughter's mind were entirely destroyed. I, her father, had acted as the bird and snatched away the seed that had been sown. Then I saw the friends enter who had been to the same church as ourselves. I heard the conversation that ensued, and saw how, whilst lamenting the coldness of our people, I thrust the blame on all other shoulders but my own.

APRIL,

1892.

asked. " Whose ?" "The young man's with whom you were playing. Oh! Edward," I added, impetuously, "do give him back the money, we don't need it. I'm sure he will do something dreadful." "Nonsense, little woman: those men are used to losing constantly. He was not cool enough for a regular player," "Edward, do you think its right to gamble ?" "Why, no, not in the regular W:1y;but everybody does it just once when they come to Monacojust to try it, you know." , I had been used to playing for small sums, and never thought it wrong, but for large amounts it seemed positively wicked. Yet where was the difference~ I began to think, and between the right and wrong which the question involved, and the remembrance of that ghastly face, I slept but little that night. Your father was quite concerned about my appearance in the morning. I told him how my rest had been disturbed. He only laughed at me, but I persisted in asking him to return the money. He grew quite vexed at last. I think his conscience was also uneasy, and you know if that pricks it often helps to put a man out of temper, He left me suddenly after breakfast, saying he would have a smoke while I packed ready for our next move. 'But I could do nothing. Just that day week since I promised to "love, honour, and obey." Already there was a tiny rift between us. I sat thinking a few minutes, and then made up my mind to seek l1lyhusband, and, with some * * * * * * I was aroused by my own agitation, and bitter were the slight excuse coax him to come and help me. I met him tears I shed as I realised that I had been aotual ly hindering coming upstairs. " Go back to your room, Elsie," he said, the work of God, pulling down what His servants were somewhat abruptly. building up, and not only did I beseech the Lord graciously 'There was something in his voice that made me go to lead and strengthen me that I might be enabled in some quickly. Something was the matter. I could hear steps measure t~ undo the harm I had done, but my prayer every coming slowly up, as though a heavy burden was being Sabbath since has been, 'Set a watch, 0 Lord, before my carried. mouth; keep the door of my lips.' These words also have , "Little wife, you were right," and your father put his come to me since with gre;"t meaning: 'Keep thy foot when arms around me as though he would never loose me. "That thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear poor fellow, he has met with an accident. Love, I will than to' give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not never play for money again." that they do evil.' 'A shadow rested on us both that day, but not till ALMONI, Ballarat. evening, and we were away from Monaco, did your father tell me how the young doctor had gambled away every 'IDa~ or ~wo at tbe <Bambling ~able6. farthing of his own money, and much of his widowed mother's. Then he had committed suicide. Your father 'No, my boy, we never play for money, not even for threewas not himself for many weeks; he felt that the young penny bits.' ' Why not?' ' I will tell you. Your father man's death lay at his door, and though we both knew that and I went to the south of France for our honeymoon, and, he would have played with anyone, yet the fact that we of course, stayed a day or two at Monaco. Your father sat had his lost money, and that its loss had caused his death, down aJ; one of the gambling tables just to try his luck, and left an abiding impression on us, and gave us a hatred to won two hundred pounds. At first I watched him, but soon my attention was drawn to the player opposite him, a gambling.'

:a

young man about twenty-five. His face, his very lips, were colourless; his eyes hungrily followed every card; only very occasionally did the muscles of his face relax from their utmost rigid eagerness, just to mutter something under his breath. Suddenly he uttered a fearful imprecation, jumped from his feet, and left the room. Then I looked at my husband. He was elated with success; while a shiver went all through me. "I've won enough to pay our travelling expenses," he said. "Oh, but did you see his face, dead" I

Hope is like the sun, which as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. Decorum itself is si~ply good sense and good-will, but society often ruins it by empty ceremonies. Thou shalt always have a joy in the evening if thou hast spent the day well.--J'homCts cl,Kempis. The way to do good is to be good. then it will shine.-Canon Fleming. There must be light,

APRIL, 1892.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

63

MPETITORS of age. answers children. It

must be under will the entire

eighteen that ioork

years the of the

be understood

sent are

7. Exceedingly devoted to the service of the gods. 8. Objects of worship (Revised Version). 9. Stephen (Acts vii. 48). 10. Aratus (BiBle Die.). RESULTS.-All correct: H. J. Brewster, Louis Falkner, May Brewster, E. AId ridge ; Nine C01"1'ect: Emily Battson : Eight C01TeCt: Bertha AId ridge, Jas. French, Margaret Green; Seven COI'1'CCt: Sydney Smith; Six correct : 'V. E. .Iudkins, Fanny French. We received the following results a little late for last month's issue :-All correct: Emily Battson , Eight correct: Sarah Lau rence ; Seven correct: Bible Student (not competing).
ANSWERS '1'0 EXTRA QUESTIONS.

HINTS.

Bible Student (February).

NOTES
13e1'CC1.-Ancient

Helen Brewster.
ON THIRD SET.

Begin with the present set. Do not write the questions, but send the anSW~1"S numbered to correspond with the questions, and state ioliere youjound them. 'Write in ink. See that your note contains name and address, and reaches me not later than the 18th of the month. Competitors South of W ellington, and in Australia are allowed extension of time equivalent to the time taken for the STANDA1~D to reach their homes. To give an opportunity to those who nre over the above-stated age, and who would like to compete, we have decided to form another class; age from eighteen to twenty-one. These will be expected to answer the stated questions, and the extra ones, which latter the younger class need not attempt. rite answers to extra

,V

questions on separate sheet of paper. Do not keep though you cannot solve every question. THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES.
SET.

hack,

SECOND SERIES-FOURTH

Paul in Athens.-Acts xvii. 31. 1. 'Vhere in the Gospels do we read of nations to be brought before the Lord? 2. Where in the Psalms is it declared that He is to inherit the nations? 3. Where in the Reoelcaion is it said that some of the saints are to exercise power over the nations? 4. Which of the Psalms speaks much of the righteous nature of the rule of Christ? 5. 'Vhere in Zechariah. is it said that there shall be only one Ruler over all the world? 6. Where is the seat of His government to be? Q1WtC two pas. saqes front Zechariah, 7. What position did Jesus say His Apostles would fill in His kingdom? 8. The raising of Jesus from the dead was an assurance of what? 9. How did Paul know He had been raised? 10. 'V here does he say that Jesus cannot die again?
EXTRA qUESTIONS.

Pherea (so named after its founder, Pheres)modern Pheria, Verria, or Kara Verria-a city of Macedonia, situated OIl the eastern slope of the Olympian range, and about sixty miles south- west of 'I'hessalonica, Epic1t1"1!s.-"-as born at Gargettns, iu Attica, about B.C. 340. He spent his earliest years in the isle of Sarnos, but afterwards settled at Athens. Here he purchased a pleasant garden, where he taught many disciples. His learning was so extensive that he is said to have written 300 volumes, yet it would appear from Plutarch that he was self-taught. He died about KC. 268. In his philosophy he maintained that in morality the feeling of pleasure and of pain must determine our actions; that the world was made, not by God, bu t that it had its origln in, and is still regulated by, mere chance. The Epicureans were the disciples of his philosophy. Stoics (from Greek stoa, a porch).-Disciples of Zeno, a Greek philosopher, who flourished at Athens, so called because they met in [L porch of that city, Like the Pharisees, they were scrupulously exact, and boasted of their own righteousness; they, however, denied a future state of rewards and punishments, and upheld suicide. They believed that all things were fixed by fate, and that man had no free will, and ought to be unaffected by the passions. Areopaqus (or Hfll of Marsj.i--An abrupt rock in the middle of ancient Athens, where the supreme judges of that city, or Areopagites, assembled. 'This was the most celebrated tribunal in the world; its decisionswere distinguished for j ustiee and correctncss, nor was there any court in Greece in which so much confidence was placed.' Particular attention was here paid to matters pertaining to nligion; 'the judges were empowered to inflict extreme and exemplary punishment upon any person who should slight the eelebration of the holy mysteries, or blaspheme the gods of Greece !' Y 01(,1"own Poets. - Aratus and Cleanthes. , He animates the mart and crowded way, The restless ocean, and the sheltered bay. Doth care perplex? is lowering danger nigh? TVeare his o,ffsp"ing, and to Jove we fly.'
-ARATUS.

11. What do you understand by the language 'Judge the world '? 12. 'What do you understand the phrase to mean, , Given assurance unto all men ,.?
ANSWERS TO THE THIRD SET-SECOND SEnms.

Hail! unto thee may mortals lift their voice, F01' we thine offsprinq are. All things that ereep Are but the echo of the voice divine. -CLEANTHES.

1. In Macedonia, and about 20 miles west of Thessalonicu. 2. To go as far as to the sea (Revised Version). 3. 1 Thess. iii. 1. 4. The followers of Epicnrus, who taught that the ehief object in life is the pursuit of happiness. 5. The followers of the philosopher Zeno, who taught indifference to pain and pleasure. 6. The Hill of Mars (Revised Version).

Richness of mind will hide the poverty of the poor. Little Howard has been told he must be punished, but that he could choose between a whipping and being shut up in a dark closet. After a. moment's painfnl thought, he said: "Veil, papa, if mamma will do it, I'll Cc whipped, but if you are going to whip me I'll be shut up.' Work within the lines of your strength. Do not imagine that you are nothing because you are not everything.

64

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

APRIL,

1892.

~be :fSible$tan~ar~.
The BIBLE STANDARD can be ordered direct from the Publisher, E. H. FALKNER, Karangahape Road, Auckland, or obtained from any of the Agents. PRICE per annum, post free ... 2s. 6d. beyond New Zealand, per annum, post free 3s. Od.

AUCKLAND.-During the month past we have had the pleasure of welcoming our Bra. Fletcher on his return from Melbourne. 'Ne believe that there are others who once met with us here who would gladly return if work of any kind offered itself. For two successive Sundays Bra. Aldridge has been too ill to attend to his duties, but the brethren nobly took the work, and did it, to the satisfaction of the brotherhood. On the first Sunday evening Brethren Dixon and French addressed the evening congregation, and on the second Bro, Wilcock gave an address on 'Peter.' For a few months our usual Bible Class meeting will be suspended, and a weekly lantern lecture will take its place. It is hoped that the brethren will give this all the help their presence and sympathy can yield. THAMEs.-We are grateful to our heavenly Father for the fact that our services have been sustained during the past month. We are also thankful to the brethren who have come down from Auckland to pro claim the Word of Life. Bra. Paterson has spoken on 'The Kingdom of God Contrasted with the Kingdoms of Man;' Bra. J. M. French, on , Letters from Hell.' Bros. Kelly and Cropp also took one service, and spoke most acceptably; and Bra. G. A. Green spoke on 'God's Glad Tidings to Man.' The last Band of Hope meeting was a most enjoyable one, and we are hopeful of good results. The Sunday School is well attended, and we are trusting that many of the young people will yet accept the Christ as a personal Saviour, and live for Him, that they may be found in the kingdom of our Lord in the coming age. Bra. Taylor seems to be slowly improving in health, and we hope ere long to see him again in his old place and work. DUNEDIN.-We are still contending for the faith, and rejoicing in the interest shown by the attentive listeners at our meetings, and we have much to be thankful for in Bro, Carr's ability to make known the truths of the Gospel of our Lord and Master. We are pleased to mention that our numbers have increased by three, who put on Christ by baptism. We are expecting more to follow soon. Two Misses Jepson and Battson confessed Christ as their Lord and Master on Saturday night last. We purpose holding our annual meeting next month. Peace and quietness reigneth amongst us. We are all pleased at the favourable auspices and sptrit held at your last Conference. We had a visit from Bo, Creighton, commended by the Church of Christ, Wanganui. He is one of a family of believers in Life and Advent truth in Nelson Provincial District, and a young man of faith and promise 01 usefulness in the Master's work. [The foregoing was received too late for March issue.]-We have nothing of importance to record this month. Our , annual church meeting was held on the 4th 'instant, and we are pleased to note that our morning and evening meetings are weli attended, likewise the Bible class and cottage meetings; also, that we have our Sister Hurrell from Wellington worshipping with us. We propose holding our annual tea meeting on the 31st, hoping that it will be a decided success. Further information in our next issue.

AGENTS FOR THE BIBLE STANDARD

NEW ZEALAND. Auckland-Mr. C. Mackay, Bookseller, Grey-street. " Mr. C. Mackay, Bookseller, Karangahape Road. Dunedin=-Mr. Aitken, Arcade. Gisborne-Mr. A. Slack. Hamilton-Mr. John Steadman. Invercargill-Neil's Botanic Dispensary. Kamo-Mr. J. Heape. Kaiapor=-Mr. James Holland. Milton-Mr. Gregg. New Plymouth-Mr. Fred, Goodacre, Courtney Road. Timaru=-Mr. J. Rowbotham, Cash Store, Church Street Thames-Mr. W. H. Cropp. Wangaloa-Mr. Taylor. Adelaide-Mr. Adelaide-Mr. Sydney-Mr. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. C, Gamble, Life and Advent Book Room, King William-street, City. C. Gamble, Magill Road, Stepney. NEW SOUTH WALES. Herbert Cropp, 27, Munni Street, Newtown.

Communications to the Editor to be addressed:-G EO. ALDRIDGE, Boston Road, Auckland. All Communications to the Association to be addressed to the Secretary, WM. RATTRA Y, Victoria Avenue, off Eden Terrace, Auckland. ----

CHURCH OF CHRIST
Hold services as under :A UCKLAND-Foresters' Hall, Karangahape Road. Sunday, at 11 o'clock a.m., Fellowship Meeting. 6.45 p.m., Lecture on some important Bible Theme. Sunday School at 3. Wednesday evening, Bible Class at 7.30. Evangelist's address-s-Geo. Aldridge, Boston Road. GISBoRNE-Meeting Address=-Mr. held in private houses. A Slack. North Gisborne.

current 'lRews anb '!Rotes.

The Pirreus, on the 14th February, was the scene of an extraordinary outbreak of religious fanaticism, directed against the Protestant residents, and particularly the Hellenic converts to Protestantism. During the celebration of divine service at the Protestant church the building was surrounded by a turbulent mob, and much rioting ensued. The style of obituary notice that finds favour in the New Zealand vVar C1'Y is a very singular one. In the issue for March 12 we find the following :-' Two seniors and four juniors take passage for the New Jerusalem.' 'After several weeks of severe suffering, the infant son of our comrades, Major and Mrs Vince, was" carried hy the angels," and is now " Safe iu the arms of Jesus." The little fellow took his flight on the evening of Wednesday, March znd.' 'Our beloved comrade Company-Sergeant Chesterman, laid down his weapons, and went to reign with Him Whom he had loved and served on earth.' Of another it is said, 'On Sunday, February 31st, at 7 a.m., while in a sweet sleep, the chariot lowered, and she was taken home.' It is somewhat confusing and paradoxical to read after these remarks, that in each case there was a funeral, and the persons who had 'taken their flight,' 'stepped into the chariot,' and' gone to reign,' were, like their mortal brethren, laid to rest in graveyards. The latter is matter of fact; the other is a theory which cannot be called' beautiful theory,' because it takes away from the grandeur of the Saviour's work. He is 'the Resurrection and the Life,' and' till He comes' these dear people will 'sleep in the dust of the earth.

DUNEDIN-Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart-street. Sunday, at 11 a. m., Fellowship Meeting. Lecture at 6.45. Sunday School at 2.45. Prayer Meeting and Bible Class every Friday evening at 7.30. Evangelist's Address=-Edwin Carr, Stafford Street . THAMES Pollen Street Lecture Hall. Sunday, at 11 a.m., Fellowship Meeting. Evening Service at 6.30. Sunday School at 2.30. Bible Class every Wednesday evening at 7.30. Evangelist's Address-E. H. Taylor, Thames.

MELBOURNE-Eastern Arcade, Bourke-street. Sunday, at 5.30 p.m., Fellowship Meeting. Lecture at 7 p. m. Bible Class Tuesday Evening, at 7.45. ADELAIDE, S. A.-Meeting for Fellowship and Breaking of Bread, 11 a.m., 96, North Terrace. Inquiry and Discussion Class, Red Cross Rooms, Rundle Street, Monthly, on nearest Friday to full moon. Secretary's address-F. B. Hughes, 96, North Terrace. SYDNEY-Warwick Hall, Station Street, Newtown, Morning meeting at 11. Bible Class Wednesday at 7.45. Secretary'saddress-W. Warner, 16 Pitt-street,

Redfern.

Printed by H. BRETT, Evening Star Office, Shortland-street, for the New Zeaiand Evangelistic and Publication Association, and published by E. H. FALKNER, Karangahape Road, Auckland. APRIL, 1892.