is a careless indifference to the danger arising from temptation. A
Christian whose piety is warm and vigorous has great tenderness of
conscience. He dreads the least approach of evil. Even the suggestions
of sin to the mind are painful. He therefore prays earnestly and daily,
"Lead me not into temptation," and carefully avoids placing himself in
dangerous circumstances. Sometimes, however, you will see professing
Christians who seem to want this instinctive sense of danger. They often
place themselves in circumstances when they might easily have foreseen
their strength of principle would be liable to be put to the severest
test. They keep company in which it is nearly impossible that their
moral feelings should not be defiled. They allow themselves to assort
with the idle, the frivolous, with those who are given to foolish
talking and jesting; they indulge idle thoughts, repeat amusing stories,
read hooks and papers that do not gender to piety, etc. But he who is
willing to go as far toward evil as he can with safety, has lost one of
the greatest safe-guards of virtue. He who is ready to tamper with
temptation is on dangerous ground and in a sad state of declension. O
reader, turn ye about, shake loose from the world, draw nigh to God, let
the deep breathings waft your soul upward and upward to greater heights
in God's joy and love, and this world will only be a dim specter in the
distance.
DILIGENCE.
"O for a closer walk with God!" This is the inward pleading of many a
precious blood-washed soul. I beg leave to tell you that that fulness of
God, that deep and perfect satisfaction of soul, that sweet feeling of
deep reverence, that hushed and sacred feeling of awe, that close walk
with God, is _obtained_ and _retained_ only by the _utmost_ diligence.
Slothfulness in the Christian life is a sure source of degeneration.
Too frequently when saints reach "fair Canaan's happy land" they think
they have nothing now to do but to sing and shout and praise God and go
to heaven "on flowery beds of ease." To every newly arrived Christian in
Canaan is given the command, "Go forward and possess the land." To do
this battles must be fought, giant foes must be defeated, and the
greatest diligence must be practised. God promised ancient Israel to
drive out all the nations of Canaan from before them, and that every
place whereon the soles of their feet should tread should be theirs, if
they would diligently keep all the commandments that the Lord commanded
them, to love the Lord, to walk in his ways, and to cleave unto him. See
Deut. 11:22-24.
If we will diligently obey God and go forward at his command he will
lead us where the milk and honey flow, and where the pastures are green.
Our walk with him will be sweet and our souls perfectly satisfied. Since
the term _diligence_ is so frequently used in Scripture and such
emphasis placed upon it, it is well worth our time to learn its meaning.
We often, among the saints, hear testimonies like these: "I am living
up to all the Word of God"; or, "All the Bible requires of me, I am
doing"; "I love God and find delight in doing all his will," etc. Such
expressions are very full of meaning and may sometimes mean more than
the witness comprehends. Let me ask you, Are you as diligent in every
respect as the Bible commands you to be?
Diligence implies an earnest and constant effort to accomplish a desired
end--a carefulness, a heedfulness, an industry, a close and fixed
attention.
Many a heart has been robbed of the love of God because it was not kept
by diligence. Many a beloved saint can look back to a few years ago when
his soul was more fully satisfied and his heart abounded more in the
love of God, and all because diligence was not given to "keep the
heart." In Josh. 22:5 the commandment is to take diligent heed to love
God, to walk in his ways, to keep his commandments, to cleave unto him,
and to serve him with all the heart and with all the soul. May the Lord
help the reader to comprehend the strength of this commandment. O how
precious! To take diligent heed to love God, implies a careful avoidance
of everything that would have a tendency to suppress his love in our
hearts and to eagerly seek all possible means of increasing that love.
All company whose spirit and conversation have a tendency to destroy
love is avoided as far as possible without violating the command, "Be
courteous." Reading amusing stories; telling amusing, worldly incidents,
the happenings of bygone days; fondness for the general news of the day;
gossiping; admiration for the pomp and show of the world; careless, idle
thoughts; fondness for society,--all serve to extinguish the love of God
in our hearts. Talking with others about God and his works, reading his
Word, meditating upon him, praying, attending meetings, doing good to
all men, giving of our means to advance his cause,--all these increase
the love in our hearts toward him. To be diligent, to serve the Lord
with all the heart and with all the soul, is to be industrious in doing
all we can for him; seeking opportunities of doing good, carefulness in
obeying all his commands, testifying to the works of God, and showing
forth his praises continually.
Your soul may long for a closer walk with God, and well that it does;
but if you do not keep your heart with all diligence from the world, you
will never enjoy the blessed experience. But by giving diligence you can
have such a walk with God as to fully satisfy your soul.
LOWLINESS.
But few traits of Christian character are more lovely than lowliness.
Humility, meekness, and lowliness are terms nearly synonymous, but not
wholly so. It is somewhat difficult for the mind to grasp the shades of
difference in their meaning. It appears, however, that lowliness is the
deepest depth of humility and meekness. Meekness is the opposite of
impatience, harshness, or irritability, and has for its fruit gentleness
and kindness. Humility is the opposite of pride, and has for its fruits
modesty, unforwardness, etc. Lowliness is simply the opposite of
highness in self in any respect, and has for its fruits meekness and
humility with their fruits.
To us this command is given: 'Walk worthy of your vocation with all
lowliness.' If you have the experience of "all lowliness," you will go
on in your vocation without discouragement and disappointment, though
you are unnoticed and wholly ignored. And though God promotes others and
honors them and they are loved and praised by men, you are glad for them
and rejoice. If you have the experience of "all lowliness" in your soul,
you will not have the least disposition to lift up self. All you do and
say will be in godly sincerity. Now look closely.
If God heals some one through your prayers, be careful when you tell of
the healing that it is to lift up the Lord only. If you have composed a
song, and sing it to a company who do not know that it is your song,
then you tell them the Lord gave you the song, what is your motive? Do
you want them to know how good and great the Lord is, and nothing more?
or do you want them to know that you are the author? I say, look closely
into your motive. If, from the lowliness of your heart, you desire in
all you do and say, only to exalt the Lord, it will be felt in the depth
of your speech, and God will be honored; but if there is the least
inclination or feeling to exalt self, it will be felt in the
gracelessness of your speech, and God will be dishonored. Go humbly on
in life attending to the work God has assigned to you, doing it well and
in all lowliness of heart before him, and be content.
ON DRESS.
If you could be as humble when you choose rich apparel (which I flatly
deny), yet you could not be as beneficent, as plenteous in good works.
Therefore every shilling that you needlessly spend on your apparel is in
effect _stolen from the poor_! For what end do you want these ornaments?
To please God? No!--but to please your own fancy or to gain the
admiration and applause of those who are no wiser than yourself. If so,
what you wear you are in effect tearing from the back of the naked; and
the costly and delicate food you eat, you are snatching from the mouth
of the hungry. For mercy, for pity, for Christ's sake, for the honor of
his gospel, stay your hand! Do not throw this money away. Do not lay out
on nothing, yea worse than nothing, what may clothe your poor, naked,
shivering fellow creatures.
Many years ago, when I was at Oxford, on a cold winter's day, a young
maid (one of those we keep at school) called on me. I said, "You seem
half starved. Have you nothing to cover you but that thin gown?" She
said, "Sir, this is all I have." I put my hand in my pocket, but found
no money left, having just paid away all that I had. It struck me, "Will
thy Master say, 'Well done, good and faithful steward. Thou hast adorned
thy wall with the money which might have screened this poor creature
from the cold'? O justice! O mercy! Are not these pictures the blood of
the poor maid? See thy expensive apparel in the same light; thy gown,
hat, head-dress!"
Everything about thee which costs more than Christian duty required thee
to lay on, is the blood of the poor! Oh, be wise for the time to come!
Be more merciful; more faithful to God and man; more abundantly clad
(like men and women professing godliness) _with good works_.
It is _stark, staring nonsense_ to say, "Oh, I can _afford_ this or
that!" If you have regard to common sense, let that silly word never
come into your mouth. No man living can _afford_ to throw away any part
of that food or raiment into the sea which was lodged with him on
purpose to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. And it is far worse
than waste to spend any part of it in gay and costly apparel. For this
is no less than to turn wholesome food into deadly poison. It is giving
so much money to poison both yourself and others as far as your example
spreads, with pride, vanity, anger, lust, love of the world, and a
thousand "foolish and hurtful desires" which tend to "pierce them
through with many sorrows." O God, arise and maintain thy own cause! Let
not men and devils any longer put out our eyes and lead as blindfolded
into the pit of destruction.
God demands of his people that they dress modestly as becomes people who
profess holiness. The putting on of apparel for adornment and the
wearing of jewelry are not consistent with Christian modesty. The nude
and lewd art of dressing which is becoming so prevalent among professors
of Christ is an abomination in the sight of God, and a practise which no
virtuous man or woman can countenance. If professors would stop and
consider the character of women who invent popular fashions of the age
they might well blush with shame at their eager attempts to follow the
modern styles of dress invented by the wicked leaders of fashion in
London and Paris, whence the latest styles of this country generally
emanate. It is indeed sad to behold the young of to-day making
themselves unfit to fulfil the sacred functions of wife and mother by
the use of the modern corset, as well as laying a foundation for years
of misery, dragged out in this life by diseases brought upon them by
catering to the creed of millions who worship at the shrine of Fashion.
The pride of their hearts, pampered and fed by the foolish practises of
the age, blinds them to their obligations to God as a Creator and
Savior; and amid the whirl of earthly vanity they hasten to the awful
doom that awaits all who fail to obey the gospel of Christ.
The Word of God gives plain directions to Christians as to how they
should dress. In olden times God permitted his people to wear some
jewelry; that is, there was no law against it; but there came a time
when he promised that he would cleanse the hearts of his people from all
pride and vanity, and they should find no pleasure in putting on
ornamental dress and jewelry, and costly array. In Isa. 3:16-23 we have
a clear prophecy of the gospel age, and how God was going to have his
people dress modestly in accordance with their profession. We shall
quote from the LXX: "Thus saith the Lord, because the daughters of Sion
are haughty, and have walked with an outstretched neck, and with winking
of the eyes, and motion of the feet: ... therefore the Lord will humble
the chief daughters of Sion, and the Lord will expose their form in that
day; and the Lord will take away the glory of their raiment, the curls
and the fringes, and the crescents, and the chains, and the ornaments of
their faces, and the array of glorious ornaments, and the armlets, and
the bracelets, and the wreathed work, and the finger-rings, and the
ornaments for the right hand, and the earrings, and the garments with
scarlet borders, and the garments with purple grounds, and the shawls to
be worn in the house, and the Spartan transparent dresses, and those
made of fine linen, and the purple ones, and the scarlet ones, and the
fine linen, interwoven with gold and purple, and the light coverings for
couches."
We shall now quote from the New Testament: "In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and
sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." 1 Tim.
2:9,10.
"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any
obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the
conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear, whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price." 1 Pet. 3:1-4.
The wearing of feathers, artificial flowers, frills, flounces,
unnecessary tucks and trimmings, is not in harmony with the gospel
standard of modest apparel. Queer-shaped hats, such as we see worn by
the people who follow the fashions of the world, should be avoided by
the saints as they would every other thing unbecoming to a Christian;
not fashioning themselves according to their former lusts in their
ignorance. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so he ye holy in
all manner of conversation." 1 Pet. 1:15.
The all-wise God who gave these commands knows what is for the good of
his people, and if we love him, we will obey. When the heart is cleansed
from all pride there will be no difficulty in measuring up to the gospel
on the matter of modest apparel. We trust all who read this may realize
it is truth.
THE ELIXIR OF LIFE.
I have seen patent medicines bearing the above title. By the word
_elixir_ is meant length of days and happiness. The medical man by
labeling his cordial with this title offers to give to all who will take
it a long life of happiness. Such things have their sad failures; but I
will offer to you a prescription, which, if you will carefully follow,
will prove an unfailing elixir of life. "For he that will love life, and
see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that
they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek
peace, and ensue it." 1 Pet. 3:10,11. If the reader will follow these
directions strictly, making them practical in every-day life, we can
upon the authority God has given insure him a long and happy life.
RULES FOR EVERY-DAY LIFE.
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt." Col. 4:6.
"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power
of thine hand to do it." Prov. 3:27.
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without." Col. 4:5.
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Phil. 2:14.
"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth." Prov. 27:2.
"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks." Prov. 27:23.
"Eat so much as is sufficient for thee." Prov. 25:16.
"Be not wise in your own conceits." Rom. 12:16
"Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1 Thes. 5:22.
"See that none render evil for evil unto any man." 1 Thes. 5:15.
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." Rom. 12:10.
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. 12:21.
"Be content with such things as ye have." Heb. 13:5.
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Eccl. 9:10.
"Let all things be done with charity." 1 Cor. 16:14.
"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." Jas. 1:2.
"Keep thyself pure." 1 Tim. 5:22.
"In everything give thanks." I Thes. 5:18.
"Keep yourselves in the love of God." Jude 21.
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all
saints." Eph. 6:18.
A HOLY LIFE.
What, in its true sense, is a holy life? It is the life of Jesus. His
whole manner of life was truly holy. His life is the ideal life. If we
would live holy, we must live as he lived. We must walk as he walked.
The artist has his ideal before him, and with touches of the brush here
and there upon his drawing he forms a picture in an exact image of the
ideal. The life of Jesus is what we are to imitate. He sets the example
of holy living and calls us to the same holy life. "As he which hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." 1 Pet.
1:15. This text has a better rendering in the Revised Version: "Like as
he which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of
living." We, as Christians, are God's offspring and as such are like
him.
Holiness in the life of Jesus is found not only in the greater miracles
which he performed, but also in the lesser happenings of his life. The
restoring of life to the dead is no more beautifully holy than the
laying of his hands upon the heads of children and blessing them. His
memorable Sermon on the Mount no more portrays the loveliness of his
character than the conversation with the woman by the wayside well. It
is the little things in every-day life, if attended to and kept in the
meekness and solemnity of the Spirit of Christ, that make life truly
beautiful and holy. It is not the eloquent sermon that makes a life so
sublime; but it is the tender smile, the kind word, the gentle look,
that is given to all. It is the patient manner in which all the little
trying and provoking things of life are met.
You may preach or write ever so forcibly and eloquently, and bring out
the sublime truths of the Bible in great beauty; but if, in the privacy
of your own home, there are little frettings, a little peevishness, a
little crossness, a little levity, a little selfishness, a little
distrust, your life is not as truly holy as it should be. If you desire
God's holy image to be stamped upon your soul, your countenance, and
your life, carefully avoid the little sprigs of lightness, the little
bits of sloth and indolence, touches of forwardness, rudeness,
coarseness, and crossness, and acts of selfishness, etc.
Pure words belong to a holy life. You should use the very choicest
words. Words that are wholly free from vulgarity, slang, and the spirit
of the world. Untidiness, uncleanness, carelessness, and shabbiness are
not at all beautiful ornaments in a holy life. But quietness, modesty,
and reticence are gems which sparkle in a holy life like diamond sets in
a band of gold. Give attention to your words, your thoughts, your tone
of voice, your feelings, the practise of self-denial, of little acts of
benevolence, of promptness, of method and order. These are auxiliaries
to holy living. Are there not many little things in your home life that
you can improve upon? Seek God for help and be truly holy.
A SOLITARY WAY.
There is a mystery in human hearts,
And though we be encircled by a host
Of those who love us well, and are beloved,
To ev'ry one of us, from time to time,
There comes a sense of utter loneliness.
Our dearest friend is "stranger" to our joy,
And can not realize our bitterness.
"There is not one who really understands,
Not one to enter into all I feel,"
Such is the cry of each of us in turn.
We wander in "a solitary way,"
No matter what or where our lot may be;
Each heart, mysterious even to itself,
Must live its inner life in solitude.
And would you know the reason why this is?
It is because the Lord desires our love.
In ev'ry heart he wishes to be first,
He therefore keeps the secret key himself,
To open all its chambers, and to bless
With perfect sympathy and holy peace
Each solitary soul which comes to him.
So when we feel this loneliness it is
The voice of Jesus saying, "Come to me";
And ev'ry time we are "not understood,"
It is a call to us to come again:
For Christ alone can satisfy the soul.
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have "a solitary way."
And when beneath some heavy cross you faint
And say, "I can not bear this load alone,"
You say the truth. Christ made it purposely
So heavy that you must return to him.
The bitter grief, which "no one understands,"
Conveys a secret message from the King,
Entreating you to come to him again.
The "Man of sorrows" understands it well,
"In all points tempted," he can feel with you;
You can not come too often, or too near.
The Son of God is infinite in grace,
His presence satisfies the longing soul;
And those who walk with him from day to day
Can never have "a solitary way."
STIRRING THE EAGLE'S NEST.
"As an eagle stirreth up her nest, that fluttereth over her young, he
spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bare them on his pinions."
That picture is full of poetry, full of life and truth and beauty. Mark
it. Have you ever seen an eagle stir up her nest? You know what happens.
There in the nest, right upon the rocky heights, are the eaglets. The
mother eagle comes and, taking hold of them, flings them out of the
nest. They were so comfortable there, but she flings them right out of
the nest, high above the earth. They begin to fall straightway. They
never have been in air before; they have always been in the nest.
Is not that mother bird cruel? Why does she disturb the eaglets?
Watch her and you will understand. As long as you look upon the
struggling eaglets in the air you miss the point. Watch the eagle.
Having stirred up her nest, "she spreadeth abroad her pinions," the
pinions that beat the air behind her as she rises superior to it. Where
are the eaglets? Struggling, falling; she is superior; they are falling.
Then what does she do? "She beareth them on her pinions." She swoops
beneath them, catches them on her wings, and bears them up. What is she
doing? Teaching them to fly. She drops them again, and again they
struggle in the air, but this time not so helplessly. They are finding
out what she means. She spreads her pinions to show them how to fly, and
as they fall again, she catches them again. That is how God deals with
you and me.
Has he been stirring up your nest? Has he flung you out until you feel
lost in an element that is new and strange? Look at him. He is not lost
in that element. He spreads out the wings of omnipotence to teach us how
to soar. What then? He comes beneath us and catches us on his wings. We
thought when he flung us out of the nest it was unkind. No; he was
teaching us to fly that we might enter into the spirit of the promise,
"They shall mount up with wings as eagles." He would teach us how to
use the gifts which he has bestowed on us, and which we can not use as
long as we are in the nest.
Fancy keeping eaglets in the nest! It is contrary to their nature,
contrary to the purposes for which they are framed and fitted. There is
a purpose in the eagle. What is it! Flight upward. There is a purpose in
your life, new-born child of God! What is it? Flight Godward, sunward,
heavenward. If you stop in the nest you will never get there. God comes
into your life and disturbs you, breaks up your plans, and extinguishes
your hopes, the lights that have lured you on. He spoils everything;
what for? That he may get you on his wings and teach you the secret
forces of your own life, and lead you to the higher development and
higher purposes. The government of God is a disturbing element, but,
praise his name! it is a progressive element.
SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO.
Do not forget to pray.
Do not waste any moments in idleness.
Do not use slang words in your conversation.
Do not build air-castles.
Do not think evil nor speak evil of any one.
Do not lack showing courtesy to all men.
Do not be rude in manners.
Do not think yourself to be something more than you are.
Do not try to make others think you are better than you really are.
Do not tell the faults of a friend to others.
Do not wear what the Bible condemns.
Do not dress slovenly.
Do not work too much.
Do not work too little.
Do not talk too much.
Do not eat too much.
Do not sleep too much.
Do not neglect going to meetings.
Do not neglect giving all you can to the cause of Christ.
Do not neglect reading the Bible.
Do not do to others what you would not like for them to do to you.
Do not forget to practise much self-denial.
Do not neglect to be zealously affected in a good cause.
Do not neglect to admonish your brother.
Do not seek the praise of men.
Do not do anything through strife or vain glory.
Do not be afraid of the devil.
Do not think your trials are greater than those of others.
Do not neglect to bear the burdens of others.
Do not neglect to bear your own burdens.
Do not fret, worry, nor murmur.
Do not testify to something you do not live.
Do not let your thoughts wander idly about.
Do not neglect to show meekness and kindness to all men.
Do not compromise with sin to the least degree.
Do not neglect your salvation.
Do not weary in well-doing, knowing in due season you shall reap if you
_Do not faint_.
PURITY.