The Bible Standard January 1907

8/2/2019 The Bible Standard January 1907

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VOL. 28. No. 1. TWOPENCE.UCKLAND, N.Z., JANUARY, 1907.

- -----:~ ,y the favour of God we are allowed to enter

: I upon another year of service. 'I'rue to its. 1 original intent, the STANDAHDtill upholdsthe Word of God as the source of its teach-ings, and as the touchstone of the views itexamines. For more than a quarter of acentury it has done these things, and now

declares with unswerving conviction that these are theonly safe lines to follow. It advocates unpopular doc-trines, and will still continue to set them forth. If men

will hear them-well; if not, weshall still sound out the message ofLife only in Christ, and declarethat the only hope for humanity is

in the return of the Lord. The passage of the years,with their garnered experience and added stores ofknowledge, have but deepened the convictions cherishedon these important truths, and we have met with nothingwhich can dim their lustre or lessen their worth. Inthese paragraphs, month by month, wc endeavour to giveour readers some idea of the tendencies at work in theChurch and the world, which show that man is evermaking efforts to improve his position, individually,socially, and politically, and we have unsparingly pointedout the causes of his failure, and the only sure hope ofperfect success. It may be that our words are thrownaway, unread for the most part, and unheeded whereread, save by the loyal few who love the Lord and Histruth. But this failure to seeure a large and apprecia-tive audience does not dishearten us. As in the vearspast, so in this, we aspire to be true to our trust. and asopportunity serves to utter with no uncertain sound thethings taught in the Word of Truth. To our reader -

met Bnotb ermeal'.

kindred lovers of the " 'I V ord, seeking to become deeperrooted in the things which concern the Lord-Ire giveour hearty well wishes for this year also. Should thishe the year which shall close the tarrying time, may itfind writers and readers amongst those who are "ready."

The year 1906 has been a record ycar for evils of dis-astrous magnitude. The early months of the ycar weredarkened by the deadly struggle between Russia andJapan, and later by the "pogroms," massacres, and re-

pressive acts of the Power beatenin the earlier struggle. Then therewere the volcanic outbreaks invarious lands, and thc earthq uake

experiences of San Francisco and South America, whichshowed with startling distinctness the utter helplessnessof man to aid himself in the presence of such calamities.These are the things which, in the passage of the years,stamp indelibly thc mark of man's inability to securehis own betterment. That list of evils can be extendedby an appeal to the recollection of our reader, of thethousand and one events of the past year all poi uting tothe same fact. We look to the year that is dawning, andutter our hopes for felicity, not knowing what in itscourse it may bring. The record of the past teaches usthat there is nothing to hope for which can' assure us offreedom from wars and rumours of wars, or that canavert the sudden calamity which works death and dis-aster. ']'he year now closed has marked its passage inwar, eruption, earthquake, shipwreck, and mine disaster.What of the coming year? We have no guarantee thatit will be better. But wc have the assurance that sometime, and it may be soon, these things shall cease, andthat the cessation shall be coincident with the termina-tion of human sin and disobedience. Man shuts his evesnow to the closc links between these dire misfortu~esand personal sin, but the day if; coming in which thepower of God. in the abolition of both, shall make thematter clear in fact, as it is in His Word.

B lR eco l't)meal',

The war madness revived by the Boer war still con-tinues to work in the minds of the British people. Spite.of the fact that the burdens on the British taxpayer have


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2 THE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY, 1907.

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become intolerable, the cry goes up for still greater ex-penditure and further war effici-ency. Here in this colony is formeda National League, which urgesuniversal defensive training of all

boys and young men, and preference in State employ-ment and licensed occupations to British citizens whofulfil special training conditions. Its journal regretsthat New Zealand decreased its defence vote by 10,000,and urges upon Government to spend money to providerifles and ammunition that shooting may become a "greatnational pastime." In an alarmist article, it sets forththat "in Pekin, in Tokio, in St. Petersburg, they havemarked New Zealand-quite defenceless!" It is de-clared that "In Europe and in Asia both, great militantStates are steadily increasing their armaments. .They are arming for attack-on somebody." New Zea-landers are called upon to arm for "defence." That is,it is quite certain if another nation arms, it is for "at-tack," whereas, if we arm, it is for "defence!" How doesit come to pass that men can so blind themselves? Withequal self-complacency the German, or other, says: "Wemust arm for defence; Britain arms for attack." So thegame goes on, and it is played mainly to satisfy thosewho have selfish interests to further, and 'tis the peoplewho toil, and suffer, and are called upon to fight, whopay in the fruits of their labour, and with their lives.We have erected our troopers' memorials in various partsof the colony to the memory of those who gave them-selves needlessly for the Empire. Let it not be forgottenthat a calm judgment of that war in which they losttheir lives is in harmony with the opinion of those who,when it was in progress, earned for themselves the nameof "Pro-Boer," and who were the objects of scoffing andsuspicion. We are not of those who believe with Roose-velt that "the best aid to peace is to be able to shootstraight," his own country being the witness to the follyof his remark in the numberless murders which are com-mitted by those who carry out the doctrine to individualapplication.

ttbe mobern3-naantt)2.

As an indication that the teachings of ConditionalImmortality are still doctrines to be reckoned with, wemay call attention to the fact that a book has recentlybeen published, entitled "A Biblical Concordance on the

Soul, the Intermediate State, andthe Resurrection," by the Rev. G.WaIler, M.A. This is named by theJewish World "a book for the

curious." It adds: "It contains all the passages in whichthe Hebrew words N ephesh. and Sheol occur, as well asthose passages which speak of death, as, for example, (tosleep with one's fathers,' or (not to be.' Likewise allNew Testament passages which contain the Greek wordspsyche and hades. We have checked the author's com-pilation here and there, and have found no errors. Theburden of his message is that Sheol means nothing moreand nothing less than the grave; that when { t o ma,v.,q . i e s

Bn 3-mportant'Wlorh.

he remains there in an (intermediate' stage of uncon-sciousness and rest until the great day of judgment:The author's summing up on the great question concern-ing man's state in death is emphatic, and we should liketo place this Bible help in the hands of every Biblereader, and ask him to carefully examine the passages,with their usages of the words, and then see if they canobject to the author's own statement, which is, "What,then, can Sheol (Gk. Hades) be, as described in the OldTestament Scriptures, but the grave, or sepulchre, orplace of the dead, to which man is said to go in body andsoul after death, in a dead state. There being no men-tion in the Old Testament of any existence of man, orof any part of man, in Sheol (Hades), or elsewhere,independent of a living organism or body, consequentlythere can be no consciousness, and therefore no happi-ness or suffering of man after death, except in a resurrec-tion body, at the day of judgment." He further states:"Resurrection, therefore, was the great central hope ofthe Old Testament Church, an existence after death(independent of the body) being derived from heathen-ism and heathen philosophy."Dr. Fitchett, of Melbourne, is a prolific writer, and

one of his recent books has come in for a large share ofrasping criticism. With the object of showing the supe-riority of Christianity over Rationalism, he wrote a novel,

entitled "Ithuriel's Spear." As. astory, it contains its measure ofsensational incident, with the in-evitable love thread running

through it. The criticisms are not directed so much tothese things as to the motives which are supposed tounderlie the actions of the different characters. 'Ye' arenot prepared to follow the author, either in his presen-tation of Christianity or altogether in the presentationof Freethought, although it must be conceded he makessome most effective points. But our intentiou is to callattention to the manner in which the book is viewed bythose who look upon so-called Freethought as the veryhighest intellectual position to be attained. A corre-spondent in the British. Wee7cly, condemniug the book,says: "It is well-nigh impossible for a young man ofparticular views and progressive ideas to remain in theChurch. Because his mental horizon is greater, and hislogic more sound, he may not be able to see eye to eyewith those who claim to be orthodox and the sole pos-sessors of truth. It carries no weight that sucha man is a genuine seeker after truth, and a reverentworshipper of the Most High: and of all that is good andtrue. . . . He may be doing some useful social work,and trying to live up to the highest that is within him,and thus gradually be working out his own salvation,but if he is unable to subscrihe to the current orthodoxcreed he is denied the title of Christian and refused aplace in the Church."

ID r. jfttcbettcrtttctset

All this is a testimony to human conceit difficult tomatch for its ignorance of the Church, the standing of


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JaNUARY, 1907.,THE;' BIBLE STANDARD. 3

thc Christian, and the ground of his service. It is acommon thing for men of Freethought tendencies to

boast of their intellectual eminence.But the claim is not necessarilyconceded. It may be .that some atleast of the community have pro-

-gressed in matters of thought far beyond the conceitedyouth who prides himself upon his progressive thonght,and have reached reasonable conclusions which, if some-what humbling to human pride, do yet exalt the truthof God. The point is, whether or not this supposed in-tellectual giant has a right to a place in the Church,whilst he rejects the foundation doctrines on which theChurch rests? Inside the Church is not the place forthose who are seeking after the knowlcdge of such primalmatters as their own state before God, the fact of theAtonement, and the doctrine of sins forgiven upon faithin Christ. Only those who have "found" certainty onthese matters have a right inside, and it looks much likea desire to share in privileges which are not legitimatelyobtained if a man wants to be inside a church withoutacceptance of the basic things which can alone explainthe 'existence of the Church. He may do some userhlsocial work, but this is his duty, irrespective of Chris-tianity, and he may be doing his best morally. This,too, he ought to do for his own sake, and in relation tosociety, but neither of these things are any warrant bywhich he should be admitted to the Church. There isbut one door, and that is very low, through which onlythe humble, penitent sinner can enter. If a man objectsto that entrance, it cannot be altered -to suit him. Mandid not constitute the Church, and the terms are not tobe altered to suit his notions of what ought to be.

1Stg wt tbconcert.

"The hypothesis of a lost and ruined race, on whichso much of the Church's teaching is founded, and which,indeed, is needed to justify some of it, is felt by an in-creasing number of persons to be obsolete." So says a

writer in the Ht'bbert Journal. Thewhole article is intended to showthat the Church is now beingshaped by surrounding influences,

so that the old conception as to its nature and characteris giving place to juster and more acceptable ideas. Wemay say right at once, that if the race is not lost andruined, then there is no need for the Church, nor, in-deed, is there any need for a message of salvation at all.The idea that some individuals only may sink so low thatthey may be spoken of in some figurative fashion as"lost" may be very gratifying to men in the mass, hutit is an idea which will not harmonise with facts. 'I'hesemodern writers will persistently keep their attentionupon the idea that it is within man's power to becomementally capable and morally better. But mental powerwanes, and man is never as good as he ought to be. Thereare such things to observe, too, as man's 'physical state,the prevalence of disease, and the ravages of death; suchitems. too, as man's proved incapacity to govern fOT the

3 - 9 tbe macemlltne~ ?

advantage of the "greatest number." These things areexplainable on the view that the race is lost and ruined,and needs external power and grace if ever it is to belifted from that state; but if the Bible view is not thetrue one, then the present state is a hopeless puzzle, andcertainly there is nothing put forward by these writerswhich will help us to arrive at any reason why thingsshould be as they are, or, being so, can indicate howthere can be improvement. The old "hypothesis," so-called, is "truth." It satisfactorily supplies a reason forthe present state, and it points with steady finger to theremedy. It shows the manner in which the "race," lostand undone, can become a race saved and perfected inChrist the Second Man, To reject the fact and theremedy is simply, ostrich-like, to hide one's head in thesand, and then affirm that there is no danger because wedo not see it.

The idea of "Reunion" is taking deeper root in thelarger denominations, and the practical examples of itsutility are assisting to further it. There are some Chris-tians who urge it upon the ground that believers ought

to be one in matters of faith, but itseems clear that this is not thegoverning idea in every case. Awriter in the Hibberi Journal gives

some reasons for such reunion. His reasons are:"( 1) That it would be an act of obedience to the declareddesire of the Lord of the Church, and as such wouldbring all the Churches into nearer union with His will.(2) It would apply a counter weight to the movement to-wards reunion with Rome, and make it clear that for aProtestant Church the only possible centre for a reunionmovement is Christ. (3) It would supply an organ forthe Christian conscience on impor-tant questions of publicpolicy. Since the Reformation the Christian Church,as such, has had no distinct voice in the counsels of thenation." Other reasons are given, but these are the mostimportant. We note that nothing is said about a com-mon agreement to accept Bible language in its plain andunmistakable speech as a basis of union. This seems tous to be the necessary prelude to everything else. Butlet us candidly say, it is the third reason that we fear.The desire of the Church for the attainment of power,and her entry into the counsels of the nations, are by nomeans attractive things to view. Nowhere in the NewTestament is provision made for such a position, and thedesire of the Church for reunion, in order to obtain it,bodes anything but good for the Church, or for the gene-ral cause of Christianity. History tells of a unitedChurch-the Church of Rome-and her history oughtto be a warning as to the dangers awaiting ecclesiasticalinterference in the counsels of the nations. The AnglicanChurch, in the past, had great powers, and even now actsgenerally ac1verselyto the betterment of the people, put-ting its own interests first, even though this may meanoppression for the people. Ten thousand times better isit for the many conflicting sects to be in existence, strug-

cburcbmeunton.


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JANUARY, 11)0THE BIBLE STANDARD.gling for truth, than for a great Church to replace them,uni ted upon the least minimum of doctrine, and seekingto forward its own interests, whatever they may be, itIllay be to the disaster of the State.A new corumandment has been formulated by a pro-

fessor in the University of St. Petersburg. He calls it"The twelfth commandment," and gives it thus: "Tho'11shalt not write about anything that thou dost not under-

stand." Being Professor of Phy-Cl nwelftb sics, he submits the writings ofC:OI1lI1Hlnll l1lent , Haeckel, the Evolutionist, to thetest, and concludes from his exam-

ination that "everything that Haeckel, in his treatmentof physics, declares and maintains is false, testifying toa scarcely credible ignorance of the most elementaryknowledge." This is not thc utterance of a theologian,but of a man who ranks high as' a scientist. Thename of Haeckel is supposed by Rationalists to be a nameto be conjured with when matters of evolutionary scienceare mooted, and the Rationalist party has put his worksinto circulation, and seems to consider that by his investi-gations the Bible doctrine of creation is entirely set aside,and the clear proof is afforded that man has come to hispresent position in the ranks of being through a longseries of innumerable a.nd infinitesimal changes. Hiswork has received some rough handling from fellowscientists, and this last onslaught is a severe blow de-livered against his somewhatinfiated writings. On thispoint we cannot judge, but it is certain that Haeckelknows nothing about the teaching of the Bible, and thistwelfth commandment aptly applies in that reference.That in the chosen domain of science he should be as-sailed, and virtually told that he is an ignoramus, is amatter that the defender of the Bible will rememberwhen Haeckel's name is cited in future as an authoritybefore whom he should bow in reverence.What is the Gospel? and Where is it to be found?

are questions of import at the present time, in view ofthe numerous presentations of it which are persistentlydrilled into our ears. A book has been written, bearing

the title of "The Gospel in the Gos-pels," and it suggests the questions.As a rule, those who present theGospel usually select some particu-

lar portion of Bible teaching, and arbitrarily assert it tobe the Gospel. Onedeclares that the death of Christ forsin is the Gospel; another asks that you should .accept hispresentation of the Law of Moses as the guide to eternallife; yet another will demand that you should agree tohis creed, or standard, or declaration of faith, as thegospel whereby alone you can be saved. The teachingof Christ, as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount, issupposed by several sects to embody what there is inGospel message to men of the present. How few seemto understand that the Gospel message God has sent tomen lies in His covenants and promises, ant! that the

'{tbe (i3ospel-Wlbat?

offer of these has been made in differing dispensationsterms which, suited to the dispensation, made thatsentation the Gospel to the men to whom it was giand tha t the same good news comes to us, and is mavailable upon terms which are peculiar to the predispensation-tcrms which are clearly stated in thecord whence we obtain the good news. Whatever mathe "Gospel in the Gospels," it is as certain as anythcan well be that the Gospel message to men in the preis to be found in the Epistle to the Romans, and this not to be confused with the messagc as it was prcseby the Lord to His own people, the Jews. The Gin the gospels was a local message, presenting tofaithful Jew the hope of the near approach of the Kdom, with an assurance of entry upon it if the Cwas accepted in the way laid down in the conditions,certainly that is not the exact message for to-day,are the terms of its acceptance identical with thoseforth in the present message.

:fB ri ef l 6~po9 it io I lS ."B e that is not aga'inst us is for US."-LUKE ix.

MARK ix. 40."He that is not with Me is against Me."-MATT.30; LUKE xi. 23.ONLY the most superficial reader can mistake thesesayings for contradictory versions of one and thestatement. Apart from the fact that Luke recordsboth, a very slight glance at the context of each wionce show them to be spoken at different times anddifferent purposes. Both sayings are in that proverform which our Lord often used to convey His mostportant teaching; maxims conveying much in few weasily remembered, and searching out "the thoughtsintents of the heart."The first quoted (probably second in time of u

ance) was spoken to His disciples in rebuke of theirtaken zeal in the case of a man, not of their own numwhom they saw casting out demons in the name ofMaster. "We forbad him, because he followed notus." Instead of meeting with our Lord's approval,were rebuked, and told they had mistaken a friendfoe, in their narrow way of judging of things.man, whom they interdicted, was an ally, not an enThat he did not habitually follow in their little comdid not warrant them in condemning his action.showed, by his doing a good work in the Dame ofLord Jesus, thar he, too, was a disciple, and hiswas "for," not against, the Master's cause. Itlesson for Christ's disciples in all ages, to be very cahow they judge the work done by others professedlyHis name. It shows that, in the eye of the rightJudge, there may be true discipleship and service ouour ideas. We should therefore learn to be modesour estimate of our own service, and tolerant in our jment of otheriS who "follow not with us," yet claim


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JA'NUARY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD. 5serve the same Lord and Master. The day which shallreveal the secrets of all hearts may show that He ap-proves what we were inclined to forbid (1 Cor. iv. ?,:i5~.There may be many varieties in method and outwardmanifestation of discipleship. Let us be careful not totreat as enemies those who, after all, may be, in theMaster's judgment, on our side in the great fight againstthc evil that is in the world.The second saying is of a different sort, ana of much

more solemn personal import. "He that is not with Meis against Me." The personal pronoun is here changed,and there is a world of difference in the thought con-veyed. It is no longer a question of identifying one'sself with some particular company of professed disciples.It goes to the very root of the matter, personal allegianceto the Lord Himself. "He that is not with ME," is anenemy. There is no place here even for neutrality. Wemust be either "with," or we are reckoned "against," inthis warfare.The words were called forth by one of the most bitter

exhibitions, on the part of the men of His time, of per-sonal hostility to the Lord. Even when thev could notdeny the actuality of His works of power and .mercy, theystill could sneeringly pretend to believe that He was inleague with the prince of evil, whose strongholds He was'taking by force. And Jesus, in rebuking this foolishand hostile spirit, laid down for all time the broad lineof demarcation between His kingdom and the kingdomof darkness (Luke xi. 13-22). Anyone who is not pre-pared to welcome and obey Him must be classed amongthe followers and helpers of the evil one. There is hereno half-way house, no via media. Either we must ac-knowledge Jesus as Lord and Master, or we are againstHim.If this be the meaning of the two sayings under con-

sideration, they are clearly independent of each other,yet each true in its separate sphere of application. Theirpurpose and teaching are different, but it js useful to putthem the one over against the other, for their very con-trasts serve to emphasise the lessons they respectivelyteach. The one has to do with a disciple's connectionwith some particular company of the Lord's followers,and there the call is to humility of mind in O \n judgmentof others who profess the name of Christ. The other hasto do with the disciple's relation to the Lord Himself,and there the demand is strict and without compromise;there must be sincere loyalty to Him who bought us, andwho asks the undivided allegiance of every heart.

M. W. STRA G.Bearsden, Glasgow.

\tbe jflollrisbing of tbe Rlmon() \tree,I WAS lately asked to explain the reference to the "fl our-ishing of the almond tree," which occurs in Ecclesiastesxii. 5, in the description of the symptoms of the advanceof old age and senile decay.

This one feature seems decidedly out of harmony withthe rest of the passage, which so graphically depicts thcfailure of every natural force and desire. When we read"the almond tree shall flourish," we are reminded of thejoyous flush of the spring-time, rather than of the re-treating sap of winter; of the vigorous opening of life,rather than of its waning close; of the buddingof a new life's hopes rather than of a timewhen "desire shall fail." Feeling this, expositorshave generaUy explained the words as referringto the "hoary head" of age, symbolized by "thewhite blossom of the almond tree." Yet this explanationhas failed to satisfy some students familiar with the ap-pearance of the almond tree in bloom in Palestine. TheRev, Jas. Neil, in his "Palestine Explored," has the fol-lowing interesting remarks on the subject:-"A striking winter feature of Bethany, the modern El

Aearieh, is a number of almond trees, which clusterround the poor, ruined vi ilage, leafless as yet, butiegin-ning to put forth, early in February, an' abundance ofwhitish blossoms la.1'gely tinged with pink. I have oftenadmired this little grove, and whilst doing so have feltthat, in the solemn and affecting description of the clos-ing scene of life, given us in the last chapter of Eccle-siastes, this tree cannot have been introduced to picturethe whiteness of an old head, This light, cheerful rose-colour displays far more the bloom of youth than thesnows of age." Mr. N eil goes on to maintain that the usual renderingof the words is a mistake. He says:-"It is diffieul t to understand why our translators here

render na-aiz by the word 'flourish,' seeing that thisHebrew term means, in every other place, 'to provoke,''abhor,' or 'despise.' It is here in the hiphel mood, themood which implies 'causing;' and the right renderingwould naturally seem to be 'the almond' (that is, its nul,which is throughout the Holy Land a very favourite andconstant article of food) causes loathing, and the locust(which others can eat), 'is a burden' to the aged, tooth-less, old man." IIn support of this suggestion, it may be stated thatthe verb na-aiz occurs twenty-five times in the Old Tes-tamen t. Of these occurrences, twenty-four bear thesense of "provoke, abhor, etc.," as above stated. It ishard to see, therefore, how the word came to be rendered"flourish" in the isolated twenty-fifth passage. Thatrendering, or some equivalent, appears in most versions,including the revised version of 1885. But Mr. Neil'ssuggestion is supported by some eminent authorities,For example, Bagster's "Analytical Hebrew Lexicon"gives the meaning in Eccles. xii, 5 as "to be despised."Parkhnrst, in his Hebrew Lexicon, says) that the trans-lation "shall flourish or blossom" does not present uswith "a natural. and unforced sense of the word," which"never has anything like this meaning elsewhere in theHebrew Bible." He suggests, therefore, that the pas-sage should be rendered "sheds its bloom," that is, castsit off. Finally, Gesenius, in his standard Hebrew Lexi-con, explains the passage as meaning "spernitur, fastidi-


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6 THE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY, 1907.tur," that is to say, in English, "is spurned, is loathed,"and expressly condemns the translation "shall flourish"as contrary to the context.. I~ only remains to add that 1\1r. Neil is also perfectlyjustified III understanding the "almond" in the passagereferred to, not of the tree, but of its fruit. 'I'heHebrew word may mean either. In Gen. xliii. 11 andNum. xvii. 8, 23, for example, it is clearly used o'f thenut. M. W. STRANG.Bearsden, Glasgow..--0-..0-- ..-0-..0--..--0-.

lEchoes from'UUlestSt reet.

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"Looking for the blessed hope."-Trrus ii. 13.IN the good providence of God, we are privileged to enterupon another year, and, as in former years, so now, weare able to join in worship, and in the usual acts whichgo to make up the total of our evening service. I pre-sume that as in former years, so now, the new year reso-lutions have been made, and we have determined thatthis year shall see us free from the follies of formeryears, and that in uprightness and strong endeavour wewill pass through the period now opening upon us. 1trust that behind such resolutions there is the strengththat comes from reliance upon the grace and power ofGod, for, if made in our own strength, then are theyvalueless. Only as the ultimate foundation is in Godcan there be safety and security.I desire to-night to give a motto for the year, a mottoeasy to remember, and yet one that shall be full and

suggestive, and, if adopted as our motto, will set us be-fore the eyes of the Church and the world as a dist.nctand peculiar people, having a definite object of hope, acontrolling force in our lives, a motive and st.mulu: toservice, and an inward source of happiness not to be de-stroyed by any untoward event which the year in itspassage may bring upon us. Here is the motto: "Look-ing for the blessed hope." This passage has been oftendwelt upon in our exhortations, but we have never pre-tended that it has been exhausted either in public speechor in private study. Let us now adopt it as our mottofor this year, and, as we do so, seek to view some of thethings which necessarily lie within it.(1) It puts before us the word ''hope.'' That has a

cheery, optimistic sound. It is usually supposed that weare a pessimistic folk, always viewing the dark side, butnever was there a greater mistake. We are the trueoptimists. There is a sunshine in our sky never seen inthe skies of the worldling, or, indeed, of the orthodoxChurch member. These follow delusive lights whichgleam weirdly and then vanish in the gloom of night.But there is a true hope which abides-the root of Chris-

tian happiness. Christianity is essentially a religionhope, for it is founded on a living hope. 'I'he eye of faitlooks for glorious things in the future, and this becausGod, who cannot fail, whose word has been verified iits progress, bids us to hope. He does not require thaHis children should live lives of doubt and fearfulness,but that they should look with bright certainty for something good to come. The hope looks for something goodand because it is distant and future and good, hope includes the desire to attain it. Someone has said of hopthat "this wonderful engine moves the world and keepall men busy; everyone soon finds his present state noperfectly good, and hopes some way to make it better."It is this faculty of our being to which the Bible ministers, and encourages us to fix attention upon some specifiobject that it may be fed and strengthened. In thepistle to the Ephesians, Paul presents the "one hope,and I gather, by a comparison of Scripture with Scripture, that that blessed hope is one with that which actuated the ancient worthies, the pious Jews at the firsAdvent, the disciples, apostles and early believers, anmany a humble follower down to the present day. Vare falling into line with them if we adopt this mottoAbraham believed "in hope," and so did his seed-thehope expressed in the covenants, reiterated by the prophets, and preached by the apostles; a hope centred iGod, renewed by the resurrection of Jesus Christpreached by the apostles, and wrought 9 Y the Spirit.(2) It is a distinct hope. There are many hopes be

fore men to-day; even the Church has varying hopes before it. It has been said that "an evangelical ministry,a sanctified press, an active Church, is the hope of thworld." One teacher puts death, another the firsAdvent; one has the law, another the Gospel; one haeducation, another humanity; one has science, anotherphilosophy; one has spiritism, another the Church andits sacraments. So there are numerous hopes, but thimotto puts but one hope, and it names it so that therecan be no mistake, characterising it as "blessed." Whais this hope? The context will tell. It is the SecondAdvent of the Lord. That is the distinct hope of theChurch.(3) It is a comprehensive hope. In view of former

statements as to the Dispensational hopes of the pastwe can say our hope is the "hope of Israel" (Acts xxviii.20). The mighty agent through whom our blessed expectations shall be realised is "our hope" (Col. i. 27).Som.etImes we are gravely informed that the hope wcherish was well enough for the age which first enter-tained it, but that the men of the past viewed thesematters from a carnal standpoint, and we to-dav, withclearer spiritual enlightenment, must modify their view: v cll, c~rtainly the present modification has so changedit that It bears no resemblance whatever to the orisrina''hope of the Gospel." We protest that our hope ~hallnot be s~ mani'pul~ted. It has been confirmed to us byan oath III which It was impossible for God to lip . andwe dare not reject it or substitute it for another. Goodmen have actually put death in its place, and have given


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JANUARY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD. 7the position of honour to Captain Sepulchre and Stand-ard-Bearer Corruption. We cannot consent to this, forChrist is our Hope, and He covers all our desires.(4) It is a prominent hope. It is prominent in the

New Testament. One writer says, "The Second Adventis mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the NewTestament, or, if the whole book is divided into verses,it occupies one of twenty-five verses from the first ofMatthew to the last of Revelation." Let it be just asprominent in our faith, and in our speech, and as aninfluence in our lives. Let it be in us so that "the Godof hope fill you all with joy and peace in believing, thatye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit."Yes, that hope is prominent, and it is to be held andcherished during the absence of the Redeemer. Havingtold us "I come again," we believe Him, and, lovingHim, we are waiting for the return of "Christ ourHope."

(5) Its characteristic--it is a blessed hope. That isits nature. It is a hope to bring gladness. Long agoJustin Martyr said, "You see all sorts of men big withthe hopes of His second coming in glory." We shouldrejoice -in it because it is a desirable hope, the mostdesirable that can be realised. "It is an event desired byChrist Himself, for then He obtains His inheritance ,His glory will be revealed, and 'He shall see of thetravail of His soul and be satisfied.' It is desirable tothe Father, for then His oath-bound covenants will beverified, and His praise will be promoted through theSon of His love; desirable to the angels, for then thethings in which they are so deeply interested will bedisclosed in the glory that follows; desirable to saints,because they will attain to the glory, kingship and ruler-ship to which they are called; desirable to the Jewishnation, because then shall this Mighty Monarch who iscoming interpose on their behalf; and desirable to therace, as such, because then shall be introduced the seriesof acts which shall result in lifting the race out of itspresent condition into the enjoyment of millennial bles-sedness ; desirable to the earth, for then shall it be~lothed with abiding beauty, and bring forth its fruitsIIIgladness." Yes, this is our hope, our blessed hope,~ h.ope that is shared by all who earnestly and sincerelybelieve the Word-the hope of His return to raise thedead and take His ransomed to Himself. It is thebrightest and most cheerful prospect that dawns onman, and we should be ready whenever it occurs to hailHim as our glorious Redeemer, our returning Lord, andearth's greatest benefactor. That blessed hope will yielduntold blessings to 'earth and its inhabitants, as well asto the Church, and will fully satisfy all the best anddeepest yearnings of men for abiding betterment tohumanity. There is not a true aspiration for the wealof the race, whether individual, social, or political, butshall then be realised to the full, for the Word of Godhas promised it.This, then, is the blessed hope which I would urze

upon you to cherish with greater ardour during this year---the hope of the coming of the Lord, for it is the next

great event to happen. The Old Testament saintslooked, forward to the first advent. It was their polarstar. After weary ages faith was turned into sight. Mensaw Him; Simeon took Him in his arms; Mary satadoring at His feet; Peter pressed close to His side;John rested on His bosom; Paul saw Him, and the sightwas His salvation. Jews and Gentiles saw Him and putHim to death upon the Cross. But He rose, and wasreceived on high, leaving behind Him the cheering mes-sage, "I will return." And since that day those who aretaught to believe His Word have looked for His secondcoming. This is their polar star. Again the ages havebeen long and weary, but the end cometh. The worldmay scoff, and the Church may let go this blessed hope,but at the appointed time the Lord will come, and inpower. Men shall see Him, and shall behold the saintssitting with Him in power, and in the exercise of right-eous judgment. This is the great truth which pervadesand inflames the Scriptures. It is a Divine certainty.The Word makes it a ground of argument, a powerfulmotive, a source of strength to faith, a hope that encour-ages, a promoter of humility, a fortifier of patience. Itmitigates sorrow, incites watchfulness, impels obedience,inspires prayer, increases holiness, and awakens joy. Byit Christ's people are made _strong for the battle of life,that they may win the conqueror's crown. What wonderthat Paul should call it "the blessed hope." Is it so tous? If in any degree we have learned to wait for theLord from heaven, may it be that through this year alsothat hope shall be our great attraction, drawing us everonward to more exalted heights of faith and service.There are some before me to whom this hope presents

no aspects of blessedness. Whatever associations of jO Jmay be onnected with it, these are wholly hidden fromtheir gaze, because they are not linked by faith to theComing One. Indeed, in their present .condition it iscertain that the mere prospect of His Advent is terrify-ing. Dear friends, may I urge upon you now, as thisNew Year opens, that you shall change your service, andbecome a free man in Christ? Have you not long enoughserved Satan, with no prospect ahead of any permanentblessing? Remember the "end of these things is death."Here, as this New Year dawns upon you, is an oppor-tunity to exchange these present unsatisfactory hopesfor the only permanent and joy-giving hope. It meansto you a present forgiveness of sins. I t means the intro-duction to the household of God. It means, too, thecertainty of eternal life, and a joyful participation in allthe joys of the future which the Advent of the Lord inpower shall bring to this sad earth. Joy unspeakableand full of glory from the happy God who wills that "allfamilies of the earth shall be blessed." The grace ofGod now brings salvation nigh. When salvation is rea-lised it will mean joyous participation in the glory. Thisoffer is made to you, and to all who will receive it. Re-cei~ it now by faith, and stand with us, as we enter thisyear, beneath the banner which records that we are"looking for the blessed hope."New Year's address by the Editor.


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8 'rdE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY. 190i.=====~==========================~---

TABLE OF CONTENTS.PAGE

THE MONTH .. 1-4HRIE~' EXPOSITIONS. 4-6l: :!-:C HOE S "'ltO.\l \V 1':8T ::)'I'R}O-:RT 6-7ASSOCIATlO" NOTES.. . 8THE BESF:'r'J'ING SIN 8THE YEAR OF' GRACE 9-10TURNING U"ER A '"IV LEAF 10-11THR BURIED TALE"T 11T'HE HOME CIltCL}i..>-TALKS ON. E'I'IO{NAL Llt 13 14CUHIS'I'JAN Bxx n U-.CORHI!:SPONUlNCI'; .. 11MISCELLANEOUS 15I.'A MAN lJIE, IS lIE DEAD 1 .. 16

~ (b~ ' Bibl~ S t a n d a r d . ~/ ~}.Y

MONTHTL Y ORGAN0" THI

n t w ' ZtaJand oangt ll st lc and Pub li ca ti on J l ssoclatlon.EDITED BY GEOROE ALDRIDGE.

ASSISTED BY SPECIAL CO:-lTRIBUTIONfl.

The Editor wishes it to be understood that, while he exercises n general super-vision over the articles and Correspondence appearing in the STj.ND.l..RD, reapou si-bility for sentiments expressed rests upon the individual writer.

Beeociation 1Rotes.A Happy New Year to all our readers.With favourable weather, the Conference Picnic at

Pine Island should be a great success. Hitherto theseannual outings have been opportunities for pleasant fra-ternal intercourse, and we hope this occasion will havethe old-time pleasure.Let all who can attend the Conference do so, to take

part in the discussions on the themes to be introducedby the essayists. By the collision of opinion light iselicited. Every delegate should be in place and on time,that no part of the business may be missed.On his way home from the South, the Editor called in

at 'I'imaru for a few hours, and had a pleasant chat withBros. King and Pearson. At Christchurch, opportunitywas taken to see some of the brethren, and to talk overtheir state. Since the sale of their hall, and Bro. Tuck'sdeparture for Melbourne, there has been no meeting ofthe church. This is a state of things to be deplored. AtNew Plymouth, a short chat with Bro. Mason revealedhow much he regretted the loss of Bro, 'Green's com-panionship. For the present, Bro. Mason gives his 'assist-ance to the Primitive Methodist Church, but is by nomeans neglectful of his duty to spread the message ofLife, only in Christ.

~he :JBe6et tin g S in .BACH person is more or less subject to the influence ofcertain easily-besetting sins. His nature, his constitu-tion, his past history, his surroundings. and his specialtemptations, have rendered him pecul iarlv vulnerablein certain specific points. In other respects he mav Lestrong; in thesc hc may still be very weak. 'One man istempted to anger. He is easily irritated, and on 'L Il Oslightest provocation does and savs things which he canonly remember with rezrct. Another porion seems ;'0have no temptation in this direction. l Ic is calm, cool,collected, and solf-contnincd ; but porha ps Ill' wi11 mis-represent, deceive, and even lie, and th ink he does Godservice by so doing. Another man is tempted to dis-honesty; while his neighbour has not the slighLest in-clination to steal, but perhaps never pan; his debts, andso robs his best friends of a thousand times as much asanyone has ever stolen from them. One man wouldscorn to lie and misrepresent, but he would curse, andswear, and blaspheme 'both God and man. 'rhus eachperson has certain sins which coincide with his naturalinclinations, and he sometimes expends tho f'ury of hisvirtuous indignation upon sins which he is not jnclinedto commit, and at the same timc follows his 0\\'11 chosenwrong course, and runs 'grcedily in the ways of unright-eousness.'I'here are two things which impede 11S ill the Chris-tian race. First, the weights, or bu rdens, whatever theyare, which we have taken npon ourselves. 'I'hey may bethe burdens of care, of labour, of wealth, of office, ofbusiness, or of friendship. But whatever things thereare which hinder us from making swift progress in theheavenly course, are to be set aside. 'With them we arealso to lay aside thc sin that does so easily beset us.That one special failing, of which, if we will be honest,we must be conscious-that onc sin which besets, whichsurrounds, which lies in ambush for us, and which leadsus astray again and again-we are to put entirely awo!).Other sins are less 'dangerous than that; and whatevermay be its actual enormity, as compared with other sinsof other men, it is the sin which is most dangerous andruinous to us,' hcnce it is the sin which must be sternlyset aside. Wherefore, "leL us lay aside eve?'!) weight. andth e sin which doth so easily beset us, and let LIS ruu wi thpatience the race that is set before us" (Heb. xii. 1).-H. L. Hastings.

When the heart reasons love is its logic.Condolence is the nursing bottle of misery.King Commerce has no use for the moral law.Flattery acts on pride like yeast in bread-causes it

to rise.The proverbial wisdom of the world has been born

among the common people.Some church members are like lemons-they have to

be squeezed to get out what is good. .


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JANUARY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD. 9~be )l)eat of


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10 THE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY, 1907.take part in the social reconstruction of our time. Thegreat battle of the twentieth century will be the finalstruggle between the Jesuits and the individual humanconscience. Let us fight out the fight to its. issue nowand here, and get asettlement that will not need to bedisturbed."'I'he eloquent address of the respected President de-

serves a ~W(;lfulperusal, for wise words are spoken con-cerning topics' of' high importance. But, according toour reading of the Scriptures, there is absolutely nofoundation for the mission he assigns to the FreeChurches, or, indeed, to any churches. On the contrary,the Spirit "saith expressly" that at the end of this age"grievous times shall come" (1 Tim. iv.; 2 Tim. iii.).We need not labour this point. To regenerate the worldis no part of the task committed to the Christian Church.It will be no more successful toward this end in 1907than in 1906, or in 2907, than in the Apostolic age.When will our Church leaders bow to the truth, that theyand the Churches are absolutely powerless, so far as gain-ing a universal victory over the world, flesh and devil isconcerned, that they will never be able to curb the trinityof evil? Why this persistent ignoring of the one and onlyhope for Church and world, i.e., the return of the LordJesus Christ from Heaven?We know exactly where we are in the world's 'history.

The prophet Daniel is our instructor. We are not livingunder the head of gold, but in the times when "the clay"is about to rule. And there is nothing to intervene be-tween the clay-rule and the "setting up the kingdomwhich shall never be destroyed" (Dan. ii. 44). The onlyquestion which no man can answer is, "For how long hasGod decreed that this form of government which Hecalls 'clay' is to continue?" Mr. Meyer rightly says:"The Labour party has come to stay. It is evident thatthe balance of power, which, in the eighteenth century,was in the hands of the aristocracy, and in the nineteenthin those of the manufacturing and middle classes, israpidly passing to the democracy. The revolution inRussia is symptomatic of a world-wide movement, whichis destined to have a profound effect. Things which callbe shaken are being removed."Whenever our Lord may come, the distance between

that period and the present is lessened by a twelve-month's journey. The duties and burdens, the trials andtroubles, of 1906 are passed for ever. It may be that ourLord's return may be still further delayed,and we journeythrough the three hundred and sixty-five days of 1907.If so, let us try and make the year very fruitful in testi-mony for our Lord and Master, and the years thus em-ployed will becoine consecrated milestones on the road to,immortality. And as we pass them one by one, we areassured that soon the last milestone of all will be reachedand then "the mystery of God shall be finished" (Rev. x.7). .'"Blessed ishethat waiteth,and cometh to the thousand

three hundred arid five and thirty days", (Dan. xii. 12).Whenever that period shall be, no waiting one of those

days will fail of his blessing. And equally sure of God'sspecial blessing shall be he who through a long course ofyears-without weariness or fainting-shall patientlywai t for the Son of God from heaven (1 Thess. i. 10).Let us be among that waiting band, and who knows butperhaps during the course of this year of grace 1907 wemay hear the welcome cry, "Behold, the Bridegroomcometh; go ye out to meet Him."Rotorua. C. CRISPBROWN.

"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born

again." -J OHNiii. 7.THIS new birth business puzzled Dr. Nicodemus of old;it also seems enigmatical and unnecessary, if not impos-sible, by some of his class to-day, though it does nottrouble the common people who are deep-dyed in sin,and discouraged by oft-broken resolutions and repeatedefforts to be good, with no better' results; they at lastsee no other way out of their lost condition, and gladlyembrace it as their last chance, and, of course, come outinto the Gospel's clear light, having given up all forChrist, and they find peace and pardon. "Old thingshave passed away, and all things have become new" tothem; and even neighbours and friends note a markedchange in their lives.Now, as much as the self-righteous, would-be moral-

'ist may scout the idea of "a change of heart" and "ex-periencing religion," this is the old-fashioned way to"turn over a new leaf," and the only way to be really"religious;" in short, just such a Christian as they likeother folks to be-and which they would like to be them-selves, if they would own up and pay the price.You can scratch on the end of a log with a pin and

hear it at the other end, by placing your ear there; thisis an example in acoustics, or the transmission of sound,and is wonderful; but it is nothing more--'-it does notstraighten a crooked log, nor take off any knots andgnarls. If you want to make anything of that log, youmust get at it and into it with the broad-axe, and hewto the line and JIJ:akethe chips fly. 'About in this way some have become interested in

religion; they have had the pin-scratch, and that is aboutall. They have begun to try to lop off this bad habit andthat, but they do not lop off worth a' cent; they comeback again and reassert themselves over and over againin a tantalizing way. Now, the best way to lop off thesethings is to lay "the axe at the root of the tree ;'" andthis is just what John the Baptist said should be doneby the Gospel; they had had lopping off and grafting 'inenough under the law to make something out of the oldtree; now was the time to rub out and begin over again,And there is no other way to make fit disciples of Christbut thisradicaLchange in the moral and spiritual nature'0 ' every man and woman, good or bad by nature""::"'and.they are all bad enough; this will fit them for the eternalkingdom, if they press on in well-doing, for they a~e by


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JANUr4-BY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD. 11this means sons of God now by adoption-children byfaith-and the redemption of the body will come in duetime.If the reader began to "turn over a new leaf" in any

other way .Ianuary 1st, 1906, he is about as far along bythis time as he has been in years before, and the soonerhe gets down to business by beginning a new life in theGospel way the better it will be for him. Then January1st will be the same to him as all other days, except thathe may feel more gratitude that day because God haskept him from evil and prolonged his life another year.This is the way to taper off sins-by cutting them offshort-or pulling them up by the roots. It is the onlysure cure for bad habits.-O. E. Corr, in World's Orisis. "[b e :f l3ur i eb " [al en t.EVERY church in these modern days is a cemetery ofburied talents. In no department of life are so many,precious "gifts allowed to go to waste as in religion.There are men gifted with natural eloquence who sitdumb in assemblies of Christians week after week, yearafter year, and never utter a word for the Christ whomthey profess to love. 'I'here are strongly attractive men,men of influence and winning power, who draw youngmen to themselves in politics, and business and letters,like strong magnets; and yet in the church they are cold,unresponsive and inactive, unwilling, it would seem, todevote a tithe of their God-given power to the interestof the Master whose vows they have taken upon them-selves. And-saddest of all-there are women possessedof all the sweetness of womanhood,' the graces of loveli-ness, the charms of culture and good breeding, who callthemselves Christ's, and yet spend all their talents inthe service of the world, begrudging, perhaps, even thebrief hours of Sabbath morning and evening, when theyfeel bound to gather with the people of God in Hissanctuary. Young girls look up to such women, asyoung men look up to the brilliant, successful men of thecommunity in which they live; and in either case, as theexample is, so the influence will be. For every man's orwoman's talent cast into the world's treasury youth willfli.ng in its two-score mites.Such is the problem which confronts the minister of

the Gospel to-day, in nine out of ten churches through-out our broad land-the problem of the buried or mis-devoted talent. Why will not Christians nse their giftsin the service of Christ? Why should they turn to inertblocks and stones the moment religion makes its gentleand reasonable demand upon them? There seems to bea strange and wholly unaccountable perversity about thegifted and the notably efficient people who come into theChurch of Christ. They stand back from the work, as .a rule. If you will take a census of the active forces inour churches, you will find that the humbler, and lessably equipped, and often, too, the younger membersperform most of the Master's service. If there are inthe Church great scholars; or eminent thinkers, or noted

men of affairs, or men of great wealth, or influence, osocial position, you seldom find them leading in Churchwork. So far as Christ's service is concerned, theirtalents are folded away in elegant and aristocratic napkins. They have a great place in the world, but a smalplace in the kingdom. They patronise the church, buthey inwardly feel that it is their prerogative to bserved rather than to serve.Every community is more or less cursed by men o

negative Christian influence. They assent, rather thanconsent, to religious doctrine and religious observancesThey conform, rather than reform. They seem toaccept Christianity, with its privileges and obligations,rather because they must than because they desire toThere is hardly a church but has a sprinkling of thesesullen captives of reason and hostages of conscience; andas a rnle, these men are men of ability and influencebut they lack the esprit de corps. They are not wholesouled, enthusiastic Christians. Somehow they do noseem to belong to the church, and yet they do not feesafe and at peace without it. They come in half-heartedly, and join half-earnestly in the ordinances othe church. 'l'hey pay their dues, and walk circum-spectly, and exercise a certain broad and indefinite benevolence. They join formally in the church servicesand if they doze in sermon time it is to be understoodthat they nod approvingly.But, alas! how can the church afford to be the recep

tacle for so many buried talents? How can it afford tohave its life sapped by fruitless branches? For can ibe denied that dead church members do subtract vitalityand influence from the church? It must, it ought to do'something-either to make active, earnest Christians oall its members, or else to rid itself of the incubus ofruitlessness. It is wrong, it is disastrous, that so muchof the capital of the church to-day should consist oburied talents. No worldly institution could prosper ifit harboured such a mass of idle capital. Can we notsomehow get these napkin talents into circulation? Canwe not wake up the latent energy of the church ?-SeZ.

TH'/


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12 THE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY, 1~07.t t 1TTTTTTTTTTTT~TTTTT~TTTTTTTCbt fiomt ird t.r

e 4

The Years are SHooing Away.They are slipping away, these sweet,

swift years,Like a leaf on the current cast;

With never a break in the rapid flow,V,Tewatch them as one by one they goInto the beautiful past.

As silent and swift as a weaver's thread,Or an arrow's flying gleam;

As soft as the languorous breezes hid,That lift the willow's long golden lid,

So tender and sweet they seem.One after anotber we see them passDown the dim lighted stair,

We hear the sound of their steady treadIn the steps of the centuries long since

dead,As beautiful and as fair.

There are only a few years left to love;Shall we waste them in id le strife?

Shall we trample them under our ruth-less feet,

Those beautiful blossoms. rare and sweet,Bv the dusty ways of life?There are only a few swift years-e-ah, letNo envious taunts be heard;

Make life's fair pattern of rare design,And fill up the measure with love's sweet

wine ;And never an angry word. Sel.

Talks on Eternal L ife .As believers in Life only in Christ, is itnot true that many of us reached our'conviction of its truth in days of contro-versy, and that we now hold them by aconsideration mainly of a negative posi-tion?That is so. The frightful doctrine of

eternal misery, which but a short timeago had such currency, drove us to anexamination of the Bible to see if it weretrue, and, to our great relief, we foundthat it not only had no authority in theWord, but that it positively denied th,express language of Scripture.

Well, we need occasionally to reviewour position, even on matters concerningwhich we have no doubt. It will do usno harm to examine afresh the founda-tions, and see whether from the positiveside the Conditional Immor.tality viewsare not much stronger, and more effec-tive, than from that negative position.Yes, I think it will be helpful, and I

join you with pleasure in the search, be-ing sure that such investigation will beboth instructive and helpful. What lineshall we take?Well, we might examine anew the line

of evidence on the nature of man. but Ithink we are both well furnished as re-gards that. We might, of course, spendtime profitably in tracing the usages ofthe words "soul" and "spirit," but Ithink there is something more practical

for us in the present, and that is, thatwe should look into the nature of the aiftwhich God holds out to perishing me~.Nothing could be more suitable. It is

agreed b+ all Christians that God prof-fers to man a gift designed to meet hisdeepest needs, as set forth in the verseusually called "the epitome of the Gos-pel": "For God so loved the world, thatHe gave His only begotten Son, that who-soever believeth on Him should not per-ish, but" have ETEHNALLIFE." And. asPaul puts it in Romans, "For the wacesof sin is death, but the free gift of Godis ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus ourLord" (Rom. vi. 23). These passagesemphasise the fact that this is a GIFTOFGOD, and is therefore not to be bought orearned. .

That fact will serve as an introductionto our examination, for it sets before usin concrete form what is so clearly trace-able in the pages of the Old and NewTestaments. There, the words "life" and"death" figure prominently. They arefound in the prologue and the epilogueof lh~ Pentateuch, in the first pages ofGeneSIS, and in the closing chapters ofthe Revelation-the two poles of theBiblical sphere.St range, is it not. that even Christians

should commonly suppose that on thist?pic the Old Testament is pract.ica.llysilent?

It is, indeed; but that is because a. false view as to the nature of man hasactually driven from their minds thepower of perceiving the exact meaning of~he plain ~voI:ds of Scripture. NothingIS more bhndmg than an error stronglyheld. It is certain to colour, if not toradically change, the terms of Scripture.

We, at least, shall agree as to thestarting-point. Our authority on thismatter is the Word of God. Nothing ex-terior to that shall influence our readingof its statements.Creeds and Confessions and Standards

of Faith have usurped the place of au-thority which the Scriptures. alone oughtto occupy, and where these do not ruleit not seldom happens that similar au-thority is accorded to men; and so it hascome to pass that, as generally tauzht.so it is believed, that the words "ete;:;lallife" signify "eternal happiness."An American divine has said that the

term means "true functional prosperity,"whatever that may signify. Either ren-dering of the term is at best but a par-tial idea, for it leaves out of account theessential idea of "life." It should benoticed, too, that the Bible distinguishesbetween life and happiness thus: "Yeshall walk in all the way which the Lordyour God hath commanded you, that yemay LIVE, and that it may be WELLwithyou" (Deut. v. 33). "See, I have setbefore thee. this day LIFE and GOOD,anddeath and evil" (Deut. xxx. 15). Inthese texts, life and happiness fire twodistinct things.That certainly is true so fa I' as rega rds

the present life, for misery is oft theaccompaniment of the life that now is.The experience of Job, of Elijah, andothers will illustrate it- from Scripture.What, then, shall we say is the mean-

ing of the Scripture term?

Is it . not easily determined by itsearliest use? The story of the fall ofman tells us that when man had sinnedthere was Divine haste to expel him fromthe garden. In hurried, broken language,it is said, "Now, lest he put forth hishand, and take also of the tree of life,aud eat, and I.IVE FOREVER." Surely, itis certain as .language can make it, thatthe monstrosity of orthodoxy, an immor-tal sinner, was prevented by this timelyand gracious intervention. It is certain,too, that God did not mean to say, "Andnow therefore lest he become happy!"

We may add another text to that.Prophetically it refers tothe Second Man.as th~ one you cited belongs to the flrstman : "He asked LIFE of Thee; Thougavest -him, EVEN LENGTH OF DAYS FOREVERANDEYER" (Ps. xxi. 4).Yes, that is Bible interpreting Bible.

A separate examination of the word"life" will lead to the same result. Inthe New Testament the Greek word Zoe(life) occurs ninety-one times, and inevery instance but one it is trnnsl.i ted"life." OUI' translators were very fondof giving as many renderings of a wordas possible, but in relation to this wordthey have not dared to give more thanone rendering. The exception agrees withthi-s statement, for there they give it"lifetime."Here is an extract from an acute New

Testament scholar bearing on the point:"Zoe is life in all its manifestations,from the life of God down to the life ofthe lowest vegetable. It is necessarilyactive; it cannot be inert. In its essenceor nature it is ever the same, and differ-'ent only in its developments or manifes-tations. Each living person or thing hasthat portion of it which is needful forhis or its designed position or purpose.Its one, only source is God, who is the'Living One.' We live only in and byHis life. He originates and sustains lifein all by giving it out of Himself. 'InHim we live and move and have our be-ing.' "-(Bullinger, "Crit. Lex. and Con-cordance." )

I observe that "eternal life" is neverpromised to the impenitent. Indeed, itis one of the accusations brought againstthe false prophets of a bygone day thatthey "strengthened the hands of thewicked, that he should not return. fromhis wicked way, by PROMISINGHIM LIFE"(Ezek. xiii. 22; R.V. marg.).But it is applied always to the con-

dition ,,( those, and those only, who shallbelieve, shall be approved as "faithful,""good servants," who "enter into the joyof their Lord."Have you ever met with the objection

to this view based upon the verse, "Hetha t obeyeth not the Son shall not seelife" (}John iii. 36), where it is supposedthat the use of the word "see" cannot bein any sense applied to this idea of theterm "life?"

Such an objection can only arise fromlack of patient and thoughtful reading ofthe Scripture. "The word 'see' is usedof the most noble of the five senses, andserves to designate the whole of them,"and is closely equivalent to our word"experience." Of the Lord it was saidthat He should not "see corruption."


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JA'NUARY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD.Here are s0111etexts to examine: "Wha tman is he that shall live and not selldeath 1" (Ps. lxxxix. 48); "And it hadbeen revealed unto him that he shouldnot see death, before he had seen theLord's Christ" (Luke ii. 26).I think. too, it may be said that the

exact signification of the term "eternu Ilife" may be easily seen from the textsin which it is put in antithesis with"death," "perish inv." and "destruction."It is a very easy matter to say that "life"means "happiness," but in view of theseevidences we at least must be faithful toScripture language, and declare tha twhen God bestows His "GIFT" of "ETERNALLIFE" those who receive it will there-fore live for ever and ever, and that nothaving this, the impenitent will not"live."May we not add to that some equiva-

lent terms which convey the same idea'For instance, it is said by the Lord con-cerning those who are "worthy to attainto that age, and the resurrection from thedead," "NEITHERCANTHEYDIEANYMORE"(Luke xx. 36); "This mortal shall PUTON IMMORTALITY" (I Cor. xv. 53), andthe apostle's great desire was "that whatis mortal may be swallowed up of LIFE"(2 Cor. v. 4).I feel strengthened by this talk, and

as there is yet more to be considered onthis important topic, if you are agree-able, we will renew our fellowship at anearly date. and resume the subject.With all my heart; such conversation,

though informal, must be profitable. , . . . . .G b D r ~ b a n d I I l s s l o n N e w s .

, .. .AUCKLAND.-During the last month

the weather has been almost perfection;good congregations have been the result.Sunday, November 25: Bro. Page gave

an address this morning on "True Fel-lowship" (I Cor. xii.). In the eveningBro. E. Aldridge gave a good discourse on"Wanted, Men."Sunday, December 2: Br9. Taylor, of

the Thames, presided at the morning andevening services. In the morning I Timvi. 12, "Fight the good fight of faith."Distinguish between profession and con-fession. Note-Publican and sinner; thepublican professed, the sinner confessed.After an absence of six months, SisterBishop was in fellowship with us thismorning. Bra. Taylor, in the evening,gave a grand address on "Has the Inmortality of the Soul been Generally Believed ?"December 9: Bro. Dixon showed in his

discourse this morning the importance ofgrowing in grace. In the evening Bro.White; subject, "God's Remedy for Sin."December 16: Bro, L. Falkner spoke

from Hebrews xi. True faith needs evi-dence to support it; not like blind belief..which is credulity. We were pleased tohave with -\IS again :Br9. Logan andSis.

Pain, who have just returned from a tripto the .Homeland. In the evening BroLaurie \Vilcock; subject, "When it IV,U.Dark," being a review of a late publica-tion.December 23: Bro. King presided. Bro

\"ilcoc).;: spoke from Luke ii., touchingupon Christmastide. We had the joy thimorning of wituessing a Bro. Redfernput on Christ in the water of baptism.In the evening an appropriate address""God's Christmas Gift," by our 131'0.Aldridge, who returned from the Southonly a few hours before occupying therostrum.The Bible Class is keeping up good

attendances. The subjects were as Iol-lows :-November 28, Bro. Dixon, "Tm -mortality;" December 12, Bro. White'spaper, "The Resurrection;'" December 1DBro. Ca radus, "A Lesson from the COrnfield."On December 5th the annual Church

Meeting was held. There was a goodgathering, and a large amount of busi-ness was gone through. The followingbrethren were elected for the ensuingyear:-Deacons, ~ros. Phipps, Philip,Caradus, Westwater, and Heron; Trea-surer, Bro. Bunker; Secretary, Bro. Gib-son; Auditors, Bros. C. Garratt and A.Skeats. 'V.G.WAIHI.-Our little meeting for the

breaking of bread is still attended by afew every Sunday morning, much to theirspiritual advantage.The evening meeting for the proclama-

tion of the Gospel of the Kingdom of Godand Life in Christ has also been better. attended of late. Our Bro, Foster hasrecently commenced a series of addressesillustrated by chart, and we are 'hopingthat they will provoke considerable in-terest.Last Fr idav night we were called upon

to perform a most pleasing function,when our Bro. and Sister Hood put onChrist in His own appointed way. Atthe fellowship meeting on Sunday wewere delighted to extend the right handof fellowship to them, and receive theminto our little gathering. We are hopingnow the good example of our Brother andSister may be followed by one or twoothers who attend our meeting.Our Bro. Foster, who has worked for

many months, often amidst discouragingsurroundings, must be much cheered andencouraged by seeing some fruit from hislabours. and we rejoice with him thatsome blessing has fallen upon the workin Waihi. D.D.WAIKINO continues still to have themonthly visits from Bro. Foster, of

Waihi, and generally he is met by a fairgathering who assemble for the eveningmeeting. I might mention also .there isa large and flourishing unsectarian Sun-day School, of which Bro, Geo. Yearburyis Superintendent. Needless to say, ourBrother is doing good and lasting workthere. D.D.DUNEIHN.-The work for the past

month has shown an increase of interestin the meetings. The addresses have re-lated to some of the important themes of

13the Scripture, and have been followewitb close attention. The closing serifor the week evenings was upon the Mlenn ium and related topics, and these adresses proved to be attractive to somwho attended the course. A few quetions were put, but the thoughts intrduced were for the most part new, arequired thinking over. On the last Suday of the Mission a meeting was hein the Albany Street Hall, at which fopersons were immersed upon their Cfession. Of these, one was a Mr. BurnPresbyterian, who has attended the meings all the time of the Mission, and hexhibited great interest in the truthtaught. Others are Mr. and Mrs. Robeson, who have accepted the truth ccerning man's nature and destiny, awho have been led to openly avow tLord in the waters of baptism. Tfourth is the youngest daughter of SistCarnie. She in her youth has resolvto follow the Lord. It was a great jto those of the Church who attendedwitness this grand confession.The Angle- Israel discussion did not e

very satisfactorily. About a dozen of ofolk attended the reply given by MAdams, expecting to hear a reasonedswer to the objections advanced! But.the main, the address was composedsneers and attempted smartness. Atempts were made to question upon e

. tain statements made in the coursethe address, but the way was blockedeach trial, and we were compelled to leawithout satisfaction being reached.think that the method we follow in opublic advocacy has the merit of bemore satisfactory than the repressiveadopted by the Angle-Israel SocietyDunedin. The Fountain, in PrincStreet, is a centre at which gatherSunday evenings all sorts of men-crowd having a fair intermixture of faand unfaith. One evening recently thewere a Sabbath advocate, a Spiritualista Rationalist, and a Conditionalist speing. The issue of such a composite psentation must be a very doubtful quatity. Twice, on the way home fromSunday evening meeting, opportunitybeen given to deliver a talk to the crowand on both occasions it was to defethe Bible from the attacks of iznorascepticism. Occasion was taken to gcertain well-known facts regardingBible and its object, and also to putfore the people the true grounds ofman responsibility. Quiet prevailed ding the addresses, and close attention wpaid to the speaker. The attempts ofFreethinkcr to defend his position wvery weak. Towards the close of the fmeeting he declared that he could fevidence in the Bible to prove thattaught soul immortality, and would pduce it on the following Sunday eveniWe were in attendance to hear thedence, and when onnor tunity occurrour friend was called upon to produceevidence promised, but he had dispeared, evidently not caring to facepeople to confess that he was wrong.The last public address in our hall w

given on Sunday evening, December 16There was a good attendance, and cinterest was given to the address u


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14 THE BIBLE S-TANDARD. JANUARY, 1907."The Science of Salvation." At the closeof the meeting there were many l'egretfulexpressions concerning the close of theMission, and many thanks for the goodthings taught. To-night there is to be ameet insr held in the house of Bro. Law-rence, to bid the preacher ~arewell.

Since writing the foregomg, the fare-well meeting was held, and Bro. Lau-rence's sitting-room was taxed to hold thecompany that assembled. Bro. Geo.Laurence conducted the meeting, andafter hymn and prayer, gave. a shortaddress, in which he expressed hIS thanksto the Auckland Church for the helpafforded in making the mission possible.He also tcstified to the great help he hadpersonally received in the setting forthof great Bible truths by the fn:eacher.He was glad, too, that some v is ible re-sults of faithful labour were prescnt atthat meetinz in the persons of those whohad followed the Lord in Baptism. Themeetina was thrown open, and Bros.Sin cock and Carnie bore testimony tothe zood received. Bro. Aldridge wasthen "called upon to give a few words ofcounsel. He addressed himself mainlyto the young people, >:nd to the newly-baptized, showing the Importance of thetruths they had accepted, and the neces-sity laid upon all be!ievers t~ bear a fullwitness to them. The meetmg took upat a late hour, closing by the fa~l1ilia r"Blest Be the Tie." In the mormng at~i,ght o'Clock the larger part of theChurch fellowship was present at the sta-tion to say farewell and to express tluhope that it would not be long before ~heenjoyable fellowship in mutu~l serviceshould be renewed by another VISIt. Thusclosed the three months' labour. Howthankful tbey and we should be if itwere possible that the w?rk could becarried forward by some fa.ithful servantof 'the Lord, apt to- teach, and an effec-tive preacher of the Word. ~ . C H R IS T IA N B A N D . ~

' ~~

AUCKLAND.-The half-yearly meetingwas heid on November 26th. The attend-ance did not indicate that there was awhole-sou led desire on the part of manyto further the business arrangements orto undertake work for the coming sessi on. The various reports were submitted and adopted. The officers for thefollowing six months were elected a:follows :-President, 131'0. C. Garratt;Vice-Presidents, Bros. G. A. Green andA. Skeates; Secretary, Bro. J. Wood-ward; Treasurer, Sister E_ Phi pps ; Reporter, Bro. C. Cates ; Cor respondin,~ecretary, Sister M. Green (B.N.Z. Build.ings, Queen Street, Auckland) _ Committees were appointed as usual, viz.: Meet-ings Committee. Look-out CommitteeBible Standard Publishing Committeeand Sunshine Executive. It has been de-cided to again undertake the weekly openair meetings at the corner of West Street,commencing on January 14th with a ropen-air Lantern Address. The full support' of the members of the Band and of

the Church is desired in this work, inorder that the speakers may be encour-aged, and the public offered greater inducement to listen to the proclamation ofthe message of Life.THAMEs.-We have held our usual

weekly meetings, and, amongst other in-teresting subjects, our absent SisterCampbell sent us a very excellent paperon "Prayer." I am sure that all whowere present must have enjoyed andbenefited by it. Our Bro. Taylor hastaken the meetings several times, and hissubjects have been very instructive andinteresting, and we will do well to re-member them and profit by them. I amsorry to say our meetings have not beenas well attended as we would wish. Itseems so hard to get any new members tojoin us, but we can only do our part am'leave the rest to Him. The Band hasdecided to discontinue holding any moremeetings, until February, on account ofthe holidays, when I trust we may seemany more added to our number.

M.S.---------The Temptation.

There is yet another feature to benoticed besides the object of temptationand the subject tempted. There was atempter. Whether, if this rencontre hadnot occurred, man would have retainedhis primitive purity, is a' problem thatcurcumstances permit not to be solved.That the tempter was encountered, andtriumphed, was the fact. True to hischaracter as a deceiver, and lest thegreatness of even his erratic naturemight have awed humanity into cautiousreserve, he disguised himself under coverof a lowly reptile form, subtle of move-ment, and probably too familiar to ex-cite alarm, yet when thus exhibited arthe novel exponent of the voice of tempta-tion. well calculated to arrest attentionand interest the feelings. The nature ofSatanic possession, here and elsewhere:recorded in Holy Writ, undoubtedly appeals rather to an unhesitating confidencein the truth of the sacred narrative, thanto anything analogous in human experi-ence. But the fact, as it here presentsitself, is not to be evaded because it maybe unacceptable to prejudices, which ob-ject to everything that does not adaptitself to their particular code of proba-bilities or manner of viewing them. Hmuch of that so-called philosophy, whencethese prejudices spring-characterised ~it is by an unwillingness to take aughtupon trust, except its own dogmas-wereto be put upon trial. and made to explainthe nature of every article of its owncreed, it might be fairly humbled at a'exhibition of the very scanty portion thatcould withstand such a test. Professingto believe nothing it cannot understand,it frequently understands little or no-thing of what it professes, and, as aneasy way out of the difficulty, takes re-fuge in the laws of nature. Now, theChristian philosopher, in dealing withsuch difficulties, goes one step fur-ther back, and that is a mighty one: herefers them to the lawgi1,1l


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JANUARY, 1907. THE BIBLE STANDARD."W ha t T hen?" Unto the End.n swered by a G ir l.

A ROllli~h priest accosted the daughterof a fumily who had turned from the.errors of Rome, and asked her why shedid not come to her catechism class. Shetold him that her father had forbiddenher to come. The priest then tried toinstill disobedience into her young mindby saying tha t the au thority of the priestwas higher than that of a parent, andshe ought to obey him and not herfather.But the girl had listened attentively

to the Bible, now read in that home, andshe replied to the priest very modestly,"The Bible says, sir, 'Children, obeyyour parents.'''"You have no bus iness to read the

Bihle." said the priest."Hilt, sir, our Saviour tells us to

search the Scriptures.""That was only to the Jews," said

the priest, "a nd not to children; you donot unde rsta nd the Scripture."But the little girl knew the Bible better

than the priest, and told him what SaintPaul wrote to Timothy, that from a childhe had known the holy Scriptures, ableto make him wise unto salvation."Oh," said his reverence, "Timothywas then being trained up to be a bishop,and was taught by the authorities of thechurch.'But the girl was still ready for his

false logic and perversions of truth andreplied that St. Paul said it was Timo.thy's grandmother and mother who hadtallght him the right way.Then the priest turned away, saying

there was "no hopes for the likes of her"that she "knew enough Bible to poison 'awhole parish."-Selected.

Giving.We often hear people say, "I give one-

tenth of my income," as if they thoughtthat was just the square thing.We always feel like saying to such: "If

that is all you are giving, you are rob-bing God." They did better than thatunder the law. The tenth was God's anyway, and they could not give that. Itbelonged to God, and .after taking outGod's tenth they could give of their in-come freewi ll 'offeringa.. It sounds small to hear people say, "I

give a tenth," under the light of this dis-pensation, when God gave us the bestthat heaven afforded. We don't believepeople lose anything by being generouswith God. "There is that scattereth andyet increaseth, and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendethto poverty" (Prov. xi. 24). Many arethus robbing themselves by withholdingfrom God,Then there are those who say, "I don't

believe in tithing. I believe in giving all.I am God's steward and hold all r havefor Him." And somehow they alwayshold it, ~nd God never gets it. So theymake. this an excuse for doing but littlefor God's work.'''hat we save we shall lose when Jesus

comes. but what we give we keep, becauseit is laid lip in heaven. May the Lord~elp us to see things. in judgment dayhglit.-The Lamp of Ltfe. .

Wlu n Ph.ilip De Neri, who, in the six-teenth century, renounced the hereditaryhonours of Florentine nobility for theservice of the living God, was living inan Italian University, a young man ranto him with a face full of delight, andtold him he had come to the law-schoolof that place on account of its great

r fame, and that he intended to ~pare nopa-ins 01' labour to get through his studiesas soon as possible.Ph ilip waited for his conclusion withgreat patience, and then said:-"Wcl l, and when you are through your

course of studies, what do you mean todo ?""Then I shall take my Doctor's de-

gree.""And then?" asked Philip wgain."And then," continued the youth, "I

shall have a number of difTicult questionsto manage, shall catch people's notice bymy eloquence, my zeal, my Icarning, andmy acuteness, and shall gain a greatreputation.""And then?" repeated the holy man."And then." replied the youth, "why,

there can't be a question I shall be pro-moted to some high office or other. Be-sides, I shall make money and growrich." ,"And then?" repeated Philip."And then," said the young man, "thenI shall be comfortably and honourablysi tua ted in wealth and dignity.""And then?" asked the holy man."And then, and then-then-then I

shall die." Here Philip raised his voice:"AND WHAT THEN?"

Whereupon the young man made noanswer, but cast down his 'head and wentaway, The last "And then" had, likelightning, pierced his soul, and he couldnot get rid of it. Soon after he forsookthe law. and gave himself to the ministryof Christ, and spent the remainder ofhis days in godly words and works.-H. t.. Hastinqs.

H iding G od's W ord.Once a Bible was baked in a loaf of

bread. That was in far-away Austria.Some wicked men came into the housc t,find the Bible and burn it, but thewoman who owned it was just going 1.bake bread; so she rolled up her Bible ina big loaf, and put it in thc oven. Whenthe men went away, she took ant th.loaf', and the Bible was not hurt a. bitThat was a good place to hide a Biblewa snt it? But I'll tell you a still bet,ter. David knew of the place when hrsaid. "Thy Word have 1 hid in minehea rt."-Selected."Love is a proof of life.""Don't nurse opportunity too long-

take it into active partnersh ip at once.""Bv friendship you mean the greatest

love. the greatest usefulness, and thomost open communicntion. the noblestsufferings, and the severest truth, theheartiest council, and the greatest unionof minds of-which brave men and womena:'fecapable."~Jeremy Taylor.

When the year draws near to its close,And its vantage none may extend,

When the days, with their joys and theirwoes,

In bitter-sweet memories blend;When the work and the warfare must

cease,What thought brings assurance andpeace?

He loveth unto the end!When hopes that the springtide had

knownAre wrecked, where naught may amend.

And the heart must sorrow alone,Put far from lover and friend;

Most surely, with solace and cheer,The Master Himself shall be near,He loveth unto the end!

When the struggle seems futile and VH in,And labour for nothing we spend;

When the anguish of bodily painOur fa.ith from its stronghold would

rend,One intimate balm shall avail-His tenderness never can fail,He loveth unto the end!

When the night falls, sombre and chill,In the valley all must descend,

And the nearest and dearest stillNo'r succour nor aid can lend;

No shadow of doubt shall aff'right,So close to the infinite Light-He loveth unto the end!

MARY ROWLES JARVIS.

THE OWNERS OF THE UNIVERSE.Let us corner up the sunbeamsLying all around our path;

Get a trust on wheat and roses,Give the ')001' the thorns and chaff'.Let us find our chiefest pleasureHoarding bounties of to-day,So the poor shall have scant measureAnd two prices have to pay.

Yes, we'll reservoir the rivers,And we'Il levy on the lakes,

And we'll lay a trifling toll-taxOn each poor man who partakes;

'Ve will brand his number on himThat he'll carry th rough his life;

We'll apprentice all his children,Get a mortgage on his wife;

We will capture e'en the wind-god,And confine him in a cave;

And then, through our patent process,VVe the atmosphere will save;

Thus we'll squeeze our little brotherWhen he tries his lungs to fill,

Put a meter on his wind-pipe,And present our little bill.\Ve will svnd iea te the starlight.And monopolise the moon;

CIa im a royalty on rest-days,A proprietary 1100n;

For right of way through ocean's sprayWe']) pay just what it's worth;

'Ve'lI drive ou r stakes around the lakes-In fact, we'Il own the earth..f.K.K. in Pliiladel phia pcper."Our greatest glory is not in never

falling, but in rising every time we fa 1 1 . "-Confttcius.


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16 THE BIBLE STANDARD. JANUARY, 1907.\tbe :n3tble Stanl)arl'l.

IN any realm of intelligence excepting the theologicalthis question would be answered in the affirmative with-out hesitation. Yes, when a man dies he is dead, at;death is the cessation of life. But in theology, contraryto all appearances of nature and statements of revelation,man in death is said to be alive, or, at most, only par-tially dead.There are several grades of these theological birds.

The full-fledged one caws for no death at all in thisvery natural process of shedding the shuck. The liWefledgling chirps for some death and a little. life at thesame time. When this bird is first hatched his observa-tions generally discover the germ theory; this discoverysoon develops the unrewarded conscious condition, butlater he clearly sees and boldly screams for the no-deaththeory, despite all facts of nature and statements ofdivine revelation. But the question is still up, "If aman die, is he dead?"From the natural viewpoint, the man in death is sup-posed to be dead. No dead man has ever explained to

the contrary, and the question of the living used to bc,"If a man die, shall he live again?" It has not beendemonstrated by any scientific experiments that we haveheard of, that any part of the man escapes the generalappearance of the reality of death. People of all kindsof opinions of death have buried their friends, and deathhas seemed too real to be a comfort to them, and itseemed to be mockery to even the most poetical to betold that "there is no death," and "there are no dead,"etc. But Mr. Littlefaith, while not believing the ultraclaims of deathlessness, has by some means learned thatman in death is not in mortal danger of being lost; forthe spirit of man, like a package, is labelled .T ohn J ones,and is laid up for that individual at the resurrection day,hence God is not in the danger of losing him that Hewould otherwise be. This helps quite a little."The Jews have an opinion that the oscozendicis (the

lower joint of the backbone) survives the corruption ofthe body, and that it is out of this bone that the resur-rection body is formed." (See Vater on 1 Cor. xv. 44.)This seems to some to be a little easier for the Lord, ifHe has a little something to commence with.But what has the Lord said about it?-G. H.WALLACE in World's Crisis. Father 'I'aylor, well remembered in Boston, once said

of a certain sermon to which he had listened: "Thatsermon was open to criticism. It would take as manysuch to convert a soul as snowballs to heat an oven."Those who approach the Scriptures with a mere desire

to find texts which will support their side of a case,' arenot as likely to arrive at truth as those who humbly andearnestly desire to know what the Bible does teach, irre-spective of any opinions they may have formed.--':'Selected.

1'1. R""'e

Documents

The Bible Standard January 1907