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THE MA DISO N I A N MansThoughts 7 vs. God's Thoughts I . By REV. J. H. RALSTON V Secretary of Conopendaic Depaitnxal Moody Bible Iiutitute, Qucago TKXT Is. 65:7 "Let the unriffhteoua man forsake his thoughts." This appeal seems strange, for Christianity in sists on Its ration allty, and ration ality implies thinking. God says, "Come, let us reason togeth er, though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool." Jesus asked the question, what think ye of Christ? There must be some reconciliation between this claim of reasonand the text. In the first place we must have in mind the person receiving the appeal he is unrighteous. He may be con trasted with the wicked man referred to in the same verse, but the matter -of his unrighteousness, or unregen grateness is the thing now to be held in mind. Then we must consider the sphere of thought The man is not asked to forsake all his thinking, for in som things his thoughts are cor rect, indeed, more correct than those of the righteous man. Those thfrs belong to .the unregenerate state and he thinks rightly on them. Ministers sometimes preach to their congrega tions on subjects that are not spirit ual, and many that are in the pews know far more about the subject than the preacher, and often smile at his ignorance. The unrighteous man thinks quite properly on finance, com merce and politics, but when it. comes I to spiritual things he is out of his realm. Here the person who may be of very limited intellectual attain ments may be his instructor. The Af rican or Korean may know far more of spiritual things, because born again, than the educated European. Thus we find that the appeal is to the un righteous person, and the sphere of thought is the spiritual. Here is where the unrighteous man is asked not to think. And why? The words of the lord, "My thoughts are not your thoughts" imply that ! there is some unfavorable comparison between the thoughts of the lord and those of unregenerate man. God's thoughts are certainly always right If this be true, man's thoughts are certainly wrong. When man stands naked before God this fact will be demonstrated to the confusion of mul titudes. We may also say the unrighteous man should forsake his thoughts be cause they have been shown to be usually wrong. That man has some quite correct thoughts in the spiritual sphere may be conceded, or responsi bility would be lessened, but the law of his thinking is wrong. Habitually his thoughts are wrong. A compari son of man's thoughts and those of the lord as given in the Bible clearly demonstrates this. When Jesus was on earth he said to the Pharisees that they thought In' their prayers they should be heard for. their much speak ing, that is, a prayer 20 minutes long was twice as good as one ten minutes long. The Bible declares that men thought God to be as one of themselves. Simon Magus . thought that the gift of the holy spirit could be had for money, and the apostle pro nounced a fearful curse on him. He In the Service of Others. j Always our life either hinders or j lifts others. It is true that "no man can go down alone, and no man goes up alone." If we saw human life as God sees it, we should probably find that, to a degree, we do not begin to appreciate, persons are related to oth er persons as the molecules in a given body of water ' are related to other molecules, so that ripples in that water started by any displacement continue to the farthest edge. When we fail and fall, others are harmed by this, though we may never know of it. That is one of the darkest sides of our failures. But how good it la to know that when we let Christ lift us to heights of new blessing, others are lifted and blessed because of this! That Is one of the brightest sides of our victories. We may know nothing about the blessing that has passed from us to others ; but that does not make it the less 'real. In Christ we may be a means, always and only, of lifting those about us. ' In him we may be kept from ever adding - to others' difficulties the hindrance of our own failures. ; Impressed Them. One of those stop, look and listen political orators was holding forth in a local hall. His theme was, "The Danger That Confronts Us," and the handbills announced that his revela tions would "strike terror to the sou! of every patriot." A young couple, evidently lost or strayed from Berea, topped fct front of the hall, read the announcement found out that no ad emission fee was charged and timidly entered. The spellbinder talked loud and fast He recited strlnss of fis- has successors In these days.' Naaman furnishes us an Illustration of how men think as to the conditions of re demption. He thought that the prophet Elisha would come out and call on , his God and pass his hand over the place of the leprosy but nothing of the kind. He was simply instructed by the prophet who did not seem overwhelmed with . the great Syrian's magnificence, to dip , seven times in the' Jordan, and his flesb should be as that of a little child. How squarely are man's thoughts on redemption opposed ; to God's Blmple requirement to repent and believe! Again, as long as man' is unregen erate he has a principle in him that vitiates all right thinking on spiritual subjects. Here it may , be said sin Heth at the door. . The .'stream cannot be pure if the fountain is foul. One of the tests of a man's regenerate state is his changed thinking on spirit ual subjects. He sees things differ ently, a new world has peen opened to him. He often wonders why he did not see things as he now sees them. His unrighteousness explains this difficulty. . . Another reason for forsaking hi thoughts is that he Is wasting time in doing that which has already been done, even conceding that, he thinks rightly. One may ask In wonder, am I not to think this religious problem out for myself? No. It has already been thought out, and the record Is in the Bible. Some one may say this In timates ready-made thinking, . and ready-made things are to be suspect ed. We do not suspect a suit of clothes ready to be ; put on if pur chased at a reputable store, nor a piece of furniture, nor prepared foods. This is an age of ready-made things, and if we have the guaranty that the maker is reliable we may be content God has thought all these things out No man could have done it No man ever evolved anything that even inti mated the way of redemption through a substitute such as Jesus Christ is proclaimed to be. There is not . a thing about sin, redemption, or man's origin, nature, possibilities, destiny, that is not clearly proclaimed in the Bible. Let man take God's thinking and no disappointment awaits him. WHERE THE WORLD DIVIDES Comparatively Unimportant Differ ences Too Frequently Allowed to Separate Christian Bodies. There is an urgent demand, that those' who believe in God and in the religion of Jesus Christ, and in the ac tivity of God in making and maintain ing the world and in the Bible as the supreme book in religion, and in the moral responsibility of members of the human race should stand together in the defense and maintenance of these supreme truths. There are real ly far fewer and less important dif ferences between the most orthodox evangelical theologian and one who is willing to accept "the assured results of higher criticism," whatever those may be, and yet clings to the person, the teachings and the spirit of Jesus, than between the latter and the scien tist who denies any participation of God, if there is a God, in the making and development of the universe, and to whom Jesus Christ and the Bible are matters unworthy of any atten tion. At this stage of discussion it ought to be clear that the great and important line of cleavage is not be tween traditionalists and what are sometimes called the new evangelists, but between all who cherish the relig ion of God the father and spirit of Je sus Christ, and those who would ban ish God from the universe, make mat ter omnipotent, dump all Bibles into the garbage plants, deny freedom to men, and destroy the differences be tween right, and wrong. The Watch man. It is a mistake not to take things seriously enough, but it is also a mis take, and sometimes a greater one, to take them too seriously. Faithful In the Least God's estimate of us, and . man's es timate, too. very largely deDends on our, faithfulness in little things. Small duties may be large tests. What the world terms a trifle may bulk very great in the sight of God 'as a mo ment or 'human duty, and as a contri bution to the moral development .- of the race.' The routine engagements of what may be called life's common days should not, therefore, be de spised, for on such humble common duties, if they are faithfully per formed, may -pivot providential de signs whose sweep is broad as the eternities. V . Bible Work In Korea. It is stated that In Korea one in every five members of Christian churches' attend the Bible training In stitutes and take the courses prepared for volunteer, workers. , He that would endeavor - to take away, friendship from the fellowship of man's life, should seem to take away the sun from the world.- Cicero. - , . .-. ures, used words six feet long and glibly chattered about unearned in crement economic determinism and things like that Finally ; the rural stranger leaned over and whispered to his companion: "Mary, are you a payin' attention to thia here lecture?" "As good as I kin," she answered meekly. "Are you skeered?" .'Tin keered as much as I kin understand." T6 business that we love we rise betlme, and; go to't with delight Shakespeare. i TIME AND PATIENCE IN TRAINING DOG -,:VvS -: . x-- - . . : v.--. ? T5 ,,nimwMf..T , fefts:C " '-i ;v-. i. x 4I V ,f "5 'Steady Boy, (By FRANK 11. SWEET.) Most of you boys who live in the country have dogs. Have you ever tried to train them, beyond the throw ing of sticks for them to bring back, and a few such tricks as standing on their hind legs, or barking for some thing to eat? , - As a boy, back in the country, I was the owner of a number of dogs at vari ous times, and until I was pretty well grown, this was usually the extent of my training. And my friends who had dogs trained them In about the Bame way. Possibly some 'of you have bright dogs that are capable of knowing much more than they do. If so, the following general directions, learned by experience, may be of use. First of all, teach your dog that you mean exactly what you say, and that he must obey you. Never under any circumstances al low him to shirk, and even a naturally stupid pup will learn to look upon your word as- law and not think of disobeying. Strict obedience to your word, whis tle, or slightest gesture once obtained, it Is an easy matter to finish the dog's education. Bear In mind that there Is about as great a difference in the character and natural intelligence of dogs as there is in boys. Not only does this exist between the distinct varieties of dogs, but also between the different individuals of the same variety. All Newfoundlands possess similar characteristics; but each in dividual varies considerably in intelli gence, amiability, and all those little traits that go to make up a dog's char acter. . . It is well for you to understand this fact, that you may not be disappointed or make your pet dog suffer because' it cannot learn as fast as some one you may know of. And let it be 1m- WU7 I On the Scent pressed upon your mind that to make your dog obey or to teach it the most difficult trick or feat it is rarely nec essary to UBe the whip. If the dog, as he will sometimes do, knowingly and wilfully disobeys, the whip may be used sparingly. , One sharp blow is generally suffi cient, and it should be accompanied with a reprimand in words. 1 Never lose your patience and beat the ani mal in anger. To successfully train a dog, it Is necessary to place the great est restraint upon your own feelings; for if you once give way to anger the dog will know it and one-half ( your influence is lost To be sure,' the special line of education depends up on the kind of dog you have and what you want him to do. ' You may commence to teach the pointer or setter to "stand" at a very early age, using first a piece of meat praising and petting him when he does well and reprimanding him when required. Do not tire your pup out; but if he does well once, let him play and sleep before trying again. As he grows older, replace the meat with, a dead bird. The best sports men of today do not allow their dogs to retreive, saying that the "mouth' ing" juI the dead and bloody birds af fects the fineness of their noses. To teach a dog to. retreive, com mence with the young pup. Almost any dog will chase a ball, and very soon learn to bring it to his master. When you have taught dog to '"fetch" he may be tried with game. It is very probable that the first Mrds he brings will be badly "mouthed" that Is, bitten and mangled. ... To break him of this, prepare a ball of yarn, so wound over pins that the slightest pressure will cause the points to pro - - . J fix" l Steady.' trude and prick any object pressed against the. ball. After the dog has pricked his mouth once or twice with this ball, he will learn to pick it up and carry it in the most delicate manner. He may then be tried again with a bird. This time he will probably bring it to you with out so much as rumpling a feather; but If, notwithstanding his experience with the ball of pins, your dog still "mouths" the game, you must skin a bird and arrange the ball and pins inside the skin so as to prick sharp ly upon a light pressure. Make a dog "fetch" the bird skin until he is completely broken of hiB bad habit of biting or "mouthing" game. With pointers and setters, at first you will have to give your commands by word of mouth; but if you accom pany each ' command by an appro priate gesture, the pup will soon learn to understand and obey the slightest motion of the hand or head. Aiier leacmng a aog 10 neei, "down charge," and to "hie on" at command, you may show him game and teach him to "quarter" his ground by moving yourself in the direction you wish the dog to go. The dog will not be long in understanding and obeying. When your pointer comes to a point teach him to be steady by repeating softly "Steady boy steady," at the same time holding up your hand. In POlirHft nf tfrriA tho wnrH ueUl ho omit ted; the hand raised as a caution will keep the dog steady; but should he break point and flush the game, as a young dog is more than liable to, you may give him the whip and at the same time use some appropriate words that the dog will remember. After your dog has been taught to obey, it is well to put him in the field with an old, well-trained dog. As every sportsman has a' peculiar system of his own for breaking a dog, It is scarcely necessary to give more than these few hints; only let me caution- you once more against using the whip too often. Spare the lash and keep a good stock of patience on hand. Otherwise, In breaking the dog you will also break his spirit, and have a mean, treacherous animal that will slink and cringe at your slightest look, but seldom obey you when he thinks he is out of reach of the dreaded whip. MODERN THEORY OF THUNDER Intense Heat of Electrical Discharge Turns Vapor Into Steam and Causes Loud Explosion. There have been a great many dif ferent theories about the cause of the noise we call thunder. Some savage nations think it Is caused by the clouds knocking together in a storm and making a spark, like two pieces of flint, with a crackling sound at the same time. Not long ago, when electricity first began to be under stood, many persons believed that the lightning made a hole in the air as it passed along and that the rush of air to fill up this vacuum caused the noise, just as it is caused by the air rushing back Into the vacuum In a big cannon.- ' - The more modern theory, based on some remarkable experiments with very fluffy cotton that was made damp is that the intense . heat of the elec trical discharge instantly turns the surrounding vapor of the clouds into steam and causes an explosion as sn it den and fierce as gunpowder. It is the number and diversity of these explosions that makes the crackling sound we hear when the thunder is close to us, vrhlch would not be the case If the cause were the air rushi ing into a single vacuum, as that would make only one big bang, just like a cannon. Saving Grace. Paterfamilias (looking up from the morning paper) I don't know what we are going to do if the expense of running our table keeps going up all the time. ' , Youngest Bey I know what I'd "do. "What, my boy?" "Well, pop, for one thing I'd stop saying grace at meals - any more." Life. - ,: His Class. Robby I think I like you better than any of the . other fellovflB. that come to see sister. ; Percy I ami pleased to hear it Hobby. Why! do you like me the best? ' --.i'- v ,;: if Robby Because sl3 . always lets me stay around and hear whai you say, juose. ; DEB ID FOR ALL No Mighty Result Achieved With out the Crowning Sacrifice of the Blood. IT is true even upon the lowest plane that without shedding of blood there is nothing, no mighty result, no achievement no triumph. Every wouhy deed costs -something; no high' thing can be done easily. No great thing can be accomplished with out the shedding of blood. Life is just our chance of making this great and strange discovery. Many of us never make it We begin by trifling, by working with a. fraction' of our strength. We soon see that nothing comes of that At last if we . are wise, we see that all the strength is needed. What have we beside this? We must disrobe ourselves. We- do it; yet our object remains ungained. What more have we to give? We have our blood. So at last the blood is shed, the life is parted with, and the goal is reached. We are happy if we know that everything noble and enduring in this world is accomplish ed by the shedding of blood, not mere ly the concentration of the heart and soul and mind on one object, but the pruning and even the maiming of life. Young men are being taught this les son now, and unleso all signs are false they will be taught it more sternly in the future. Without shedding of blood there is no remission. There has been from the beginning a profound and solemn witness in the human heart to this. Many of the primitive religious ideas are God's deep preparation of the mind and heart of man for the grand gos pel of Christianity, the substitution of the Lord Jesus Christ for guilty sin ners. This witness is embedded In our language. What is meant by the word "bless?" It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for blood. We may legitimately translate this by saying that before we can truly bless another human being we must shed our blood for him. You can lighten a brother's way by cups of cold water, by small gifts,, by smiles, by friendly words, and these things are great in the eyes of Christ But to bless in the su perlative degree we must part with life. Doctrine of Atonement. So the Eternal Son shed as it were. great drops of blood in Gethsemane, and offered himself immaculate to God on the cross. We can never render the doctrine of the atonement in terms of human self-sacrifice and self-surrender. But the human analogies help us, and. Indeed, the doctrine of the atonement without them would be a mere blank for our minds. So I seem to see how it is that the simple re ceive and understand the plainest preaching oi- the glorious truth of propitiation, and leap to it, while those whose minds are overlaid with specu lation and what is called culture find it difficult Alas! we often see theo logians, even evangelical theologians, using infinite evasions and subtleties to disencumber themselves 'of the one weapon without which the evangelist can do nothing at alL But we know that Christ's appearing would have had no purpose and conducted to no end, if he had not stayed long enough with us to shed his blood in Geth semane and Calvary.' To know what our redemption cost him we must with the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, look at Geth-semane as well as Calvary, and even then we do not know. Most Intense of Prayers. But we do know something. We see him in his extremity when he began fully to understand the bitterness of his cup. We hear him pray his prayer with strong crying and tears, "If it be possible to let this cup pass from me." That - transeat callx! There . Is no prayer like that, no prayer ever utter ed with such intensity. The prayer that is lifted when it seems just pos sible that the cup may pass, and that the pleading may decide it, is in Itself a shedding of blood. We realize the dim witness who heard afar, the broken "meaning, the long sobs, who witnessed the hard-won victory which seemed a defeat, who could not watch with him one hour. We know wfiat the strain must have been when there came to his succor the all-pitying but undimmed angel. , If it had not been that God made his. minister a flame of fire in that darkness, could Christ have conquered? The cup was not taken away, but the prayer " was an swered, for his lips were made brave to drink it. Perhaps they are right who say that Gethsemane .was the crowning point of our Redeemer's suf ferings, though it was on Calvary that he finished his work. I do not know. He quivered for a moment on Calvary, too. Kev. W. Robertson NicolL ' Be Not Content Sad -will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely content ed with the life that he is, living, with tLe thoughts that he is thinking, with the deeds that he is doing, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do some- thing larger, which: he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is still the child of God. Phillips Brooks. j i , Cultivate Memory's BlesKinas. -s, - - , We need, all of us, to quicken mem ory. Life s yesterday soon drops into the background, and all quickenings or memory are beautiful. Mercies like gathered flowers, soon fade; De liverances from Egypt are forgotten, and the once slave's flesh.-that the fetten hurt and broke, eals agaia like a little child's - (Conducted by the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union.) PEOPLE ARE LEARNING TRUTH Not Necessary for Liquor , Dealers to Inaugurate Publicity Plan to Show "Uses and Benefits." Recognizing that national temper ance is a live issue, the president of the Wholesale Liquor Dealers' as sociation, in his annual address at Louisville, Ky., suggested that "in view. of the activity of our opponents, and in view of the fact that they come in close touch with the people at large, it behooves us to begin an era of education to correct their false teachings and develop in the minds of the people a right idea as to alcohol, its uses and benefits." It le not necessary for the liquor in terests to go to the expense of. inau gurating any publicity scheme to Bhow the "uses and benefits" of al cohol. This Is being done for them free of charge by varied agencies. The judge of the domestic relations court of Chicago helps , to "develop this right idea" when he shows from his court records that 46 per cent, of the domestic Infelicities brought be fore him are to be credited as "bene fits" of the use of alcohol. " The chap lain of the Indiana state prison helps in this "era of education" when he vol unteers the Information that 83 per cent, of the men in his institution owe their downfall to the use of the product of the distilleries, etc., and that 90 per cent, of parole violations are due to the same cause. Collier's Weekly, as well as other prominent periodicals, take pleasure in exploit ing some of the especially tragic and pathetic "benefits" to be derived from the purchase and consumption of the wares represented by the combination known as the Liquor Dealers' associ ation. And the Woman's Christian temperance union, "through its forty different departments, "in close touch with' the people," are helping might ily, to develop right ideas concerning alcohol. DECLINE IN OUR BIRTH RATE Alcohol and Drug Habits Are Con stantly Adding to Degenerate List and the Death Roll. An eastern life assurance society sends out a publicatl6n each quarter, to its policy holders.. They are em phasizing the fact that the health of every policy holder is of interest, to the company and to other policy hold ers. From a recent address of the con servation commissioner of the society we quote these warning words: "With all Its blessingB modern civi lization has introduced hazards, hab its and conditions of life' which not only invite but which have increased in many ways physical, mental and moral degeneracy. J "Our birth rate is declining. Of the 20,000,000 school children in this country not less than 75 per: cent need attention for physical defects which are prejudicial to health. "The alcohol and drug habits are constantly adding to the degenerate list and the death roll. "The diseases of vice are spreading and we lack the moral courage to openly war against them. "Users of alcohol are especially sus ceptible to the attacks of pneumonia germs." VIEWS OF LEADING JOURNALS Progressive Newspapers Keep Up With Times on Temperance as Well as on Other Vital Questions. In a recent Interview with Mrs. L. M. TJ. Stevens, president National W. C. T. . U.," a newspaper corre spondent asked the question: -"How do the temperance views of the leading Journals of the country compare with those of editors and con tributors who, ten years ago, were a power in the Journalistic world? It Is said. that their best thoughts find their way to jour study." "Journalism and journalists have kept up .with the times' on the temper ance question, as well as on all other prominent . issues," was the reply. "More than 150 dallies refuse to take liquor advertisements, and nearly all of the best magazines now, exclude them. Through the subtle use of. money by brewars and distillers, arti cles against total abstinence and pro hibition occasionally appear in the magazines, for money still Is a power, but truth is mightier than money, and is evermore making its way. Lead ing journalists now recognize that the nation wide movement to outlaw the liquor traffic is an economic question, and public sentiment 13 fast demand ing that whatever stands! in the way of efficiency and prosperity shall be swept aside." u -Do ft at Once. 1 Webb, the celebrated walker, who was remarkable for vigor of body and mind, drank nothing but water. He was one day recommending his regi men to a friend who loved wine. The gentleman promised. to conform to his counsel, though he thought lie could not change hia course of life all at once, but wouli leave ; off strong liquors by degrees. "By degrees!" ex claimed WebbJ f "If you Bhould un happily fall into the fire, would you caution your servants to pull you out only by degreei?"