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August 1929
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K i n g ’ s
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pose emerge, as the Shepherd whose mis sion it was to seek and to succor warn dering sheep. And I wonder what the dawn would have to say to Him, and whether in its growing radiance He would foresee the gradual illumination of the whole world with the evangel of His love and grace. Be that as it may, the night was thus spent as a preparative to the- choice of the morrow. He sought to be perfectly attuned to His Father’s will, in order that all His decisions might be one with the mind of the Father in heaven. “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what He seeth the Father do.” —o— September 4— “Take t h e r e f o r e no thought for the morrow” (Matt. 6:34). Should the uncertainty of all human af fairs sadden our lives? No; God does not want us to bring tomorrow’s possible clouds to shadow our todays. He does not want us to be unhappy while the sun shines, because by and by it will be dark. He want us to live in today and enjoy its blessings and do its work well, though tomorrow may bring calamity. How can we? Only by calm, quiet, trustful faith in God and obedience to him at every step. Then no troublous tomorrow can ever bring us harm. Those who do God’s will each day, God will hide under His wings when the storm breaks. “The eagle that soars in the upper air does not worry itself as to how it is to cross rivers.” When Savonarola was on his way to the stake to suffer as a martyr he sus tained himself with this thought: “The Lord suffered much for me.” And it Cer tainly does take the sting out of our own sufferings to remember the sufferings of Christ. He was the Prince of sufferers. Our griefs are not worthy to be men tioned in the same day with His. We have our sorrows, but He was “a Man or Sor rows.” We know a little of grief, but He was “acquainted with grief” as we can never be. We touch but the brim of the bit'ter cup. He drank it to the dregs. The apostle Peter here encourages the heart of every suffering Christian by rep resenting Christ as our “companion in tribulation,” our brother in adversity. Me- thinks we can tread the glowing coals of. the fiery furnace more bravely when we realize that close beside us in the same heated atmosphere there walks One like unto the Son of God. Next time I am called upon to endure some heavy trial, or wince under some cutting stroke, let this text whisper in my ea r: “Christ also hath once suffered.” When I am sick in body, or distressed in mind, let me recollect that “Christ also suffered.” If I am ever poor or needy, if friends desert me, and the world seems very dark, let if come to me as though an angel spake to me, “Christ also suffered.” And when I lie upon my last bed, amid pains and groans and dying strife, let me still hear that word, “Christ also suffered.” We shall best bear our sufferings when we suffer in fellowship with Christ.— Glorious Possibilities. — o — September 6— “I f ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7), September 5— "Christ also hath once suffered” (1 Pet. 3:18).
The Dawn of China’s New Day A new day is dawning in China; and many signs indicate that it will be an era of unparalleled spiritual progress. One of the most roseate rays of the approaching day is the change of atti tude with regard to Communism. A year ago Bolshevism was sweeping over China like a prairie fire. Today both civil and military leaders are doing their utmost to stamp it out. The outbreaks in Canton and elsewhere simply show that it is more difficult to quench a conflagration than it is to kindle the flame. For months the prayers of God’s chil dren in many lands have been focused upon China, and the present war against Bolshevism by the military leaders con stitutes one of the most remarkable an swers to prayer in modern times. Now let us pray that those in authority may. realize that the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God are the only hope of China. Another encouraging sign of the new era lies in the fact that the seeming menace of fiery persecution has racked but not wrecked the church in China. It has purged and purified the true and faithful followers of Christ, and has pre pared the way for a great outpouring of the Spirit of God. In some cases the churches have grown and increased even while passing through the fiery furnace of persecution. Another indication of the new order of things lies in the desire of the Chris tians for ecclesiastical independence. But this is the very goal for which the mis sionaries have been longing and praying for decades past. One missionary society has splendidly grasped the new situation. They are turning their churches entirely over to the Chinese, while the mis sionaries, accompanied by about one hun dred evangelists, will do pioneer work in preaching the Gospel in unreached towns aqd villages. Still another augury of the new day is seen in the widespread dissatisfaction with intellectual sermons and social ser vice ; and a turning back to the simple preaching of the cross as the only thing that will satisfy the soul and lead sinners into the light. A group of Chinese pastors and evangelists have returned to Shang hai after a tour of several weeks in South China. The report of the leader of the party, Mr. C. K. Lee, is as stimulating as an ocean breeze. He tells how both pastors and people are turning away from the husks of subterfuge, and are hungry for the old Gospel. Mr. Lee has a vision of sending flaming evangelists throughout the length and breadth of China to preach Christ and Him crucified. From North China come similar tid ings of a turning back to the old paths. Another harbinger of the new day that is dawning in China is the success which is attending the nation-wide distribution of New Testaments in connection with the Million Testaments for China Cam paign. In spite of civil war, and lack of transportation facilities, and anti-Chris tian propaganda, and the absence of so many missionaries, the work of circulat ing the Testaments’has gone steadily for ward. Thus far over half a million of these life-giving books have been sent to missionaries, pastors, and other workers for wise and careful distribution.— Geo. T. B. Davis.
Send aTrial Subscription A n E x a m p l e of H ow it W orks from a P a sto r i n - O h io “ T h e K in g ’ s B u s in e s s h a s been coming into our home for the past six months, and I am now a subscriber. I want to take this opportunity to say that we think the paper one of the best we have ever had in our home.” — J. H. G.
If you saw one of the intimates of the King on his knees, you would see a sight. Look! He is in the Audience Chamber. He has a seat set for him among the peers. He is set down among the old no bility of the Empire. The King will not put on his signet ring to seal a command, till his friend has been heard. “Command Me,” the King says to him. “Ask of Me,” he says, “for the things of My sons: com mand the things to come concerning them!” And, as if that were not enough, that man-of-all-prayer is still on his knees. He is wrestling there. There is no enemy that I can see; yet he wrestles like a mighty man. What is he doing with such a struggle? Doing? Do you not know what he is doing? He is moving heaven and- earth. He is. casting this mountain, and that, into the midst of the sea. He is casting down thrones. He is smiting old empires of time to pieces. Yes: he is wrestling indeed ^-Alexander Whyte. Gratitude Sometimes Misdirected A great surgeon operated on a poor boy whose foot was twisted out of shape. The operation was successful, and a friend came to take the little invalid home. He said to the boy, “What a beautiful hospital you have been in !” “Yes,” said the boy, “but I like the doctor best.” Then the friend spoke of the nurses and their kindness. But the boy replied, “Yes, they are kind, but I like the doctor best.” When he brought the boy home his mother was charmed to see her son again. She fell on her knees and looked at once at his foot. “Why, it’s just like any other boy’s foot now,” she exclaimed with de light. All the time the lad was saying to her, “Mother, you ought to know the doctor who made me yvalk.” There is not one of us for whom Jesus has not done a thousand times more than the surgeon did for the boy. Yet we have rarely spoken of Jesus and insisted on making Him known to others.— Selected. Personal Soul-Winning The Prince of preachers, C. H. Spur geon, advocating personal work, said: “If you had one hundred empty bottles be fore you, and threw a pail of water over them, some would get a little in them, but most would fall outside. If you wish' to fill the bottles, the best way is to take each bottle separately and put a vessel full of water to the bottle’s mouth.” That is successful personal work.— The Witness.
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