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THE KING’S BUSINESS
in th e new little m eeting house which w e h a d ere c ted in th e n eig h b o rh o o d (R ichm o n d H ill, L. I.), an d which h a d th e week_ b e fo re b e e n solem nly d e d ic a te d to th e w orship of ou r one L o rd a n d Saviour, u n d e r th e charge o f th e M e thod ist E p iscopal church. My d e a r friend, Wm . D alrym ple, th e pasto r, w as to ta k e te a w ith us, w ith a n um b e r o f friend s an d re la tives w ho h a d assem b led in th e p a r lors, th e hall d o o rs b e ing o p en b e tw e en th em an d th e dining room , w h e re th e even ing m eal w as a t th e tim e b e in g served. H e n ry a rriv ed late. I w en t to th e fro n t d o o r to w elcom e him , a n d to m y surprise, a fte r entering, h e sto o d w ith p o rt m an te au in h an d , an d ask ed in a clear, ea rn e st tone, ‘Mr. K im ber, are you a C h ristia n ? ’ “ It is im possible to exp lain to you how sta rtlin g this question, thu s p u t to m e in so public a m anner, literally in th e p resence an d he a ring o f m y
fam ily an d servants, as well as of th e guests g a th e red on th e occasion, w as to all m y feelings an d instincts as well as to th e p re ju d ic e o f m y e d ucation. It b e c am e especially em barrassing as I no ticed th e hush th a t fell on th e conv ersation in th e p a r lo r as all w aited to see w h ere these things w ou ld tend , fo r a t th a t tim e I w as m o re n o te d fo r p rom p tn e ss th a n fo r gentleness of m an n e r a n d expression in m a tte rs touching, as 1 conceived, m y p erson al dignity. I rem em ber, how ever, th a t I an sw ered him calm ly, b u t firmly, th a t th is was a question b e tw e en m e an d m y G od , a n d one which w e w ou ld n o t d is cuss a t th a t tim e. ‘No, Mr. K im b e r,’ h e e a rn e stly rep lied , look ing m e lo v ingly a n d longingly righ t in th e eyes, ‘No, it is ju st th e question b e tw e en us ton igh t, a n d it is ju st th e tim e an d p lace to ta lk a b o u t it now .’ (T o Be Concluded.)
Our Inheritance (
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By S. H. KELLOGG. Dr. S. H. Kellogg, author of that most instructive commentary on Leviticus (the “Expositor’s Bible” series), for years a missionary in India; afterwards professor in Allegheny Theological Seminary (Pres.), was so eminent a linguist and Bible Scholar that in his declining age the American Bible Society insisted on his return to India to supervise a revision of the Mahrati Bible. His almost indispensable services were cut short by a fall with his bicycle.
r I 'H E w o rd “ inh e ritan c e ” is used in th e New T e stam e n t to d e n o te th a t which b eliev ers are to receive in th e life to come. So we a re called “h eirs.” Illu stration s a re : “ Inh e rit th e k in g d om ” (M a tt. 2 5 : 3 4 ) ; “ to give an inh eritan ce am o n g th em th a t are sanctified” (A c ts 2 0 : 3 2 ) ; “b e g o t ten . . . to an inh eritan ce in co r rup tib le, ” etc. (1 P et. 1 :4 ) ; “ in heritan c e in th e k in g d om o f G o d ” (E ph . 5 : 5 ) ; “m a d e us m e e t to be p a rta k e rs o f th e inh eritan ce o f th e sain ts in ligh t” (Col. 1 : 1 2 ) ; “o f th e L o rd y e shall receive th e rew a rd of th e inh e ritan c e ” (Col. 3 :2 4 ) .
I. T h e first id e a in th e w o rd is “possession.” II. T h e second is, possession by righ t o f succession. I . W h a t is th e possession w e a re tq inh erit? ( 1) It is called a “k ing d om ” (M a tt. 2 5 :2 4 ) , as ab o v e . Is said to b e on e a rth (R ev . 5 : 1 0 ) ; “w e shall reign on th e e a rth ” (c. f., 1 1 :1 5 ; 3 :2 1 ) . ( 2 ) T h e inh eritan ce is n ev e r said to b e heaven . “T h e h e av en is th e L o rd ’s, th e e a rth h a th H e g iven to th e ch ild ren o f m en (P s. 1 0 5 :6 ). ( 3 ) A b ra h am was' (a n d is) an heir o f th e sam e in h e rit ance w hich is p rom ised to us (G al.
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