vol . vm
JUNE, 1917
No. 6
The King's Business
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from ouf sins in his own blood/*—Rev. 1:5
Published once a month by the BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A.
O N E D O L L A R A Y E A R
ÔTItr
MOTTO : " / the Lord do keep It, / wtU water it every moment lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."—Isa. 27:3. R. A. TORREY, D. D , Editor T.C . HORTON, J.H . HUNTER, WILLIAM EVANS, D. D , Associate Editors A. M. ROW, Managing Editor Published by the BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, Inc. Los Angeles, California, U. S. A. Entered aa Second-Class Matter November 17, 1910, at the postoffice at Los Angeles, Cal«, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Copyright by R. A. Torrey, D. D., and Bible Institute of Los Angeles, for the year 1916. DIRECTORS
R. A. Torrey, vice-president Leon V. Shaw, treasurer. William Evans. Nathan Newby
Lyman Stewart, president. William Thorn, secretary. T. C. Horton, superintendent. H. A. Getz.
J. O. Smith
J. M. Irvine.
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT We hold to the Historic Faith of the Church as expressed in the Common Creed of Evangelical Christendom and including: The Trinity of the Godhead. The Deity of the Christ.
The Maintenance of Good Works. The Second Coming of Christ. The Immortality of the Spirit. The Resurrection of the Body. The Life Everlasting of Believers. The Endless Punishment of the Im penitent. The Reality and Personality of Satan. (7) Bible Women. House-to-house visitation and Neighborhood classes. (8) Oil Fields. A mission to men on the oil fields. (9) Books and Tracts. Sale and dis tribution of selected books and tracts. (10) Harbor Work. For seamen at Los Angeles harbor. (11) The Biola Club. Daily noon meetings for men in the down-town district, with free reading-room privi leges. (12) Print Shop. For printing Testa ments, books, tracts, etc. A complete establishment, profits going to free dis tribution of religious literature.
The Personality of the Holy Ghost. The Supernatural and Plenary au thority of the Holy Scriptures. The Unity in Diversity of the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. The Substitutionary Atonement. The Necessity of the New Birth. • The Institute trains, free P u r p o s e . of co, t| accredited man and women, in the knowledge and use of the Bible. n ,_ . (1) The Institute Departments: classes held daily except on Saturdays and Sundays. (2) Extension work. Classes and conferences held in neighboring cities and towns. (3) Evangelistic. Meetings conducted by our evangelists. (♦) Spanish Mission. Meetings every night. (5) Shop Work. Regular services in shops and factories. (6) Jewish Evangelism. Personal work among the Hebrews.
SCOPE OF THE WORK
83 THE KING’S BUSINESS
TA B L E O F CONTENTS E d ito ria l: W ill T h is Be th e L ast W a r ?— C lean Mission W o rk e rs— W ho Is R e sp o n sib le ?— Be Y e C lean T h a t B ear th e V essels of th e L o rd— Is th e D ram a M orally C o rru p t an d C o rru p tin g ?— C h ristian C o n d u c t in T im e of W a r—-D em oralization o f E v ang elization— E ng land C alled to Serious T h o u g h t......................................................... 483 T h e R iv e rs of C h in a............................................................................... 489 In th e T renches. By Mrs. E d ith F o x N o rto n ............................... 491 P ra y e r an d Pow er. (P o em ). By W illiam O Iney .................... 494 C hristian Love. By R ev. H ugh L a tim e r....................................... 495 In M em oriam . E. A . K. H a c k e tt.................................................... 500 M o d e rn M iracle. By R ev. C. E. P a x so n ....................................... 501 Am o n g th e L um b e r C am ps. By Rev. H . I. C h a tte rto n .......... 506 T h e E b en e z e r Mission. By A . M. R ow ........ ................................ 507 D e a th of W illiam T h o rn ...................................................................... 509 A silom a r C on ference ............................................................................ 5 10 T h e F a r H o rizo n ................................ 1....... ........... 1............... ............... 5 1 1 Puzzling P assages an d P ro b lem s..................................... :............. 5 14 Evangelistic D ep a rtm en t. By B ible In stitu te W o rk e rs............ 516 H om iletical H elp s. By W illiam E v an s............. ........................... 525 B ible In stitu te R esu lts............................ ........... ................................... 529 T h e Tw o G oats. By R ev. C. H . L eg g e tt....................................... 531 T h ro u g h th e B ible w ith D r. E v an s................................................. . 535 In te rn a tio n a l S und ay School Lessons. By R. A . T o rre y an d T. C. H o rto n ............................................................ ...................... 541 D aily D evo tion al S tud ies in th e New T e stam en t fo r In d iv id ual M ed ita tio n a n d Fam ily W orship. By R. A . T o rre y 555
SUBSCRIPTION PR ICE the U nited States* a n d its Possessions a n d M exico, a n d p o in ts in C e n tra l A m e ric an P o stal U nion, $ 1 p e r y e a r. In all o th e r foreign countries, $1 .2 4 (5 s. 2 d .). Single copies, 10 cents. R eceipts sen t o n req u est. See d ate on a d d ress tag. “ Sept. 17“ m eans E xpires S ept. 1917, etc.
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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Vol. 8
JUNE, 1917
No. 6
E D I T O R I A L It,is being urged by many as a reason for going into this war and as an encouragement in going into it, that the result of this awful war will be that all tyrannical government will end and that there will, never be
Will- This Be the Last War?
another war. This is a pleasant hope, but it is absolutely without warrant either iu what we know of man or what we know of the teachings of the Bible. There will be other wars, whatever the issue of the present war may be. God has plainly declared in His word regarding the present dispensation that “even unto the end shall be war” (Dan. 9:26), and it is revealed in God’s word that the present dispensation shall end in terrific conflicts. Let us not deceive ourselves with any fond hopes that any league, or any other organization of any kind, can come out of the present .war that will make future war an impossibility. It is more than likely that a confederacy that will attempt that may result from the present war, but such a confederacy will do more to promote, whr than to suppress it. missions throughout our land have been exceedingly careless in regard to the character of the men and women that they place in positions c?f responsibility and leadership. There has been scandal after scandal, and some missions have been hotbeds of moral rottenness-. Many seem to have thought that if a man has been a thoroughly bad man morally and then gives any evidence of con version, he is just the man to take the leadership in a mission simply because he has been so bad, and if he goes astray, again and then professes to repent, he is again pushed into a place of leadership. The result has been that many of the best people in the land thoroughly distrust rescue mission work. This of course is unjust, because some rescue missions have gone to the bad is no reason for supposing that they all have. But there is a need that rescue mis sions, not only for the sake of the individual men, but for the sake of the work as a whole, should be conducted with the most scrupulous regard to the well- balanced character of those who are in the places of leadership. In some ways there is an advantage in having at the head of a mission a man who has known by bitter experience what the depths of sin are, but it is far better to have some man who has never been down into the depths but whose present character is thoroughly Christian, in the place of leadership, than to have a man who has not only once been an outrageous sinner, but whose present life also falls below a high standard of Christian conduct. Few new forms of activity have been organized in the past few years, that have accomplished more for the salvation of the lost and for the increase of the church of Christ than rescue missions, but many of the rescue Clean Mission Workers.
f THE KING’S BUSINESS The Prussian Minister of Agriculture speaking in the Diet is reported to have said: “F 484 Who Is Responsible? Be Ye Clean That Bear the Vessels of the Lord. very fond, .not only in Prussia but everywhere else as well, of laying off on the Almighty the responsibility for evils for which they are themselves respon sible. God is in no sense responsible for the food shortage in Germany, France, England or anywhere, else. If the rulers and subjects in these different nations had actèd as mén ought to act, there would have been no war, and if there had been no war there would have been plenty for all to eat. Of course,, if there had been a more abundant harvest there would be more than there is and harvests do in a measure come from God, but even'with a comparatively light harvest there would have been plenty for all if Gods bounties had not been squandered in the work of destroying other men, and if the means of produc tion had not been sinfully wasted. If God had given a superabundant harvest last year it would have only prolonged the war and increased the misery of men. It is blasphemous to try to put off on God the consequence of oqr own wrongdoing. _______________ _ obligation to live as clean a life as a minister lives, it is also true that if a man is not living a clean life, he should not be in the ministry. The Apostle Paul, writing to a younger brother in the ministry, has given us words that everyone who seeks to be a minister of the Gospel should deeply ponder : If; a man therefore purge himself from these (the context shows that the these ^means all iniquity) he shall be a véssel of honor, sanctified, and prepared for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” Our hearts have been made sick time and time again the last year or two in listening to the defense of men in the fninistry who have been careless in their conduct, sometimes m matters of the gravest importance. While we have no right to demand that a minister be absolutely faultless, we have a right to demand that he live without consciously and deliberately doing anything which he knows to be contrary to the will of God ; and certainly we have a right to demand that he shall be abso lutely free from grave moral irregularities. There are certain sms which, if a minister commits, he forfeits his right to preach the Gospel, even though e repents and turns from his sin. If he commits sins of this character, he has no right to re-enter the ministry. The qüalifications for an elder, and the qualifi cations for a deacon are plainly laid down in Paul’s epistles to Timothy and Titus (e. g. 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1 :6-9). There are certain sins which, if a min ister commits, it is an outrage to put him in a position of influence over young men and young women, even though he repents, for who knows but he may tall again. Only a man who can be trusted should be placed in a position of such responsibility and power as that occupied by a minister of the Gospçl. The moral qualifications for the ministry are far more important than the intellec tual qualifications for a minister, and no matter how gifted a man may be as a preacher, if his conduct has been of such a character a s to awaken serious dis trust of his moral reliability, he should be compelled to quit the ministry. Whatever else a Christian minister may be, he should be a clean man. His ' character should be above reproach, that is not to say, that it should not be above criticism, but that it should be above just criticism. While it is true in a sense that every saint is under THE KING’S BUSINESS 485 The war over the drama between those who are attempting to expose it and^those who are'defending it» waxes hotter and hotter. A little while ago the Bishop of London was the object of violent attack on Is the Prama Morally Corrupt and Corrupting? ■£, , ' the part of the defenders of the stage. Now it is bather Thomas Burke of the Roman Catholic Church. In the February num- ber of the Theatre Magazine, Father Burke said that there is hardly a play that is free from the atmosphere of sex. To use his own words, “not the legiti mate appeal or office that this strongest of human instincts has in the drama, but the appeal of lust, of the excitement of the merely animal passion.” For this and similar utterances Mr. George Broadhurst, the playwright, takes him severely to task. He says “I claim that not 5 per. cent, of them (that is the plays now running) have ‘the appeal of lust, of the excitement of the merely animal passion.’ ’ In defence of his position Mr. Broadhurst cites a number ot plays. Whatever may be true about the plays to which he refers, it is cer tain that, judging the theatre by the advertisements that they themselves insert in our daily papers and by the inspired press notices of the plays, a very large share of them are appealing for patronage to that which is most deplorable in men, especially young men. Any really moral man or woman can see that the plays are vile or at least the advertisements are intended to make people think that they are vile. Bad as the theatres are, the movies are immeasurably worse. in a word: we should conduct ourselves as Christians. A true Christian should be a Christian at all times. But what is Christian con duct? First of all, we should be calm, absolutely without fear or anxiety. There is no commandment in the word of God more specific or definite than the commandment “In nothing be anxious” (PhiL4:6)., A Christian has no to be anxious under any circumstances. Whatever may come is one of the all things, and we have God’s assurance for it that “all things work together for good to them that love God.” The present war is one of the “all things” m which God has His own purposes of love, and which He will make work together with other things for good to them that love Him. While the war in its ultimate source is undoubtedly of devilish origin, as all war is, nevertheless God has taken even the war into His plan and God is able to “keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed oh” Him, even in the most trying circum stances that can possibly arise in the prosecution pf the war. But a Christian should not only be calm in time of war, he should also be prayerful. Indeed the only way to keep calm is by being prayerful. It is the one who in “every thing by prayer and supplication” makes his requests known unto God who is free from all anxiety (Phil. 4:6). But we should not only be calm and prayer ful in days like these, we should'also be full of love. Love is the one Divine thing (1 John 4:8) and.if we would be like God we must be full of love not only in times of peace, but in times of war. We should love our country, but we should also love our enemies (Matt. 6 :44). One of the worst things about war, far worse than the slaughter or the waste of money and all the forms of ruin and desolation that it works is the hate that it engenders between people of different nationalities. However firmly convinced we may be 'that the Ger- At last America has been sucked into, the awful mael- strom of war. How ought we, as ‘Christians, to con- duct ourselves in time of war ? That can be answered F"~?*lan Conduct m Time of War. _ . 486 THE KING’S BUSINESS mans or their emperor or government are entirely in the wrong present conflict, nevertheless the Germans are our fellowmen and we should love them. Not only that, many of them are fellow Christians. As noble Christians as there are on earth today are found among German people, and even though they are arrayed on one side in the conflict and we on the other, we shotfld love them as brethren; and we should love the Germans who are not Christians. We should love all mankind. However intense we may be in our devotion to our own country, let us be very much on our guard against giving place to the devil by permitting any measure of hatred toward Germans or toward their rulers to enter into our hearts. Even though we must fight, let us fight as Chris tians and let us pray not only in order that our own country may be spared the horrors of war that have wrought such desolation in Germany, France,. Eng land, Belgium and other lands, but also in the interests of our enemies, that the war may soon be brought to an end. At the same time let us never forget that even if this war does end in a few weeks, or few months or a few years, it will not be the last war. There will never be peace until the Lord Jesus comes and takes the reins of government. So in all our prayer for peace to emerge from the present conflict, let us not forget to pray for that event which will bring lasting peace to all the earth, viz., the coming of our Lord Jesus. We have recently received a letter from a friend who Demoralization has been connected with evangelistic work .for ten or of Evangelization. eleven years, that greatly impresses us. We cannot but feel with him that there is much that is wrong in a good deal of the popular evangelism of the day. There are men whom God is greatly using and in the results of whose work every one who loves God and His Son Jesus Christ must rejoice, nevertheless, we cannot but see that there are not a few in the work today who are really adventurers, and that the time has come to call a halt in many of the things that are done. The letter referred to reads in part as follows: • _ _ * . “Four years ago last January, I was invited to join an evangelist as one of his assistants. In less than two weeks’ time, the evangelist said to me, How do you like the game ?’ My blood boiled within me, to think of a crucified Christ, a resurrected Christ, a living Christ, being made a ‘gamfe of. For seven years before that, I thought it a very serious matter, and that there was no play and no ‘game’ in giving my life for service to Him Who died for me. “In the city of Philadelphia I heard another evangelist refer to this sacred work of evangelism as a ‘game’—and how do you like it? Enough said! “Since that time, I have been studying the outcome of the ‘game’ called Present-Day Evangelism. In the meantime, I have seen the Church of God plunging into an abyss frotn which it-will take a New Isaiah to deliver. By word and pen, I have forewarned the results—from cause to effect. The whole system was originated by man, and not in accord with the spirit of God. The system has been perpetuated by an enthusiastic hysteria of the rich laymen of the church, not with evil intent, but with disastrous culmination to the organized Church of God. Gymnastics, Vaudeville, circus_ performances on the taber nacle platform in playing the ‘game’ again, yo win souls for Jesus Christ can no more mix than oil and water. In our large-cities, there never has been a meeting called for prayer over the ‘call’ of the present-day evangelists, but the laymen have; in their enthusiasm, guaranteed the expenses and forced an THE KING’S BUSINESS 487 unwilling ministry to accede to the caprice,, slickness, and trickery of the evan gelist to compel his presence in the largest fields for God’s work. These same evangelists solicited and accepted ‘calls’ that were made by the praying people of the churches in smaller places and who authorized their ministers to unani mously ‘call’ the evangelist, and the evangelist accepted those ‘calls.’ But, afterwards, REFUSED TO FILL THE ENGAGED CONTRACTS. |Allow me to ask in all frankness, have these evangelists despised the small things in God’s service? What for? You know the answer—Man’s ‘call,’ and not God’s ‘call’—what for? Only one answer—greed for money! Well, what is the result? Evangelism is, and has been for four years, a ridicule and a scorn by the educated thinking, and brainy men of the nation. What has been the final synopsis of this expensive experiment, by not teaching and preaching GOD’S UNFAILING WORD with knowledge, diplomacy, and in accord with Apos tolic teaching. Infidelity is ‘bawling’ out, Agnosticism is flaunting its flaming torch. Christian Science is enlarging churches and building new ones, and the multitude cannot get into the theatre meetings. New Thought is building churches. Ethical Culture, over-crowded theatres. Russellism is rampant. “I will admit great good has been done by present-day evangelism, but that admission is only made in that God has overruled the^mistakes of the evange list and the methods he has employed. On the other hand, Satan has been busy and has in force today greater numbers of intelligent men and women, wrecking the foundations of THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL than ever before, and with more dangerous under-mining effect upon the Church of God than at any time in the history of the world. Again I ask why? God’s word has been neglected to tickle the ears of men, and the evangelist has played for the applause and the praise of the throng. “THE TIME IS NOW AT HAND WHEN GOD IS CALLING FOR A NEW ISAIAH TO PROCLAIM THE UNFAILING WORD OF GOD IN ALL ITS POWER, WITH INTELLIGENCE, FEARLESSNESS AND USING THE WORD AS A TWO-EDGED SWORD, TO BRING THE WORLD TO A SANE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOD HEAD, OF JESUS' CHRIST AS THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD AND THE BOOK OF BOOKS AS THE INSPIRED REVELATION OF ALMIGHTY GOD.” We print the letter with capitals, etc., just as received. In the issue of the London Christian for March 8, there is an editorial entitled, “No More Loose Think- ing,” that is worthy of careful attention by Americans as well as English. The editorial reads in part as England Called to Serious Thought. follows: It is at last being made clear to the Nation that the issues of tire War depend upon the engagement of its whole strength as well at home as on the Fleet and in the Armies. The recent grave utterance by the Prime Minister has dispelled a great many foolish notions by which numbers were deluding themselves, and were being deluded, as to the imminent collapse of the enemy, and the inevitable successful emergence of the Allies. In unmistakable terms he has told the Nation that only by universal self-sacrifice must we expect to win through; that the enemy’s power to wage bloody warfare on the battle-fronts,' and murderous brutality on the high seas, is by no means broken; and that we have all got to take matters much more seriously than we have done, if the causes for which we went to war are to be finally victorious. In our judgment his words have not come a moment too soon. For, despite all that it has already cost in precious life and treasure, vast numbers of people are as yet unim- 488 THE KING’S. BUSINESS pressed by the hard facts of the situation. Sorrow has invaded many homes in the land, but by no means all. Disaster has overtaken many a small business man, who knows only too well what war means; but others have profited beyond their wildest dreams, and are living selfishly and wantonly in their new-found prosperity. Hunger may have attacked a few, but up to the present the majority of people have continued to fare as well as they ever did, and even better. Now, at length, if the Nation does not realize what is demanded of every citizen, it is not for want of telling on the part of the man who bears the ultimate responsibility. The Prime Minister has told us the truth, but we shrewdly suspect that he has not told us all the truth. The restrictive measures which have been announced in regard to many of the commodities of life are by no means all that we may expect in this direction. They are probably only the beginning of a severe cutting-down process which will affect us all to a far greater extent than we now realize. Luxuries are, of course, banned by every moral as Well as material consideration. Necessaries, at present left to voluntary limitation, will in all likelihood be subject in the near future to drastic regulation. All men are challenged to put themselves at the State’s disposal for service of some sort. Equality of inconvenience, if not of actual sacrifice, must at once become the order of life, if this last stage of the War is to result in that measure of victory which is the only possible foundation for stable peace. This much is at least unmistakable, if we read the Prime Minister’s historic speech aright. Its serious tone was certainly no mere pose of oratory. He spoke as one who had looked the situation squarely in the face, and who turned from it to his fellow-citizens in the confidence that they would not flinch from all that is there involved. Upon the justification of that confidence everything depends. There cannot fail to-be heard in the grave warning, rebuke, and appeal which have thus been addressed the Nation, the echo of an older and stronger voice bidding us— ’’gird up the loins of your mind.” For at the back of much of our foolish over-confidence and careless indifference to the demand of such a day as this, lies a good deal of loose thinking both on the part of leaders and people. Many miscalculations have been made, and many glaring mistakes. We have waited to see what would evolve itself and have seen disaster. We have invested ourselves with a fancied omnipotence, which has again and again been discredited. We have tinkered away—by no means always successfully— at consequences, when wisdom would have dictated a drastic dealing with causes. We have imagined that \ye could go on living very much as in other days, and yet win the War. • . T ' . . Above all, we have, as a nation, almost entirely left God out of account. While boastful of the righteousness of our aim, and the cleanness of our blade, we have planned and parried without seeking counsel and strength from Him. Taking every care to cement our alliances with those other nations whose aims correspond with our own, we have treated as of no moment our alliance with Heaven. In a vague sort of way we have trusted that GOD is on our side, but have paid little attention to the. all-important matter of assuring ourselves that we are on His side. We have erected with amazing energy and skill enormous munition factories. But we have not laid to heart the greater need of rebuilding the LORD’S-altar, which has been broken down in the days of our recent affluence and ease. We have enlisted, by invitation and compulsion, millions of men to face the German guns, not hesitating to call them from every class and occupation. But we have avoided, calling upon the other millions of the people to face God in humiliation and prayer. Surely of all conceivable loose thinking this is the worst. Until we quit it, and gird up the loins of our mind, there is little hope for us. The solution of all, Britain’s problems is to be found alone in the Sanctuary of GOD, Unless we begin earnestly to acknowledge Him, we shall continue to make disastrous mistakes and great victories will not fall to us. And, therefore, even at the risk of being considered wearisomely repeti tious, we again call upon the Government to set apart a Day of National Prayer, to declare a solemn fast, to stop all the machinery of manufacture and trade, and to summon every town and village in the land to the Throne of Grace. THE RIVERS OP CHINA AM© E van ge lism U nder A u sp ices ©f f lie B ib le Sustifiat® bill the town with flaming gospel posters. In the boat chapel, Dr. Kellar conducts a Bible school for the training of native evangelists, and has thus been enabled to carry, the Gospel to unnumbered thousands in their own tongue, spoken by their own D r . FRANK A. KELLAR, after having spent a number of years in China, returned to that country in August, 1916, under the auspices of the Bible Insti tute of Los Angeles. He is pursuing mis sionary work along the rivers by means of M. K. Hsiaso and His Interesting Family people. A look into the smiling, confident faces of Hsiao and his wife is sufficient to convince anyone that in this instance Dr. Kellar has secured valuable assistants'. The group on board the boat, all of whom are Chinese Christian workers, indicates that he has won many more in addition to the one who is named as leader. a house-boat, used both as a chapel and as a residence for the workers. His work is progressing finely, and he has sent us a photograph of M. K. Hsiao, the native leader, surrounded by his inter esting family. The boat touches at towns and villages, where the native workers preach the gospel, distribute literature and THE KING’S 'BUSINESS 490 This is a far-reaching work, which can carry the Gospel to scores of interior com munities with as little expense and effort as. is requisite to establish and maintain a single fixed mission. It appeals for the efficeint worker. His long experience and his familiarity with the Chinese language and customs, enables him to accomplish results entirely beyond the reach of mis sionaries new to the field. He is accompan- Dr. Kellar’s Boat Chapel sympathetic and generous support of all persons interested in China Missions, and ,all money sent to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles for its support, will be applied as directed. Dr. Kellar is a consecrated, keen and ied by his wife, whose experience and ability are fully equal to his own, and her work among the girls and women of China has been blessed in a special way, enabling her to win a host to the King. European War Pea PietmmE x 3 y M a Ed ith P ox N orton Note. —I t has been the policy of this magazine to give each month one article along the line of the articles published in “The Fundam entals,” of which THE KING’S BUSINESS is in aasense the successor. These articles largely have to do with the defense of the divine origin and infallibility of the Scriptures, and the presentation of the fundamental tru th s of the Gospel. One of the best proofs of the divine origin of the Gospel is its power in personal life, and frequently the Fundamentals gave personal testimonies: so this month we are pre senting this letter from Mrs. Ralph C. Norton, who, in describing their great work among the Belgian soldiers, gives a number of testimonies. gian soldiers, reading by the feeble light of a candle thrust into the hilt of a bay onet, the point sticking in the earth. Each one in this little group has on his knees a Testament which we have sent him. One of them, who is leading, has known the Bible for more months than the others, and, through his daily reading and prayers for the light of the Holy Spirit, has come in a wonderful way to have a grasp of its eternal truths. This man expounds to his comrades the truth, as they read the Word together. Then, after the reading is over, reverently and simply they each pour out their hearts in prayer to the One who, though unseen, forms a part of their num ber, and Who has blessed and taught them as they have taken counsel together on the things of the Kingdom. This is no fanciful picture; again and again have we had described to us such a gathering, assembled for study of the Bible and for prayer.. Let it be remem bered that this work with the Belgian sol diers, which has been placed in our hands and laid upon our hearts, is a work in vir gin soil. Apart from the few hundred Bel gian soldiers who before the war were Protestants, possibly nine-tenths of the ICTURE to yourself a , muddy, rain-swept trench— !across the narrow barrier of the little Yser River—death &S3 raining in an unceasing shower of shells, bullets, shrapnel and bombs. In his particular corner of the trench, seeking a little shelter, sits a Belgian brig adier, half-deafened by the noise, with every nerve stretched taut, death striking down comrades on each side of him—his thoughts turned to eternal things. In the good providence of God, he espies near him in the mud of the trench, a small Gospel of St. John—a Gospel like 125,000 others that it has been our privilege in the last year and a-half to scatter throughout the Belgian Army. He reaches for the little book; he reads it through, and quietly in his own heart he makes his great decis ion : he accepts Christ as his Saviour, signs the little decision form on the back page of the Gospel, tears it off and sends it to us in London. Picture, if you can, another scene, in these same trenches at night time. Along the border of the Yser, in a little ‘abri’ or dug-out, are assembled half a dozen Bel THE KING’S BUSINESS 492 remaining thousands (well over 100,000) had never seen or read the word of God. Now that they have received the Word with great and indescribable joy, from us and our Belgian-soldier representatives (numbering over 150), they are continuing to receive this Word and to accept as their Saviour and Lord the One of whom it speaks. Perhaps the most beautiful thing about the new life upon which thousands of those plete New Testament. The little Gospels are given only to non-members. This League now enrolls over 3,000 members, and every day its numbers are growing. One worker wrote us with real pathos: “Only yesterday one boy joined the League, and having accepted his New Tes tament, spent almost the entire day reading it. Today he was killed, but how happy we are to know that he had accepted the Word of God before his death.” Wounded ^“Tommies” The letters from these men present a mine of wealth of Christian testimony, and the extracts which, follow speak for them selves more Strikingly than could any words of ours. One worker writes: “I have well received your ‘envoi’ of five French Testaments and five Flemish Tes taments. I Jiave been enchanted to receive these, and1to distribute them to my com rades. You could not believe what com forting effects these Holy Scriptures pro duce in us, in our sad hours of privation. Think how much these Books mean to us Mrs. Norton Among soldiers have entered since reading the Bible, is the- eagerness with which they pass on the Word to others, and for the Gospel itself they have a love touchingly loyal and devoted. ; It was a Belgian soldier, Peter van Koeckhaven, who over a year ago founded the “Ligue des Saintes Escritures,” or the Scripture League, by becoming a member of which by signing the membership card, the soldier is privileged to receive a com- THE KING’S BUSINESS 493 who are deprived of all relations with our dear families, without news of them, with nothing but the rude, life of the trenches and perpetual combat, all isolated from our old existence and without hope of - any thing that the future holds for us. Around us all is destructon and decay, and we have the knowledge that our homes are ravaged and our families dispersed. Therefore again a thousand thanks from myself and from my comrades for the help that you have given us in the’se dear Books.” One of our Belgian-soldier friends and workers for Christ is an aviator. He addresses us with the familiar terms of the family, and writes thus: “Dear Father and dear little Mother: On all my journeys, and, above all, when I fly very high up—when I am all alone—I think of our Lord and I say to myself that He will never abandon me, and that He is always with me every moment.” Many are the letters we receive from men who are searching for the truth as it is in Christ—who have doubts to overcome, or difficulties, the result of erroneous teach ings. What joy it is to us to respond to a letter such as this: “I' have received the Testament as well as the letter that you have had the kind ness to send to me. I promise you to read in it every day, to search for God in His Word. Oh, that I will be happy if I find him at last—this God whom I have searched for in vain for so long. How many combats have I already had in my soul, from which I have come out tremb ling, unhappy, and not convinced! Oh, to live with one ideal—one only ideal—God! Oh, why have I not this ardent faith which the martyrs of old have had? My eyes sometimes are filled with tears which come burning from my heart—tears of despair, tears of envy to see a man who simply, ardently, prays. I have wished to pray also, but I do not know the words of faith —that faith divine I lack. Monsieur, Madame, I terminate these lines, arid I regret that my pen is not able to write the sentiments that agitate my spirit and put my heart in tumult.” A touching letter comes from a Belgian soldier interned in Holland, a prisoner of war. Wonderfully has he come to love the Lord Jesus, and he writes thus: “I am happy to tell you that I am always loving the Holy Word, ,which is for me a force and my proper nourishment. How happy I am, dear brother, to have found the dear Saviour in this country of exile. Oh, he has searched for me already in Bel gium, and I avoided Him constantly. Oh, let us be proud and rejoice ever in thinking of this beloved Jesus, who has given His life for us.” One of our workers at the Front writes: “I have my duty always to gain new friends to read the New Testament, that they may become acqainted with the Word of God, because the danger is very great, and there are many evil books on our front in these times.” A man, who, having recently received his Testament, writes as follows-: . ' “I am very happy to be in possession of this Book. I propose to read in it and to meditate in it each day that passes. I will do also all in my power to make my friends acqainted with it—who would be also happy and interested in reading these Holy Scriptures, which are able to develop the ideals, to lead the hearts to better sen timents, and to make u s . remember the Words of our Lord, who wishes to show the good path for life.” Another worker, overcome with joy fit what he is seeing accomplished around him, writes us in quaint English: “I have given all the Bool?s -for my friends, who are very glad. I see all the Belgian soldiers at evening with the Evan- gile in their hands. That gives me much pleasure.” Still another soldier writes: “In that which concerns me, I will be happy not alone to read the Bible, but to study it in all the time that is given to me. That will give me force, and encourage me much—above all, in these sad times when I have no news from my dear family who remain in invaded Belgium since the beginning of the war. I take courage from God and for my country.” Another dear worker writes u s: “All the little Holy Scrpitures are found now in the hands of my comrades, and I am not able to tell you how they love to ’ study these Books. New soldiers are always coming asking for them, and each time I receive some, I am not able to fur nish everybody who desires them,” No, His Word will .never return to Him void, and we can.only praise Him for His faithfulness, and for that which He is daily accomplishing in the ranks of the Belgian Army. 494 THE KING’S BUSINESS |jlllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll|||||||||!llllll|||||||||||||^ “I t takes our prayer to release God’s power.” — Rev. E. A. Burroughs. f ■ HHE World sneers at the bended knee, f And asks, when will the suppliant work? Suggesting, ’neath the prayers there lurk ' For indolence, a “pious” plea, A tendency the toil to shirk. It little dreams, poor, blinded World, The earnest spirit pleading there Can do more by that simple prayer Than myriad shells from cannon hurled, : J j ' | On dreadnaughts launched “to do and dare.” Omnipotence unlocks its stores | | | | To aid its friend—defeat its foe— To lay a Godless boasting low. When feebleness its aid implores, No other confidence to know. Bring hither then, thy golden key! Let intercession never cease! | | I | | | j War’s storm shall quieten into Peace: | Grace shall o’er Sin have mastery: | Thy prayer shall give God’s Power release. 1 | —WILLIAM OLNEY. 1 | London. | | Metropolitan Tabernacle, ^MiiüHiiminHiniiiiiiiiiümiiraiiumiuininiiuiuniiiuiiiitiiiiiBBmimiiiiraraiuiiiiuiiiiiiii»iiiiniiiiii»mmraiiinmiHrimimi»iitraiflimiiiniiriiiiiiuiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiinmiiimiiiiiiijnwiiS A Great Hateject B y H u g h L a tim e r E a g la a d , 1^@S-2SSS Saviour saith, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.” , THE LIVERY OF LOVE So Christ makes love His cognizance, His badge, His liveby. Like as every, lord Commonly gives a certain livery to his servants, whereby they may be known that they pertain unto him; and so we say, yonder is this lord’s servants, because they wear his livery: so our Saviour, who is the Lord above all lords, would have His ser vants known by their liveries and badge, which badge is love alone. Whosoever now is endued with love and charity is His servant; him we may call Christ’s ser vant; for love! is the token whereby you may know that such a servant pertaineth to Christ; so that charity may be called the very livery of Christ. He that hath charity is Christ’s servant; he that hath not charity is the servant of the devil. For as Christ’s livery is love and charity, so the devil’s livery is hatred, malice and discord. But I think the devil has a great mahy more servants than Christ has; for there are a great many mone in his livery than in Christ’s livery; there are but very few who are endued with Christ’s livery; with love and charity, gentleness and meekness of spirit; tu t there aré á great number that bear hatred and malice in their hearts, that are proud, stout, and' lofty; therefore ____ EEING the time is so far spent, we will take no more ® in hand at this time than this one sentence; for it will \ a. d)JJ be enough for us to con sider this well, and to bear it away with us. “This I command unto you, that ye love one another.” Our Saviour Himself spake these words at His last supper; it was.the last sermon that He made unto His disciples before His departure; it is a very long sermon. Eor our Saviour, like as one that knows He shall die shortly, is desirous to spend that- little time that He has with His friends, in exhorting and instructing them how they should lead their lives. Now among other things that he commanded this was one: “This I com mand unto you, that ye love one another.” The English expresses as though it were but one, “This is my commandment.” I examined the Greek, where it is in the plural number, and very well; for there are many things that pertain to a Christian man, and yet all those things are con tained in this one thing, that is, love. He lappeth up all things in love; Our whole duty is contained in these words, “Love together.” Therefore St. Paul saith, “He that loveth another ful- filieth the whoie law;” So it appeareth that all things are contained in this word love. This love is a precious thing; our THE KING’S BUSINESS 496 ter, seems much to the dispraise of this faith, and to the praise of love. These are his words, “Now abideth faith, hope and love, even these three; but the chiefest of these is loVe.” There are some learned men who expound the greatness of which St. Paul sp^aketh here as if it meant for eternity. For when we. come to God, then we believe no more, but rather see with our eyes face to face how He is ; yet for all that love remains still; so that love may be called the chiefest, because she endur- eth forever. And though she is the chief est, yet we must not attribute unto her the office which pertains unto faith only. Like as I can not say, the Mayor of Stamford must make me a pair of shoes because he is a greater man than the shoemaker is; for the mayor, though he is a greater man,'yet it is not his office to make shoes; so though love be greater, yet it is not her office to save. This much I thought good to. say against those who fight against the truth. PAUL THE TEACHER Now, when we would know who are in Christ’s livery or not, we must learn it of St. Paul, who most evidently described charity, which is the only livery, saying, “Love is patient, she suffereth long.” Now whosoever fumeth and is angry, he is out of this livery; therefore let us remember that we do not; cast away the livery of Christ our Master. When we are in sick ness, or any manner of adversity, our duty is to be patient, to suffer willingly, and to call upon Him for aid, help and comfort; for without Him we are not able to abide any tribulation. Therefore we must call upon God, He has promised to help: therefore let me not think Him to be false or untrue to His promises, for we can not dishonor God more than by not believing or trusting in Him. Therefore let us beware above all things of dishonoring God; and so we must be patient, trusting and most certainly believing that He will deliver us when it seems good to Him, who knows the time better than we ourselves. “Charity is gentle, friendly, and loving; she envieth not.” They that envy their the number of the devil’s servants is greater than the number of Christ’s servants. IT IS NOT CARNAL LOVE Now St. Paul shows how needful this love is. I speak not of carnal love, which is only animal affection; but of this char itable love, which is so necessary that when a man hath it, without all other things it will suffice him. Again, if a man have all other things and lacketh that love it will not help him, it is all vain and lost. St. Paul used it so: “Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, and yet had no love, I were even as sounding brass, or as a tinkling cymbal. And though I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge; yet if I had faith, so that I could move mountains out of their places, and yet had no love, I were nothing. And though I bestowed all my goods to feed the poor, and though I gave my body even that I were burned, and yet had no love, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13). These are godly gifts, yet :St. Paul calls them nothing when a man hath them without charity; which is a great com mendation, and shows the great need of love, insomuch that all other virtues are in vain when this love is absent. And there have been some who taught that St. Paul spake against the dignity of faith; but you must understand that St. Paul speaks her6 not of the justifying faith, where with we receive everlasting life, but he understands by this word faith the gift to do miracles, to remove hills, of such a faith he speaks. This I say to confirm this proposition. Faith only justifieth; this proposition is most true and certain. And St. Paul speaks not here of this lively jus tifying faith; for this right faith is not without love, for love cometh and floweth out of faith; love is a child of faith; for no man can love except he believe, so that they' have two several offices, they them selves being inseparable. A WORD TO CRITICS St. Paul has an expression in the thir teenth chapter of the first of the Corinth ians which, according to the outward let THE KING’S BUSINESS 497 neighbor’s profit when it goes well with him, such fellows are out of their liveries, and so out of the service of God; for to be envious is to be the servant of the devil. “Love doth not frowardly, she is not a provoker,;” as there are some men who will provoke their neighbor so far that ¡t is very hard for them to be in charity with them; we must wrestle with our affections; we must strive and see that we keep this livery of Christ our Master; for “the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking to take us at a vantage,” to bring us out of our liveries, and to take from us the knot of love and charity. THERE WERE SWELLS “Love swelleth not, is not puffed up;” but there are many swellers nowadays, they are so high, so lofty, insomuch that they despise and contemn all others; all such persons are under the governance of the devil. God rules not them with His good spirit; the evil spirit has occupied their hearts and possessed them. “She doth not dishonestly; she seeketh nor her own; she 'doth all things to the commodity of her neighbors.” A charit able man will not promote himself with the damage of his neighbor. They that seek only their.own advantage, forgetting their neighbors, they are not of God, they have not His livery. Further, “Charity is not provoked to anger; she thinketh not evil.” We ought not to think evil of our neighbor, as long as we see riot open wick edness; for it is written, “You shall not judge;” we should not take upon us to condemn our neighbor. And surely the condemners of other men’s works are not in the livery of Christ. Christ hateith them. “She rejoiceth not in iniquity;” she loveth equity and godliness. And again, she is sorry to hear of falsehood, of steal ing, or such like, which wickedness is now at this time commonly used. There never was such falsehood among Christian men as there is now at this time-; truly I think, and they that have experience report it so, that among the very infidels and Turks there is more fidelity and uprightness than among Christian men. For no man set- teth anything by his promise, yea, and writings will not serve with some, they are so shameless that they dare deny their own handwriting; but, I pray you, are those false fellows in the livery of Christ? Have they His cognizance? No, no; they have the badge of the devil, with whom they shall be damned world without end, except they amend and leave their wickedness. BE PATIENT “She suffereth all things; believeth all things.” It is a great matter that should make us to be grieved with our neigh bor ; we should be patient when our neigh bor doth wrong, we should admonish him of his folly, earnestly desiring him to leave his wickedness, showing the danger that follow^, everlasting damnation. In such wise we should study to amend our neighbor, and not to hate him or do him a foul turn again, but rather charitably study to amend him : whosoever now does so, he has the livery and cognizance of Christ, he shall be known at the last day for His servant. “Love believeth all things;” it appears daily that they who are charitable and friendly are most deceived; because they think well of every man, they believe every man, they trust their words, and therefore are most deceived in this world, among the children of the devil. These and such like things are the tokens of the right and godly love; therefore they that have this love are soon known, for this love can not be hid in corners, she has her operation: therefore all that have her are well enough, though they have no other gifts besides her. Again, they that lack her, though they have many other gifts besides, yet it is to no other purpose, it does them no good: for when We shall come at the great day before Him, not having this livery (that is love) with us, then we are lost; He will not take us for His servants, because we have not His cognizance. But if we have this livery, if we-wear His cognizance here in this world; that is, if we love our neighbor, help him
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