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JANUARY
1921
Voi. 12 No. 1
Working For You WITHOUT WORRY TO YOU
The Bible Institute of Los Angeles
I H INVEST YOUR FUNDS for you in definite Gospel Work, where the WORD OF GOD is honored, thus GIVING YOU A LIFE INTEREST from FOUR to NI NE percent, according to your age and GIVING YOU A DAILY JOY in the consciousness that your investment can never be used for other purposes
Write Us For Full Particulars T. C. HORTON, Supt. Bible Institute of Los Angeles
T H E K IN G ’S B U S IN E S S MOTTO: “I, the Lord, do keep it, / w ill water it every m om ent, lest any hurt it, I w ill keep it night and day . saragTr.gr.i.-.-i.....;i- , ■ m - im s s ----------------- Isa. 2 7 :3 .................- ------------ -----' ' ■...: P U B L IS H E D M O N T H L Y . BY T H E BIBLE I N S T I T U T E O F LO S A N G E L E S 536-558 SO U T H H O PE STREET, LOS ANGELES, C A L Entered as Second-Class Matter November 17, 1910. at the Post Office at Los Angeles, California tinder the A ct of M arch 3, 1879 Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in Section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917 authorized October 1, 1918. Volume XII Januarÿ, 1921 . Number 1
Rev. T . C . H O R T O N , Editor in Chief
Rev. KEITH L. BROOKS, Managing Editor
A LA N S. PEARCE, Ad\>. Manager Contributing Editors
DR. F. W . FARR
DR. FRENCH E. OUV ER
REV. WM . H . PIKE
DR. A . C . D IXON
CONTENTS Editorials: Another Year (3), The Los Angeles Bihle Institute (3), Edifying Education (5), Demanding the Dance (6), A Personal Word to. Our Critics (7), Teaching Theology (8) Talk From Heaven (HO, Sweet Wind (9). ; Forever At Home—Song Dedicated to Mrs. T. C. Horton (10) ‘ Sentence Sermons (11) Tk * Praying Mfen—The Great Need, by Rev. Edw. M. Bounds (12) A Great Soul-Winner Gone Home by Dr. R. A. Torrey (IT) f-The Certainty of Scripture by Dr. A. C. Dixon (16) What is the Exact Situation? by K. L. B. (17) Making the Most of a Life—A Tribute to Mrs. Horton (21) Bible Institute Happenings (26) Evangelistic Stories by Institute Workers (28) *Homiletical Helps (35)
•/Notes on the Jews and Prophpcy (38) International Sunday School Lessons (39) Book Review (70) "Helps for Young Students (71) Daily Devotional Readings by Dr. F. W. F a rr (72) -Theosophy—What is It? By M. E. Sloan (79) Theological Bolshevism by Dr. French E. Oliver (82) Thoughts for Unsaved People (84) ^Editorial Afterthoughts (85)
Give us names and addresses of missionaries or worthy pastors who would appreciate The King’s Business. Remember we accept gifts to our Missionary Fund for sending out The King’s Business. PLEASE W h en sen d in g subscriptions, ad d ress correspondence to Office o f T he K in g’s B u sin ess, B ib le In stitu te o f L o s A n geles, S3C-S68 Sou th H ope S treet. C hecks m a y b e m ad e payab le to B ible In stitu te o f L o s A n geles. D o n o t m ak e ch eck s or m on ey orders to Individuals connected w ith th e B ible In stitu te. Y E A R FOREIGN COUNTRIES, INCLUD ING C A N A D A $1.24 - SINGLE COPIES 15 CENTS O N L Y O N E D O L L A R A
BEWARE OF RECKLESS GIVING RESOURCES Your tithes and offerings should be viewed as sacred funds entrusted to you' by the Lord, and to be invested for Him. RESPONSIBILITY You should seek the wisdom of God in the distribution of these sacred funds. You have a right to know, and are account able for knowing, where your funds are going, and the character of work and workmen entrusted with them. REWARD If faithfully administered in His name and for His glory, yon will find your reward in the glory. Your funds will welcome you “ in the everlasting habitations.” REGRET If you have carelessly turned your funds over to be used in schools and colleges where the Bible is belittled and faith de stroyed, or for the support of missionaries or teachers who are untrue to the Word of God, you will suffer loss from your invest ment, beside the consciousness that you have aided in the destruc tion of souls. RECOMMENDATION There are some schools that are safe. There are some mis sionary societies loyal to the whole Word of God, and there are missionaries in every land who are not counting their lives dear unto themselves. We will gladly serve you without charge and put youTn touch with dependable societies, agents and agencies. Write for any desired particulars. T. C. HORTON, , Superintendent, Bible Institute.
“He leads us on
Through all the unquiet years; Past all our dreamland hopes and fears; Through all the tangled maze Of sin, of sorrow and o’erclouded days; We know His will is done;
And still He leads us on.” REETINGS in the name of our Triune God,—Father, Son and Holy Spirit,—to our big King’s Business family! We cannot take you all into our arms—you are so many ; but we can take you all into our hearts, and we do, and wish for you from the depths of them that you might be “ filled with all the fullness of God.” We give you a joyful New Year’s text: “O satisfy us early with thy mercy, th a t we may rejoice and be glad all our days.“ (Psa. 90:14). We do not know what a day may bring forth,—how much less a year,— but we do know that every day as it comes to us may come' freighted with blessings from Him who has the pierced hands, if we will it so. To will it so is to be in His will, —sheltered there, safe there, satisfied there! And every day may carry blessings, through your lives, to hungry hearts—if you will—for that is always His will. Let us make it the best o ta ll the years for our loving Lord, through these earthly channels. Let us pour back into His kingly heart the devo tion of our glad hearts,—glad because of the consciousness of His finished work in our behalf, and for the joy of service. —T. C. H. m $ THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES A n Illustration There is a wonderful mingling of the natural and the supernatural in God’s work; a mingling of the weak things with His mighty power. He seems to take pleasure in showing how He can use the things that are not to bring to naught the things that are, so that He may be glorified. God is a jealous God. We used to wonder at that statement from His lips, but we understand.it now. How else could He maintain His own glory? How else could we rightly honor and worship Him? How be kept in our place as His subjects? Thirteen years ago in a deserted pool room on the second floor of a two- story building, a little company bowed their heads and set apart the premises for Bible work. It was an uncanny spot. Some said “ Women will not go there; it is out of the way.” But God had put His finger upon it and had said “ Plant the seed here.”
4 THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S Have you ever looked upon one of the great redwood trees with its head three hundred feet in the air, looking down op the forests? And have you ever looked at the seed of the same tree,—such a little thing compared to an acorn from an ordinary oak tree ? ' In the old pool room God planted a seed so insignificant, giving so lit tle promise, that it was a laughing-stock to many. But God had planted it, and God watered it, and God developed it, and God pushed it up and out, working in and through it to His own glory. What was the seed? God’s Word and a statement of doctrine by which all of its work was to be regulated, and here it is : 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 Personality of the Holy Ghost. The Supernatural and Plenary authority of the Holy Scriptures. The Unity in Diversity of the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ. - The Life Everlasting of Believers. The Endless Punishment of the Impeni tent. The Beality and Personality of Satan. Pretty old-fashioned, you say! Yes, as old-fashionedjas His inerrant Word! Look at the building founded on the Word of God. The deed to the property includes this statement of doctrine, and no one can ever preach or teach in the building who does not ring true to that statement. And no funds committed to us can ever be used for any purpose contrary to that statement.f The buildings could not be reproduced today- for two million dollars, and they are free from debt. Look at the corner stone: The Substitutionary Atonement. The Necessity of the New Birth. The Maintenance of Good Works. - The Second Coming of Christ. The Everlasting Existence of the Spirit. The resnrrection of the Body.
THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S 5 We have outgrown our buildings. There are 450 enrolled students in the Day Classes; nearly 200 in the Evening Classes; over a thousand in the Correspondence Classes; thousands in the classes conducted by the Bible Women; 75 in our Bible Institute tin Hunan, China; and thousands of lives are being reached by our evangelistic workers. A little seed! A great, growing harvest! But God must have all the glory. ; • _ . . . We are not attempting to write a history of the school,—just using it as an illustration of what God can do with a few who are yielded to His will. Should any of you want the full story and other information, it will gladly be mailed to you upon request, v We covet your prayers that we may be kept at His feet, glorying in Him and happy in His service.,; ’ d —T. C. IT. E difying Education The refining influence of our State Universities is not only manifested in their determined effort to discredit God’s Word, but in the logical conse quence of such effort. ■ . - When God’s authoritative Word is denied, and man’s puny philosophies substituted; when the foundations upon which these educational institutions were laid, are swept aside,—immorality and indecency are bound to be de veloped. . . . The standard in all these God-defying institutions is being lowered to such an extent that one can but regret that the numbers attending them are increasing. The following item is taken from the San Francisco Examiner of Octo ber 17, 1920: “U. C.” SUSPENDS TWO SENIORS Two prominent University* of California senior students, H, H. Cobb of Berkeley and J. W. Butler of San Francisco, were suspended yesterday by order Of the Student Affairs Committee for complicity in the Skull and Keys Society annual initiatory “running,” which was branded as “ indecent” in its risque ridi cule on co-eds. * * * So vulgar was the stunt, according to the investigating faculty committee, that many men students and professors left in disgust. * * * V, Another number on the program causing disgrace to the student order, which comprises some of the most prominent men students in college, was a daring satire on sororities called “The Greek Letter Hen-House Meets.” Men students in feminine attire performed in this act in a most “disgraceful and indecent” man ner, according to the investigating body. Of course we know—because these professors and their followers in the churches, tell us so—that the world is. reaching a higher standard, year by year; and that this standard is being reached through the schools'that
laugh at God and play the game with the devil! ■ What a wonderful age is this in which we live!
—T. C. H.
D emanding Dance Two children have been expelled from the Sacramento, (California) public schools because their parents refused to allow them to take part in the “ Folk Dance” exercises.
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THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S
These parents were Christians and had a holy horror (as well they might have) of the dance habit. The matter was taken to the courts for adjudication, and the judge decided that parents could not create religious beliefs of their own 'and hold the school authorities to such beliefs. This decision means that the school authorities have the power to com pel the children to take the first step in a habit that has been the means of filling the houses of ill fame with fallen women, for statistics show that more than eighty per cent of the harlots of this country found their way to ruin through the dance habit. We have conducted hundreds of men’s meetings and have never yet found a man who would stand up in the presence of his fellow men and profess to have engaged in a round dance with a woman and maintain pure thoughts. The educators tell us that the dance is designed to make the children graceful, but who would want their children to glide gracefully over the polished floor of a dance hall to a life of disgrace and an eternity in hell? I t is not a question of religious beliefs. It is a question of morals, and every honest father and mother possesses the right, to protest against school laws which would compel them to submit to a program for their children which might prove' to be the prelude to a life of prostitution. Our public schools—the glory of our nation—are apt to become our shame unless the people rise in protest against the attitude of the educators towards the Bible and morality. 'Those of us who prize the honor of our children may be compelled to resort to the parish school system, where our little ones may receive an education which shall be sweetened with the wisdom of God’s holy Word. —T. C. H.
7
THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S
A PERSONAL WORD To Our Critics Prom time to time we receive more or less kindly criticisms of our edi torials. Some of our critics, while agreeing with our position, think that we should be less severe; and others, of course, do not agree with us at all and condemn us for what they call our “ Unchristian way of speaking of those who differ with us. ” . To one of the “ kindly critics” we wrote a personal letter, as follows: Nov. 8, 1920. My Dear Brother: . ,. . . . I want to thank you fpr your kindly criticism concerning some ox the edi torials in The King’s Business which appear to some of our dear friends unneces sarily severe and lacking in Christian love. .. ' ' , , Of course, you recognize th a t when one is writing on any given subject, he la seeking to express his thought in the clearest and most forceful manner, and the tone of his message is determined by its character. When he writes about the conditions of the lost he must needs be moved with compassion; when he writes about Pharaoh’s persecution of the children of Israel, he is borne along on an- othsr strain I confess to you th a t I have nothing but love in my heart for all men. I have given full forty years of my life for my fellow men and had I a hundred lives to live, would gladly spend them all in ministering to their souls need. I am not a prophet, but can see—as perhaps others may not—the tremendous sweep of the tide which, with irresistible force, is carrying tens of thousands of my fellows to a hopeless grave. I can see tens of thousands of the youth of our land poisoned by unscrupulous teachers and preachers, for I have heard the confession of so many of them who testify th a t their faith in God s Wdrd is gone. Now, if I were to see a man setting fire to an orphan asylum I m ight go and put my hand on his shoulder and say to him, “My dear man, I know you mean all right; you mean all right; but don’t you think it unwise to sta rt a Are here? I know you love the children, but let me come over to your house and discuss this matter with you!” Meanwhile, the man goes right on with his fire-making. But I am not thinking of the man, but of the children, and I cannot stop to say sweet, soft things, for the fire has started and I must seek to save the children! I have been thinking of what the men of God have said about f^lse teachers. I cannot quote all that Jude says, but you can read it. Look a t verses 11, 12 and 13. See what dear old Peter says in his editorial (2 Pet. 2:2, 12, 14, 17, 8 THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S I am conscious of it. I -would not knowingly hurt one of God’s little ones, but I must be true to God’s Word and the convictions which He gives me, through His Word; and I would rather have His smile of approval than the praise of all men.” We trust that this will serve to give our viewpoint to all the readers of The King’s Business, and wish to assure them that we shall gladly receive any criticisms they may have to make. And, too, we shall greatly appre ciate a word of commendation from any of our ministerial friends who feel that conditions justify our position and policy. —T. C. H. ¿We. jMfe. T e a c h i n g t h e o l o g y His name is Wm. Newton Clarke. He is the professor of Christian Theology in Colgate University, Hamilton, N. Y. He has published a book entitled, “ An Outline on Christian Theology,” which a Baptist missionary is marketing in a Texas town. Here are a few of the remarkable revelations culled from its pathetic pages and mailed to us by a friejjd: “The Bible is not inspired of God, and does not claim to be inspired of God.” “The Bible has mistakes. It does not claim to be without mistakes.” “Christ is not our Mediator.” “There is no Mediator necessary.” “Salvation does not depend upon the acceptance of Christ.” “There is no necessity of being born again to become a child of God.” “The Old Testament is no t an account of actual happenings, but is just illus trations, stories, etc.” “There is no hell.” “The disciples wrote much from memory, and memory has many imper fections.” “Those »looking for Christ to return in the clouds will be disappointed, as no such thing can happen.” “ A professor of New Testament language and literature in New Haven Seminary has made a remarkable discovery. He has found that there are not four Gospels, but only one, and that is Mark, and that Mark is largely made up by an imaginative editor. That the Transfiguration is a Jewish “ vision story.” Matthew and Luke are mere satellites of Mark, and that no one knew that John wrote a Gospel until almost the third century.”— (Bible Champion). We are filled with awe at the marvelous learning of these theologians. What a wonderful thing it must be to be a professor in a theological school! How grateful the church should be to these eminent scholars for conde scending to give us a little touch of seminary lore! What pride must fill the hearts of those to whom is granted the exquisite pleasure of sitting at the feet of such extraordinary beings! How remarkable must be the big brains of such men as these! How the students must, strive to have the honor of having even the shadow of such a professor fall upon them! We never knew before where some of our preachers learned so much of what was not in the Bible. Now we know, and hereafter when we say the big word, “ Theological Seminary,” it will be with “ baited” breath and reverential “ ah!” T. C. H. 9 THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S "TALK From Heaven After Moses had received the tables of the law on Mt. Sinai, God said to him (Ex. 20:22): “ Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.” The ten command ments were not an evolution but a revelation. God talked them to Moses from heaven. “ God spake all these words.” (Ex. 20:1), This gives us a partial but very beautiful definition of the Scriptures. They are God’s talk from heaven. There is today much talk from earth. Men speak their opinions and make a babel of confusion. “ Science falsely so called” often contradicts God’s talk from heaven. The air is full of voices clamoring to be heard. Philosophy which means “ the love of wisdom,” has many foolish things to say, and Theosophy, which means “ the wisdom of God,” refuses to hear the God of wisdom as He speakj in His word. “ New thought” speaks its old infidelity and tries to look wise, while it vaporizes about nothing. Mingling with this talk from earth is some talk from the lower regions. Demons who delight only in darkness and refuse to talk except in dark rooms are finding mediums of communication with those who are willing to seek them. All these voices differ from each other in many particulars, but agree in their opposition to the talk from heaven as revealed in the Scrip tures. They all deny the deity of Christ and the merit of His atoning death. It gives heart rest to turn from the jangling voices of earth, and listen to God’s talk from heaven. Read your Bible. —A. C. D. S w e e t w i n d Some people think we are terribly rough on the critics and that we imagine they are much worse than they really are. Well, friends, we can’t help it. We have so much evidence at hand of the way things are going that we cannot refrain from sounding the warning. For instance, here is a quotation from a letter written by a Rev. Ph. D. in Montana. Someone had handed him a tract published by the Bible Institute, and his sensitive nature is offended. He says: “I tell you, sir, this kind of stuff will pot do to hand to a man who has entered into the kingdom of love here and now. The God I worship is spelled with four letters: L-o-V-e. Love is my God, and operates in and through all things from the smallest astronomical particle up to the beautiful plants on which all life exists. The only devil I know, or ever will know, is the selfish self in mankind, and th a t fellow I have overcome some time ago. If you have nothing to offer but an endless hell you will have to pass your literature on to babies. It would be im possible for me to endorse th a t kind of a doctrine. I do not want to get in touch with such a God. Every person has to work out his own salvation, either here or hereafter. Most of your Bible quotations are interpolations written by priests to scare mankind into subjection. That kind of a God would not make me a respectable devil.” We are reminded of a story told by Vice President Marshall: A farmer boy offered to his mother a taste of his first glass of soda water. She hesi tated to sample it, so the boy urged: “ Go on ma, it ’s nothin’ but sweet wind!” . . . Sweet wind—that’s what this Rev. Ph. D. is dishing out to his congre gation, and he thinks they are getting fat on it. A toy balloon gets fat on wind too—but look out! —K. L. B. Dedicated to M b . Horton and published for-the fret time in "Gospel Solos and Duets" the printing of which was [completed October 20, 1920, the day of her funeral 4 3 K.L.B. S olo ." Forever At Home. Copyright, 1920, by Keith L. Brooks. K eith L. Brooks. -A — 1 ~-4h - 0 - 1. I shall m eet you a - gain when the sor-rows of night For - ev - er have 2. I shall know in th at throng, as they sing of His praise, The sound of your 3. Haste the glo - ri - ous day, when our Lord shall re - turn, No Ion - ger a - 5 E C L l i J _ r i 1 m 3 -*-w - 2 = 3: * r 3: 7- t o van-ished a - w ay,. ............ Ishall stand by your side in His glo - ry and voice once a - gain,......... .. Free for - e’er from the trials of these wea-ri - some p art we shall roam,........... All our loved ones in Christ we shall sure-ly dis- - J H m tat -w- -&r tj# -si- r m m 3 T * =t rtf.. i I light, Oh th at beau - ti - ful, won - der-ful, shad - ow - less d ay .. days A - way from all mis - er - y, sor - row and pain . cem— At rest in His pres-ence, for - ev - er a t home. - « - e l * ' ,~jg- « F T -i- I i ■g- & m -iir ¡y t T ‘'An impressive funeral solo. 1 SERMONS REMARKABLE REMARKS GATHERED FOR BUSY READERS ¿J*'Let the Christian know th a t the ridi cule of some is more to be desired than the praise of others. “Keep yourselves in the love of God” does not mean—keep yourselves loving God—but keep believing and rejoicing that God loves you. The chronic kicker never complains that his foot is asleep. If you can’t make yourself such a one as you would, how can you expect to have another in all things to your lik ing? God honors no drafts where there are no deposits. in The ojxly way to conquer the world is $ to ¿cfrs&ke it. To succeed in the world you must know how to assert yourself. To suc ceed in the kingdom, you need only to know how to deny yourself. What if the world know thee not? Enough if He knoweth thee who made the world. To outgrow one’s clothes is a sign indeed of healthy physical growth, but of unhealthy spiritual growth. The surest way to leave happiness be hind is to run after it. Men are made as unhappy by the ills they fear as by those they suffer. He who has happiness without peace is farthest from Christ. ^iiiNiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiinniiiiniiiiHiHiHiiiHiiiiinHniiinHiiiiiiiHiHimiilHRniimimiRHiiiiiniiHHiHnii^ | THE WORKER’S PRAYER | | -v rO t for the eyes of men | l \ May this day’s work be done, g g f . But unto Thee, O God, | That, with the setting sun, | My heart may know the matchless prize I | Of sure approval in Thine eyes. RinminiinimiiniiiimniuiiiiimniiumiHiiiiiiiniimniiimnniiiiimiiminiiuimiiiiiiniiiffl Some men seem to think the Lord made woman so th a t men might have an excuse. Don’t use a gallon of words to express a spoonful of thought.' Heaven, earth and nature combine to take away the talent you hide under a bushel. ' , If you do not want the fruits of sin, better stay out of the orchard. The man who puts everything off un til tomorrow is too lazy to be employed by God. It isn’t honking your horn th a t keeps you out of trouble, as much as wise steering. Perhaps it’s not so much the great ness of your trouble as the littleness of your spirit th a t makes you complain. There is nothing some people are so slow to learn as th a t they have been humbugged spiritually. When quick . temper says, “Let me out,” Just reply, “No— life sentence for you.” If you can’t see the bright side, pol ish the dull side. There are a lot of people who are pious only when things are going well with them. Some church members curse the devil openly, but bless him secretly. Envy is like the ru st of iron—it wears away the envious. We have daily, hourly proofs of the weakness of our own nature; for when does my heart come up to what my half- enlightened understanding approves? Blessed is the man who, having noth ing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. For one man who sincerely pities our misfortunes, there are a thousand who sincerely hate our success. T h e Only Hope of Stemming the Inrush of the World. From “Purpose In Prayer” By REV. EDW . M . BOUNDS a dog’s neck; he that offereth an obla tion, as if he offered swine’s blood;, he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol.” Turning away in disgust from these costly and profane offerings, He declares: “But to .this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth a t My word.” This tru th that God regards the per sonal purity of the man is fundamen tal. This truth suffers when ordinances are made much of and forms of worship multiply. The man and his spiritual character depreciate as Church cere monials increase. The simplicity of worship is lost in religious aesthetics, or in the gaudiness of religious forms. This tru th th a t the personal purity of the individual is the only thing God cares for is lost sight of when the Church begins to estimate men for what they have. When the Church eyes a man’s money, social standing, his be longings in any way, then spiritual Val ues are a t a fearful discount, and the tear of penitence, the heaviness of guilt are never seen a t her portals. Worldly bribes have opened and stained its pearly gates by the entrance of the impure. This tru th th a t God is looking after personal purity is swallowed up when the Church has a greed for numbers. “Not numbers, but personal purity is our aim,” said the fathers of Method ism. The parading of Church statistics is mightily against the grain of spiritual religion. Eyeing numbers greatly hind ers the looking after personal purity. The increase of quantity is generally at a loss of quality. Bulk abates precious ness. HE world is coming into the Church at many points and in many ways. It oozes in; it pours in; it comes in with bra zen front or soft, insinuating disguise; it comes in a t the top and comes in at the bot tom; and percolates .through many a hidden way. ‘ For praying men and holy men we are looking—men whose presence in the Church will make it like a censer of holiest incense flaming up to God. With God the man counts for everything. Rites, forms, organizations are of small .moment; unless they are backed by the holiness of the man they are offensive in His sight, “ Incense is an abomina tion unto Me; the new moons and Sab baths, the calling of assemblies I cannot do away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.” Why does God speak so strongly against His own ordinances? Personal purity had failed. The impure man tainted all the sacred institutions of God and defiled them. God regards the man in so important a way as to put a kind of discount on all else. Men have built Him glorious temples and have striven and exhausted^ themselves to please God by all manner of gifts; but in lofty strains He has rebuked these proud worshippers and rejected their princely gifts. “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye built unto Me? and where is the place of My rest? For all those things ?hath Mine hand made, and all those things hath been, saith the Lord. He th a t kill- eth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S The age of Church organization and Church machinery is not an age noted for elevated and strong personal piety. Machinery looks for engineers and or ganizations for generals, and not for -saints, to run them. The simplest or ganizations may aid purity as well as strength; hut beyond th a t narrow limit organization swallows up the individual, and is careless of personal purity; push, activity, enthusiasm, zeal for an organ ization, come in as the vicious substi tutes for spiritual character. Holiness and all the spiritual graces of hardy culture and slow growth are discarded as too slow and too costly for the prog ress and rush of the age. By dint of machinery, new organizations, and spiritual weakness, results are vainly ex pected to be secured which can only he secured by faith, prayer, and waiting on God. The man and his spiritual character is what God is looking after. If men, holy men, can be turned out by the easy processes of Church machinery readier and better than by the old-time pro cesses, we would gladly invest in every new and improved patent; but we do not believe it can be done. We adhere to the old way-—the way the holy proph ets went, the King’s highway of holi ness. Praying men are God’s chosen lead ers. The distinction between the lead ers th a t God brings to the front to lead and bless His people, and those leaders who owe their position of leadership to a worldly, selfish, unsanctifled selec tion, is this: God’s leaders are pre eminently men of prayer. This dis tinguishes them as the simple, Divine attestation of their call, the seal of their separation by God. Whatever of other graces or gifts they may have, the gift and grace of prayer towers above them all. In whatever else they may share or differ, in the gift of prayer they are one. . . . Praying men are the safety of the 13 Church from the materialism th a t is af fecting all its "plans and polity, and which is hardening ita life-blood. The insinuation circulates as a secret, dead ly poison th a t the Church is not so de pendent on purely spiritual forces as it used to be—th a t changed times and changed conditions have brought it out of its spiritual straits and dependencies and put it where other forces can bear it to its climax. A fatal snare of this kind has allured the Church into world ly embraces, dazzled her leaders, weak ened her foundations, and shorn her of much of her beauty and strength. Pray ing men are the saviours of the Church from this material tendency. They pour into it the original spiritual forces, lift it off the sand-bars of materialism, and press it out into the ocean depths of spiritual power. Praying men keep God in the Church in full force, keep His hand on the helm, and train the Church in its lessons of strength and trust. a » M THE HOliT SPIRIT A city full of churches; Great preachers, lettered men! Grand music, choirs and organs, If these all fail, what then? Good workers, eager, earnest, Who labor hour by hour, - But where, oh where, my brother, Is God’s Almighty power? It is the Holy Spirit, That quickeneth the soul; God will not take man-worship, Nor bow to man’s control. No human innovation, No skill, or worldly art, Can give a true repentance, Or break the sinner’s heart! We may have human wisdom, Grand singing; great success. There may«be fine equipment, But these things do not bless. God wants a pure clean vessel, Anointed lips and true, A man filled with the Spirit, To speak His message through. A Great Soul-Winner Gone Home Charles M . Alexander, the Greatest Song Leader of His Generation, is Mourned Around the World By DR. R. A . TORREY sang myself hoarse and suffered in my preaching for two weeks in consequence. I knew better than to sing, but I had to. Thp “Glory Song” from th a t night on became the most popular song in Mel bourne and soon throughout all Aus tralia and soon throughout all the world. Maids were singing it as they swept the rooms and made the beds in hotels. Por ters were singing it as they trundled trunks; newsboys were singing it as they peddled papers on the street; law yers and doctors and bankers and busi ness men were a t least humming it as they went about their work. But as great a Gospel song-leader as Mr. Alexander was, his chief strength did not lie in that. Where did it lie? In his untiring devotion to personal soul winning. We have known intimately some of the greatest soul-winners in modern history but do not recall anyone who was so everlastingly a t dealing with individuals as Mr. Alexander. Mr. Alex ander was of an unusually genial dis position and loved to go to the homes of people, even people with whom he had little acquaintance, but we do not think he ever entered a home where he did not do personal work before he left the home with practically everyone he came in contact with. It might be a baron or baroness, an earl or countess, or it might be a coachman or the “boots,” it mattered not. He only saw a soul to save and immediately began to lay his plans for the salvation of that soul. Of ficers in the Scotch and English armies, private soldiers, university professors, sportsmen, society women, actors and all classes and kinds of men, women and children came under the sway of his magnetic personality. He was one of BOUT two o’clock on the morn ing of October 13th, 1920, a man who has set the whole English-speaking world to singing “Glory,” passed into Glory himself, Charles M. Alexander. Mr. Alexander was beyond a question the greatest Gospel song-leader of his generation. Indeed, we think he was the greatest Gospel song-leader of any generation. The writer of this editorial has been inti mately associated with Ira D. Sankey, George Stebbins and D. B. Towner. He has seen them and heard them a t their best and has also been intimately as sociated with Mr. Alexander and has no hesitation in saying th a t in power, in training large choirs and getting them to sing, and in turning a whole con gregation into a choir, Mr. Alexander was unquestionably peerless. We shall never forget the first night in Melbourne, Australia.. In inviting me to Australia, the Evangelistic Society had left it with me to decide whether I should bring a singer or not and when I decided to take Mr. Alexander, there was no enthusiasm on the other side of the water and not a few regarded him with coldness if not with suspicion. But that first night he carried Melbourne by storm. He had everyone singing, includ ing the dignified Doctors of Divinity and Clergy of the Church of England. Min isters, singers and crowd were critical for a few minutes and then with a burst of joy and enthusiasm, such as I have seldom witnessed, the whole vast audi ence was swept off its feet. Everybody was in the choir. Men and women who had probably not sung a note for years were joining lustily in the melody. I THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S 15 the most winsome men we have ever known. Everybody loved him. But he constantly and persistently used his per sonal charm for one purpose— to win the men, women and children with whom he came in contact to a personal accept ance of and devotion to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He was perhaps somewhat severe in his judgment of those who did not do personal work. He had little us$ for a minister of the Gos pel; no matter hotv brilliant a pulpiteer he might be, who did not engage in per sonal hand-to-hand work. He whis pered to me one night in a great crowd of 15,000 people in an English city, “Do you see So and So?” naming a min ister who was very active in public work and whom he had thought of inviting to this country. “Yes, what about him?” “Have you ever noticed th a t he never deals with an individual?” “No,” I re plied, “I had not noticed it." “Well,” he said, “you watch him.” The man was not invited to this country. In the after meetings Mr. Alexander would constantly, if not invariably* turn to the ministers, elders and other church dig nitaries who were op. the platform, watching what was going on, and fairly driving them off the platform down into the audience to do personal work. Oftentimes he would seek out the poor, sick and unfortunate in one way or another and go to their wretched homes in order to tell them personally about the Saviour whom he had found and who had done so much for him. The doing of personal work was a per fect passion with him. It was not necessary for him to make a studied ef fort to do it: he did it spontaneously and automatically. It was as natural for him, after the Lord Jesus Christ had carried his heart captive, to do personal work as it was to eat or drink or sleep. He has gone from us. It hardly seems possible. But the fragrance of his mem ory will long remain with us and in the churches of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and many states of the Union. Those were wonderful nights in Mel bourne, London, Liverpool, Bolton, Phil adelphia when he stood before his choirs (sometimes 3000 voices) and raised his hand and led them in such a burst of melody and praise as perhaps the world has never heard elsewhere. Oh, but that was nothing to tbe music of th a t world to which he has gone and to which all of us, who believe in the Christ in whom he believed, are soon going! “SPEAK FOB YOURSELF, JOHN" Prof. Eugene C. Caldwell, professor of New Testament Interpretation of Union Theological Seminary, has solved the whole “Pre and Post” question. In a pamphlet, “The Millennium,” pub lished by the Presbyterian Committee of Publication, he tries to show th a t the thousand years of Rev. 20 indicates the period between 100 A. D. to the second coming of Christ, or end of the world. He says th a t the words “one thousand years” are not to be taken seriously, anyway. So we are to understand that ■ Satan was bound long ago, Christ and the saints enthroned and there is no millennium ahead of us. Well, well, after all this time we find th a t’ every body is wrong. v Dr. Caldwell concludes, “I have ap proached Rev. 20 with no preconcep tions or theories of my own. I have endeavored to let John say what I think he means to say.” Now, if,th e dear professor would ju st let John say all that he does say, instead of what “I think he means to say,” possibly the conclusion would be different. Poor John—he is having a hard time with these modern professors who won't let him say anything except what they want to believe. m The darkest shadows of life are those which a man makes for himself when he stands in his own light. The Certainty of Scripture. T h e Words of Scripture A s Certain A s If Spoken Audibly Out of the Skies Bj> DR. A . O D IX O N OD who a t sundry times and in divers manners spake in time, past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” (Heb. 1:1, 2) and if we turn to Deut. 4:12-14 we find three of the “divers manners” in which God spoke. 1. By the audible voice. “The Lord spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of the words but. saw no form: only a voice.” This audible voice the three disciples heard on the Mount of Trans figuration, and it was heard again at the baptism of our Lord. 2. By writing. “He declared unto you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments: and He wrote them upon two tablets of stone.” (Deut. 4:13). Voice and pen are here united. God speaks first and then writes. Our Lord Jesus followed the same order. He called men to speak His message to the world. Then the. Holy Spirit moved them to write. 3. By men chosen and taught of God to deliver His messages. “The Lord commanded me a t that time,” said Moses, “to teach you statutes and judgments.” (Deut. 4:14). Moses thus chosen and taught of God spoke and wrote. Jesus said “He wrote of Me.” Now, which ‘of the two methods is the most reliable? The voice of God audibly spoken or the writing under God’s guidance? g We are left in no doubt as to the answer, for we have in"" 2 Pet. 1:16-20 a comparison between the audible voice of God spoken from heaven and the written word. Peter says, “We were eye-witnesses of His majesty, for He received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory. ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’ And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with Him in the Holy Mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” In thé next verse this word of prophecy is called “the prophecy of Scripture,” which makes it plain th a t it means the writings, and this same prophecy of Scripture came not in old times by the will of man but holy men of God spake (through this writing) as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit. The “more sure word of prophecy” evidently refers to the writing in comparison with the audible voice of God. That is, the prophecy of Scripture, the w ritten word of God, is more certain than the audible voice of God, though it might be spoken from the glory on the Transfiguration Mount. I asked an audience of Bible stu dents which would they prefer, the voice of God speaking to them out of heaven or the written Word as we have it in the Bible, and a few hands were raised in favor of the audible voice. But the in spired Word tells us th a t the prophecy of Scripture is more certain than the voice from heaven, CHINESE AMEN The Chinese have no word which will compare with our English word “Amen;” they say, instead, “Sin Yenen ching sing.” The heart wishes exactly so. Wkat Is Hrie Exact Situation? ^The Passing of the "Pre and Post” Discussion The Coming of Non-Millennialism By~k. L. B. IERE is a great conflict in the church th a t will increase rap idly in th e next year. The battle is primarily, as ever, around the old Book. Is it really a divine revelation? Are its prophecies reliable? eral advent'is not to be doubted. The question is—Were not the apostolic writers mistaken in their view touch ing this matter? Should we not con sider the weakness of these early Jew ish writers? The premillennial question will stand or fall with the Word of God. This is the battle ground in the final analysis. There is not one of the modern writers but that puts a big question mark on both covers of the Bible. The latest thing from the press in refutation of the doctrine of the Lord’s coming, by many considered the strong est, most scholarly and logical of all such attem pts recently made, is a book entitled “Premillennialism, Non Scrip tural, Non Historic, Non Scientific and Non Philosophical.” Dr. George Pres ton Mains is the author. For it its publishers say, “It will be difficult for the, advocates of this aggressive cult to confute the reasoning of these logical and close knit arguments.” From th e standpoint of human reason this is to be admitted. Believing this book to be a summing up of all the scholarly arguments set forth in recent critical writings such as those of Professor Shailer Matthews, Professor Shirley Jackson Case, Profes sor H. C. Sheldon, Professor James H. Snowden, Professor George Eckman and others, we here attempt to set forth for the benefit of those who can not keep abreast of these writings, the exact position now being taken by those of the liberalist school. We seek to be absolutely fair in this matter, in view of the fact th a t it is a habit of these writers to misrepresent__ The Bible teachings concerning the second advent of Christ are being sin gled out as the final test. The schools dominated by higher criticism are align ing themselves for the battle to the finish, especially against those who take the prophecies of the second advent lit erally Teams from the seminaries are to be sent out throughout the land. The most scholarly of the critical writers have been busying themselves. The market is being flooded with books and tracts purporting to refute the long standing doctrine of Christ’s second ad vent. Wit and philosophy are Deing brought into play. Ju st such a battle has been clearly predicted: “There shall come in the last days scoffers saying, Where is the promise of His coming? All things con tinue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” The discussion is no longer as to whether Christ’s coming will be pre or postmillennial. Postmillennialists are getting to be as scarce as hens’ teeth. The Modernists are non-millennial. They do not believe in a literal com ing of the Lord a t any time. In the last five years the scene of the conflict has been entirely shifted. It is well tha/t Bible Christians every where should know the true situation. It is being frankly admitted th a t if the Scriptures may be relied upon, a lit THE K I NG ' S BUS I NES S 18 to set up straw men and then devote themselves to knocking, them down. They put premillennial teachers in a ridiculous light by attempting to pic ture their position in terms unknown among premillennial teachers. We will therefore quote verbatim from Dr. Mains. 1. The Reliability of the Scriptures. “M isunderstandings and m isconstructions of Christ’s sayings by those who originally heard them were inevitable. It may not be an easy task for us now to clear these early construc tions from their obscurities. . . . There is clear evidence that H is disciples m ust have m is understood or m isconstrued Christ’s teachings concerning la st things. . -. . The early church did m ost surely and prevalently look for Christ’s return, but however derived, history proves it to have been a m istaken view .” On the folly of building hopes upon prophetic statements, Dr. Mains says: “It would seem that in all literature nothing could exceed the glow ing descriptions given by the prophets as to the grandeur and triumphs which should attend the Jewish captives when they should again return to Jerusalem, but the real history of such captives as returned pre sents only a drama of poverty, of disappoint ment, of discouragement.” As to the book of Révélation which Dr. Mains says is fundamental to pre- millennialists, he adds: “W e know that Revelation encountered seri ous obstacles in reaching its place in the New T estam ent canon.” Dr. Mains, like the other writers, would have modern scholars settle this question of the Scriptures once for all. He says: “Scholarship alone, as rightfully belongs to its province, will finally and triumphantly close the debate.” As to the question on the second com ing of Christ, he maintains th a t the ver dict of all recognized scholarship is against those who hold this belief. “Out of tw o hundred and thirty-six members of the faculties of these theological sem inaries, only eight are prem illennialists. Dr. W illiam Newton Clarke, one of th e m ost brilliant theolog ians, is convinced that the doctrine of millennial- ism has no proper Biblical standing whatever. . . . Among recent lum inous w ritings on this subject and all in convincing refutation of pre- millennialism, are works by such scholars as Dr; George Eckman, Dr. James H . Snowden, etc.” The inferior intellect of premillennial teachers is intimated in another state ment. “Its real danger is in the hold which as a propaganda it ?nay, by its persistent and plausi ble methods, secure upon the unlettered and good people of the churches. Its creed appeals more to the emotions than to reason and is made far more effective through a colored rhe toric than by th e invincibleness of a sound logic. Among its adherents there would seem an undue proportion of persons whose credulity is far in excess of their ability to clearly dis crim inate between truth and error.” 2. Dr. Mains’ Picture of the Premil lennial Position. (a) “M illennialism as a distinct doctrine is , based upon a single book and a single passage in this book.” This statement a t the outset is false. The passage in which the words “one thousand years“ occur has nothing whatever to do with the question of the literal imminent coming of the Lord. It merely fixes approximately the length of Christ’s reign on earth after His com ing. This passage is probably less re ferred to than any of the passages around which the hope of the Lord’s re turn centers. “In the minds of an overwhelm ing majority of Biblical interpreters, the unique and single setting of the term ‘millennium’ in the book of Revelation, decides for it an utterly inadequate and unreliable basis on which to establish a dis tinctive school of Christian belief. . . . One fact never to be lo st sight of is. that upon a short passage of three verses taken from the book of Revelation,' a book confessedly of highly w rought symbolism and m ystery, is based the literal doctrine of a millennium.” This statement not only misrepresents i tlie premillennial position but puts an interrogation mark on the book of Revelation. (b) ( “Prem illennialists say that the kingdom of God is not y et in existence in the earth, nor will it be until Christ comes in visible and irresisti ble m ajesty.” Such a view is unknown among pre- millepnialists. The spiritual kingdom which Jesus in His first advent came to establish, is most certainly present and' the true Church, the formation of which began a t Pentecost, is still in process of formation in the earth. The Kingdom of God has had its existence since men first began to make a covenant with Je hovah by sacrifice according to His ap pointed plan. (3) “The preaching of the Gospel is simply the testim ony of a herald voice to notify all men of a coming kingdom and to make them re sponsible subjects of judgment.” This view is held by no premillenniql- ist. Premillennialists have always been aggressive evangelistic preachers, seek ing to build up the Body of Christ in the world. While they dp not hold th a t all will respond to the evangelistic call, as history has abundantly proven, they
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