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August 1928
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
proud, knowing nothing,” etc. 1 Jn. 5 :3 : “ This is the love o f God, that we keep His [Christ’s] commandments, and His commandments are not grievous 1" Read also 1 Jn. 2:3-5. Jesus said that His words “ are spirit and life” to us (Jn. 6 :63 ). John says that ‘‘grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1 :17). —o— Who Tempted David? To Miss G. N. “ Please explain 2 Sam. 24:1, where the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, in connection with 1 Chron. 21:1, where it says it was Satan who stood up against Israel. This seems to be the same story.” We note one -rendering o f 2 Sam.' 24:1 which says, “ The anger o f the Lord was kindled against Israel, and one [instead of he] moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” We know that God cannot tempt any man (Jas. 1:13). He is, nevertheless, fre quently described in Scripture as doing what He merely permits to be done for the testing of men. Here, accord ing to 1 Chron. 2 1 :1, He permitted Satan to tempt David; Satan was the active mover. God withdrew His support- ing grace and let the tempter prevail against the king (see Ex. 7:13 ; 1 Sam. 26:19; Psa. 105:25). ■ — o—- “ Suffer” and “ Compel” T o J. R. M. Our correspondent is connected with the Northwestern Bible Training School and. writes to call attention to an error in our lesson comments for the International Sun day-school lesson of April 22. On Mark 10:14 we stated that the word rendered “ suffer” (little children’ to come unto me) was rendered “ compel” in Lk. 14:23 (compel them to come in ). This is not the casé. The writer in using his study Bible noted that he had underlined the word “ suffer” in Mk. 10:14 and connected it to the word “ compel” in Lk. 14:23, understanding it to mean that the words were identical, whereas the marking was evidently intended only to bring out the contrast of the stronger word used o f mature individuals. Thus again we sée the importance of making the notations in ■our study Bible complete enough so that they cannot be misunderstood. —o— Christlike Criticism W e find the following timely lines in The United Pres byterian : There is much criticism of everything by everybody, but very- little criticism which is intelligent The critic ought to be informed and free o f bias. He ought to have breadth of view and kindness o f heart. The purpose of criticism should not be to blister the hide with carbolic acid, but to lead the one criticized into wider, saner views of life. It should not be to use a club with the murderous fury o f a savage, but to unveil the face of God. The critic should place his own heart and life under the review of the judgment eyes of God. He will come from such a place in a chastened, brokenhearted spirit, and with a heavenly compassion born anew within him. Jesus was'ithe divinest critic known to lifé, but His criticism was light from heaven: in it was power to change everything that is ugly in the world into heavenly beauty. The little homily above was inspired by a sentence in the newspaper biography of a noted man recently deceased. The line was this: “ All men feared his pen:”
:: Heart to Heart ::
The Voice of Conscience H AT is this strange element in man called “ conscience” ? It seems to he a part of man’s very nature— not something which we acquire. It is as much a part o f us as our nervous, or muscular system. Dr. E. B. Meyer says of it :-9 |
“ It may be strengthened, and the niceties of choice may be deepened, by our attention, and obedience, and the study of the. Word of God. As we obey it, its distinctions become more sharply defined, just as the tongue or our touch may become more delicate. It speaks as an echo o f Sinai. Its voice may become feebler, if persistently disregarded, but even then it will whisper, like a still small voice. When obeyed, we live in the Beatitudes; but when disobeyed, like John the Baptist from his dungeon, it cries: ‘It is not lawful.’ It must never be confused with the habit o f introspection and self-analys||§-the distinc tion being that these moods always generate questionings, whereas conscience is always positive in its affirmations or negations.” Mr. Rufus Jones, in his valuable pamphlet “ The Na ture and Authority of Conscience,” tells o f a child who, when he was led to confess some little fault, said: “ I’ve got something inside me that I can’t do what I want to do with.” A mother is quoted as explaining to her lit tle son, that conscience is the voice of God in the soul of man. “ If you listen to it, and obey it, it/will,speak.clearer and clearer, and always guide you right; but if you turn a deaf ear,' and disobey it, then it will fade out little by little, and leave you in the dark without a guide. Your life de pends on heeding that little voice.” Socrates, at his trial, said: “ You have often heard me speak o f an oracle or sign, which comes to me as a divine thing. This sign I have had ever since I was a little child. It is the voice that comes to me and always finds me, when I am going to do something wrong.” Shakespeare refers to conscience in thirty-one world- famous passages. Bishop Butler says that “ Conscience has a prophetic office. Without being consulted it exerts itself magis terially, and if not forcibly stopped, it goes on to anticipate a higher and more effectual sentence, which shall hereafter second and affirm its own.” * Victor Hugo’s great story hinges on Valjean’s con flict with his conscience and its ultimate victory. Carlyle says that “ Conscience is the sense o f the infi nite nature of duty. It is the central part of all that is within us, a ray o f 1 eternity and immortality.” '!) This is vast' confirmatory evidence that there .is an oracle o f the eternal within us—a prophet voice, which may be also described as “ the inner light,” and as “ God’s great seal,” which stamps His approval on all actions and words which are right and true. It is His authoritative verdict from which there is no appeal.
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