T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S in Naboth’s vineyard, fear and trem bling took hold upon him. His con science awoke ¿nd he made extravagant demonstrations of repentance and sor row. He feared the punishment of the sin more .than he hated the sin itself There was no word of restitution and no change in the general current of his life What a price one has to pay for sin! Goethe elaborates this thought in rep resenting Fau«t as selling his soul to Mephistopheles. Elijah said to Ahab, “ Thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.” What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The' bill may be drawn at long date, but sometime it will fall due and when that time comes, no Shylock will hold the debtor in a more remorseless grasp than he who holds it. “None can by any means redeem his brother nor give to God a ransom for him.” Psalm 49:7. MONDAY, January 30. II Kings 1:5- 15. Fire from heaven. Side by side with God’s love for the sinner is His hatred- of sin. His for bearance continues while there is hope of the sinner turning from his evil ways. “ If he turn not, he will whet his sword. ’ “ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore their hearts are fully set in them to do evil.” The longsuffering will end at last as it ended in the days of Noah. Then fire will fall of which the flames that devoured these blaspheming soldiers are the faint symbol. Alas, for those on whom shall rest the wrath of the Lamb “ when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jésus Christ.” “ Kiss the Son lest He be angry and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.” TUESDAY, January 31. H Kings 3:1- s* Elijah’s closing days. Elijah’s life has been described as a one-man ministry. He dominated his time. He reminds us of Luther and of Knox, those spiritual giants by reason of their faith, who had Dower with God and man. He fostered the schools of the prophets which Samuel founded, and trained Elisha to carry on his work after his departure. As we follow the prophet through the quiet routine of his last days on earth we learn that the best method of awaiting the great ex
91
change of worlds is to go on with the duties of daily life. A Christian should always live so that no preparation should be necessary to stand in the presence of God. When our summons comes, whether it be to die and go to be with Him or to be translated at His coming, may we be found ready! I jü m WHENCE THE CROSS? Who invented the cross? No one can tell us. The Roman had it for the puhlshment of criminal slaves, or oth ers whom the executioner must dis grace as well as kill. Ask thé Roman where he found it, and he points you to Carthage. Ask the Carthaginian where he found it and he points to Phoenicia. Ask the Phoenician where he found it, and he points you to Assyria. Ask the Assyrian where he found it, and he points you still fur ther eastward to Old India. Ask the Indian where he found it, and he can not tell. So the cross comes from the far East, emerging from the shadows of unstoried times. It drifts westward on the tides of traffic and war. In both traffic and war the West conquers the East, and brings away with it as a part of its spoils this barbarous and bloody thing which is planted by turn near every great city to lift on its rude arms the writhing and bloody bodies of odious prisoners, criminals and slaves. Rome transplanted it from Italy to Judea to stand as a silent and hor rible threat to terrify into submission the insurrectionary Jew. j ü Sometimes in the isolation of the mis sion field, as one is standing firmly for the truth, the thought sometimes comes as to whether one might not have got ten unbalanced and be contending upon too narrow a basis. But when your mag azine comes with its messages from the great men of God, it helps to tune one up again.—From a missionary in Cen tral America.
Made with FlippingBook Annual report