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(Continued from page 241) “God is love” is the highest truth about the nature of God. (1 John 4:16) : “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (John 17:3) : “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” The Closing Admonition: “Dear chil dren, guard yourselves from idols.” What a contrast between verses 20 and ^21: “The true God” and “idols;” “kept by God” and “keep yourselves.” John was writing from Ephesus, where the worship of Diana had its seat. (Acts 19:3,5). The great Temple of Diana, as well as all other forms of idolatry, Gnos ticism, Dualism, Spiritism, etc., were sum med up by John in one word—Antichrist. (2 :22) : “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?. He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” (2 John 7) : “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” Denial of Christ is involved in a'denial of the incarnation, of propitiation, of re demption. We are admonished to keep away (guard ourselves) from everything that denies, belittles, opposes, dishonors or supplements—CHRIST! . “Idols” refers not necessarily to mater ial representations of God, but to any thing which fills our hearts and so crowds Him out. The essence of idolatry is the giving, of worship (which belongs to God only) to any other person qr thing. The idols of China, Japan, South America, have no charm for us, but how about the world, pleasures," luxuries, comforts, money, position, covetousness? (Col. 3:5) : “Mortify therefore y o u r members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil con cupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." There is much' of this idolatry among believers today. It is' degrading; it is unsatisfying; it is robbery, for God is de frauded. Listen to the last message of Moses (Deut. 29:29) : “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are re vealed belong unto us and to our chil dren forever, that we may do all the works of the law.” And so John says, in effect: “I have warned you. Now-—watch! Keep your selves from idols. Amen!”
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His life is a miracle from whichever point of y(iew we approach it. and the greatest miracle connected with His com ing into the world and His living in it and going away is what He was in Himself. Out of that has flown a unique activity which in the very nature of things can only be viewed as, not only exceptional, but miraculous. " This little book of Dr. George P. Rut ledge is a unique argument for the real ity and uniqueness of Jesus Christ and is the kind of a book that ought to be given to young people who are disturbed by the question of the historicity and in tegrity of the Bible story as consum mated in Jesus Christ. It is full of inter esting approaches and presents a cumula tive argument which does seem unanswer able. It is published by The Standard Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio and sold at $1.50. —J. M. M. —o— “The Round of the Year" John MacBeath, M.A. The Rev. John MacBeath, M.A., is not as well known in this country as in Great Britain. We hope, however, that many thoughtful Christians may soon make his acquaintance. “The Round of the Year,” published by Marshall Brothers, London and Edin burgh, is a little book giving portraits of the months of the year, and illustrates something of the suggestiveness and rich ness of the author’s gifts. He speaks of the Zest of January, the Optimism of February, the Strife of March, the Drama of April, the Romance of May, the Gaiety of June, the Rapture of July, the Respite of August, the Serenity of September, the Recompense of October, the Silence of November and the Glad ness of December. These are meditations on a series of pictures which were the work of Miss Hannah C. Prestoun Mac- goun, who was a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colors, and also a member of the Society of Scottish Artists. These meditations were first used for talks to the children of Mr. MacBeath’s congregation and, while they have a simplicity about them that makes them attractive to children, they also have a maturity that appeals to the deeps of the mature Christian soul. Mr. MacBeath is a literary man with a mystic glow that sometimes reminds us of the late Dr. Smellie. He is one of the Keswick speakers and we hope he may become better known in America. —J. M. M. ■—O-— “Prayer” By Dr. A. C. Gaebelein An important examination of prayer in the light of the Scriptures by Arno C, Gaebelein, editor of Our Hope. Publica tion office, Our Hope, 456 Fourth Ave., New York, $1.00. The scope of this book qf 111(pages is
“The Rise of Beastism” Rev. R. P. Shuler
Bob Shuler can never be prosy or1dull. In “The Rise of Beastism” he brings us face to face with certain questions con cerning our educational system that chal lenge the thinking of all earnest parents and teachers. There -is Nothing pedantic’ or academic about his presentation of the subject, but at the same time he says cer tain things that are of fundamental im portance to the Christian people of AmerlE ica. His idea of beastism is the promin ence given to the materialistic and animal side of life. There can be little question about the fact that too much emphasis has been placed on this side of life in the educational system of our day and,: as a. result, we are suffering a reaction that is startling all who are thoughtfully consid ering the best interest of our young peo ple and country. Even if we were to grant that some of the presentations given in this little pamphlet are extreme we can not afford to ignore their challenge. It is not enough to simply say that we do not believe some of the things herein written. In order to be honest we must candidly faee them and, if we say we do not believe them, we must give a reason why we take this attitude. On the other hand, if they are true, there rests a tremendous responsi bility on the Christian home and the Christian church and every real parent to secure a fundamental change in our whole educational system. We believe that Dr. Shuler is writing concerning a real peril and we sincerely wish that every parent and teacher in America could sit down for a quiet hour and honestly face the problem as he pre sents it. —J. M. M. —o— "Our Brilliant Heritage" Oswald Chambers “Our Brilliant Heritage” is a series of talks on the Gospel mystery of sanctifica tion by Oswald Chambers, who has writ ten considerably along devotional and Bible psychological lines. The thesis pre sented in these talks is that sanctification means that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to believers, not gradually, but instantly when by faith we enter into the realization that Christ is made unto us sanctification. The author makes a simple and clear presentation of this conception and is sub ject to the weakness of the usual passive conception of sanctification. However, the pamphlet is thoughtful and worthy of careful reading. —J. M. M. —o— “The Miracle of the Ages” George P. Rutledge There can be no question as to what is The Miracle of the Ages, By common consent Jesus Christ is the most wonder ful expression, of life in all.human history.
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