256
April 1927
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
“broken cisterns which can hold no water”, and on the other of our Lord’s promise of the self-contained fountain of living water, of which if men drink they shall never thirst again. Men parch and faint and die because they will not come to Him. The bottles which are given to us by men soon become exhausted, the world ling’s cistern runs dry faster than it can be filled; but when once we look to Christ, and drink at the fountain of His grace, we are introduced to a river of purest pleasure whose “fresh springs” never fail to cool our fever and to quench our thirst. Our great need is to pray for sight. The Lord’s provision for our wants is ever nigh' at hand, but our eyes are dim with sin and unbelief that we cannot see. THE first time Elisha smote the waters it was without result. Then he asked the question of the text and, smiting the waters again, they were parted asunder. It seems as if, for a moment, Elisha had relied upon something less than the Divine power. Was he not Elisha the Prophet? Had he not just seen Elijah go up into heaven and was not he his lawful successor? Did he not wear on his shoulders the very mantle that symbolized his status and authority? It is all so true to nature. Satan deceives even the best of men, sometimes, into self-reliance, if not self con ceit. A little elation is natural to man under such circumstances as those in which Elisha found himself that day. But it is fatal to spiritual effects. No miracle working is possible to the man who is relying upon anything less than the power of God. The Prophet’s mantle has no inherent magic; mere Office does not spell potentiality'. An exaggerated sense of our own importance, a reliance upon secondary causes, will not help us to dominion over the forces of nature, or to spiritual sway over the hearts of men. “When I am weak,” says the Apostle, “then I am strong”, and the converse is true—when we fancy ourselves to be strong, then we are weak. The path to honor and to usefulness leads down into the valley of humility. We must ask for “the LORD God of Elijah” if we are to fill Elijah’s place and do Elijah’s works. SUCH was the dire consequence of the Bride’s hesitation. The voice of her Beloved had aroused her from her slumber as he. sought for admission to her chamber. But she was unwilling to rise. Something of effort and inconvenience was involved which, for the moment, she was unprepared to endure. When the hesitation was passed and the door was at length opened, the Beloved had gone. A weary and disconcerting search followed ere she found him again. The soul must ever be ready to obey the Softest summons of the Lord. At what ever cost of incon venience or ease we must open the door whensoever He seeks admission to our heart or life. The relation between Christ and the Believer is a very subtle and sensitive one; so strong (in His love) that it cannot readily be broken, it is yet so delicate that it may easily be interrupted, its rare beauty temporarily clouded, its heavenly music stilled, its fragrance lost, for a time. We are not re&dy to arise, forsake all, sacrifice all, at the first whisper of E bs ' voice, and by the time that we have repented of our indecision, He has withdrawn Himself. Then follows the weary search in the face of a cold, unsympathetic world, during which we sometimes meet with rough usage, or are put to open shame. The heart’s door should ever be unlocked and the spirit ever willing and waiting to receive the heavenly Guest. A peij , 13. Where is the Lord God of Elijah?"—2 Kings 2:14. A pril 14. “My beloved had withdrawn himself ."—.S', of Sol. 5:6
“Best” Books About Mssions Mostly New— A ll In tensely In teresting African Missionary Heroes and Heroines By H. K. W. Kumm A very fascinating and instructive group of biograph ies, including many of the more familiar African pio neers. Dr. Kumm’s presentation of each -character is quite unique and refreshing. Africa is called “the con tinent of the future,** with its formative forces still unde cided. Surely no Christian man or woman could read this narrative of the love and devotion of the pioneers of the Cross without making a vow to dedicate their efforts and their unstinted gifts to save Africa from the fate of a mere modernized paganism. Cloth $1.25 Sarangie, a Child of Chosen B y L ois H aw ks Sw inehart A T ale o f K orea Young Hearts in Old Japan
B y M aude M adden T he w riter sh ow s her first hand know ledge o f th is in ter estin g cou n try. A s she deals prim arily w ith Jap anese girls th e book w ill b e o f special in terest to children. It is not o n ly valu ab le for th e large am ount o f inform ation th a t it con tain s, b u t a lso th e unique arrangem ent and in terestin g p resen tation of th is m aterial. C loth $1.50
A sto ry o f m ission ary life and a c tiv ity in th e an cien t land o f K orea. Mrs. Sw inehart n o t on ly can lay claim to a u th en tic first-hand know ledge o f con d ition s w hich ob tain in p resen t-d a y K orea, b u t p o s se sse s undeniable g ifts a s a portrayer o f p ictu resq u e O ri ental ch aracter, and a d epictor o f fa scin a tin g O riental scen es. C loth $1.25
Boys and Girls of Many Lands B y Inez N . M cFee
S tories of ch ild life in m ore than a score o f cou n tries, ranging from northern Europe to A ustralia, from G reenland to th e A m azon, from E g y p t to Japan, th e P hilip p in es and H aw aii— an unusual com p ass for a sin g le volum e. The author sh ow s a clo se and a ccu rate stu d y o f her su b jects and tells her sto ries in ea sy and in terestin g sty le. The b ook is o f real valu e a s a travel sto ry book con tain in g inform ing and in terestin g sk etch es o f life under different sk ies. C loth $1.75 Midst Volcanic Fires B y M aurise F rater A n in ten sely in terestin g v o l um e d ep icting m ission ary The New Japanese Womanhood B y A llen K . F au se T his is a to p ic upon w hich every w id e-aw ake C hristian
tou rs am ong th e v o lca n ic is lan d s o f th e N ew H ebrides. U nder th e ex istin g D ual G ov ernm ent b y w hich G reat B ri ta in and France join tly a t tem p t to adm in ister th e is lands, m ission ary en d eavor is n ecessarily handicapped. Read th is unusual b ook o f unusual con d ition s th a t you m ay know how tw o s e ts o f officials, tw o coin a g es, and tw o cod es of law s are overcom e in th e b a t tle for th e so u ls o f th e lo st. C loth $1.50
d esires to be w ell inform ed. Dr. F au st tra ces th e h isto ry o f th e w om en o f Japan through th e m odern period sin ce Japan w as opened to th e civilized w orld and on e’s in terest is not only arou sed b ut su stain ed . A s he p ictu res th e new Jap anese w om en in co n tra st w ith th e old ideal, new hope is g 5ven con cern in g th e future o f th at cou n try. T h is is an excellent b ook for con sid eration a t w om en’s m ission ary so cieties. C loth $1.50
The Laughing Buddha
B y Jam es L iv in g sto n e Stew art A sto ry o f W estern C hina, replete w ith ad ven tures o f an ex citin g sort. A s a ta le o f pure realism it is m arked b y m ore than ordinary m erit. H ere is a tale o f ad ven ture galore, a sto ry w ell w orth reading for its ow n sake, and a source o f a u thentic reference concerning th e m anners, cu sto m s, h ab its, religions and con d ition s o f livin g ob tain in g to d a y in W estern China. O ne o f th e very b est o f th e later ‘b ook s ab out China. C loth $2.00 If m oney d oes n ot accom p an y order, g ood s w ill be sen t C. O. D. If books are to com e b y m ail add 10% for p o sta g e. B I O L A B O O K R O O M Bible Institute, Los Angeles, Cal.
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