9

No. 12.

VOL.

12.

AUCKLAND,

N.Z., DECEMBER,

1891.

TWOPENCE.

visit of 'Geneml' Booth to New Zealand, and more particularly to Auckland, caused a considerable flutter among the Salvationists, everyone of whom was on the (/,t.i vive of excitement until he came, and now having seen and heard him they have settled down to their every-day occupations. Without doubt the question of paramount importance in connection with Mr Booth's visit has been his scheme for the recovery of the 'submerged tenth,' which, practically speaking, means the transference of the poorest of the poor of the larger cities of England, after a short probation on a 'farm colony' to an 'oversea colony,' there to remain and fight out for themselves an existence in a new country. lHr Booth did not meet with much success on this question in Australia, the people generally looked askance at his scheme, dreading it might mean the repetition of what has so often threatened them, viz., the Rec'idivi.ste. In New Zealand some enthusiasm has been aroused, even the Premier has expressed himself as favourable to the scheme, and in Auckland a committee has been formed to aid the project. I am loth to raise any objection to such a laudable scheme, but the truth is, there are so many objectionable features connected with it, and so many difficulties present themselves, that J feel emboldened to mention a few, We.have in times gone by received to our shores a goodly number of immigrants who are about OIl a par with those under review; the first thing they did on landing was to. fill the hotels and drink till they exhausted what they had to spend, and then had perforce to go and seek their living. The percentage of this class of people that turned o~t useful colonists and true citizens must have been very minute

~~~~~I!

indeed. It will be said that under Booth's scheme all will be sober, moral, well-conducted, and, if possible, converted people, but even if this" be granted, which I very much doubt, the question" that faces us is, are these the kind of people that under existing conditions could be transported from the streets of London to the bush lands of New Zealand, and turn out successful farmers or labourers of any kind 1 We have tried Village Settlements in New Zealand, placing upon the pick of the land people who are used to our climate; and have had some experience in roughing it, but have they been the success that W~t5 anticipated ~ It is all very well for philanthropists at Home to conceive the idea that paupet~ will be improved in e\'ery respect by their transportation to the Colonies. Of course when they once leave the Old Country they are done with and are no further burden to them, and every ship-load they send off means so many the less for their care and so mallY more for the colony. There is an element of selfishness about the question that I do not like. Our cable news lately revealed one fact that proves my argument to be sound; one of the Army Refuges in the Holborn district has been reported to the Government as It nuisance. The fact is also divulged that it is an attraction to paupers from all quarters who have flocked thither, and are now an increased burden upon the ratepayers of that district, There is the whole question in a nutshell. Human nature will assert itself; and once proclaim the fact that cheap meals, board and lodging, or any other comfort, are to be had nt It certain place, and crowds of this class of people will readily take ad vantage of it. "Wewant an increased population for New Zealand most decidedly, it is the greatest drawback we suffer, to have our people emigrating in the wa.ythey have, but the 'submerged tenth' are not the class of people we want to replace them j the people we want "are practical farmers with capital sufficient to buy the land they settle upon and the stock they put into it; give us a few thousand such and the tide of prosperity will at once set in for the Colony.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

11

DECEMBER.

1891.

Evidently Mr Booth does not consider we have an undis- upon which to hang his. arguments, which, briefly stated puted right to the country we live in, we only hold it in are-that the Jews have forfeited all rightful claims to trust, he sn,ys, for the benefit of the whole race. It may Palestine, and as they have not put in a claim for it for' appear to him in this light, seeing that he holds no interest eighteen centuries the statute of limitations can be asserted in -the colony, but old colonists will differ from him; they against them; the people who now inhabit the land are its found on their arri val here the land in its primeval state, rightful owners; that the Jews hate agriculture, and that and peopled by a race holding vastly different views of those who have gone back do not farm the Iand ; that those land tenure to ;)1.1' Booth. 'What hardships and dangers living in contiguous cities make no move towards Palestine; did our early settlers undergo, and what an amount of that the sacred places of Christendom could not be entrusted labour and hard cash did they spend ere we had the fine in the hands of Jews; and lastly, the argument that will cities we now enjoy, and for all this are we not entitled to probably have more weight with Americans than all the call them our own, or at least be allowed to have a say as rest combined, that the United States could not undertake to who shall come and join us? or must we make way for the step without becoming involved in the Eastern Ques. anyone who chooses to come along and claim equal rights 1 tion, and that the present inhabitants of the Holy Land Apply Mr Booth's argument to the ownership of, say any I would have to be driven out at the point of the bayonet article upon which an amount of labour and money has to make room for millions of un willing colonists who do not been spent to make it what it is, from what it was in its under the present circumstances wish to go back. The raw state, and see how ridiculous it appears. No, the cry subject is considered as a moral impossibility, for they will of New Zealand for her people must be raised, as a similar not go there as a subject people. Their land is defiled to ClOY has been raised in other countries that have been the Jewish mind, and cannot be cleansed. Intelligent and threatened with an influx of undesirable colonists. I would thrifty labour might restore the desolation of tile land, but not write ill this strain did I not think that Mr Booth is for this the Jews are not prepared. I have no doubt that going farther afield with his project than he has :tlly need, in spite of all this there are many American Christians and I have a suggestion to make that will warrant my pre- who have a fixed idea that the Jews belong to the Holy ceeding remarks. Land, and will eventually get there, and will sooner or From the latest official statistics published in Great later insist upon their Government doing something in the Britain, I find that the population in her agricultural dis- direction referred to. tricts is lower than it has been for a long time, consequent As a reply to the foregoing, another article appeared: in upon the people Hocking to the cities, and thus helping to swell the class of people Mr. Booth is dealing with. There the Scottish Review which answers the same question in an The writer in this magazine beis an urgent need for something to be done to re-people the exactly opposite manner. lands, fOI' the best rural land in England is being denuded lieves that the persecution of the Jews in Russia will proof its population. In one five months 50,000 people left duce results similar to those which resulted from the He notices the formation of a Society England for the colonies and the States, chiefly from the Huguenot dispersion. called 'Choverie Zion,' 01' 'Friends of Zion,' and says, the country districts. This is a state of affairs that cannot go on long, for the agricultural districts of Great Britain have drift of emigration has already set in towards Palestine. always been her backbone, and if they decline, why, then, It is very noticeable how widely different are the opinions' of writers on this question. While the one declares that of course, she must go with them. the Jews are not and never can be an agricultural people, Here is Mr. Booth's chance. Let him undertake the re-peopling of these districts, and, at the same time, en- another avers that colonies of Jews have settled in the deavour to ,get possession of the thousands of acres that are Holy Land, and have prospered while contending against lying waste there also. He will have everything in his all the difficulties they had to face. The number of Jews in Palestine has increased in ten favour. Less money will be required, the people will not have to leave their native country, and above all, the years from 8,000 to over 100,000, and others are rapidly Even the Jewish Chronicle admits that a details of the whole work would be under the personal moving thither. supervision of the General, without which I ;ery much "Palestine hunger' has taken hold on the Jews of the East, . who have discovered that the earliest emigrants have prosdoubt of its success anywhere. pered more than was ever anticipated. The question of The Jewish question' is creating a world-wide discussion, their ability and fitness for agriculture is best answered by and a perusal of the leading magazines show that the the examples and success of Jewish agriculturists in eminent men of our day are occupying themselves with the America. subject. To begin with. In 011,1' Day a writer discusses It is admitted that J'ews from some countries might not the question 'Should the Jews go back to Palestine l' find this occupation 11 success, for by their sufferings in arid proves, to his own satisfaction, in the negative. A nor-thern climes they have suffered in physique, and are petition, signed by nearly all the great men of all classes in generally very poor. But for these there will be found America, has been presented to President Harrison, praying ample room and labour that will accommodate itself to hi'm \0 take the initial steps towards restoring the ancient their abilities. Whatever may be the contending opinions people to their own land. This serves our author as a text of various writers on this important subject I am convinced

DE CEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

179

that one day the ancient land will once again be under God's special favour, and His well-beloved people will be restored to it with all their ancient glory. The disputed point of the matter is, When will this take place 1 and are the various movements all over the world the initial steps in the desired direction 1 Who can tell 1 . One of the most unique features in connection with the World's Fair, to be held in Chicago in May, 1893, will be the display of a worthy and complete exhibition of women's work. A large building is to be constructed at a cost of 40,000 for the special purposes of this branch of the Fair. A large and influential committee, with Mrs. Potter Palm er at its head, has been formed, and sub-committees are being organised in every country in Europe. This will be the first time in the world's history that a collection of exhibits of women's work has ever been made, and no doubt strenuous efforts will be put forth to insure its success. This new departure of the United States Government marks a new stage in the recognition of woman's place in civilized society, and demands from all the world hearty support and commendation. We have in New Zealand now a delegate from the States to urge upon our Government to take an interest in the affair, and we trust he will be successful. Money for these objects is always well spent. A better advertisement for the colony could not be found, and we hope to be thoroughly represented there.

who profess to believe in eternal suffering. They, as-a rule, decline to discuss their views, and in public teaching hardly ever refer to the subject. Either they are ashamed of their belief, or beginning to feel uncertain as to its being wen founded. Anyhow, the whole subject by them is being tacitly dropped and left alone. How different this to the days of Whitfield and Wesley, and the earlier days of Mr. Spurgeon. It is the difference between 'speech and silence! Now U niversalists talk a great deal of nonsense about , the dignity of human nature,' and' the immense worth of a human soul ;' and that' God would not have created man had He not fore-determined that man should live for ever.' We reply (1) that human nature is not a dignified thing. We must not judge the hundred millions of human beings now alive, as if they were all upright, pure and religious as a Gladstone or a John Bright. The immense majority are debased and degraded-slaves to their passions and lusts, a misery to themselves and everybody connected with them .. Human nature is described by our Lord in the well-known passage, commencing, 'For out of the heart cometh forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, etc.,' and human nature is so unalterably corrupt, that 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Clod,' and therefore we must 'be bornagain ' ere we are fitted for admission (2) As to the worth of a human soul or life Well, is God bound by any law to give any man hereafter an eternal life 1 If so, why is not God bound to give a monkey, a parrot, a horse, or a dog, eternal life 1 Some birds and animals in their spheres are pro-eminently more respectable than many drunken, sensual, knavish, thievish, good for nothing men and women that we know. My faithful dog and your intelligent horse never transgressed the law of its being, and yet God withdraws life from thern., Is God therefore unjust '/ And how is God unjust if He permits a man to live seventy years in this world, and when the man proves himself to be an utter failure, He takes his life away and sends him back to the dust from whence he sprang 1 The talk abont the dignity and worth of man is all moonshine. With but few exceptions man is a degraded creature, and of no great worth to Almighty God. And if presently, after resurrection, God shall give some a new and endless life, it will be because of His mercy and favour, not because man's dignity demanded and deserved it. But Universalists appeal to Scripture in support of their theory that all fallen creatures shall hereafter be saved; but their appeal to Scripture is with a certain reservation which nearly takes our breath away as we note it. Mr Cox says: 'In selecting those Scriptures which will really aid us in our search, we shall have to lay aside by far the larger part of the Bible.' And so in the first place he lays aside the icliole of the Old Testament! The' Old Testament,' he tells us, 'except so far as we can find large general principles in it which bear on our question, will be of no avail to us, for it is certainly true that the psalmists and prophets of old time never got more than rnoment;],I',Y and partial glimpses of the life to come.' These Holy Scriptures of which Paulspeah in n. Timothy iii., 14-16, and

1llnt\)creaLiem.
IN a former paper (page 155) we made an effort to show that' Larger Hope ' views are not trustworthy. We t!18re pointed out how Tennyson himself, the poet-prophet of that school of thought, acknowledges that he 'knows not anything' certain about the future, and that his stanzas concerning it are but the indulging of a daydream, which mayor may not prove to be true. But there is another well-known teacher who has no mean following among Christian folk. His name is Dr. Samuel Cox. Ten years ago, he published his book, entitled, 'Salvator JJlundi' (the salvation of the world). Now Cox is on the same line as Tennyson; but he goes miles beyond him. Tennyson very modestly describes himself a~ 'an infant crying for the light,' and 'faintly trusting a larger hope;' but Cox is more bold. He fearlessly asserts that we are to gather from certain Scriptures the positive belief that. all beings who have fallen from God (fallen angels as well as men), those whose sins are of deepest dye, as well as those whose sin has been comparatively light, all will be brought back by some means or other, by a severer or a gentler discipline, to God, to holiness, to happiness, to eternal life. These are brave words. Will they stand the one and only test we care to try them by 1 Let us see. Now there is a quality possessed by Universalists which we do admire. They know what they believe, and are not afraid to state it. This is the principle upon which we Conditional Irnmortalists act; but thus do not act those'

180

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

DECEMBER,

1891.

--

appealed to in Acts xxvi., 22-23, which Jesus quoted as recorded, Luke xxiv., 44-45--these sacred writings Mr. Cox sets aside as not teaching anything with clearness concerning the eternal destiny of mankind. '\Ve will never consent to this. We utterly protest against such a treatment of the Old. Testament. But Mr. Cox goes further than this. The Book of Revelat-ion shares the same fate. He says, ''vVe cannot understand this Book, and therefore will not argue over these difficult chapters.' So the Revelation is excluded. But he hasn't done yet. He further excludes all of the Parablee of Our L01'd, and also Christ's Sermon on the il1ount. He says 'parables are difficult to interpret, and therefore we lay them on one side.' And the Sermon. on the .Mount is more or less a parable, and so that is shut out too. No wonder he is anxious to keep away the testimony of the parables, for what' larger hope' or teaching of 'universal salvation' is to be gotten from such expressions applied to the destiny of the wicked, as 'they shall wither away, be devoured up, choked, burnt as tares, cast away and burned, the door shut against, them, thrust into outer darkness, and depart from Me, I never knew you.' What ray of the faintest hope or comfort can be derived from such expressions (I None! They forbid any hope; they tear in pieces the soothing and pleasant doctrine of a universal restoration and salvation of all fallen men and angels. But what remains 1 The Universalists only appeal to a few isolated texts in the Bible (less than fifty), and upon them they build so pleasing and seductive a belief. ,\V~ do not propose at this time to examine the various passages upon which Dr. Cox and his friends rely. At the very outset their case (scripturally considered) completely breaks down. They dare not search Scripture as a whole, but pick and choose here and there such passages as may be made to fit ~n with their pre-conceived theory. vVe cannot but regard this teaching which thus mangles the 'N ord of God, in order to gain even a little support, as being most dangerous and delusive. Boiled down into a simple sentence it means, 'Live as you like, think as you like, it will be right in the long run.' True, if you leave this world unrepentant and unforgiven, you will suffer the pains of hell, in order to bring you to your senses and purify you. Indeed, God is so merciful, and men are of such infinite worth (one soul is worth more than the whole universe), that the Great Father will gradually, during the coming ages, make the greatest sinner fit for the Kingdom of Heaven; and the words of Tennyson come true, that' good shall fall at last-far off, at last-to all, and every winter change to spring.' And so hereafter Judas shall be companion with Peter and Paul, and Herod and John the Baptist take sweet counsel together. Nero, of Rome, and tielll'Y VIII. of England, V oltaire of France, and Catherine of I{ussia, these, and such characters, shall sit down and eat bread with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God. Of Judas, Christ said, 'It were good for that man if he had never been born.' How can that be true if at last he

shall be a saved man, enjoying the pleasures of the new earth in eternity (I Whatever that traitor's punishment may be, if at last he be restored to Christ's favour,_ it will have been good for him to have been born. But in various degrees it will be true of all despisers of Christ, that it w~re better for them that they had not been born, for punishment in the next age will be stern and severe, and worse for Christ rejecting Capomaum, than the heathen cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, thank God, the conscious suffering at last (' far off,' with some, may be) will cease, and at last the supreme moment come when all pain shall be ended and death itself be no more. Vtl e cannot think that:-9hrist Himself would have uttered so awful a threat concerniug Judas, and given so solemn a warning to all who will live and die ungodly as when He - said, ':Fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell,' and yet knew that the threat would never be carried out. Now, is it creditable tliat He would have thus played and trifled with the fears of men, if all the time He knew that God will not destroy a single sinner; that' not a life shall fail beyond the grave,' but that God's secret! purpose is at last to' save every man of woman born. And listen to the last words on the last page of the Bible (Rev. xxi., 12-15), 'Without are sorcerers, murderers, etc.' Some inside the New Jerusalem, some outside. And Scripture never teaches that those once shut outside shall afterwards be lilt in.

C. C. Buowx,
Timaru.

'IDr. <El. !lJ). ~oul~ on 3mmortaltt\?.'

IN two recent numbers of Science and A1t, Dr. editor of the i11onist, a high-class scientific lished in New York, gives to the world his Immortality. It is a valuable contribution to G. M. Gould, monthly pubopinions upon the literature

of the subject, especially as showing what are purely scientific ideas upon a subject that has engrossed public attention for ages. The doctor opens by asking what it is, in reference to n life after death, that we really desire, and what we may reasonably expect; but after examination of our opinions we are surprised how blank are our minds upon the subject. He questions if anyone desires immortality for example, as many desire wealth, fame or beauty; we have grown up in the belief that it is right to desire and believe in immortality, but that is a far different thing from actually yearning after it j after considering it, many put the thought aside as beyond solution. 'My thinking will not change the fact, nor my longing bring it about, the duty of the passing day is all I can fulfil.' Under this cover the world has grown indifferent to the question as it was formerly engrossed by it, The doctor has ably gauged the general tendency of opinion of his day upon his subject for, says he, 'Fear of offending delicate sensibility.sand established beliefs keeps the doubter and modifier silent, whilst the extreme of the

I omnivorous
denier, but

believer is set over aga,inst the the great majority of people

out and out are neither

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1891.

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believers nor disbelievers, but indifferentists, slowly settling towards an agnostic non-committalism that is destructive of all intellectual and moral earnestness.' The doctor admits that this is a dangerous state of affairs, for if we are to live after death, it is of tremendous importance. If we do not, it is of no less vital import, and the belief, disbelief, or evasion of the subject has a constant influence, unconsciously, subtly, upon every thought and act of every day's living, An examination of what men really desire on the subject is then gone into; if they desire immortality how far is the desire feasible, and from whence do they get this desire, and how are they convinced of its reality, saying, 'it all depends ulJon what you propose doing with a future life after you get it, for you might as well be digging clams on this earth as singing hosannas around the throne in heaven.' Here we have one of the keenest thrusts at what is commonly understood of a future life that we ever remember seeing, but how well deserved it. is, for how many Christians are there that can give an intelligent answer as to. how or where they will spend the eternity that they hope will be theirs after death. 'If,' says the doctor, ' we believe in, or fevently desire the old creed called "the resurrection of the body," terrible counter queries arise. What a.ge in our life would we choose as best representing the ideal body fOI' our resurrection? as it was when a child, when youthful, when mature 01' when old? moreover, our bodies are changing every moment, even the few pounds of minerals in our bones, are only a little more permanently fixed than the surrounding flesh and blood.' What he calls the absurdity of the bodily resurrection is emphasised by the crushing fact that 'all the organic matter of the world, has been used over and over for bodies, and the earth has not enough hydro-carbons to fit out again with bodies a small fraction of the souls that have lived upon it. It may be frankly admitted that no bodily resurrection is possible l'

another; if we wish for an immortality of a perfected intellect we must. certainly possess it before it can be made everlasting! Again, is it the ever-progressive, ever-growing intellect we desire ~ if so, this is a subterfuge. How painful it is to read such remarks from a cultured mind! On any other subject doubtless the doctor would show more originality and sense, but on this subject, he seems to have let his pen run away with his thoughts into the wildest domains of fancy, it all arises again from the utter ignorance of the inspired word of God upon his subject. The doctor concludes that 'at heart men do not wish to eternalize their crude imperfect intellects; and, therefore, if we would have these attributes perfected, the sole method of getting them is to cultivate the~ here and now. Have we in the past obeyed reason and not passion and self-interest ~ Have we studied history, logic, and science, with a sincere desire to do our political and social duty, and to free ourselves from prejudice, error, supersbition and conceit 7 If not, why should God suddenly endow us with a perfect intellect ready made 1 Is it God's way in the world to give excellencies, unasked and unearned 7 Rest assured, He will not do it at our dying hour; it is no particular merit to die, why should we be rewarded with a new intellect then? . Proceeding from this standpoint, the doctor goes on to ask whether it is OUI'emotional nature, affection, and love JNe desire to make immortal, and replies: 'Is it not 1\ fact that our whole lives, let them be never so open, are upon analysis a network of selfish actions, even affection may become a morbid desire, therefore we must dismiss this Ifs improbable.' Then, if neither body, intellect nor the affectionate natures are such as we wish to make immortal, can we be better contented with our moral nature 1 The question at once raises asmile, the feeling of our own ethical unworthi. ness has crystallized the great Ohristian dogma of Christ's vicarious sacrifice, in the words of the old hymn' Jesus paid it all, all the debt Iowe.' No man hoped to get to heaven on his own merits. The doctor does not think it probable however, that any will urge that aspect of the question for, says he, 'the amazing immorality of trying to get to heaven on another's merits was the most brazen example of how little heavenliness there was in the heavenhunters and heaven-scalers; of course, the desire for heaven itself, the desire for one's happiness, was immoral when conditioned upon the missing of others. Nature, in this respect, is better than man, denying him his childish materialistic desires, and forcing him to wait for his immortality until he can learn to live in the spirit and seek no selfish heaven.' On the question of personal identity after death, the doctor waxes warm: ' We seek,' says he, 'that, after death which we do not possess in life, our faces and bodies being but symbols or signals hung out by our souls for the day; if we divest our best friend from his body, we would fail to recognise him, did we ever think how a photograph of our friend's soul would look! What is good to carry over into the future life is not so much our personal identity, as personal non-identity, not S9 much the imperfections

The doctor may admit this with all the frankness of his nature, and may state all his objections o'er and o'er again, but still the record remains' He giveth it a' body as it pleaseth Him, ' only unfortunately the doctor, like many of his class, denies the truth of the record. Further, 'the belief in bodily resurrection was a natural concomitant of the age of sensualism before the mind and spirit had risen to their modern heritage, and the desire for such a resurrection stamps the person with a selfconfessed imperfection of mental and moral development.' Really, we did not know before how little we appeared in the eyes of those who possess giant intellects, but are contented, nevertheless, to suffer the reproach. Passing from bodily resurrection as an impossibility, the doctor goes on to ask if it is our reason, understanding or intellect, we desire to perpetuate forever, because, if so, would we perpetuate the blunders, the imperfections, the illusions and delusions we have lived through 7 and if we wished for a more perfect and purified intellect, that would not be ours, we should require to be made over again into another person and that would not be our immortality but that of

182

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

DECEMBER,

1891.

that make us individuals as the perfections that free us from individualism. We must lose our life to find it, a future life must be the life of the spirit; of perfections, this is the only desirable, and only possible kind of immortality. God never gave man a greater blessing, after life itself than death, and nothing more strikingly proves the divine government of the world than the certainty of its coming to us all. The attempt to ignore the fact that the body, with its pack of heathenish appetites and needs, could push through death, and come out fresh and renewed on the other side, is the very insanity of individualism, and the intoxication of materialism. Death's one lesson is that we must love and cultivate what he cannot touch! We die not because the body is weak, but because it has become too strong; we die because there is no real continuance and strength in anything but the non-physical, and we have trusted in the physical. Matter without life is inert, moved only from without, the dead body is simply matter without." life; whence then the nerve force, that makes the inert matter move 7 From the ganglionic grey cells of the spinal cord and brain; and whence these little grey cells 7 It was life created these things, life that existed before muscles, nerves and cells, and that slowly fashioned them. Life, an order of existence in no imaginable way analogous to, or to be confounded with, matter or mechanics. Nothing is more ludicrous than to attempt to explain life in terms of mechanics, the children of the spirit are amazed at their inability to see that life is more certain and enduring than matter, the organs of the body die, the body dies, generabions of bodies die, but, like a containing cord of silk, on which all the glittering beads of flesh are strung, there is the soul, the life ever the same. Plant life, as well as animal or vegetable life, has all the qualities or powel'S, und physiological functions, possessed by the human body.

world, and the whole animal world is but a small part of the total life of the globe; don't despise the vegetable kingdom; it can do something you cannot do-make living matter out of living substances. Hence, if human souls cannot be sent off into space, to do nothing, neither can the souls of animals or plants, if we are to have a heaven they must have theirs also.' The doctor in this paragraph, unconsciously, we think, has given utterance to a part of what is a great Biblical truth, and which we regret is not more recognised in our day. The Book states that the whole creation groaneth, and is waiting for the regeneration which will come to pass, and when we read of the whole creation of God offering up praise to Him after this restoration has taken place, we may well concur that there is even a blessing in store for animals as well as man, both suffer from the curse. To conclude, the doctor says: 'The immortality that is alone possible or desirable,. is the losing our life, the individual idenbity-Ioving life, again to find it as the impersonal, but richer, deeper life of nature a"ld God. God denies us an immortality of individualism and identity, because He loves U3 so well that He refuses us our childish desires in order to offer us something better. 'Therefore, the conclusion is clear, to love and aid the work of our Master-Life we need not wait for death; we may not seek our own salvation, it does not matter whether we are saved or not. The re-incarnation of life is our work here now. Every day we have a hundred opportunities to give, without lessening our own supply, some of our own life, to increase the quantity, and to elevate the quality of the general stock of the world's life. Help the young, they inherit the world and will use it well or ill, according to our teaching and instruction; stop cruelty to animals, they are your brothers, filled with the same

, All attempts at explaining life fail because we begin by life as you are; fight the political ruin we are preparing begging the question, assuming the thing explained; the for oursel ves by partisanship, bribery and class legislation; truth is, there is no definition or explanation possible, the discourage war and intemperance, and lessen the tyranny dualism of matter and life must be accepted. Inorganic of the strong and wealthy;' wage a ceaseless war to the death matter with its inherent forces can not be conceived as ever against luxury; love trees and meadows, clear brooks and coming into 01' passing out of existence. .From all eternity silences of nature; love, not so much your own, or another it was, and so will it remain. The physical uni verse shows individual's life, as life itself. There is otherwise no imno bent of design, no glitnpse of freedom, no trace of mortality. Buddha gained the right to enter Nirvana intelligence, no suggestion of a Maker or a God! after nameless suffering and self-purification, but he put his . right aside and resolved to delay his entering until he had 'Why, or how, or whence life comes to us we do not know assisted every child of death, to become his disciple, and now, but the transcendent miracle is ever before our eyes. every disciple to enter Nirvana before him; such must be Infinitely rich and free, life is fil ing, thrilling, surcharging the resol ve of every true lover of life, and of every right every molecule of matter, it must haves come from withseeker after immortality.' out, and must, therefore, be a universal self-existent power. vVe hard I need to apologise for the length of this article, y "Vhatever proves the immortality of man, proves the its subject is so important, and being the latest contribution immortality of evel:y animal and vegetable form. The tree on the question, we have ventured to trespass upon our and horse have a soul quite as well as. man, and must live columns rather more than we should have done had it been after death quite as surely as he will. It is the flimsiest of otherwise. conceits that m&kes men think they are endowed with a G. S. special sort of soul or divine life, different from that of animals or plants. Don't flatter yourself, God takes the Society is often more concerned about the way a man same loving pains and care in the elimination of a leaf that enters and leaves a room than about his fitness for being He does of a brain cell. Man is but a small part of the animal admitted to the room at all.

DECEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

183

"Ulncle JDaniel'5 :fJ3ible (tla55.

From. ' W01ds0/ Truth.' lO.-THE
DOOM OF THE UNGODLY.

ON the next Sunday afternoon, the Bible class having assembled, Uncle Daniel remarked: 'At our last meeting it was understood that we would to-day consider some of the arguments that appear to uphold the doctrine of eternal torment. V.,r , last Sunday, brought e forward a mass of testimony positi vely teaching that death, or extinction of heing, is to be the final doom of the ungodly. As this conclusion is in conflict with what is generally taught for orthodox doctrine, it is evident that there is a mistake somewhere. .Truths never conflict. They run in parallel lines. The Scriptures are not yea and nay, but yea and amen, and where there is an apparent conflict, investigation will bring to light some misunderstanding. There can be no mistaking the general tenor of teaching on this subject as indicated by last week's investigations.

feeling on this subject has led me into something of a lecture, which 1 know yon will pardon; and now, if anybody has any question to ask, bearing on this subject," we will consider it.' 'I would be glad to have your comment on this text,' remarked Mrs. Brown, as she read Matt. xxv. 46.
, " And these shall go away into everlasting righteous into life eternal." punishment, but the

, I was talking to my neighbour, Mr. Steam, about our last lesson, and he sad anybody who did not believe in eternal torment did not believe the words of Jesus, and referred me to this" text. Of course I know there are a great many texts which teach very plainly that death is the end of the wicked, and, as you have said, there can be no real contradiction between the teachings of Scripture, but. this appears to contradict, and I cannot harmonize it.' , This text has aroused a great deal of discussion,' replied

,
7

Uncle Daniel, 'and I don't wonder that you have been puzzled by it, but I think with a few words of explanation it will be perfectly clear. In the first place it is not clear that this relates to a judgment of the righteous, and wicked , In my studies of Goel's ord,' continued Uncle Daniel, You will observe that it speaks of gat-herillg , there is one general truth that I have f011n.1 very useful as dead. His a touch-stone by which to determine between the true and "nations," and that His "holy angels," presumably false in doctrine, and that is the expression ,. God is Love." saints, are associated with the Judge before He begins this scene. Rut for the sake of the argument let us "Whatever in theological teaching will not harmonize with judgment this grand underlying principle of true religion may be grant all that is claimed for it as general, individual judgment, and what does it prove 1 Two classes are shown, discarded as false. Love represents our highest possible conception of Deity, tempering His justice with mercy an'd the one being rewarded with life eternal, and the other permeating all His works. The Psalmist most beautifully doomed to everlasting punishment. Without raising any expresses the character of God when he Bays :question as to the words" eternal," and" everlasting," both being from the same Greek word ainoios, meaning "age." The Lord is merciful and g-ra~ious, slow to anger,and plenteous in mercy. Re will not always chide; neither will He keep His lasting," we will grant that the meaning is, in the one case, anger for ever. . Like as a father pitieth hi. children, so life without end, and in the other, endless punishment. the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He k nower.h our frame, This causes the whole question to hinge on the word He remembereth that we are dust. "<-Psa. ciii. 8, 9, 13, 14. " punishment." ,It is utterly impossible to harmonize the doctrine of , What is punishment 1 According to W ebster, to punish eternal torment with that of Divine love. Light and is to "uffiict with pain, loss 01' calamity for a crime or darkness, fire and water, are no more antagonistic than are fault." If I deprive my child of some much-prized dessert these two concepti OilS of God, as a pitiless tormentor, and at meal time, 011 account of a misdemeanour, it is just as a loving Father. Both cannot be true. Love and hatred, truly a punishment as though I chastised him with a rod. pity and the spirit of vengeance, cannot d well in the same The murderer who was hung in our gaol last month breast at the same time. doubtless never felt a physical pang, so sudden was the 'In the economy of civilised nations, cruelty is a execution, yet he was sentenced to receive capital punishforbidden force. The racking and tormenting of prisoners is ment. That punishment is to be deprived of life, not the no longer permitted, and the most strenuous efforts are made torments of execution. In short, the punishment is loss of to render the infliction of the death penalty as nearly something highly prized. Life is highly prized, and its loss painless as possible. The nroverb that a "merciful man is the greatest possible calamity, and when that loss 1S merciful to his Least," has been incorporated into the laws inflicted by law, whether human or divine, it is an act of of the state; and even in war, cruel as it must of necessity punishment.' (To be continued.)" be, the use of torturing materials, such as explosive bullets and Gre~k fire is, by the un written law of nations, forhidden. The snvage, nearest akin to the beast, and 'Be willing to do little things for Christ. The highes fa! thest removed from God, alone delights in the torture of praise ever bestowed upon a mortal was Jesus' commendahis vietims. Thc doctrjue of eternal torment, therefore, Do places the savage-and God on the same plane, and allows to tion of the woman, "She hath done what .she could." not mistake conspicuousness for usefulness, or think so muph civilised man alone the exercise of humane {shall I not say of man's judgments that you will forget God's reward.' divine) feelings.

'V

'I

fear,'

said. Uncle

Daniel,

'that

my

rather

intense

It is the eyes of others

that ruin us.-Ji'ranlclin:-

IH4
~~C:::>:~J; ~

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

DlWEMBER,

1891.

~~~C

~\J ~~ ~MONTHLY

j13ible $tan~~ . Ell"d

ORGAN~:
OF THE

~
t

~~

V~')

New Zealand Evangelistic and Publication Association.

EDITED BY GEO. ALDRIDGE.

AS6ISTED

BY

SPECIAL

CONTRIBUTORS.

trtir 'I'he Editor wishes it to be understood that, while he exercises a general supervision oyer the articles and correspondence appearing in the Standard, responsibilit.y for sentiments expressed rests upon the individual writer.

ttaBociation 1RoteB.
THE Annual Conference of the New Zealand Evangelistic and Publication Association is to be held this year on Christmas Day, in the Foresters' Hall. The arrangement of deta'ils is left in the hands of a committee, who will endeavour to make them as complete as possible. We hope to have u real good time together, and we expect to see as many delegates, subscribers, and friends as can possibly attend. The first meeting will be devoted to business, and the second to papers on important, themes and discussion u~on them. Will you make an effort to be present 1 Your presence will give help to us, and may probably be the mean's of doing you a large amount of good. If you intend to visit us at that time, please send word early to our secretary, Bro. W. Rattray, at an early date. From a private letter received from Melbourne we learn that a distinct forward effort is being made by Bro. Geo. A. Brown. A large hall has been secured in Bourke-street, and weekly meetings are being held. Our brother has been led to consider the rapid spread of Theosophy, and believing that it is twin sister to Spiritualism, he sees that it is one of the signs of the times which mark the nearing 'end of the age.' Bro. Brown has for many years endeavoured to preach, whilst he has earned his livelihood in business. He has now resolved to devote his time and energies entirely to the work of proclaiming the Gospel. This, we think, is a wise decision, and we trust that his efforts may be crowned with abundant success in soulwinning. Correspondents will please note the Editor's change of address, and will kindly consider whether or not they especially need answers to their communications, as for a little while to come we must' go slow.' 'Ve are exceedingly gratified to learn that our recent visit to Adel~ide has been the means of stimulating the believers in Life only in Christ who are resident there to something like active work. A monthly enquiry class has been inaugurated, of which Pastor Jacob Abbott is the chairman, and at which matters relating to Life and Ad vent truths are to be freely ventilated. 'Man's Nature' was the first subject, 'Sin and its Penalty' the second. The meetings are being held in the Y.M.C.A. parlour. We greatly.

rejoice over this forward movement in that city, and trust that so good a beginning may prove to be an augury of success in the making known of these glorious truths. We are pleased that our venerable friend and brother, Pastor Abbott, has consented to give his presence and help to the movement, and we pray that, while the Master tarries, he may be the means, by his judicious counsel, of spreading a knowledge of the Word on these important matters. We know that he has already done much in clearing away obstruction in the way of the reception of light on the Advent, and we hope that his teaching on' the 'Life' may be as clear and effectual as that on the Lord's Coming. There is another matter 'which gives us pleasure, and that is that another whole-hearted worker has resolved to attempt work in another direction. Bro. C. Gamble, of Stepney, who has acted as agent for the STANDARlJ, has seen his way clear to open a 'Life and Advent' book-room, where literature pertaining to the truths advocated in this paper is on sale. The room is in a central position in King William-street, City, opposite the Town Hall, and close to the General Post Office. This is a very important step, and one from which much good may be expected to accrue. We hope that our Adelaide brethren will do their utmost to spread the literature which may be obtained, and give all possible assistance to Bro, Gamble in his laudable enterprise. A step in the right direction, Bro. G. May God bless your work of faith and labour of love. Dunedin brethren are not allowing the grass to grow under their feet. They are determined to keep well before the public the position they have taken. .J ust now there are two men in that city who seem bent upon bringing believers in Conditional Immortality into disrepute. They have made most unwarantable assertions under the guise of warning their listeners against error. vVe ourselves heard one of their brethren, in prayer to God, characterise the Life' believers as , emissaries of Satan.' Pleasant hearing, was it not 1 Dear people, what they lack in argument they endeavour to make up in abuse. Our friends, ail a set-off against this, have published in the Globe newspaper as an advertisement, under the heading, 'What we Believe and Teach: The Oonfession,' which appeared in the STANDARD some time ago. This should clear away objections from the minds of those who have formed opinions as to OUl' teachings from the lip!' of opponents only. The annual English Conference of Believers in Conditional Immortality took place this rear in Brighton. The circumstances of this meeting seemed at the outset to be very disheartening, some of the delegates fearing that the Mission was upon its last legs. But despite the seeming difficulties the Conference had a good start, and from the report we gather the clouds had disappeared before the meetings closed. The Mission is now freed from financial embarrassment, and is looking forward to work in the future. The Conference extended over thr~e days, four meetings being held each day, comprising business meetings, Bible readings, devotional meetings, and public meetings, The addresses are this year of unusual interest, and from their tone it is evident

DECEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

180

that there is no desire on the part of the adherents of the Mission to go back upon the position they have taken. The old veteran worker, James Waylen, says, 'The gathering, on the whole, was fraternal, exhilarating, and of fair promise.' And J. R. N orrie tells his readers, As a whole, the Conference will bear favourable co~parison with the best of its predecessors. The apprehension which went before was completely dispelled, and the warm-hearted giving, which was one striking feature of the gatheriug, produced in some hearts at least the grateful recognition, "The Lord hath dealt bountifully with us," "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all His benefits." If there is work to he done by this Mission, it is evident there will be no lack of ardent, faithful hearts ready to do it.' Mr. Isaac Selby, formerly Freethought lecturer, and now of the Church of Christ, is at present on a visit to New Zealand, and at this time of writing is in Auckland delivering lectures in defence of Christianity. We believe him to be worthy (If reception by all our brethren, and heartily comm1l d him and his work to them wherever he may go. It was with no little pleasure that we heard him discard the current view of eternal misery, and practically avow himself a heliever in Conditional Immortality. At, the first of his lectures, when question or discussion was invited, almost the first objection raised against the truth and reasonableness of Christianity was clothed in the assertion that God was represented in the Bible as dooming the unbelievers to eternal torment. The objector waxed virtuously indignant over this dogma, and contended that such a doom was not just; that no one could love a being who could sentence man to such a penalty, or accept a system which taught the doctrine. Mr. Selby's reply was yery guarded, but clear. 'No one,' said he, 'should make the assertion that God would consign any man to eternal torment without offering proof to substantiate his statement. Such a tlling is not taught in the New Testament. I read that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Goel is eternal life." , We learn that ::\11'. Selby holds that Conditional Immortality is taught in the Word of God, but takes the position of many of his brethren, that its particular advocacy has a tendency to cause disunion, and, therefore, unless compelled. he does not publicly avow his belief, For this much we are glad, and hope that some . time he may take a further step and help others to reach the stand of faith ill this matter which he has himself taken. '

a minister

Methodist membership, to the extent of a quarter of a million in a decade, and xtries to show the cause of this leakage. He claims that the cause is a very evident one, and that the Washington Council ought to take cognizance of it, and to legislate with a view to the removal of the injurious thing. He declares that the facts go to prove: , That the leak is caused by a terrible foe in the camp. 'That this foe in the camp of Israel is an Achan error, which, by a subtle deterioration, weakens the faith of very many persons in the character of J'chovah, the Good God. , That this enemy is none other than the doctrine of the future everlasting torment, or misery, of the lost. 'That the tenor of God's Word is directly opposed to that doctrine. 'That in Methodist literature it had not sufficient support.'

He sums up his indictment against the doctrine by affirming it to be false, futile of good effects, fertile of bad results, grossly calumnious with regard to God, and fatally injurious with regard to the Church.' We congratulate our venerable friend uponthis brocliure, and, though the Council is certain to fight shy of doctrinal discussions, we hope that those members of the Council to whom copies have been sent will very seriously weigh and consider the charges he brings against the current doctrine. 1 it be true, as he claims, that the belief and advocacy of 'everlasting torments' are crippling the work of the Church, and have opened so disastrous a leak, the matter is important enough to draw together the leading minds, not only of Methodism, but of the Church generally, to discuss it in all its bearings, and, if possible, to find a remedy. .The 'Ceiltury of Plain Questions' has not received any effective reply. How will the new pamphlet fare? From the TVOTld's Crisie of 22nd July, we heal' of the intended visit to Australia of Miles Grant, the eminent evangelist. We are heartily glad of this, for we should" like, above all things, to see and hear this grand man tell of 'his experiences as a preacher of the good news of the Kingdom. He says, in the paper we refer. to, ' Years ago I said to the Lord chat He could send me anywhere on the earth that His unerring wisdom might direct. I can give no other reason for my visits to the Pacific Coast, the Southern States, Great Britain, Italy, and elsewhere, only that I believe the Lord thus dictated. Had I followed my own personal inclinations, none of these far-off visits would have been made. Ireland sends a pressing call, where I make my first halt on my way to Australia, then Our venerable friend, and eo- worker in the cause of perhaps a few weeks in England, next to Rome, then Conditional Immortality, the Rev .. J. S. Hudson, author onward through the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and of ' A Century of Plain Questions,' called upon us the other Indian "Ocean. This may be my last mission trip before day. 'Ve were glad to see him and to have a little the coming of our Saviour. Pray for me.' conversation with him. Although far advanced in years, he continues to do work for the truths he has espoused . with all the freshness aud vigonr of youth. He has lately Evolution as carried on in mallY schools is merely the 9 issued a pamphlet entitled, 'Our d.reat Methodist CEcumenical stuffing of the minds of youth with superficial knowledge of Council; and The One Grave Question for Discussion.', a lot of "isms" and" ologies," to the grea,t neglect os all In this latest of his writings, he takes the admission made that is useful and beneficial to both boys and girls in after by leading Methodists, that there is a great leakage in life.

v-

186

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

DECEMBER,

18

~be flDieeing ~nee.

summer evening, for a part of Oil!' family worship, I read the fourth chapter of First Thessalonians. Before retiring to rest I seated myself on my easy chair and mused on the last few verses, which were as follows: 'For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God j and the dead in Christ shall rise first j then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.' And as I fell into a deep sleep, and had a most wonderful dream, my mind seemed to be clear and di~tinct, and my intellectual faculties stronger and brighter than in my wakeful condition. I thought: I had awa.kened in the morning, and was somewhat surprised to find that my wife was not beside me as usual. Supposing, however, that her absence was but temporary, I waited, expecting her speedy return to our chamber j but after the lapse of what I considered a reasonable time, as she did not make her appearance, I arose and dressed.
ONE

husband, were good respectable people, members of a Christian church, though rather worldly minded. After I had rung the bell several times, and waited somewhat impatiently, she appeared and apologized for her dilatoriness by saying she was in a 'peck of trouble,' and had to prepare breakfast herself, for her coloured servant girl, whom she had always considered to be a real good Christian, had played her a mean trick. 'She' had gone off somewhere, without even puttiug the kettle an the range or saying a word to any of us. But what puzzles us to know is how she got out of the house, for the doors are all locked and the keys inside, just as we left it coming home from Mrs. B's progressive euchre party.' (Indeed.' said I, 'it is exceedingly strange,' and then I explained to her the object of my moming visit. When she heard of the mysterious absence of my wife and J ulia, she became so nervous that I was glad to change the subject by saying that, as I had not yet breakfasted, I would join them in their morning repast. When her husband heard my story he treated it with a good deal of levity, and declared that my wife was only playing me a practical joke to induce me to rise earlier in the morning. He was sure the missing ones had secreted themselves somewhere about the house, and when I returned home I would find them all right. As we seated ourselves at the table, Mrs. E. said we would have to take coffee without milk, as her milkman, who had heretofore been very reliable, had failed to make his appearar ce. Presently the door-bell ra'ng, and Frank entered in a state of great nervous excitement, saying he had been all over inquiring for his mother, and that in almost every house he Iouud trouble similar to our own. Almost every oue was searching for missing ones. He also stated that the streets were thronged with excited people hurrying to and fro, and many of them weeping bitterly. Breakfast was scarcely over before inquiries were made at the door as to missing neighbours, and among those who called was Mr. H, who greatly astonished us by stating that his two youngest. children, ten and twelve years of age, had gone off with their grandinother, who had been bed ridden for over six years. At this announcement Mr. E. showed evident signs of alarm, and related a conversation he had held yesterday with a friend, whose religious ideas he bad looked upon as quite heretical. His friend insisted t.hat a vast majority of church mem hers in these days were but nominal Christians, 'Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God,' and the Iove of the masses for religious things had reached a very low ebb. 'My friend al~o assured me,' said Mr. E, 'that the Scriptures clearly taught that, when the elect number of Christ's church would be completed, Christ would come as ilnexpected ly as a thief in the night, and call His saints, both dead and alive, to meet Him in the air. The transformation would be effected in the twinkling of an eve j and, although the call would be made with a shout and the sound of a trurn pet, yet none would hear it but those for whom it was intended. Then would be realized the import of Christ's words, "In that

My wife's apparel was where she had placed it on re, tiring, and I felt confident that she was somewhere about the house. So I went to nly daughter J'ulia'e room, thinking she might know the whereabouts of her mother, but, after knocking several times without response, I entered and found that she also was missing. 'Strange, passing strange,' said I to myself; 'where can they both be 7' Then I went to the room of our son Frank, and found him up and already dressed, which was something unusual for him at an hour so early. He said he had passed a very reetless night, and thought he had better get up. I told him of the ahsencc of his mother and sister from their rooms, and requested him to look around and see if he could find them. In the meantime I hurriedly completed my toilet, and soon Frank returned and said the missing ones were nowhere to be found, and that every door leading outward was securely . locked, a's on the preceding evening. We were at our wits' end, and what to make out of this strange occurrence we did not know. On again visiting Julia's room, we found on a stand, her well marked open Bible. One prominent verse attracted my attention jit read, 'Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.' This passage, my wife had al ways declared, referred to the coming of Christ for his saints, the redeemed church, according to 1 Thess. iv. 16-18, while I insisted that it meant only the preparation for death. But I am digressing. Fran k and I concluded that, without waiting for breakfast, we should each take a different route, and visit some of our most iutiuinte friends ill qnest of our deal" ones.
I first called on my wife's sister, Mrs. E, who, with her

DECEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

187

night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken and the other left; two shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left." I fear that the time has n9W come, and sad to say, we are among the left ones.' Now as the morning was far advanced, it was suggested that we go down to our business places. Frank had already gone to his office, and I, with a heavy heart, wended my way along the avenue among an unusu l throng of men and . women, whose faces betokened intense sorrow. In the business part of the city I observed that many stores were closed, and that those that were open did not appear to be doing any business. Every saloon that I passed was open, as usual, with groups of men outside, apparently engaged in .serious discussion. As'I passed by the City Hall, there was no less diminution of the usual crowd of political , hangers on ' around the building. When I reached my own store I found that my bookkeeper and the faithful old porter who had served me so many years had not yet put in an appearance. My two other clerks were on hand doing nothing, nor did I feel like asking them to do anything. I then went to the Cham bel' of Commerce, and found the largest gathering of merchants I had seen there in many months. Instead of the lively, noisy bustle of buying and selling, and clerks and messenger boys running to and fro, there was a solemn gloom pervading the assembly. By unanimous eonsent, and in consequence of the great calamity that had overtaken the community, it was voted that' three days' grace be allowed on all contracts falling due this day.' I will not attempt to set forth any o.f the reasons and specula, tions that were advanced as to the cause of our present troubles, but all agreed that the visitation was a supernatural one, and that in some way we who were left were blamable forit. In the afternoon, by common consent, business of all kinds was suspended, except in the vicinity of the saloons, where a good deal of disorder prevailed. Here and there were groups of people in earnest conversation. At one of t1hem was a man who seemed to be well versed in Scripture and as I was approaching he was saying that 'this is th~ day spoken of by Christ in Matt. xxiv. 36-41, but none 'of us believed it, and now we are beginning to realize how foolish we were.' .

Most of the active workers and worshippers werJ absent. Audible groans and deep' drawn sighs were he~rd from various parts of the room. Some were bemoaning the loss of children, others of husbands, of wives, of fathers and mothers. The pastor was speaking when I entered the room, and was entreating the audience to endeavour to allay their feelings. He said, 'None of you can, realize the keen disappointment I experience at this result of my labours. I am accused of having preached. too much about the affairs of this life, and too little about the heavenly state and the things to come, and of having kept you in ignorance of the imminence of the awful visitation which has manifested itself among us this day. In reply to these accusations I can only say that I have taught you the same theology that was taught to me in the college, viz: to treat the Bible as a book largely of spiritual symbols and allegories. But now I confess that I was sadly mistaken, for, afte~ what has occurred, I cannot help believing that God's Word means iust what it saNS. I am glad, however, now to be able to say for your comfort that since this morning I have made a prayerful examination of the Scriptures as to our present condition, and find that we are yet in the place of hope.' Here a chorus that l' of voices ejaculated, 'Thank God for

The pastor proceeded, 'Although we have lost the glorious privilege of the raptured saints, sal vation is yet ours, if we humbly and truly accept it. We may have to pass through greater trials and tribulations than the world has ever yet experienced ere we reach the kiugd orn, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.' Here the electric light suddenly went out, and there arose such fearful screams that I spmng to my feet in te1'1'01'and-awoke.

My wife, who was in an adjoining room. hearing m'y sudden uprising, hastened in to see what was the matter. Oh, how glad I was to see her and to realize that the terrible experience in my easy chair was only a dream! But the more I thought of it afterwards the more solemn seemed the Scripture truths which it contained, and the more was I impressed with the importance of having our lamps trimmed and burning, ready to go out and meet the Bridegroom. A. F. A. In the evening nearly every church in the city was open, with overflowing congregations. Everybody was anxious to M. Camille Flammarion, in the A1'ena, gives his experiknow the cause and meaning of the' great visitation,' and ences in the investigation of spiritual phenomena. He to learn how lost hopes might be regained. Many of the says :-Personally, I declare that I have not yet discovered pastors had gone with the missing ones, but some were presen t ill their churches. All order of service was dispensed for myself one fact which proves, with certainty, the with, and noisy confusion prevailed; criminatiorr and re- existence of soul as separate from. body. If we have no crimination were bandied to and fro between the pastors clear and irrefutable proofs, we have still the aid of a goodly and the people, the latter. asserting that if the pastors had number of observations establishing the conclusion that we done their duty, and taught their flocks the plain truths of the are compassed about by a set of phenomena, and by powE'rs Bible instead of lulling them to sleep with philosophical and differing from the physical order commonly observed day by moral essays, they would not now be in their present condi- day; .and these phenomena urge us to pursue every line of tion. In my own church. the pastor was present, with scores investigation having for its end a psychical acquaintance with human nature. of persons whom I had but rarely seen at meetings.

\
188 THE BIBLE STANDARD.
DECEMBER, 1891.

you have, and cultivate the grace of self-forgetfulness and a sunshiny face. This morning I happened to see the following paragraph in a paper, which is so pertinent to the subject that I quote it for your benefit: , We all know the woman who in the eyes of the world is neither pretty or even good looking, yet there is something in her face which exhilarates you the moment you A SCHOOL-BOY gave the following paper as his reasons for see her. Her face is always like a cloudless June morningbeing a total abstainer: 'I abstain from alcoholic drinks You ask what it is in that woman's face which makes it so because, if I would excel as a cricketer, Grace says" abstain" ; beautiful to everybody. It is sunshine. It warms and as a walker, Weston says, "abstain"; as a swimmer, Webb permeates to the farthest corner, and everybody and everysays, "abstain"; as an oarsman, Hanlan says, "abstain"; thing is>made happy by it. It makes a woman beautiful. as an orator, Bright says, "abstain"; as a doctor, Clarke She whose features are regularly cut, whose skin is imsays, " abstain"; as a missionary, Livingstone says, maculate, whose hair is like spun gold, whose eyes are like "abstain"; as a preacher, Farrar says, "abstain." Asylums, stars, is not lovely unless her face be bright with sunshine prisons, and work-houses repeat the cry, "abstain.'" from the soul. The woman to whom nature has denied even Another lad wrote: 'I would abstain from the taking of the most modest outward sign of beauty is made lovely by alcohol as a beverage because it is a very selfish and its possession. Who can live without sunshine-c-mental bad habit. It becomes the more so when you are sunshine, I mean? At home the sunshiny woman makes married, and have got a wife and children to keep .. The life a happiness, and living with her a ble*ing. The face money that ought to go to them is spent in drink, and the is the outward visible sign of the inward spiritual gmce, common result is that there are discomforts and poverty in and there is no virtue 80 beautiful as the one that makes the house. Drunkards as a rule do not provide for the you a giver Cifgood gifts in the way of brightness.--Zion's future, and lay a little by, but they go on drinking till, Advocate. perhaps quite unexpectedly, they die and leave their family bflh!nd in misery.'

--"-----

'Umbat is a mo~el 'UUlife?

lbfln~some lS tbat jbanceome !Does.

By 'SHJ'; is about
AUNT SERENA.

the plainest

woman

I ever saw,' said my

friend, 'but her face radiates so much sunshine that I never think of her looks.' And it was so true. No one who came within the magnetic influence of her sunny spirit ever gave a more than passing thought to the fact of her extreme plainness of feature and awkwardness of form. She had been a homely child, and they had called her Grace--such a misnomer! Poor little thing! No one went into raptures over her beauty, and said sweet things to her as they did to her pretty sister Maud, It had bp-en a heavy cross to the shy child, and during the years of young maidenhood , when other girls were showered with the gallant . attentions so flattering to their' girlish pride, she was always the one who was 'left out of things.' But Grace had a wise mother, who tenderly and judiciously showed her young daughter how she might win love a,n(~ hold it in spite of physical defects-that she must first gam a golden heart, which would ensure a bright, sunshiny face that would win scores of friends. Grace Brown is a plain woman still, but she is also a very attractive woman, a very happy woman, with a devoted husband, three or' four pretty children, and a multitude of friends. So, don't worry, girls, if there is something awry in your features-the worry will only make it worse. It is perfectly natural 01' vou to desire to be beautiful, but if nature has denied you that blessing, why, just make the best of' wh~t

A MODEL wife, says the Ladies' Home Journal, is the woman in whom the heart of her husband doth safely trust. She is the woman who looks after his household, and makes her hospitality a delight to h:m, and not a burden. Who has learned that a soft answer will turn away wrath. Who keeps her sweetest smiles- and most loving words for her husband. Who is his confidant in sorrow or in joy, and who does not feel the necessity of explaining her private affairs to the neighbourhood. "Who respects the rights of husband and children, and in return has clue regard paid to her. Who knows that the strongest argument is her womanliness, and so she cultivates it. Who is sympathetic in joy, or in grief, and who finds work for her hands to do. Who makes friends and keeps them. Who is not made bitter by troubles but who strengthens and sweetens under it. Who tries to conceal the faults of her husband rather than blazon them forth to an uninterested public. The woman whose Iife-bcok has love written on every page. Who makes a home for a man-a home in a house and in a heart. A home that he is sure of, a home that is full of love, presided over by one whose price is above rubies. She is the model wife. .Now if she has been fortunate enough to find a model husband, they can have a model home and a model family.

1belp

~l\e

Bnotber.

, I WILL try to help others, especially the weak, the poor, the sick and the sorrowful.' A woman was walking along a street one windy day when the rain began to come down. She had an umbrella,

DECEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

189

but. her hands were full of parcels, and it was difficult for her to raise it in that wind. 'Let me, ma'am ; let me, please,' said a bright faced boy, taking the umbrella in his hands. The astonished woman looked on with satisfaction, while he managed to raise the rather obstinate umbrella, Then taking out one of those ever-handy strings which boys carry he tied all the parcels snugly into one bundle and politely handed it back to her. 'Thank you, very much,' she said. 'You are very polite to do so much for a stranger.' , Oh, it's no trouble, ma'arn,' he said, with It smile, 'I like to help people.' Both went their ways with a happy feeling in their hearts; for such little deeds of kindness are like sweet smelling roses blossoming along the path of life. We all have our opportunities day by day, and shall one day be asked how we have improved them.

from what I have seen and heard myself-c-that thousands of the people will receive the gracious and consolatory doctrine, and find in it the solace of their present misery, by living in the hope of an immediate and blessed hereafter. 'r saw this 011 one occasion amid the very depths of human misery. T saw 'it and I heard it in the lowest receptacles of human sorrow, ill Whitecbapel, where 'were collected some three hundred of the most miserable of human beings. There they were addressed upon this very subject; and when I called upon them to sing that ever-stirring hymn with which we began to-day, with the great chorus, in which they all joiued-i, " Hold the fort, for I am coming, Jesus signal still ; Wave the answer back to heaven,' .By Thy grace we will. "

those three hundred poverty-stricken human beings burst as one vman into song for ten minutes, and then for ten minutes more did they repeat it, and many of them went back to their homes, comforted and strengthened, because Bn ,ampractical IDoctrine. they heard for the first time that a Redeemer was at hand, and that any hour he might be expected to 'take them to So mallY call the truth of the Lord's imminent coming- himself, regenerated and happy, there to dwell with Him And often do we hear those who preach it spoken of as the for ever.'-'1'he Watchword. agitators of a harmless delusion which can do little good to anybody. In a contemporary magazine we find the following 'tlmill WOU :JJ3e testimony of the mall whom Mr Spurgeon pronounces the most eminent Christian philanthropist which this nineteenth IF we are to have drunkards in the future, some. of them century has produced: are to come from the boys to whom I am now writing _;and , The opinion of the late Earl of Shaftesbury 011 our subject I ask you a.gain if you want to be one of them 1 No!' of is worth recording. In a most telling address, delivered at course you don't. Mildmay, in the year 18'78, he was reported as saying the Well, I have a plan for you that is just as sure to save following words, as the resnlt of his own experience, which you from such a fate as the sun is to rise to-morrow morning. was such [1, wide and varied one, on the point of bringing It never failed; it will never fail; and I think it worth the gospel within touch of the masses. He then recomknowing. Neoe touch liquor in any form. That is the mended, as the best way of doing so, to bring home to them plan, and it is not only worth knowing, but it is worth putting the then much-forgotten truth of the Lord's second coming. into practice. Wheu we think of Lord Shaftesbury himself, as a bright l know you don't drink now, and it seems to you as if example of one who lived in the swim of the strongest YOll never would. But your temptation will come, and it current of this world's power and eminence, and. yet whose will probably come in this way. You will find yourself brightest hopes were fixed for himself on the better world some time with a number or companions, and they will have above, we know his words came from his own whole-hearted a bottle' of wine on the table. They will drink, a.nd offer it experience and inner life :to you. They will regard it as a manly practice, and Yery 'I may speak a word upon this as the result of my own likely they will look upon you as a milk-sop if you don't experience, and. 1 hold it out to all the clergy, if they will indulge with them. Then what will you do 1 eh, what will allow me to give them a word of exhortation-i-I give it not you do 1 Will you say, 'No, 110! none of that stuff'for me! upon the standpoint of interpreting the Bible, hut from the I know a trick worth half-a-dozen of that!' or will you take standpoint of having had much knowledge of the working the glass, with your own common sense protesting and your people, from the best of them down to the lowest strata of conscience making the whole draught bitter, and a feeling the population-I maintain that if you will go among the that you have damaged yourself, and then go off with a hot mass of the people in all their misery and sin, and hold out head and a skulking soul that at once begins to make to them the great doctrine of the second coming of Christ, apologies for itself, and will keep doing so during all its and tell them that if they will but turn to the Lord, it may life 1 Boys, do not become drunkards be at hand, it may not be far dietant=--I tell you that, if you will go among the great mass of the poorer sort, and hold. out to them this great truth, and enforce it by all the. Nothing can excuse dishonesty. eloquence you can command, and all the spirit that may be Find your own faults and let other folk do the same. given you by the Holy Ghost, I have no doubt-I feel it Seeing other people's faults will not mend your own.

----

~ne?

\
190 THE BIBLE STANDARD.
DECEMBER, 1891.

an :abbreaa' to 'IDeatb.
slept one ~rain of human dust, Essential organ of a human soul, Wherever tossed-obedient to the call Of God's omnipotence, it hurried on To meet its fellow particles, revived, Rebuilt, in union indestructible. No atoms of his spoils remained in Death; From his strong arm, by stronger arm released, Immortal now in Soul and Body both, ' . Beyond his reach, stood all the sons of men, And saw, behind, hill valley lie, unfeared.
WHEREVER

Oh, Death! with what an eye of desperate lust, From out thy emptied vaults, thou then did'st look, After the risen multitudes of all Mankind! Ah, thou had'st been the terror long, And murderer, of all of woman born, None could escape thee! In thy dungeon-house, Where darkness dwelt, and putrid loathsomeness, And fearful silence, villainously still, And all of horrible and deadly name, _ Thou sat'st, from age to age, insatiate, And drank the blood of men, and gorged their flesh ; And with iron teeth did'st grind their bones To powder,' treading out beneath thy feet Their very names and memories! the blood Of nations could not slake thy parched throat; No bribe could buy thy favour for an hour, Or mitigate thy ever-cruel rage For human prey: I?old,beauty, virtue, youth, Even helpless, swaddled innocency failed To soften thy heart of stone: the infante' blood Pleased well thy taste, and, while the mother wept, Bereaved by thee, lonely and waste in woe, Tliy ever grinding jaws devoured her too! Each son of Adam's family beheld, Where'er he turned, whatever path of life Me trod, thy goblin form before him stand, Like trusty old assassin, in his aim Steady and sure as eye.of destiny, With scythe and dart, and strength invincible, Equipped, and ever menacing his life. He turned aside, he clrowned himself in sleep, In wine, in pleasure; travelled, voyaged, sought Receipts for health from all he met; betook To business, speculate, retired; returned Again to active life; again retired! Returned, retired again: prepared to die. Talked of thy nothingness, conversed of life To come, laughed at his fears, filled up the cup, Drank deep, refrained; filled up, refrained again; Planned, built him round with splendour, won applause, Made large alliances with men and things; Read deep in science and philosophy To fortify his soul; heard lectures prove The present ill and future good; observed His pulse beat regular; extended hope; Thought, dissipated thought, and thought again; Indulged, abstained, and tried a thousand schemes To ward thy blow, or hide thee from his eye; But still thy gloomy terrors dipped in Sin, Before him frowned, and withered all his joy. Still, feared and hated thing! thy ghostly shape Stood in his avenues of fairest hope: Unmannerly and uninvited, crept Into his haunts of most select delight. Still in his halls of mirth, and banquetting, And revelry, thy shadowy hand was seen Writing thy name of-Death! Vile worms! that gnawed The root of all his happiness terrene ; the gall Of all his sweet, the thorn of every rose Of earthly bloom, cloud of his noon-day .sky, Frost of his spring, sigh of his loudest laugh; Dark spot on every form of loveliness, Rank smell amidst his rarest spiceries, Harsh dissonance of all his harmony, Reserve of every promise, and the if Of all to-morrows-now, beyond thy vale, Stood all the ransomeclmultitude of men, Immortal all, and in their visions saw Thy visage grim no more. Great payment day! Of all thou ever conquered, none was left

In thy un peopled realms, so populous once. He, at whose girdle hang the keys of death And life, not bought, but with the blood of Him 'Vho wears, the eternal Son of God, that morn Dispelled the cloud that sat so long, so thick, So heavy o'er thy vale; opened all thy doors, Unop'd before and set thy prisoners free. Vain was resistance, and to follow vain. In thy unveiled caves and solitndes Of dark and dismal emptiness thou sat'st, Rolling thy hollow eyes, disabled thing! Helpless, despised, unpitied, and unfeared, Like some fallen tyrant chained in sight of all The people: from thee dropped thy pointless daru ; Thy terrors withered all; thy ministers, Annihilated, fell before thy face; And on thy man eternal hunger seized. Nor yet sad monster! wast thou left alone; In thy dark dens some phantoms still remained. Ambition, Vanity, and earthly Farne , . Swolleu Ostentation, meagre Avarice, Mad Superstition, smooth Hypocrisy, And Bigotry intolerant, and Fraud, And wilful Ignorance, and sullen Pride; Hot Controversy, and the subtle ghost Of Vain Philosophy, and worldly Hope, And sweet-lipped, hollow-hearted FlatteryAll these, great personao-esonce on earth, And not unfollowed, nor Jr';praised, were left, Thy ever unredeemed, and with thee driven To Erebus, through whose uncheered wastes Thou mayest chase them, with thy broken scythe, Fetching vain strokes, to all eternity, Unsatisfied, as men who, in the days Of Time, their unsubstantial forms pursued.From POLLOCK'S Course of Time.

:a 1Reatleaa :age.
is a very marked characteristic of the present age. It is manifest everywhere. Even the secular papers observe it. Restlessness in the Churches. The Presbyterians, the Protestant Episcopalians, and other' denominations beside, are all deeply agitated. Ever: the Quakers talk of revising their discipline. Restlessness in the political world. Great parties are breaking up. New ones are formed upon all sorts of platforms. Not a throne in Europe rests upon a secure basis. Every little while a new reformer appears, with his own patent for setting the world right. Meanwhile the world somehow fails to get right. Even the most conservative mark with alarm the increase of crime. We have theories and organizations without number, but none of them seem likely to usher in the golden age.
RESTLESSNESS

()

Restlessness in the business world. Strained relations between capital and labour. A hundred schemes are propounded to bring about a.more equal distribution of property, and to lessen the amount of poverty and suffering. Meanwhile the monopolies are multiplied upon every hand, and the millionaire ~nd the tramp continue to increase as the representation of the two extremes of our social life. This restlessness manifests itself in a revolt that extends to both Church and State. For all this there is only one cure Jesus Christ alone can satisfy tl1e human soul, and on ly the coming of His kingdom can calm the feverish unrest of the present, age. Strange that in this age of d.scovery, invention, and luxury, the question should be raised, 'Is life worth living 7' Yet so it is. No amount of material

DECEMBER,

1891.

THE BIBLE STANDARD.

191

good can make men truly happy, or satisfy the deep needs of the heart. Men seek for joy and peace everywhere but in the right quarter. They turn away from the living waters, and hew out for themselves broken cisterns. Faith in the coming Christ, and in the sure establishment of His kingdom, will keep faith strong and hope bright amid the surging billows of this restless age. JESSE S. GILBERT.

NSWER TO No. 6 (Second JOCHEBED Jemirna

Orpah

Series).

(Num. xxvi, 59). Job xlii. 14, 15 Ruth i. 14, 15 Matt. xv. 2227 I. Sam. i. 27, 28 Est. ii. 17 n. Sam. xi. I. Tim. i. 5; iii. 15 Jud. v.

Canaan Hannah Esther Bath-sheba Eunice Deborah

OMPETITORS of age. answers children.

HINTS.

must be under will

eighteen

years of the

It

be understood

that the

sent are

the entire toorlc

Begin with the present set. Do not write the questions, but send the answers numbered to correspond with the questions, and state iohere you found them. Write in ink. See that your note contains name and address, and reaches me not later than the 18th of the month. Competitors in the South must post by th6 18th. Do not keep back, though you cannot solve every question. As Christmas is near, we would like you to answer some questions relating to the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. QUESTIONS FOH. CHRISTMAS. 1. 'Where was Jesus born ? 2. Who prophesied that He would be born there? 3. Q,uote the song the angels sang at His birth. 4. Why was He called Jesus? 5. Who were the first to find out where He was? 6. Who came from a distance to worship Hirn? 7. What did they bring with them? 8. What. was His mother's name? 9. Where is the last mention of her in the New Testaruent t THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES. ANSWERS THE ELEVENTHSET. TO 1. Cornelius (Acta x. 22); Ananias (Acts xxii. 12). 2. Titus (Gal. ii. 3). 3. The things forbidden in Acts xv. 29. 4. Romans viii. 9; Gal. iv. 6. 5. Attempted (Bible Word Book). 6. Yes (Acts xx. 6). 7. Cornelius (Acts x. 3) ; Peter (Acts x. 11) ; Paul (Acts xviii, 9). 8. An island in the north of the .Mgean Sea (see map). 9. Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke i, 27); Elizabeth (Luke i. 25); Mary, the sister of Lazarus (John xi. 1). ' 10. Narcissus (Rom, xvi. 11); Stephanus (I. Cor. i, 16); Onesiphorus (H. Tim. i. 16).

AUCKLANfl.-V,re have nothing 01 great import to record this month. Our morning and evening services have been well attended, but our BIble Class has somewhat diminished, and in this connection we would like to impress upon the membei s the very great need there is of regular attendance at the class. VVe can assure them their development in BIble knowledge IS very much helped by the discussion of the subjects brought under notice from tune to urne at the BIble C];,SS. We cannot grow in the favour (grace) of God unless we do His will, and to cio it we must understand it, and to understand it we must search the scrip. tures. Mr. Isaac Selby delivered his farewell anti-infidel lecture in the Foresters' Hall, on Wednesday evening, 25th November, to a 'crowded house,' Brother Aldridge presiding. SYDNEv.-We are pleased to find that the brethren kept up the tone of the STANDARD during the absence of Bro, Aldridge. He, we are sure, would be cheered to know that willing hands were doing the work from wlll,ch he has been temporarily absent. Our meetings here ar~ gettmg an mcreased attendance, and ideas concerning the truth are being st rengthened as we progress. We hold a meeting soon to see whether It be advisable to continue to hold Our meetings in the Warwick Hall. Our two years' agreement will soon expire, and some of the brethren desire to secure a more centrally situated place. This, of course, means more rent, which some are afraid we cannot afford.

current 'tRews ano 'tRotes.

!HE exodus from New Zealand has apparently received a check, The returns for October show excess of departures over arrivals of only 67. The sea serpent has turned up this time in earnest. A South Australian Bishop, while walking on the sea coast discovered the remains of one over sixty feet long. ' A Roman Catholic Ecc1e8ia~tical.College has been opened in Surrey, England, the first of its kind founded in the southern RESU!:Ts.-Nine C01Tect and part No. 7: Helen Brewster, counties since the Reformation. Nine correct: Sydney Smith, Louis Falkner. Eight correct and qhi~1ais in a bad way. The whole country abounds with secret part of Nos, 1 and 9: Margaret N. Green. Seven correct and part societies, the largest and most powerful of which are pledged to of No. 4: VVilliam Norries. Six correct and part of No. 7: Bertha remove the present reigning dynasty, which is Tartar. Aldridge, Five correct and part of Nos. 1, 7 and 10: Willi Bishop Julius is credited with the following :-' New Zealand Judkins, Four correct and part Of Nos. 9 and 10 : J arnes French. was the chosen home of every fad under the sun-social political Three C01TeCt nd part of Nos. 3, 7, 9 and 10: Fanny French. a , , Next issue we shall give the names of the most successful and religious.' Verily we are on the eve of wonderful things. It has now competitors, and announce the awarding of prizes in these coinpetitions. We are not decided as to whether we shall continue become a part of the scientist's duty to teach us how to cause rain the questions in the coming year, meantime we wish our young to fall when we need it, and also to prevent it when threatened with an unwelcome shower. friends the compliments of the season.

/
192
THE BIBLE STANDARD.
DECEMBER, 1S91. Gales, floods, and disasters of many kinds are advised from all quarters of the world, while insurrections in Central and South America, famine n.nd disease in Russia, and financial panics in Germany and the colonies, make up a terrible record for the month. Mrs Bcsant has sailed for America en route for India, where she intends to further study the subject of Theosophy. She returns to Ceylou, there to investigate the religion of Buddha. Some of her friends wonder whether she will eventually terminate her career in Buddhism or in the Church of Homo, Un Sunday, Novembor 14th, nearly one thousand members of Friendly Societies in Auckland marched in procession to the City Hall and held an enthusiastic meeting to inaugurate a Hospital Sunday, the object being to provide a fund from which members of Friendly Societies who ma~' be compelled to use the Hospital 11Ilty be maintained without entrenching upou their ordinary allowance from the Society.

'[be :fJ3ible$tan~arb.
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Auckland-s-Mr. C. lIIackay, Bookseller, Grey-street. " Mr. C. Mackay, Bookseller, Karangahape Road. Duuedin-c Mr. j ames Neil, George-stre et. " Mr. Aiiken, Arcade. Gisborne-c-Mr. A. Slack. t Iamilton-c-Mr, ohn Stea dmau. Hoteo North=-Mr. John Wilson. Lnvercargill-v-N eil's Botanic Dispensary. Kamo-s-Mr. J. Heape, Kaiapor-c-Mr. James lIolland, Milton-Mr. Gregg. New Plymouth--Mr. Fred. Goodacre, Courtnay Road. Timaru-e-Mr. J. Rowbotham, Cash Store, Church Street Thames-Mr. E. H. Taylor Mr. W. H. Cropp. " Mr. N odder, Bookseller. Wangaloa~-Mr. Taylor. Wellington-Mr. J. Ill. ~1iller, Dixon St reet, Waimate-s-Mr. D. R. Buckingham.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Adelaide-Mr. Adelcide=-Mr. Sydney-Mr.

C. Gamble, Lire and Advent Book Room, King William-street, City. C. Gamble, !lJagill Road, Stepuey,
NEW SOUTH WALES.

Herbert

Cropp, 27, Munnis-street,

Newtown.

Communications to the Editor to be addressed o=G'EO. ALlJIUDGE, Boston Road, Auckland. All Communications to the Association to be addressed to the Secretary, '<VM. RATTRAY, Victoria Avenue, off Eden Terrace, Auckland.

CHURCH

OF CHRIST

Hold services as under :.AUCKLA~ D-Foresters' Hall, Karangahape Road. Sunday, at 11 o'clock a.m., Fellowship :'I/ceting. 6.45 p.m., Lecture on some important Bible Theme. Sunday School at 3. Wednesday evening, Bible CI,"SSat 7.30. Evangelist's address-s-Geo. Aldridge, Boston Road. GtSllORNE-Meeting Address-Mr. held in private houses. A Slack. North Gisbornc.

1)uNEDtN--Ocldfellow,' Hall, Smart-street. Sunday, at II a.rn., Fellowship Mectin,;. Lecture at 6.45 . Sunday School at 2.45. Prayer Meeting and Ilible Class every Friday evening at ;'.30. Evangelist's Address-Edwin Carr, Stafford Street,
TIiA)[ES

THE
l' It ICE

PROPHECY
By
GIWRGE

ON
ALDRIDGE.

OLIVE~

Pollen Street Lecture Hall. Sunday, at II n.rn., Fellowship ~lcelillt;. Evening Service at 6.30. Sunday School at 2.30. Bible Class every Wednesday evening at 7.30. Evangelist's Address-E. 11. Taylor, Thames.
-

S I X PEN C E. P 0 S T El G H T PEN C E. I The writer deals with the matter in a masterly manner, and all through there is a manifest wishfulness to have the arguments in harmony with the truths of the Word.' -A uckland:Evening Star. I The position taken by our old friend the author is, the literality of Scripture prophecy, and that prophecy makes no attemptto deal with general connected history, but is essentially Jewish and essentially critical,-i.e., it deals only with periods of great crises. In this the author substantially carries with him the judgment of his reviewer-s-in .fact, throug~out we find ourselves in p. ractical agreement With this work, which forms a very useful handbook to these two chapters of Matthew and the kindred portions of lI{cwk and Luke.'-Biblc Standard, England.

:\IELllOUR:>IE-Eastern Arcade, Bourke-strcei. Sunday, at 5.30 p.m., Fellowship Meeting. Lecture at 7 p. m. Bible Class Tuesday Evening, at 7.45. SVl>NIi.Y-'<Varwick Hall, Station Street, Newtown. Morning meeting at II _ Bible Class Wednesday al7.45. Secretary's address- \V. Warner, 16 Pill-street,

Redferu.

Printed by H. BRETT, Evemng Star Office, Shortland-street , for the New Zealand Evangelistic and Publication Association, and published by J. M. FRENCH, Sussex Street, Surrey Hills, Auckland. DECEM1JI':R, 18')!.

".