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About Christian herald. (Portland ;) 1882-18?? | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1883)
CHRISTIAN" HERALD •». ture life. They lookéd at the set ting sun, and the great poet said, ,.. 2 Betting, nevertheless the sun is always the same sun. I am fully convinced that our spirit is a being of a nature quite indestructible, and that its activity continues from eternity.” There is some thing about man more substantial than the body. You see a rainbow drawn across Niagara Falls. The water moves, but not the rainbow. What is the cause of the bow ? Says one E!«w if it was the bow would move also. The water is only the occasion of the rainbow, and the sun the cause. The material of man’s body is changing as do the waters of Nia gara ; but his spirit is an incorporal organism which preserves his iden tity, and beautifies his body as does the sun the waters of Niagara. -----------------------♦ ♦ ----------------------- JUST THINK OF IT I Just think of what? Why just think of a people who claim to be far superior to all other people in religious knowledge, and who pro fess to take the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, as their rule of faith and practice—a people who cry so loudly for “ Christian union,” and a return to the " old paths,” and who censure all other religious bodies for their departures from the word of God, just think, I sayvof such a people coming so far short in their own lives of what the Bible requires of them, that thousands of them are actually living • prayerless lives. There is nothing more clearly taught in the Bible, or more strong ly enjoined upon the people of God than the importance of canstant prayer. Prayer was a characteris tic of every eminent saint spoken of in the Bible. Even the Re deemer himself found it necessary to spend much time, even a whole night, alone in condnunion with God. And I believe that there is scarcely any one in our brother hood to day but who believes it is ■ right and profitable for Christians ......................... to pray. .. They believe the “ Bible ■ teaches this, and that men ought to pray everywhere, in private, in the family and in the public assembly, and yet in view of all this my own observation teaches me that there is not one family in every fifty on this coast where family worship can be found. In a great majority of families there is scarcely a chap ter read in the Bible from one week’s end to another, or a prayer sent up to a throne of grace in be ter and ventured to suggest that he riches does not constitute greatness; had now preached long enough but it imparts power, enabling the upon that subject, and had better truly great man to exhibit his great- changUto^soTO?!thTng~13150. •“Said he* -ness of heart-in acU..X)f lnexcy* ol to them, “ Brethren, if you have all kindness,of true benevolence. These repented I will make the change, things Job did extensively. Ho but if not I intend to continue this sheltered the houseless, warmed by subject until yod do.” What many clothing the cold and naked around of the members of our churches with the fleeces of his sheep, of need to-day is to repent of the which he had seven thousand. He careless and indifferent lives they was father to the fatherless; never are living, and begin at home to do ate his meals without the orphans , something for the salvation of their shared, and so kind wTas he to the widow, that it is said he caused families. ...... ..... We may argue, brethren, unuT their lieart^dringT^] many young people and others come into our churches and in a very the day of judgment about the a friend—helper of the poor, and short time grow cold and fall back soundness of our plea, but it will delivex’ of. the oppressed; and so into the world again. It is evident avail nothing, unless we show to addicted was he to acts of benevo-.- ly because they have never been our children, and the world at lence, that the causes he knew not Jie searcheilQut. _ He acquired and led by~some fatherly" hand to tlie ta r g e, s o unJUhri s t ian liv es— throne of grace, and there taught owner of example is worth a pound lived to bless his household and » his race; for he turned a deaf ear to the importance of constant prayer. of precept. O bserver . the cries of none, and the otherwise What can we expect of young people wlio~ome’ Into tTie^^ friendless..ever..-JEcamd...a^friendJa_ BIBLE TALKS. him. These things, together with if they are left to make their way his superior intelligence, wisdom as best they can, without our show BY M. R. LEMERT and knowledge, gave him a very ing them, by our example, as well NUMBER XXII. great influence; so that he com as by precept, how to grow in grace, and how to be strong f So Upon the supposition that Job manded the respect of all. He sat fully am I convinced of the impor left Egypt and went to the land of chief and dwelt of a king^when tance of prayer that I feel sure that .Ur soon after the king of Egypt he went into the city and took a no child of God will go back into began to oppress the Hebrews, his seat in the street, timid young meh the werid while hy-keeps up tlxo. not far fr< b tunc of* through deference hid themselves habit of secret prayers. the birth of Moses, when he himself the old men arose and stood up And just think of our prayer was about a hundred and forty the princes refrained from talking; meetings. In churches where we years old. Forty years later, Moses the nobles held their peace; all gave have over a hundred members the fled to the land of Midian, and mar ear, waited and kept silence for his prayer meetings will number from ried a daughter of the priest or ‘ counsel, which was received un six to twenty each week. What is prince of Midian. After his mar questioned ; for after his words, the cause of this state of things ? riage he kept his father-in-law’s none spoke again. Job 19. Besides Job’s riches and wisdom, I believe the fault lies very largely flocks and in doing so he Wandered at the doors of the preachers and around for pasture as far as the mount his great influence and unbounded elders in our churches. They are of God, which is Horeb. In pass liberality, he was devout—deeply not teaching the people their duty ing from Midian, which lies east, •religious—feared and worshiped upon the subject of prayer, and and south-east of the dead sea, to God, so that God said of him to what is still worse, some of them mount Horeb, Moses would pass Satan, “ Hast thou considered my are not praying men themselves. through the land of Ur, which is servant Job, that there is none like You can find plenty of them who not for from Midian, and as be was him in the earth, a perfect and an have no family altar in their own forty years in this business he, of upright man, one that feareth God homes. Their own children do not course frequently called on his and escheweth evil ?” A greater hear a chapter read or a prayer cousin Job, was familiar with him, enconium could hardly be pro offered up in their homes from one and with his eventful history. The nounced upon a mortal man—perfet, week’s end to another. These men love of kin was strong in the Bbra upright, feared God, shuned evil— are set as shepherds over the flock, hainic family. Esau settled south riches did Job no harm, nor did it to feed them, and yet they do not of the dead sea. Job in leaving injure his father Abraham, while even feed the lambs of their own Egypt went to Ur, which was close Ephraim waxed fat and kicked. households. What is wanted more by, where he could and did have The rule is, “The rich falLinto than anything else, at the present strong friends and associates among temptation and a snare, and into time, is a second John the Baptist, his kin; so Moses, in fleeing went many foolish and hurtful lusts who will go out among the people to the same region of county, where which drown men in destruction of God and call them to repentance. he doubtless mingled freely with and perdition.” Few can success I admire the course said to be per his kin, prominent among whom fully resist {he temptations that - sued by a Methodist preacher who was Job, “ the greatest of all the riches lead into. The prayer, “Give was sent to a certain charge. His men of the east,” of the country me neither poverty nor riches,” is first sermon was upon repentance, east of the Red sea Arabia. “ H is not an unwise one. But alas ! too and for five consecutive Sundays he mighty opulence no rival found, many so love riches, that they will preached upon the same subject Among the princes of Arabia’s hazard their soul’s salvation for the enjoyment of riches for a few brief By this time some of the old mem bound.” Job 1. True Job was rich, very rich, but.. days! bers became nervous over the mat half of those who compose these families. And from what I have been able to learn, I fear that the state of things, among our~people7 in many parts of the East, is little better. Respecting secret prayer among people, of course, is difficult for any one to know how much that is practiced, but from a close observation for years I have come to the conclusion that it is by far the smallest number of our brethren who pray even in private. We