COMFORT FOR THE SORROWING.

A reader who has forwarded us two extracts for this page writes: "I would like to mention two books, perhaps three, that have been of great help to me in my sorrow: 'The Blessed Dead,' F. B. Meyer, 'Between the Lights, or Thoughts for the Quiet Hour,' and that precious book, 'Daily Thoughts for Daily Needs.'"'

The hill of comfort is the hill of Calvary; the house of consolation is built with the wood of the cross; the temple of heavenly blessing is founded upon the riven rock-riven by the spear which pierced His side. No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like Calvary's tragedy.

"Is it not strange, the darkest hour

That ever dawned on sinful earth, Should touch the heart with softer power, For comfort, than an angel's mirth? That to the Cross the mourner's eye should turn, Sooner than where the stars of Bethlehem burn?" -C. H. Spurgeon.

That most beautiful Bethany story, as related in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, is of untold value to us, inasmuch as it exhibits the affliction of one of the Lord's disciples, both as it appears to His fellow disciples, and as it looks to the Lord Himself, as He sees beyond and by means of all the suffering, "the glory of God." Yet this His larger foresight in no wise lessens His sympathy with those whose tears blind them to all but their present misery.

Amidst all the bewilderment and distress which the narrative describes, there stands in it, undimmed and undoubted, this one supreme fact, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. However hard to explain at the time, there is nothing happens that is not in perfect accord with that fact. You, who know the history to its end, can plainly see this. There is another history, now being unfolded, and the end not yet in sight, even your own story, with sorrow in it, perhaps, and sore pain, ay, and death also-where, not seeing, you are called to trust. "Now Jesus loved-" put your own name in.

Strangely do some people talk of "getting over" a great sorrow, -overleaping it, passing it by, or thrusting it into oblivion, as it were. No one ever does that-at least no nature that

can be touched by the feeling of grief at all. The only way is to pass through the ocean of afflictions solemnly, slowly, with humility and faith, as the Israelites passed through the sea. Then its very waves of misery will divide and become to us a wall on the right hand and on the left, until the gulf narrows and narrows before our eyes, and we land safe on the opposite shore.-Dinah Moloch Craik.

What a vast portion of our lives is spent in anxious and useless forebodings concerning the future, either our own or those of our dear ones. Present joys, present blessings, slip by and we miss half their sweet flavor, and all for want of faith in Him who provides for the tiniest insect in the sunbeam. Oh, when shall we learn the sweet trust in God that our little children teach us every day by their confiding faith in us? We, who are so mutable, so faulty, so irritable, so unjust; and He, who is so watchful, so pitiful, so loving, so forgiving. Why cannot we, slipping our hand in His each day, walk trustingly over that day's appointed path, thorny or flowery, crooked or straight, knowing that evening will bring us sleep, peace and home?-Philips Brooks.

At Evening Time.

At evening time it shall be light:
Dark, darker grows the day.
The shades foretell the coming night,
The cheery sunbeams, golden bright,
Have slowly died away.

At evening time thy soul shall see
The Lord thy God is love;
When ling'ring hopes 'mid shadow flee,
He shall eternal sunshine be-
Around, beneath, above.

At evening time, from fear set free
Thy song of praise shall ring;
The pity of the Lord shall be
A lamp of gold that burns for thee,
Thy footsteps home to bring.

At evening time the bells of peace

Adown thy road shall peal; The Lord will bid thy sorrow cease, And grant thee from thy load release, Thy heartache He will heal.

At evening time it shall be light,
In God's assurance rest!
Thou shalt not grope in lonely night;
His mercy is thy beacon bright;
Steal sunward to His breast.

-M. S. Haycraft.

HINTS AND HELPS.

CONDUCTED BY D. L. MOODY.

Do not think that any sin may be looked upon as an infirmity. If you keep nine commandments and break the tenth you are guilty of breaking the law just as much as though you broke them all. "The strength of a chain is in its weakest link;" and the man who fails in any respect regarding the law has fallen short of its requirements.

"O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me!" Isaiah xxxviii. 14.

What are Christ's undertakings for us? (1) He has undertaken to pay all our debts. (2) He has undertaken that we shall never be alone: "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." (3) He has undertaken that you shall never be really overcome: "My strength is made perfect in weakness." (4) He has undertaken to place you on the sunny side of everything all life through: for "He that followed me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (5) He has undertaken that you shall always have a place of refuge: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (6) He has undertaken that death shall be to you only a name, not a reality: "He that believeth on me shall never die."—J. Vaughan.

A good definition between the saint and the sinner is given by Rev. H. E. Hanning, who says: "A holy man is not a man who never sins, but who never sins willingly. A sinner is not a man who never does anything good, but who willingly does what he knows to be evil. The whole difference lies within the sphere and compass of the will."

Many people excuse themselves for being angry by quoting the admonition of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians to "be angry, and sin not." The only safe anger for us to indulge in is that which Christ felt for sin,-but let us be careful to love the sinner as strongly as we hate the sin.

"The Old Testament," says Dr. A. J. Gordon, "is the water-shed of the New. These deep springs which irrigate and fructify the

New Testament church took their rise from the mountains of Judea, and descended, like the volume of the Nile, to fertilize and fructify the landscape around it."

The secret of self-knowledge is to be searched by God.

The secret of purity is to be cleansed by God.

The secret of continuance is to be kept by God.

The secret of a full life is to walk with God.

The secret of an overflowing life is to be filled with the Spirit of God.-G. H. C. McGregor.

I THESSALONIANS.

Rev. C. I. Scofield.

Five-fold division, corresponding to the five chapters.

Key: The Second Coming of our Lord. 1. Chap. i. The Second Coming and the believer's attitude. VS. 9, 10.

2. Chap. ii. The Second Coming and the believer's reward. v. 19.

3. Chap. iii. The Second Coming and the believer's sanctification. v. 13. 4. Chap. iv. believer's hope. 5. Chap. v. The Second Coming and the unbelieving world. vs. 1 to 4.

The Second Coming and the vs. 14-18.

THE BIBLE.

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.-Ps. cxix. 89.

This book contains-the mind of God, the state of man, the way of Salvation, the doom of Sinners, and the happiness of Believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of Hell disclosed. CHRIST IS ITS GRAND SUBJECT, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the Judgment, and be remembered for ever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.—Amos viii.12. -Anon.

The teaching of the Bible is so very clear and simple regarding the Holy Spirit and His work, that it seems extraordinary that so many Christians have such confused ideas regarding the subject. Although there are many works published on this doctrine, few of them have that incomparable virtue in a book of combining conciseness with simplicity. With a view to meeting such a need we have asked Dr. C. I. Scofield to contribute a series of papers. on this important theme, which will begin in our July number and continue through the year. The object of these articles will not be to present an exhaustive treatise on the character and work of the Holy Spirit, but rather to present simply and concisely the salient points in the doctrine.

in the near future, and by the constantly increasing number of our subscribers we believe that we shall be able to make the proposed changes very soon. Now the development of a paper is directly as its circulation-or rather in an increasingly proportionate ratio-and every increase in its circulation makes improvements possible. May we not ask our readers to co-operate with us in extending the circulation of the magazine during the coming three months by commending it to friends. We shall always be glad to receive the names of people to whom we may send sample copies of the magazine and we trust that many of our readers may be inclined to assist us in this way.

An intensely interesting and valuable article has been contributed by Dr. Francis E. Clark to the March North American Review, on the value of foreign missions from a materialistic and scientific standpoint. Leaving aside the truest sense in which foreign missionaries have been a blessing to mankind, Dr. Clark calls attention to the very valuable contributions they have made to the sciences and annals of exploration. The article should be read by every one who is interested in missions, as showing the intellectual calibre of our foreign missionaries; and it should be read by every one who is indifferent to the subject, to demonstrate the fact that no educated person can afford to be ignorant of their services in the progress of civilization.

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Last season the Yale Divinity School were exceptionally favored in having Justice David J. Brewer as a lecturer. In an address replete with good counsel and sound advice he urged upon his hearers the dignity and possibilities of their calling. He warned them of the temptations to discuss matters with which they were not conversant and he emphasized the importance of preaching old truths and doctrines. Justice Brewer's lecture was not wanting in practical advice, as the following extract from the printed report, now published in booklet form under the title, "The Pew to the Pulpit" (Revell Co., 25c.), will show:

Special providences seldom come to him who seeks to trade in them. They never can be depended upon for the payment of debts. You are not authorized to write the Lord's name as endorser on any note you give

to the man from whom you have purchased your library, or piano, or horse and buggy. If you want to give full play to the matter of special providences trust the Lord to bring the thing you need and never trust Him to furnish the money to pay for that which you think you need and therefore have bought. Trust Him to provide the piano you think your daughters' musical education requires, rather than trust Him to provide the money to pay for it after you have bought it.

Religion that is worth possessing must be "'a very present help," and past experiences never constitute a very worthy substitute for a daily reality. The following editorial from the Endeavor Herald has impressed us as being specially good: "Piety should be no fossil of a past experience.' That remark stuck to me because I have known people, and not old people either, whose religious experiences were far too antiquated. They remind one of the dried-up specimens in a biological museumthey have the form of what were once living things, but they are now shriveled and dead. It is a pity when Christians can only speak of blessings received in years past, and have no rapturous testimony to bear to the goodness of God to them here and now. The religion of many is largely a memory and a hope. They speak of what Christ has done for them, and of what they expect Him to do, but they are without present blessings and present joy. They are like a man in a tunnel who sees a light at either end, but meanwhile walks in darkness. The grace of God, in the experience of the Christian, should be like the river that grows deeper and broader as it rolls away from its Do not rest in the experiences of yesterday. The golden age of your life as a follower of Christ is ahead, but get richer and larger blessings as you go on your way. Let every day have its own story to tell of God's goodness and care. Grow in the knowledge of Christ."

source.

Arrangements are now being made for a great Ecumenical Missionary Conference to be held in New York City in April, 1900. It is to include representatives of every Protestant foreign missionary organization in the world. It is proposed to review the missionary work of the past century and will doubtless give a fresh impetus to the work.

PUBLIC LIBRARY

DAILY

NOTE.

Sunday, May 1st.

Isaiah lvii. 1 to 6.

Verses 1 and 2. Isaiah might have written this of Hezekiah. When he died, Manasseh, his son, gave himself up to wickedness, and led the nation rapidly down in apostasy from God and ways of moral evil, hastening on the judgments of Jehovah. Hezekiah was but fifty-four years old (2 Chron. xxix. 1) when he died, and it may have been said of him that "He was cut off in the midst of his days." Manasseh, the wicked king, lived thirteen years longer than his father. The cutting off of the one, and the prolonging the life of the other, were both in the line of judgments upon Israel as a people, and of mercy to each of the kings as individuals. One was "taken away from the evil to come;" and the other was spared until he repented and came back to God (2 Chron. xxxiii. 12 and 13). The expression, "They shall rest in their beds," must refer to a peaceful and undisturbed grave for the body, and the remainder of the verse, "Walking before him," (Margin and R. V.), must refer to the spirit being with the Lord, as Acts vii. 59 and Phil. i. 23. A study of chapter xxvi. 19 to 21 helps to an understanding of the passage. There does not seem to be much room for the "soul sleeping" theory here. These "righteous" and "merciful" ones who are taken away, are represented as "walking."

Verses 3 to 6. With the taking away of the righteous comes the judgment of the wicked. When Noah went into the ark, and when Lot went out of Sodom, judgment followed. So when the church is taken out of the world, God will speedily deal with scoffers and impenitent men (2 Thess. i. 7-10), who will be, in the last days, just the same in the attitude of their hearts towards God and His word, and in moral character, as those here pictured. See 2 Tim. iii. 1 to 7. "Sorcerers" is "soothsayers" in ch. ii. 6. Jezebel and Athaliah come to mind. The apostasy of the Jews to the worship of the Queen of Heaven (Jer. xliv. 17-19) is probably referred to.

From Principal Douglas:

None of that multitude understood the meaning of the righteous perishing before the evil came; as none of the generation of the Servant were to consider why He was cut off (liii. 8). Then let them

draw near for punishment, namely, those who had not believed in the nearness of salvation,announced in ch. xlvi. 13. They were indeed what at ch. i. 4 is called "a seed of evil doers," as here "a seed of falsehood," and "children of transgression." The seed of men and women of immoral life. How they contrasted with the promised seed (liii. 10; liv. 1-3)

Yet I suppose they mocked that seed, as he that was born after the flesh mocked Him that was born after the Spirit (Gen. xxi. 9; Gal. iv. 29). The verb, "sport yourselves" (verse 3), is the same as "delight itself," in lv. 2; and yet how different in real meaning! The descriptions of the immorality and cruelty of heathen worship, were the evil counterparts of those services in which they might have had a part at the worship of Jehovah (lvi. 7). Text for the day, verse 1.

Monday, May 2d.

Isaiah lvii. 7 to 14.

Verses 7 and 8. Nearly all the prophets make use of the figure of an unfaithful wife, in treating of the sin and apostasy of Israel. Both in public and in private, making no secret of her abominable conduct, Zion, espoused to God, had heaped dishonor upon dishonor upon Him, before the nations.

Verse 9. This refers to the constant tendency of Judah to make alliances with foreign nations. Ahaz went to Damascus; Hezekiah received ambassadors from Babylon; and there was always a party in the state seeking an alliance with either Egypt or Assyria. "And didst debase thyself even unto hell." So Solomon, in his alliances and marriage of strange women, and admission into Jerusalem of heathen gods. When a man loses faith in God and seeks to protect himself in this world by securing the favor of godless men who have power, there is no depth of sin and infamy into which he may not sink in his mad effort to secure his ends. Verse 10. Ruined, and made sick by sin, yet unwilling to repent and turn back to God! On the very verge of destruction, with no power on earth that could save them, yet blindly refusing to admit their danger, and ungrieved at the conduct that had caused their calamity. "Thou wast not grieved." To be hardened in sin, is to come under God's most fearful judgment. When grief for sin is gone, hope for a man's salvation dies away.

Verse 11. See ch. li. 12 and 13, as explaining the