MISSION TIDINGS

GIFTS RECEIVED FOR MISSIONS IN MAY 1984

CLASSIS EAST SOURCE AMOUNT

Friend in Michigan Gift 150.00

Plymouth Chr. School Sale 128.00

Hamilton Dorcas Soceity Gift 650.00

G. Rapids Ladies’ Aid Gift 100.00

Friend in New Jersey Gift 10.00

Kalamazoo Collection 330.00

Franklin Lakes Collection 549.60

CLASSIS MIDWEST

Friend in Wisconsin Gift 200.00

CLASSIS FARWEST

Vancouver Island Calendars Mission night, 148.00

Lynden Esther Circle Gift 1,000.00

OTHER

Friend in Australia Gift 200.00

TOTAL $3,465.60

Dear friends,

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their generous support of the mission. May the Lord bless you and your gifts.

The life of a missionary is a very dangerous work, however, even upon the mission field every hair is numbered and not a sparrow shall fall to the ground without the Lord’s notice. John G. Patton, a missionary to the New Hebrides during the 1800’s, experienced the Lord’s protecting care many times. We will include a few examples taken from his book written in his own words. May the Lord give us an impression about the work of those who labor on the mission field and that we may remember them in our prayers.

American General Mission Fund Netherlands Reformed Congregations of United States and Canada

John Spaans, Treasurer

R.R. 1, Box 212

Rock Valley, Iowa 51247

GOD’S WATCHFUL EYE

“One morning at daybreak I found my house surrounded by armed men, and a Chief intimated that they had assembled to take my life. Seeing that I was entirely in their hands, I knelt down and gave myself away body and soul to the Lord Jesus for what seemed that last time on earth. Rising, I went out to them, and began calmly talking about their unkind treatment of me and contrasting it with all my conduct towards them. I also plainly showed them what would be the sad consequences if they carried out their cruel purpose. At last some of the Chiefs who had attended the worship rose and said, “Our conduct has been bad; but now we will fight for you, and kill all those who hate you.”

Grasping hold of their leader, I held him fast till he promised never to kill any one on my account, for Jesus taught us to love our enemies and always to return good for evil! During this scene, many of the armed men slunk away into the bush, and those who remained entered into a bond to be friendly and to protect us. Mercifully, the Lord spared our life.

But my enemies seldom slackened their hateful designs against my Ufe, however calmed or baffled for the moment. Within a few days of the above event, when natives in large numbers were assembled at my house, a man furiously rushed on me with his axe; but a Chief snatched a spade with which I had been working, and defended me from instant death. Life in such circumstances led me to cling very near to the Lord Jesus; I knew not, for one brief hour, when or how an attack might be made; and yet, with my trembling hand clasped in the hand once nailed on Calvary and now swaying the sceptre of the Universe, calmness and peace and resignation abode in my soul.

Next day a wild Chief followed me about for four hours with his loaded musket, and, though often directed towards me, God restrained his hand. I spoke kindly to him, and attended to my work as if he had not been there, fully persuaded that my God had placed me there, and would protect me till my allotted task was finished. Looking up in unceasing prayer to our dear Lord Jesus, I left all in His hands, and felt immortal till my work was done. Trials and hair-breadth escapes strengthened my faith, and seemed only to nerve me for more to follow; and they did tread swiftly upon each other’s heels. Without that abiding consciousness of the presence and power of my dear Lord and Saviour, nothing else in all the world could have preserved me from losing my reason and perishing miserably. His words, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” became to me so real that it would not have startled me to behold Him, as Stephen did, gazing down upon the scene. I felt His supporting power, as did St. Paul, when he cried, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Oh, the bliss of living and enduring, as seeing Him who is invisible.”

-Excerpt from the life of John Patton

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Eccle. 11:1

THE SCARLET THREAD

When God’s own arm, his pow’r to show,
Threw down the walls of Jericho,
In Rahab’s house was safety found,
For there the Scarlet Thread was bound.

By faith she saw th’ approaching storm,
And trembled at Jehovah’s arm;
Received the spies in peace, ’tis said,
And bound the well-known Scarlet Thread.

By faith she saw the tow’ring wall
Before the blast of rams’ horns fall,
And did, in that tremendous day,
The peaceful Scarlet sign display.

“Come, kindred, here, make haste,” she cried,
“Destruction waits on ev’ry side;
“No harm shall enter where we dwell,
“The Scarlet Thread secures us well.”

Seven times she saw the troops go round,
And heard the rugged rams’ horns sound;
But did no death nor danger fear,
Because the Scarlet Thread was there.

At length they blew the fatal blast,
When to the ground the walls were cast;
Vast was the slaughter, old and young,
Save where the Scarlet Thread was hung.

Like Israel safe, whose favour’d door
Was sprinkled well with paschal gore;
The sacred sign was just the same,
The Scarlet Thread, or slaughter’d Lamb.

-John Kent

WHAT THE TRUE BELIEVER FINDS IN JESUS CHRIST

“They saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).

Christ is the salvation of God, the essence of all covenantal blessings. In Him dwells all divine fulness. He is the treasury of grace’s all-sufficiency. In Him the true believer finds everything for time and eternity:

(1) a salvation that can never be thwarted,

(2) a righteousness that can never be tarnished,

(3) a title that can never be clouded,

(4) a judgment that can never be repeated,

(5) a justification that can never be reversed,

(6) a position that can never be invalidated,

(7) a seal that can never be violated,

(8) an inheritance that can never be annulled,

(9) a wealth that can never be depleted,

(10) a possession that can never be measured,

(11) a portion that can never be destroyed,

(12) a peace that can never be fathomed,

(13) a love that can never be abated,

(14) a grace that can never be arrested,

(15) a strength that can never be exhausted,

(16) a forgiveness that can never be rescinded,

(17) an access that can never be discontinued,

(18) a comfort that can never be scrapped,

(19) an Intercessor who can never be disqualified,

(20) a Victor who can never be vanquished,

(21) a resurrection that can never be hindered,

(22) a hope that can never be disappointed,

(23) a gift that can never be idolized,

(24) a glory that can never be dimmed.

Yes, Christ is all. Christ is all in the Father’s vision. Christ is all in the Spirit’s message and application. Christ is all in Scripture’s pages. Christ is all in the soul’s desire. Christ is all in heart-experience. Christ is all in the midnight of sin. Christ is all in salvation’s dawning light and noonday sun. Christ is all in free, sovereign, atoning grace, for through Him there is access to the Father who gave His Son, “that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life.” To Him the Father gave the keys of grace’s storehouse, and commanded Him to compel sinners who are in the hedges to come in, “for yet there is room.”

What think ye of this Christ? Is He altogether lovely to you, for you, within you? Have you learned that all outside of Him is loss and dung? Have you ever been experientially graced with the privilege of Peter, James, and John: “And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only”?

May God make us all Christ-seekers and Christ-finders. May we all learn irrevocably: in Him is life; outside of Him, death. May we learn to seek Him, in the words of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, “by gift, by marriage, and by daily experience.”

Unconverted sinners: Seek grace to need Christ. Concerned sinners: seek grace to be introduced to Christ. Redeemed sinners: seek grace to be established in Christ, to see no man but Christ. Seek Christ in His Word, Christ in His promises, Christ in His house, Christ in His means of grace, Christ in prosperity and adversity, Christ in life and death! Rest not until His blood is your stamped passport and received citizenship right to enter the realm of eternal bliss.

There is no other Name (Acts. 4:12).

There is no other Foundation (I Cor. 3:11).

There is no other Way, Truth, Life (Jn. 14:6).

The only authentic answer to life’s riddle, affliction’s, torment, prosperity’s value, is simply this: “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (I Cor. 1:30-31).

What is life’s only comfort? Losing “self-belong-ingness” and belonging to Jesus CHrist.

What is death’s only comfort? Losing “self-be-longingness” and belonging to Jesus Christ. (Heid. Cat., Q. 1). Truly, Greater Solomon, the half of it is not told me. In living, in dying, grant Christocentri-city.

Rev. J.R. Beeke

STILL THE SAME AS BEFORE

Part V

Before we know or realize it we are again sitting in the heights and are exactly as Mary and Joseph, because we again have “departed from Jerusalem without the child.” And at another time we are sunk away so deep again into the abyss of our heart, that we think we shall perish under all the grief and misery. Sometimes it is so dark and we are bound up in such a strife of soul that we doubt everything. And besides that we are so dissatisfied with God’s ways and dealings that we all roar like bears, etc. It is impossible to write every thing on paper.

Only those who have knowledge of it can understand and realize what a wonder it sometimes is that we do not drown in the waters of despondency, nor are consumed in the fire of our enmity.

That it did not happen, is not because we are converted, but because that faithful and unchangeable covenant Jehovah has promised “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isa. 43:2. And why all that? Read the third verse: “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy one of Israel, thy Savior.” O, that is the firmness and comfort for the heritage of the Lord. God cares for His people, and He keeps His people in balance.

The one time we are laden with oppression and crosses which cause so much pain and grief. But there are also other times, when He comes to change our lot, so that with David we can sing:

The Lord will judge in righteousness
For all that are oppressed;
To all His saints His gracious acts
And ways are manifest. Psalter 277:5

These changes will continue in this life because God deems it necessary for His favorites. They must be sanctified through suffering and exercised through oppression. “Now no chastening for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous,” for the apostle says: “Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby.” The more the prophet Ezekiel saw of the glory of the Lord, the deeper he had to dig into the wall to discover more abominations. Increasingly we are led into the fall of Adam and come to the discovery of our total corruption, to humble us before the face of the Divine Majesty, and to seek our purification and salvation outside of ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yea, so that the blessed offices of the Mediator as Prophet, Priest and King may have more and more value for us, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; “that ye, being rooted and grounded in love” Eph. 3:17. And finally, this all concerns the exaltation of a Triune God, to the humbling of God’s children and to the exaltation of Christ, in Whom the Father has all His good pleasure.

Asaph testifies of it, “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee” Psalm 75:25. Christ descended into hell and after His resurrection ascended triumphantly into heaven. And when we learn to know that divine Mediator of mankind in both His states then we remain no stranger of hell, but also no stranger of heaven.

Blessed are we if we may learn to know both states. But remember always and at all times that we must learn to know the first shall we have a part in the second. We can never emphasize that enough, where there are so many in our day, who confuse and identify historical faith as saving faith. There are many today who in the folly of their hearts view the intellectual contemplation to be the same as the practical experience of the matter. There are many people who speak about the Lord Jesus. O yes, His name is constantly upon their lips, but the question is whether they have ever realized for what purpose the Lord Jesus was sent into the world and whether there ever was a real necessity born in their soul to truly need Him. What must a natural man really do with the Lord Jesus? We read of Pilate that he said: “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” Matt. 27:22 and in Matt. 9 we read: “They who are whole need not a physician, but they who are sick.” A minister, who died long ago, once said from the pulpit: “Although the whole world was full of ointment, yet as long as we have no wounds, it has no value to us.”

And that is the way it is indeed. We can never emphasize enough how necessary it is that God quickens us and convicts us of sin and guilt, but also that He discovers unto us that we are missing God. So that we would become concerned because of our sins. So that out of the depth of misery we would learn to sigh and flee unto God, to the only city of refuge, Christ, and be brought back to paradise, so that through the second Adam we may be reconciled and again have peace with God, also brought back again in the way of justice and righteousness out of which we have fallen. We are brought back again into communion with God, where the only durable rest and peace is found for our soul. O remember, if we have never rightly learned to know the first Adam, then the second Adam can never have a true value for us. Ps. 72 still applies today:

The poor man’s cause He will maintain,
The needy He will bless. Psalter 193:3

The law condemns, but Jesus Christ saves. The justice of God cuts us off, but the Holy Spirit unites us with Christ through precious saving faith and makes us partakers of all His benefits. But let us also remember that when these matters take place, we are also present ourselves. It does not take place outside of us. Thus it remains a personal matter. God’s word gives us enough proof of that. God dealt with Adam and Eve and came to terms with them. God spoke to Abraham, Gen. 12. He wrestled with Jacob, Gen. 32. Christ arrested Saul on the way to Damascus and the Lord sent Ananias to him with a personal message from heaven, Acts 9. Christ was revealed to him, Gal. 1:15-16, as his guilt assuming Surety and Mediator. And if we are still strangers of all these matters, then we are still in our natural state, dead in sin and trespasses, Eph. 2:1. It is not a common work, but the special work of the Holy Spirit.

If does not take place outside of man. We are righteously lost, but we are also righteously saved, if only we may be included in the eternal covenant of grace. Then God’s honor has more value for us then our own salvation, and then the honor of God becomes our salvation.

For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life; and that is firm in an unchangeable covenant God, for all God’s elect.

I still remember from the days of my youth, when I as a student in company with the late Rev. M. Heikoop, who also was a student then, that we visited a child of God, who was said to have become senile. But when we came in the house, he raised both his hands and cried out: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” Rom. 6:5. That is all he said at this visit, but that lay very deep in his heart. It was something to make a person jealous. Indeed friends, “All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord.” Psalm 145. “There shall be no fruit found in us that is exceptable.” But “From Me is thy fruit found.” (Hos. 14:8). God guarantees His own work.

Eventually the time will come that all God’s dear children shall be delivered of self,

Rev. W.C. Lamain

SEVENTEEN TRUTHS AS GUIDES FOR PARENTS

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”

Part I

Proverbs 22:6

How little is the substance of this text regarded! Your own eyes are witnesses that I speak the truth. It cannot be said that the subject is a new one. The world is old, and we have the experience of nearly six thousand years to help us; we live in days when there is a mighty zeal for education in every quarter; we hear of new books for the young, of every sort and description; and still, for all this, the vast majority of children are manifestly not trained in the way they should go, for when they grow up to man’s estate they do not walk with God.

The plain truth is this, the Lord’s commandment in our text is not regarded; and therefore, the Lord’s promise in our text is not fulfilled.

Let me place before you a few hints about right training. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless them to you all.

1. First then, if you would train your children rightly. Train them in the way they should go, and not in the way that they would go.

Remember they are born with a decided bias towards evils, and therefore if you let them choose for themselves they are certain to choose wrong. The mother cannot tell what her tender infant may grow up to be; it is all uncertain. But one thing the mother can say with certainty, he will have a corrupt and sinful heart. Then be merciful to your child, and leave him not to the guidance of his own will.

2. Train up your child with all tenderness and affection.

I do not mean that you are to spoil him, but I do mean that you should let him see that you love him. Love should be the silver thread that runs through all your conduct. Kindness, gentleness, longsuffer-ing, forbearance, patience, sympathy, a willingness to enter into childish troubles, a readiness to take part in childish joys — these are the cords by which a child may be led most easily.

Nothing will compensate for the absence of this tenderness and love. A minister may speak the truth as it is in Jesus, clearly, forcibly, unanswerably; but if he does not speak it in love, few souls will be won. Just so you may set before your children their duty; command, threaten, punish, reason — but if affection be wanting in your treatment, your labour will be all in vain. There is a mine of truth in the Apostle’s word to the Colossians, “Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

3. Train your children with abiding persuasion on your mind that much depends upon you.

Grace is the strongest of all principles. See what a revolution grace effects when it comes into the heart of an old sinner; how it overturns the strong-hold of Satan; how it casts down mountains; fills up valleys; makes crooked things straight; and renew the whole man. Truly nothing is impossible to grace.

Nature too is very strong. See how it struggles against the kingdom of God, how it fights against every attempt to be more holy; how it keeps up an unceasing warfare within us to the last hour of life.

Beware of that miserable delusion into which some have fallen; — that parents can do nothing for their children, that you must leave them alone, wait for grace, and sit still. The devil rejoices to see such reasoning, just as he always does over anything which seems to excuse indolence, or to encourage neglect of means.

I know that you cannot convert your child; I know well that they who are born again, are born not of the will of man, but of God. But I know also that God says expressly, “Train up a child in the way he should go,” and that He never laid a command on man which He would not give man grace to perform.

4. Train with this principle continually before your eyes, that the soul of your child is the first thing to be considered.

No part of your precious little ones should be so dear to you as that part which will never die. The world, with all its glory, shall pass away; the hills shall melt; the heavens shall be wrapped together as a scroll; and the sun shall cease to shine; but the spirit which dwells in them shall outlive them all.

In every step you take about them, do not leave out that mighty question, “How will this affect their souls.”

Soul love is the soul of all love. To pet and pamper, and indulge your child, as if this world was all he had to look to is not true love but cruelty. It is hiding from him that grand truth, which he ought to be made to learn from his very infancy, that the chief end of his life is the salvation of his soul.

A true Christian must be no slave to fashion, if he would train his children for heaven. He must not be content to do things merely because they are the custom of the world; to allow them to read books of a questionable sort, merely because everybody reads them; to let them form habits of a doubtful tendency, merely because they are the habits of the day.

5. Train your children to a knowledge of the Bible.

You cannot make your children love the Bible, I allow. None but the Holy Ghost can give us a heart to delight in the Word. But you can make your children acquainted with the Bible. You have need to be careful on this point just now, for the devil is abroad, and error abounds. Some give the Church the honour due to Jesus Christ; some make the Sacraments Saviours; some honour a Catechism more than the Bible; or fill the minds of children with miserable little story books, instead of the Scripture of truth. But if you love your children, let the simple Bible be everything in training of their souls.

Children understand far more of the Bible than we are apt to suppose. Tell them of sin, its guilt, its consequences, its power, its vileness. Tell them of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His work for our salvation, the atonement, the cross, the blood, the sacrifice, the intercession. Tell them of the work of the Holy Spirit in man’s heart — you will soon see they can go along with you in some measure in this. In short, I suspect we have no idea how much a little child can take in of the length and breadth of the glorious Gospel.

6. Train them to a habit of prayer.

Prayer is the very breath of true religion. It is the mightiest engine God has placed in our hands. Prayer is the simplest means that man can use in coming to God. It is within reach of all — the sick, the aged, the infirm, the paralytic, the blind, the poor, the unlearned — all can pray.

Parents, if you love your children, do all that lies in your power to train them up in a habit of prayer. Let it not be your fault, if they never call on the name of the Lord. Long before your child can read you can teach him to kneel by your side, and repeat the simple words of prayer and praise. The manner in which your child prays is a point which deserves your closest attention. You must beware lest they get into a way of saying them in a hasty, careless, and irreverent manner.

Brethren, if you love your children, train them at least to a habit of prayer.

7. Train them to habits of diligence, and regularity about public means of grace.

Tell them of the duty and privilege of going to the house of God, that wherever the Lord’s people are gathered together, there the Lord Jesus is present in an especial manner. Tell them of the importance of hearing the word preached.

See to it that your children go with you to church, and sit near you when you are there. Be not cast down because your children see not the full value of the means of grace now. Set it before their minds as a high, holy, and solemn duty, and the day will very likely come when they will bless you for your deed.

8. Train them to a habit of faith.

Train them up to believe what you say. You should accustom them to think that, when you say a thing is bad for them, it must be bad, and when you say it is good for them, it must be good; that your knowledge is better than their own, and that they may rely implicitly upon your word.

I have heard it said by some, that you should require nothing of children which they cannot understand; that you should explain and give a reason of everything you desire them to do. I warn you against such a notion. To bring them up with the idea that they must take nothing on trust; that they with their weak and imperfect understandings, must have the why and the wherefore made clear to them at every step they take — this is indeed a fearful mistake, and likely to have the worst effect on their minds.

Reason with your child if you are so disposed, at certain times, but never forget to keep him in mind (if you really love him), that he is but a child after all; that he thinks as a child, he understands as a child, and therefore must not expect to know the reason of everything at once.

WHO CAN TELL?

When Jonah cried against Nineveh saying “yet forth days and Nineveh shall be overthrown,” mark here how the king resolves — Jonah 4:19, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger that we perish not?” Therefore the devil tells you and says, “God appointed a way of salvation and you have had the means, and did not profit by them; therefore God will never show you mercy or give you grace.” How can the devil tell that? Surely all the devils in Hell cannot tell it. Say to yourself — “Let me walk in that course which God commands, and do that which I ought, and then I may say, and with comfort say it” — “Who knows but God may break the heart of a proud, rebellious, contrary sinner, such as I am.” None verily knows but God whether or no.

COURT OF CONSCIENCE. It should be with a poor sinner as with a wise man when he would make his lands sure unto him and his posterity by evidence and writings sealed. He is not content here only to have his evidence in his own keeping, but will have them enrolled in court; that when sense and feeling are lost, yet it may readily go to the high court of conscience, and there find the day and the year when God’s love was made sure unto it.

SATAN deals with the soul as the enemies in war. When Joshua defeated the men of Ai, he got them out of the city; then they lay in ambush, went and took it and burnt it with fire. So the devil doth. Our castle or city is the promises, the word and ordinances of God. Now if the devil can but get you out of this castle, he has you where he would. If you will listen after every word of carnal reason and temptation that comes, you are gone. If he can get you from the sure hold of the promise, he will entangle you in the snare of unbelief, and so prevail against you.

JUDGE THY SOUL BY THE WORD and look upon that sacred piece in the glass of itself, and let it bear witness for thee, and what the Word of God doth evidence of thee, do thou maintain, and hear nothing against it. This is the way to receive comfort and go on cheerfully in thy Christian course.

THE POOR WOMAN in the gospel had spent all her goods upon physicians. If she had but a little means left (for all we know), she would never have gone to Christ. But when all failed then she was forced to seek to Christ, Who was ready and willing to do that for her.

SWIMMING. As in the art of swimming, he that will swim, must pluck his feet from the bottom, and commit himself to the stream to bear him up; so in this, our purpose to Heaven, we must draw our hearts from the vain things below, and though we have honour and preferments, we must put no confidence in them, but loose our affections from them, and learn, by our believing to commit ourselves wholly to the power of the promise to receive comfort.

JACOB AND JOSEPH. Jacob would not believe that Joseph was alive; or if he was alive, he had but little means and was poor, Gen. 45:26-28. But when he saw the chariots that Joseph had sent him, then he believed and said “It is enough, Joseph my son is yet alive.” The wagons sent from Joseph to Jacob brought Jacob to Joseph. So every believing soul is poor and feeble, and not able to go to God, and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, look into the chariots of Israel first and that will convey you to the promise. As it is with the miller, first he prepares the mill fitly, and orders all, and when the stones are fit and laid to go, yet it will not, till the flood gate be pulled up, and the water runs which drives the mill. So the soul is humbled and lies before the Lord and His truth and is content to yield to His conditions. Now the soul of itself and in itself cannot go, till He let down the gate of the promise. Let that come to your heart — it will bring it to the Lord.

ASSURANCE. Another Christian labours much for the assurance of God’s love, and cannot obtain it. He seeks to God in the use of the promises, and yet he cannot find it settled. Well, God will give comfort and consolation in His own order. Commonly the Lord never debars the soul of comfort, but He sees the heart not fit for it. The heart would be proud and careless, and thy sail would overturn the boat. Therefore when God has abased your heart, and made you content to want what He denies, then He will give assurance, but it must be in His own order.

FEED ME WITH FOOD CONVENIENT FOR ME — Proverbs 30:8. There was faith; he wholly refers himself to God. When a man comes to the tailor to have a garment made, he does not cut out the garment himself, but leaves it to the judgment of the workman. So must we refer ourselves to God. God promises nothing but as He sees fit for one’s good. As it is with a potter to make so many vessels of honour, so if the Lord will make of you a vessel of honour, go away contented, it is enough that thou art elected to eternal happiness.

THIS DAY IS SALVATION COME TO THIS HOUSE, Luke 19:9; not to the walls of the house but to those in it. They did not come to salvation but salvation came to them. The Lord sent salvation to salute the house of little Zacchaeus.

Extracts from Thos. Hooker

HOW OLD?

We are repeatedly told by those who do not wish to believe that God created the world in six days, that the earth is millions of years old and the modern scientist can prove to his own satisfaction from geology, etc., that he is correct.

Many years ago a noted Scottish geologist was explaining to a godly minister how old the universe was. He was asked by the latter, “It you were to meet Adam the day after he was created, how old would you say Adam was?” The geologist replied that Adam would appear to be about thirty years old as he was created a fully grown man. The minister then asked, “If you were to ask Adam how old he was, Adam would say that he was just a day old.” The geologist was then asked, “If you were to meet Eve the day after she was formed, how old would you say Eve was?” He replied that he would say she would be about the same age. The minister then said, “If you were to ask Eve how old she was she would reply that she was just a day old.” The geologist was then asked, “If you were to see the mountains, the forests, etc., would you not say by your geology that they appeared to be millions of years old but if they could speak they would say that they, too, were just a day old.”

Adam and Eve were fully grown and matured as they left the hand of the Lord and so too were the rocks, the mountains and the forests. The whole earth was created perfect — ready for the use of man.

A. Gleaner

FREE GRACE

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to save my soul from danger,
Interposed his precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrain’d to be!
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it;
Seal if from Thy courts above!

Lady Huntingdon

A WILD HUNTER CAPTURED

Or God’s Great Mercy Related on a Particular
Occasion in the Life of Titus Klose

Part I

“Well, how is that possible?” you may ask, reader. “How can a lion become a lamb?”

We must agree, it is strange and wonderful, but strange and wonderful things happen so frequently, what we wish to relate, is not impossible. At least it is not a fairy tale or mystery story, which the world is full of and is read to pass away the time speedily, but is a true happening.

You have probably read this story before but that does not matter; we hope that this old story may become new to you, and that the time spent in reading may not be regretted.

Regret! have you ever regretted spending time idly, reader? Do you know that you will have to give an account of every hour of your life, and what will your answer be as these hours become days, the days weeks, the weeks months, and the months years?

It was a long time ago. We were still young and lived without God in the world when a certain German poem made an unusual impression on us. The author sang the praises of an old man, and after he had named a number of prominent persons whose praises he would not mention, he again referred to the old man. And what do you suppose he had to say about him? It was all gathered in one line. “He lived, took a wife, and died.”

Aimless, useless, and fruitless was his life passed away and then came eternity. There he will experience the end of a Ufe trifled away.

Now then, observe for a few moments this roaring lion, who not only opposed man, but also fought against the High and Holy God. The time spent in reading this narrative will not be lost. May it be a blessing to all of us.

THE STORY OF TITUS KLOSE

On the 10th of June, 1833, the famous missionary, Titus Klose, died, of whom the following particulars regarding his conversion are written in his biography.

Although Klose was a child of pious elders, nevertheless he followed the path of sin in his youth. This was mostly the result of having been sent to a boarding school by his elders, where the fear of God was not taught.

As he became older, he was well learned in evil-doing and stood in the foremost ranks of Satan. In as much as he did not serve God, he could not bear that others did and was a pursuer of God’s children.

His greatest pleasure was to disturb the gatherings of God’s children and interfere with the public worship in the churches, so that his name became a byword in the community through his unrighteous and riotous living.

One day he and his comrades took a pleasure ride on the sea. It can be understood that there was plenty of drinking and card playing and at times it seemed as if the devil and his army was aboard.

While this evil gathering was busy laughing, singing, and cursing, a storm suddenly came up accompanied by terrible thunder and lightning, which broke above their heads, so that the frail craft was in danger of sinking any minute.

Many of the party who only a short time previous had blasphemed the name of God, were now as sailors aboard Jonah’s ship, falling on their knees and praying for mercy.

In the midst of this terrible scene, stood Klose with a scornful grin on his face.

“Come, Jack,” he called to one of the frightened men, “Shame on you, do you wish to become pious for fear of a few raindrops and a shot out of the heavenly cannon? Here, take a good heart stimulant out of this bottle and go with me to the cabin and play another hand of cards. I will play a game with you for heaven or hell!”

Terrible language, my readers, whereof the Psalmist says: “They set their mouth against the heavens.” The listeners were astonished at this awful language during the raging storm, in which God’s majesty was seen.

Whether he really was made ashamed by Klose or whether he was still drunk — he finally persuaded him, and they both sat down to card playing while the boat was in great danger of sinking any minute.

“I tell you, Jack,” shouted Klose, while he dealt the cards and raised his voice to overcome the din of the storm, “I tell you, as true as I am a servant of the devil, and we come through this storm safely, the coming Sunday I will visit the preacher at Stam-foxe, where I will blow a storm, which will make this one seem like a breath. Come, play on, it is your chance!”

“By all the evil spirits, Titus,” answered the other, laying the cards on the table and staring at him in surprise, “as sure as we are sailing straight into the jaws of death, you are now going too far. I thought myself to be quite a man, but you are as the devil himself. I will not play anymore, no matter what you say, it is now no time for card playing.”

We shall no longer follow the conversation of these wicked men for fear our readers would witness a scene which every pious mind would despise with horror. The Lord in heaven also witnessed this gathering of unrighteous men, which took place amidst the wrestling of the elements and above the fathomless pit to try His patience. But it was resolved by His counsel to show this sinner that Heaven is stronger than Hell and that the patience of the God of grace can endure longer than the provoking of the most wicked sinner.

After several hours, the storm calmed and the evil party came to shore.

“Now, friends,” shouted Klose, while they separated from each other, “the forthcoming Sunday morning we will all gather at my house on horseback and proceed to Stamfoxe. There we will chase the ‘pious storehouse’ heiter skelter.”

About a half hour’s distance from the village of Stamfoxe stands a simple home. The way leading thereto is ordinarily one of the most charming in the whole of England, but at the moment wherein we find ourselves, it is almost impassible, as a heavy rain is falling and the wind fills the dale with a dreadful noise.

In the house lives the preacher, Samuel Annear.

The poor man! It is Sunday morning and he must go to Stamfoxe to preach the Word of God. It is no wonder he is pacing the floor of his room with a depressed look on his face. Twice he left his home to go to church, but had to return because of the weather. It was no weather for a man to travel through and preach for a few hours in wet clothes.

“The man had a good reason to turn back, and his congregation would be unreasonable if they expected him through such weather,” is probably the thought of our readers.

These, however, were not the thoughts of Annear. He had gone to the church in stormier weather and was therefore not alarmed. It was nothing unusual for him to preach for hours in unfavorable weather under an umbrella or from an open cart. Why he turned back could not be accounted for by the weather.

But why did he turn back? Let us go inside the house and listen to the conversation between the preacher and his wife.

“I pray you, for the Lord’s sake, dear Samuel!” said his wife, “do not be discouraged, turn back, God will surely bless your work.”

“But dear wife,” answered the preacher with tears in his eyes, “you do not know what this is costing me. Let every one enter the pulpit, but not me. I should like to cry out with Job, ‘Cursed is the day in which I was born’ — and especially the day in which I first entered the pulpit. I am more and more convinced that God has not called me to this work. I have taken it in my own hands, I am not fit, believe me, I am not fit.”

“How is it possible that you say that, my dear Samuel! There may be some preachers who have more talents and outward appearance than you, but the Word which you preach is God’s Word and your congregation delights in hearing you. You always have many listeners and the people come from afar to hear you.”

“Curiosity!” cried the preacher; “have you ever heard of anyone becoming regenerated by my preaching? And where that does not happen it is obvious that the Lord withholds his blessing. Of what benefit is the approval and admiration of the people? They will not justify me before God. On the other hand, I never go into the pulpit without a feeling of oppression in my heart; as though an inward voice were saying: ‘How dare you undertake this holy work? Who has called you, thereto, sinner! who rather needs someone to preach to you’?”

“A sinner!” said his wife, “are we and all God’s servants not poor sinners in ourselves? Jesus does not send angels to preach the precious gospel!”

“Yes, but such a great sinner I am. If Titus Klose, who is known in this vicinity as a blasphemer and great curser, would climb into the pulpit, I would sooner believe he was called thereto than I, as it is written, ‘Harlots and publicans will go before thee in the Kingdom of Heaven!’ and he is surely known by all the people as a great sinner, while I am looked upon as a saint, but before God who knows our hearts, is he considered a saint compared with me, for I am sure such ungodliness as day by day arises inwardly in me probably never entered the mind of Klose.”

“Oh!” cried out his wife, bursting into tears, “how can you have grounds for such abuses, for all our hearts are evil from our youth to the present and out of the heart, the Lord himself has said, come forth all kinds of sin and ungodliness, for which we may rightly tremble. I can quite well believe that your heart is not better than Klose’s, but God has opened your eyes that you may see the corruption and at the same time you have come to know the beloved Lord Jesus as the only way of safety for a guilty sinner. Klose does not see this and therefore you are capable of preaching the way of life, but he is not. Come, dear Samuel, the congregation is awaiting you; ask the Lord for his supporting grace. He has promised it to those who are uncomforted and driven forth by storm that He will lay their stones gracefully and build their foundation with saphires. When you come into the pulpit the Lord will give you courage and gladness as He has done at other times, and

‘He gives them courage and strength
Who hope in Him at length’.”

“The way of life,” repeated the preacher, “yes, in case I was capable of proclaiming it to others, then I would see the fruits of my labors, but who has ever heard that through my preaching sinners have become converted?”

“What,” said his wife, “have you so speedily forgotten the grace of God? Have not Anna Johnson, Philip Cowroom, Philip Bades and others testified that under your preaching they have been brought from darkness into light, of whom you can say they are the seal of your apostleship?”

“Oh, that is a long time ago and then I was in my youthful strength. But now the candlestick has been taken from me and I am nothing but a dry tree who has no more foliage or fruit.”

“Now,” said his wife, casting her eyes upward — for she had prayed in silence to the Lord — “this morning the Lord will again cause a shoot to spring forth from your dry root; for He is mighty to cause the unfruitful to be a father of a multitude of people. Go, Samuel; I pray thee, the Lord will be with you.” With these words his wife gave him his cane and hat, kissed him heartily and with an inward sigh let him out of the door.

(to be continued)

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