The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 6, 1898, Page 18

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 18Y8. THE BIBLE ANB Tk WdY 10 51E8F [T Seventh Day Adventist. B . The Bible is | not a helpful book to -ignor- ant people. To read it means little, to nderstandingly as modern text poetry, Few stu- e the courage latter. light. d it in the light ication. 1 method if , which is, that n the Bible 1g-in it to oks the one ly to our hu- ounts of the thers, its bold evil in man, ndation of to us ethically, out of one who needs to s of goodness, tronger and But that des of the est, its no- to the stu- ations of an- review, and who discov- h and emotions that eep influence of the orid. keenest He read than th the his- g of ings; the ution of m cal po- tencies are where sostrongly depicted the ok of books. And thus the es a lasting impression at and good! finds it somewhat difficult to concerning the gospels. srael knows nothing of y, they are modifications and Medrashic maxims. spels reflected th abbis of their tim 1 will say e that the interest for me. er of religic rily d intellectual prog y that if the Chr r reach the standard in the gospels cause for asking Let the Christian each the ideal; let its iplete harmony ce and good and if we ever s eternal years 11 minister at the me shrine of God. The Hebrew and Greek Scrip- tures, called the Bible, can be shown to be the “Word of God” only by proving the letter another of God and spir- s such, is no more yman or Persian hils- can be shown that countries and times, objects in the Bible symbols of the spiritual principles of love d wisdom, which God is, it cannot be God's word Whe these symbols are understood rinciples instead of of mind and heart and quali to us, naturs as neve will Lefore. God's then be found to written book 's all the ob- spiritual nd Book of Rev- ner meaning in its back to ancient h to prove the au- we would simply ¢ the same reason- v ¥ to a mathematical oposition. 1d, however, having ints, lin nd angles and figures to I with, he will from certain axiom- atio spiritual principles proceed to demonstrate the truth of propositions ‘.}hlch deal with the higher forces of life, love, wisdom and their reception and application by angels and men. Thus the Bible is seen to be holy, be- rause it treats of the highest and holi- est thi “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” No criticism of the letter as to.time, place or person can destroy or disturb the prophetical, his- torical and gospel parable. The c figure of the Gospel, Jesus Christ, when seen from the spir- ual “iples which these names sig- seen to be divine. Otherwise not abide with men or them. that is, the human seen the divine ted, glorified and dand hearts to be in which consists nt, and salvation is to e abiding presence of s Jesus, and the for- mation of our cl ters into harmony with the truth, which is Christ. Suych are our views in respect to the Bible and the Lord, and we regard as most hopeful’ and uplifting to the chil of men. Hopeful; be- cause it is an er present word, speak- ing'to every child of ‘God now, what. ever his condition may be. Most uplift. >cause when received in spirit it S up OuUr spirits into communion yith fhe love and wisdom, which the Lord is P o e ok S SRR ISP [ UnTaRIAN— | ®, i)]\ou!d the Bi- YRAT e be read to DR SHOBATIS gain from it STEBBINS. | the greatest e ! good it can yield? A general answer to the question would be: The spirit of truth—that spirit that would know the truth, re- v-n_redit and receive it ‘with a teachablé mind. 5 What is the Bible? There is much in it, and many different kinds. It is the autobiography of human nature, from its infancy to its perfection. ‘What- ever man has felt, and seen, and done, as a moral and spiritual being, is tory upon the moral * Saflvationistt. written there in vivid simplicity of child-sto! and myth, or in rapt vis- jon of the inspired soul. 5 It includes the education of humanity from childhood to manhood. It seems to me that to read the Bible intelliy gently and earnestly we need some such view of its contents and idea. When we read the first chapter of Gen- esis we need to go back to the age in which it was written and recognize in the crude science of that time the su- preme truth that God was the maker and ruler of this universe. That is the truth, and no lesson. of geology. The Bible is sometimes called the Word of God. It contains a word of God, and much that is not in any proper sense a word of God. The different books of the Bible have different value, and are to be regard- ed and read with discrimination. The Proverbs of Solomon, whether he wrote them or not, are not to be compared with the Sermon-on the Mount, nor the story of Samson with the letters of Paul. It is common to say that the Bible is inspired. We want an intelligent idea of what that means if we would read the spiritual import of the Bible. Does it mean a theography, a writ- ing by the hand of God himself? or a writing by men to whom the spirit of God had given understanding? The test of inspiration is that it inspires, lifts up the mind, exalts the feeling, kindles imagination. Solomon says: “He that passeth by and meddleth with strife belonging not to him Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” John says: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what #e shall be; but we know that when he shall 'appear we shall be like him.” Here are two styles of writing. Which is inspired and which inspiring? I know of no book from which so much can be gained by the common heart, and which at the same time af- fords and demands such exetcise of reason and intelligence. The Bible is the classic literature of our religion. Like all other classic literature its per- fection is relative. As it becomes old and older it becomes also” in many points of view strange to the thought and taste of the generations that study it. It is found necessary to make al- lowance for the time, the circum- stances, the historical events in which the literature arose. All the writings of the Bible are to be judged in rela- tion to the age in which they were written. The eternal things are per- petual from age to age, but much has no relation to the modern times. The word unto the prophet spoken Was writ on tables yet unbroken; The word by seers or sibyl told In groves of oak or fanes of gold Still floats upon the morning wind, Still whispers to the willing mind; One accent of the Holy Ghost The heedless world has never lost. * s e The creed of the SeventhDay Adventists is the Bible, and only the Bible. We are, as a class, students of that sacred volume, and dwell with especial interest on_ those portions which seem to others difficult, if notim- possible, of interpretation. & We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament were given by in- spiration of God, contain a full revela- tion of his will to man, are inerrant, and are the only infailible rule of faith and practice. We read the Bible with' perfeet faith, sure that all propheciés have been, are being and will be ful- filled, and -in this spirit only can the best good be secured from fit. Mrs. White, the well-known Advent- ist writer, says: “Both the Old Testa- ment and the New are necessary. The New is but the unfolding of the Old. Let ADVENTIST— ! LEVI | H. SMITH. .those who talk of the patriarchal and prophetic age as a Christless age read their Bibles with humble heart, pray- ing for power to follow the example of the holy men of God.” We believe in the divinity of Jesus. In the summary of our falth these words occur: “There is one Lord, Jesus Christ, the son of the eternal Father, the one by whom he created all things, and by whom they do exist.” We look upon him as our Savior and Redeemer, and expect to reign with Him in time to come. . e e SALVATION ARMY— GEORGE | The Bible is I WOO0DS, ! l such a many- sided volume that a person can come to it in many ways for help and inspiration. For Instance, the student of history will search its pages for the history of ancient times and people; the student of literature will delve into its pages for informatjon as assidu- ously as he does into his Shakespeare or the classics; the scientist, the natur- alist and others can all receive assist- ance in their own particular lines of re- search; but the best good can only be got from it when it is approached in the spirit of its author, as the Word of God and his revealed will to man. The psalmist voiced, the experience of Christians of all ages when he said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” and the more a person brings his or her life into line with the rule of life lald down in its pages the more will that person's -life become like unto that of our great ex- ample, the lowly Nazarene, and the ob- ject for which it was divinely inspired be accomplished. It must be read in the spirit of prayer and with an hon- est heart, and only in this way can the greatest good be received from it. To stand off and view the life of Jesus as that of a noble, unselfish, manly character may to a certain ex- tent be uplifting so far as it makes one realize one's own unworthiness. To simply look upon him’as a man will not bring satisfaction to the hu- man heart. To separate the divine from the human in the character of Christ will only make an enigma of not only the Gospels but of the entire Bible. To the skeptic and critic he is still a “root out of the dry ground, without form and comellness.” It is only when combining the human and dlvine, and looking upon him as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, we kneel In contriteness of heart, thor- oughly repenting of our sinfulness, that we can receive that help and virtue which he came into the world to pur- chase for all mankind. . e s CHRISTIAN SCIEN- STAFF CAPTAIN. The trans- formed faith of the Christian Scientist is an- chored in the spiritual signifi- cance of . the r | | | s Scriptures For that reason he is not disturbed by the higher ¢riticism now elajming so much attention, the many translations new and old, nor the skepticism of the materialist; neither does he share the blind faith in the “letter’ that. igno- rance imposes, et il One who has_grasped with some de- of “Sct- gree of clearness the teachings ence and, Health, with Key-to the Scrip- - tures,” (the Christian .Science text- book) has gained'in the scale of spirit- ual discernment and understanding so that the ‘words of truth written by the inspired writers of the Bible come to his awakened consciousness with great - power and practical meaning. The true spirituality portrayed Theosophist. throughout the Bible, sometimes dimly. soen, then again strong and clear} forms the practical ideal which is to be made real in the consciousness of each follower, while the results of dqpartlng from this standard and 1qnox\'xng ma- teriality are so vividly pictured that the most wavering and doubting child should be warned, enlightened and caved from bitter experience. ; b,\\\'hat is the test of reading the Blb]c in the spirit of understanding? We should be able to prove with signs fol- lowing the supremacy of spiritual pow- er over mortal conditions—mental or physical. “He sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their de- structions.” “Ye shall know the lrul!’% and the truth shall make you free. It is its divine nature and cannot change. We certainly must regard Jesus as the way-shower and example for us to follow. He warned his followers against hearing his words and not doing them. “He that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do,” and commanded those who believed on him to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, to heal the sick and so on. He must surely have shown us the divine method of restoring health and destroying disease. Can there be a more helpful or uplift- ing view in which to regard him than that he was a safe guide in every way. He .has shown us the freedom and Latter Day Saints Swedenborgian. power that man as the son of God should manifest. He proved with scien- tific certainty there is a law of God, which, if adhered to, will free from sin and- disease and ultimately triumph over death. It was also proved by his followers as long as they relied upon spiritual powers and demonstration to establish” his teachings. Human doc- trines and traditions have never an- nulled its force. To-day we are confronted again by the demand to prove our faith by our works. SPIRITUALIST— MRS. | J. ) WHITNEY. its merits. ‘We should considersthe Christ- like chagacter, life and works attain- able by ‘ourselves and work to that end regardless of time or any obstacle if we would be helped and uplifted by the example set forth in the Gospels. “uiie: . other book, hon- estly and fairly, and judged on If read through the glass The Bible should be read in the same spirit any of the bigot and.fanatic, or through that of the cynie and skeptic, the out- come of such reading is in both in- stances error, It must be remembered that its con- tents are all strongly marked with the l Hebrew. exaggeration of the oriental mind, col- ored with oriental coloring, obscured by oriental mysticism and allegory. Also that it remained for years in the hands of a conservative body of men, who mutilated, altered and interpreted to suit their own aggrandizement before it became common property through be- ing translated into the vulgar tongue. Realizing, too, that it was' translated by men whose knowledge of the lan- guage in which it was written was at least questionable, it may be reasona- bly contended that the accepted Bible of to-day is widely different from its great original. That its contents were originally in- spired we may believe, that is, inspired in the sense that its writers wrote un- de}" the control of spirit power, and this fact alone will account for contra- dictions and discrepancies in it. Dif- ferent spirit controls give different in- spirations, hence there will always be a ecertain amount of contradiction in in- spired utterances and writings. The spirit controls inspired their me- diums according to their, the spirits’) knowledge and advancement. From this it will be evident that the value of an imspiration is to be ascertained only by the evidence it presents of truth and goodness. An inspiration may come from a con- trol that is evil and wicked, and this the Bible clearly indicates when it states that God sent a “lying spirit” to GREATEST STAGE ROMANCE OF THE CENTURY. Love Story of Patti and WNicolini That Began in a Duet Twenty Years JAgo and Ended With the ~ Tenor's Recent Death. DELINA PATTI had been for ten years married to the Marquis de Caux when Nicolini came'into her life. From that time until his death their relations were of the most devoted character. Whatever each could do to make the other happy seems to have been done. There is no more romantic.story in fiction than that of Adelina Patti and Ernesto Nicolini. That it lasted to the very end—till death cut the lover’'s knot which bound | them together—was shown in Patti’s devotion to Nicolini during his last ill-“ ness. He was. stricken at Craig-y- | Nos, Patti’s castle among the Welsh | Highlands, early last summer. Until the end came she was his constant and | devoted attendant, leaving him only | when professional engagements Wwhich | cculd not be canceled called her away, | and then returning to him at the earl- jest possible moment. 3 Thus, early last summer, when she | had to sing at Albert Hall, London, she | had a special train in waiting to bear her :quickly back to his bedside. Ni- colini, stretched’ listlessly upon - his couch, hardly ever took his eyes from her, and when it was necessary for her to move about the room in attending to his wants his gaze would follow her. ol Patt! had always been a S 3 entertain lavighly diring thes symmer, but last summer all_invitations wer canceled and all diversions interdicted in order that she might devote herself uninterruptedly to him. All the medi- cal skill’that money could: purchase was lavished upon him;’ she had as many as eleven doctors.in. consulta- Y atti was at the height of her brii- liant career when she-met Nicolini. As the wife of the Marquis de .Caux, her marriage to whom had been one of the pet undertakings of the Empress Eu- genie, she held a brilliant social ‘posi- tlon. While she was unhappy with her husband on-account of ditferences . in age and temperament,. that is nothing more than has.fallen to the lot ¢f many less famous than she. To leave him for an opera ténor required certain sac- rifices of position and infliience, which, however, she did ‘not hésitate to make. At first there were guarded whispers in private circles in regard to her rela- tions with the tenor, but an occurrence ceustomed to during a performanee of Gounod's “Ro- re0’ and Jullet” caused:the scandal to vecome public property, ‘and it was m’ggi from tongue to’ filmlgue. 5 * At that performance it was noticed that {n the balcopy" Scene - Nicplini | kissed Pattf no less than twenty-one times, or, as the humorous statisticlan of the day stated, fifteen times’ rhore than the libretto called for. It is not exaggeration to say that from that day until his death Nicolini continued same ardent Romeo to his Juliet. As a rule, where there is trouble be- tween a famous stage character and especiaily merely a “prima donna’s husband,” the public is apt to sympathize with the woman, but in Patti's case it was dif- | the Marquis Caux's social position and the influence he was able to bring to bear, she w endure was not only married | herself, butNicolini also h: The papers referred to him | her husband, ferent. Owing to obliged to Moreover, she children. much when as “the gentleman who now travels | about with Mme. Pattl,” and certain | practical jokers got out invitations to | her alleged coming wedding with At St. Petersburg there was a the and the women of the higher social circles showed their disapproval of her action by either leaving their boxes or drawing the curtains when she appear- tenor. scene between her ed upon the stage. Although all this occurred in the mid- > proceedings dle seventies divor and gun between her and the Marquis de | uded until late in | 1884, of the Marquis, dal which caused maintained.” Patti's devotion to Nicolini even went 4 me. ‘!Andeur\a .- Partti the tween husband and wife rendered in favor{ him quite a little scolding, smuch as the scan-:| separation | still | | care was due to Nicolini’s caution. So far as to include her admiration for his singing, which shows love Is not only blind, but sometimes also deaf. Nicolini was never, even in his best days, a great tenor, and however pleas- ing his voice may have been when Patti first met him, it is certain that when she brought him over here on a concert tour in 1881 the sacred fire, if it had ever burned within him, was not observable, and he was already, from a vocal point of view, a good deal of an | extinet volcano. Now, her insistence that he should a wife and | always be engaged by managers to sing with her may have been a matter of business, but there was plenty of evi- dence to show that she really enjoyed his voice. I remember that during one | of her visits here Nicolini, who was a collector of rare violins, bought a Paolo Magini. Three or four of his musical friends happened to drop in at the Windsor Hote! to see him that day, and he began showing off his purchase. This resulted in a little impromptu cale, during which Nicolin{ the “Salve Dimorah” “Faust.” Shortly afterward Patti came into the room, and when she heard that he had been singing gave in her, own charming way, of course, for not’ having sent for her to hear him. No one could long be in Patti’'s en- tourage without observing the mutual devotion between her and Nicolini, and this continued not only during the pe- riod of ten years when their relations were more romantic than legal, but also after they were formally married in 1886. To him she was not only the one star of the operatic stage but the one star of his life. He was not only her devot- ed admirer but he also paid attention to her many pets. She traveled around with a regular train of these—dogs, parrots, mocking birds and canaries. Noticing that day on the steamboat a man who was carrying a cage rather carelessly, Nicolini ran over to him with the exclamation, “Prenez garde, monsieur, c’est le Prinee!” Prince was sang from Gounod's | a dove colored parrat of which Mme. Patti was especially fond. One of the features in Patti’s career has been the physical care which she has always taken of herself in order | that her voice might remain unimpair- Much of this He watched over her regime almost like a physician. He would not allow her to speak in the morning until she had had a cup of chocolate,' which he often prepared with his own hands. The days when she was to sing he did not -allow her to raise her voice above a whisper, and he often cooked little dishes for her himself, especially | her after opera suppers, to make sure | that they did not contain too much fat and that they were in other ways just suited to her taste. And although these devotions extended over so many years she always seemed to find a new ed as long as possible. | charm in them. Spiritualist. mislead the prophet and the people. Therefore it may given as the general opinion of thoughtful spiritualists that the writings of the Bible were produced under inspiration, and that those writ- ings must be read honestly and fairly, and judged according to their intrinsic merits—accepting the good as emanat- ing from good controls and the bad from evil ones. If the character of Jesus Christ be regarded as the: character of a god, it falls short of the most perfect ideal; if it be regarded as that of a man, a re- former and a martyr, who gave his lifa as a forfeit to savage bigotry and igno- rance, it presents a splendid human, a transcendently beautiful man—a sym- bol of love and kindness, of meekness and gentleness, of justice and charity. Jesus of Nazareth was the greatest spirit medium the world ever saw—a healing medium and an inspired orator controlled by good and powerful spirits of the highest order. Little understood by the barbarians around him and act- ing as the master of a lodge or spiritual circle, he performed his good work and miracles openly, and honestly striving to elevate mankind and using his me- diumship to eradicate error, reform bigotry and relieve suffering humanity. In return for this he suffered persecu- tion, misrepresentation, injustice, cru- elty and eventually death. s e In what spirit METHODIST— shall we read DR the Bible in or- & der to secure E. R. DILLE. its best to our- selves individu- ally? ‘We should come to it with faith. I know it is sometimes asked, Why should we not have a new religion? There have been 1800 years of research since the Bible was sealed with a finis. Must these go for nothing? Are we not wiser than our fathers respecting Christian Scientist. Methodist, is in it not a single point of contact with the exoteric Jehovistic religion. Christ was a divine man, but no more so than many others have been, and as all others may be if they live the lives which brought him to perfection. Je- hovah stands for force and.revenge; Jesus for love and forgivemess. And it is the love element—the ethical side —which has kept Christianity alive unv til now. The ethics of Christianity are those of universal religion; they have noth- ing%{ the “eye for an eye and a tooth for af tooth” of the semi-barbarous Je- hoviftic teachings. Christ is our broth- er, our teacher, our guide;’ our king. May the true spirit of his teachings prevail against the powe.rs of darkness. . . our exemplar, “A 11 Serip- ture is given by i nspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- rection, for instruction in righteous- ness. -That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly rurnlshgd unto all good, works.”—I1 Timothy, iii:16, 17. And “for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.”—Romans, XVv:4. Therefore the Scriptures should be read as a message from our Father to his children in earth life, and no man should put any other construction than that which the language conveys. Peter says: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy ' of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.”—II Peter, 1i:20. Therefore when ‘“water” is REORGANIZED LAT- TER-DAY SAINTS— PRESIDENT C. A PARKIN, ’ the great verities? Is it not high timex Spoken of “water” is meant, and so that our faith shoyld be brought up abreast with the zeit geist—the spirit of the time? But there are some things in which the fashion never changes—fundamen- tal things, like air and water and sun- shine. May not religign—nay, must not religion—be of this gort? Charcoal and diamond are both essentially the same—they are carbon; they differ only in the fact that the charcoal was made yesterday, while diamonds have been under pressure for ages. Current opin- jons are loose charcoal; the Apostles’ * Creed, the best formula outside of the Bible of the faith once delivered to the saints, is a solitaire. Because we can mend a goosequill pen it does not follow that we can mend an eagle’s wing. There is that oft quoted and flippant couplet of Pope: For modes of faith let graceless bigots He (Fi\n‘t be wrong whose life is in the right. As though there is no well ascertain- ed ground, no standard of Christian belief; as though there were not some things settled by revelation and ex- perience once and forever; as though the roots of character—belief had no re- lation to the fruits of character—con- duct and life. Again in matters of science, men are not forever seeking the truth and never finding it. They do find it, and when they find it they crystallize it into ax- ioms, coroHaries and definitions, which have been hammered out after years of " toil and research, and@ which are used when formulated in .finding further truth. - ‘Why, then, in matters of religion that touch character and destiny shall we not be able to lay our hands on certain great verities which are no longer open questions, and say without a doubt or a misgiving, “I believe them"? ‘What is the most helpful and uplift- ing light in which to view the charac- ter of Jesus Christ as set forth in the gospels? As the living. Christ. ncld says of him: Now he is deau; far hence he lles, In that lone Syrian town, And on his grave with kindly eyes The Syrian stars look down. And Mrs. Humphry Ward, following Renan, calls the story of the resurrec- tion “an exquisite fable.” But nineteen centuries of Christian history are not built upon a ghost story, nor the fairest civilizations the world saw upon an optical illusion. Millions of transformed lives are not based upon a fog bank, or upon Mary’'s mistaking a patch of moonlight for her risen Lord. That is why upon the ruins of the ancient faiths has been reared. the Christian church, dominant in Europe and America and girdling the globe with its missionary enterprises. The church lives and grows to-day because behind its sacraments and rituals, be- hind its creeds and confessions of faith, behind its chapels and cathe- drals rises the Christ of Bethlehem and Calvary and Olivet, nay the Christ of to-day, risen from the dead, regnant in the heavens. Matthew Ar- The Bible is [THEOSOPHIST— | an oscuit book. PRESIDENT ;l'hnl is to say, JEROME A. | t contains a | great deal of | ‘NDERSON'__) truth concealed under apparent- 1y historical narrative, allegory, myth and metaphor. Understood in this way, it may be read and studied with much profit. It is a collection of anclent writings, which, after the anclent methods, teaches the initiate, while It conceals the real truth from the pro- fane. The first four chapters of Genesis contain one of the best accounts of ‘cosmo and anthropogenesis extant. But it is only those uninformed who accept it literally. Its “gods” (elohim) were plural; its “days,” immense geological periods; its “patriarchs,” nati ! dynasties; its “serpents,” “ribs,’ ils” and “‘deluges,” all allegorical. To accept the Bible literally is to be- lieve Jehovah (more correctly, Jahveh, or Yahveh) to be wicked, changeable anl cruel beyond conception. Note the slaying of the Philistines coupled with the reservation of the young and come-"" 1y virgins; the hardening of Pharoah's heart to afford greater opportunities for slaughtering the Egyptians; the slaying of the innocent Israelites be- cause of David’s disobedlence in num- bering them. and many other examples, all of which are simply horrible if taken in their literal sense. The fightings, warrings and cruelties of Yahveh or Jehovah, like those of Jove, Brahma, Horus and other “gods,” conceal secrets which, were our mod- ern men really wise, would reveal pro- found truths, especially In the domain of cosmic chemistry, capable of throw- ing great light upon evolution, and man’s place in nature. It is in this way that the Bible ought to be studied, and those incapable of doing so would bet- ter let it alone. The most helpful and uplifting light in whieh to view the character of Jesus is to-look upon him as a God-like man —not_as a man-like god. ., = Conceived of as the creator and pre- ‘server of this universe alone, his char- acter becomes grotesquely absurd;.but ‘as a perfect vehicle for. the expression of the oversoul, or as perfect as human limitations of braln and sense organs wiil permit, it:shines out as worthy of all emulation—aye, and of all adoration as well, ‘Well may Christians call his teaching a new dispensation, for there with “spirit.” How would we know what to “hope” for if we did not understand the word as it is? It is like a chart or a com- pass. We turn to the Scriptures to learn as the mariner turns to the com- pass to learn the course he is going, and it is conclusive to him, and so the Scriptures should be to us. “When its voice is heard all controversy dies.” “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—St. John, iii:16. “Behold, I have given him for a wit- ness to the people, a leader and com- mander of the people.”—Isaiah, 1v:4. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.”—II Corinthians, v:19. He was the Son of God. He had the “seed of the woman” but the nature of God. He was sent to reconcile the world to God. He was sent to bear witness to the truth, to lead men to the proper service of God in the God-appointed way. “No man cometh to the Father but by me. I am the way, the truth and the life.” He came to lead men to observe what God had commanded. No other service as a service will do. “But the hour cometh, and now Is, when the true worshipers shall wol ship the Father in spirit and in trut for the Father seeketh such to wor- ship him.”—St. John, iv:23. “I know that my Father’'s command- ment is life everlasting.” “He gave me a _commandment what I should say.” “Thus ft becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”—Matthew, {ii:15. ———————————— “A NEW GYMNASIUM GAME. A new gymnasium game which has achieved great popularity this winter at Dr. $§avage’s Institute is known as “curtain-ball.” It is played with a reg- ular basket-ball, and possesses much of the vigor though not of the scientific points of play of the older game. A cur- tain eight feet high, suspended from a wire, is stretched aeross the center of the gymnasium. The players, divided evenly into two sides (there is no limit to the number which may take part, except that suggested by the size of the room), range themselves on the oppo- site sides of this partition. The object of each side is to project the ball over the curtain into the territory of jts op- ponents, a point being scored every time it touches the ground, in favor of those who threw it. It thus becomes ‘the constant endeavor of each division to prevent the ball from landing on its own ground, as well as to throw it into the court of its opponents. As the curtain renders the move- ments of the players invisible on oppo- site sides, the interest and excitement are kept constantly at the highest pitch. Nobody knows from which quar- ter the leather sphere may come flying over the partition, and_ consequently all parts of the court must be kept ade- quately guardad. Until they learn by experience the truth of this principle, the players are very apt to mass to- gether when the ball comes in sight, all'scrambling at once in its direction. Then if it is returned more quickly than usual, they do not have time to separate and scatter about before it flies over again, this time in an entirely different portion of the court. Some- times two balls are used, greatly heightening the activity of the game and making still more imperative the necessity for covering the courts well. Occasionally, when there is a large game, as many as three balls have been kept going. Then indeed there is a mad scramble, and an accompani- ment of calling and laughing which, to gether with the violent exercise, leave the girls breathless and tingling at the end of a few minutes’ play. The um- pire for the game stands at one end of the curtain, just as he does at the net in tennis, from which point a view ot both courts is obtained. He is obliged to keep a sharp lookout, for the sets of players, cut off as they are fromysight of each other, have no means of know- ing when the ball strikes ground in the opposite court.—Harper’s Bazar. —_——————————— ALASKA. The area of the United States before the purchase of Alaska was 2,933,66¢ square miles; -Alaska contains 550,00¢ square miles of mainland, 7000 square miles of the Aleutian Islands, and 22,- 000 square miles of other islands, a to- tal of 579,000 square ‘miles, -or ome-fifth of the area of the rest of the United States. ‘It requires the areas of Cali- fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and New York to equal this. -The area of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia and West Virginia equal only one-half of Alaska. It equals the combined area of Great Britain and Ireland, France, Germany, Belglum and the Nether- lands. It stretches from latitude 51 degrees to 71 degrees, and from longi- tude 130 degrees to 188 degrees. —_——————— GIM"'e(ll{«lhae‘zl engaged at;oh:lxzt. ;gg e-; color woman hou‘l‘g-cleunlng. D\n-lngl the progress of the work Mrs. K—— said: “A colored maudcmmet adlor‘lvgoraer:ngn% K wante 3 ?:tyh}:twm !:,r:m windows, but he did not do the work at all well. 4 “What fo' lookin' man was he?” asked u"“e\?Vhof'll;ell;'e was a big strong fellow, and he had but_one eye. He said that hi name was White. He did very poor Work." 9}; specs he did, lady. He's de wus no- ‘count, in dis town.” "?&. mfl you know him?" y “Know him? Why, lady, I's mah'ied to "im!"—Harper's Bazar. .