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THE ASSASSINATION AND ITS PROBABLE RESULTS It is difficult to account for the peculiar operation of the brain of the anarchist who shot the noble President of this nation—Willlam McKinley. What could he, or the class he is supposed to have 1epresented in the act, hope to gain by such an act? What motive of any kind could inspire such a deel? It is most charitable to view the assassin and his accomplices as mentally unbalanced to a greater degree than are the majonty of the human family; so that to their view the essential of peace and blessing is less Jaw: whereas those who are drected by the Word of the Lord know that the world needs yet more stringent laws for the correction of evil docis. Tow btessed the assurances of the Scriptures that the erent reign of righteousness—law and grace—is near at hand That the Millenmal kingdom will not only effectually restrain such unbalanced creatures, but by restitution provesces Will Dt them up toward soundness and righteousness. Accspher Tetter his yust been found and interpreted. It ennounces that the anarchists have plotted the assassination er Viesident Roo-evell, Senator Hanna, the governors or all the Svates and the favmetal prineces—T. 1D, Rockefeller, J.P Motean and C. M Schwab It seems difficult to suppose that the anarchists hope to terrorize the people so that no one would aecept ofice. Do they not know that there are several millions of men anxious for a chance at these offices and willing to brave every risk? Anarchists are comparatively few in these days of prosperity: not im prosperous times—not until “trouble like a gloomy cloud” shall have gathered wo1ldwide and shut out the light of hope, need we fear that the insanity of anarchy will prevail to the extent predicted in the Scriptures—the overthrow of the entire social fabric. We see no special significance in the assassin’s deed as respects the peculiar times in which we are living—the “harvest”—except that it will probably lead to stringent repressive Jaws against anarchists. Such we would approve, but opine that a restriction of liberty in this approved direction might soon lead to an abuse of power and a restraint of proper libertics ;—an attempt to restrain any and everything not favored by general publie sentiment. For instance Water TowrER publications have thousands of enemies who would not he-itate to misrepresent its teachings as anarchistie, and in doing so think they did God service —after the example of Saul of Tarsus, We are expecting some such violent interruption of the “harvest” work within a few years now; bat will conclude then that “the door is shut.” Meantime let us each and all “labor while it 1s called day; for the night cometh wheremn HO Man can Work.” THE COSTLY PEARL The pearl of greatest price I sought. Alas! lL cought, but found it not The hours of work and sleep were wasted, The fruits ot pleasure passed untasted, And still with eager veal T hasted, To charmy of fortune to entice With some new gift or sacrifice. Vou XXIL -FINISHIN ALLEGHENY, PA, OCTOBER 15, 1901 Until, one sad, discouraged day, A spirit, meek and quiet, lay Upon my brow a hand restraining, It smoothed away my lips complaining, Upon my brow a hand restraining; And wihile I joyed in perfect rest, I held the gem, of all the best. Rk. B. Wenninges. No 20 TOUCHES OF CHRISTIAN CHARA TER “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsocrer things are just, whatsoever things Yy g , a are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, rf there be any prare, think on these things.”—Phil. 4:8, Mankind in general does too little thinking, and what it does do is more or less along improper lines, and built upon false bases or premises, Nevertheless, all will agree as reaspects human welfare, there is a power in thought second to ho ocber power in the ummerse. Few, perhaps, realize to what extent this igs true—to what extent their own happiness and well being is dependent upon right thinking—to what extent whole communities and nations owe their happiness or misery to then aight oor wrong thinking upon the important problems of life. Words are a power in the world, but only in proportion as they awaken thoughts and lead to actions; words, thoughts, deeds, is the order. Truly did the wise man ray. “AS Qoman thinketh in his heart so is he.” (Prov. 23:7) If he thinks justly, he will speak and act justly; if his thoughts are sellish and ignoble, his words will be deceitful and his conduct dishonest It 1. tkcatice the power of thought is to a considerable ex tept recounived that it 18 appealed to on every hand. The teacher appeals to it. the preacher appeals to it; the politiQan appeals to it; the finaneaer appeals to it, the sociologist eppeals tout. the thousands of pamphlets, books, newspapers and tndgaviees publ hed in every land and in every tongue areal) apmaling to Ghought, Thought, indeed, may be said to he the tent eneane whieh is moving the whole world in its exery denartment., The difficulty is that few are of logical and discerning mand, the fall having affeeted every member of the Iunnan farely has disordered our reasoning faculties; and iitttans and demagogues and self-seckers very frequently tile odvantoze of the weak mental state of humanity to delude with sopr sty and thus fo hinder and obseure correct thinkiugocand retsonnuig Against the great foree and weight of Unt stiness or us every member does humanity thus labor, as well as seorest the wiles of Satan: and it is not surprising that gener it as misled and deceived, because added to its incibus af filse promises it nist struggle also against its own Inertia, <dnecish ness and inaptitude, The Lord, also appeals to the power of the mind through Ins Word, and urees upon his people that they be “trans formed by the renewing of their minds.’ (Rom. 12-2) Indecd, it may he said that the cultivation of the power of thoneut began with God's people, and that so far as religious matters are concerned 1t has in no particular degree gone from (319 323) them. While heathen religions seek to restrain the intellect and appeal chiefly to the passions, prejudices and fear, the Lord to the contrary, calls to lus people, saying, “Come, let us reason together.” (Isa, 1:18) We are willie to admit that nominal Christendom has not heeded the Loid’s invitation to any great extent—that very largely nominal Christians avoid thought of religious subjects, and espemally avoid reasoning, but we hold that to the extent they thus violate the divine arrangement they have not their “senses exercised by reason of use,” and are to be esteemed, at very best, only babes in Christ. —Heb. 5:13, 14. We are willing to agree also that thinking may be a very dangerous matter in the absence of absolute knowledge upon which to base and exercise our reasoning faculties; but the Lord has protected his faithful along this line by providing us in his Word with the proper basis for reasoning on all subjects involving our duty to our Creator and to our fellow-creatures. The Scriptures Jay down certain broad lines, and invite God’s people reason within these lines of revelation, and by reasoning thus to taste and see that the Lord 1s gracious, and come to a clearer knowledge of him, a better understanding of his character and plan. Manv who are awakened to independent thinking are careless of the limitations of the divine revelation, and consequently the influence of the divine Word upon them is a mental liberty and enlightenment which, lacking the divine control, is very apt to go to the extreme of license, selfishness, self-conceit and infidelity. Wherever the Bible has gone it has been the torch which has led civilization: millions have profited by its enlightening influence, though only comparatively few walk close to its light and within its prescribed limitations of reason and conduct; and these few are the true Christians—the “wheat” of this age, “the first-truits unto God of his creatures,” which God is now harvesting.— James 1:18. THE CONTROL OF THOUGHT Some are inclined to believe that since man’s brain differs from each other man’s brain to some extent, therefore his thinking must necessarily be different; in a word, that a man ean only think in harmony with his brain construction. But we reply, Not so; each may learn to weigh and balance his own thoughts, to curb some and te encourage others; but to do this each must have before him an ideal of character, to be copied. {2890}