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TEXAS AGRICULTURAL FRIENDS TAKE NOTICE A brother in the truth in the Nursery business at Post Oak, Texas, finds himself financially embarrassed and asks our aid in disposing of his large stock of fruit trees which he describes as of excellent quality one and two years old and 4 to 6 feet high. He has a descriptive catalogue which we will forward to all interested. He says the prices are right. He offers the Tract Fund one half the receipts from this forced sale: but as we do no advertising we turn this advantage over to the friends, who can thus secure good trees for Texas climate at HALF PRICE: packed free and delivered at Express Office. No orders received for less than $2. Drop postal card for free catalogue to us. The catalogue at hand besides the fruit trees includes grape and other vines and shade and ornamental trees. The prices seem reasonable and the goods at half price should be a bargain. This notice is quite a digression from our rule. Vou. XXI ALLEGHENY, PA., MARCH 1, 1900 No. 5 RE-ENLISTED VOLUNTEERS! The new lot of “Bible vs. Evolution” ammunition is not yet ready, but by March 15 to April 1 we will have plenty of the new emmunition for use where the Bible vs. Hrolution has alreidy been distributed. You will like it, we assure you this in advance. It will consist of “Which is the True Gospel?” and “What Say the Scriptures about Hell?” in the shape of a “MARK THE PERFECT MAN! TO ARMS! double number of the Warcn Towrr. Get your several squads together and lect us have vour orders stating (1) the number of white Protestant churches in the district; (2) the average attendance at service which the church members cinefly attend; (3) the number of Volunteers in your squad; (4) to what address would you prefer to have the ammunition sent, BEHOLD THE UPRIGHT!” Marr. 4:25-5:12.—Aprin 1, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” What characteristics are essential to our attainment of the most blessed conditions God has to bestow? What must we be in order to inherit the kingdom, be filled with righteousness, obtain divine mercy and everlasting comfort, be called the sons of God, and be permitted to sce his face, obtaining a great reward in heaven? What question, what topic, what Bible les-on, could be more interesting to us or a more profitable study than this one? The great Teacher made it the topic, the text, of one of his principal discourses at his first advent, and caused the gist of his argument to be recorded for the admonition of his true followers throughout this Gospel age. While the character of our Lord, which we as his followers are to copy, is one; and the attainment of that one character or disposition means the attainment of all the blessings God hes to bestow; nevertheless, in order to present the matter the more distinctly to our minds the Lord divides this one character or disposition into different sections, giving us a view of each particular part: just as a photographer would take a front view. right-side view, left-side view. rear view and angling views. of anv interesting subject, so that all the details of construction might be clearly discernible. THE FIRST ESSENTIAL The first character-picture which our Lord presents we may reasonahly assume was in some respects at least most important: It is humility. “Blessed are the humble-minded (poor in spirit) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We do not understand this to s:enify that humility is the only essential grace, and that whoever is humble will therefore attain the kingdom, but rather that to the attainment of the kingdom humility is a prerequi-ate of first importance. In other words, while all hurble people will not attain the kingdom, the kingdom cannot be attained by anyone who is not humble: the kingdom is theirs, in the sense that it is possible for this class to accept the terms and to attain to the honors and blessings, while all of a different attitude of mind—the proud, the haughty, the self-conceited, are absolutely debarred from any poemhility of attaining the kingdom so long as these contrary conditions lie at the foundation of their characters, O that all of the Lord’s people might sce this point clearly and distinctly, and realize once and forever that “The Lord resisteth the proud and showeth his favors to the humble” exclusively! How this thought should put a guard upon every one of the Lord's little ones who is seeking to be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son. How jealously they would watch and fostcr the development of this spirit of humility in their own hearts, and how it would be more and more discernible to others in their daily course of life, and what a blessing and what an influence for good, especially upon the “brethren,” would result! . Growing out of this first essential quality or characteristic, as a tree of many branches out of the root, come the other graces of the spirit, which the Lord has declared blessed— divinely approved. How different our Lord’s teachings in this respect from all human teachings! Earthly wisdom would say, on the contrary: Hold up your head; think well of yourself, if you would have other people think well of you; be high-spirited, instead of poor in spirit, a little haughty, rather than of humble demeanor; it will have a greater influence in many respects, for no one will think more highlv of vov than you think of yourecelf, nor give you credit for more than you claim; hence, think highly [2585] of yourself. and claim much, carrying a high head, and having a lofty and self-important look. No doubt there is worldly wisdom in the worldly counsel; no doubt there is some truth in the worldly suggestion, so far as success in earthly matters in the present time is concerned. But here as in other instances, the Lord shows uy» that his ways are not as man’s ways, but higher, as the heavens are higher than the earth. He assures us that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted in due time, while he who exalts himself shall be brought low, in due time. (Matt. 23:12) In the Scriptures he points us to our dear Redeemer as the illustration of the humble and obedient one, whom he has now exalted to the right hand of divine power; and our attention is also called to the great adversary, who, taking a reverse course, sought to exalt himself, and has been abased, and is ultimately to be destroyed.—Phil. 2:9; Heb. 2:14. A sharp distinction should be noted between being poor in spirit and being poor in pocket, or in intellectual gifts and attainments. We have all seen people who were poor in these earthly senses, yet proud in spirit. The point to be noticed ig that whatever our financial or intellectual gifts and conditions, the thing acceptable in the divine sight is hunulity of spirit. Such a disposition is essential to those who would receive the wisdom which cometh from ahove—they muct lave a humble appreciation of their own deficiencies and lack of wisdom, else they cannot receive freely, heartily, the wisdom which God is pleased to grant in the present time, only to those who are in the attitude of heart to receive it. And it will be secn also that this humility of mind is essential as a basis for the spirit of a sound mind—for who is in a proper condition to think justly, reasonably, impartially, excent first of all he have a humble disposition? Hence we must agree that humility is a primary element in the disposition or mind of Christ. CONSOLATIONS THE REWARD OF SYMPATHY The second beatitude or blessed condition mentioned by our Lord stands closely related to the first—“Blesscd are they that mourn.” Mourning of itself is not a grace, but it betokens an attitude of mind which is acceptable in the Lord's sight. Nor should we think of a mournful spirit. without consolation or joys, as beug a Christian spirit. We cannot suppose that our Heevvenly Father and the holy angels are continual mourners, as they would certainly be if mourning possessed any merit of itself. The thought rather is. Blossd are ye that mourn now—to whom present earthly conditions are not entirely satisfactory and happifying—who are not blind to the difficulties and trials through which the human family as a whole is passing—sin and sickness, prin and trouble, dying and erying: blessed are those who have sympathy of heart under present conditions, and to whom they are not satisfactory; for the time is coming when, under God's providence, a better order of things shall be instituted, and their dissatisfaction with present conditions will but bring them into closer sympathy and fellowshin with those better things for which the divine plan is preparing. When God’s kingdom shall come and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven, all cause for mourning and for sorrow and for tears will be done away: that will be a time for consolation, for satisfaction, to this class. Indeed, a good measure of comfort comes to the Lord’s people even in the present age—through faith built upon the (64-68)