(164-165) world respecting the Briton of one hundred and seventy thousand years ago! But the Professor hedges a little. He first says what nobody could dispute, namely, ‘‘No accurate estimate could be made of the age of a skeleton.’’ But the professor was too scientific to stop with that sensible remark. He goes on:— ‘‘We must judge of the past from what we know of the present, and on this basis the land movement is a slow one, for so far as can now be told, the level of the river has scarcely changed since the Roman period. If, then, a movement of a foot be allowed for each thousand years, one may with some safcty assign a period of at least one hundred and seventy thousand years to have elapsed since the high level terrace was laid down at Galley Hill. Further research will probably show that the period is much longer.’’ Here the generous professor leaves room for some amhitious rival to come forward and claim a still greater miracle —-that the bones of this skeleton were miraculously preserved for millions of years. Nevertheless, ‘‘The Word of the Lord standeth sure,’’ writes the Apostle. As another illustration of the exactness of scientifie men and of the relianee we may place upon their conclusions, note the following :— Prof. Hauser recently found in Southern France a human skeleton. He thought and studied very carefully over the subject to ascertain as nearly as possible the exact minute at which the corpse had heen deposited. His conclusion, after this deliberation, was that it had heen where he found it for a hundred thousand years—more than sixteen times as long as man has been upon the earth, according to the Bible. But now comes Prof. Klattsch of Brescia who, after a similar amount of thinking, studying, etc., to find the exact moment, tells us that the skeleton was deposited four hundred thousand years ago. Of course, it makes no difference to the poor man whose skeleton it was or what these professors say, and it makes even less difference to us, except as the little discrepancy of three hundred thousand years proves to us the “Cexactness’’ of “‘scientifie’’? attainment along such lines. The more we see of the foolishness of men, the more we should rely on the wisdom and Word of God. ‘‘The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.’’ Let us. dear readers, he willing to be smiled at incredulously by Dr. Keith and others. And Iet us smile back again good-naturedly and stick to God’s Word and trust, with good assurance, that in the dawning of the Seventh Thousand-Year period Messiah’s kingdom will be established and the blessings of mankind hegin and the shadows of ignorance fade away, and God be found true and many wise men mistaken.— Rom. 3:4. CHICAGO DISSATISFIED WITH REVIVALS For three consecutive seasons Chicago has supported an expensive evangelistic campaign, having sought the leadership of the greatest men in this field. And, in turn, says The Christian Century (Chicago), Torrey, Gipsy Smith and Chapman have ‘‘inspired and disappointed the hopes of Chicago churehes that this city might be stirred with new 1eligious life.’? The Northwestern Christian Advocate (Methodist, Chicago) recently undertook a questionnaire addressed to the various Chicago pastors of its denomination, ‘‘asking each to tell what results the recent Chapman-Alexander meetings hrought to his church, his community, and the city as a whole.’’ When these pastors frankly state that, ‘‘for the most part, the results are negligible in their churches.’’ observes Tihe Christian Century, ‘‘it is time for some one to arise and ask if the $50,000 spent in this evangelistic campaign could not have been spent to better advantage for the kingdom of God.’’ The replics of forty Methodist preachers are thus summarized: ADDITIONS TO MEMBERSHIP Twenty-two report ‘‘none’’; one reports ninety; one re RIGHT HABITS THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N. Y. ports forty; one reports thirty-six; one reports thirty; one reports twenty-one; one reports twenty; and the remaining twelve show lesser numbers aggregating thirty-four. Total for forty churches, 271. ADDITIONS TO SUNDAY-SCHOOL Thirty-five report ‘‘none’’; one reports six; one ‘‘ cannot tell’’?; one has ‘‘largest [attendance] in the history of the school’’; one ‘‘cannot accommodate any more’’; one, ‘‘some increase. ’’ ATTENDANCE UPON MORNING SERVICE Thirty-six report ‘‘no increase’’; one reports an increase; one, ‘‘the congregation fills the house’’; two, ‘‘slight increase.’? ATTENDANCE UPON EVENING WORSHIP Thirty-eight report ‘‘no inerease’’; one reports ‘‘some increase’’; one reports ‘‘best we have had.’’ ATTENDANCE UPON MID-WEEK PRAYER-MEETINGS Thirty-five report ‘‘no increase’’; two report ‘‘better attendance’’; two report ‘‘some increase’’; one reports ‘‘gratifying increase.’’ INCREASED RELIGIOUS INTEREST IN CHURCH AND COMMUNITY Twenty-one report no change; thirteen report ‘‘slight increase’’; five report ‘‘marked inerease’’; one reports the influence to have been Jess than favorable. The meetings are declared ‘‘profitable,’’? but ‘‘they did not reach the class it was hoped they would.’’ ‘‘ Relatively few of the unconverted were present.’’ One man declares that “‘the people were not stirred by the meetings and Christians attended for the most part from a sense of duty.’’—Literary Digest. TAMENESS EMPTYING THE CHURCHES ““Speaking the truth in love’’ does not suit the combative natures of two of our religious contemporaries. That plan is all very well, exclaims the editor of The Congregationalist and Christian World (Boston), but speaking in that mild temper is ‘‘tame when compared to speaking the truth in the heat of controversy.’’ This editor finds no simile within his own sphere of activities to express his feeling of the weakness of one method as contrasted with the other, so he boldly sets them forth as ‘‘basket-ball compared to a prize-fight with knuckles.’’ “‘The decline of religious controversy is surely one reason for the falling-off of Sunday-morning congregations at church,’’ he asserts. Dr. Buckley, in The Christian Advocate (Methodist, New York), echoes approvingly and adds that ‘‘the decline of religious controversy also has a great effect on evening services.’’ He finds the similes used by The Congregationalist ‘thighly .original and expressive,’’ going on to supply some more himself: ‘‘When Christianity dispenses wholly with controversy it will be like a sleeping man—harmless and helpless; it will be a sad spectacle. “‘We were entertained at the house of a friend in New Hampshire, where Henry Ward Beecher was spending a day or two. It was his birthday and he was jubilant. ‘‘He conducted prayers, and his utterances were equal to any of his published prayers in beauty, simplicity, and comprehensiveness. “<Immediately after he arose, he called the writer to him and pointed to a large picture hanging on the wall, representing a huge mastiff sound asleep with a piece of meat placed before him, and a lap-dog quietly drawing it away. Said Mr. Beecher, pointing to the sleeping mastiff, ‘That is Orthodoxy,’ and to the little dog, ‘That is Heterodoxy.’ ‘“So it is and ever will be. Controversy was the life of Paul’s works—polite controversy, brotherly controversy; but strong in exposing error and building up the truth. The Epistles are full of controversy. Moreover, many of Christ’s sayings were strictly controversial. ‘‘Tt is more than a fine art to combine in one sermon the forcible overthrow of an error and a heartfelt appeal; but it is possible to attain unto it.’’—Literary Digest. OF THOUGHT ‘‘Winally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report—if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.’’—Phil. 4:8. As the mouthpiece of the Lord, the Apostle Paul is here giving instruction to the chureh respecting how she should build herself up. Referring to the great influence of the mind over the body, he lays down certain rules for thinking; for as a man thinketh, so he will become. The more he thinks on good things, the better he will be. The more he thinks on evil things, the more evil he will be. The things we think about, the Apostle says, should he honorable, just, praiseworthy, beautiful. If a thing has none of these qualities the Lord’s people should not think on it at all. A wonderful transformation of character is effected by thinking on those things which have wisdom and depth of instruction—-those things which come from no one else but God. “WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH IS COME IT WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH’’ St. Paul was the one privileged to sce the Lord after his ascension. We perceive that he, as well as all the other Apostles, had fulfilled in him the Master’s words, ‘‘Whatso [4826]
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