you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. 99 Dying yes, in thousands dying Pleading with bated breath: "Will no one come over and bring us light, Dying untaught, uncared for, Lend not a helping hand. Yet we thank the Lord we are not as they ; Dying, while we are dreaming In selfish idleness, Unconscious that those darkened lives Are so full of bitterness. Oh, brothers and sisters, for whom Christ died, Let us spread his gospel far and wide, And thus hasten on that glorious day, When the sceptre of Christ all hearts shall sway; And the weary nations of earth shall find Rest for the soul and peace for the mind. THOUGHTFULNESS IN RELIGIOUS THINGS. BY REV. WILLIAM A. SERVICE," * Pastor First Presbyterian Church, Howell. Text: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Rom. 14:5. In Paul's day there was a difference of opinion in the church at Rome concerning a question of morals. There seem to have been four parties in the church: a party which made no scruples about eating meat offered to idols, and another party which refused to eat such meat; a party which esteemed one day above another, and a counter-party which esteemed every day alike. The anti-meat-eaters, it would seem, said to the meat-eaters, "It is wrong to eat that meat which has been offered to idols, and you must stop it." And the Sabbatarians, it would appear, said to the non-Sabbatarians, "It is wrong to use all days alike; you must observe holy days." Each party evidently labored to convince the counter-party of error, and to vindicate its own opinion and conduct. But the anti-meat-eaters cannot convince the meat-eaters that the eating of the meat offered to idols is wrong, nor can the meat-eaters convince the anti-meat-eaters that the partaking of it is * William A. Service is of Scotch-Irish descent. He is a graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, Vt., Dartmouth College, N. H., and Auburn Theological Seminary, N. Y. Pastor at Union Springs, N. Y., 1884-1887; and at Howell since Jan., 1887. right. The result is similar between the other two parties. The Sabbatarians fail to convince the nonSabbatarians of error in using all days alike; and the non-Sabbatarians fail in vindicating to the Sabbatarians their disregard of holy days. As a natural consequence all parties feel hurt: the Sabbatarians and the antimeat-eaters, because they believe the church is being scandalized; the meat-eaters and the non-Sabbatarians, because they surmise there is an effort on foot to curtail their liberty. The contest goes on for some time, but with little prospect of a satisfactory issue. At length, as the only apparent way out of the difficulty, all parties agree to submit the whole matter to the arbitration of a third and unprejudiced party, Paul. Sabbatarians and nonSabbatarians, meat-eaters and anti-meat-eaters, at once write him stating their case and endeavoring to justify their conduct. Paul reads their letters and then writes to them the words of the fourteenth of Romans and of our text: "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things; another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth; for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be holden up; for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. " The kernel of Paul's answer is in the words of our text: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Thus the apostle, instead of deciding the question submitted him, throws it back on the original questioners. It is as if he had said: I decline to treat |