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" Sanctify them thiotigh Thy trtith : Thy Word is trti1h."--John 3svii. 17. Vol. 12. LONDON, 1-1URSDAY, JULY 3o, 1896. No. 31. There is the ladder from the earth to the heaven, clause which states that everlasting life iu gig prgsatt &nib. There are the angels hovering o'er thy which to personally enjoy the use of this head, PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE There is the Father saying, "Restored, forgiven," increased estate is to go with it as an in- International Tract Society, Ltd., There thou mayest weep, and still be com- separable adjunct. This is indeed much. 59, Paternoster Row, E. C. forted. The blessing's thine, the birt,hright, God bath From this point of view the increase in , Annual Subscription, By Post, 6s. 6d. spoken ; value upon the original investment be- Make all Orders and Cheques payable to the International His love o'ershadoweth the bowed and broken. comes not one hundredfold merely, but 'tract Society, Limited, 461, Holloway Road, London, N. There thou mayest find 'tis Bethel, gate of God, infinite. To be had at Messrs. W. H. Smith & Bon's Railway Gate unto heaven, though a house of sadness. This is qualified, however, by the sur- Bookstalls, or through any News Agent. There find the cross, the ladder where Christ trod, prising statement, to a worldly mind, that And angels ministering to bring thee glad- BETHEL. many that are first shall be last ; and the ness. last shall be first. Then in the chapter im- DISCONSOLATE fled Jacob from his home,— Rise from thy sleep of grief and see the grape. mediately following (Matt. xx.), the expla- Fatherless, motherless, friendless and Un- Build up the altar, make thy vow to prove nation of this is given in the parable of the known. Thou knowest God Himself is in this place, The very love that stole the blessing for him, Giving thee tokens of almighty love. householder, who went out from time to Now thrust him forth into time during the day and the night alone. How was he blessed by that hired labourers for his vine- great word just spoken ? yard, paying them all at The birthright his, the blessing, the close of the day the yet heart-broken. same wages, irrespective of The stars shone coldly down whether they had laboured through silence chilly, The wilderness spread round one hour or the entire day. alone, alone ; And when those whom he There was no mound of grass to had engaged first, and who make a pillow, He gathered for his head a had worked the full day, couch of stone, NEAR BETHEL— " THE WILDERNESS SPREAD ROUND ALONE." murmured, he answered, Forsaken of God and man: and yet there oame "Is it not lawful for me to A shadowy ladder from the very skies, The birthright's thine, the blessing, and the token, do what I will with mine own ? Is thine God's comfort oometh to thee, 0 heart-broken. God looking down, angels that spoke his name, eye evil, because I am good ? So the Coming and going in sweet ministries. FANNIE BOLTON. And Jacob roused from sleep at that great last shall be first, and the first last ; for token, many be called, but few chosen." The birthright his, the blessing, though heart- A VALUABLE INVESTMENT. What does the penny a day represent? broken. CHRIST has said that whatever of the The wages of sin is death. The wages in "How reverend is this place," he cried in terror. things of this world anyone shall forsake, the service of God is eternal life. Is the "This is no other than the house of God, penny, then, eternal life ? If it be so, The gate of heaven, and angels know my error, for His name's sake, shall be returned to Yet come to soothe my soul beneath the him a hundredfold, with the addition of then would it not be just that those who rod. murmured that others received the same This wilderness, this silence and this sorrow an eternity of possession and enjoyment of Are pregnant with a Presence all unsought; that which he has received. wages should be last, and that the last who I'll raise an altar here ere dawns the morrow; The value of property is always enhanced went gladly, trusting only that they would For God is here although I knew it not, receive that which was just, and ready to And He'll be with me, so His word hath spoken ; in proportion to the length of time the title The birthright's mine, the blessing, though heart- has to run. A freehold is more valuable be satisfied with whatever was given them, broken." than a lease for a term of years. But in should be first ? 0 comfort for the weary and oppressed, this case the promised return for the in- Here is sweet lesson for thee, lost and lone. vestment is not only to be one hundred- Why God Waits.—Objectors often say, Where art thou with thy heavy-laden breast? Where art thou with thy pillow made of fold, with a title which shall run for eter- " Why doesn't the Lord, if He has the stone? nity, but also this has joined with it a power, put a stop to evil ? Why does He 482 THE PRESENT TRUTH. N.31. let it go on in the world ? " The objector ciples, He would show them, in such a follow Me ! " But the sacrifice which that does not stop to think that it would go hard manner as to impress it vividly upon their entailed was too great, for the young man with him if God should instantly put an minds, that it should not be among them was very rich, and held high social posi- end to evil. God has promised to bring as in the world, " But whosoever will be tion and authority; he was a ruler. These sin and misery to an end, and " the Lord great among you, let him be your minister; things he could not give up, and he turned is not slack concerning His promise, as and whosoever will be chief among you, away grieved, and very sad. some men count slackness ; but is long- let him be your servant." Then, striving His question was, " What shall I do to suffering to us-ward, not willing that any to recall to their minds the solemn words inherit eternal life ? " Did Jesus answer should perish, but that all should come to which He had previously spoken, in warn- his question? Did He point out to hint repentance." 2 Pet. iii. 9. Instead of ing as to what was about to befall Himself, the way to eternal life, for which he asked? finding fault with the Lord for waiting, the He illustrated what their service should be and did the young man accept the reply, objector would better hasten to take ad- by what His own had been and was to be and walk in that way, or did he turn from vantage of God's longsuffering and desire to them,—" Even as the Son of man came it ? Christ is the way and the life. He for his salvation ; for while the Lord is not to be ministered unto, but to minister, is the heir, and with Him and through longsuffering, He cannot always wait, and and to give His life a ransom for many." Him alone is the inheritance of eternal " the day of the Lord will come as a thief life. in the night." Then evil will vanish away in the fires that melt the elements and "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE Chinese Chronology.—Very often we purify the earth in order that it may be re- SAVED ? " meet the statement that the Bible cannot newed and filled with righteousness. IT is related that a young man came to be true as the Chinese have records reach- the Master and said, " Good Master, what ing back many thousands of years. The " WHICH IS YOUR REASONABLE good thing shall I do, that I may have determined unbeliever will always swallow SERVICE." eternal life ? " Mark says that the young the tallest fable if it only runs contrary to man came running, and kneeled to Him, the Bible, whose simple record he claims THAT was a solemn moment when and asked Him, " Good Master, what shall he cannot believe. It is like the giant Christ said to His disciples, " Behold, we I do that I may inherit eternal life? " It who swallowed windmills but was at last go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man is evident that the youth was a man of choked by a pat of butter. Here is the shall be betrayed unto the chief priests high worldly position, for Luke calls him explanation of this windmill of Chinese and unto the scribes, and they shall con- " a certain ruler." chronology :— demn Him to death, and shall deliver Him The first words of Christ's reply to him " Sceptics have alleged against the Bible to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, are very striking. It was as if He would chronology the age of the Chinese annals. and to crucify Him; and the third day He challenge him to acknowledge Him to be At length Professor DeLacouperie has shall rise again." Matt. xx. 18, 19. The the Son of God : " Why tallest thou Me found the key to these extravagances. The Chinese themselves were unable to make twelve were all there together.