Exeter Advocate, 1908-10-15, Page 6PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY
"Bo Ye Doers of the World and Not Hearers
Only, Deceiving Your Own Selves
Everyone that heareth these say- This is what Ho wants us all to Le
hags of mine and duet!) them not, -learners in the school of
shall be likened unto a foolish roan, PRACTICAL RELIGION.
which built his house upuu the
rand. -1t. Matthew vii. 26. The man who thinks that hearing
said to have handed over to the
(;ibeonitea in order that the latter
night take summary vengeance up -
t. them because of Saul's earlier
bloody cruelty to the inhabitants of
their city (compare 2 Satu. 31.
1 6).
For Jonathan's sake -Out of re-
spect for his anointing to the office
of king, David had on different oc-
casions refrained from taking Saul's
life when the opportunity ufferded.
After the death of Saul, however,
it was the immediate family of
Jonathan in which David's interest
centered. He sloes not seem to
have concerned himself about other
Tho (Christian religion is net the gospel prea.•b.•d makes him a
salve -
merely a philosophy: It is a divine- ('htistiar' and will bring him salve Ila members Saul'sf then family, urtheir rdeo
1 J. revealed rule of life. The church thin has a bitter disappointment in protected
y. In -
le not a university. It is a t.•• hat- store. 51 .lames says : "Be yo en a!rt 11 theapreceding mute and
cal school. The function of the doers of the \ford and not hearers 1 g
only docei%mg your own selves•„ narrative of chapter 21, to which it
!reacher is to teach men hew to refers, the contrary seems to havo
take the raw material of life and Hearing is important as a Drat
1 olid it into character. The four- step. `'Faith cometh by hearing.' Leen the case.
der of the Christian church was a I'aitti 1s Important as a foundation. 2. Ziba-A crafty deceiver who
great preacher. During His three But kali ,vithuut works is dead. later nought to acquire for himself
years' ministry thousands hung up- Ono cannot erect a substantial 'fru d his sof nsllleehibushd ctl►t personalnd is ma
oD His words. And 3 -et, at the end holding without a good foundation. proper lying about him to David,
Ne had only about H0 disciples. Of hat how bud it is to see a strwig y g
the many who listened only these [eundation with no superstructure
few were actually learners.
In the Sermon on the Mount,
Christ lays down the great funda-
mcntal principles which should
guide His followers. He closes by.
telling His hearers that those who
not only hear His words, but do
them, are like a wise tnan who built
hip house upon a rock. When "the
rain descended and the floods came
and the winds blew and beat upon
that house," it stood. But those
who hear without attempting to
practice are like a foolish man who
built his house upon the sand.
When the time of testing came, his
house fell. There are many such
tc-day. Men and women whose re-
ligion is that of
HEARING ONLY.
haying first taken advantage of his
built thereon. Such a sight speaks lameness, which made it impossible
c f failure of disappointed hopes. for Mephibosheth himself to look
Mail a wan has been disappointed eta for his own interests (compare
in his religion because his Christi- 2 Sam. 10. 1-4 ; 19. 24-30).
unity has consisted of faith with -1 3. The kindness of God -David s
out works u foundation withoutoath to Jonathan (1 Sam. 20. 14)
a building, hearingrwithout doing. was similarly worded : "Show me
the loving -kindness of Jehovah.
Let us be practical. Do not be
like the roan who 1►uilt his house At, the mercy of Jehovah had been
i:l...i the sand. Join the racks of unfailing and unlimited toward
tee real disciples. Be learners.: David, so he in turn desired to
Handle the !Dols of your religion.} show himself toward the family of
Practice the construction of char -I his lifelong friend.
actor. Begin by putting at least 4. Machir, the son of Anmliel-A
one principle of Christianity to use. 4 man .of considerable wealth, and oc-
Do at least one kind act each day. I copying a position of prominence
Try to conquer seine one fault. Go' it: the kingdom. He is mentioned
tc some (Christian leader and ask w 2 Sam. 17. 27-29, in connection
hew to allow you to help in his with David's return from exile fol-
uork. He will give you an oppor-Ilc.wing Absalom's rebellion and
tunity. And as you become more; death. His naive would seem to
There is a story told of a certain familiar with the tools of your: associate him with the tribe of Ma -
new farmhand who was insiruetl d('hristian profession God will seta nasseh (compare Num. 32,39, 40:
1:;; his employer to feed his favorae sou harder tasks, and will give you! "And the children of Machir the son
horse some corn "in the ear." Ile at the same time greater joy in your' of Manasseh went to Gilead, and
was discovered some hours later en -religion. 1'nur spiritual house will, tc.ok it, and dispossessed the Amar•-
deavoring to pour the grain into the
ears of the unfortunate animal. Wo
cannot get any vital religion
through the ears only. The truths
of Christianity must be digests 1
r.nd made a part of our very life he-
ft re they can nourish us. The only
way to accomplish this is to prac-
tice them.
Many (.Christians fall when temp-
tation comes because they are only
tearing (Christia es. They go to
church regularly. They are famili-
ar with the tenets of the particular
religious body to which they belong,
iut they have never practised what
they hear. They are like students 'Text, 1•'lah. 4. 32.
at a technical school who have ti. t-
er.ed to many lectures about the Verse 1. David said, Is there yet
gt neral principles and tools of their any -Undoubtedly the king made
diligent inquiry to discover whe-
ther any members of the house of
Saul were stilt living. The picture
etrewn for us in 2 Sam. 21, of
1'.avid's bearing toward the house
be founded upon a rock.
REV. HOWARD R. PELL.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
1N'TERN.1'1'1ONAL LESSON,
OCT. 18.
Lesson 111. David's Kindness to
Jonathan's Son. Golden
trade, but havo never actually tak-
en those tools in hand and exper;-
tnented with them.
esus Christ was very practical.
Out of the many who carie to hear
ites that were therein").
Lo -debar -The sante town which
is called Debit- in Josh. 13. 26. It
was situated east of the Jordan and
not far from Mahanaim, the city
occupied by David for a brief peri -
(.d during his exile from Jerusa-
lem.
6. Mephibosheth - Called in 1
Citron. 8. 34, and 9. 40, Merib-baal.
In the narrative in Samuel the de-
tested name of Baal has been drop-
ped and the word "Bosheth,"
meaning "shame," substituted. Tho
sante is true with other names hay -
ink the sante ending, as, for ex-
ample, Esh-baal, which in Samuel'
becomes Ish-bosheth. From '2 Sam.
4. 4, we learn that Mephibosheth
was five years old at the time of
Jonathan's death, and since at this
time he himself already had a young
son (verso 12), we conclude that a
considerable period of years must
have elapsed. The parallel account
,n ( hronicles Makes no reference
Him, He choose twelve who seemed ,.i Saul in general is not nearly so tc, the events horn narrated.
very much in earnest. These II • fr.vurablo to hint as is the picture! 7. Fear not -In view of the fate
made practice religion. Ile to .1 ; ,.rt.raved in our lessen narrative.? that had befallen other surviving
then) with Hint on His preachie• t from chapter 21 we learn that at members of Saul's family (compare
tours. He taught them to he ii! least seven other immediate de-. note verse 1 above) Mephibosheth
others. i,ater He selected seven 31 scen(lants of Said besides Mcphibo- !night well think his own life to be
more and gave them likewise some- sheth survived the conflict with the in danger.
1
thing to do. At the time of His no i'hilietines in which Saul and Jona-' Ent (,read at my table continual-
rension there were about one hurt than were slain. These: seven sons Iv -.1 mark of very great distinc-
dred and twenty such learn' •s. .,r de,cendants of Saul David is tion and honor at an Oriental court.
8. A dead deg -The vilest and
most contemptible of objects among
Orientals.
10. 'fill the land for hint -The sta-
tus quo of affairs in Mephibosheth's
household thus received the royal
sanction. From henceforth he and
his servant, Ziba, are to enjoy un-
disturbed the fruits and produce of
the land of which they seem to have
already been in possession.
Fifteen sons -A rather insignifi-
cant numler compared with sonto
cf the Old Testament family re-
cords.
Twenty servants -From, the num-
ber ofZiba's servants it may be in-
ferred that the estate of Mephimo-
sheth was of considerable size.
12. Mephibosheth had a young
son . . . !Mica -Who in turn had a
ruinerous posterity as it occurs in
Chronicles is spelled "Micah."
VESSELS W1'171 ROi•.1L NAMES.
British Men•o'-War That Seem
I)ootned to Ill Luck.
One of the very strongest and
most ineffaceable of all supersti-
tions in the royal navy- a supersti-
tion almost as strong to -day as over
it. was -is that vessels bearing the
mune of royal personages are doom-
ed to ill luck, and strange as it may
seem there is an undeniable histori-
cal basis for this feeling, says Lon-
don Tit -Bits.
Some of the most terrible disas-
ters ever known in connection with
cur navy have concerned war ves-
sels with royal names. Two vessels
called the Royal James came to dis-
attrous ends. One of them explod-
ed, and some 800 officers and sea-
men perished ; the other ship so
named was actually carried out of
the mouth of the 'Thames by the
Dutch under cireuntstances dis-
ptaceful to those in charge of the
craft.
Then there is the forever memor-
able disaster to the Royal George,
that turned over and sank in sight
'.t crowds at Spithead, over 1,000
souls, among whom were 300 wo-
men, being sacrificed. And second
only to this hideous disaster is that
which afterward betel the Royal
Charlotte, which was consumed by
fire off Leghorn, over 800 of the
very flower of our navy perishing
with lier.
When in 1893 the Victoria, a new
vessel and the very triumph of mod-
ct n invention, was rammed and
sank in sight of the whole fleet there
was not a sailor, however matter of
fact he might be, who did not re-
member the dire fate of a royalty
named craft. Three years later a
schooner named the Royalist foun-
dered in a gale off Holyhead,
while in 1891 a British bark, the
Queen, was sunk and her captain
and six men drowned.
WISE CHILI).
"Here, Willie!" cried the boy's
father. "you mustn't behave that
way. Everybody will he calling you
a little glutton. Do you know what
that
"I suppose," replied Willie, "it's
a big glutton's little boy."
A friend in need is a friend in-
deed, if he d•eesn't try to make a
teach.
11.4:610441.1040440.000044440011
et
IIEALTII
I'[ l 1FICATION OF \\•.1'11:11.
The diseases that may be spread
by water -water -borne diseases,
they are called -are so many and
5.1 serious--tJphuid fever, dysentery
and similar troubles being the most
common --that the than who takes
thought of his health or that of his
family trust sco to it that the water
h + drinks is pure.
Some few cities of this country
filter the supply furnished t, their
inhabitants; but most of thein, un-
fortunately, take no precautions, or
wholly ineffectual ()nes, to ensure
neeted with ''first aids" to the in-
jured is one that it is good to use
cobwebs to stop a cut from bleed-
ing. One may thus stop bleeding,
but the last state of the man who
vas losing blood w ill probably be
worse than the first, for, declares
Professor Ackermann, in his book
on "Popular Fallacies," one could
scarcely get anything more likely to
cause blood -poisoning or kther dis-
ease than the dirt with wReeli cob-
webs are infested. He quotes ser
era! instances of the harm done by
following this spider -web fallacy.
As a shall chill happened to cut
its finger with a sharp penknife, its
father endeavored to stop the bleed-
ing of the wound by binding it up
with cobwebs, a practise which
would be more honored in the
1. reach than the observance, for
nearly a month later the child de -
a pure supply. The community be- %eloped typical symptoms of (en-
ing so careless of its health, the in- t►gnus, or lockjaw. It was proved
div-idual must look after his own, beyond doubt that the spider's web
end must himself purify the water was responsible for the mischief.
he drinks or that used in the pro- The dressing of wounds with salt
para►tion of his food t r tobacco is equally wrong. These
There aro three ways of house- fallacies become so establiJged as
hold purification of water --filtering,
bulling and distilling.
Tho first is unsafe. 'There are,
many filters which will, when new
and clear, remove nearly all the
germs from the water, as w..!1 as
other visible im nu•itiee; but the
best of then) soon become feel, and
unless they are e.,nstantly 1, -mw -
ed or thoroughly c!e:t.•-.•11 they
" •••
to• havo the weight of truth with
many persons, lett an` not t:. ho
treated Furiously, although to un-
learn is harder than 1.4 learn,"
even with ecople who know that in
emergencies of this hind cleanliness
is of the first irn11.:rtance.
POUI.Ti('ES.
time eLlll 1Clle Ci'
cease to act, and 1
a comparatively good water unlit
to drink.
Distillation is the most effective
means of purification, but the nec-
essary apparatus is cumbersome
and troublesome to use, and -..c
method is impracticable for family
use. One sometimes reads articles
in the newspapers decrying the u
of distilled waiter on the asstuup-
tion that it nets injuriously upon
the mucous membrane of the stom-
ach and digestive tract. This is
nonsense. No drink can be better
and safer than distilled water, but,
as has been said, it is beyond the
reach of the average family.
Tho other means is to boil the
water. This is absolutely safe and
perfectly harmless. Objection has
been made that boiling for fifteen
co twenty minutes does not destroy
all the germs in water. nor clues it.
Some germs, which are provided
with desistant spores, may survive
heat so applied ; but nem- of the or-
dinarily dangerous germs, such as
those of typhoid and dysentery, can
resist boiling temperature for
twelve minutes, and such water is
safe to drink.
Boiled water is inspid bccanse
much of the air has been expelled,,
i.ut this is easily remedied. After
boiling the water should he poured
int() clean quart bottles, which havo
been sterilized being boiled in a
separate vessel, each bottle being
enly half-filled. It i3 then corked
arid well shaken for a few minutes,
b;• which means the water is again
aerated and made palatable.
Ice should not be added to this
water, but the bottle can be kept
in the refrigerator until it 6 need-
ed. -Youth's Companion.
'T 111: S1'1i)KR.-\\'I.ii FAIA,A('Y.
Among the many fallacies eon.
If for any reason a poultice can -
net lir put un us -eon as it is made,
put it 1.:•1 ,:eco two hot plates and
stand it of or a saucepan of boiling
water; never put it into the even
to keep hut. as the dry heat hard-
ens the outside of it, and it is very
likely to chafe Ow 'kin. All poul-
t;,•••3 except linseed meal! : ;h44,ild UP
1 rt into muslin !mai I.in,r'a'ft
h..uld he spread on muslin, and the
meal itself put against the skin,
%vitt' nothing in bet,,.ee-i.
• -4
UNSELFISH'.
\1;t •ter \Vatter. aged five, had
eaten the soft porii..ne of his toast
et, breakfast, and piled the creels
en his plate.
"When I was a boy..' remarked
iii, father, wee, sat. .11g1',Vte 141141,
-"l always oto 1140 crt:>t; of any
1' ast."
"Did you like them inquired
hie ofiripring cheerfully.
-Yes,- replied 1he parent..
`• \•ou ina % Late 1t'.•-.•, • and Mas -
1:`r \\'alter, pushing his plate across
the t..bt. .
J-fushand (nr rit lung a iib his wife
at the station just as the train
steams out) --"'There' if J-,)1 Hadn't
taken sueli a fearful time dressing
we shouldn't have lust that 1rain."
\l ife-- - .\lid if y.,I, ! e'1 tuerrie(
are SO all the way lieee .- .h..nlaln't
I-._ve such a long tie. 1.1 wait for
the next one."
"Von mast let the lathy have elle
c. tI ll milk to drink evert (lee,"
said the doctor. "Very wee!, if Jou
Fay s•►, doctor," said the perplex-
ed young neither; "but i really
(hell see how he is going to hold
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