Broken Bread Part 5

A WORD TO PARENTS.

Brother Moses Welsby was speaking with me at some Open-air Meetings at Radcliffe, the other day, and he told of seeing a lad being taken to prison, and as he was going his father called out, "Keep thy spirits up, lad, it will soon be over," but the lad replied,

"I SHOULD NOT BE GOING NOW IF YOU HAD SHEWED ME A BETTER EXAMPLE."

What sort of a model are you? Can your children copy you with safety?

Are your actions what you would like to see over again in your boys and girls? Perhaps some who read this are in danger of being driven from G.o.d at the last day. If so, shall you be chained to your children, and will your punishment be all the greater because they say,

"WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN h.e.l.l IF YOU HAD SET US A BETTER EXAMPLE?"

XVIII. "THERE IS A SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN."

1 KINGS, xix. 41.

So said the man of G.o.d. Rain was much needed, for famine stared them in the face. Even Ahab himself had walked many weary miles to seek gra.s.s for his horses; other men's cattle had perished, and if the drought had continued, everything would have died. Still, it was not Ahab who heard the sound of the rain. There was no sign of it. The heavens were as bra.s.s, the sky was without a cloud, everything was burned up with dry heat, and yet, said Elijah, "There is a sound of abundance of rain." It is so in the spiritual world. There are those who know of a coming Revival long before there is any sign. They have felt their prayers being answered, and have heard the cry of the penitent sinner, though, as yet, he seems to be as hard and careless as ever.

"So AHAB WENT UP TO EAT AND TO DRINK." Not so Elijah, he went up to the top of Carmel. The man of G.o.d "CAST HIMSELF DOWN ON THE EARTH, AND PUT HIS FACE BETWEEN HIS KNEES." Those who would procure blessings must not expect to win them at the table of luxury and ease, but by climbing the hill of difficulty, and in the humbling of self. If we would bring the blessing down, we must be prepared to say, "No," to our own likings, and to refuse that which would gratify flesh and blood. If we would prevail in prayer, we must be alone with G.o.d. The priests who fed at Jezebel's table could not bring rain, or they would have saved themselves from the sword of Elijah. We need not to look toward the sea till we have bowed before the Lord, then we may expect some sign of the coming Revival.

We must not be discouraged if the servant tells us "THERE IS NOTHING!"

Masters see more than servants can, or they would not be masters. "Go again seven times," as though he said "Do not interrupt me with thy 'Nothings!'" Come and tell me when there is "Something;" and the seventh time he saw the "little cloud." Some of us have looked from the hill, over the sea, in a far off tropical land, and have seen that same little cloud many a time, as it spread all over the sky, and soon there was rain enough to stop the traveller.

AND SO SHALL IT BE IN METHODISM ERE LONG.

If we mistake not, last Sunday's work among our young people is the result of many earnest prayers, and the sign of coming prosperity.

Some will be ready to say "It is nothing to make a stir about. They were only children." "A little cloud!" Only the size of a man's hand. Yes, but what man? "The man Christ Jesus." "Ahab, get thee down, that the rain stop thee not." We shall not be surprised to hear of Revivals like some we have known, which turned other meetings into soul-converting agencies. Tea Meetings, and Missionary Meetings, where the people have come in crowds, not to applaud eloquence, but to ask--"What must we do to be saved?" We expect news of this sort, and that, ere long. May the hand of the Lord be on Elijah, then shall he run before Ahab, and prayer shall be mightier than the power which moves those who eat and drink!

XIX. A CLEAN TONGUE.

One of the first things the doctor does when he comes to see you, is to ask to look at your tongue, and one glance will tell him how much difficulty he has to contend with. If the tongue is foul, he knows that there is inward mischief, and he must lose no time in cleansing that of which the tongue is but an indicator.

As we pa.s.s along our streets our ears are a.s.sailed with language of the most horrid description. If one needed any information as to the state of public morals, the foul-mouthed men and boys, aye, and we regret to say, too often, women and girls, would tell of the state of heart into which many thousands of our country people have been corrupted. And in many cases, this has become habitual, and what might be termed natural.

Can nothing be done? Is the name of the Divine Being and that of our Saviour to be profaned constantly without any check? If so, it will grow worse and worse, until we may expect national sin to bring down national punishment, and we shall have to say, "Because of swearing the land mourneth."

Those who have charge of the education of our children might help, by constantly speaking against bad language, and by punishing those who continue to offend. Parents, also, should check the slightest tendency in this direction. We have heard of a good woman, who, overhearing one of her boys using what she called "dirty words," took him to the sink, and washed out his mouth, not sparing the soap! Sometimes when we have heard men defiling their tongues with filthy talk, we have wished their mothers had served them the same.

Nor is this offence against G.o.d and good taste always confined to the ignorant. There are those who have been well taught--men of ability, and some who make a profession of religion, who indulge in unseemly language, and delight in stories which are termed "s.m.u.tty." We know how farmers dislike the "s.m.u.t" in their wheat, how an otherwise good crop will be lowered in value, because the black grain will, when ground, darken the flour. Is it not so with these men of unclean lips? The filthy allusions and improper stories which pollute their conversation make their life infectious, and their companionship dangerous. Let us reprove them, or at least avoid them, as we would the plague.

If we would keep a clean tongue, we must pray "Create in me a clean heart, O G.o.d!" This can be done, and the Lord, who has told us that He will not admit into His heaven that which worketh abomination, will gladly cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of His holy Spirit, then shall our tongue glorify Him continually.

Should this fall into the hands of one of those whose foul tongue shews that his heart is corrupt, we would ask him how he would like to have his conversation reported by a short-hand writer, and printed in the "Standard," or "Daily News," with his name attached? But is it not a fact, that his words are being taken down, and when the books are opened before an a.s.sembled universe at the last day, will not his soul tremble, as he finds that G.o.d has listened all the time, and the language used years ago, is to control his destiny, for He who will come to be our Judge has said to the swearer and filthy speaker--

"BY THY WORD THOU SHALT BE CONDEMNED."

A WORD TO FATHERS.

Have you ever thought how it is that in the prayer we call our Lord's, G.o.d is spoken of as Father? Do you not see that your child calls you by one of the names--the Christ-chosen name of the Devine Being? Is there not a sermon in that to everyone of us who has children of his own?

Perhaps you have never given the matter a thought that for some of the early years of you children you may be giving them a caricature of G.o.d in your unG.o.dly conduct. Let us lay this to heart, and strive, by G.o.d-like actions, to teach our little ones what G.o.d is like. By long suffering and gentleness towards ignorance and weakness;--by stern denunciation, in life as well as word, of everything that is mean and deceitful;--by delighting in mercy, and readiness to give to those who need, to our children, "Our Father," may become a stepping stone to the knowledge of G.o.d.

XX. THE RED LAMP.

Travelling by express train the other day, we found that we were stopped a long distance from the station where we were timed to stop, and looking out of the window, saw a red light ahead. That accounted for it, we knew there was something in the way. The driver knew what he was about, and though anxious to go on, did not move until the red light was changed to white.

Some of those who read this paper are living in sin. To such, the Bible speaks out in plain terms, and, like the Red Light, would stop them.

"THE END OF THESE THINGS IS DEATH."

You cannot go any further without danger. Why run the risk? That Red Lamp seems to say, "If you will come on, you will be slain." What should we think of any one who urged the driver to go on, in spite of the warning? Would you not call him "fool" and "madman?" Just so, and you will do well to call those who urge you to despise the warnings of the Bible, by the same names.

We should not think much of the wisdom of any one who said of the Red Lamp, "Why take any notice of that old-fashioned thing? We have outgrown these childish ideas!" Would not your reply be, "Danger is danger, and safety is safety!" We have not outgrown death and the grave, and it is still true, in spite of the march of science, that a train coming into collision with another means suffering to those who are in it. Sin is yet sin, and we cannot break the Commandments of G.o.d without having to suffer. And as for the Bible being old-fashioned, we feel, that which kept our fathers from h.e.l.l shall keep their sons also.

Here is one of the Red Lamps of the Bible, which young men would do well to consider--

"HER HOUSE IS THE WAY TO h.e.l.l!"

Young man, there is the Red Light! Stop! Do not go one step further!

There are plenty of fools to tell you that

"THIS IS SEEING LIFE."

The Bible says--"The dead are there, and her guests are in the depths of h.e.l.l." If everything had to be called by its right name, just as sign- boards tell us what is to be procured within, like "Furniture Dealer,"

"Boot and Shoe Maker," fancy the sign-board that would have to be put over the house of the "strange woman." Here is a suitable inscription, which we take from the Bible.--Prov. ii. 19:--

"NONE THAT GO UNTO HER RETURN AGAIN."

This is putting a Red Lamp over her door, is it not? Will you heed the warning? Or do you mean to be one of those of whom the Bible speaks,

"AND THOU SHALT MOURN AT THE LAST, WHEN THY FLESH AND THY BODY ARE CONSUMED, AND SAY, 'HOW HAVE I HATED INSTRUCTION AND MY HEART DESPISED REPROOF?'"