Connecticut western news., 1885-04-29
FOR SUNDAY READING.
A LESSON FOR THR SUNDAY SCHOOL
 'sOhcdIence.o .o-Rphcsiuns vI,, t-I3.

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 Paul wrote a great deal of 'doctrine" in his epistles, but he also makes his let ters very practical. Men will hardly live the right lives unless they are in- structed in theological truth and made to understand their relations to God, out of which their duties flow. On the other hand, theological beliefs are good for nothing, except they influence every day life. A theology which bears no fruit in better acts is barren tree.
 Obedience Gin the Lord" is an obe- dience which comes from the rule of the spirit of the Lord in the heart. The spirit of Christ in the breast will beget l filial obedience. On the other hand, it will, of course, insure obedience only to such commands as are ''in the Lord" or consonant with religious duty. When a parent commands something directly contrary to what the Lord commands, the spirit of the Lord will prompt a re- fusal to comply with the evil command. The spirit of the Lord will impel us to obey Christ first, parents next. Again to obey parents who are Gin the Lord"-i. e., Christian parents--is pe- culiarly a duty; for their commands must be supposed to be good and ben efcial.
 The command to honor parents is ex. alted by having promise attached to it. Bv promise for obedience, or threat ening for the disobedient, an injunction is emphasized. The sanction of re- ward and penalty shows that God is especially desirous that the command shall be obeyed.
 On the other hand, parents must have due regard for their children. Children have rights; and, unless parents regard the rights of children, it may be difficult to lead the children to perform their duty toward their parents. If parents speak to children in anger, the chil- dren will be prompted to have angry feelings in return. The discipline and admonition given by parents must be given in the spirit of the Lord, if it is expected that the children will receive it ip that spirit. Only as our admoni- tions are administered in the right spirit can we expect that they will be received in the right spirit.
 The servants" addressed were slaves, and their condition was, in some re- spects, worse than the slavery which formerly disgraced our land. Many of them were captives in war, or had been sold for debt, and, being persons of re. fnement, eould feel deeply the sadness of their condition, while the lew gave them no protection whatever, but crue master could even put them to death. The injunction of obedience does not imply that their slavery was just; for { mother, writing to her son in prison though she believed him perfectly inno cent and his imprisonment entirely un just. might counsel him to obey thC rules of the prison, to do submissiyely the hard tasks assigned him, and tC treat respectfully the most abusive o his keepers. The apostle deals witt slavery simply as fact, saying nothing as to it's rightfulness.
 But he takes away the darkness ol their wretched condition by reminding them that their service to an earthly msster may be service to Jesus. As he says in the parallel passage in Colos- sians iii. "A: "Ye serve the Lord Christ. The faithful servant of heather off cia might secure an apostles release from prison, and thus secure for the Gospe wider extension. By cheerful endur aDce of oppression, he might show to [ cruel master that there was a reality 1T religion, and so win that master anC others to Christ. The circumstances o his bondage might enable disciple tC do a work for Christ which no other ont could do. So he could bear his slavery for Christ's sake, and could even reioic' ip the hard lot which enabled him to dC 8 work for tbe one who had redeemed him. The revelation that service to ar earthly master is service to Christ, givei an entirely different character to tha bondage. The slave is emancipated, noi by breaking his chain, but by enabling him to wear the chain ioyfully.
 The principle laid down is one of gen. eral application. Nearly every person has much heavy labor and dreary toil to perform. The factory laborer, the burdened housekeeper, the school teacher, and even the well-to-do busi- ness man is bound down to daily routine which often becomes burden some and tedious. But, in whatever position we are placed, we can do some thing for Christ; nay, each position gives opportunity to do something for him which could not be done under any other circumstances. Therefore, we may thank God that he has placed us in these circumstances; for, bad as they are in themselves, they are glorious in the op- portunities they furnish us to do work for Christ.
 The "hnalIy" has the sense ot, ''for the rest'-i. C., to lay down a rule which will cover any case which may arise. He who is ''strong in the Lord, girded ) with the Saviour's mighty power, if ready for anything which may come, The Christian life is rightly termed { warfare, and the enemies are not the lest } to be feared because they are not pal f pablo. The price of spiritual liberty is eternal vigilance against evil passions ] and powers of sin.
 IN CHINA.--It is certain that a grea amount of fetishism prevails in China e Near Pekin, a few miles from the wall s on the east, is an enormous tree, whie , fell more than two centuries ago, an | I.anx kloxa oipap