Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-09

mands, are all meant to be sermons to
those about u.s. Now II Noah had Just set
out to preach as soon as he heard 0od's
warning about the food that was coming,
and begun to urge other people to make
arks and get into them, but had not gone to
work cutting down trees and saving out
beams Of the right length for himself, his
preaching would not have been of much
avail. People would have just laughed hard
er than they did. But he went to work on
his own ark, and showed every one that
he believed what he was telling them. They
may have laughed and jeered at him as
crazy, and foolish, but you may depend
upon 1t they were sure he believed what ne
said himself for his life testified to the
fact. It is so with our lives, If they do not
show by daily acts that we believe God. and
are setting about it to obey Him, 1t Is little
use for US to preach to others about pre-
pairing to meet the day Of Gods judgments.
from his daily living in the sound Of his
hammer and saw, and the ark that grew
daily larger as the neighbors passed BY.
Noah does not seem to have chung to his
home, nor tried to save more than the
Lord told him he might. When the time
came he quietly went into the ark just as
God had appointed, nor begged to take
along his family furniture. or special
tree or bush in which he delighted. His
mind was SO filed with the salvation that
God offered him, and through him the rest
of his neighbors, that he did not cling to the
earth And as q reward of his faithfulness
God afterward gave him the earth as his
Inheritance. Says Marcus Dods: "Often
we feel reluctant to surrender our sinful
habits to so final q destruction as is implied
in being one with Christ The expense at
which holiness is to be bought seems almost
too great. So much that has given US pleas
ure must be parted with; SO many old ties
sundered, condition of holiness presents
an aspect OF dreariness and hopelessness;
like the world after the flood, not NOV
ing thing on the surface of the earth, ev-
erything leveled, PROSTATE and washed
even with the ground; here the corpse Of q
man, there the carcass of q beast, here
mighty forest timber swept prone like the
rusheS on the banks of flooded stream,
and there a city without inhabitants. ev-
erything dank dismal and repellent. But
this rs only one aspect of the work; the be-
ginning, necessary If the work is to be
thorough II any part Of the sinful life re-
main It will spring up to mar what God
means to introduce us to. Only that Is to
be preserved which we can take with us
into our ark. Only that Is to pass on into
our life which we can retain while we are
in true connection with Christ, and which
We think can help US to live as His friends,
and to serve Him zealously."
There Is one sad part Of Noah's story
which we turn from and cannot connect
with the same brave Noah who built his ark
and was not turned a hairs breadth from
his purpose by all those jeering neighbors
through the years. We cannot bear to think
of Noah, the best man in the world at that
once more: Rare indeed is a wholly good
man; and happy indeed Is he who through
out his youth his manhood and his age let's
principle govern all his actions. The right
eous and rescued Noah lying drunk on his
tent-fioor is a sorrowful spectacle God had
given him the EARTH and this was the use
he made of the gift; melancholy presage Of
the fashion of his posterity. He had God to
help him bear his responsibilities, to refresh
and gladden. him; but he preferred the fruit
of his vineyard. Can the most sacred or
impressive memories secure a man against
sin? Noah had the memory Of a race
with God: Can the dignity and weight of
responsibility steady man? This man
knew that to him God had declared His pur-
pose and that He only could carry it for
less figure fallen insensible in his tent is as
significant a warning as in the flood
The smaller temptations are often the
most enectual. The man who IL invulner-
able on the field Of battle amidst strong
and declared enemies falls an easy prey to
the assassin in his own home. When all
the world was against him Noah was able to
face, single-handed both scorn and violence,
but in the midst of his vineyard, among
his own people, who understood him and
needed no preaching or proof of his virtue,
he relaxed Many of us find 1t compare
lively easy to carry clean hands before the
our domestic life. and how little strain do
We put upon ourselves in the company of
those whom we can trust. Noah Is not the
only man who has walked uprightly and
Kept his garment unspotted from the world
so long as the eye OF man was on him, but
who has lain uncovered on his own tent
floor"
Applied Truth.
1t is said there was once an infldel who
owned a saw MILL It was situated near q
road where the people passed by on the
way to a Christian church. Now this in
fdel cared nothing for the Sabbath, SO he
ran his mill on the Sabbath just as on
other days as the people passed by on their
that for little while just before church
service the noise of the sawmill ceased,
and the busy wheels stopped, then it would
not take up Its work again until about time
for the close of service, when it would
stop once more for few minutes and then
begin again. At last it was noticed that
one Of the deacons of the church passed
the mill to church during the silent in
punctual that the owner Of the sawmill
knew Just when to have his mill stop, SO
that 1t would be silent while the deacon was
passing, though he paid no attention to the
passing Of others. At last some one
asked him why he honored the deacon in
this way and he replied: 1.-The deacon pro-
fesses just what the rest Of you do; but he
lives also such a life that 1t makes me feel
bad here Quitting his hand upon his heart)
to run my mill while he is passing
How to Help the Leader.
Procure a copy as cents) of Point and
Purpose in Story and Saying" one Of the
Colportage Library series, to be found at
most UNCONVENTIONAL book stores, and read
or give the points of the little story on
page 40, entitled "Noal1s Carpenters" Or,
If that Is impossible, go to your pastor and
get him to write a brief line or two as a
message to the society about Noah-this,
of course, in case he is not a constant at
tendant upon the meetings
Hints to the Leader-The Endeavor
SO, A. 90, 100, 122, 163
Read the whole Old Testament story of
Noah until you feel you have it thoroughly
In your mind. Then see in how many
points Noah was like and how many unlike
the people about you or your own self, If
you choose. Speak of these points. Ask
different members to give brief words on
the different sides of Noah's character, his
public character, his attitude toward God,
his private life, his weaknesses, his
strength, etc.
You might open your exercises by chain
of verses either from memory or called by
number on faith. Ask your pastor or Sun
day school superintendent to say a few
words on Faith Without Works." Do not
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