The Little Gleaner Part 60

CARMEL CHAPEL, FLECKNEY.

The anniversary of the Sabbath School in connection with the above place of wors.h.i.+p was held on Sunday, July 29th, when two sermons were preached by Mr. Read, who has now preached on these occasions for thirteen years.

Both school-rooms and chapel were crowded. Special hymns were sung by the scholars, and at the close of the sermon in the evening, twelve handsomely-bound Bibles were presented to six girls and six boys, it being a custom to give one to each scholar at the age of sixteen. Mr.

Read spoke very appropriate words as he presented the Bible to each scholar.

Collections were made at the close of each service, amounting in the whole to 16.

The school, which now numbers 190 scholars, was commenced about thirty years since, when our esteemed Superintendent, Mr. J. Garner, was the only teacher, with five scholars.

The preaching of the truth of G.o.d in our village was begun by our beloved minister, Mr. Deacon, thirty-four years ago, in a cottage, which has given rise to the building of two chapels, and it is thought that the present one, which has only been built ten years, will have to be enlarged. We are constrained to say, with one of old, "What hath G.o.d wrought?"

A READER.

"A SOFT ANSWER."

A person went to the late Mr. Longden, of Sheffield, one day, and said, "I have something against you, and I am come to tell you of it." "Do walk in, sir," he replied. "You are my best friend. If I could but engage my friends to be faithful with me, I should be sure to prosper.

But, if you please, we will both kneel down, in the first place, and ask the blessing of G.o.d upon our interview." After they rose from their knees, Mr. Longden said, "Now, my brother, I will thank you to tell me what it is that you had against me." "Oh," said the man, "I really don't know what it is. It is all gone; and I believe I was in the wrong."

OUR BIBLE CLa.s.s.

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.

(ACTS v. 1-16.)

In the second chapter of Acts we learn how the Holy Spirit was, on the Day of Pentecost, just after Christ's ascension, poured out upon the apostles, how they preached the Gospel in languages they had never learned before, and how three thousand of their hearers were led to confess their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. These were baptized according to His commandment, and added to the company of disciples at Jerusalem, partaking of the Lord's Supper as He had bidden them, and continuing in fellows.h.i.+p and prayer. But besides all this, they made a rule for themselves which Jesus had not actually laid down for them. The richer members gave up their money and goods, and all shared alike. Thus beautifully did they obey the spirit of His new commandment, "Love one another, even as I have loved you" (John xv. 12).

But this happy state of things did not long continue. Satan and sin soon interrupted its trustful, unselfish course, and we never find again that they that believed had all things common, after the events recorded in Acts v.

A man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira joined the Church, and seeing that others parted with their possessions, they also sold a piece of land, and laid a portion of the price at the apostles' feet, pretending that they had given up the whole of the money received. Peter, being divinely inspired, detected the falsehood, and Ananias fell down dead at his feet, was carried from the place of meeting, and buried immediately.

Sapphira, ignorant of the dreadful fact, came to a later service, and repeating the lie to Peter, she also was struck with death in a moment, and was borne to her husband's grave.

His seems to have been an _acted_, hers a _spoken_ lie. In each case the falsehood was partly true, but the intention was to deceive, and this is the very essence of a lie. It was hypocrisy. They "played a part," like actors on the stage. They pretended to be different people from what they really were, and they wanted to be thought of as loving, sincere, and generous Christians, while they were false-hearted and hollow all the time.

May we never try to deceive others, to make a false impression--to seem better than we are. G.o.d sees and knows us altogether. May it be our chief desire to have our hearts and lives right with Him.

But why did such a terrible doom fall upon these two false ones at the very beginning of the Christian era? In the olden time G.o.d's judgments fell upon transgressors in a sudden and fearful way, but under the gracious reign of Jesus we might scarcely have looked for such a display of wrath. Yet, though "G.o.d is love," He is also "a consuming fire," and there is not all that difference between the old dispensation and the present one which might at first appear. David was forgiven ages before, and these sinners were destroyed in Gospel times. Then, "G.o.d was greatly to be feared in the a.s.sembly of His saints," and still He must "be had in reverence of all them that are about Him."

But what were the effects of this awful occurrence? "Great fear came upon the Church, and upon all who heard these things." This is just what we should have expected. "And of the rest" (of those who were not true and whole-hearted) "no one dared to join that company." So much the better, just as the disciples were better off without Judas Iscariot. A decaying corpse in the house injures the health of the living inmates, and false professors have never done good, but rather harm, to the true Church of G.o.d.

Yet another result followed which we might not have hoped for--a large increase of believing converts. "Mult.i.tudes of men and women, believing on the Lord, were the more added to the Church." "The more." Yes, for this very reason--they saw and felt that "the Lord was there," and loving Him, they wished to dwell in His presence, and enjoy His protection and care.

Oh, how important motives are! A thief in the company of innocent people may, like them, offer to be searched, in order to avoid suspicion, as Judas asked, "Lord, is it I?" when all the disciples had first put the question to Jesus, but he could not thus escape the searching eyes that read his heart, or the words of condemnation that fell upon his ears.

Are we willing to be searched and tried by G.o.d?

But, if we do desire to belong to Jesus, and follow Him, need we, should we, hesitate to unite with, or remain among, His people? Oh, no! Though He is angry with the wicked every day, and terrible to the hypocrites, He is gracious and full of compa.s.sion to all who seek His grace. "Will He plead against me with His great strength? No, but He will put strength in me," said Job (chap. xxiii. 6). And while He burns up all who rebel against Him, as the fire consumes briars and thorns, they who would be at peace with Him shall find peace by His own strength (Isa.

xxvii. 4, 5) and love.

Yes, and not only so--it is a blessing for us that He does know us altogether. We are sometimes afraid to confess some secret fault to an earthly friend, lest we should be loved less when the wrong thing is known; and if we could hide ourselves from G.o.d, how we might shrink from telling Him some of our thoughts and feelings, and this secrecy might ruin and destroy us. But He does know all, and knowing, loves His children still, so that we may pour out all our heart before Him; and while it will be an unspeakable relief to us, it will be no news to Him.

A sense of our own unworthiness will only precede the joyous a.s.surance of pardon and blessing. Peter once said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" and Isaiah cried, "Woe is me, for I am undone"

(Isa. vi. 5); but Peter's fear gave place to the clinging words of love--"Lord, to whom shall we go [but unto Thee], for Thou hast the words of eternal life?" (John vi. 68); while Isaiah's cry of sorrow changed to the gladsome song, "Behold, G.o.d is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid" (Isa. xii. 2).

Oh, that we may be helped to cast ourselves by faith and prayer entirely upon Him, and, like Peter, say, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee." Amen.

Our next subject will be, _The Good Shepherd, His Lambs and Sheep_ (Isa.

xl. 11).

Yours affectionately, H. S. L.

BIBLE ENIGMA.

An officer of Pharaoh.

A city built by Cain.

A son of Solomon.

A precious stone.

The mount where Joshua built an altar.

A queen of the Ethiopians.

The land of Haran's nativity.

One of the seven Churches of Asia.

A duke of Edom.

One whom the Lord raised up to deliver Israel.

A daughter of Zelophehad.

The initials of the words do show What Christ on earth had to pa.s.s through; And all His people may prepare, While in this world, to have their share.

THOMAS TYLER (Aged 13 years).

_Potton, Beds._

ADVERSITY borrows its sharpest sting from our impatience.--_Bishop Horne._

PRIZE ESSAY.