cor-

His worship and were so spiritually sick that
they did not know what ailed them. And so
the prophet describes their 'condition by saying,
"Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,
a seed of evil-doers, children that are
rupters; they have forsaken the Lord, they
have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto
anger, they are gone away backward. From
the sole of the foot even unto the head there
is no soundness in it." Thus the message of
God is you are sick with sin nigh unto death.

The Judgment.

"Your country is desolate, your cities are
burned with fire"- such is the consequence of
this dread disease. And this is what Isaiah told
them. If they would continue to sin, desola-
tion must be the result. And so it must have
been a very hard thing for the prophet to thus
declare God's judgment upon his own people.
But he did it, nobly and courageously and as a
consequence was honored for it and signally
blessed.

The Pledge of Forgiveness.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool." Such
was the fine message of the prophet to
those who would repent. It was the great eter-
nal desire of God to help his people. He would
forgive if they would repent. It required a
sorrow for sin to obtain complete forgiveness of
sin. Those who answered it were received and
made whole. Those who refused remained in
the shadow of death.

one than
The prom-

The Great Message of Christ.
Peter's message was a greater
Isaiah's because it declared more.
ised Messiah had come and brought victory over
death and all foes. Thus Peter's message was
-believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved. The Lord "is not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance." In Peter's message, Christ is de-
clared as the Saviour for all the world, a
Saviour whose work of righteousness is ob-
tained through faith. So while the disease is
here, it is met and cured by Him Who is the
Life of the World and Who dwells within the
human soul.

The Central Message

THE LOVE OF GOD.

God's boundless love and arching sky
Above us when we wake or sleep,
Above us when we smile or weep,
Above us when we live or die.

God's tireless Love! Besides the cot
Of her sick child the mother sleeps.
The Heavenly Father ever keeps
Unweary watch-He slumbers not.
God's patient Love! Misunderstood

By hearts that suffer in the night.
Doubted-yet waiting till heaven's light
Shall show how all things work for good.

God's mighty Love! On Calvary's height,
Suffering to save us from our sin,
To bring the heavenly kingdom in,
And fill our lives with joy and light.
God's changeless Love! The wandering one
Forsakes, forgets, dishonors; yet,
Repenting, going home, is met
With no reproach-"Welcome, my son!"

God's endless Love! What will it be
When earthly shadows flee away,
For all eternity's bright day
The unfolding of that Love to see!

19

"Is the need the same today as in Isaiah's
time?"

"Are messengers needed today to proclaim
God's will? Who are they to be?"

"What is the message to be declared to the
world today?"

The superintendent can add whatever else is
deemed desirable. The above can be used as
readings. By all means use the questions and
have some of the essays prepared.
BLACKBOARD OUTLINE.

Here we see Paul advising the elders of the
Church at Ephesus, that they should be careful
of their Christian faith, that after he is gone
enemies of the Church and fake teachers would
come and try to lead their people away from the
true faith. He tells them to watch and be en-
couraged by the recollection of his own example
as a model which they will do well to copy.

He commends them to God, and entrusts them
to Him. He also prays God to protect and bless
them, and to keep them in the word of His
grace, which is the Gospel. The Gospel, which
announces the grace of God, obtained for us by
Christ, is the ordinary means through which
God works man's salvation.

He

Paul calls their attention how he taught them
by example to labor as he had labored.
wanted no man's silver, gold or apparel, but
had ministered with his own hands to many of
their wants. He also tells them to remember
the words of the Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed
to give than to receive."

He then kneeled down and prayed with them
all. This is the only Christian way of taking
leave forever, and allays the grief which natu-
ally accompanies it.

Then they all weep and fall on his neck, kiss-
ing him, being very sorry because they were to
see him no more. This scene shows to us how
much they must have loved him.

Scripture References-I Tim. 4:16, I Pet.
5:2, I Cor. 12:28. Eph. 1:7-14, Col. 1:14, Heb.
9:12. Rev. 5:9, Matt. 7:15, II Pet. 2:19, Acts
19:10, Heb. 13:9, Eph. 1:18, Col. 1:12, Heb.
9:15, I Sam. 12:3, I Cor. 4:1, I Thess. 2:9,
Eph. 4:28. Acts 20:25.

Main Lesson-Actions speak louder than
words. Nothing so corroborates the words of
the mouth as the deeds of the body. Let us, dear
Luther Leaguers, always practice that which
we preach.

Other Lessons-Let us always be careful of
that which God has placed in our keeping, not
neglecting others for ourselves, or neglecting
ourselves for others.

Let us be exceedingly careful of our fellow men, whom God has purchased with His own blood.

The Holy Ghost is a prophet of affliction, but also a Comforter in affliction.

Suggested Topics for Original Essays-"What Is the True Value of the Gospel?", "What Are Some of the False Doctrines of Today?", "Can There Be Such a Thing as Members of a Church Being Enemies of the Church?", "What Must We as Christ's Children Do to Gain the Love and Esteem of Our Fellowmen?"

The Story Told-Paul is nearing the close of his third missionary journey. On this great tour which began at Antioch, he first visited the churches in Galatia and Phrygia. Then occurred the memorable events at Ephesus. Then Paul went to Macedonia and to Corinth. Owing to a plot against him, he returns by way of Macedonia and finally reaches Miletus, where he reaches the elders of the Church at Ephesus.

In today's topic Paul leaves Miletus and goes by boat to Patara, stopping on the way at Coos and Rhodes. At Patara Paul boards another vessel, sails past the island of Cyprus and goes on to the city of Tyre. Paul finds a number of disciples in Tyre, and he remains there seven days, teaching and encouraging them. On his departure the disciples, their wives and their children went with him to the boat. When they reached the seashore, Paul, his companions and all that came from the city knelt and joined in prayer. Then Paul and those with him continued on the way to Jerusalem, taking passage on a vessel going to Ptolemais.

During the stay at Tyre, the disciples there tried to persuade Paul not to go to Jerusalem. They feared that his enemies might kill or injure him. All his disciples were in great sorrow, for they thought that something would happen to Paul at Jerusalem. Paul knew the danger and had even told the elders of the Church at Ephesus that they would not see his face again.

Did they persuade him to give up his trip to Jerusalem? Indeed not! Paul, courageous and caring not for the consequences, did not swerve from his duty, but continued on to Jerusalem to be persecuted, to be made a prisoner and finally to be put to death.

Scripture References-Acts 21:1-6, Acts 21: 12, Acts 20:23, Acts 20:26, John 1:11, Luke 17:10, Eccl. 12:13, Luke 18:1, Eph. 6:18, I Thess. 5:17, II Cor. 12:9.

Main Lesson-Danger and difficulties should not keep us from doing our duty. A Christian has great joy, but often it is hard to keep from doing wrong.

Other Lessons-God's grace is sufficient to help us at all times and in all places "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Practical Thoughts-How easily some are persuaded to remain away from Church, from Sunday School and from League meetings.

Take your difficulties to God in prayer; He will lead you aright.

Suggested Topics for Original Essays— "Paul's Third Missionary Journey," "Great Men Who Followed Duty to Death," "The Effects of Paul's Decision to Go to Jerusalem," "What Became of the Great City of Tyre," "Why Did Paul Go on His Missionary Journeys?", "Was Paul Successful?"

Blackboard Exercises-Draw an outline map of the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Mark on it: (a) Paul's third missionary journey; (b) Ephesus, Miletus, Tyre, (c) Give an interesting incident that occurred at each of these.

LOGGING IN MINNESOTA
(Continued from page 8.)

built at the outlet of the lake to control the flow of water, as otherwise the winter snows and spring rains would waste away and leave the logs high and dry in the lower reaches of the tributaries. The dam gates are raised and the logs are hurried through. For weeks and weeks their journey continues, first down the lakes and smaller streams and then into the main riversmillions and millions of feet of pine and spruce and cedar. All this by the direction and control of the river drivers. These hardy men in charge of the work form an exceedingly picturesque part of the great industrial army. They are men trained to the life of the woods, picked for their strength, agility and powers of endurance. Discomfort and privation are their portion night and day until the logs are safely "boomed" at their destination.

Working along the pathless shores or in bateaux, or more frequently out upon the rolling, pitching logs themselves, always wet to the skin, the river driver takes his life in his hands many times a day. Here and there, out over the heaving mass that tumbles along with the current, he leaps nimbly from log to log, pausing occasionally on the larger ones, but leaving the smaller ones as soon as his spiked shoes strike them. His cant-hook is held across his body as a balancing pole, and pushing or prying with it as occasion requires, opens the logs a little here, retards them there, and through it all maintains his balance with the most remarkable ease and agility. The river driver is always armed with the cant-hook. Without it he is as useless as a soldier in battle without a gun. If he happens to lose it he becomes an object of derision among his fellows. If he falls into the icy water he will cling to it by a kind of second nature until he is pulled out or able to scramble ashore-unless, indeed, he is stunned or crushed by the logs, and never sees the surface again.

(Continued on page 23.)

CHAPTER I. A MISSIONARY FESTIVAL. T was an ideal day for an outdoor meeting. The June sky was absolutely cloudless, and the rains of the previous day had cooled the air to a delicious temperature. It was also an ideal place for such an assembly. The grass had been evenly cut, all underbrush cleared away; and such branches of the trees as were inconveniently low had been cut off. The grove resembled a carefully kept park, and in a small clearing a stand had been erected for the speakers and seats arranged for the audience. In another similar clearing, not far away, were rude tables and benches for all those who did not care to picnic on the grass. It was the occasion of the annual missionary festival of the Pine County charges, and hundreds of members from the different congregations had assembled to take part in the services. Several noted pastors and missionaries from a distance were to deliver addresses, and the choir of each congregation was to "sing itself proud" in honor of the occasion.

Among those who had come from Rev. Lasell's congregation was Ernest Elmore, a young man of most pleasing presence and noble gifts. It had been the earnest desire of his pastor, and of many of his friends, that he should consecrate himself to the Master's service, but at the present time he felt no desire to enter the Christian ministry. The "call of the world" was luring him on. A man of note and wealth, who was, himself, a foe to Christianity, had made him a tempting offer through which he might hope to reach a high plane of worldly success and honor in a few years. He himself knew that he possessed abilities that would enable him to gain a high rank in any one of a half dozen professions, but at the same time he was unwillingly conscious that the Master had need of him and was hourly calling him to follow Him.

From a little child he had loved the grand old Church of the Reformation most ardently. He held her to be the one and only church built of imperishable gold and precious stones of purest doctrine, on the one sure foundation stone, Jesus Christ. In his early boyhood he had dreamed of a day when he should stand with the beautiful feet of God's holy ministry upon the mountains and bear glad tidings to the sad and weary of earth.

But ever since Judge Tompkins had assured him it were rank folly and a criminal waste of splendid talents for him to enter

the ministry he had stood on the borderland between God's vineyard and the world's arena, longing to heed the alluring call of ambition, yet unable to refuse finally the tender, insistent plea of the Master.

On this memorable June day he had driven over to S with his pastor, Rev. Lasell, one of the most sincere and wisely zealous men that ever honored the Christian ministry. He was himself still a young man, having been but five years in the active ministry. From the first moment of his acquaintance with Ernest he had felt him to be one called of God for His highest service; and lost no opportunity of urging him to begin the necessary preparation for his destined work. At first the boy had been a willing listener, an earnest disciple, but during the past year he had grown negligent in his attendance on divine service and had steadily declined election to any office in church or Sunday school. Law books had taken the place of theological works, and Judge Thompkins' office was visited oftener than the pastor's study. Yet Rev. Lasell was not ignorant of the struggle going on in the boy's mind, nor did he weary in his prayers to God, nor in his efforts to win Ernest back for the Master's service.

"You will hear some heart stirring addresses today, Ernest," said Rev. Lasell, looking wistfully into the boy's thoughtful face.

"Yes?" was the half questioning answer, rather slowly spoken.

"Rev. Arnot loves his work so sincerely you cannot help feeling, as you listen to him, that there can be no higher calling than the Christian ministry, no sweeter service than Christ's."

"Yes?" was again the half questioning reply, implying this time doubt that was almost denial.

"You will feel a longing to share his labors, toilsome though they are, among his beloved mining people, rough, ignorant and very poor, yet warm hearted, eager to learn of Christ, and clinging pathetically to Him, who, like themselves, was poor and heavily laden."

"I thought the miners were now as well paid and as comfortably circumstanced as any other class of laborers," said Ernest with more of interest.

"Some of them are-others not," replied Rev. Lasell; "and Rev. Arnot labors among the second class."

"You will also enjoy hearing Rev. Mil

ler," said Mrs. Lasell, longing to help her husband awaken the old aspirations in Ernest's soul. "Our foreign missionaries, it seems to me, have the harder task; yet is their reward proportionately great. So many years must often elapse, so many self denying men and women must wear the martyr's crown before any apparent harvest is garnered. Yet God is mindful of His own, and in His own good time those who sow in tears shall reap, joyfully, a glorious harvest."

"I wonder you did not become a missionary," replied Ernest, turning rather indifferently to look at Mrs. Lasell, then at her husband.

"We did desire to enter the India field," said Rev. Lasell, gravely and sadly; "but neither Mrs. Lasell nor myself were considered physically able to undertake the work, and we were compelled to resign ourselves to service in an established congregation. Even a home mission was considered beyond our strength. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak," he added, with a brave attempt to smile.

"I am sorry you have been so disappointed," said Ernest sincerely, yet rather absently.

Then, as if wishing to change the subject, he said abruptly: "Do you think Douglass will be elected this fall?"

Hiding his disappointment at Ernest's evident desire to avoid further conversation on religious subjects, Rev. Lasell gave his opinion frankly and freely on the political questions at issue in the present campaign.

On reaching the grove Ernest immediately joined a group of young people who were laughing and chatting under a large maple tree not far from the stand. He was given a very warm greeting, as he was popular among those of his own age.

"You are the very fellow we need," cried Hugh Harris. "Emma has been reading up on missionaries and so forth and setting forth the duty of all us idle and talented fellows to prepare for the ministry. She says there is such a dearth of men that the church cannot supply the home fields, far less the foreign."

"It is true, is it not, Ernest?" Emma appealed to him.

"Yes," he replied slowly.

"When do you expect to begin your studies, Ernest? This fall?" asked Nettie Barlow, pointing at him with a missionary leaflet.

"I do not expect to enter the ministry at all," he replied shortly.

Was he to be confronted by that ques

tion throughout the day? But what else could he expect at such a meeting and where almost every one knew him and his one time intention?

"Oh, Ernest!" they all cried in dismay. "Surely, Ernest, you cannot mean that," asserted Emma. "Why not?"

"Because you are so eminently fitted for the work. God meant you for His service. He especially endowed you for it. Do you not believe that?"

"Hardly, Emma. I seem to myself to be fully as well fitted for the law or for statesmanship. I might even aspire to the Presidency, might I not?"

"Yes, you might win fame and fortune in any calling, but would they pay you for the loss of the infinitely more precious treasures, the golden harvest of souls saved for the Master? 'How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,'" she quoted softly. "Ernest, you may climb the mountains of fame in almost any calling, for you are richly gifted, but can you do so with beautiful feet? Will they not be stained and soiled with the mire of selfishness, honor trampled in the dust, humanity crushed and bleeding, trodden under foot as stepping stones over which you may climb?"

"You are really eloquent this morning, Emma," he replied, laughing with a lightness he was far from feeling; adding, as he turned away, "I shall not make my final decision for another month or two, though I am almost certain that I shall decide for the law."

As he made his way across the grass to the speaker's stand, some one handed him a missionary leaflet. Half-amused, he read the title, "How beautiful upon the mountains." He quickly thrust it into his pocket, without reading it; and found a seat among a group of people quite unknown to him. There was but one address in the morning, aside from brief remarks by different pastors of the association; and this address, to his relief, was of such a character that it aroused in him neither any uneasiness over shirked duty, nor any desire for the "beautiful feet," of a minister.

He heard little of what the speaker said, for his thoughts were busy with what Judge Tompkins had said to him the day before.

"You have rare talents, my boy; but you are still young, and need not be hasty in deciding your future. My advice would, of course, be against the ministry, since I have no faith in the Christ of the Christians. But you will, equally of course, decide for yourself in accordance with the sincerity or insincerity of your faith.

"Did I believe as you Christians pretend to believe, that in Christ the Crucified lay the one and only hope of immortal life and salvation, I would spend every second of my life, every atom of my strength, in winning every class and condition of men for Him. I would neither eat nor sleep while there was one unsaved soul within the reach of my influence, until I had left him no shadow of excuse to say, 'No man cared for my soul, I perished ignorant of the great, eternal gift that should have been mine.' You Christians are either criminally careless, or not sincere."

Occupied with these thoughts he heard nothing until a voice, sweet and penetrating, rang into his consciousness:

"I see the nail-pierced hands of Christ,
I hear His cry of woe;

And know He bears this bitter pain

Because He loves me so."

He looked up quickly to see a young woman standing alone upon the platform. She wore a simple gown of some clinging white material and a cluster of red roses was pinned on her breast. The slender white hands were clasped loosely, the dark eyes were uplifted to the cloudless June sky. Her face was not beautiful in itself, but it radiated a wonderful beauty from within a brightness, a glory of consecrated love. He held his breath, lest he should lose one tone of that marvellous voice:

""Tis wonderful, 'tis wonderful,
The debt of love I owe

To Christ the precious Son of God,
Because He loves me so."

O how his soul thrilled in response to the singer's deep emotion! Did he not also owe this same Christ the same wonderful debt of love?

"I see Him in Gethsemane,

In sorrow bending low,
The blood upon His holy brow

Because He loves me so."

There rose before his mental vision the cool darkness of the garden, with the lonely figure kneeling under the olive trees, with blood-stained brow. He heard the agonized cry, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me!" and his soul echoed the singer's words:

""Tis wonderful, 'tis wonderful,
The debt of love I owe."

Ah, if he, indeed, owed this Christ such a wonderful debt, had he any right to withhold himself from His service? If God had so richly endowed him with such varied talents, was it not that he might the more abundantly serve Him? What would it avail him anyhow-were he to win the best the world can give-and yet lose his own soul? Was Judge Tompkins right? Were

23

Christians insincere, or criminally careless of their duty? Who was this singer with the marvelous voice and angel's face? Was she herself a missionary? Had she learned the heights and depths of Christ's love through His service in some far-off island of the sea? Again the sweet, penetrating voice rang upon the hushed air:

""Tis wonderful, 'tis wonderful,
The debt of love I owe,

To Christ the precious Son of God
Because He loves me so."
(To be continued.)

LOGGING IN MINNESOTA

(Continued from page 20.)

The log jams prevent the life of the river driver from ever becoming dull or monotonous, for there is the liveliest and most hazardous work to be done when an obstacle checks the progress of the logs and causes them to pile in the stream. Every moment makes a jam more difficult to break, for the logs behind are driving on and making the tangle worse. In the meantime the water accumulates in the rear of the drive with thousands of tons of weight and pressure. The key log is the point of attack; when the cant-hook fails, dynamite is often resorted to. When it gives way, after the work of minutes or hours or days, there is a tremendous rush of logs and water, and woe to the luckless driver who is unable to get out of the way.

At last the logs reach the sorting boom on the lower waters, and are turned over to the saw mills that await them.

When the Constitution of the State of Minnesota was drawn up, the State was a wilderness. The prairies rolled away to the westward like an untamed sea, and her vast forests to the north had been scarcely nicked around the edges. Little was known of the land hidden beneath these forests. As the prairies were exceedingly fertile it was assumed that the soil under the woodland was the same. Therefore, the State wasted her patrimony by sacrificing her timber in an attempt to make farms. It was found that much of the forest land was unsuited for agriculture. The North woods had rapidly disappeared. Desolation of the major portion of the State seemed inevitable. Then the better reasoning of the Legislature came to the surface and now by wise forest laws and a State Bureau of Forestry, the future for the growing of trees looks rosy. The State will replant the denuded areas and Minnesota in the future, as in the past, bids fair to always remain in the front rank of the timbered commonwealths of this country.