from his son Rehoboam and formed a separate kingdom under Jeroboam.

The prophet Nehemiah, in the last chapter of his book, expresses this awful lament: "In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon and of Moab. And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them and cursed them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over Israel. Nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?" (Neh. 13:23-27.)

Consider, too, how the Proverbs of Solomon are filled with warnings against the seduction of strange women; what an irony that he himself should be the most notable example of the evil which he denounced. The Proverbs were written in the days when his heart was whole in the service of his God, but he fell away and became a most woeful illustration of the truth of his own wise sayings. Is there not in these things an awful warning for those who are in the Truth?

And now we come to the exhortations of the apostle Paul to be found particularly in his letter to the Corinthians. He says, in II Cor. 6:14: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial, and what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Speaking of widows, Paul says that they are at liberty to remarry to whomsoever they will, but he takes care to add the

limitation which the Truth embodies, "Only in the Lord" (I Cor. 7:39).

You will remember that when he spoke about his own power to lead about a wife, he said, in explanation, "a sister."

These are but the definite expression of the principle which the apostle elsewhere implies, when speaking of the distinction which should be made between those who are within and those who are without the fold of Christ.

When we look around us in our own day, what do we see? I have seen many cases in which the divine direction and the apostolic injunction have been carried out, and it is seldom that the choice has not been justified by the result; but I have seen many cases in which the divine command has been unheeded and the apostolic injunction set entirely on one side, and what has been the result then? I know of but few cases in which the result has been a happy one; in which the good influence of the husband over the wife or the wife over the husband has been sufficiently powerful to lead him or her into the knowledge and obedience of the Truth. I have known some in which it has been entirely a matter of indifference; but I have known many in which the outcome has been exactly as it was foretold to the Israelites that it would be in their case, and as it actually turned out in the history of those who went astray. One worthy brother used to say that he would just as easily think of putting his hand in the fire and expect not to get burned, as to fall in love with and marry one who would be a hindrance to him in the life of the Truth. We have enough to pull us back. We want all we can to help us forward. And if we of our own freewill rush headlong into temptation, temptation which has been pointed out to us as it was to the Israelites of old, how can we honestly repeat that portion of the Lord's prayer which says, "Lead us not into temptation"?

I hope sufficient has been adduced from the Word of God and from the experience of His people to substantiate the contention that it is a wrong thing for brethren and sisters either to fall in love with, to court the company of, or to marry those who are

not striving together with them in the honds of the Truth

CHARITY (I COR., CHAPTER 13)

AN ADDRESS BY A. H. ZILMER

The word "charity" as used in this chapter is not a correct translation of the word in the original; and when we consult the R. V. and other translations of the Bible we find that instead of the word "charity" we have here the word "love." This is the same word that is rendered "love" in John 3:16. While here it is a noun, it is a verb in the passage in John. It reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If the translation of the word in the last-named passage had been in accord with the translation of the word in I Corinthians we should read that God had such charity for the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, etc. But if the translation in Corinthians had been made to accord with John 3:16, we should have read here, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal"; and all these things that are said concerning charity are affirmed of love.

The word "charity" as used at the present time is very much misunderstood, and therefore very much misapplied. It is believed by most people that if a man contributes of his means for the care of the poor, or to the support of “charitable institutions," and especially if he is lavish in the bestowal of his funds upon enterprises for this purpose, he is a charitable person. And yet, according to the definition of the apostle Paul, a person may do all this and still be utterly destitute of "charity" or "love." In proof of this I call attention to vs. 3 of this chapter, where it is said: "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Thus a person may give all his goods to feed the poor, and yet be without charity. Charity goes farther than feeding the poor. According to the scriptural meaning of this word, true charity is not a natural endowment of mankind. The apostle Paul says: "Now the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, faith" (Gal. 5:22, 23). You will notice that the first of these fruits of the Spirit is "love"; and this is the same word that is translated

"charity" in I Cor. chap. 13. It is, then, a fruit of the Spirit, and not a product of the flesh. The flesh, when left to itself, does not produce charity. It requires the exercise of a power or an agency that is higher than the flesh to produce in the heart of man that quality which the apostle styles "charity." It is a fruit of the Spirit, and is produced by the operation of the truth upon the mind.

God has given us the greatest example of charity or love. The apostle Paul said in writing to the brethren at Rome, "God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). God manifested or demonstrated His love for us sinners by giving Christ to die for us. "God is love" (I John 4:8); and "everyone that loveth is born of God" (4:7), from which we see that love comes from God. As light and warmth and other powers come from the sun; as the fragrance comes from the flower, and thereby imparts some of its substance to our senses, so love emanates from God. It is therefore no wonder that the beloved apostle should say, "He that loveth is born of God." But, mark you, this is the love of God; it is that love which emanates from God and is in harmony with Him; it is Godlike.

There are several things that charity does, according to this chapter. First, let me address a few remarks to the brethren and sisters. The apostle says that "charity suffereth long." He does not say that it suffers for all time. There is a limit to the sufferings of charity, but it does suffer, suffer long; it is longsuffering. Here is a place where we can learn a lesson. If we see weaknesses in our brethren, we should suffer long with them, and not grow impatient with them when they do not quickly conform to our ideas of right. No doubt, also, our brethren exercise forbearance and longsuffering toward us.

"Charity is kind." Kindness is not a natural characteristic of the flesh, but is a "fruit of the Spirit." The flesh feels to resent any real or imaginary wrong which it may have suffered. But charity is kind even to the unthankful and the unholy.

"Charity envieth not." It is not envious of the praise of others or the honors that others may enjoy.

"Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." It does not make a boast of the things which it can do.

"Thinketh no evil." Charity does not go about among the

brethren finding fault and seeking an opportunity to criticize. It does not seek for bad motives in the actions of the brethren and sisters until such motives become apparent.

Then there is a characteristic of charity mentioned at vs. 6 to which I wish to call special attention. The apostle says charity "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Sometimes men and women accuse us as a class of people of being uncharitable, and tell us that we should exercise more charity. By this they mean that we should not be so strict in matters of doctrine, and that while we claim to be right in our understanding of the teaching of the Bible, we should concede that others, who take a view of these matters different from our own, may be right. In other words, that we should meet them at least halfway. Now, charity "rejoiceth in the truth." Then the question is, "What is truth?" Truth is that which is in accord with the facts. True charity seeks to acquaint itself with the facts with which the Scriptures deal. There is at this time but one source from which the truth can be obtained, and that is the Word of truth. "The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple" (Ps. 119:130). We are told that Jesus prayed this most remarkable prayer, "Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The Word of God is the doctrinal expression of the truth which God would convey to our minds. The apostle Paul speaks of the Word as "the word of the truth of the gospel" (Col. 1:5). So, then, the truth is contained in the gospel, and therefore it is needful that we should know what that gospel is, and the hope which it holds out to us. Is it true that "the meek shall inherit the earth," and that "the righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever"? Is it true that "the righteous shall never be removed"? that "the wicked shall not inhabit the earth"? Is it true that God made a covenant with Abraham in which He promised to give to him and his Seed the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession? Is it true that He made an oath to David that He would raise up his Seed to sit upon his throne, and that He would establish his throne and his kingdom before him forever? Is it true that Jesus of Nazareth is this Seed of Abraham and of David that was to be raised up when the fulness of time should come? Is it true that God will fill the earth with His glory as the waters cover the sea? Are all these things true? If so, they are in accord with the facts, as they