Ministers reproved in United Free Church Assembly.
At the beginning of June, the Assembly of the United Free Church met in Glasgow. During a meeting on 9th June, Rev. S. T. M. Robertson criticised ministers who bought “Sunday” newspapers. The offence was aggravated, he told the General Assembly, by the fact that they read them in sight of their children. We gather from the report given, that Mr Robertson was an eye-witness of this God-dishonouring practice. Of course, the rebuke is undoubtedly warranted. Can we wonder that Bible reading, even on the Sabbath day, in the homes of many in Scotland is a thing of the past, when the religion of professed ministers of the Gospel is such as will not bar the newspapers from their manses on the Lord’s Day. It would be revealing to obtain some of the utterances of these offending clergymen on religious questions and compare them with their practice. But what can be expected if grace reign not in the heart and reverence for the Sabbath be utterly lacking?
General MacArthur and Bibles for Japan.
Last May we read an interesting report in a weekly periodical to the effect that the American Commander-in-Chief in Japan, General Douglas MacArthur, has in view obtaining millions of Bibles from America to distribute among the poor pagan population of that country. This has been somewhat confirmed by a note from New York by C. V. R. Thompson, correspondent to the Daily Express, published on 10th June, which states, “Orders came in from General Douglas MacArthur to-day (9th June) for enough Bibles to reach every village in Japan.” If the General’s plans will be carried out, he will have accomplished something clearly in the line of God’s revealed will. “The sower went forth to sow”; and surely this work will be a sowing of the good seed of the Kingdom of God, and God can bless His precious Word, to poor perishing sinners in Japan by the Holy Spirit’s work, in His sovereign grace, making Jesus Christ and salvation known.