Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 14
December 20, 1962
NUMBER 33, PAGE 3,10a

The Overflow

No Paper Next Week

The last week in the year is one in which we give our office workers a "breather." Which means there will be no paper published next week. But we will be back with you as usual after the first of the year. Your next Gospel Guardian will be dated January 3, 1963.

Pope Sends Telegram

We got a smile out of an Associated Press item a few weeks ago which said: "Pope John XXIII sent a telegram expressing thanks to God that Cardinal Spellman escaped injury in the bomb blast which damaged his residence on Saturday night." All that was needed to make the story complete was for the telegram to be delivered by one of those singing Western Union messenger boys — surely some of those boys have made the heavenly choir by this time.

From A Friend

A good friend on the West Coast writes: "I once heard of a man who said, 'If there must be war, let it not be in my time.' To which his companion replied, 'If there must be war, let it be in my time — so that my children may have peace in theirs'!" We like that.

Brother Cogdill's Articles

We are happy to announce that brother Roy. E. Cogdill is in process of preparing a series of articles, which will appear in the Gospel Guardian next spring. In this series he reviews the history of the Lord's church over the past twenty years, noting the changes that have taken place; probes deeply into the reasons for such changes; and once again sets forth the "ancient landmarks" to which our fathers attached so great importance, and which made their lives a mighty force for truth and righteousness. We want to add at least One Thousand names of western Oklahoma families to our mailing list before the articles start. And would like to have many, many others from all over the nation. Will YOU help? Send in subscriptions for a number of people whom you believe to be honest and sincere enough to read the Cogdill articles. Single subscriptions are $4.00; but in clubs of five or more the price is $3.00 each.

"Nearer, My Job, To Thee"

The beloved M. C. Cuthbertson was in a meeting in Salem, Oregon, last year, which was destined to be his last gospel meeting. Luther Roberts, preacher for the Salem congregation, asked him if he had any explanation at all for the action of preachers who knew the truth, and in some instances had preached it for years, suddenly "switching" to the liberal and popular side of current problems and issues. Cuthbertson replied, "The explanation may not be the same in all cases; but in some it is very simple and very obvious: it is a case of "Nearer, my Job, to Thee!"

One Little Change

The man who will cease preaching truth and start preaching error for the sake of the few dollars involved reminds us of a certain doctor we read about the other day. The grateful patient wrung his hand and said, "Doc, we've been pals a long time, and I couldn't think of insulting you by offering you money for the treatment you have given me. But I've remembered you in my will, and I want you to know that." "Old Pal," said the doctor, "that's mighty nice of you. And by the way, let me see that prescription I just gave you, will you? There's just one little change I want to make in it."

Learning Accuracy

This one is supposed to have happened to the great grammarian, Noah Webster. His wife entered the kitchen one day to see Mr. Webster kissing the cook, "My dear," she exclaimed with indignation, "I am surprised." "No, my dear wife," said Mr. Webster, "You are astonished. It is we who are surprised."

M. C. Kurfees

We never think of that little story about Webster without its calling to mind the scholarly, punctual, and fabulously accurate M. C. Kurfees. We got this story illustrative of the fact from the lips of F. B. SrygIey himself. Srygley was holding a meeting for the Haldeman Avenue church in Louisville while Kurfees was preaching for them. He and Kurfees made an appointment one day to meet at 12:00 noon next day for luncheon "at the Watterson Hotel.' Srygley got to the hotel a few minutes early, went into the lobby and seated himself to wait for Kurfees. He waited for one solid hour. Kurfees did not show up. So Srygley got up and began to stroll around the lobby, eventually going out the front door to the street — only to find Kurfees nervously pacing up and down in front of the door, watch in hand, and giving every indication of a man highly agitated (and irritated). "Why, Brother Kurfees," said Srygley, "I've been waiting in the lobby inside for over an hour." "Brother Srygley," replied the precise and exasperated Kurfees, "I told you AT the Watterson — not IN the Watterson!"

Not Golden — Yellow

Time has a way of vindicating and certifying many of the old proverbs and maxims which have gained currency. We think the present tumult in the church, with its unreasonable number of once courageous preachers who think it "expedient" to remain silent on the issues, gives pertinency (and poignancy) to the old saw: "Silence is not always golden — sometimes it's yellow."

Not Without Prejudice!

Adam Clarke, one of the greatest of commentators, was a man of kindly and amiable disposition, and with a genuine love and respect for all mankind. But that he was also influenced by the prejudices of his age can be seen 'from his amusing comment on Genesis 12:11: "We may add to these considerations that strangers and foreigners are more coveted by the licentious than those who are natives. This has been amply illustrated in the West Indies and in America, where the jetty, monkey-faced African women are preferred to the elegant and beautiful Europeans!"

Tract-A-Month

We are highly pleased with the response to our new 'Tract-a-Month' venture. A number of congregations subscribed from the very start, and an even larger number have taken up the plan since. Tracts by Tant, Cogdill, Welch, and Farish are already available. Tracts by Osby Weaver, James Adams, Charles Halt, Cecil B. Douthitt, and James R. Cope are next in line — one new tract each month! This is an excellent plan for a congregation to keep new, vital and readable literature always available in the tract racks.

Package deal

The way some of our brethren balked and gagged and reacted with horror at the very thought of putting the "college in the budget" of the churches, only to turn around and accept every kind of benevolent and evangelistic and advertising institution and organization in the church budgets came vividly to mind the other day when we ran acrn.ss this bit of nonsense in a magazine:

Sam met Stanley at a bar and said, "What's new?"

"Nothing much," said Stanley. "I'm still with Barnum and Bailey's circus. By the way, I've got a bargain for you. I'm gonna sell you a small elephant for a hundred dollars."

"A small elephant!" exclaimed Sam. "Who needs a small elephant? My apartment is so tiny, I haven't got room for a puppy. Do me a favor and don't do me any favors."

"But it's a healthy elephant," said Stanley. "He's house-broken, and because he's small, he don't eat much."

Sam threw up his hands. "Stop with the elephants already. That's all I need I should bring home to my wife an elephant. Leave me alone with the elephants."

Stanley meditated for a minute. "I'll tell you what I'll do with you," he said, "I'll sell you three elephants for two hundred dollars."

"Now you're talking business," said Sam enthusiastically. "You've just made yourself a deal!"