"The carnal mind is enmity against God"-Romans 8:7.
This is a very solemn indictment which the Apostle Paul here prefers against the carnal mind. He declares it to be enmityagainst God. When we consider what man once was, only second to the angels, the companion of God, who walked with him in thegarden of Eden in the cool of the day; when we think of him as being made in the very image of his Creator, pure, spotless,and unblemished, we cannot but feel bitterly grieved to find such an accusation as this preferred againstus as a race. We may well hang our harps upon the willows, while we listen to the voice of Jehovah solemnly speaking tohis rebellious creature. "How art thou fallen from heaven, thou son of the morning!" "Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom,and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering-the workmanship ofthy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub thatcovereth; and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst ofthe stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee, andthou hast sinned; therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire."
There is much to sadden us in a view of the ruins of our race. As the Carthaginian, who might tread the desolate site of hismuch-loved city, would shed many tears when he saw it laid in heaps by the Romans; or as the Jew, wandering through the desertedstreets of Jerusalelm, would lament that the ploughshare had marred the beauty and the glory of that city which was the joyof the whole earth; so ought we to mourn for ourselves and our race, when we behold the ruins ofthat goodly structure which God had piled, that creature, matchless in symmetry, second only to angelic intellect, thatmighty being, man-when we behold how he is "fallen, fallen, fallen, from his high estate," and lies in a mass of destruction.A few years ago a star was seen blazing out with considerable brilliance, but soon disappeared; it has since been affirmedthat it was a world on fire, thousands of millions of miles from us, and yet the rays of the conflagration reached us; thenoiseless messenger of light gave to the distant dwellers on this globe the alarm of "A world on fire!" But what is theconflagration of a distant planet, what is the destruction of the mere material of the most ponderous orb, compared with thisfall of humanity, this wreck of all that is holy and sacred in ourselves? To us, indeed, the things are scarcely comparable,since we are deeply interested in one, though not in the other. The fall of Adam was OUR fall; we fell in and with him; wewereequal sufferers; it is the ruin of our own house that we lament, it is the destruction of our own city that we bemoan,when we stand and see written, in lines too plain for us to mistake their meaning, "The carnal mind"-that very self-same mindwhich was once holiness, and has now become carnal-"is enmity against God." May God help me, this morning, solemnly to preferthis indictment against all! Oh! that the Holy Spirit may so convince us of sin, that we may unanimously plead "guilty"before God.
There is no difficulty in understanding my text; it needs scarcely any explanation. We all know that the word "carnal" heresignifies fleshly. The old translators rendered the passage thus; "The mind of the flesh is enmity against God"-that is tosay, the natural mind, that soul which we inherit from our fathers, that which was born within us when our bodies were fashionedby God. The fleshly mind, the phronema sarkos, the lusts, the passions of the soul; it isthis which has gone astray from God, and become enmity against him.
But, before we enter upon a discussion of the doctrine of the text, observe how strongly the Apostle expresses it. "The carnalmind," he says, "is ENMITY against God." He uses a noun, and not an adjective. He does not say it is opposed to God merely,but it is positive enmity. It is not black, but blackness; it is not at enmity, but enmity itself; it is not corrupt, but corruption; it is not rebellious, it is rebellion; it is not wicked, it is wickednessitself. The heart, though it be deceitful, is positively deceit; it is evil in the concrete, sin in the essence; it isthe distillation, the quintessence of all things that are vile; it is not envious against God, it is envy; it is not at enmity,it is actual enmity.
Nor need we say a word to explain that it is "enmity against God." It does not charge manhood with an aversion merely to the dominion, laws, or doctrines of Jehovah; but it strikes a deeperand surer blow. It does not strike man upon the head; it penetrates into his heart; it lays the axe at the root of the tree,and pronounces him "enmity against God," against the person of the Godhead, against the Deity, against the mighty Maker of this world; not at enmityagainst his Bible or against his gospel, though that were true, but against God himself, against his essence, his existence,and his person. Let us, then, weigh the words of the text, for they are solemn words. They are well put together by that masterof eloquence, Paul, and they were moreover, dictated by the Holy Spirit, who telleth man how to speak aright. May he helpus to expound, as he has already given us the passage to explain.
I. First, we are called upon to speak of the truthfulness of this great statement. "The carnal mind is enmity against God." It needs no proof, for since it is written in God's word, we, as Christian men,are bound to bow before it. The words of the Scriptures are words of infinite wisdom, and if reason cannot see the groundof a statement of revelation, it is bound, most reverently, to believe it, since we are well assured, even should it be aboveour reason, thatit cannot be contrary thereunto. Here I find it written in the Scriptures, "The carnal mind is enmity against God;" andthat of itself is enough for me. But did I need witnesses, I would conjure up the nations of antiquity; I would unroll thevolume of ancient history; I would tell you of the awful deeds of mankind. It may be I might move your souls to detestation,if I spake of the cruelty of this race to itself, if I showed you how it made the world an Aceldama, by its wars, and delugeditwith blood by its fightings and murders; if I should recite the black list of vices in which whole nations have indulged,or even bring before you the characters of some of the most eminent philosophsers, I should blush to speak of them, and youwould refuse to hear; yea, it would be impossible for you, as refined inhabitants of a civilized country, to endure the mentionof the crimes that were committed by those very men who, now-a-days, are held up as being paragons of perfection. I fear,ifall the truth were written, we should rise up from reading the lives of earth's mightiest heroes and proudest sages, andwould say at once of all of them, "They are clean gone out of the way; they are altogether become unprofitable; there is nonethat doeth good, no, not one.
And, did not that suffice, I would point you to the delusions of the heathen; I would tell you of their priestcraft, by whichtheir souls have been enthralled in superstition; I would drag their gods before you; I would let you witness the horrid obscenities,the diabolical rites which are to these besotted men most sacred things. Then after you had heard what the natural religion of man is, I would ask what must his irreligion be? If this is his devotion,what must be his impiety? If this be his ardent love of the Godhead, what must his hatred thereof be? Ye would, I am sure,at once confess, did ye know what the race is, that the indictment is proven, and that the world must unreservedly and truthfullyexclaim, "guilty."
A further argument I might find in the fact, that the best of men have been always the readiest to confess their depravity.The holiest men, the most free from impurity, have always felt it most. He whose garments are the whitest, will best perceivethe spots upon them. He whose crown shineth the brightest, will know when he hath lost a jewel. He who giveth the most lightto the world, will always be able to discover his own darkness. The angels of heaven veil their faces;and the angels of God on earth, his chosen people, must always veil their faces with humility, when they think of whatthey were. Hear David: he was none of those who boast of a holy nature and a pure disposition. He says, "Behold, I was shapenin iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Hear all those holy men who have written in the inspired volume, and yeshall find them all confessing that they were not clean, no not one; yea, one of them exclaimed, "O wretched man that I am;whoshall deliver me from the body of this death?"
And more, I will summon one other witness to the truthfulness of this fact, who shall decide the question; it shall be yourconscience. Conscience, I will put thee in the witness-box, and cross-examine thee this morning! Conscience, truly answer!Be not drugged with the laudanum of self-security! Speak the truth! Didst thou never hear the heart say, "I wish there wereno God?" Have not all men, at times, wished that our religion were not true? Though they could notentirely rid their souls of the idea of the Godhead, did they not wish that there might not be a God? Have they not hadthe desire that it might turn out that all these divine realities were a delusion, a farce, and an imposture? "Yea," saithevery man; "that has crossed my mind sometimes. I have wished I might indulge in folly; I have wished there were no laws torestrain me; I have wished, as the fool, that there were no God." That passage in the Psalms, "The fool hath said in his heart,there is no God," is wrongly translated. It should be, "The fool hath said in his heart, no God." The fool does not say in his heart there is no God, for he knows there is a God; but he says, "No God-I don't want any; I wish there were none." And who amongst us hasnot been so foolish as to desire that there were no God? Now, conscience, answer another question! Thou hast confessed thatthou hast at times wished there were no God; now, suppose a man wished another dead, wouldnot that show that he hated him? Yes, it would. And so, my friends, the wish that there were no God, proves that we dislikeGod. When I wish such a man dead and rotting in his grave; when I desire that he were non est, I must hate that man; otherwise I should not wish him to be extinct. So that wish-and I do not think there has been a manin this world who has not had it-proves that "the carnal mind is enmity against God."
But, conscience, I have another question! Has not thine heart ever desired, since there is a God, that he were a little lessholy, a little less pure, so that those things which are now great crimes might be regarded as venial offences, as peccadillos?Has thy heart never said, "Would to God these sins were not forbidden! Would that he would be merciful and pass them by withoutan atonement! Would that he were not so severe, so rigorously just, so sternly strict to hisintegrity." Hast thou never said that, my heart? Conscience must reply, "Thou hast." Well, that wish to change God, provesthat thou art not in love with the God that now is, the God of heaven and earth; and though thou mayest talk of natural religion,and boast that thou dost reverence the God of the green fields, the grassy meads, the swelling flood, the rolling thunder,the azure sky, the starry night, and the great universe-though thou lovest the poetic beau ideal of Deity, it is not theGod of Scripture, for thou hast wished to change his nature, and in that hast thou proved that thou art at enmity withhim. But wherefore, conscience, should I go thus round about? Thou canst bear faithful witness, if thou wouldst speak thetruth, that each person here has so transgressed against God, so continually broken his laws, violated his Sabbath, trampledon his statutes, despised his gospel, that it is true, aye, most true, that "the carnal mind is enmity against God."
II. Now Secondly, we are called upon to notice the universality of this evil. What a broad assertion it is. It is not a single carnal mind, or a certain class of characters, but "the carnal mind." It is an unqualified statement, including every individual. Whatever mind may properly be called carnal, nothaving been spiritualized by the power of God's Holy Ghost, is "enmity against God."
Observe then, first of all, the universality of this as to all persons. Every carnal mind in the world is at enmity against God. This does not exclude even infants at the mothers' breast. We callthem innocent, and so they are of actual transgression, but as the poet says, "Within the youngest breast there lies a stone."There is in the carnal mind of an infant, enmity against God; it is not developed, but it lieth there. Some say that childrenlearn sin byimitation. But no; take a child away, place it under the most pious influences, let the very air it breathes be purifiedby piety; let it constantly drink in draughts of holiness; let it hear nothing but the voice of prayer and praise; let itsear be always kept in tune by notes of sacred song; and that child, notwithstanding, may still become one of the grossestof transgressors; and though placed apparently on the very road to heaven, it shall, if not directed by divine grace, marchdownwardsto the pit. Oh! how true it is that some who have had the best of parents, have been the worst of sons; that many whohave been trained up under the most holy auspices, in the midst of the most favorable scenes for piety, have nevertheless,become loose and wanton! So it is not by imitation, but it is by nature, that the child is evil. Grant me that the child iscarnal, and my text says, "the carnal mind is enmity against God." The young crocodile, I have heard, when broken from theshell, willin a moment begin to put itself in a posture of attack, opening its mouth as if it had been taught and trained. We knowthat young lions, when tamed and domesticated, still will have the wild nature of their fellows of the forest, and were libertygiven them, would prey as fiercely as others. So with the child; you may bind him with the green withes of education, youmay do what you will with him, since you cannot change his heart, that carnal mind shall still be at enmity against God; andnotwithstanding intellect, talent, and all you may give to boot, it shall be of the same sinful complexion as every otherchild, if not as apparently evil; for "the carnal mind is enmity against God."
And if this applies to children, equally does it include every class of men. There be some men that are born into this worldmaster-spirits, who walk about it as giants, wrapped in mantles of light and glory. I refer to the poets, men who stand aloftlike Colossi, mightier than we, seeming to be descended from celestial spheres. There be others of acute intellect, who, searchinginto mysteries of science, discover things that have been hidden from the creation of theworld; men of keen research, and mighty erudition; and yet of each of these-poet, philosopher, metaphysician, and greatdiscoverer-it shall be said, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." Ye may train him up, ye may make his intellect almostangelic, ye may strengthen his soul until he shall take what are riddles to us, and unravel them with his fingers in a moment;ye may make him so mighty, that he can grasp the iron secrets of the eternal hills and grind them to atoms in his fist; yemay give him an eye so keen, that he can penetrate the arcana of rocks and mountains; ye may add a soul so potent, thathe may slay the giant Sphinx, that had for ages troubled the mightiest men of learning; yet, when ye have done all, his mindshall be a depraved one, and his carnal heart shall still be in opposition to God. Yea, more, ye shall bring him to the houseof prayer; ye shall make him sit constantly under the clearest preaching of the word, where he shall hear the doctrines ofgracein all their purity, attended by a holy unction; but if that holy unction does not rest upon him, all shall be vain; heshall still come most regularly, but, like the pious door of the chapel, that turneth in and out, he shall still be the same;having an outside superficial religion, and his carnal mind shall still be at enmity against God. Now, this is not my assertion,it is the declaration of God's word, and you must leave it if you do not believe it; but quarrel not with me, it is myMaster's message; and it is true of every one of you-men, women, and children, and myself too-that if we have not beenregenerated and converted, if we have not experienced a change of heart, our carnal mind is still at enmity against God.
Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then!"
Yes, but mark, what is true one day is not false another; "the carnal mind is enmity against God" at all times. The wolf maysleep, but it is a wolf still. The snake with its azure hues, may slumber amid the flowers, and the child may stroke its slimyback, but it is a serpent still; it does not change its nature, though it is dormant. The sea is the house of storms, evenwhen it is glassy as a lake; the thunder is still the mighty rolling thunder, when it is so much aloftthat we hear it not. And the heart, when we perceive not its ebullitions, when it belches not forth its lava, and sendethnot forth the hot stones of its corruption, is still the same dread volcano. At all times, at all hours, at every moment,(I speak this as God speaketh it), if ye are carnal, ye are each one of you enmity against God.
Another thought concerning the universality of this statement. The whole of the mind is enmity against God. The text says, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." That is, the entire man, every part of him-everypower, every passion. It is a question often asked, "What part of man was injured by the fall?" Some think that the fall wasonly felt by the affections, and that the intellect was unimpaired; this they argue from the wisdom of man, and the mightydiscoveries he has made, such as the law of gravitation, the steam-engine, and the sciences. Now, I consider these thingsas being a very mean display of wisdom, compared with what is to come in a hundred years, and very small compared with whatmight have been, if man's intellect had continued in its pristine condition. I believe that the fall crushed man entirely,albeit, when it rolled like an avalanche upon the mighty temple of human nature, some shafts were still left undestroyed,andamidst the ruins you find here and there, a flute, a pedestal, a cornice, a column, not quite broken, yet the entire structurefell, and its most glorious relics are fallen ones, levelled in the dust. The whole of man is defaced. Look at our memory; is it not true that the memory is fallen? I can recollect evil things far better than those which savor of piety. I heara ribald song; that music of hell shall jar in my ear when gray hairs shall be upon my head. I hear a note of holypraise; alas! it is forgotten! For memory graspeth with an iron hand ill things, but the good she holdeth with feeblefingers. She suffereth the glorious timbers from the forest of Lebanon to swim down the stream of oblivion, but she stoppethall the draff that floateth from the foul city of Sodom. She will retain evil, she will lose good. Memory is fallen. So arethe affections. We love everything earthly better than we ought; we soon fix our heart upon a creature, but very seldom onthe Creator; and when the heart is given to Jesus, it is prone to wander. Look at the imagination, too. Oh! how can the imagination revel, when the body is in an ill condition? Only give man something that shall well nighintoxicate him; drug him with opium; and how will his imagination dance with joy! Like a bird uncaged, how will it mount withmore than eagles' wings! He sees things he had not dreamed of even in the shades of night. Why did not his imagination workwhen his body was ina normal state-when it was healthy? Simply because it is depraved; and until he had entered a foul element-until the bodyhad begun to quiver with a kind of intoxication-the fancy would not hold its carnival. We have some splendid specimens ofwhat men could write, when they have been under the accursed influence of ardent spirits. It is because the mind is so depravedthat it loves something which puts the body into an abnormal condition; and here we have a proof that the imaginationitself has gone astray. So with the judgement-I might prove how ill it decides. So might I accuse the conscience, and tell you how blind it is, and how it winks at the greatest follies. I might review all our powers, and write upon thebrow of each one, "Traitor against heaven! traitor against God!" The whole "carnal mind is enmity against God."
Now, my hearers, "the Bible alone is the religion of Protestants;" but whenever I find a certain book much held in reverenceby our Episcopalian brethren, entirely on my side, I always feel the greatest delight in quoting from it. Do you know I amone of the best churchmen in the world; the very best, if you will judge me by the articles, and the very worst, if you measureme in any other way. Measure me by the articles of the Church of England, and I will not stand secondto any man under heaven's blue sky in preaching the gospel contained in them; for if there be an excellent epitome ofthe gospel, it is to be found in the articles of the Church of England. Let me show you that you have not been hearing strangedoctrine. Here is the 9th article, upon Original or Birth Sin: "Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam; (as thePelagians do vainly talk); but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered oftheoffspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil,so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and, therefore, in every person born into this world, it deservethGod's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust ofthe flesh, called in the Greek, phronema sarkos, which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, somethe desire, of the flesh, is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believeand are baptized, yet the apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." I want nothingmore. Will any one who believes in the Prayer Book dissent from the doctrine that "the carnal mind is enmity against God?"
III. I have said that I would endeavor, in the third place, to show the great enormity of this guilt. I do fear, my brethren, that very often when we consider our state, we think not so much of the guilt as of the misery. Ihave sometimes read sermons upon the inclination of the sinner to evil, in which it has been very powerfully proved, and certainlythe pride of human nature has been well humbled and brought low; but one thing always strikes me, if it is leftout, as being a very great omission; viz.-the doctrine that man is guilty in all these things. If his heart is against God, we ought to tell him it is his sin; and if he cannot repent, we ought toshow him that sin is the sole cause of his disability-that all his alienation from God is sin-that as long as he keeps fromGod it is sin. I fear many of us here must acknowledge that we do not charge the sin of it to our own consciences. Yes, saywe, we have many corruptions. Oh! yes.But we sit down very contented. My brethren, we ought not to do so. The having those corruptions is our crime which shouldbe confessed as an enormous evil; and if I, as a minister of the gospel, do not press home the sin of the thing, I have missedwhat is the very virus of it. I have left out the very essence, if I have not shown that it is a crime. Now, "The carnal mindis enmity against God." What a sin it is! This will appear in two ways. Consider the relation in which we stand to God, andthen remember what God is; and after I have spoken of these two things, I hope you will see, indeed, that it is a sinto be at enmity with God.
What is God to us? He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth; he bears up the pillars of the universe; his breath perfumes the flowers;his pencil paints them; he is the author of this fair creation; "we are the sheep of his pasture; he hath made us, and notwe ourselves." He stands to us in the relationship of a Maker and Creator; and from that fact he claims to be our King. Heis our legislator, our law-maker; and then, to make our crime still worse andworse, he is the ruler of providence; for it is he who keeps up from day to day. He supplys our wants; he keeps the breathwithin our nostrils; he bids the blood still pursue its course through the veins; he holdeth us in life, and preventeth usfrom death; he standeth before us, our creator, our king, our sustainer, our benefactor, and I ask, is it not a sin of enormousmagnitude-is it not high treason against the emperor of heaven-is it not an awful sin, the depth of which we cannotfathom with the line of all our judgment-that we, his creatures, dependent upon him, should be at enmity with God?
But the crime may seem to be worse when we think of what God is. Let me appeal personally to you in an interrogatory style, for this has weight with it. Sinner! why art thou at enmity withGod? God is the God of love; he is kind to his creatures; he regards you with his love of benevolence; for this very day hissun hath shone upon you, this day you have had food and raiment, and you have come up here in health and strength. Do youhate God because he loves you? Isthat the reason? Consider how many mercies you have received at his hands all your life long! You are born with a bodynot deformed; you have had a tolerable share of health; you have been recovered many times from sickness; when lying at thegates of death, his arm has held back your soul from the last step to destruction. Do you hate God for all this? Do you hatehim because he spared your life by his tender mercy? Behold his goodness that he hath spread before you! He might have sentyou tohell; but you are here. Now, do you hate God for sparing you? Oh, wherefore art thou at enmity with him? My fellow creature,dost thou not know that God sent his Son from his bosom, hung him on the tree, and there suffered him to die for sinners,the just for the unjust? And dost thou hate God for that? Oh, sinner! is this the cause of thine enmity? Art thou so estrangedthat thou givest enmity for love? And when he surroundeth thee with favors, girdeth thee with mercies, encircleth thee withloving kindness, dost thou hate him for this? He might say, as Jesus did to the Jews, "For which of these works do yestone me?" For which of these works do ye hate God? Did an earthly benefactor feed you, would you hate him? Did he clotheyou, would you abuse him to his face? Did he give you talents, would you turn those powers against him? Oh, speak! Would youforge the iron and strike the dagger into the heart of your best friend? Do you hate your mother, who nursed you on her knee?Do youcurse your father, who so wisely watched over you? Nay, ye say, we have some little gratitude towards earthly relatives.Where are your hearts, then? Where are your hearts, that ye can still despise God, and be at enmity with him? Oh! diabolicalcrime! Oh! satanic enormity! Oh! iniquity for which words fail in description! To hate the all-lovely-to despise the essentiallygood-to abhor the constantly merciful-to spurn the ever beneficent-to scorn the kind, the gracious one; above all,to hate the God who sent his son to die for man! Ah! in that thought-"The carnal mind is enmity with God;" there is somethingwhich may make us shake; for it is a terrible sin to be at enmity with God. I would I could speak more powerfully, but myMaster alone can impress upon you the enormous evil of this horrid state of heart.
IV. But there are one or two doctrines which we will try to deduce from this. Is the carnal mind at enmity against God? Thensalvation cannot be by merit; it must be by grace. If we are at enmity with God, what merit can we have? How can we deserve anything from the being wehate? Even if we were pure as Adam, we could not have any merit; for I do not think Adam had any desert before his Creator.When he had kept all his Master's law he was but an unprofitableservant; he had done no more than he ought to have done; he had no surplus, no balance. But since we have become enemies,how much less can we hope to be saved by works! Oh! no; but the whole Bible tells us, from beginning to end, that salvationis not by the works of the law, but by the deeds of grace. Martin Luther declared that he constantly preached justificationby faith alone, "because," said he, "the people would forget it; so that I was obliged almost to knock my Bible against theirheads, to send it into their hearts." So it is true; we constantly forget that salvation is by grace alone. We alwayswant to be putting in some little scrap of our own virtue; we want to be doing something. I remember a saying of old MatthewWilkes: "Saved by your works! you might as well try to go to America in a paper boat!" Saved by your works! It is impossible!Oh! no, the poor legalist is like a blind horse going round and round the mill, or like the prisoner going up the treadwheel,andfinding himself no higher after all he has done; he has no solid confidence, no firm ground to rest upon. He has not doneenough-"never enough;" conscience always says, "this is not perfection; it ought to have been better," Salvation for enemiesmust be by an ambassador,-by an atonement,-yea, by Christ.
Another doctrine we gather from this is, the necessity of an entire change of our nature. It is true, that by birth we are at enmity with God. How necessary then it is that our nature should be changed! There arefew people who sincerely believe this. They think that if they cry, "Lord, have mercy upon me," when they lay a-dying, theyshall go to heaven directly. Let me suppose an impossible case for a moment. Let me imagine a man entering heaven withouta change ofheart. He comes within the gates. He hears a sonnet. He starts! It is to the praise of his enemy. He sees a throne, and on it sits one who is glorious; but it is his enemy. He walks streets of gold, but those streets belong to his enemy. He sees hosts of angels; but those hosts are the servants of his enemy. He is in an enemy's house; for he is at enmity with God. He could not join the song, for he would not know the tune. There he would stand, silent,motionless; till Christ would say, with a voice louder than ten thousand thunders, "What dost thou here? Enemies at amarriage banquet? Enemies in the children's house? Enemies in heaven? Get thee gone? 'Depart, ye cursed, into everlastingfire in hell!'" Oh! sirs, if the unregenerate man could enter heaven, I mention once more the oft-repeated saying of Whitefield,he would be so unhappy in heaven, that he would ask God to let him run down to hell for shelter. There must be a change, ifyeconsider the future state; for how can enemies to God ever sit down at the banquet of the Lamb?
And to conclude, let me remind you-and it is in the text after all-that this change must be worked by a power beyond your own. An enemy may possibly make himself a friend; but enmity cannot. If it be but an adjunct of his nature to be an enemy, he may change himself into a friend; but if it is the veryessence of his existence to be enmity, positive enmity, enmity cannot change itself. No, there must be something done morethan we can accomplish. This isjust what is forgotten in these days. We must have more preaching of the Holy Spirit, if we are to have more conversionwork. I tell you, sirs, if you change yourselves, and make yourselves better, and better, and better, a thousand times, youwill never be good enough for heaven, till God's Spirit has laid his hand upon you; till he has renewed the heart, till hehas purified the soul, till he has changed the entire spirit and new-made the man, there can be no entering heaven. How seriously,then, should each stand and think. Here am I, a creature of a day, a mortal born to die, but yet an immortal! At presentI am at enmity with God. What shall I do? Is it not my duty, as well as my happiness, to ask whether there be a way to bereconciled to God?
Oh! weary slaves of sin, are not your ways the paths of folly? Is it wisdom, O my fellow-creatures, is it wisdom to hate yourCreator? Is it wisdom to stand in opposition against him? Is it prudent to despise the riches of his grace? If it be wisdom,it is hell's wisdom; if it be wisdom, it is a wisdom which is folly with God. Oh! may God grant that you may turn unto Jesuswith full purpose of heart! He is the ambassador; he it is who can make peace through his blood; andthough you came in here an enemy, it is possible you may go out through that door a friend yet, if you can but look toJesus Christ, the brazen serpent which was lifted up.
And now, it may be, some of you are convinced of sin, by the Holy Spirit. I will now proclaim to you the way of salvation."As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in himshould not perish, but have eternal life." Behold, O trembling penitent, the means of thy deliverance. Turn thy tearful eyeto yonder Mount of Calvary! See the victim of justice-the sacrifice of atonement for yourtransgression. View the Saviour in his agonies, with streams of blood purchasing thy soul, and with intensest agoniesenduring thy punishment. He died for thee, if now thou dost confess thy guilt. O come, thou condemned one, self-condemned, and turn thine eye this way, for one lookwill save. Sinner! thou art bitten. Look! It is naught but "Look!" It is simply "Look!" If thou canst but look to Jesus, thouart safe. Hear the voice of the Redeemer: "look unto me, and be ye saved." Look!Look! Look! O guilty souls.
May my blessed Master help you to come to him, and draw you to his Son, for Jesu's sake. Amen and Amen.


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We strongly emphasize environmental sustainability throughout our global operations. We have an environment charter that highlights our commitment to environment. At the operational level, our businesses are continually seeking ways to prevent and minimise water pollution, improve energy efficiency and reduce, reuse and recycle waste.?
Environmental Charter
ASMPT is committed to environmental care, pollution prevention and continuous improvements of the environmental performance in all our activities, products and services.
Comply with all relevant international and national environmental legislations as well as other requirements to which the company subscribes
Continually improve and promote environment-protective activities pertaining to our industry
Encourage the conservation of energy and other natural resources
Encourage the reduction, reuse and recycling of wastes and pollution prevention
Promote environmental awareness and provide appropriate training to all employees on environmental aspects and impacts of our activities, products and services
Continually set and review both objectives and targets so as to improve our environmental performance
Environment Goals
Our environmental goals include:
Preventing and minimising water pollution
Improving energy efficiency
Reducing, reusing and recycling of wastes
Waste Water Recycle
As the Group uses large volume of water in manufacturing of lead frames, it is vital that we take a strategic and environmentally sustainable approach to our supply and use of water.
To ensure effective use of water and prevention of water pollution, we installed wastewater treatment and recycling facilities in our manufacturing plants located in China (Shenzhen), Malaysia and Singapore.?In 2015, more than 50% of the processed water from our lead frame operations was recycled.
Global-warming Gas Reduction
ASMPT considers climate change an important environmental issue and actively works on increasing energy efficiency in our production processes. We set up a committee on a group level to co-ordinate and drive programs that help reduce energy consumption in all our facilities in 2012. Since then, the committee has implemented several initiatives to increase energy efficiency:
Use of ice thermal tank to shift the peak power tariff rate to valley tariff rate
Use of heat recovery from air compressors for manufacturing process
Use of heat recovery from casting furnace
Environment green refrigerant project
Replacement of old chiller plant with energy-efficient units
Adoption of VSD technology in constant speed air compressors
Adoption of VSD technology in air-conditioned facilities in areas like chiller pumps, condenser pumps and cooling tower fans
Installation of motion and light sensors in infrequently used areas
Installation of LED lights
Daily monitoring of production machines to ensure that they do not run at night without prior notice
In May 2012, ASM Technology Singapore ("ATS") introduced 'Green Office' concept in the 5th level of its building. It implemented double grazed glass, double roof Rockwool heat insulation and low energy LED light as well as upgraded the chiller plant of its air-conditioning system with an efficiency of less than 0.65kW/RT. Such measures resulted in a low ETTV (Envelope Thermal Transfer Value) of less than 50W/m2.
In 2014, the committee initiated new measures to further optimise energy consumption:
Adoption of COOLNOMIX controls for air-conditioning systems -- prior to that some air-conditioning systems in various plants had adopted the COOLNOMIX controls which had resulted in a 30% reduction in energy consumption
Implementation of daily alerts/reminders to employees to switch off PC after work -- a 19% reduction in electricity usage at night for Hong Kong plant upon full implementation
We managed to reduce the normalised energy consumption by more than 30% in 2015 as compared to the 2012 level.
We continued our efforts to maintain energy efficiency and incorporated it in designing a new building in Singapore. Completed in 2016, the new building is equipped with a highly intelligent Building Management system that monitors building security, control access, fire zones, lift operation, power consumption and compressed air system amongst others. The new building has been certified by the Singapore BCA (Building and Construction Authority) Green Mark as "Gold" for attaining high energy efficiency. The BCA Green Mark is a green building rating system to evaluate a building for its environmental impact and performance.
Solid Waste Recycle
ASMPT proactively initiates waste-reduction measures with the aim of creating a sustainable society. To promote the re-use of parts and assemblies, we organise "Recycled Materials Collection Day" on a regular basis where wastes collected are reviewed for either internal reuse or disposal via external waste recycle collectors.
We also have a programme in place to reduce the consumption of packing materials such as plastic bags. We have reduced the consumption of plastic bags by 97% compared to the 2005-2007 average consumption level. Our SMT Solutions business also employs reusable and returnable packaging for the shipments from its suppliers in order to drastically reduce waste and save resources. Our waste reduction and recycle programmes have enabled us to manage our resources more effectively and minimise wastage.
We understand that making as many products as we do has a significant impact on the environment. Hence, we are always striving to make our products more environmentally friendly from design to manufacturing.
The Group sets guidelines on environmental design requirements for product development and has a comprehensive checklist for our product development teams to ensure relevant environmental factors have been taken into consideration during the product design stage. We also have a Design for Excellence (DFE) program in place which is a "health check" program for our products at the machine level on various design aspects since 2005. Under this programme, the Environmental Aspect and Design for Manufacturing are two of the critical design aspects to be assessed at product design stage. New products will be assessed according to a set of stringent criteria with grades given in order to drive improvement in product design with regards to environmental performance.
In addition, we also continuously enhance the product design and performance in relation to the environmental aspects across its entire lifecycle like improving the energy and resources efficiency of our products and solutions. For instance, while we have managed to steadily increase the performance of our placement machines, we have also succeeded in keeping the required energy at the given levels. This resulted in significant reduction in energy consumption per component placed over time. Another example is the automatic shut-down of compressed air and vacuum pumps during production breaks for SMT placement machines which helps conserve energy usage.
We also continually drive product improvements through:
? Resource conservation
We strive to reduce the use of raw materials by designing products with reduced weight and volume. In addition, we continually improve our manufacturing processes to reduce machine hours and use of materials in order to conserve resources. Our SMT Solutions Business continuously optimises logistics within the production plant, designing exceptionally compact assembly lines to minimise long transport routes and make the production floor infrastructure (i.e. water, electricity, lighting and air-conditioning) as efficient as possible.
? Reuse and Recycle
Our products are made using reusable and recyclable ingredients where possible. For example, our SIPLACE SX is made using a chassis of cast mineral. Cast mineral consists mostly of natural materials. Compared with traditional cast iron, cast mineral requires 20 to 40% less energy in its production and up to 80% less energy in its recycling.
We also monitor closely the product lifecycle from product design to manufacturing to storage, packing and delivery to use and reuse to disposal so as to minimise its impact on environment. We are particularly proud that the average SIPLACE machine's lifespan is twice as long as that of our competitors' products*. One major contributor to extending our machines' useful lifespans is SMT Solutions' pre-owned equipment (POE) business where we?refurbish used machines for many more years of productivity. In addition, our SIPLACE machines can be disassembled energy-efficiently, and any parts that are no longer usable can be properly disposed of or recycled.
* Provided that the equipment has been maintained accordingly to the manufacturer's requirements.
? Hazardous Substances Management
The electronics industry has been working towards complying with the new European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive which came into effect in July 2011. The new law is a revision of the RoHS Directive on the restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, namely lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and the flame retardants Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). The directive also expanded the coverage from several categories of electrical and electronic equipment including household appliances, IT and consumer equipment to all electronic equipment, cables and spare parts. The Group continues to work closely with our suppliers to ensure that our products comply with the RoHS directives.
In recognition for our continual efforts towards better environmental performance, the Group was awarded the ISO 14001 certification for our manufacturing facilities in China, Hong Kong, Germany, Singapore and Malaysia.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Skip the old yellow school bus and book a private charter bus for your next field trip around Orlando. National Charter Bus has access to the best selection of safe and modern buses for students to travel in during an educational afternoon. You can rely on us to transport your entire school group to top field trip destinations around Orlando and the surrounding area. From the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, we have you covered for every type of field trip. Our reservation experts are available 24/7 at 407-274-9782 to help you find the best field trip transportation.
We pride ourselves on providing the safest and most reliable transportation services for all of our customers. The modern coaches we charter are not only comfortable, but they're also equipped with top features that old school buses may lack. School groups are ensured a safe and comfortable experience throughout their field trip travels.
We only work with top bus providers that employ professional drivers. Every driver in our network is required to have a clean driving record, pass an extensive background check, and also clear a drug test before getting on the road. Students and chaperones will remain in good hands during their travels to field trip destinations like Crayola Experience Orlando or Gatorland.
Full-sized charter buses and minibuses include additional amenities that can keep students entertained and comfortable. Depending on the model of bus, you can request amenities like WiFi, televisions with DVD players, plentiful legroom, on-board restrooms, and more. Students can play games, enjoy a movie on-board, or even get some last-minute work done if they're traveling for an academic conference. These additional amenities are perfect for long-distance trips as well, so students will have an optimal travel experience when traveling throughout Florida for academic events.
Orlando is home to the largest university in the country by enrollment. The University of Central Florida is a popular destination for high school students touring in the area. Groups even travel from nearby major cities like Miami or Tampa to tour the school. National Charter Bus will provide a spacious 56-passenger motorcoach for your experience of becoming a UCF Knight for a day.
Even if you're a current UCF student planning to attend a group event around Orlando, we can help plan out the transportation logistics. Campus organizations can utilize a charter bus to shuttle members for a social party or even community service events. No matter what type of event you're attending at or around UCF, you can count on National Charter Bus for the best transportation experience possible.
We have extensive experience in reserving transportation for all types of academic trips. Whether you're traveling for a field trip, academic conference, college tour, or any other school-related event, we'll be there every step of the way. National Charter Bus services most major cities throughout the region, so even if you're traveling outside of Orlando to cities like Miami, Atlanta, or Tampa, we'll be sure everyone arrives safely. Not only do we pride ourselves on safety and reliability, but we aim to offer affordable academic options as well. Our rental experts are available around the clock to provide free, personalized quotes for your next school trip. Give us a call at 407-274-9782!


Everyone understands some great benefits of physical exercise. Mild exercise can help you maintain your bodyweight, keep the heart strong and in many cases increase your disposition. Nevertheless, as you can tell Over Here, excessive exercising can certainly be bad. Your body can simply endure a particular volume of working out and once that limit is arrived at, the benefits begin to disappear altogether. In fact, someone that works out extremely may not get any profit from their effort. The level of food needed to sustain the entire body is dependent mainly on the quantity of exercise a person does. Some athletes should eat much more than sedentary people. Considering that it might be difficult to determine simply how much foods are in fact needed, lots of people who over exercise put on pounds mainly because they take in far too much. Just about any fitness plan comes with a caution to talk to a physician previous to starting. These warnings are there for really good factors. Intense physical exercise can be difficult to the cardiovascular system. Too much strenuous physical exercise for a person who has undiscovered cardiovascular disease may be lethal. Everyone should get a appointment with the doctor to figure out which exercises are good for them individually. In keeping with this Source, training can damage the joints, particularly knees and ankles. Repetitive high-impact exercise routines including jogging put plenty of strain on the bones. A lot of endurance athletes destroy their joints to the stage that they sooner or later need to have surgical treatment to restore them. Take the time in order to navigate here and uncover about methods to steer clear of these joint issues while continuing to enjoy the benefits. Exercise may be addictive. Taking too much time at the health club may seem like a great idea for an individual who is seeking to get rid of a lot of weight but if training actually reaches a point that the person is neglecting additional duties to work out, they might need to deal with the actual concern. A few people which workout way too much additionally acquire anorexia. Maintaining very careful a record of the volume of training they get and also how many calories they eat can lead to dehydration or even vitamin insufficiencies. Certain exercising is perfect for many people, Learn More Here on how to understand too much exercise.
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Do we really need yet another Barrington-adjacent COVID-19 sheep in the B.C. legislature?
Here are 10 things regular folks can do to wake up Kevin Falcon to the cruel absurdity of his response to the pandemic
by Charlie Smith on April 4th, 2022 at 7:14 AM
In February, I wrote a column urging new B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon to challenge the NDP government over its handling of the pandemic.
I even suggested that by focusing on airborne COVID, Falcon could become B.C.'s next premier.
Nearly two months later, he and the B.C. Liberal caucus have utterly failed to do that.
This stands in sharp contrast to B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, who continues pressing Health Minister Adrian Dix on this in the legislature.
Falcon's crew did not speak up for some of the most vulnerable people in the province—the immunocompromised, those with comorbidities, and seniors—after the B.C. government scrapped a provincewide indoor mask mandate.
Falcon's B.C. Liberals remained silent even after Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender pointed out that this will leave thousands of British Columbians behind "because of their age, disability, or other protected characteristic under B.C.'s Human Rights Code".
The end of mask mandates in BC. is particularly dangerous for those who face higher risk of serious COVID—including kids with type 1 diabetes and asthma, as well as those born premature.
Falcon's MLAs didn't even mention in the legislature that a massive NIH-funded study showed that mandatory school mask mandates cut the spread of in-school COVID-19 transmissions by 72 percent over districts that gave students the option of wearing masks.
That study, which involved 1.1 million students, was conducted during the surge of the Delta variant, which was less contagious than the current BA.2 variant.
Falcon appears to believe that he can revive the B.C. economy like it's 2019.
The B.C. Liberal leader and his caucus are not promoting policies in response to the fundamental reality that most COVID-19 cases are being contracted by the airborne route.
Ask yourself this question: does anyone seriously believe that we can have genuine economic revival if people are going to continue to be reinfected with COVID-19?
Does Falcon truly want to wish away the existence of Long COVID, COVID as a vascular disease, and COVID's links to brain damage by not talking about these things?
Does Falcon think that this laissez-faire approach to the virus is going to avoid the need for future lockdowns when hospitals become clogged with COVID-19 cases, disability costs rise, and health-care workers burn out and leave their professions? Or is he going to be like People's Party of Canada Leader Max Bernier, and just let the market resolve this?
https://twitter.com/a_longhurst/status/1505748821862539266?ref_src=twsrc...
In this regard, Falcon actually has a lot in common with Premier John Horgan.
Both of their parties are essentially advancing the scientifically discredited concept of herd immunity and the ableist Great Barrington Declaration. As this New York Times article demonstrates, the virus still has tremendous capacity to evolve in ways that enable it to circumvent vaccines.
Vaccines cannot be our only defence, no matter what Health Minister Adrian Dix might say at his next Tuesday (April 5) briefing.
Falcon and Horgan appear to believe that if the government does the same thing all over again—i.e. promote vaccination and avoid the issue of telecommuting—airborne COVID-19 will somehow be brought under control.
And this magic will be accomplished in the absence of people following a government directive to take the relatively simple measure of wearing a mask indoors and governments refusing to permit HEPA filters and carbon-dioxide monitors in classrooms.
It's not only nonsensical, it's deadly and unethical.
Let's not forget that more than 40 percent of B.C. kids from 5 to 11 remain unvaccinated. More than 60 percent have not received two doses.
Classrooms are incubators for COVID-19. Let's show some compassion not only to the kids with immunocompromised people in their homes, but also to the teachers who might have diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or some other chronic disease that puts them at higher risk.
The boundaries of Vancouver-Quilchena.
Driving down the B.C. Liberal vote
Now, Falcon wants the votes of Vancouver-Quilchena residents in a by-election scheduled for April 30.
All the political analysts expect him to win because it's one of the safest B.C. Liberal seats in the province. But it's still possible to send him a strong message about his party's pathetic approach to COVID-19.
If the by-election is closer than expected—or if the turnout is so low that Falcon wakes up to the political risks of enabling let 'er rip COVID—it will embarrass the B.C. Liberals. And the leader will take notice if he recognizes that his COVID-19 policies are causing a decline in donations to the party.
The constituency of Vancouver-Quilchena runs from the west of Granville Street from West 16th to West 57th, where it buttonhooks over to West Boulevard down to the Fraser River. It includes Musqueam Indian Reservation #2, Dunbar-Southlands, Arbutus Ridge, Kerrisdale, and parts of Shaughnessy and Marpole.
If you're a British Columbian who's disgusted by the willingness of B.C. NDP and B.C. Liberal politicians to trample on the human rights of our most vulnerable citizens and let them die in higher numbers, here are 10 things you can do:
1. Educate any resident of Vancouver-Quilchena whom you know about the failure of B.C. Liberal and NDP politicians to protect clinically vulnerable kids and teachers in public schools.
2. Convey these concerns to parent advisory councils of Vancouver-Quilchena schools.
3. Don't donate to the B.C. Liberal party until it demonstrates more willingness to protect the lives of seniors, kids with weakened immunity, and the massive number of British Columbians with chronic diseases, who are all more vulnerable to disability and death from COVID-19.
4. Speak to influential members of Musqueam about the potential impact of Falcon's approach to COVID-19 on Indigenous people, who are more at risk for severe COVID due to higher rates of diabetes and other chronic conditions.
5. If you have the time, hand out leaflets educating people about airborne COVID in popular shopping areas on weekends in Vancouver-Quilchena, including Dunbar, Kerrisdale, and Marpole. Make these leaflets bilingual, even if you have to use Google translate, by including text in traditional Chinese script, which is read by people from Taiwan and Hong Kong. If there's room on the leaflet, also include simplified Chinese script, which is read by people from mainland China.
6. Register as a provincial third-party advertising sponsor with Elections B.C. if you plan on spending any money campaigning against Falcon. For example, if you personalize the campaign against the B.C. Liberal leader by inserting Falcon's photo in leaflets or on posters, make sure you're following the rules.
7. Phone in your concerns about COVID-19 policies to talk shows in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin, especially if Falcon is a guest.
8. Educate Cantonese- and Mandarin-language media commentators about how far off the mark the B.C. Liberals and the NDP have been in response to COVID-19. Some immigrants from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong rightly take pride in wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 well before this was recommended by the provincial government. They were deeply disenchanted with the tepid response, as demonstrated by this April 12, 2020 article by community leaders Guo Ding and Kenny Zhang.
9. Take a month off bashing Dr. Bonnie Henry on Twitter and instead, aim your criticism at Falcon. This man wants to be B.C.'s next premier. Henry is a mere employee doing the B.C. NDP government's bidding. If she weren't doing what Premier John Horgan wants, she would be replaced in a jiffy. Falcon, on the other hand, is in a position to bring about real change.
10. Hold a demonstration outside Falcon's campaign office on Saturday (April 23), which is the second day of advance voting. Notify the media in advance.
Video of Lack of Ethics: How Canada is failing with COVID-19
Video: This March 23 Protect our Province B.C. broadcast focused on government's ethical failures to respond to the pandemic.
@charliesmithvcr
Charlie Smith was editor of the Georgia Straight from 2005 until September 2022. Prior to that, he was the news editor.
Kevin Falcon's path to a B.C. Liberal victory: hammer the NDP over airborne COVID
COVID-19 in B.C.: Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows that too many people have died?
After B.C. scraps mask mandates, Premier John Horgan describes COVID-19 as an airborne disease
B.C. Green Leader Sonia Furstenau calls on NDP government to advance clear policies that recognize COVID-19 is airborne


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Pedro Luis Domínguez Quevedo (born 7 December 2001), known professionally as Quevedo, is a Spanish rapper and singer. He gained recognition in 2022 with the release of "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52".

In a period of two years Quevedo has taken four of his singles to number one position in Spain, those being "Cayó la Noche", "Quevedo: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52", "Apa" and his last "Playa del Inglés" as well as leading other six singles to top 10.

Career
Pedro Luis Domínguez Quevedo was born in Madrid. At age one, he moved to Brazil and returned to Spain at age five, settling in Las Palmas, the Canary Islands. After venturing into freestyle rap, Quevedo launched his music career in 2020 alongside music producer Linton. His single "Ahora y Siempre" (2021) reached the 19th and second spots on Spotify's Global Viral 50 chart and Spain Viral 50 chart, respectively.

In 2022, he collaborated with Canarian artists Cruz Cafuné and Bejo on the remix version of "Cayó la Noche". Other collaborations include "Fernet" with Rei, "Si Quieren Frontear" with Duki and De La Ghetto and "2step" with Ed Sheeran. In July 2022, he released his breakthrough single "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52" with Argentine producer Bizarrap. The song was viewed more than 10 million times within the first twenty-four hours of its release. The single became the first song by either an Argentine or a Spanish artist to reach the number-one spot on Spotify's Global Top 200 chart.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Promotional singles

Other charted songs

References

Spanish male rappers
2001 births
Living people
People from Madrid
Singers from the Canary Islands

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


None of us are immune to anxiety, depression or despair, even those among us whom seem to appear the most resilient.
Twice my heart has ached this past week on hearing news of two incredible people taking their own lives—iconic fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. My heart goes out to those who loved them. It also goes out to anyone who has lost someone they love to suicide. So many of us have.
Suicide is on the rise globally, accounting for nearly one million deaths annually. Every day, at least six Australians die from suicide and a further thirty people will attempt to take their own life.
In 2016, there were 2,866 recorded suicides in Australia. On average, the suicide rate was 11.7 deaths per 100,000 people. This increased from 10.7 deaths in 2007 .
Suicides occurred among males at a rate three times greater than that for females.
While suicide accounts for a relatively small proportion (1.8%) of all deaths in Australia, it accounts for a higher proportion of deaths among younger people.
In 2016, suicide accounted for 35.4% of deaths among people 15-24 years of age, 28.6% among those 25-34, and 16% among those 35-44.
Suicide was the leading cause of death among all people 15-44 years of age, and the second leading cause of death among those 45-54 years of age.
The escalating suicide rates, and rise and rise of people suffering from mental illnesses (many Australians experience a mental illness at some time in their lives, and almost every Australian will experience the effects of mental illness in a family member, friend or work colleague) call on each of us to pay closer attention to how the people we love and know are coping with life. Clearly just because someone's life appears good on the outside, doesn't mean all is well in their moments beyond the public eye. The alarming rates of anxiety and depression also provide a siren call to take a critical look at the larger factors at play—such as rising levels of loneliness attributed partly to overuse of social media—contributing to new depths of anxiety, disconnection and despair.
Having lost my youngest brother to suicide after a long battle with mental illness, I know all too well the steep toll it can take on both the person suffering and those who care for them, as well as the vital importance of removing the stigma around mental illness. Looking back on my brother's anguish torn struggle with schizophrenia, while I am not sure what more or else my family could have done to support him, I believe we all would have been better off and suffered less—my brother and my parents in particular—had there not been so much shame and stigma surrounding his mental illness.
There are many ways we can help to remove the social stigma and make it easier for people not to self-stigmatise themselves. Talk openly—without shame or self-consciousness—about your own experience of mental illness or that of your family. If you sense someone around you may be struggling, have the courage to ask them how they're doing. Put yourself in their shoes and try not to judge, but to extend the compassion they need. And if you are struggling yourself, I can only encourage you, with all my heart, to reach out, to confide your struggle and to keep faith that hope exists no matter how dark life may feel right now. Because it does. Rediscovering it is easier when we don't cut ourselves off and go it alone.
Margie Warrell is a bestselling author of Brave, international speaker & authority on brave leadership. Follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Premium members can connect with Margie here.


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Written Answers. - Garda Recruitment.
Joe Costello
382 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will drop the ban on people over 26 joining the Garda and the ban on people over 57 remaining in the force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10936/03]
The Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988, as amended, govern entry to the Garda Síochána and provide that applicants generally must be at least 18 and under 26 years on the first day of the month that the competition is advertised – the regulations provide for some extension to the upper age limit for applicants with certain specified service in the Defence Forces.
Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act, 1998 provides, inter alia, that those parts of the Act relating to discrimination on the age ground do not apply to employment in the Garda Síochána.
On 27 November 2000, Council Directive 2000/78/EC was adopted establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. The implementation of the directive will have implications for the age provision of the Employment Equality Act 1998. My Department is currently formulating legislative proposals to implement the Council directive and any implications for admission to the Garda Síochána will be considered in that context.
In relation to retirement age for members of the Garda Síochána, members of ranks up to and including Inspector must retire at 57 years of age. Superintendents and Chief Superintendents must retire at 60 years of age as must those of Commissioner rank appointed after 1996. Assistant Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners appointed before 1996 must retire at 65 years of age. The age differential was established some time ago and recognises that there are greater physical demands on gardaí in front-line operational policing roles.
The Commission on Public Service Pensions has recommended that the minimum retirement age for new entrants to the Garda Síochána should be raised from 50 to 55 and that members should have the option of being retained to a maximum age of 60 rather than 57, subject to meeting minimum health and fitness standards.
My objective is to have a fit, active and experienced force with an appropriate balance as regards the age profile and I am reviewing the retirement ages applicable to the Garda Síochána with this aim in mind.
Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.
Written Answers. - Garda Stations.


Loss of vision can occur suddenly or develop gradually over time. Vision loss may be complete or partial, involving only one eye or even certain parts of the visual field. Vision loss is different from blindness that was present at birth, and this article is concerned with causes of vision loss in an individual who previously had normal vision.
About Acupuncture, website traffic and Tips To Help You Stop Pain Naturally. In comparison to a headache, migraine or muscular pain, the stimuli is insignificant; however, some individuals, particularly women, are more sensitive to electrical stimuli so each individual must find their own tolerance level.
Electric Muscle Stimulator, website traffic and Extends The Life. Monitor for home therapy of hypertension treatment from 5-10 minutes to reduce the pressure for 20-30/5-10 mmHg. Two treatments of 10-20 minutes a day can stabilize blood pressure and hypertension in more pronounced. Therapy can be a supplement or alternative to medication for a gradual reduction in medication. Lekomat bio-electricity is used to treat a man of his own illness.


martin affleck consultancy - fees.
Oh, OK. So there's no such thing as a free lunch. However, I try to evaluate the size of the project over the phone and give you an estimate of the cost and time required so that you know where you are before you give any approval to proceed.
I am happy to give general guidance or advice over the phone for no charge, even if you aren't going to proceed.
A typical audit of premises like a doctor's surgery can take around five to eight hours. A medium size leisure centre can take around ten to twelve hours. These times include travelling, the site visits and writing up the reports.
Also, at present I do not charge VAT, so there are no surprise extras.
Access Statements cost in the order of �0 and can be worked up from drawings within a few hours and sent to you within a couple of days for your Planning or Building Regulation application.
The audit starts from the approach to a building.
The audit considers access from all viewpoints, including for physical and sensory impairments.


We have our voice from the borders J.A Warnock reviewing, Sea of Snow by Kerensa Jennings today. A debut novel that was published in March 2017 by Unbound Digital. Also, the paperback edition is out now.
1950s England. Five-year-old Gracie Scott lives with her Mam and next door to her best friend Billy. An only child, she has never known her Da. When her Uncle Joe moves in, his physical abuse of Gracie's mother starts almost immediately. But when his attention wanders to Gracie, an even more sinister pattern of behaviour begins.
usIt would be difficult to describe the cover of Kerensa Jennings debut as inviting. The vicious curved beak of the cawing crow draws the eye as does its incongruous positioning on the edge of a domestic bath. Before turning a single page, there is a fluttering of uncertainty. One is more compelled than invited to proceed.
The opening lines of Seas of Snow tell us in no uncertain terms that something is very wrong in the life of our young protagonist. We dive straight into a stream of teenaged Gracie's consciousness before picking up the start of her story on page 5. Time is a fluid concept in this book. It is structured so that Jennings can drip feed the story in an order that makes sense rather than from start to finish. It can be annoying and occasionally feels contrived but works well in terms of building curiosity and making the narrative work.
For me, the greatest strength of this novel is the sense of voice Jennings creates for each character. Neither the chapter headings nor any other visual signposts are used to tell the reader the year or give the perspective from which she is writing. She manages to adopt a consistent and identifiable tone that places both the age and name of her narrators. This is exceptionally successful with young Gracie. The precocious certainty of a five year old is captured beautifully and succinctly. The adult characters, while still identifiable, worked less well for me. In particular, Joe where repeated words and phrases (which I am relatively sure were used intentionally to stress the narrow, single, destructive focus of his personality) began to grate and disrupt the flow. If I never hear the phrase 'pleasure-pain' again, it will still be too soon.
This sense of voice made the characters feel real and there is a nice distinction drawn between the public and the private self. The smiling face that hides evil and the seemingly aloof persona that is a victim only barely holding life together are stiched cleverly into the story. Jennings reinforces the idea that we should not judge as we very rarely know the full story.
On the whole, I am impressed with this book. It takes an exceptionally difficult subject and somehow makes the story easy to read. The structure draws you in and there are enough humour and innocence to keep you going in the darker passages. It is clear that the author loves language and poetry (there is a little bit of decoding and thinking required on the part of the reader) which makes for an engaging read. Four Stars.
Thank you, to Kerensa Jennings for our ARC copy and for her patience whilst we reviewed. Also, for the wonderful giveaway prizes.


Pre- prepare 2 salmon fillets of 150-200 grams for 2p following the method above.
Pre bake 2 large, halved eggplants (oiled and carved, with pepper, salt and dried thyme) on baking paper in the oven at 180° (skin up). If tender, remove the pulp and mix with zeste of 1 lemon. Taste, add pepper and salt.
Mix 100 grams of light cream with 2 table spoons of horseradish cream, pepper and salt. Store in the fridge.
Put the salmonfilet on baking paper. Add pepper, salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven at 180° for approx 10 mins.
Start with a layer of the horseradish cream, then a layer of the eggplantcaviar, the fish, and finish with roasted almond flakes, finely chopped spring onion and a drizzle of extravergine olio of the latest harvest (the local oil of Monte Chiaro is awesome, thanks to Alessandro Griccioli and his team). Buonissimo!
No time for shopping, what can I prepare?


The larvae are polyphagous, but feed mostly on dwarf shrubs like Myrica, Vaccinium, Salix, Betula or Calluna.
Coenophila subrosea inhabits bogs and heath moors.
The young larva hibernates and the moths are on the wing between late July and early September.
Coenophila subrosea has already suffered great losses due to the large-scale destroyment of bogs in Western and Central Europe and is dependent there on the strict protection and ecological development of the still existing habitats.
Coenophila subrosea occurs from Great Britain and France (here only very locally) across parts of Central and Northern Europe (northward to central Scandinavia) and the more northern Asia to N-Japan. It locally reaches Austria and even Italy in the south. In Germany it is more widespread in the north, but extremely rare in the south.


text:
Stack Attack
Buy Stack Attack
Stack Attack Game Rules
Play it risky or play it safe.. .either way you just gotta stack it! Roll your dice and stack higher or lower numbers on the dice tower.
Just don't knock down the tower because you'll score a big fat zero! But if you get all of your dice on the tower before it falls, everyone else loses out!
20 Dice (4 Different Color Sets of 5 Dice)
Quake Plate,
4 Dice Cups
Be the first player to score 20 points by rolling the right numbers and steadily adding them to the single tower!
Set the Quake Plate on a table so all players can reach it.
Each player chooses a colored set of Dice and Dice Cup. For two or three players, use all five Dice in your set. For a four-player game, each player should only use four Dice; set aside the fifth one in your set.
One player is the scorekeeper; find a pencil and paper to keep score.
Build one tower on the Quake Plate (flat disc). The Quake Plate gives the tower its unpredictability!
The first player starts by trying to roll a 1, then build up from there.
Take turns rolling your Dice and adding to the tower.
Add Dice to the tower that are one higher or one lower than the number on top (note: with a 1, you can only go up to a 2; with a 6, you can only go down to a 5).
If you roll any qualifying Dice, you must add at least one Die to the tower.
Take turns rolling and adding to the tower until it falls!
The youngest player goes first, rolling all of their Dice at once.
If you fail to roll any qualifying Dice, your turn is over. When adding Dice to the tower, you may only add one at a time, and only use one hand.
You may NOT straighten the tower. You CAN shift the Die you are adding to the tower, but once you let go, you cannot touch it again.
Play passes to the left and the next player rolls their Dice.
A 4 is showing at the top of the tower, and you roll 2, 3, 3 and 5. You can add the 5 and then stop. Or you can add the 3, then 2, then 3 to get three Dice on the tower instead of just one.
You can add higher and lower all in one turn. Use a little strategy to be able to use more Dice!
Each of your Dice in the tower is worth one point, unless you are the player who caused the tower to fall.
When one player successfully gets all of their Dice on the tower, the round is over. That player scores one point for every one of their Dice in the tower, and no other player scores. Each player gets their Dice back and a new round begins.
If the tower falls, the player who caused the fall gets no points, but the other players score one point for each Die they had in the tower. Again, all Dice go back to the players and a new round starts.
At the start of a new round, the player who caused the tower to fall starts. If the tower didn't fall in the previous round, the person to the left of the last person to play starts the new round.
The first player to reach 20 points is the winner! If there is a tie, those players play one more round to break the tie.
Note: You can store Dice in bottom of stacked Cups when not in use.
2-player Rule
All rules remain the same except that you start the tower with two non-player Dice, with a 6 showing on top. This means only 5s can be added to start.
PlayMonster Stack Attack


AirAsia Last Summer Sale! Book now!
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MLG Towing & Jacking Fitting Assembly - KWD Aircraft Support Equipment - KWD Aircraft Support Equipment specializes in the design, fabrication, and installation, of aerospace Ground Support Equipment.
This fitting is attached to the lower end of the main landing gear strut with two quick disconnect pins. It provides a pad for jacking the strut and a towing eye for attaching cable restraining bridles. This assembly is equal to LMC P/N 371619-1.
This dual purpose fitting is used as a jack pad or as a towing eye attachment on the main landing gear struts.


I am sometimes surprised in conversations and reading letters of recommendation when people mention someone's intelligence (e.g. "XYZ is really smart"). I don't always understand what they mean. Can XYZ think something the rest of us cannot? Can they solve a puzzle in their heads, that others can't? Were they formally tested? Such details are usually not provided.
Defining intelligence is a bear, so I will just refer to "IQ" type intelligence for this post. This type of intelligence is measured by IQ tests and is subject to all kinds of biases that overlap with race and affluence, but there is evidence that higher IQ is associated with all kinds of positive things ranging from education achievement and income. Certainly, institutions of higher learning use these measures extensively (e.g. SAT and GRE tests).
I sometimes think about the role intelligence may have played in my own life. In general, this is hard to know, but one episode does make me think it doesn't matter much.
When I was applying to medical school, I somehow thought having Mensa on my resume would look good (which, perhaps ironically, seems stupid in retrospect). Mensa's only requirement for entry is an IQ score (or equivalent) in the top 2% of the population. After I qualified, I was invited in the welcome letter to the next regional meeting with a free coupon for me and an "accompanying adult". I dragged my old friend Tim with me to the meeting at a hotel ballroom by Chicago's O'Hare airport and wasn't sure what to expect. We arrived to a dull meeting of ~50 people complete with an agenda and insider jokes. Later, there were drinks and board games. The people were seemingly normal (like me and Tim) and from a broad cross section of professions and certainly not the Who's Who of the intellectual world. I'm not sure what that scene would that look like or why I would want to be there, but this wasn't it.
As Tim and I stood there nursing our free drink (that's what the coupon was for) and taking in the scene, we heard a lot of loud cheering from the neighboring ballroom. We headed over to find it was the a meeting of the National Dog Groomers Association (I could be wrong about the exact name of the group, but definitely dog groomers). We stood by the open door of their meeting room and saw the source of their cheers. They were playing human bowling. Each table in the ballroom was a team that nominated a member to enter inside a spherical wire cage-type contraption. The rest of the team would roll this contraption down a red carpet to try and knock down some large foam pins. Before we knew it, we were seated at a table and the evening turned out to be a hoot.
I did not put Mensa membership on my resume and never paid my dues. It did not appear to hurt my chances of getting into medical school.
Beyond having a certain minimum amount, I doubt that intelligence matters all that much. I would be surprised if being in the top 20% (or 30 or 50) is that much different than being in the top 2%. In life's long course, one's other qualities (emotional IQ, grit, etc.) and the influence of family, teachers and mentors probably matters far more). One problem of studying this question is that a lot of the variables are intertwined. Being raised in an affluent, stable family is not only associated with a higher IQ, but might also set you up with better teachers and mentors.
Graduate students and medical students starting out sometimes worry that their classmates are a lot smarter than they are. They can't all be right, but even if someone is smarter than you, it is probably not by much. Even if they are, the combination of other factors probably matters more.
My suggestion is to not worry about intelligence, your own or anyone else's. And, if you are ever confronted with a direct choice between attending a Mensa meeting and the Dog Groomers', I strongly recommend the dog groomers.
← Lego is great for creativity, right?


Don't let my smile fool you. I take a no-nonsense approach to the law and argue with passion on behalf of our clients.
Davida crafts legal arguments with purpose, keeping the desired and feasible outcome for each case in mind and always focusing on the big picture.
Davida received her J.D. from Harvard University and began her legal career in New York City where she represented clients in complex litigation matters—including class actions and multimillion-dollar antitrust and government enforcement actions. As part of her pro bono and appellate practice, Davida represented amici in the Supreme Court, Second Circuit, Eastern District of New York, and state courts across the country.
Davida moved to Minneapolis to clerk for United States District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Undeterred by sub-zero temperatures, Davida now calls the Midwest home and is eager to apply her skill set to your legal issues.
Davida Williams: Attorney by day. Crafter, baker, and Shiba enthusiast by night.


text:
package org.gillius.jagnet;

/**
 * A stateless listener context that ignores event "consumption".
 */
public class SingleConnectionListenerContext implements ConnectionListenerContext {
	private final Connection connection;

	public SingleConnectionListenerContext(Connection connection) {
		this.connection = connection;
	}

	@Override
	public Connection getConnection() {
		return connection;
	}

	@Override
	public void consumeCurrentEvent() {
		//do nothing as this is not a listener chain
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


After SCLogin upgrade, LinkedIn login button is no longer available.
rule to assign jomsocial points?
Retrieve/update of a member connections and post to them.
The LinkedIn button looks good in the module but doesn't when integrated with Joomla login.


It has always been thought that drinking more water and keeping hydrated will help you become less susceptible to migraine headaches. A recent study by Ludwig Maximilians, University Munich, has found otherwise, uncovering that there is no direct relation between migraine consistency or onset and level of hydration. Its still a good idea to drink a lot of water, but dont count on it to keep the headaches away.
The same study found a significant relationship between frequency of headaches and cigarette and alcohol consumption in students. Of all types of alcohol, sugary cocktails seemed to have the most direct ties to migraine consistency. Alongside these habits, low physical activity seemed to also hold an amount of blame in the study. An overall healthy lifestyle devoid of bad habits is ideal for avoiding migraine headaches.
While many men suffer from migraines, women are much more prone to the disorder. A study done on women shows that women with the disorder are at a higher brain lesion risk than women without it. These deep white matter hyperintensities are responsible for the painful migraines and can lead to serious problems later. Keep doctor visits regular and be sure to address your concerns to ensure you frequently get checked for possible problems.
Those with migraines are not necessarily born experiencing the disorder. While many develop the problem in early childhood, some experience their first migraine much later in life. Many women begin to experience them with the onset of menopause. If you suspect you have the disorder at any time, talk to your doctor. There is a specific diagnosis criteria, usually only with the occurrence of five or more attacks, but the sooner you start a conversation about it, the sooner you can get help.
There are many different possible triggers for migraines, and visual stimuli is only one of the many options. For those with visual trigger issues, a vision correction procedure could solve the problem. Ask your doctor if he feels this would be helpful to you, but in many cases the sharpened vision will rid the brain of confusing stimuli that often set it into an attack. There are many other strange preventive measures for other types of migraine triggers, including acupuncture and Botox.
Be sure to talk to your doctor for the full scoop on why youre suffering from these attacks, and everything you can do to ease the pain and slow the frequency of them. While its a common disorder across the globe, its still a serious one and should be treated accordingly.


Mexican President Vicente Fox opened the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference on 10 September 2003, and ministers started work in consultations on key issues with "facilitators". The day ended with a debate on a proposal on cotton from four African countries.
THIS BRIEFING NOTE IS DESIGNED TO HELP JOURNALISTS AND THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CANCÚN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE. WHILE EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THE CONTENTS ARE ACCURATE, IT DOES NOT PREJUDICE MEMBER GOVERNMENTS' POSITIONS.
Draft Cancún Declaration, as forwarded by Pérez del Castillo and Supachai to ministers: text and covering letter.
Revised draft Ministerial declaration as presented by Chairperson Luis Ernesto Derbez on the fourth day of the Cancún Ministerial Conference.
The opening session featured statements from the conference chairperson, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez, WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, General Council chairperson and Uruguay's ambassador to the WTO Carlos Pérez del Castillo, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rubens Ricupero (on behalf of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan) and President Fox.
At a press conference later, Director-General Supachai and Chairperson Derbez said the facilitators have started consultations with individual groups and delegations. The facilitators will report to Mr Derbez and work-proper will be launched with an informal meeting of all ministers ("heads of delegations") during the morning of the second day, Thursday 11 September. Meetings open to all delegations on some or all of the five subjects will start in the afternoon. Chairperson Derbez said that the topics to be discussed under "other issues" would depend on suggestions from delegations.
As in previous Minsiterial Conferences, these informal meetings will take place while the formal plenary continues with general statements from ministers.
This issue was originally raised in the General Council and Agriculture Committee by Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali. The proposal is now a Ministerial Conference document, WT/MIN(03)/W/2 and WT/MIN(03)/W/2/Add.1. It describes the damage that the four believe has been caused to them by cotton subsidies in richer countries, calls for the subsidies to be eliminated, and for compensation to be paid to the four while the subsidies are being paid out to cover economic losses caused by the subsidies. The proposal seeks a decision in this Cancún Ministerial Conference.
In the evening plenary session, the four presented their case. They described how cotton is important to their economies, and how in some years total subsidies in rich countries amount to almost as much as the value of world trade in cotton. They are competitive, they argued, but find it difficult to compete with the subsidies. They described their proposal as a solution that would allow them to participate more in the international trading system and to use trade in order to lift themselves out of poverty. By making the proposal in this way, they are demonstrating their faith in the trading system and its equitable rules, they said.
WTO Director-General Supachai urged ministers to consider the proposal seriously. Remarking that he did not usually intervene in debates like this, Dr Supachai said that the issue is important. He observed that the four are not asking for special treatment, but for a solution based on a fair multilateral trading system. He also said the proposal underscores the need for ambitious results in the agriculture negotiations as a whole, based on the Doha mandate.
The proposal received support from Canada, Australia, Argentina, Cameroon, Guinea, South Africa, Bangladesh (for least-developed countries), Senegal and India — either for the whole proposal or key parts such as phasing out subsidies. Several of these countries said other products face similar problems.
The US said that distortions in cotton are not only caused by subsidies in the sector, for example industrial policies that support production for synthetic fibres, high tariffs on finished products and good harvests caused by favourable weather are also important reasons for falling cotton. The US proposed discussing how to deal with distortions throughout the production chain, including subsidies, tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers on cotton, synthetic fibres and products made from these.
The EU said that its production and exports are too small to have an impact on world cotton prices, and that it is changing its programme for cotton producers. The EU said it supports commercial elements of the proposal and pledged to contribute to reaching agreement on a solution.
Chairperson Derbez concluded that the issue would be discussed in the informal meetings of ministers over the coming days.