Editorial Notices by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 28, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 50.

Editorial Notices

By Editor

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A CORRESPONDENT requests an explanation of the ninth chapter of the Revelation, from the first to the eleventh verses, inclusive. But an explanation of the first eleven verses would not be of much interest to our readers unless they had an explanation of what followed, and examination of the whole chapter would at present take too much space. Our correspondent will find a very full explanation of Revelation 9 in "Thoughts on the Revelation."

WE call attention to the article in this number, entitled "Truth, and Its Importance." It will prove a great help to the practical study of the Sabbath-school lesson, which is entitled, "Resisting the Truth." The danger of resisting the truth will be realized more fully when we see the importance of the truth. An article will be given in each number, on the practical bearing of the lesson, and these we know will prove a help, not only to our Sabbath-school workers, but to all Bible students.

THE Advance says that this is the time when many are tempted to indulge in what are known as "questionable amusements," such as attendance at theaters, or dancing or card-playing parties. To the question so often asked, "Can the Christian go to the theater, or dance, or play cards?" the writer replies that it is a matter for one's own conscience. So is everything a matter for one's own conscience, but the conscience needs to be well instructed. Our reply to the question, "Can a Christian do these things?" would be, Yes, he can, but he will cease to be a Christian. If he wishes to retain his spiritual life, he must keep away.

ONE of the subjects under discussion at the Baptist Congress recently held in Richmond, Va., was "Education," which was taken up under the questions, "How Far Shall the State Educate?" and "Common versus Parochial Schools." On the first, Professor Puryear, of Richmond College, "held that the State should educate only the children of the poor, and that only in the rudiments of knowledge; and that it could not give any religious instruction without violating the rights of conscience." With the latter part of this view especially, we most heartily agree, and we are sorry to learn from the Independent's correspondent, that "this very conservative view is now held by only a minority in the South." It is the only view that will preserve religious freedom in this country.

THE best things are not always the best known. Quite recently we noticed in the account of the opening of a training school for male nurses, at Bellevue Hospital, New York, the statement that "there is no other school of its kind in America." But we know that there is. The Medical and Surgical Sanitarium, at Battle Creek, Mich., has a training school for both male and female nurses, which has been in successful operation for about three years. Each student has a two years' drill in practical nursing, and the vast number of patients and the variety of diseases treated at the Sanitarium, make the facilities for practical instruction unsurpassed in this country. Besides this, regular lectures are given throughout the entire course, and the students are thoroughly drilled in physiology, hygiene, and all the principles underlying the proper care of the sick, and the treatment of ordinary diseases. We had the pleasure of being present at the exercises when one class was graduated last month, and learned something of the readiness with which the students could meet emergencies. The school has not been boomed by a big endowment, but the Sanitarium nurses are already in great demand. The school has a good patronage, but there are yet scores and hundreds of young people who ought to avail themselves of its advantages.

THE apostle states in 1 Cor. 10:20 "that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God." The gods of the heathen were supposed by them to have once lived on this earth. Great men and mighty warriors were deified, or made gods. Such were Jupiter, and Saturn, and Mars, and Venus, and Diana, and all the multitude of false gods. So when the Bible says that the children of Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead, it means that they ate the sacrifices offered to dead heroes, whom the idols of the heathen were made to honor. So those who paid homage to the idols, or deified dead, really worshiped devils, through whom were wrought all the wonders ascribed to these powers. Ps. 105:28, 36, 37. This is just what modern Spiritualism is doing to-day.

THE Catholic Home, a paper published in Chicago, referring to the movement which is getting under headway in that city, "to abolish the Sunday slavery, and to suppress Sunday crime," says that Catholic sentiment in that city, which has lain so long dormant under flagitious outrage, is now awakening and is anxious to do battle for home and altar, and declares that new vigor will now be put into the struggle of good citizenship against anarchy. The statement that the movement is for the suppression of "Sunday crime" shows what their idea of good citizenship is. It is strange that they cannot see that such a movement, instead of being against anarchy, is in reality in favor of disregard to the laws; for by their opposition to "Sunday crime" they give tacit leave to criminals to break the laws on other days with impunity.

THE pastors and officers of thirty-three German Evangelical Churches in New York and Brooklyn, met one evening last week and formed an organization which, it is said, "may lead to important political results." One of the leading ministers stated that its object is "to maintain and defend the civil and religious liberty" of this country, whenever it seems to be in danger. He said that it was proposed to break the power of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. This latter they will find an impossibility, and the probabilities are that this league will simply try to substitute one ecclesiastical domination for another, or else will think to purify Catholicism by a union with it; and either plan would only make a bad matter worse. There is always danger when ministers and church people organize to effect "important political results," no matter how good their intentions may be.

ON Sunday evening of last week a mass-meeting in the interest of city missions was held in the place of the regular services at the First Baptist Church, San Francisco, at which one of the most prominent lawyers in the city was present, and spoke as follows:—

"We hear a great deal of heathenism in foreign lands, and recently a missionary came here and raised $75,000 for the benefit of the ignorant. We ought to send missionaries to foreign lands to raise money to teach the people in this city. There is no place under the canopy of heaven where there is so much sin, so much wickedness, crime, and riot as right here in this city of San Francisco. We need the missionaries here, and we need them badly. To-night there are 40,000 young men, and many young women, in saloons and places of a like nature because they have nowhere else to go."

This is undoubtedly true, yet we do not regard it as a reason why missionary work should not be done in foreign lands. If the gospel had to convert the entire world, then it might be well to have all the people in one country converted before beginning to evangelize those of another; but since the gospel is to "preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations," the more widely it can be spread at once the better. In spite of all the effort put forth, there will be millions of heathen in the United States when the end comes.

ONE of the most common and most hurtful practices among those who have named the name of Christ, is that alluded to in 2 Cor. 10:12. Says the apostle: "We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." Christ is the great example, the only perfect pattern, and the Christian can follow others only as they follow Christ.

Said the apostle: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." But in thus following Paul, they would really have followed Christ, for they were to follow the apostle only as he followed the Master, and thus the life of Christ, not that of his apostle, was the pattern.

It is not enough that we should be as good as our neighbor. "Every man," says the apostle John, "that hath this hope [the Christian hope] in him purifieth himself," not as his brother in the church is pure, not as his minister is pure, but "even as he [Christ] is pure." "By beholding we become changed," and if we behold Christ we shall at last bear his divine image; but if we behold our imperfect brethren we shall bear with us to the Judgment their imperfections, which instead of serving to excuse us, as we once fondly imagined they would, will serve only to sink us in perdition.

STRENGTH INSTEAD OF WEAKNESS.

PHYSIOLOGISTS tell us that a well-set broken bone of a healthy person becomes stronger than before it was broken. The new process which unites the parts is stronger than the parts united. There is a precious thought here for those struggling with the besetting sins. That sin may be born in a man, inherited from a long list of ancestors; its power in him may be made strong by yielding to it, till by it Satan leads him captive at will. It is the man's weak point. The disposition which leads to the commission of the sin is the weakness of his otherwise strong character. It is not the sin which weakens: it is the disposition, the underlying selfishness, from which the sin springs. Realizing this, knowing by the law and Spirit of God and our own repeated failures our own weakness, our broken character, we can come boldly to the great Physician, place our case entirely in his hands, and "out of weakness" be "made strong." Heb. 11:34. The weak point in our characters can through grace become our strong one. The hatred of all sin will be more fully developed when the power of the besetting sin is seen; and God's grace will never seem so precious, nor his love so strong, as when viewed from the victor's side of vanquished sin. Therefore, "brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might."

THE New York Tribune reports a prominent Hebrew gentleman of that city as saying that "the time is not far distant when Hebrews, as well as Christians, will worship on the first day of the week. The Jewish press," said he, "are working to bring about the change, and it is a reform greatly to be desired."