CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER
By Editor
We send no papers from this office without pay in advance unless by special arrangement. When persons receive copies without ordering them, they are sent by other parties, and we can give no information in regard to them. Persons thus receiving copies of the SIGNS are not indebted to the office, and will not be called upon for pay. Please read the papers and hand them to your friends to read. Editorial.—Notes and Comments—God's Wondrous Mercy—Not Quite Correct—Treason to Christ—The Exactness of a Science—Our Question Corner (No. 111, John 11:26 and 2 Cor. 3:7—112, Hos. 6:2—113, The One Fold in Christ—114, What Was "Done Away"? "Church"—115, Three Days and Three Nights)........................................................................................721, 722, 736 Doctrinal.—The Sighs of the Church (poetry)—The Mystery of God versus the Mystery of Iniquity—Secret Sins—True Sabbath Keeping—Truth Will Prevail......................................................................................................723–725 Miscellaneous.—My Shepherd (poetry)—"Why Halt Ye between Two Opinions?"—How to Take Hold of the Lord's Strength—Bible Prayers and Bible Answers—The Light of the World—What a Methodist Authority Says—Pay John Williams—How Will It End?—Signs That Show Christ's Coming Is Near...726–728 Home and Health.—The Journey of Life (poetry)—An Unexpected Prize (chapter 1)—Wine and Wit—In Two Chapters—The Friendly Lion—Raising Wrecks by Gas—Careless Habits of Bathing—A New Jellyfish........................................................................................................729, 730 Mission Fields.—A Few Thoughts—Indian Items—Zenana Work—Slavery in Siam........................................................730, 731 Our Work and Workers.—Do That He Bids Thee (poetry)—A Tour in Europe—From the Pitcairn—Good Words for the SIGNS—Field Notes.........................................................................................................................731–733 International S. S. Lessons.—Redemption in Christ (Lesson 2, Sunday, October 8)—Walking in the Light (Lesson 1, Sabbath, October 7)—Analysis of the First Epistle of John.........................................................................................................734 News and Notes.—Religious—Secular........................................................................................................735 WE do not believe in serial stories as a general thing, but we are constrained to present one before our readers, entitled "An Unexpected Prize." We hope our readers may find the prize as they read the story. WE ask a careful reading of the article on "The Mystery of God versus the Mystery of Iniquity." Hand the paper to sincere lovers of truth and righteousness and of the word of God. Let them see by the evidence presented from God's word that no man who knows the mystery of God, which is "Christ in you the hope of glory," can ever demand religious legislation, but that the principle of religious legislation is the principle of the mystery of iniquity which would usurp the very place of God. THE Evangel and Sabbath Outlook, as quoted by the Cottage Pulpit of September, says: "The book of Acts and the letters of Paul, taken all together contain but one reference to the first day of the week (Acts 20:7)." We did not notice the article in the Outlook, but presume that the Pulpit has quoted it correctly. We are surprised at the oversight on the part of the acute editors of both papers. 1 Cor. 16:2 is in one of Paul's letters, and it mentions "the first day of the week." It was truly a lapsus stylus. A WRITER of Salt Lake City, in the Deseret Weekly News of some time ago, endeavors to break the force of Ps. 146:4, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish," by saying that "perish" means runs out. He says "per" is a Latin root and means through; "ish" implies motion or passing; hence when the body dies, the thoughts perish or pass out of it." But the Hebrew word abad, from which "perish" is translated, is defined "to be lost." It is translated many times "destroy" and "destroyed." See Jer. 1:10; 18:7; Eze. 30:13; Deut. 12:2. The same writer, while correctly holding that at death the spirit goes to God, incorrectly makes that spirit a conscious, intelligent entity, confounding it with spiritual beings, as angels or demons, whereas the word of God counts it simply life. The writer of the article misapprehends the view of Seventh-day Adventists on the question. THE Midwinter Fair in San Francisco is an assured thing. Within seven weeks from the time the first step was actually taken, committees had been appointed, ground secured and surveyed, contracts let for grading and excavating, and the ground broken. The first shovelful was lifted August 24, in the presence of 120,000 people. California can push things when it makes an effort and is united. The one obstacle impeding its progress at the present is the religious one. Our Sunday friends want to compel the Fair to keep Sunday.