CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.
By Editor
Editorial.—Notes and Comments—Tradition or Scripture—Standing on Principle—A Modern “Temperance” Measure—Our Question Corner (Nos. 105, 106, 107, 108) ........................................ 689, 690, 704 Doctrinal.—“Is There Any Word from the Lord?” (poetry)—True and False Theocracy—Sin—The Object of the Sabbath—It Is Well with Thee (poetry) ............................................................................ 691-693 Miscellaneous.—The Flowers of Faith (poetry)—Holiness the Power of the Church—How Does God Manifest His Presence?—Meet Often to Worship God—Man’s Word vs. God’s Word—Increase of Crime—Rome’s Idea of Missionary Work and Sunday Keeping—The Religious Vertebrate—Let Me See Christ Crucified............................................................................ 694-697 Home and Health.—“I Say What I Think” (poetry)—Home—A Plucky Boy—Letters of Introduction—Silent Influences—Scientific and Curious............................................................................ 698, 699 Mission Fields.—To Every Man His Work (poetry)—The People of Assam............................................................................ 699, 700 Our Work and Workers.—A Wasted Day (poetry)—In Europe—Field Notes............................................................................ 701 International S. S. Lessons.—Resisting the Enemy (Lesson 13, Sabbath, September 23)............................................................................ 702 News and Notes.—Religious—Secular............................................................................ 703 READ the article from the pen of Elder E. J. Waggoner, on “The Object of the Sabbath.” OUR Work and Workers department furnishes the reader with a most interesting letter from the facile pen of Brother G. C. Tenney. We shall continue to hear from him from time to time, we trust. His communications are always welcome. THE article on “Sin,” from the pen of Elder J. H. Durland, is worthy of a careful reading. Following this article will be others, developing the subject still farther. “Sin” is the beginning, as it is of each one of us, but righteousness is the end, or object, of this series of articles. We trust they may be widely read. No. 109 of the Bible Students’ Library, containing the Sabbath school lessons for the last quarter of 1893, is out, and orders are being filled as fast as received. All whose duty it is to supply schools in the different States and Conferences should order promptly, if they have not done so already, as the lesson pamphlets should be in every school by the 30th inst. The lessons are on the First Epistle of John, and form a very interesting and profitable series. WE present another article of our series on the relation of the church, or the religion of Christ, to the State. It is by Mr. C. P. Bollman, a former editor of this paper, and now one of the editors of the American Sentinel. His article, on a “True and False Theocracy,” will bear study. As he writes in a private letter, it is impossible to do justice to such a subject in one article, but the underlying principles are well set forth and will furnish a basis for further study on the part of the reader. A SECOND number of Apples of Gold Library has been issued, entitled “The Christian’s Privilege,” by Mrs. E. G. White. These leaflets are designed especially to be used in correspondence. They are trimmed to fit a No. 6 envelope and can be put into an ordinary letter without increase of postage, and are appropriate to send to anyone. Also convenient to carry in the pocket for use at any time. Price of “The Christian’s Privilege” (8 pp.), 50 cts. per 100. Address Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal.; 42 Bond St., New York; 18 W. Fifth St., Kansas City, Mo. Professor Prescott’s Sabbath Sermons.—We stated some time ago that these sermons would be published in the Bible Students’ Library. Complications and considerations which need not be mentioned have changed this somewhat. The sermons will be published, but as a number of the Religious Liberty Library. Just how soon it will be ready we do not know, but it will not be long. It deserves and should have a large circulation, and will when issued be obtainable, doubtless, of any of our tract societies or offices of publication. THE significance of a fence is curiously illustrated at the World’s Fair grounds in Chicago. The section in which the Fair is located enjoys the privilege of a prohibitory liquor law. The World’s Fair managers fenced off a portion of it for Exposition purposes. Now it appears that outside of the fence hotel keepers are arrested for violation of the prohibitory law, but inside they sell liquor with impunity because they pay the Fair corporation for the privilege. That is, the liquor traffic can get over the fence, but the law cannot. If it were a Sunday law, and the people inside were Seventh-day Adventists at work plowing corn or digging potatoes on Sunday, it would get over the fence in short order. The Days Are Evil.—Our News and Notes department is designed to set before our readers the simple doings in the political, social, physical, and religious world. All sensationalism is suppressed, and endeavor is made to give the plain facts. But the bare consideration of these facts for the last few weeks is startling in the extreme. Storms, cyclones, pestilences, accidents, tidal waves, make up the record in the physical world. Want, starvation, strikes, the general discharge of laborers, the uprising of mobs, and the failures of great firms, constitute the record of the social world. Wars and rumors of wars, political upheavals, threatened revolution, and grave financial difficulties, face the political world. The greatest and most prosperous country in the world, the United States, which entered 1893 with promises of hope and courage, finds business stagnated, and thousands, aye, millions, of her laboring men unemployed. The religious world is a perfect Babylon, many of her greatest men endeavoring to do through politics what God designs to do through the gospel. But there is one hope the anchor of which holds. God lives and reigns; Christ is coming, and all the dire “happenings” in the world are evidences of that coming. Read Luke 21: 25-27. “CHRISTIAN SENTIMENT OF OUR COUNTRY.”
FELIX R. BRUNOT, president of the National Reform Association, says, “The conflict through which we have been passing as to the World’s Fair and the sabbath has demonstrated the overwhelming strength of the Christian sentiment of our country.” It is astonishing to note how this country, with all its innate corruption—political, social, and religious—can be at the same time fairly overflowing with “Christian sentiment.” But this view is from the standpoint of the American Sabbath Union, which is to a great extent the standpoint of the popular churches. But what saith the Scriptures:— “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5. Anyone not blind with delusion and prejudice can see that this is a far truer description of our time. How do they deny the power of godliness?—By invoking the power of the civil law to carry out the wishes of a merely formal church. Thus the professed church becomes a mere political machine, and politicians, being made to fear its political power, deem it policy to join its ranks and favor its measures. This also is faithfully set forth in the prophetic word:— “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. . . . And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev. 18: 2-4. The Humboldt Camp Meeting.—It was the privilege and pleasure of the editor of this paper to attend the local camp meeting for the benefit of the churches in Humboldt County. It was held in the suburbs of Eureka, August 17 to 27. Our own people were well represented, and, despite many seeming hindrances and disadvantages, the outside attendance was said to be much greater than last year. The laborers were Elders N. C. McClure, J. M. Morrison, F. M. Wilcox, Dr. A. J. Sanderson, and the writer. Brethren Morrison and Sanderson left at the middle of the meeting. The preaching was of a practical nature, designed to meet the needs of the hour, Jesus Christ a crucified and risen Saviour. It was a good meeting. The Lord always keeps every appointment to meet with his people, and he met with them at Eureka. Many came forward to seek the Lord on the first Sabbath afternoon, among them a goodly number of youth and children. On the last Sabbath there were as many more seeking renewed consecration to God and the favor of the Lord for the first time. Eighteen were baptized on the last Sunday morning of the meeting. Some from the outside who came to the meeting said at its close that they had received great light, and violated the Sabbath of the Lord for the last time. May God give our brethren in Eureka grace to carry on the good work begun. Two families came a distance of 130 miles over the mountains from Mendocino County, but all felt repaid, and the general testimony was, “It is the best meeting I ever attended.” God’s blessings, like ripe fruit, hang over and within reach of his people. Oh, for simple faith to grasp them!