CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.
By Editor
Editorial.—Notes and Comments—"Saved by Works"—The American Sunday—Our Catholic "Protestantism"—It Is Bad in Switzerland........897-899, 912
Question Corner.—166, Buy a Sword—167, John 11:26—168, Remission of Sins—169, Tribulation Ten Days........899
General Articles.—Returning to God (verse)—The Sending Out of the Seventy—A Sop for Protestants—The True Tabernacle—The Gift Measured by Love—Mortal or Immortal, Which—A Forgiving Kaffir—Time and Its Story, X-XII (verse)—Lying Vanities vs. God's Mercy—I Have Finished My Course...900-904
Home and Health.—What Shall I Do? (verse)—Colds, Sore Throat, Croup, etc.—"Wine Is a Mocker"—Curious Facts about Animals—The Woodcock and Her Young........905, 906
Mission Fields.—The Heart's Gate (verse)—Asiatic Turkey—Letter from China—Notes........906, 907
Our Work and Workers.—Life's Mission (verse)—A Letter from the Society Islands—Field Notes..908, 909
International S. S. Lessons.—The Prince of Peace (Lesson 12, Sunday, December 23, 1894)—On the Way to Emmaus (Lesson 12, Sabbath, December 22, 1894)........910
News and Notes—Religious—Secular........911 DR. S. M. MARTIN, of St. Louis, Mo., the evangelist of the Disciple Church, preached a sermon on Sunday, December 2, in this city, on the subject, "Why We Keep Sunday." In a way—his way—he canvassed the whole Sabbath question, and satisfactorily to himself, we suppose, settled the matter. We will, the Lord willing, refer to some of his positions next week. "Spirit of Prophecy," Vol. 2.—We would like to inquire if any of our readers have a copy of the above volume in good condition which they will spare. If so, please let us know at once. "Great Controversy," vol. 2, is the same thing. This will do as well as the book under the former title. Address, THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal. Week of Prayer.—We hope that our brethren and sisters will not forget that the week of prayer is fast drawing on. At the time when the great world are seeking their own pleasure and spending money and labor for that which does not profit, it is time for the people of God to seek him, and to bring for the spread of the gospel of Christ offerings of gratitude for all his blessings. Let us remember this. See Our Work and Workers department. "The Sanctuary of the Bible."—The above is the subject of our Sabbath school lessons for the first quarter of 1895. The pamphlet for senior classes is now ready. It is issued as No. 129 of the Bible Students' Library. The same subject will be treated in the December number of the Library, No. 128. This number will be an illustrated pamphlet, entitled "Christ Our Advocate." It will be a help in the study of the Sabbath school lessons. Price of lesson pamphlet, 5 cents. Order of Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., or of any of our tract societies. Artistic Music.—The Occident has the following true, and in these days ever timely, item:— " 'Artistic music' in the worship of God is not worship. It does not touch the heart. The object of worship is to praise God, and to lift the soul into fellowship with him; but when we have listened to the rendering of a hymn, divine or human, in such a way as to make us think of the performer and to feel disposed to applaud, we feel sure that no one is drawn to the secret place of the Most High. The voice of the congregation in homely tune, but speaking the praise of the heart, carries us with it into the holy Presence, and our hearts are there quickened and comforted." We believe in good music and trained voices, but if devotion, consecration, and true worship must give place to the training, better the former alone than the latter. But it is not necessary for a trained voice to lose the Spirit of God. Let its possessor use it to God's glory. Early Apostasy.—There is one thing that the Christian student of church history should never forget, and that is the rapid growth of apostasy within the church when once germinated. It was less than forty days after Israel had solemnly promised to obey the living God that they were bowing down to gods which their own hands had made. It would be contemptible logic which would cite Israel's act of idolatry under Aaron, the priest, as an evidence of what the worship of God should have been at that time and to interpret God's law by that act. But that is just what Sunday advocates do when they quote the apostate "Fathers" as proof that Sunday is the Bible Lord's day. Aaron said of the golden calf, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 32: 4), and Sunday advocates say of the pagan Sunday, "This is the day which the Lord hath made; this is the Lord's day." What is the difference between the two? The question is not, What did an apostate church or people do? but, What does the Lord say? What did Jesus Christ do? The apostasy had already hatched in Paul's day. It had its pinfeathers in the first century. It was full fledged in a very short time afterward. The Ultimate Microbe.—And now Dr. Koch has been discounted by another German physician, Dr. Maximilian Herzog, late of Berlin, more recently of Chicago, but now of Milwaukee. According to the press report he has succeeded in doing what Dr. Koch thus far has not been able to do,—segregating and developing the smallpox microbe, which he calls an ameba, or, according to its nature, a bacterium parasite. He also declares that Koch's bacillus is not the real germ of consumption, but that the disease is due to a little ameba, heretofore called a spore, which lives on the bacillus. In fact, he claims that consumption is an inheritable and inherited disease, and that all diseases are due to ameboid bodies in the blood. He thinks from his discoveries that he will be able to lay the foundation of a curative system far in advance of anything ever known. But may not future investigators find a spore or microbe which lives upon the ameba, which lives upon the bacilli? And as this supposed ultimate germ becomes known, and is found to be a being entitled to more respect than a spore, may not some other bold Koch or Herzog find another parasitic microbe or spore back of that? Possibly not, but the field of speculation is inviting, and room for conjecture is boundless. Where is the ultimate microbe? In the meantime, let us not worry. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY LITERATURE.
We have received from the International Tract Society, 271 West Main Street, Battle Creek, Michigan, three important numbers of the Religious Liberty Library, all of which deserve a wide circulation. They are as follows:— No. 25 (August), "The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary." Price 2 cents. The tract is written by Alonzo T. Jones, and shows conclusively the fraudulent basis of the above doctrine. No. 26 (September), "The Puritan Sabbath for 'Physical Rest.'" Price 1½ cents. This little tract shows how the real religious object for Sunday laws is hidden by the fraudulent claims, among which is that of the necessity of a physical rest. It also shows that the object of the Sabbath of the Lord is man's spiritual needs. No. 27 (October), "Religious Persecution; or the 'Blue Laws' Revived." Price 8 cents. In this pamphlet of 56 pages is set before us FORTY-FIVE different cases of religious persecution in this country under the laws of Arkansas, Tennessee, Maryland, and Georgia, together with the laws of these States under which the persecutions were carried on. Facts speak loud, and this recital of cold facts ought to be circulated in every nook and corner of this broad land. The above may be obtained of any of our tract societies, or by addressing Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal. WHAT THOSE WILL GET WHO SUBSCRIBE FOR THE "SIGNS OF THE TIMES" FOR 1895.
- A NUMBER of articles, both independent and serial, covering all phases of the Sabbath question, one of the crucial questions of the day.
- A series of articles on the subject of Christ's Priesthood, both in type and antitype.
- An article in each number, written especially for the SIGNS, by Mrs. E. G. White. These articles will be upon various phases of Practical Christian Life and Godliness, and the great theme of Redemption through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Articles treating upon the various phases of our Lord's Second Coming.
- Life through Jesus Christ, Man's Nature and Destiny, will be fully set forth as taught in the word of God.
- The Law of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their relation and interrelation, will be treated.
- Satan, His Origin and Destiny, together with the Ministration of Holy Angels, and the ministration of evil angels, as manifest in Modern Spiritualism.
- Articles on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation will be printed, opening forth to the reader the wondrous light God has thus given us.
- A series of articles by an original investigator on the Creed of Catholicism and Early Councils. Another series on Zion and Babylon.
- A series of independent articles on Conversion, its Necessity, How Effected, Jesus in Conversion, etc., etc.
- Important and interesting articles on the great mission fields of the world, by one of our foreign missionaries, such as, Beginning of Modern Missions—Carey, Mission Work in Burmah—Judson, etc. The Pacific Islands, Africa, South America, Madagascar, Japan, Corea, China, New Hebrides, East Indies, with the leading pioneer character in each of these fields, will be considered.
- Articles on Health and Temperance, the present condition of the Religious World, the Drift of Protestantism, the Increase of Catholicism, the Live Questions of the day, together with all that helps in building up the Christian character and Church, will be published in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES in the year 1895.
- The Sabbath School Lessons, with comments and accompanying articles. The International Sunday school lessons, with questions and comments.
- News and Notes of Our Work and Workers all over the Field. Latest Important News of the world each week, both secular and religious.
Not to average more than a page of advertisements will be published in each number. Think of it—800 large quarto pages filled with the best of Biblical gospel matter, for only $1.50. Is it not worth the price? Would it not be a good investment for your home and that of your friend and neighbor? A SIXTEEN-PAGE
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