Untitled article by Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Dec 27, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 52.

EDUCATION IN THE HOME. NO. 30.

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

BY MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE.

BROTHER and Sister Hartman were highly gratified with the results of their "experiment," as they called it. They had learned by blessed experience that it is quite possible to teach the Word of God to their own children in such a manner as to prove both instructive and entertaining. Indeed since their regular studies in the Scriptures began, these had taken the place of other entertainments to a great extent, and had entirely supplanted all amusements of a questionable character. But these were only some of the fruits which had been the natural outgrowth of the studies. These godly parents had found it a blessed privilege to train their children so carefully at home, as entirely to counterbalance the teaching of that "science falsely so called," which they received at school, where, along with the good seed, they could scarcely help receiving some seeds of error. Brother and Sister Hartman made it their business not only to plant the good seed of the kingdom, but also to uproot the seeds of error ere they had germinated; and to their great satisfaction, the good seed was already springing up and bearing fruit in other homes than their own. Still, at the conclusion of each study, they almost feared that those who had so far been constant in their attendance, might find some excuse for remaining away. But the succeeding Wednesday evening came once more, and still all were in their places, tho the weather was very inclement.

"We were afraid we should be obliged to study our lessons alone this evening, on account of the rain," remarked Brother Hartman, after all were seated.

"I might as well own up," said Billy, "I wanted to hear that story you promised, and then I thought may be you'd—we'd sing some more songs."

"Right, Billy," smiled grandma; "you shall not be cheated out of the music or the story either."

"Well," said Mr. Gray, "wife and I thought we'd come along with Walter. The fact is, we came in the first place from curiosity,—now, Mr. Hartman, we come to learn God's truth."

Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Wilbur glanced at each other, and Mrs. Wilbur said:

"Yes, we all feel that it's high time that we better understand that Book which points out God's will and our duty, and I only hope for one, Mr. Hartman, that I shall have the true courage to live up to my honest convictions."

"Thank God for that brave testimony!" exclaimed dear grandma, while a tear of thanksgiving rolled down her cheek.

"Perhaps it would be well to give a short synopsis of our last lesson as a sort of review, before I tell the story I promised: "Walter, what was the first thing that we learned last evening?"

"I think we studied about the condition of the dead, and listened to the stories told about some who had died and been resurrected."

"What did we learn from a consideration of these stories, Miss Josie?"

"I believe we learned that people are not conscious after their death," replied Josie, stealing a glance at her mother.

"Yes, I think we considered almost every case recorded in the Bible, except those who were resurrected and ascended with Christ, and in not a single instance did one of them even mention or hint that they were conscious in death."

"What did you learn, Mrs. Jones?" asked Sister Hartman.

"I learned very much, my friend, but for one thing I found that almost every system of error springs from this belief in the conscious state of the dead."

"What further did we learn, Mattie?"

"That Satan will be able to transform himself into an angel of light, and will try to deceive even the very elect."

"Thank God for the knowledge of the truth?" exclaimed her mother. "We need not be ignorant of his wiles."

"What next, Billy?"

"We found that it was a wicked, lying spirit who came to the Endor woman, and not the spirit of Samuel at all!"

"Good! now Beth, my child," smiled her father "what did you learn from the study?"

"I learned," replied Beth promptly, "that the Lord doesn't want us to be so silly as to ask questions of a dead man, nor so wicked as to ask them of Satan!"

"Well done, Beth! and now for the story," said John.

Brother Hartman smiled as he began: "I think we have proved by the Holy Scriptures that man is not by nature immortal, but that he depends upon Christ alone, who will bestow immortality upon His children at His coming. Now, this study has brought freshly to my mind a very interesting incident to which I was a witness many years ago. There came to our neighborhood, when I was quite a young man, a minister, who set up a tent and began preaching very earnestly that the coming of the Lord was near, and—"

"An Adventist, wasn't he, papa?" asked Beth.

"I thought you would soon guess,—yes, he was a Seventh-day Adventist, whom we will call Elder A—. Of course he taught the blessed truth of the sleep of the dead. He made this very plain, even as we have been trying to do, until it seemed to shine from the inspired Word with wonderful luster. This appeared to arouse the prince of the powers of darkness. Satan well knows that his master deception is based upon a confused idea regarding the natural immortality of the soul. So he stirred up a resident minister of one of the churches, whom we will call Elder B—; to oppose the truth very bitterly. Finally Elder B— urged that a debate upon the question be arranged. In vain did Elder A— plead to be excused, the other insisted, and at last

the debate was agreed upon. On the evening in question the tent was crowded to overflowing. Elder B— did not hesitate to make use of very foolish and unchristian language; and failing most dismally to prove his opponent in the wrong, or to prove that the soul of man is naturally immortal, he resorted to all sorts of methods to show his ill-will toward Elder A— personally. I felt sorry to see this, and was certain that his cause would gain nothing by it.

"Finally, in the midst of a loud argument which contained more noise than logic, he declared that he would turn to a text proving that the immortal spirit of man feels the bitter passions of anger and hatred after death.

"The audience was deeply interested, and the friends of Elder B— were much gratified at this strong assertion."

"But he could never prove that, father," interrupted Mattie: "he could not from God's Word, could he, father?"

"You shall judge for yourself, my child. He read, in proof of this, Eccl. 9:3. Let us turn to the text, all of us, and I will read it exactly as he did. Please follow me closely."

Each having found his place, Brother Hartman read:

"This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; yea, also, the heart of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after they go to the dead."

"O! but father! you're not reading right. It doesn't read that way!" exclaimed Mattie and Beth together, while John and Walter glanced at Elsie and smiled.

"I think you left out a very important word, Mr. Hartman," said Josie.

"Well, I read it exactly as the minister, Elder B— did," replied Brother Hartman. "But when it was Elder A—'s turn to speak, he remonstrated with his opponent, and urged him to read the text once more, thinking that he would certainly see his mistake and correct it."

(To be continued.)