The Nature of the Sabbath
It is not for the mere resting upon the seventh day that we contend. It is not to lead men to refrain from physical labor on that day that we labor. This is not the Sabbath-keeping required of God. If this were all, civil laws might suffice, and compulsory observance might be beneficial. But this is not the requirement; it is not the essential idea of the requirement. God says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." He who does not keep it holy does not keep it at all. He who is not holy can not keep the Sabbath. Man can be made holy only in Jesus Christ, and that by faith. Jesus Christ in the holy Sabbath, and Jesus Christ in the heart wholly given to Him, find sweet concord, and the Sabbath is hailed as "a delight," and "honorable." Isa. 58:13. He who knows Christ, knows the works of Christ in him; and he who knows His works, knows His rest, twice blessed in the Sabbath. This is the nature of true Sabbath-keeping. It is to call men to the knowledge of this blessing that we labor. "Blessed is the man that doeth this; . . . that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." There has just concluded in our home church a series of studies on Religious Liberty conducted by Elders Cottrell, Corliss, and Healey. These have been of great interest and very instructive. Altho the weather has been inexpressibly bad, the attendance has been good. The great principles of the equality of men by right before the civil law, God's regard for the rights of all men, have been set forth very clearly and strongly. We believe that good only can come out of it. Just as we close the forms of this number the Pacific Union Conference, including in its territory the state conferences of California, Southern California, Utah, and Arizona, is opening in Mountain View, with a good attendance of delegates from all parts of the field. It bids fair to be one of great interest. Regarding wireless telephony it is said that the record is held by Lieutenant-major Orana of the Italian navy. He has spoken 250 miles. Help One Another.—The apostle's exhortation to his brethren is, "Edify one another, even as also ye do." The better English of the first phrase is, "Build up one another," or, "Build one another up." It is sad, but human beings many times are engaged, and often professed Christians, in tearing one another down. The Christian way is to build one another up. Here is unbounded room for holy temples in God's kingdom. There is no need of strife or emulation among His children. If He in His wisdom does not want us in one place, if we are truly His, He has a better place for us. But wherever we are placed, let us "edify one another." Thus only can we be truly built into that temple of which Jesus Christ is the corner-stone. It has been said by some that hypnotism could not suggest criminality unless the one hypnotized was naturally a criminal. A Swiss girl, however, recently brought before a London magistrate, made the plea for her defense that she was hypnotized by another woman. The magistrate took this into account and released the accused on trial. She was a governess by profession, and is said to be of a timid disposition, and one easily influenced by a stronger mind. The council of the Publishers' Association in England approves of the aim of the Circulating Library's Association in shutting out from circulation as far as possible all indecent publications, or publications that tend to degradation. The Society of Authors of the same country points out that the "circulating libraries" can do more in this way than any other agency, because they are the ones who select the books offered to their readers. England is much more careful in this respect than America, but publications of a base character have been multiplying during the past few years. "Attenuate and Weaken."—The Messiah's Advocate, referring to "conditional immortality," a doctrine held by most Adventists, well says that "the teaching that the spirit of man is an entity and exists as such apart from the body, is a fundamental departure from Adventual and therefore Biblical teaching, and logically fatal to the doctrine of man's present entire mortality, and therefore a compromise with error which will greatly attenuate and weaken the delivery of the advent message." A Great Newspaper.—The Los Angeles Times of January 1 is at hand. It is the annual issue for Southern California, which the Times has been one of the chief agents in developing. This issue, of what would be equal to 248 pages, is certainly a great number. It is well written, well arranged, and well illustrated in black and white, with some fine color designs. And after reading it, one must conclude that Southern California is a great country of itself. Why should not Christians be as zealous in advertising the good things of the heavenly land? The Christmas issue of the San Francisco News-Letter contains a large number of special photo-engravings which splendidly illustrate the progress made in the building of that city by the Golden Gate since the earthquake and fire. The city has made astonishing advance. Would that she had advanced morally also. The price of the News-Letter number is 25 cents. Belgium officials declare that there is better rule promised for the Kongo, and they feel sore because criticism of the Kongo State government is still kept up. Surely every one who does not delight in cruelty, will be glad that the fearful regime of the late King Leopold is over in Kongo. Bread the Cause.—Dr. J. W. Stagg, president of the Alabama Presbyterian College, a noted scholar, declares that bread will be the cause of the next revolution, and that that revolution will be sure to come within the next few years unless there is an exodus from city to country.