Signs of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 3. (1/17/1906)

Signs of the Times

Jan 17, 1906

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 17, 1906

THE RIVER OF SALVATION

By Llewellyn A. Morrison

BY LLEWELLYN A. MORRISON

O beautiful River, from Zion outflowing, In freshness and favor, majestic and broad; The redolent splendor and grace of thy going Rehearseth the greatness and glory of God!

I sing of thy source, in the mind of the Maker, The trend of thy purpose, untrammeled and free, How each, by the wealth of design, is partaker Of all the bright blessings inherent in thee.

Thy crystalline cleansing no mortal may measure Who knows not the stain and pollution of sin; Thy touch, like the hope an infinite pleasure, Hath pureness, delight, and rejoicing within.

What marvelous pulse thrills the hand of thy healing, Ecstatic with being and pregnant with "breath," The limitless love of Jehovah revealing, As higher than heaven and deeper than death!

How strong is thy strength, by Omnipotence in thee! How buoyant thy bearing o'er earth's meaner things! The word of the Lord from His house did begin thee; Baptized in thy waters my spirit hath wings.

O bountiful River, divine and eternal, Flow on in thy fulness and freedom, sublime! The desert shall blossom in fragrance supernal, And life bloom for aye from thy shore-ways in time.

SPANISH TRACTS.

By Editor

In addition to the Italian, Japanese, and German publications noted on this same page, we have just secured the following in Spanish:

TRACTS.

Agony of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 00¼ Christ Our Righteousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Benefits of Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¾ Coming of the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ Gift of God to Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ Great Commandment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ Is the End Near? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ Living by Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Price of Our Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ Temptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00¼ What Must I Do to Be Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ We Would See Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Signs of Our Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Daniel Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½

PAMPHLETS.

Captain of Our Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Gospel Primer (Board) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Gospel Primer (Cloth) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Address the publishers of this paper.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

By Editor

As the result of recent importations and purchases we present the list of tracts and pamphlets in the ITALIAN, JAPANESE, and GERMAN languages. Other lists will follow later.

ITALIAN TRACTS

Sabbath of the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . $.04 Brazen Serpent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 The True Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 First Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 The Bible Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Is the End Near? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Christ and Roman Empire . . . . . . . . . . 01 Two Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

ITALIAN PAMPHLETS

Return of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sufferings of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Glorious Appearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Steps to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

ITALIAN BOOKS

Steps to Christ, Cloth . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

JAPANESE TRACTS

Way of Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 New Testament Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . 02 True God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Second Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

JAPANESE PAMPHLETS

Glorious Appearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Steps to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Marshalling of Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

GERMAN TRACTS

Alarm of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Are You in Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Bible Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Bible Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Brief Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Candid Admissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Can We Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Christianity and Persecution . . . . . . . . 01 Christian Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Departing and Being with Christ . . . . . . 01 End of the Wicked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Fire Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 First Angel's Message . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Full Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 God's Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 How Esther Read Her Bible . . . . . . . . . 01 Is the End Near? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Judgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Law and Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Millennium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Name, the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Old and New Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Our Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Perfection of Commandments . . . . . . . 00½ Perpetuity of the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Present Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Prophetic Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 Prophetic Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Righteousness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Rome's Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Scripture References . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Second Angel's Message . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Seven Reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Seventh-day Adventists . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Senator Crockett's Speech . . . . . . . . . 00½ Seventh Part of Time Theory . . . . . . . 02 Signs of Our Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Sinner's Fate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ Spiritualism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Sufferings of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Testimony of the Prophets . . . . . . . . . 00½ Thief on the Cross and Spirits in Prison (New) 02½ Three Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Two Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Two Thrones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02 Veil Removed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½ We Would See Jesus (New) . . . . . . . . 01 What Do These Things Mean? . . . . . . 01 What the Gospel Abrogated . . . . . . . . 00½ Way to Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01½ Wine and the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Without Excuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00½

All of the foregoing may be obtained by addressing, PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING CO., Mountain View, Cal. 1109 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Mo. 285 Salmon Street, Portland, Ore. Nearly all are carried by the following agencies, REVIEW & HERALD PUB. CO., 222 North Capitol Street, Washington, D. C. Battle Creek, Mich. SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, 1025 Jefferson Street, Nashville, Tenn. Fort Worth, Texas. INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, College View, Neb.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

PUBLISHED WEEKLY

By Editor

(Entered September 15, 1904, as second-class matter at the Mountain View Cal. post-office, under act of Congress of March 3, 1879.)

A. O. TAIT, - - - CIRCULATION MANAGER.

Terms of Subscription.

By Editor

Per Year, post-paid . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.50 Six Months, 75 cts. Three Months, 40 cts. To Foreign Countries, per year, $1.75.

SPECIAL TERMS.

By Editor

1. One new yearly subscription and one renewal, or two new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $2.50.

2. Two new yearly subscriptions and one renewal, or three new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $3.25.

3. Three new yearly subscriptions and one renewal, or four new yearly subscriptions, sent at one time, $4.00.

Sample copies sent on application.

HELP IT ALONG.

By Editor

You are a reader of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. If you were not, you would not have seen this paragraph. Thrilling issues are before the world. The field of prophecy is reverberating with the sound of the marching of events that are fulfilling the predictions of the Word of God. The days are so filled with strenuous activity that the mass of mankind will be wholly unaware of the meaning of these things unless they are shown the words of Jehovah that contain the prophecy.

The study of the prophecies, together with the other important matters connected with the coming of the Lord, have been a help to you as you have read them in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

But what are you doing to extend the circulation of the paper? Every one of our readers can lend a helping hand. The importance of the issues before the world demand that you should do all in your power. Will you not at least get one new subscriber to the paper, or in some way place it in the hands of one person who will read it.

"WONDROUS LOVE."

By Editor

Mr. H. H. Winslow has just printed another edition of his beautiful song "Wondrous Love." Copies may be obtained at 25c. each or $2.00 a dozen by addressing him at 285 Salmon St., Portland, Ore., or Pacific Press Pub. Co., Mountain View, Cal.

THE FORERUNNER OF THE MESSIAH.

By Editor

[The following is taken from "His Life," an interwoven narrative by the Pastors' Union, Oak Park, Ill. The text is that of the American Standard Revised Version. We preface the account by the prophecy quoted by Mark. The sideheads are our own.]

As Foretold in Prophecy.

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

The Time of the Messenger.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituræa and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

His Manner and Burden.

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leathern girdle about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey. And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins; and saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Prophecy.

For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, And every mountain and hill shall be brought low; And the crooked shall become straight, And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

The Extent and Effect of His Message.

And there went out to him all the country of Judæa, and all they of Jerusalem, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And even now the ax also lieth at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Practical Instruction.

And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do? And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise. And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you. And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.

Foretelling the Coming One.

And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh He that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; whose fan is in His hand, thoroughly to cleanse His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire. With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people.

Baptizing His Lord.

And it came to pass in those days, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway from the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon Him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Testimony to Jesus.

And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. And they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize in water; in the midst of you standeth One whom ye know not, even He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not

worthy to unloose. On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a Man who is become before me; for He was before me. And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water. And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not; but He that sent me to baptize in water, He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.

A Parallel.

Jesus Christ is coming again as truly, as literally, as personally, as visibly, as He came the first time, or words mean nothing, and we have, from the Scriptures, no assurance that He ever came. But we believe the Record which God has given of His first advent. We believe the word of prophecy, evangelist, apostle, and Jesus Himself as regards His second literal coming.

In Transcendent Glory.

But not in humility, not in the weakness of humanity, not as a victim for suffering and death shall He come, but in the transcendent glory of the Eternal God, before the brightness of whose shining every iniquity will stand revealed, and all not of Him shall perish. But His people shall know what by faith they have said; that then He shall change the bodies of our humiliation and fashion them after the body of His glory.

A Message of Preparation.

Then Christ came to one nation, and through them to the world. At His second advent, He comes to the world. At His first advent His messenger went to that one nation and people. One was sufficient for that work. But that one was a type of thousands of others who shall go to every land and clime and tongue and people, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come; and worship Him that made heaven and earth." To the world faithful voices—who will claim to be neither John nor Elijah, nor "that prophet," nor Christ—will sound throughout the world: "Prepare to meet thy God;" "the day of the Lord cometh; for it is nigh at hand." And those voices will call men back from tradition as did John, to the law of God; from dry, dead formalism to the living Christ; from the power of wealth and position and influence to the power of God. Are you hearing them, reader? Do they bear witness to the faithful Word?

A TWOFOLD DECEPTION.

By G.

MODERN SPIRITISM as a specific cult first became known to the public in the "rappings" manifested through the Fox Sisters, of Rochester, N. Y., in 1848. For some time it was openly anti-Christian; but it could not make sufficient headway among professed Christians in that way; so "Christian Spiritism" was brought to the front, and in course of time became a prominent feature. But it is all of the same essence, namely, the Satanic delusion that deceived our first parents through the serpent medium.

Satan's great deceptive motor throughout the ages is the immortality of the soul—"ye shall not surely die." The spirit rappings were instituted by him evidently to bolster up this doctrine. This was expressly stated in 1853, in a "communication" purporting to come from the spirit of John C. Calhoun, the noted South Carolina statesman, who had died about three years previously. In this communication Mr. Calhoun's so-called spirit is made to say:

"My friend, the question is often put to you, What good can result from these manifestations? I will answer it: It is to draw mankind together in harmony, and convince skeptics of the immortality of the soul."

The Word of Him who created all things says very explicitly that "the dead know not anything;" therefore no spirit of Mr. Calhoun could have anything whatever to do with the communication. But from whatever source this information came, it is true that such was the purpose.

Spiritism is a most potent scheme of deception. (1) In convincing professed Christians that the dead are conscious, and therefore able to communicate with the living, the way is opened for the deceiver to give them any kind of "communication" he may choose. In thus believing the dead are conscious, they naturally discredit the scriptures that say they are not in any sense conscious. (See Eccl. 9:5, 6; Job 14:7-12, 21; Ps. 146:3, 4.) This leaves them susceptible to any kind of "strong delusion," because they take themselves out from God's means of protection. 2 Thess. 2:7-12.

(2) In convincing the infidel of the immortality of the soul his infidelity would be strengthened, because he would believe that the dead do know something altho the Bible says they do not. Infidels naturally would not believe the doctrine because professed Christians did, and this would weaken the force of the delusion; so the rapping manifestations were potent in captivating their senses.

Hence infidels can believe the wicked delusion because to them it is infidelity, and gives them promise of a future life without Christ; while professed Christians are deceived by it because they neglect the Bible, and are thus blinded to any kind of delusion that may come to them with a pretense of advanced light. It is well, therefore, that we heed the apostle's warning: "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." 2 Cor. 11:14, 15.

The spirit rappings of fifty years ago were the veriest crudities as compared with the developing delusions and "miracles" of to-day, through the workings of Spiritism in a dozen forms.

A GREAT LITERAL PROPHECY.

This Generation.

MOSES, the type of Christ more emphatically than any other prophet, (Deut. 18:15-19, compare with Num. 12:6-8) left no symbolical prophecy. He foretold many things in regard to the Jews and their future in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy

28, and these things have been literally fulfilled. Even so the Prophet like unto Moses, Jesus, left no symbolic prophecy. He foretold many things, but they were tremendously literal. Among these predictions was His great discourse, answering the threefold question of His disciples: "When shall these things [the destruction of the temple] be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?" Matt. 24:3.

Portions of this great answer of our Lord are found in each of the synoptical Gospels, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21—but not all is given in any one. All three bring out with great emphasis some portions of His instruction, but all are needed in order to grasp the fulness of its meaning. Matthew 24 is the fullest account. We shall take that as the basis of our study, using the American Standard Revised version. If our quotations are sometimes unlike Matthew, it will be because we have used Mark or Luke.

The disciples may have had, and doubtless did have, vague ideas of the end of the age and the Master's second coming. Evidently they connected both of these with the destruction of the temple. However this may be, our Lord had no such misapprehension of these events; while He regarded their inquiries, He did not confirm their wrong views.

First of all let it be noted that Jesus does not rebuke the questioners. He did not even intimate that other questions would be more proper or pertinent, or profitable. On the other hand He clearly indicates that the disciples need instruction lest they should be deceived, and this instruction He proceeds to give.

A Fourfold Division.

The answer of the Master in Matthew naturally divides into four sections as follows: I. Events to occur before the consummation of the age. Verses 4-14. II. From the destruction of Jerusalem forward to the second coming of Christ. Verses 15-28. III. Signs, specific and definite, which should precede His second coming. Verses 29-31. IV. Practical lessons and exhortations to His people. Verses 32-51.

Let us study these sections in detail as far as space will permit, and learn what our Lord has Himself told us.

I. The Consummation of the Age.

In this we have a series of events, occurring all through the Christian era, generally increasing in frequency toward its close.

1. False Christs.—"Many shall come in My name saying, I am the Christ, and shall lead many astray." After the crucifixion they multiplied rapidly. Buck's Theological Dictionary gives a list of twenty-four false leaders and messiahs between the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the year 1682. As the result of these delusions and deluders, hundreds of thousands perished. If the words of our Lord and the character of His work had been regarded, no one would have been deceived by these impostors. They will increase again as the end draws near. Verse 11.

2. Wars and Rumors of Wars.—Luke adds, "and tumults." "See that ye be not troubled; for these things must needs come to pass, but the end is not yet." These are not precursors of His coming, but characteristics of the age. "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." One thought here. We are sometimes told that all the events of Matthew 24 occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem. But between our Lord's words and the destruction of Jerusalem it could not be said that there were wars and rumors of wars, and nation and kingdom against nation and kingdom; for the Roman empire during that period ruled the world. But from the weakening of imperial Rome to the present time all these things have been plenarily fulfilled, till the world is one vast arsenal and the sea a harbor for the world's navies.

3. Famines.—History is a record of our Lord's prophecy: "There shall be famines." And with famine stalks pestilence and sorrow and travail. Uncounted millions have died from hunger and starvation as the slow centuries tolled their time. Witness the famines and plagues which devastated Europe in the middle ages and the millions of India who have perished in the last few years. One graveyard in London in 1345 contained 50,000; in Venice the same year 100,000 died of the "Black Death;" the same in Florence; in Oriental nations 20,000,000. And so the gruesome record could be multiplied. There have been and are to-day "famines."

4. "Earthquakes."—"There shall be . . . earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be terrors, and great signs." We need not rehearse the tale. Earthquakes have multiplied with the centuries. The earth has waxed old like a garment." Islands have sunk and risen; whole cities and provinces have been ruined, and thousands upon thousands destroyed by convulsions seismological. Meteorological disturbances, producing storm, tempest, hurricane, tornado, cyclone, tidal wave, need not be numbered here. All have heard of them; some have experienced their awful power. All these signs are the beginning of the birth-pangs of the earth which culminate in the end of this sore-travailing age.

5. "Tribulation."—The persecuting, bruising, crushing, pressing of God's people till the perfume is exhaled and the good wine pressed out. From nation to nation, from city to city, from synagog and church to prison, the suffering ones of God have been prosecuted, have been hunted and hounded and haled. Kinsfolk and companions, parents and brethren, have become enemies to prosecute instead of friends to comfort and shield, till it seemed that even God had forgotten. But these very trials have scattered the Gospel seed; the ashes of martyrs have enriched the soil; the blood of souls has watered the seed, and God has used the seeming adversity of His children to bring the testimony of Christ before kings and rulers. But the promise is, even tho killed of men, "not a hair of your head shall perish." The Promisor is the Author of life, and His power reaches beyond the martyr's pyre or the cruel grave.

6. Multiplied Iniquity.—Do we need to say that the fulfilment of this sign is clearly evident in the world to-day? As never before we read of graft and fraud and licentiousness and every vice and crime in the catalog, in all circles, where civilization has reached its highest mark, in our own land, and often in professedly-religious circles. These are the words of Jesus: "And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold. But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." We know the prediction to be true. We know that this is a time which demands patient endurance. Every day witnesses sad falls from grace through the overwhelming influence of abounding worldliness and iniquity.

7. Evangelization of the World.—Not its conversion. "And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world [Greek "the inhabited earth"] for a testimony unto all the nations; and then the end shall come." This is not the mere proclamation of the Gospel, but the Gospel with the present truth of a near-coming kingdom, set up at Christ's coming; the same everlasting Gospel, going to every nation, tongue, and people, proclaiming, "the hour of His judgment is come." Rev. 14: 6, 7. The Priest is to become the Judge; the Judge the King. And this Gospel is going. It has belted the globe. Its light has entered the darkest lands. It has stretched across the autocratic Russias from north to south. It is winning souls to Christ in the "Hermit Kingdom," in the "Island Empire," in "Darkest Africa," in the heart of the "Celestial Empire," in "far Cathay," in the islands of the sea. In a little while and the warning, the instruction, the message, the plea, from God will have been given. God will have borne witness to the nations of the one only remedy to save, the last willing soul will have yielded to the pitying Christ; and then the end shall come. "It is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly."

(To be continued.)

THE SABBATH UNIVERSAL AND PERPETUAL.

By G.

HARDLY any one would think of trying to serve an earthly government by deliberately disobeying its laws, and teaching men that its constitution was of no force or importance. Even the most worldly critics are ready to censure any professed citizen or servant of the government who seems to act on that principle. But many professed Christians use every means and take every opportunity to belittle the law of God and make it of no effect.

A contributor to a paper much given to weak attempts to undermine the law of Him whom it professes to serve, in referring to God’s holy day as “the Jewish Sabbath” says it “was wholly unique in Moses’ day.” As this writer cites Ex. 16: 22–30 and Eze. 20: 10–12, we know that he refers to the Sabbath of the Lord. But the day which the Lord calls His Sabbath—the seventh day, which He blessed and sanctified in the beginning (Gen. 2: 2, 3), which He commanded at Sinai (Ex. 20:8–11), and which He and His apostles observed, is in no sense a “Jewish sabbath.” It was appointed at Creation, when no such designation as “Jew” or “Jewish” was known. Adam was not a Jew, and the Creator says “the Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27), not for any particular race, or class, or nation.

Such distinctions were as yet unknown when the Sabbath memorial was instituted. Moreover Moses, as will be seen in Exodus 16, reminds the people of Israel of the Sabbath day as an institution already established, altho this was several weeks before they arrived at Sinai.

The “Jewish,” or ceremonial sabbaths, such as pertained to “the law of commandments contained in ordinances” (Eph. 2: 15), were abolished with all the other ceremonials that ended by limitation when Christ was offered on the cross. But the Sabbath of God’s “perpetual covenant,” which is a sign between Him and His people “forever” (Ex. 31: 16, 17),—the Sabbath which lies at the very heart of the law of which Christ will not destroy even a jot or tittle while heaven and earth shall stand,—is not to be abolished. That law, of which the Sabbath is an essential part, being the seal, is all the more established by the faith of the Gospel. Rom. 3: 31; Rev. 14: 12. The Sabbath is not only of perpetual obligation, but it is of universal application. Isa. 66: 22, 23.

Question Corner

By Editor

1763.—Gospel Preached to the Dead. 1 Peter 4: 6.

Please explain 1 Peter 4: 6. How is the Gospel preached to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh?

It was preached to them while they were alive. Note that the Gospel was preached to them that are dead. When it was preached they were alive, now they are dead, evidently referring to the chapter before, that Christ preached to the spirits in prison. When? When they were disobedient. And when were they disobedient? When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, all souls were shut up in the prison house of sin, and Christ by His Spirit by Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness, preached unto those then living. The preaching was in the past while they were alive; now they are dead; but they will be judged just as men who are standing before God in the end will be judged. Read other texts on the judgment and teaching of the Gospel and understand that this is in harmony with all the other testimonies given.

1764.—Adornments. 1 Peter 3: 3–5; 1 Tim. 2: 9, 10.

A dear friend is very much perplexed over 1 Peter 3: 3–5 and 1 Tim. 2: 9, 10. Please tell us in next issue, Is there any good reason in the Bible against a Christian’s wearing an engagement ring or gold or a wedding ring? R. W. H.

1. It is almost impossible to answer any questions in our next issue after the questions are received. We are thirty or forty questions behind now. We will do the best we can and answer in turn unless some question seems to be of very special importance.

2. The injunction of the Lord in both these texts is very clear. Notice that the injunction against the wearing of any of these things is for adornment. It was carried to just about the same extent or worse in ancient times than it is now. Every device and form and shape was resorted to to ornament the person. Such the Christian ought not to do. The adornment that she should seek is that of a meek and quiet spirit, or as expressed by Paul, “in good works.” At the same time the Bible never countenances ridiculousness, carelessness, or untidiness in dress.

3. As to wedding rings, in some countries it is really demanded, as in England and European countries generally. It is a part of the wedding ceremony, and a married woman without a wedding ring is in some circles considered untrue to her husband. Where that is the custom it is very proper to wear a wedding ring; and in some parts of America it may be considered somewhat the same. As a general thing in this country a wedding ring is in no-wise an essential part of the marriage bond. For instance, the writer of this note has been married for twenty-four years, but neither he nor his wife has felt the need of a wedding ring; they have not felt that it would add to the happiness of this life, or that its use or nonuse would in any wise affect the bonds between them.

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