International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 3, 1884
General Articles.
By Ellen G. White
Man's Obligation to God.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
To each of us God has committed sacred trusts, for which he holds us accountable. He designs that man shall be so educated as to develop his mental and moral powers, that he may have a well-balanced mind and a symmetrical character. But education alone will not prepare him to answer the object of his creation. He needs the grace of God, and divine aid awaits his demand. Divine power united with human effort will enable him to do good and glorify his Creator.
Few appreciate the value of man, and the glory that would redound to God were he to cultivate and preserve purity, nobility, and integrity of character. The value that God sets upon man is shown in the price that has been paid for his redemption; his love is expressed in that he withheld not his beloved Son, but gave him to die for a sinful race. Angels could not, by any sacrifice that they could make, accomplish the work of man's redemption. It was only through the suffering and death of Christ that he could be restored to the favor of God. For our sakes, He who knew no sin was made an offering for sin. He was afflicted, insulted, oppressed. Arraigned as a criminal, he suffered shame, insult, mockery, and pain.
Christ bore all this to rescue man from the hopeless state into which he had been brought by his disobedience of the law of God; for sin is the transgression of the law, and death is its penalty. He did not suffer to do away with the law, or to lessen its force, but that its claims might be met, and the sinner be spared. Through his perfect obedience, the law was exalted and made honorable.
Christ will elevate man, and give him rich and glorious possessions, if he will respect the claims of God's law; but if he chooses the service of Satan, and will ruin his hope of Heaven by his stubborn sinfulness, he must lose these blessings. He will have a place with associates similar in character to himself,—with those defiled by sin, who consider it a virtue, an evidence of smartness, to doubt God's word and be ranked among skeptics. To choose to be a sinner is to refuse to stand before the throne of God washed from the defilement of sin; it is to refuse the riches of eternal glory; it is to refuse to be a joint-heir with Christ to the immortal inheritance, and to be exalted to an equality with the heavenly angels;—it is to reject all these, and to choose instead the sure consequence of sin, the sinner's fixed doom.
Those who might become co-laborers with Christ, and do good service in advancing the interests of his kingdom, but who use their talents and influence to tear down instead of to build up, are like noted rebels; their prominence, the value of the talent they use in the service of Satan, increases their guilt and makes their punishment sure. These will feel the wrath of God. They will experience what Christ suffered in saving men from the penalty of the broken law. The value of man and the measure of his accountability can be known only by the cross of Calvary. He who presents himself to the sinner as the One strong to deliver, will prove himself mighty to execute wrath and judgment upon every unrepenting son of Adam. He who holds the worlds in position, who weighs the hills in scales, and the mountains in a balance, who taketh up the isles as a very little thing, will show himself mighty to avenge his unrequited mercy and spurned love. Those who flatter themselves that God is too merciful to punish the sinner, have only to look to Calvary to make assurance doubly sure that vengeance will be visited upon every transgressor of his righteous law.
The penalty for breaking the law of God is proportionate to the price paid to redeem its transgressors. What unutterable bliss is prepared for those who will be saved through Christ, and what depths of woe for those who despise and reject his great salvation! Whatever of a worldly nature men esteem valuable sinks into insignificance when viewed in this light, and how great appears our obligation to use in the service of God all the talents that he has intrusted to our keeping.
Science is too limited to comprehend the atonement; the mysterious and wonderful plan of redemption is so far-reaching that philosophy cannot explain it; it will ever remain a mystery that the most profound reason cannot fathom. If it could be explained by finite wisdom, it would lose its sacredness and dignity. It is a mystery that One equal with the eternal Father should so abase himself as to suffer the cruel death of the cross to ransom man; and it is a mystery that God so loved the world as to permit his Son to make this great sacrifice. The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is his office to present Christ, the great salvation that we have through him, and the sacred, elevated purity of his righteousness. Says Christ, “He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.” The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine truth; those who are taught of him have entered the school of Christ.
How must God esteem the race, that he gave his Son to die for them, and appoints his Spirit to be man's teacher and continual guide. Satan understands this, and he lays his plans to mar and wound man, the workmanship of God, and to prevent him from enjoying the happiness that this great rebel lost through his disobedience and malice.
Since his fall from Heaven, it has been Satan's only joy and constant employment to thwart the plan of God by preventing the salvation of perishing men. He has carried on this work with marked success, and will continue it until Christ shall bring his career to an end. He has tried to induce men to aid him in treading the honor of God into the dust, and many have become co-laborers with him, and have encouraged his rebellion. Those who do this, who glory in their skepticism, and lead others to despise the law of Jehovah, place themselves in the ranks of the enemies of Christ, and use their influence to destroy rather than to save souls. They second Satan in his efforts to undermine the law of God by assuring the sinner that he will be saved while transgressing that law. They serve Satan, and will share his terrible fate.
The short space of time allotted to men here is exceedingly valuable. Now, while probation lingers, God proposes to unite his strength with the weakness of finite man. We should so educate ourselves that we can serve him intelligently. Those who have cherished skepticism may, by proper discipline of the mind, learn to cherish faith. Those who truly love God will desire so to improve the talents that he has given them, that they may be a blessing to others. And by and by the gates of Heaven will be thrown wide open to admit them, and from the lips of the King of glory the benediction will fall upon their ear like richest music, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Thus the redeemed will be welcomed to the mansions that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth,—liars, idolaters, the impure, or the unbelieving; but they will associate with those who have overcome Satan and his devices, and through divine aid have formed perfect characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection that afflicts them here, has been removed by the blood of Christ; and the excellence and brightness of his glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun in its meridian splendor, is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of his character, shines through them, in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault around the great white throne, sharing the dignity and privileges of the angels.
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.” In view of the glorious inheritance which may be his, “what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” He may be poor; yet he possesses in himself a wealth and dignity that the world could never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy in Heaven, in the presence of God and holy angels, over one sinner that repents,—a joy that is expressed in songs of holy triumph.
PEACE.
By Elsie Dundee
How blest the heart that knows thy peace—
The peace which floweth as a river;
So calm, so clear, it ne'er shall cease,
But, broad and deep, flow on forever.
What grief and fear and venomed sting
Thy world-tost children often carry!
The burden to thy feet they bring,
But leave it only while they tarry.
“He careth for you.” O my Lord,
Thou art my God—there's none above thee;
All things, according to thy word,
Shall work for good to them that love thee.
Then let me cast on thee my care;
Dwell in thy smile when days are dreary;
Trust thee through all, howe'er it fare;
Rest in thine arms when faint and weary.
But, more than all, grant me the grace
To do thy will, O gracious Giver;
Then may I hope to know thy peace—
The peace which floweth as a river.
—Elsie Dundee, in Presbyterian.
Ireland and the Romish Church.
By J. F. McNamee
WE do not find a single authentic instance where the religion of the early Irish Church was derived from Rome. On the contrary, we find her frequently resisting the encroachments of Rome. Although the church of Rome today dresses up the picture of St. Patrick with mitre, crozier, and robes, yet it has no right to do anything of the kind. In his day the Roman Catholic Church, as it is to-day, did not exist. There were no confessional boxes then, as confession was not established as it is now until the year 1215. So also with transubstantiation and other erroneous doctrines peculiar to modern Romanism. From this and other proofs too numerous to mention here, we conclude that the early Irish Church was independent of Rome. Their form of worship was of the purest kind; the word of God was their guide, and Jesus their only spiritual head. Ah, but remember the days of old, for the glory of the Irish Church, her pure Christianity, is nearing the decline. The cromlech fell into disuse, and the horrid rites of the fire-worshipers waned before Patrick with the sword of the Spirit in hand; and now a period is reached when the standard of religion and religious progress is about to be supplanted by Romanism.
It is needless for me to dwell minutely upon the introduction of Romanism into Ireland. You are already aware of the events of the twelfth century, when the Roman eagle perched upon our round towers, and error after error crept in gradually, bringing the people within the "awful circle," until religious liberty was destroyed and superstition prevailed.
Here we may date the turning point in the history of our country. Here may be viewed the horizon behind which the bright sun of the early church of Ireland and Ireland's freedom set; while Rome's dark clouds came rolling darker and denser over the Alps, veiling the splendor of Ireland's sky. Need we dwell upon the history of our unhappy country since that time when military force and Romish intrigue were employed to overpower and subdue our people?
Brethren, Ireland is in bondage to-day and trampled upon by Rome, but permit me to say, as long as they kept their first faith, they preserved their national and religious independence.
And now, brethren, when our harp is gone over to Rome, when our early church is no more, when our national independence is no more, when religious freedom is no longer enjoyed, a voice is heard saying, "Remember the days of old," when the people were free to worship God in spirit and in truth, when they bowed to no pope or priest, save the great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe in a spiritual independence, I believe in a national independence too, but I don't believe in regaining such by dynamite or agrarian outrage.
My dear Roman Catholic people, if you really desire freedom, break away from the Roman Church that destroyed your freedom. Let our Celtic tenacity be as firm in demanding the freedom, the literature, the purity of faith of the early church, as we have been in our adhesion to an erroneous church. Give our people the gospel that was preached by Patrick and the early missionaries.
Let us have once more our own old schools of literature, where the glorious truths of the Bible will be unraveled, quickening and enlightening the minds of our people. Oh, this blessed book! this blessed educator! If it has lighted and guided nations on their march of progress; if the Bible has been the torch that originated the mighty fire of the Reformation; if it is the pride of the American Christian and patriot that the Bible is the corner-stone of his nation, should not the noblest aspiration of our Irish hearts be, to have the Bible as the corner-stone of the land of our birth?
From a personal experience I can assure you that, if you take the Bible as your guide, and study its sacred pages, you will find a great contrast existing between the noble ideas and sublime principles it imparts of God, Jesus, the present and future life, and the groveling, imperfect, slavish principles of Romanism. Thank God, a brighter day seems about to dawn. Evangelical truth is beaming. I think the time is not far distant when the old days which we now are called upon to remember shall return to our country; when a full and true and pure Christianity shall renew the hearts and enlighten the minds of our people; and then when they will allow the truth to make them free, they shall be free indeed.
We now preach unto you the glorious truth of the Son of God, and ask you to learn for yourselves the great doctrines of the Christian church. We say to you, let no man deceive you. Let no man stand between you and your Saviour. Heed not that organization and system that boasts of a long standing, and of the gorgeousness of its ceremonies. But rather follow the lowly Nazarene, who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." If then you will take Jesus as your only Priest, Saviour, and Mediator, if you will take the Bible as your guide, soon the misty veil of error and spiritual bondage shall be lifted from off many eyes, and the lovely panorama painted by a master hand, will appear as beautiful as in the palmy days of its youthful beauty.—Rev. J. F. McNamee, in Converted Catholic.
"As Your Fathers Did, So Do Ye."
By Joseph Clarke
"But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?" Jer. 44:17-19.
This is just such an argument as Sunday advocates make out for the day of the sun. Our nation has been greatly blessed while keeping Sunday; and now if we wish to triumph over infidelity, intemperance, lawlessness, and other evils, we must hallow the first day of the week. Is not this great day far more important than the "old Jewish Sabbath?" This people have been greatly blessed; but is it because the Persian sun-worshipers established a new sabbath, and the "mother of harlots" baptized it? In order to retain these blessings, must the daughters of Rome now legalize it as the true and veritable Sabbath, and call it the holy Sabbath of the Lord?
How can this weak argument be passed around to the world: Because we have plenty and peace as a nation, it must be because the early fathers of our commonwealth hallowed the Sunday? If this be true, why was wicked, cruel Babylon, or Nineveh, or Rome, or Carthage, blessed with peace and plenty, until they ruled the world to a great extent? Babylon enjoyed many years of prosperity; was it because her ways were pleasing to God? Were the walls of that mighty city built in justice and truth? All these Sunday laws are subversive of every principle of religion, and of religious toleration. It is a dishonor to our free country to take up a relic of pagan-papal rule and engraft it upon our free and noble institutions.
But turn once more to the text. The apostate Israelites told Jeremiah that while they worshiped the queen of heaven all went well; but as soon as they left off doing this, all went awry with them. Here we see the policy line of reasoning; they wanted prosperity, peace, and plenty. What was it to them whether the commandments of God were heeded or not, if they only had their supply of bread, etc. Tested by this rule, what would have been the life of Christ, or of the apostles? Paul had all the world could bestow while a persecutor of the church; but, as soon as he became a Christian, he was driven from place to place.
As politicians sometimes say, this is a bread-and-butter argument, and as such will never do to test an institution of such importance as the Sabbath. Popularity does not affect the truth; we see how fluctuating is public opinion in our own country; a few years ago an abolition printing office was wrecked, and its owner lynched in Alton; now slavery itself is extinct, and Alton would gladly build a monument over Lovejoy's grave, if that would atone for the sin.
The argument of those worshipers of the queen of heaven (the moon), was a policy argument; such as Bunyan puts in the mouth of Mr. By-Ends, and Mr. Money-Love, and Mr. Save-All, and Mr. Judas Iscariot; and the line of argument followed out by the advocates of Sunday is virtually the same. In both cases the moral law, the point at issue, is laid aside and trodden down. Jeremiah stood up for the first commandment; his opposers denied. The Jeremiahs of the present day stand for both the first and fourth commandments; their opposers deny—virtually the first, and positively the fourth. The opposers of Jeremiah relied much upon their great numbers and popularity; so now the advocates of Sunday do the same. They may think the insinuation that they worship the sun is hard, but is it not logical? The papist who bows to the image of the virgin Mary, will tell you he does not worship Mary, but God; then we ask him, Why do you bow before it? So we say to the Sunday votaries, If you do not worship the sun, why do you keep his day? In the Judgment all will be counted worshipers of the beast and his image who receive his mark. Rev. 14:9-11. We are compelled to be plain and clear; God's law will admit of nothing less. JOSEPH CLARKE.
Church Reverence.
By Occident
THE prevalent indifference to becoming attitude in prayer is one of the many evidences of declension in the spirit of true and acceptable worship. We believe there are but two postures common in religious assemblies in this country. There are at least but two that deserve to be noticed as recognizing the nature of prayer in Christian congregations. We have no controversy with those who stand reverently before the Lord and offer up their devotion in spirit and in truth. To those who have been thus educated the attitude may be highly significant of solemn and devout worship, altogether compatible with the spirit of acceptable service. Albeit, we prefer the kneeling posture. The psalmist says: "Oh come let us worship and bow down; and let us kneel before the Lord, our maker." The very attitude implies much that is suggestive of the spirit of prayer,—humility, dependence, homage. More or less of what is expressed by each of these terms almost universally obtains in the kneeling posture. Even the savage, with his stupid conception of the Supreme Being and no knowledge of acceptable worship, understands the significance of bowing the knee.—Occident.
Thanksgiving to the Lord
"I WILL sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
Shining Christians.
By O. A. K.
CHRIST's injunction is: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Undoubtedly there is some measure of light in every true child of God. In every one who is a true believer in Jesus, there is light in proportion to his faith. The spark may be very feeble, just on the point of extinction perhaps; it is hidden under a pile of worldliness, or narrowness, or spiritual indolence; but it still glimmers. Rake open the coals, remove the ashes, and you can find that feeble spark. But this certainly is not the kind of Christian character that Christ had in view in uttering this injunction. Men will not take pains to see whether you are a Christian or not. They will not search for the feeble spark to see whether it burns, or has gone out. And, in a measure, they are right. Christ says to his followers, "Let your light so shine that men may see your good works." You must fan the flame of your faith, love, and devotion, till it blazes up so brightly that men cannot fail to see that your religion is worth something; "that men may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."
There are several ways in which this light, while it does exist, may be so obscure that men cannot see it.
1. A lack of Christian courtesy sometimes obscures the light. In dealing with men, our manners are by no means unimportant. Indeed, they have a very great effect oftentimes. Religion ought to sweeten and soften the whole man. A Christian ought to be a polite man; not necessarily with the airs and graces of mere fashionable society, but certainly with genuine heart politeness. And yet it is to be feared that sometimes the light of Christian love is hidden under the bushel of a stern, forbidding, harsh exterior; and so men are not attracted to religion, but rather repelled from it.
2. Worldliness hides very completely this Christian light. So many of those who profess themselves Christ's, seem so absorbed in the things of this earth, in its "buying, and selling, and getting gain," that men in general cannot always tell the difference between a Christian and one who makes no claims to the name. So many who profess to have this light shining within them, seem to be just as much occupied with earthly concernments, earth's ambitions, cares, jealousies, joys, sorrows, achievements, as is any one else; and so their light does not shine out for men to see their good works. Only by careful scrutiny can it be determined that the light does shine.
3. Parsimony obscures the light. I have reference here to this failing as it concerns Christian beneficence. Men reason in this way: "Here is one who professes to be a child of God, 'bought with a price,' a servant of God; a steward administering those things with which he has been put in trust; and yet see how slow he is to recognize the claims of a perishing world upon him; see how little he gives to the support and diffusion of the gospel." This is a right method of reasoning; this is sound logic. There are far too many who call it forth. And they are most certainly obscuring the light.
4. Indolence is another way in which Christian light is obscured. And it is far too common. Many a man is known as a Christian, simply because his name is on the church-roll, and he is seen from time to time at the communion-table. He is not known as a Christian because of any work that he does. He is not seen in the prayer-meeting, or the Sabbath-school. His principle seems to be to get all he can, but to do correspondingly little in the line of religious activity. He wofully obscures the light of Christian example. Men certainly see no "good works" of his performing, and hence are not led to glorify the Father in Heaven.
5. Another thing that obscures Christian light—and it is a fundamental thing—is a low tone of piety. You may have a strong, bright flame, but so shut in that it cannot beam forth. Remove the obstructions, and the light shines. But when you have only a feeble flame you cannot have much radiance. Just here is the trouble in the case of most Christians, the flame of piety is not strong enough, and so of course there is not much shining.
We look at such a life as that of Henry Martyn, and see that it was its devotion, its deep spirituality, that made it so effective. The light burned with such intensity that the candle soon sunk into the socket, entirely consumed. But what a glorious radiance beamed from it! Its shining is not done yet. Just in the proportion that a high tone of piety makes the light shine, just in that proportion does a low tone obscure it. Hence the need of complete consecration, of entire devotion, that the light may shine brilliantly, and men "may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven."
Would that there were more, not simply of Christians such as shall be saved "yet so as by fire," but of shining Christians. Shall you and I let our light shine?—O. A. K., in Am. Messenger.
Taking Chloroform.
HUMAN nature needs a strong reign and a steady driver, and constant watchfulness is needful lest we enter into temptation. When a sudden surprise of fear entangled Peter, the old Galilean boatman reasserted himself, and he denied, and lied, and cursed, and swore. Wine and strong drink loosen men's tongues, and liberate all the evil of their natures. Any agent which paralyzes will, and destroys consciousness and self-control, is liable to lead to developments which may surprise the beholders.
The Wesleyan Advocate tells of two ministers who were neighbors and friends, to one of whom, Mr. A, it became necessary to administer chloroform. "During the delirium of waning consciousness, he used very unclerical language, even doing as 'the army in Flanders' is said to have done. Sometime afterward, the other preacher, Mr. S, dislocated his thigh-bone, and the surgeon advised the use of chloroform. The patient objected, saying he had tried to live right, from his youth up, and would rather suffer than now, in his old age, to put it in the power of any agent to make him disgrace the cause he loved so much, and which he had spent his life in trying to promote.
"The reasoning, pro and con., I need not repeat. But the surgeon prevailed. Mr. S inhaled the chloroform. The surgeon being cautious, and not willing to kill any one, even with chloroform, used minimum quantities. The intended effect was not speedily induced. While inhaling and waiting the patient talked on, about in these words: 'I don't think you will succeed, doctor; I don't think you will succeed. I don't think you will succeed,—succeed—succeed—ceed—ceed—ceed.'
"After awhile he began again, 'Doctor, I don't think you will succeed.'—'Why, Mr. S, the bone is already reduced; lay your hand on it, and feel.' He felt, and exclaimed, 'Wonderful! wonderful! thank the Lord. But how did I behave?' 'Beautifully, touchingly—you sang, and preached, and prayed, and called up mourners; you gave us a little of the best of everything.'
"Now, what is the key to this difference in two good men? Mr. A lived irreligiously, acquiring bad habits, to mature age. But Mr. S became pious in boyhood, and lived consistently all his life."
Those who think to pursue a course of sin for years, and finally become Christians at the end, little know the power and permanence of evil habits. A tree was once broken down by the wind, but it was found on examination that it had been cracked many years before, and straightened up and healed; but when the strain came it broke in the old crack. A broken bar of iron usually shows an old, rusty flaw; and many a broken-down man may trace the final wreck of his life to the result of sins indulged in years before.—The Safeguard.
Apostasy and Degeneracy.
By The Armory
It is frequently a matter of remark that the children and successors of godly people do not manifest the fervent piety and love which marked their fathers. And people sometimes inveigh against this manifestation of the degeneracy of the times in which we live. But it is possible that they overlook one fact, which, if recollected, would fully explain the evils of which they complain. The one vital fact bearing on this question is, that righteousness or piety is not hereditary. A good father may have a bad son. Righteousness and holiness are not the natural heritage of man. No man, however good or gracious his parentage may be, is born so well that he does not need to be born again.
Religion is not transmissible by descent. It is consequently entirely unreasonable to expect that the unconverted children of any generation will live lives corresponding to those of their parents and predecessors who have been converted to God. The child of a saint is a sinner, and will live a sinner and die a sinner, unless he is converted to God and made a saint by the same process by which his father before him was led to believe in Christ and follow him. Hence, the entire work of regeneration, conversion, or renewing of heart and life, has to be repeated with each successive generation. It was vain for the Jews to say, "We have Abraham to our father;" it is equally vain for us to boast of pious ancestors, and saintly fathers and mothers, when the only thing that can save the children of the best of parents is a thorough conversion to God, and a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not therefore to think it strange that the children of good people go wrong, or that they fail to manifest the fervor and faith of their predecessors. We are to look to God for the renewal and salvation of our offspring, knowing that unless they repent and find salvation they will as surely perish as though they were the children of the vilest sinners that ever lived.
Of course, training, instruction, and good example may do something toward leading children to Christ; but when all this is done, the work of salvation is his and his alone. And, instead of wasting our time in fruitless complaints over the degeneracy of the rising generation, it is better for us to labor that they may be converted to God, made heirs of the grace of life, and so fitted for faithful service in the Master's cause. It is utterly unreasonable to expect sinners to act like saints because their parents were Christians. The way to have men act like Christians is to persuade them to yield themselves to God; and when they are made new creatures in Christ Jesus, grace will reign and blessing will descend.
The Church Boss.
We have heard much of political bosses. The church boss is less widely known to fame. His existence, however, is beyond dispute; and he makes himself powerfully felt in some localities. The church boss is generally a layman who carries into ecclesiastical relations the same aspirations for leadership which find expression in political or military life. He is willing to fight in the army of the Lord, but he wants to wear epaulets. Of all existing forms of church government, the worst that can be devised for any single church is a monarchy—a one-man power. There are churches that suffer greatly from this form of oppression. We have seen them wilt and die under its bane.—Christian Register.