Review and Herald, Vol. 50, No. 9.
THE DIFFICULTIES WITH WHICH THE POPULAR VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIUM ARE EMBARRASSEDPage 1
THE DIFFICULTIES WITH WHICH THE POPULAR VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIUM ARE EMBARRASSED.
By R. Campbell
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27. “This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11. Jesus Christ will come again in person to our world. So far all evangelical Christians are agreed; but there is a diversity of opinion as to the time of his coming with respect to the millennium. The general opinion of Christian people in this country is, that the Saviour’s second coming will be post-millennial. It is their belief that the world will be first converted, in order to the introduction of the millennial period in its fullness of glory; that then for a thousand years or three hundred and sixty-five times that sum the people will be all righteous; that afterward there will be a falling away; and that finally, after all this, will be the second coming of Christ for the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked, and the last Judgment. This view of the relation of the second advent to the millennium, it must be confessed, whatever its claims on our belief, is at all events embarrassed by very serious difficulties. One difficulty is that this opinion is very modern. Standard works on ecclesiastical history fail to give us the slightest trace of its existence in the primitive church. On the other hand, the doctrine of Christ’s personal reign on the renovated earth, with the saints of the first resurrection, was the prevailing belief of the orthodox church for the first three hundred years. A second is that in the New Testament we are so constantly instructed to watch and wait, to look for the second coming of Christ, and to be ready for it; and we are reminded that our “redemption draweth nigh,” though the times and seasons we know not. The precise difficulty is, to see how the church could be thus admonished in the Scriptures, and yet confidingly receive the popular doctrine that Christ is not to come in our age, nor in many ages; no, not until a thousand years—yea, perhaps three hundred and sixty-five times this sum—had sped their course. A third difficulty is that this glorious state of things, this wonderful epoch, has not been put down among the precursors of the second coming. Our Saviour gives the disciples these precursors, these signs, in one of his last earthly communings with them. But, surprising as it may seem, the world’s conversion is not among them. He instructs them to expect false Christs, and wars, and rising of nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places, and persecution and hatred of all nations for his name’s sake, and the abounding of iniquity, and the waxing cold of his people’s love, also the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in all the world,—but not for the conversion of all the world! Strange! but so it is; not for the conversion of all the world, but for a witness unto all nations. This it might be, though a handful only were converted, or even none. Besides these there are “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” But be it borne in mind that among all the signs of the second coming which our Saviour gives by the pen of either of the evangelists, not an allusion to, or hint of, the world’s conversion have we among them all. So soon as they have concluded with the last sign of terrible commotions, and overturnings, and men’s hearts failing them for fear, etc., the very next thing is not: Then shall the world be converted, and so continue righteous for a thousand years; no—no; but it is: “Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory.” In the repeated illustrations of, and allusions to, the state of things in the last days before the second coming, whether by Christ or by his apostles, we find nothing like a millennium, or world’s conversion, first. The Saviour compares the state of things in the world before his coming to the state of things before the flood. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.” He represents the wise and foolish virgins, instead of waiting, or diligently getting ready for the coming, as he bade them, as being both asleep. That is, the church generally will not be looking for him. This is in keeping with what our Saviour says in another place, viz., Luke 18:8, “And when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?” Faith in Jesus as the only Saviour, he will find in many persons, though comparatively inefficient; but how rarely a faith of waiting, watching, holy expectancy as to the nearness of his coming. “Shall he find faith”—the faith that waits, watches, looks, for him? While holy Scripture seems not obscurely to hint at a low state of religion, and abounding unbelief in the professed church generally, next before the coming, we hear nothing of the world’s conversion, or of the latter-day glory. We hear of nothing like this as preceding the coming, nothing like it from our Saviour’s lips, surely. Nor do we hear of anything like it in the Acts or the epistles. In Acts 3:19, Peter alludes to the coming of the latter-day glory by using the phrases, “times of refreshing,” “times of restitution.” But in immediate connection he speaks of the Saviour’s second coming as a simultaneous event, and not as being postponed till this glorious era has gone by. In the epistles, repeated reference is made to the “last time,” “last days,” “latter times,” signifying the whole period between the two comings, and especially the latter portion of it. But not a hint have we in any of them of the blessedness of millennial glory, or of the world’s conversion, as filling up any part of this period. Paul tells Timothy, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry,” etc., evils, which, as Paul says, had begun to work in his own day. But not a syllable has he of a world’s conversion, or latter-day glory, either in the course of, or immediately after, these latter days, and before the second coming. No; nothing of this is there to animate the soul of Timothy in his arduous labors under this dark, and still darkening cloud. 1 Tim. 4:1. John, in his first epistle, having exhorted his brethren to beware of the spirit and power of worldliness, and having admonished them that the present earthly state is passing away, proceeds to call it, even then, the last time, and because the coming of antichrist was wont to be reckoned by the church as among the signs of the last time, he adds: “Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:18. Please note particularly, through all this last time, even till Christ comes again, however long it may continue, antichrists are to be in the ascendant, according to John. But not the slightest intimation does he give that any part of this entire “last time” before the advent is to be filled up with the millennium, or world’s conversion. Jude writes that “there shall be mockers in the last time,” who shall walk after their own ungodly lusts, till Christ comes to execute judgment. But he says not a word of the world as being converted, and walking in righteousness in this “last time.” In the like manner Peter, in his second epistle, chap. 3:3, writes that “there shall come in the last days”—what? The general conversion of all scoffers and opposers? No, no. But he says, there shall then come “scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?” Yes; they will not believe anything about this second coming, just as though the promises on this subject in the Bible were all nothing worth; just as though nothing of the kind was to be expected. Thus Peter speaks of these infidel scoffers of the last days. But he does not so much as make the slightest reference to that long, long period of the world’s conversion, which is now popularly supposed to elapse before the coming! Instead, he represents this infidel spirit as prevailing to the end of this dispensation, when, as he tells us, it is to be suddenly filled with the terror of Christ’s actual appearing for judgment upon his enemies, also for the renovation of the earth, and filling it with righteousness. This renewing, and this filling the earth with righteousness, we must note, however, does not precede the coming mentioned by Peter, but follows it. Surely, here is something very singular. It is this: If the “new heavens and new earth” of prophecy, if the millennium, when everybody is to be righteous, is to be, as is popularly supposed, before the coming, that it should by Peter in his epistle be so clearly put after it. We find him doing here precisely as he does in the Acts. Singular this, very singular, surely. The same fact is quite as noticeable in John’s Apocalypse. It is very singular that all the New Testament writers should agree in designating the last times, before the coming, as the times of antichrist, and not say one word of that glorious day when all the people are to be righteous, although according to the popular view, it must come in for a very large share of these last times. Finally, supposing this to be the true view, it is very singular that our blessed Saviour should profess to give his disciples the signs of his coming, and should actually give them so many comparatively unimportant signs, and then wholly omit the sign of the latter-day glory, when everybody is to be righteous. The more singular is this, when you remember this very subject fills a larger place in the Old Testament than any other, and by them the locality of this glory is determined to be this very earth. Tell me, therefore, why does not our Saviour, or why do not the New Testament writers, put down this glory as one among the signs of the second advent if the popular supposition on this subject be right, that is, if this glory is to precede this advent? A fourth difficulty to the doctrine in question consists in the fact that Jesus Christ and the apostles never appear to have made use of this consideration as a motive to fire the hope and increase the effort of missionaries and Christians generally. This motive is made much account of in our day by all advocates of the popular view. Perhaps the most serious objection that has ever been urged against the doctrine of the pre-millennial advent, is that the tendency of the doctrine is unfavorable to missionary exertion. However, I must beg leave to demur entirely to this conclusion. I would appeal to your memory as to some of the most devoted missionary preachers, as the late Dr. Poor, of the A. B. C. F. M., and some others of modern times, especially from Britain and the neighboring continent, and would ask if their untiring labors were conducted with any other expectation than that only an election among the heathen would be given them as the reward of their toils and their prayers. Yet further, I would appeal to the teaching of those ancient most extraordinary missionaries of the primitive church, and ask if they expected, as the fruit of their efforts, anything more than the ingathering of an election before the coming. Where there is a living by faith, and where there is the heartfelt experience of Christ’s constraining love, there it is enough for us to know that the Macedonian cry comes to us in Providence from India, from Africa, from the islands of the sea, and we will promptly take our lives in our hands, and go and labor and die, and leave no act of self-denying effort unperformed to gather in a mere remnant of the heathen of this generation. One soul saved, it is felt by the heart that is filled with Jesus’ love, will ten thousand times more than pay for all. All we want to know, with Christ’s love burning in the heart, to put us on the most untiring missionary effort to save men, going abroad to the very ends of the earth, is simply this, “Does my Lord and Master call me thither? Will he be with me?” This granted me, it is enough. Although but one soul be won to Jesus, I’ll count it my highest honor through eternity, to have been thus employed by my gracious Lord.” The most distinguished missionary ever given to the church of God on earth was the apostle Paul. And what was it that made him such a burning and shining light in the field of missions? When he went into Arabia, directly after his conversion, was it his expectation that all in that region would be converted? Was it this that gave him his zeal there; or when he returned to Damascus; or when he went up to Jerusalem; or when he was publicly sent by the churches all over Asia Minor, or into Macedonia, or into Achaia; or when he preached the gospel at Rome? Was it any such expectation with reference to his own generation that so fired his spirit, or indeed with reference to any future generation, until the brightness of the coming had been revealed for the destruction of antichrist? No, no; nothing of the kind. The reason is, he did not labor from that legal spirit that gets its animating determination rather from the measure of visible66success than the gracious, constraining love of Jesus. Most emphatically, the latter affection was the controlling motive with him, and it was mightily effective. Could the church of Christ ask for a more glorious exhibition of the missionary spirit? A fifth and last difficulty to the doctrine in question is, that there are no scriptures which give it their support. There are no scriptures which can be shown by the connection to set forth the idea that our Saviour’s second advent will not be until after the world’s conversion. Indeed, for aught that appears in God’s word, the latter-day glory is really everlasting. The millennium, or the epoch of the world’s conversion, is only its first installment. It is a mere introductory and preparatory period to an interminable series of ages of glory. At the close of the millennium, there is to be a temporary outburst of rebellion. This is suddenly to be destroyed by an outpouring of fiery judgments. All ungodliness shall then be swept into the lake of fire. The promised regeneration, which began with the beginning of the millennium epoch, will now be perfected. The new heavens and the new earth, at this crisis being delivered from the last and least remains of the curse of sin, will henceforth be the consecrated, blood-purchased home of the redeemed, and so continue forever. But the precise difficulty under contemplation is just here, viz., the entire want of any just scriptural confirmation for the views generally received in our country respecting our Saviour’s second advent and its relation to the millennium, or the world’s conversion, as that it will be after this wonderful epoch, and not before it. We find in the evangelists no millennium or world’s conversion before the Saviour’s advent, and the “end of the world,” as it is in our translation (more literally, “end of the age,” or dispensation). The signs of the second advent are given in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The end of the world, or age, is, as we find, also coupled with it, by which is meant the end of the old world of sin, and the beginning of the new world of righteousness. The signs of this coming, and of the end, as we have them in the gospels, agree entirely with the signs and precursors of the latter-day glory as we have them in the prophecies. In the gospels, we have the closing up of the Jewish tribulation; the signs in the heavenly bodies, the distress of nations, the shaking of the powers of heaven. In the prophecies, these are the precursors to this world’s renovation. The closing up of the Jewish tribulation is, in Daniel, put with the signs of the incoming of the glorious new epoch of righteousness and peace. The same is true in Jeremiah 30:7. This dark day past, in the same connection, we read: “And Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.” What is this but millennial blessedness? And please note, it comes at what is described in the evangelists as the end of the world, or the æon. Not to speak of other prophets, we read in Isaiah of the various signs, which, in their exhaustive fulfillment, are to precede the incoming glory of universal righteousness in this earth. And they agree entirely with the signs of the end, as we have them in the gospels. In chap. 34:4, we read, “The host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.” In chap. 34:8, it is added: “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.” In chap. 24:17, it is written: “Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. . . . The earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.” Just such events as these our Saviour speaks of in the evangelists as among the last things before the end of the world, or æon. Isaiah having got through with these, and the like terrible signs of the end of the present state of things in which “the whole creation groaneth,” in immediate connection discourses of a very different state, which we all recognize as identical with the world’s conversion, or the earth’s regeneration. He tells us, thirty-fifth chapter, “The wilderness and solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.” In chap. 24:23, he speaks thus: “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” In the like tenor he continues in chap. 25:6: “And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, and of wines on the lees well refined .” So it appears that our Saviour’s end of the world, or æon, when he is to come again, means not this earth’s destruction, as is by many supposed, but rather, as in the prophecies, the passing away of the old state of things and the incoming of the new state of things; the passing away of the curse of sin, and the incoming of universal righteousness; the passing away of all mere earthly, corrupt dominion, and the incoming of the world-wide heavenly dominion, the introduction of the “new heavens and new earth,” when all the people shall be righteous. In the prophecies everywhere, we have the same idea. They speak of our Lord’s appearing and the setting up of his glorious everlasting kingdom in its fullness at the overthrow of antichristian governments and nations, and at the conversion and rescue of the Gentile election, who had not filled their cup of sin. These are the circumstances under which Old Testament prophecy sets forth our Saviour’s advent to reign in righteousness. Daniel second and seventh chapters. Nor have we Scripture anywhere, that sets forth the idea of our Saviour’s advent being deferred till after all the world are made righteous. Is not here a difficulty in the way of receiving the popular belief? Need I call your attention to any others? We have seen that this popular belief is very modern, and utterly unsustained by the ancient history of the church; that it is at variance with the constant instruction of the New Testament to watch and look for, to wait and be ready for, the glorious appearing. Also have we seen that the world’s conversion and millennium are not put down by our Saviour or his apostles as among the signs to precede his coming, as are others of unspeakably less importance. More, that this glorious era is never employed as a motive to fire the hope or increase the efforts of missionaries and Christians generally, as is constantly done in our day; and finally, that there are no scriptures which put the world’s renovation and the era of universal righteousness before the advent, while there are scriptures which unquestionably set forth precisely the contrary. Can we master these difficulties to the popular belief? Should we not fear here is a device of the adversary to lull Zion’s children into deep midnight slumberings, that the fearful day of the final advent may burst upon all people, as a terrible surprise? Will it not come as a snare? 1. If the coming of Christ is to be pre-millennial—if it is to occur at the final destruction of the man of sin—if the reign of antichrist, according to the ablest Bible chronologers, is drawing near its conclusion—if the Bible signs of the advent multiply and become more and more impressive,—we should not neglect the study of this great question. It will be a dreadful day to incorrigible wickedness. The world has already had seasons of being fearfully shaken. The world has already experienced sudden and tremendous overturnings. The world has already passed through fearful scenes of judgment. But all this will be unworthy a thought in comparison with the fearfulness and grandeur and glory of the great day of the second advent. It would have been well had both the church and the world studied the question of the first advent, vastly more than they did. Yea, it would have been well. As it was, when it actually came very few had any such knowledge on the subject as they needed in order to identify their own Messiah in the babe of Bethlehem; in the wonderful boy of twelve that disputed with the doctors in the temple; in that remarkable personage on whom the Holy Ghost descended at the baptism in Jordan; in that divine Teacher who spake as never man spake, who wrought miracles of mercy and uttered prophecies that were shortly fulfilled, and others not to be fulfilled till the second advent is here, and who finally fulfilled by his death, and resurrection, and ascension the sacrificial system of the old dispensation, and established the new. Very few by prayerful Bible study were ready for the first advent. Hence, very few were ready to welcome the coming One. The prayerful study of the word on this subject was, we repeat, too much neglected then; so it is now with reference to the second advent. How few study prayerfully the subject; how few care to do so, in the church or out of it. 2. If the advent of Christ is drawing nigh, we should not be disappointed at anything we see to-day, either in the condition of Zion, or the world. Is the progress of the church in holiness very unsatisfactory? Are worldliness, and formality, and superficiality of experience in spiritual things, sadly prevalent? Is the religion of multitudes merely nominal? Are irreligion, and skepticism, and rationalistic infidelity gaining ground? Is the poison of error gaining advocates among the professed friends of Zion? Are the calculations of good men in other years, as to the very speedy prevalence of universal righteousness, found to be unwarranted? Is the universal triumph of Christ, to mere human view, as distant as ever? This very state of things is only accordant with the picture that Revelation has given us of the last times. It only speaks more solemnly to us: “The coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” He will come in such an hour as ye think not. 3. If the views here expressed as to Christ’s coming are just, we have a great deal to encourage Christian and missionary exertion. It is so in view of the fact that He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. He will soon be here. How it should quicken our zeal to finish up our ministry to go everywhere in our labors of love for the perishing, everywhere at home and abroad, even to the very ends of the earth,—not with the idea that everybody will be converted, but that a few will be. The Shepherd knoweth his sheep; not one will be plucked out of his hand. It is our work to preach and labor. It is God’s to make it efficacious. And he will not fail, his word shall prosper in the thing whereunto he sent it.—R. Campbell, in Messiah’s Herald. UNDER THE SCULPTOR'S HAND.
Fear not, my brother, 'tis the Sculptor's hand;
Hard though the blows, they fall by his command;
We, in our blindness,
Would spare thee each blow;
God, in his kindness,
Doeth not so. Shrink not, my brother, surely he knows best
What tools to use, and when to let them rest;
Let not our wilfulness,
Strong though it be,
Hinder his skillfulness,
Perfecting thee. Thank him, my brother, that he comes so near,
Giving this proof that thou to him art dear;
Thy ways demolishing—
These are “his ways”—
Cutting and polishing
Thee for his praise. Patience, my brother; in the temple there,
The Sculptor sees the place he did prepare
From all eternity
For thee to fill.
For this he fitteth thee,
Working his will. “THAT is the best rope in my store,” said a dealer in cordage, pointing to a not very large rope which lay coiled up on the floor. “In what way is it best?” I inquired. “In strength,” he replied. A friend who was present pointed to a much larger rope near by, saying that it must surely be much stronger, for the size was greater. The man of rope then went into a description of the process of manufacturing the different kinds of ropes, from a whale line up to the largest hawser. His explanation was so clear that we readily saw that a cable owed its strength, not so much to the amount of manilla it contained per fathom, as to the close union existing between the fibres, or in other words, that a pound of manilla made into a loosely twisted rope, one foot long, would not be so strong as the same amount of material closely twisted; or, more properly, a loosely twisted rope, weighing a pound to the foot, would not be nearly so strong as a hard twisted rope of the same material and weight; and yet the loosely twisted, weak rope would look the larger of the two. A familiar example of this is shown by the shoemaker, who untwists his hempen thread when he wishes to break it. This untwisting does not rob the thread of a single fibre; and yet it is so weakened that the thread, which before almost defied man to break it with his naked hands, will now part with such ease that it can hardly be called breaking, very few of the fibres holding firmly enough to require fracturing. Its strength depended more upon the close union of the fibres than upon their individual strength. It is not unusual to find persons, who, like the rope dealer’s friend, look upon size and strength as synonymous. This impression is much more general than some would suppose. We frequently hear people speaking of some unusually large man, saying, “Just look at him; I would not like to have him take hold of me.” Or of a church, “It is a very strong church—over three hundred members.” Corporations are judged in the same manner—the number and wealth of the members being taken as the standard of strength; and yet the fallacy of this is apparent to any who will take the trouble to examine the facts of the case. Great size does not always indicate corresponding strength. Even in physical contests the largest does not always prove to be the best man. That this is true of individuals, probably no one will dispute. Yet many who acknowledge this are unwilling to apply the same line of reasoning to societies, to which it is certainly more applicable than to individuals. Probably many of these same false theorists could recall circumstances that would clearly disprove their own theory of strength in proportion to size. In fact, we are certain that the most striking illustrations of this are found in the case of numbers in societies, whether social, educational, political, or religious. “Many men” are likely to have “many minds,” and instead of a unity of purpose, there will be more or less individuality—they will be less closely united. As great bodies exert a more powerful attractive influence upon the lesser, so two or three great minds, running in different directions, will soon be surrounded by their attendant satellites. Thus our society is split into factions. And so completely is this untwisting sometimes done that societies composed of hundreds, or even of thousands, are often broken in two with as much ease as the shoemaker breaks his thread. Surely the strength of the family, society, association, church, state, or nation, depends upon the close unity existing between the individual members.—Pestle. “Jones, have you heard of the fire that burned up the man's house and lot?” “No, Smith; where was it?” “What a misfortune to him! Was it a good house?” “Yes; a nice house and lot—a good home for any family.” “What a pity! How did the fire take?” “The man played with fire, and thoughtlessly set it himself.” “How silly! Did you say the lot was burned, too?” “Yes; lot and all; all gone, slick and clean.” “That is singular. It must have been a terrible hot fire—and then I don't see how it could have burned the lot.” “No; it was not a very hot fire. Indeed, it was so small that it attracted but little attention, and did not alarm anybody.” “But how could such a little fire burn up a house and lot? You haven't told me.” “It burned a long time—more than twenty years. And though it seemed to consume very slowly, yet it wore away about one hundred and fifty dollars' worth every year, till it was all gone.” “I can't understand you yet. Tell me where the fire was kindled, and all about it.” “Well, then, it was kindled on the end of a cigar. The cigar cost him, he himself told me, twelve and a half dollars per month, or one hundred and fifty dollars a year, and that in twenty-one years would amount to $3,150, besides all the interest. Now the money was worth at least ten per cent, and at that rate it would double once in about every seven years; so that the whole sum would be more than $20,000.67That would buy a fine house and lot in any city. It would pay for a large farm in the country. Don't you pity the family of the man who has slowly burned up their home?” “Whew! I guess you mean me; for I have smoked more than twenty years. But it doesn't cost so much as that, and I haven't any house of my own. Have always rented—though I was too poor to own a house. And all because I have been burning it up! What a fool I have been!” The boys had better never set a fire which costs so much, and which, though so easily put out, is yet so likely, if once kindled, to keep burning all their lives.—Sel. ALL AT WORK.
By Mr. Spurgeon
All the myriads of the Israelites had to go round Jericho and join in the general shout. And in apostolic days was there not a general enthusiasm throughout the entire church of God? Every man, woman, and child—for out of the mouth of babes and sucklings is perfected praise—must do the work of God. Ministers to-day may cause much mischief if they think that their wisdom can supersede the ancient methods. Let us not try to put down Christian workers because they are ignorant and unpolished. Anything in the world is better than lethargy. Fire is wanted. The truth will make its way in spite of feeble advocacy. People sometimes say, God has infinite leisure, and we may be cold and calm. But we are not God; we have a great deal to do, and little time to do it in. Pokers and axes must be fought with if no Toledo blade is at hand. It was God's design that the Israelites should be one people, and not two. And we are most one when we get to work. Societies that do not work come to an end. God meant all to practically strive against the sin that is in the world. Gentlemen who sit at home and write essays are always unsound in the faith. What an education it would be for them to go into the slums of London and preach the gospel, even as it would be an education for some landlords to spend a night in an agricultural laborer's cottage. We have a commission that must be obeyed. Give a man nothing to do, and he becomes morbid and introspective. A tree that bears no fruit has an ax prepared for it. If men are satisfied with subscribing so much, or rather so little, what success can be expected? It is worth a gun on our side, the enemy will say, to have an enemy on the other side doing nothing.—Mr. Spurgeon. INDIANA CONFERENCE.
By S. H. Lane; Margaret Fatic
The fifth annual session of the Indiana Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists was held near Kokomo, Howard Co., Ind., Aug. 10, 1877. The Conference was called to order by the president, S. H. Lane. Prayer by Bro. J. M. Rees. Voted, That all ministers and brethren present participate in the deliberations of this Conference. Six ministers were present. Credentials were presented by sixteen delegates, representing fourteen churches. Four new churches were received into the Conference. The church reports were then read, showing that the churches are all in good spiritual condition. The minutes of the last Conference were called for, read, and accepted. By vote of the Conference, the president appointed the several committees as follows: On nominations, Brn. J. M. Rees, Isaac Zirkle, J. T. Richards. Resolutions, J. H. Waggoner, J. M. Rees, J. T. Richards. Auditing, Wm. Carpenter, A. Lynch, J. Wood, William Seward, J. D. Shilling. Credentials and Licenses, Philemon Webber, Isaac Zirkle, Wm. Carpenter. Adjourned to call of president. Conference convened Sunday morning, at half past eight o’clock. Opened with prayer by Eld. J. H. Waggoner. The treasurer’s report was then called for, read, and accepted. It was as follows: Paid into the treasury during the year, $900.72. Paid out, 270.77. Balance, $629.95. Adjourned to call of Chair. The third session was held Monday, Aug. 13, at 9 o’clock A. M. Opened with prayer by Bro. J. H. Waggoner. The Committee on Nominations presented the following names for officers of the Conference for the ensuing year: President, Eld. S. H. Lane; secretary, Margaret Fatic, Mechanicsburg, Henry Co., Ind.; Treasurer, Wm. Carpenter, North Liberty, St. Joseph Co.; Conference Committee, S. H. Lane, Isaac Zirkle, and J. D. Shilling. The report was accepted, and the above-named persons were unanimously elected. The committee on Credentials and Licenses reported, recommending to renew the credentials of Brn. W. W. Sharp and W. M. Covert; to grant licenses to J. M. Rees and Lloyd Colwell, and to ordain Bro. A. W. Bartlett. Committee on Resolutions reported as follows:— Resolved, 1. That we express our gratitude to the General Conference for the aid they have given us in this camp-meeting, and especially for the presence of sister White with us at this time. 2. That we accept the counsel of sister White in regard to preparation for, and carrying on, our camp-meeting; and we hope, by the grace of God, to be able to profit by this advice in the future. 3. That it rejoices our hearts to see the indications of the prosperity of the message in Indiana, and especially the number of young men who are feeling the burden to labor in this cause. 4. That we deeply sympathize with the president of our General Conference, in his arduous labors and his present afflictions; and promise to him a continuance of our sympathy, and our prayers in his behalf. 5. That we tender our thanks to the owner of the ground for the privilege of holding our camp-meeting in this pleasant grove. Voted, To donate one hundred dollars to the General Conference. The Conference Committee appoint the following brethren to act as a Camp-meeting Committee for the following year: J. M. Rees, J. L. Edwards, W. H. Herrington, Frank Zirkle. CAIN'S OFFERING.
By J. R. Richards
Cain was required to sacrifice the firstlings of the flock, as well as the first-fruits of the ground. By shedding the blood of his offering, he would show faith in the promised Redeemer, whose blood was to be shed for the remission of the sins of all men. But Cain did not consider it essential to obey the Lord implicitly. He must do a little different from what he was commanded to do. Why was it necessary to do exactly as the Lord had told him? Why was not the first-fruits of the ground as acceptable an offering as the firstlings of the flock? Simply because it did not typify Christ. So far as its showing faith in the Redeemer was concerned, it was meaningless. Then he was wroth, and his countenance fell, because the Lord did not accept an offering from him that varied from the requirement. Men pursue a similar course now-a-days with regard to the Sabbath. The Lord said, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work.” He pronounced a blessing upon those who keep it, and a curse upon those who disregard it. The reason he gave for blessing and sanctifying the seventh day makes it impossible for the Sabbath to be transferred to any other day of the week. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore [for which reason.—Webster] the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” The Lord said to Cain, “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” Is it not as great a sin for man to pretend to keep holy unto the Lord a day the Lord has not required him to keep as it was for Cain to fail to typify the blood of Christ in his offering? May we not expect that all men will be dealt with alike in the Judgment? J. R. RICHARDS. The sun is full of heat and light, and it asks no questions as to how it shall do good, but is perpetually pouring out its golden flood. The spring that sparkles at the foot of the hill is full; and, asking leave of no one, is forever welling forth its sweet waters. So the Christian, if only full of love to God and man, and shedding around him benign influences as a natural result, cannot help doing good. C. N. S. A Persian fable says: One day
A wand'rer found a lump of clay
So redolent of sweet perfume,
Its odor scented all the room.
“What art thou?” was his quick demand.
“Art thou some gum from Samarcand?
Or spikenard in a rude disguise?
Or other costly merchandise?”
“Nay, I am but a lump of clay.” “Then whence this wondrous sweetness—say?”
“Friend, if the secret I disclose,
I have been dwelling with the rose.”
Meet parable! For will not those
Who love to dwell with Sharon’s rose
Distil sweet scents o’er all around,
Though poor and mean themselves be found?
Good Lord! abide with us, that we
May catch these odors fresh from thee!
—Sel.