Signs of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 29. (7/31/1884)

Signs of the Times

Jul 31, 1884

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1884

General Articles.

By Mrs. E. G. White

The Vision at Bethel.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

"AND Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to Heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven." Gen. 28:10-17.

Jacob was not perfect in character. He sinned against his father, his brother, his own soul, and against God. Inspiration faithfully records the faults of good men, those who were distinguished by the favor of God; indeed, their faults are much more fully transcribed than their virtues. They were compassed with infirmities; they were assaulted by temptations, and were often overcome by them; but they were willing to learn in the school of Christ. Were these characters presented before us as faultless, it would tend to discourage us in our strivings after righteousness. We should not take pleasure in the faults of others; but it may give us courage to know that men of like passions with ourselves have fought the good fight of faith, and bruised Satan under their feet. The record of their lives may serve as a warning to us. It shows that God will by no means clear the guilty. He sees sin in his most favored ones, and he punishes them even more decidedly than those who have less light and responsibility. But in contrast with the sins and errors of humanity there is presented one perfect character,—that of the Son of God, who clothed his divinity with humanity, and walked a man among the children of men. He is our Pattern, pure, sinless, and undefiled.

Jacob obtained by fraud the blessing designed for his brother. God had promised him the birthright, and the promise would have been fulfilled in good time had he been willing to wait. But like many who now profess to be the children of God, he lacked faith, and thought he must do something himself, instead of submissively leaving the matter in the hands of the Lord. As a result, he was a fugitive from his father's house, hurrying for fear of his life from the rage of his brother, Esau.

As he pursued his lonely way, he was greatly cast down and discouraged. He feared that through his own rash course he had lost the blessing God designed to give him, and that his opportunity was gone forever; and Satan was ready to take advantage of his depression and press in his temptations. Yet God did not utterly forsake Jacob. His mercy was still extended to his erring, distrustful servant, although he would permit afflictions to come upon him until he should learn the lesson of patient submission. The Lord graciously and compassionately revealed just what Jacob needed, a Saviour. He had sinned; but his heart was filled with gratitude as he saw revealed a way by which he could be restored to the favor of God.

Wearied with his journey, the wanderer lay down upon the ground, with a stone for his pillow. And while he slept, the Lord gave him a vision. He beheld a ladder, bright and shining, whose base rested upon earth while the top reached to Heaven. Upon this ladder angels were ascending and descending, and above it was the Lord of glory, who addressed Jacob in words of wonderful encouragement. He assured Jacob that he was under divine guardianship in his absence from home, and that the land whereon he lay as an exile and a fugitive should be given to him and his posterity. The promise given to Abraham was solemnly renewed, "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

The Lord knew the evil influences that would surround Jacob, and the perils to which he would be exposed; and the future was opened before him, that, fully understanding the divine purpose with reference to himself, he might be prepared to resist the temptations that would surely come to him alone amid idolaters and scheming men. There would be ever before him the high standard at which he must aim, and the knowledge that through him the purpose of God was reaching its accomplishment would be a constant guard and shield.

Jacob awoke with a solemn sense of the presence of God. "The Lord is in this place," said he, "and I knew it not." Through the Spirit of God, the plan of redemption was revealed to him, not fully, but such parts as it was essential for him to know. The time of Christ's first advent was yet far in the future; but God would not let his servant remain in ignorance of the fact that sinful man had been provided an Advocate with the Father.

Up to the time of man's rebellion against the government of God, there had been free communion between God and man. Heaven and earth had been connected by a path that the Lord loved to traverse. But the sin of Adam and Eve separated earth from Heaven. The curse of sin was upon the human race, and was so offensive to God that man could have no communion with his Maker, however much he might desire it. He could not climb the battlements of Heaven and enter the city of God; for there entereth into it nothing that defileth. The ladder represents Jesus, the appointed medium of communication. Had he not with his own merits bridged the gulf that sin had made, the ministering angels, ascending and descending on that ladder, would have held no communication with fallen man.

All this was revealed to Jacob in his dream. Although his mind at once grasped a part of the revelation, its great and mysterious truths were the study of his life-time, and unfolded to his understanding more and more. In his conversation with Nathanael, Jesus referred to this mystic ladder on which Jacob gazed with pleased wonder. Said he, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

It is our life-work to commence at the lowest round of the ladder, and step by step to ascend toward Heaven. There is earnest work in this, but we can gain eternal life in no other way. We must take up our daily duties. There must be self-sacrifice, self-denial, and walking in the humble path of obedience. Earnest battles must be fought with self and with the powers of darkness. We shall meet with strong temptations to go with the crowd, which is pressing downward; for by this means we can avoid being singular. But we must have a firm hold on Christ, and keep on climbing. To look back is to become dizzy; to let go is to perish. The eye of faith must be continually directed upward to discern a mighty helper in our tender heavenly Father.

We ascend by successive steps. When we let go of one round, it is to grasp another that is still higher. Thus the hand is constantly reaching upward for successive degrees of grace, and the feet are planted on one round after another, until finally an abundant entrance shall be administered to us into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

There is necessity for striving, and yet it will be of no avail unless we strive lawfully. To profess to climb up by Christ, and claim his righteousness, while living in disobedience to the law of God, is to continue in sin that grace may abound. It is to cry, Christ, Christ, and trust in him, while in daily rebellion against God. We must have repentance toward God, whose law we have broken, as well as faith in Christ, through whom our offenses are pardoned. Man lost paradise through the transgression of God's holy law, and he can regain it only through obedience to that law.

We have reason to rejoice that the world has not been left in solitary hopelessness. Jesus left the royal throne and his high command in

Heaven, and became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. He took upon himself our nature, that he might teach us how to live. In the steps which the sinner must take in conversion,—repentance, faith, and baptism,—he led the way. He did not repent for himself, for he was sinless, but in behalf of man.

Jesus became "the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in." He became an exile to earth to bring back the one lost, straying sheep, the one world ruined by sin. In him were combined the earthly and the heavenly, the human and the divine; otherwise, he could not be a Mediator whom the sinful could approach, and through whom they could be reconciled to their Maker. But now he encircles the race in arms of sympathy and love while he grasps the throne of the Infinite, thus uniting man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of strength and power.

As Jesus prayed after his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove of burnished gold, hovered over him, and a voice was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Through the gates ajar there streamed bright beams of glory from the throne of Jehovah, and this light shines even upon us. The assurance given to Christ is assurance to every repenting, believing, obedient child of God that he is accepted in the Beloved.

We are indebted to Jesus for all the blessings we enjoy. We should be deeply grateful that we are the subjects of his intercession. But Satan deceives men and women by presenting the service of Christ before them in a false light, and making them think that it is a condescension on their part to accept Jesus as their Redeemer. If we viewed the Christian privilege in the right light, we should consider it the highest exaltation to be accounted a child of God, an heir of Heaven; and we should rejoice that we can walk with Jesus in his humiliation. But our Saviour assures us that there are some who would like to climb up some other way than the toilsome, self-denying way of the cross. They would avoid reproach and shun sacrifices. Christ calls such thieves and robbers. If we are not willing to breast the storm of opposition, if we choose to float with the current, we shall lose eternal life.

And now the question for each one to settle is, Will you leave the dark abodes of sin and woe, and seek the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for his followers? In his name we beseech you to plant your feet firmly on the ladder, and climb upward. Forsake your sins, overcome your defects of character, and cling with all your powers to Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. We may every one of us succeed. None who shall persevere will fail of everlasting life. Those who believe on Christ shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. Evil angels will try to weaken their hold on Christ, and to attract their eyes to earth; but God will send holy, ministering angels to help them and to strengthen their hands.

The Lord showed Jacob the open heavens. He beheld earth linked with Heaven, and saw the bright array of angels and the majesty of Deity. A divine voice addressed the repenting, discouraged one in words of gracious assurance, and spoke to him of great things to come. And so, through the merits of our Redeemer, the Father looks upon us with tender compassion, and speaks to us hopefully the language of forgiveness and love.

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him." The farther the Christian advances on the Heavenward way, the more clearly will he discern the nothingness of earthly things, while by an eye of faith he views the glories of the unseen, eternal world. We point you, dear fellow-traveler, to a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. But the hills to which we journey are not on earth, and we might well despair of ever reaching them, were it not for the glorious ladder whose base is on earth while its top reaches the highest Heaven.

MY PRAYER.

If, when I kneel to pray With eager lips I say: "Lord, give me all the things that I desire, Health, wealth, fame, friends, brave hearts, religious fire, The power to sway my fellow-men at will, And strength for mighty works to banish ill"— In such a prayer as this The blessing I must miss.

Or if I only dare To raise this fainting prayer: "Thou seest, Lord, that I am poor and weak, And cannot tell what things I ought to seek; I, therefore, do not ask at all, but still I trust thy bounty all my wants to fill;" My lips shall thus grow dumb, The blessings shall not come.

And if I lowly fall, And thus in faith I call: "Through Christ, O Lord, I pray thee give to me Not what I would, but what seems best to thee, Of life, of health, of service, and of strength; Until to thy full joy I come at length;" My prayer shall then avail; The blessing shall not fail.

Charity the Object of the Law.

By A. T. Jones

TEXT.—"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned; from which some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling." 1 Tim. 1:4, 5.

THE word "end" is used here as in other places in the Scriptures, as meaning purpose, as in Jas. 5:11. In exhorting to patience unto the coming of the Lord, he says, "Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord." That is, we see the purpose of the Lord in allowing Job to suffer affliction. Again the word is used in Rom. 10:4. "For Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness, to every one that believeth." That is, Christ is the purpose of the law for righteousness. Righteousness is in the law of God. Ps. 119:172. To maintain righteous character is one of its purposes. But that purpose has been frustrated by man in his transgression, and he has forfeited all opportunity of obtaining righteousness from the law. Now Christ steps in; through him we obtain righteousness, and he thus becomes the purpose of the law for righteousness. This is the point of Paul's argument in Rom. 8:3, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us," &c. So then we may read the text, "The purpose of the commandment is charity," &c.

From the context, it appears that the word "commandment" also is used in an accommodated sense, as being synonymous with the word "law." It is used the same way by Paul in Rom. 7:8. "Sin taking occasion by the commandment. . . . For without the law sin was dead." Verse 9: "I was alive without the law, . . . but when the commandment came." Now putting these definitions in the place of these two words, we get the real meaning of the text by reading it: "Now the purpose of the law is charity." And as charity means love, Prov. 10:12; 1 Pet. 4:8, we have this still further reading: "The purpose of the law is love;" and by it we discover that the purpose that God had in giving the ten commandments was love. This is further proven by Deut. 33:2, 3. "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea he loved the people." And as God is love, 1 John 4:8, and as it was love which led him to give his law to the people, and as the very purpose of that law is love, it could be nothing but a law of love. And so we find it. Rom. 13:8, "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Verse 10, "Love is the fulfilling of the law." 2 John 6, "This is love, that we walk after his commandments." 1 John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments," and Matt. 23:37-40. So then we see that the degree of love which is demanded by the law of God is measured only by the demands which are made upon us, by the Lord himself, for the law is simply and only an exposition of the perfections of God. But this purpose of the law cannot be met by the natural man. Rom. 8:7. Therefore the apostle adds a phrase, "The purpose of the law is charity, out of a pure heart." "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." Jer. 17:9; and the Saviour gives us a picture of the natural heart in Mark 7:21, 22, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,

deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness." And this is what God finds in man, instead of the purpose of his law. Well indeed it is that Paul says that the purpose of the law can come only out of a pure heart. And blessed be God who has not only in love given us a law of love, but has given the Son of his love to redeem us from this iniquity, and to teach us the way of love. By faith in him the heart is purified. Acts 15:9. And by his Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart, making it spiritual and thus in harmony with the law, the purpose of the law can be met,—love out of a pure heart, for the fruit of the Spirit is love. Gal. 5:22.

There is another phrase added in the text. "The purpose of the law is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience." It is a point that has been much debated whether conscience be a sufficient guide; and it may always be answered in the negative, because the conscience itself must be guided. The phrase now under consideration shows that, because it says a good conscience, implying that there are consciences that are not good. And this is made sure by 1 Tim. 4:2, where we read of the "conscience seared with a hot iron." Surely such a conscience as that needs to be guided; for a bad conscience could be nothing but a bad guide, and needs itself to be guided to that which is good; in short, needs to be made good.

This "seared with a hot iron," of course is a figure, applied to the conscience, but if we understand the real searing with a hot iron, we may understand what the figure really means, applied to the conscience. If by accident your hand were struck upon a red-hot iron and held there a moment, it would be burned so much that the pain would be very severe. If the same hand were put a second time upon the same piece of hot iron, the pain would not be so great. And if it were put there the third time, there would be no pain at all. The tissue of the flesh would be so deadened that all sense of pain would be gone. Now carry the illustration to the conscience. Take, for instance, a young man, the son of pious parents, and who has been brought up in the fear of God. He leaves home and goes out into the world and falls in with evil associates, say with a class of persons who will steal, and who think that the one who can steal most expertly should be held in esteem among them. The young man is influenced finally to steal, for the first time; and his conscience will sting him to the quick. I once saw a young man steal a fine scarf, and go and put it away where it was perfectly safe; no one saw him but myself, and he did not know even that, but he was as restless as a person could be; and when he had stood it perhaps half an hour, I saw him go and get the scarf, and put it right back where he stole it from. Then he was easy.

Suppose now this young man resists the pleadings of his conscience, and keeps what he has stolen; when he steals the second time, his conscience will not affect him nearly so much; and when he has stolen the third or fourth time, he will have no conscience on that point at all. He has utterly deadened his conscience, "seared it with a hot iron." And so can he do under any commandment of the decalogue; and finally bring himself to that place where he will have no conscience at all on any of these points. Now suppose he by some means is induced to enter a church, where he, perhaps, hears read from the Bible the words his mother taught him, or he hears the words of a hymn which she sang to him, when a child, and he becomes a child again and listens to it all, until he falls on his knees before God, and cries for forgiveness; it is granted, and, like a child, again he starts into the world; he meets his old associates; they invite him to go with them in the old way, and he abhors it. Why, what is the matter? Ah! he is converted. The law of God is written anew upon his heart by the Holy

Spirit, 2 Cor. 3:3, and now he has a good conscience, one which recognizes the claims of the command, "Thou shalt not steal."

Now I say that the law of God is the great regulator of the conscience; and so much of the law of God as is in the heart, just that much conscience a man has, and no more. Webster remarks on the word conscience that—"The English word implies a moral standard of action in the mind." What moral standard of action is there for the human mind? None other than the ten commandments, which show the whole duty of man. Eccl. 12:13. And Paul expresses it clearly in Rom. 7:25: "So then with the mind I serve the law of God." This is further confirmed by Rom. 2:14, 15: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto themselves; which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness," &c. So we see that when they show (by doing the law) the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bears witness. And it is only to the work of the law, that their conscience does bear witness. Therefore it is plain that where there is no work of the law, the conscience cannot bear witness, and consequently, virtually, there is no conscience. On the strength of these "proofs of Holy Writ," let me repeat, Just as much of the law of God as is in the heart, just so much conscience a man has.

However from the quotation before made from Mark 7:21, 22, it appears that there is hardly any of the law of God recognized in the natural heart. But God in his great love "wherewith he hath loved us," has made abundant provision for this lack. If we will repent, he will convert us, Acts 3:19; and write his law new in our hearts, 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 10:15, 16; Ps. 19:7; and thus, in writing his good law in our hearts, he gives us a good conscience, and the purpose of the law can be met.

There is yet another phrase that Paul has given us: "The purpose of the law is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." James (chap. 2:14-26) sets before us fully the nature of a feigned faith, a faith that depends all upon believing without any doing—all faith and no works. But Paul in Gal. 5:6, shows us what he means by the phrase "faith unfeigned." "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." There it is; it is not alone a faith which works, but a faith which works by love. And thus in this, the "purpose of the law" is met. What a wondrous view of the law of God is here set before us! The purpose of the law is love. Love out of a heart from which love alone can flow. Love out of a conscience which witnesses to nothing but love. Love by a faith which works with nothing in view but love.

And this brings us to notice, for just a moment, the last part of our text, with the marginal reading, "From which some having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling." This shows that the purpose of the law, which is charity (love) must be our aim in the Christian life. What more painful thing do we see than a person who has no aim in life, having no controlling influence, no guiding star, but wholly and entirely the creature of circumstances, now here, now there, and finally nowhere. But the person who has an aim, it matters not what it may be, everything must be turned to helping him reach it. Circumstances may seemingly turn him from it, but in the outcome they have only helped him onward. Warren Hastings, one of the men to whom England owes the greatness of her dominion, when he was but a child playing in the fields, saw the castles and estates that had once belonged to the name of Hastings. And child though he was, he determined then that he would bring them back once more to the name. And though it was nearly at the end of a long

life before he reached it, he did reach it. Through many vicissitudes, adversity and prosperity, his one aim in life was that, and he accomplished it. In the Christian life God has set before us this aim, charity. And we are to aim at nothing else; for he who aims at anything else, even though he should reach his aim, really aims at nothing and reaches nothing. For though I aim at the eloquence of the tongues of men and of angels, and reach it, I reach only the lifeless, sounding brass. Though I aim at the gift of prophecy and reach it, or the understanding of all mysteries and reach it; though I aim at all knowledge and reach it; though I aim at martyrdom and reach it; though I aim at any or all of these, and reach them, I have aimed at nothing and reached nothing. But if I aim at charity, I aim at that which God has set for my aim; and he will help me to reach it. And in reaching that, the highest, in the very nature of the case I reach all below it.

Here, then, is our aim. Let it be indeed our aim. Let nothing swerve us from charity. For as surely as we lose our aim, vain jangling is the inevitable consequence. The apostle Peter, after showing us how to reach charity, says: "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." So means in this way, which shows that without charity we cannot obtain that entrance. Oh! we must aim at charity; we must reach it. And may the Lord help this people, who are set for the defense of the law of God in the earth, to aim at charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, and so fulfill the purpose of that law.

Light on the Prophecies.

By R. F. Cottrell

SOME go in search of light on Bible truth back toward the Dark Ages. They go to commentaries written some hundreds of years in the past for an exposition of prophecies relating to the closing events of time. I do not speak disparagingly of these commentators. Much light and truth may be elicited from them. But those who would cite us to them on prophecies that are now being fulfilled, which relate to the last days in the most emphatic sense, seem to forget the testimony of the prophets themselves to whom these things were revealed. Speaking of these things, said the angel to Daniel, "Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." "Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Dan. 12:4, 9, 10.

This testimony is equivalent to asserting that these prophecies of Daniel could not be fully understood till the time of the end; and that when that point is reached, knowledge on them should be increased, and the wise should understand them. Then no one that lived and died before the time of the end had the clear light on these prophecies. The further we go back toward the Dark Ages, the further we are from the light.

Those who thus go back to the wisdom of the past, would do well to heed such testimonies as that of Prideaux, one of their chosen expositors. After giving the best light he had on the profanation and the cleansing of the sanctuary of Daniel’s prophecy, supposing that it had a primary and typical fulfillment in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes and of the Maccabees, he gives his opinion that in its full and complete sense it refers to the defilement of antichrist, during the 1260 years of its supremacy, and he very wisely remarks, "Those that shall live to see the extirpation of antichrist, which will be at the end of those years, will best be able to unfold this matter, it being of the nature of such prophecies not thoroughly to be understood, till they are thoroughly fulfilled."

He refers us to the time of the end, beginning with the expiration of the 1260 years, for more light than was then had. He points us in the right direction. But those who live to see these prophecies "thoroughly fulfilled," and the "extirpation of antichrist," will live to see the coming of Christ; for of this wicked power Paul says, "Whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming." 2 Thess. 2:8.

R. F. COTTRELL.

Faith and Sight.

By Epsilon

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Cor. 5:7.

But few strive to enter in at the strait gate; because the “great and precious promises” are things of faith and not of sight. Would our wealthy, worldly neighbor even deign to talk with us on the Christian’s hope? Let us approach him.

“Friend, your life and energy are being spent in amassing and enjoying riches. If these perishable things do not leave you, you must soon leave them to others, perhaps to their injury. Why should you not rather prefer to lay up treasure in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and where no thieves can steal. This durable life, which the righteous alone will receive, will be attended with durable happiness.”

See on his face the mingled expression of contempt and derision. With an air of wisdom, he finally replies: “ ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; but your treasure in Heaven does not even amount to birds in a bush, for we can see birds in the bush, and we know that it is possible to catch them. You have never seen any one rise up from death to immortality, and all that you think you know about the resurrection of Christ is what you have read. Your fulfillments of prophecy may be only hap-hazard coincidences. Your ‘world to come’ does not yet exist, and may never exist. You would not work for a man, if you could not see the pay; then why trust in an unseen God, making promises of unseen things, and suffering you to remain poor, while I, who do not trust in him, stand right before your eyes a rich and honored man.’ Something whispers to us, ‘Ephraim is joined to his [visible] idols, let him alone.’

But, beloved brethren, “we walk by faith, not by sight.” “While we look not at the things which are seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The resurrection, immortality through Christ, the “world to come,” with the unending reign of Christ, are things yet to be revealed, eis tous aionas tou aionos, in the ages of the ages, or, as translated in our English Bible, these unseen things are to be realized in the future, “forever and forever.” We cannot give a purely scientific explanation of any of them. Those skeptics who ask us for a scientific reason for the possibility of the resurrection, cannot themselves scientifically explain how matter came into existence. To believe in God at all, is to believe in miracles. “But without faith it is impossible to please him [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is [does exist], and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Now it is not possible for us to believe that God is, does exist, without believing in his miraculous power. The God who established laws of nature is not like us, a servant of these laws. He is master. He has not created for himself a master, laws of nature, and become a servant. His miraculous power still exists, as it did in the creation of all things. He is able, and will surely fulfill his promises. Do we believe it with all our heart? Then what encouragement we have to ever strive to walk in the strait and narrow way that leads to endless glory!

EPSILON.

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