Earlier text: The Atonement—No. 12Emotion and Principle.
By Jacob Abbott
One of the most common religious errors of the present day, is the habit of confounding religious interest with religious emotion. Interest in religion is our constant duty. Emotion is one of the forms which this interest occasionally assumes. Now many persons confound the two, and think that they are in a cold, stupid state, unless their hearts are full of a deep, overwhelming emotion. They struggle continually to awaken and to sustain this emotion, and are distressed and disappointed that they cannot succeed. They fail for the obvious reason that the human heart is incapable of long continued emotion of any kind when in a healthy state. Susceptibility of emotion is given by the Creator for wise and good purposes, but it is intended to be an occasional not a habitual state of mind. For example, a man loves his wife and little children, and thinks that he may promote their permanent good in the world by removing to a new home in the West, where he can make his labors far more effectual in laying a foundation for their wealth and prosperity than he can in the home of his own childhood. He sets off, therefore, on the long and toilsome journey, to explore the ground and prepare the way for them to follow. As soon as he gets fairly upon the confines of the settled country, his mind is daily engrossed by his labors and cares. Now, he is toiling over the rough and miry road—now hesitating upon the bank of a rapid stream, now making his slow and tedious way through the unbroken forest, his mind intent in studying the marks of the trees, or the faint traces of the Indian's path. During all this time he feels no emotion of love for his wife and children, but his mind is under the continued influence of the strongest possible interest in them. It is love for them which carries him on every step of the way. It is this that animates him, this that cheers and sustains him; while he perhaps seldom pauses in his labors and cares in order to bring them distinctly to his mind, and fill his heart with the flowings of a sentimental affection. At length, however, at some solitary Post-office in the cabin of a settler, he finds a letter from home, and he lays the reins upon his saddle bow, and reads the welcome pages, while his horse, willing to rest, walks slowly through the forest. As he reads sentence after sentence of the message which has thus found its way to him from his distant home, his ardent affection for the loved ones there which has through the day remained calm within, a quiet and steady principle of action, awakes and begins to agitate his bosom with more active emotions; and when, at the close of the letter, he comes upon a little postscript, rudely printed, asking “father to come home soon,” it calls to his mind so forcibly that round and happy face which smiled upon him from the steps of the door when he came away, that his heart is full. He does not love these absent ones any more than he did before; but his love for them takes a different form. Nor is it that his affection is merely in a greater state of intensity than usual at such a time. It is in a totally different state; different in its nature, and different, nay, the reverse, in its tendency. For while love, as a principle of action, would carry forward to labor with cheerfulness and zeal for the future good of his family—love as a mere emotion, tends to destroy all his interest in going forward, and to lead him to turn around in his path and seek his shortest way back to his home. He readily perceives this, and though the indulgence of such feelings may be delightful, he struggles to put them down. He suppresses the tear which fills his eye—folds up his letter—spurs on his horse, and instead of considering the state of emotion the one to be cultivated, as the only genuine evidence of true love, he regards it rather as one to be controlled and suppressed, as interfering with the duties and objects of genuine affection. Now the discrimination, which is the design of the foregoing case to set in a strong light, is very often not made in religion, but it should be made. Piety, if it exists at all, must exist generally as a calm and steady principle of action, changing its form, and manifesting itself as a religious emotion only occasionally. But we must not suppose that religion is quiescent and inactive at other times. Religion is, to say the least, quite as active a principle, when it leads a man to his work in the cause of God, as when, in his retirement, it swells his heart with spiritual joys. They are, in fact, two distinct forms, which the same principle assumes, and we cannot compare one with the other, so as to assign to either the pre-eminence. Neither can exist in a genuine state without some measure of the other. It is, undoubtedly, the former which is the great test of Christian character. It is the former which we are to strive to establish in our hearts, and in the which we may depend upon making steady and certain progress just in proportion to the faithfulness of our vigilance and the sincerity of our prayers. But in point of fact, the attention of Christians in their efforts to make progress in piety, very often looks almost exclusively to the latter. They think that continued religious emotion is the only right frame of mind. The result is, therefore, either a feeling of dejection and confirmed despondency—or else the gradual cultivation of a morbid sentimentalism, which has nothing but the semblance of piety.—Rev. Jacob Abbott. “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2 : 13. In the above scripture the second coming of our Saviour is designated, by the apostle Paul, as “that blessed hope.” How many ministers of the present day set this before the church as the event for which they should hope and pray? How many hail the signs of His coming with joy; encouraging their brethren, and warning the wicked? Only a few; but, thank God, there are some who are giving the household meat in due season! On the other hand, we hear shepherds of the flock telling them that their hope is at death. If they are righteous they will go to Heaven when they die. Was this Paul's hope? I think not. But those who have imbibed this idea (that saints go to Heaven at death) cannot see the propriety of Christ's coming the second time, to take them to himself, when they are already there! So they are led to spiritualize the second advent, and conclude that the Lord comes at death, or conversion. O, fatal mistake! The Jews thought that the first advent of Christ would be as a king, but he came in a very quiet, humble manner. And are not many religionists of to-day as far in error the other way! When our Lord and Saviour comes the second time, it will be as King of kings, and Lord of lords. We shall all know when that event takes place. “For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Reader, this “blessed hope” will soon be consummated. Jesus soon is coming! There will be two classes in that day: those that are looking for him, and those that are not. Which will be yours? E. T. BEDEE. In Sight of the Cross.
By M. J. C.
“WE'LL reach home ere long if we follow the light,
And journey in sight of the cross.” How often we find ourselves wandering in labyrinths of darkness, far from the cross, entirely out of sight of that heavenly waymark. It may be that in seeking wealth we have wandered away till we can nowhere descry this waymark to the city of imperishable wealth. It may be that in pursuit of pleasure we have lost sight of the heavenly beacon which shines only upon the way of the cross; that way which alone can lead us to enduring pleasure. Or, perchance, fame, with winning tones, has lured us on toward her glittering temple, till the cross has faded from our view. Or it may be that worldly cares have reared between us and the cross-marked way, such a heap of rubbish, that it is almost or quite out of sight and forgotten. Let us pause right where we are, and look around us. Where is the cross? Nowhere to be seen! Then may we rest assured that we are wandering from the right way, and the longer we journey thus, out of sight of the cross, the longer it will take to get back into the right way. My brother, my sister, is there a heavy cross before you? Oh! turn not aside to the right nor to the left. Seek not to find a path where there are no crosses, but walk straight forward, follow the light, and remember that the way to the city of God “is the way of the cross.”—M. J. C. What our Subscribers Say.
The following is from a sister in Missouri:— “EDITORS SIGNS OF THE TIMES:—Almost one year ago Bro. — sent my name to you and I paid for the paper for six months, and you have kindly sent it to me ever since. I feel a deep interest in the cause; but my husband bitterly opposes me on account of my determination to follow the commandments of God, rather than of men. He will not allow me the means to pay for the paper, so I have deprived myself of some of the luxuries of life in order to send you one dollar, and as soon as I can get the other two dollars will send it to you. My prayer to God is to bless you and your great work of warning to the world.” It is always a pleasure for us to continue the paper to those who are interested in its teachings and are in the circumstances indicated by the following from sister S. J. D. of this State:— “I must tell you how thankful I am for the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, which I have received since April, 1875, by the kindness of Elder D. M. Canright. I was at that time very sick. He visited me and convinced me of the Sabbath, and I have been keeping it ever since. I read the paper with great interest, and am now trying to keep all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. My mother and oldest brother are also keeping the Sabbath and I hope soon will accept the whole truth.” “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the paper, but I cannot pay for it as I am an invalid and dependent on my friends, my mother is a widow. You can do as you think best about continuing it. I cannot ask it to be continued though it would be very hard to part with it for it has been the means of giving me light on present truth.” The following is from sister A. C. Burdoin of Daviess Co., Mo.:— “I find that after paying the quarterly s. b. for myself and two young children, I have enough to send the SIGNS to another precious soul. I have received good news from the copy which I have been sending to some friends. They like it very much, and I trust it and the tracts I send to them and others there may open the way for a minister to go and preach there. They read the paper and then compare its teachings with the Bible. I sow the seed and water it with tears and send prayers after it so anxious am I to see the truth run and be glorified.” “For two months and a half we have had from one to three sick all the time and it is very expensive, but I will give the Lord one-tenth of all my little income, although I practice some self-denial to do so. When I do deny self I feel blessed. But I feel that the most effective work is in living this truth every day. My missionary work had to stop, but to-day, I start over the field to see if any of the precious seed has begun to grow.” The Beginning and the End
The beginning of things is in our own power, but the end thereof resteth at God's disposing. Signs of the Times.—No. 3.
By Uriah Smith
The last days of our world's history, were, in the third place, to witness startling and widespread political commotions. The following are some of the predictions applicable to this part of the subject: Matt. 24: 6: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.” Luke 21: 25: “And there shall be . . . upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity.” Joel 3:9, 10: “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong.” Rev. 11:18: “And the nations were angry.” We now have before us a few of the definite utterances of the prophetic word upon this subject. Thus was it to be in the last days: a war-like spirit should bestride the world, summoning the nations to arms; every breeze should be freighted with the sound of battle or the rumors of coming strife; every land should resound with the din of busy preparation for anticipated, but uncertain, conflicts; and the nations would be agitated by feelings of hatred, distrust, jealousy, and anger toward each other. If this is the condition of things at the present time, to a sufficient extent to fulfill the prophecy, then we are certainly in the last days; and the end of all things is upon us. Are we witnessing the fulfillment of these predictions? This seems like an unnecessary question. It would seem to be sufficient to simply state what the prophetic word has uttered, and leave all to make their own application. And thousands would make the application if they knew what was written in the prophets concerning these things. There is no lack of attention bestowed upon the state of the world, nor of comment upon it. But the minds of the masses are not by this state of things carried forward to the ultimate conclusion of these scenes; because they are not aware of what prophecy has said should immediately follow in this train of events. The question for the student of prophecy to settle, is respecting the character of these events, whether they are remarkable or unusual as compared with events of like nature in the past; for, an event to be a sign must either be something entirely new and unheard of, or if an event of common occurrence, then of a very marked or unnatural character. Events that have occurred from the early ages of the world till the present day, could not be taken as signs of the end as we draw near the close of time, unless they were then to occur with more frequency or with some new and remarkable characteristics. There must be something connected with them, out of the usual course. Now there have been wars and political disturbances ever since Nimrod, the mighty hunter, established a kingdom on the banks of the Euphrates; and it would not be logical to attach any particular significance to events of this kind, unless there is something connected with them which marks them as unusual. But it is this very feature of the political commotions of the present day which elicits so much comment. They are of a nature before unheard of as respects their frequency and wide extent. And this is just what we think is pointed out in the prophecies. It is noticeable that as we draw near the end, evils of all kinds assume a more general and prevalent character. What have before existed in particular localities, as isolated plague spots, exceptions to the general rule, now breaking over all former bounds, manifest themselves in all classes, and everywhere. There have all along been wicked cities, Sodoms, Gomorrahs, Admahs, and Zeboims, towering above their neighbors, as monuments of rottenness and vice; but we believe there never was a time, as now, when scarcely a city could be found which did not almost equal them in corruption and crime. There have all along existed, probably, instances of human depravity, incarnations of evil, equal to any that can now be found on the earth; but we doubt if ever there was a time when, as compared with the present, more hearts could be found unmoored from all the principles of right, and swayed wholly by that which the prophet says is natural to the carnal heart, deceitfulness above all things, and desperate wickedness. The virus is all-pervading. Almost the whole mass is leavened. And as with sin, so with God's judgments against sin; the last of the seven last plagues is poured out into the air, and envelops the globe. Applying the same principle to the question in hand, we find prophecy pointing out in the last days a more general state of agitation, war, and strife, than ever before. The principal wars of the world in all past time, have been subjects of prophecy; but that which the prophetic pencil portrayed was generally the march of some particular power, monopolizing the attention of the world, as it won its individual way to greatness and renown. But now, says the prophet, looking over to the last days, Proclaim this among the Gentiles; let the summons go to all the nations, to prepare war, and wake up the mighty men; for now scenes are to transpire which will not concern some particular power and nation, to the exclusion of the rest; but all the world is to be engaged. So in Rev. 11:18: Under the sounding of the seventh trumpet, John says, in unqualified terms, The nations were angry. The seven trumpets are symbols of wars and strife. But look at the first six, and what do they portray? The progress and devastation of some particular power. The Goths, the Vandals, the Huns, the Ostrogoths, the Saracens, and Turks, are consecutively introduced upon the stage of action. But when the seventh trumpet sounds, the scene changes. Then not one nation alone arises in wrath against its neighbors; but all are angry. The spirit of war, leaving its perch upon the banners of a single power, wings its way to all the governments of earth; and commotion and strife, plots and counter-plots, threats of war and preparation for battle, are the order of the day. Is this an exact description of the state of the nations at the present day? Here we come back to the question which we have already said need not be asked. We have ascertained what the prophecy has plainly pointed out. And every intelligent observer of passing events knows, better than we can tell him, that the world to-day fulfills the description. South America is never at rest. The eastern question is threatening, through the multitude of interests that center in the Ottoman power, to involve all Europe in blind and furious strife. And all are familiar with the rival manoeuvers of England and Russia for supremacy in Asia. Such is the aspect which the world presents at the present time. All is commotion, like the troubled sea when it cannot rest. All answers to the prophetic description. All betokens the approach of the battle of the great day when He whose right it is to rule and reign, shall make all wars to cease by breaking the bow and spear in sunder, and dashing the nations in pieces with a rod of iron. And while a proud, ease-loving, and worldly church is led by the enemy of all truth to look for the golden age, and cry, Peace and safety, and persistently declare that the nations are about to beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruninghooks, the governments of earth are summoning their mighty men to awake, and bidding their subjects beat their ploughshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears, and prepare for instant and earnest strife. In this clarion note of war, the drowsy church seems to see nothing to disturb its dream of coming peace and prosperity. In it, the governments of earth hear only a call for self-defense; warriors hear only a call to glory and renown; but the student of prophecy hears a summons to prepare for the world's last change, and to be ready for the opening of the day of God. Who will read aright the lessons of the hour? U. S. Is the Soul Immortal?—No. 5.
By C. W. Stone
The evidence obtained from the record of man's creation and fall is sufficient to satisfy the candid truth-seeker, who will always decide according to the Bible evidence, that the soul is the entire man that God made out of the dust of the ground; and that when a man dies he returns to the ground out of which he was taken, as unconscious as were his atoms before he was created. “But,” says one, “if it can be proved by Bible testimony that man does possess an immortal principle, a deathless spirit, capable of living in conscious, intelligent activity without the body, it is certain that he was created with such, although the history of his creation fails to mention it.” That may be true; but the history of man's creation not only fails to mention such a thing, but furnishes abundant evidence that such is not the case, as we showed in articles No. 3 and No. 4. Furthermore, the Bible is not divided against itself on this question; and we find no evidence within its lids that man has any part or appendage capable of living after the body dies. We will examine briefly some of the chief texts upon which the advocates of the natural immortality of the soul base their theory. “So God created man in his own image.” Gen. 1: 27. The claim built upon this text is that man was created, not in the physical image of God, but in his moral image; and therefore man is immortal. Far-fetched as this conclusion is, it is based upon another popular error; that God has no physical form. So they argue that as God has no personal form, the image here spoken of must be the likeness of his moral attributes. Allowing for a moment that God has no form, let us see how much their argument is worth. If the assertion that man is made in God's image is assurance that he is possessed of his attributes, what a wonder it is that more of these faculties do not exhibit themselves! God is immortal, cannot die. Man is the same; therefore, as it is evident that his body dies, he must have an immortal spirit or rational part that does not die. God is all-wise, so is man! God is almighty, omniscient and omnipresent; so is man! If one of these conclusions is good, they are all good. Why select that one of God's attributes, immortality, and make the image to consist wholly of that? Expressed in a syllogism the popular argument stands thus:— Major premise: God is immortal. 1 Tim. 1: 17.
Minor premise: Man is created in the image of God. Gen. 1: 27.
Conclusion: Therefore man is immortal. This is easily quashed by another equally good, thus:—- God is omnipotent.
- Man is made in God's image.
- Therefore man is omnipotent.
This conclusion is obviously absurd; and yet it is as legitimate as the first. The second time the word image is used it expresses the physical likeness between father and son, and furnishes a good comment upon the relation asserted to exist between God and man in Gen. 1: 27. “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image.” Gen. 5: 3. No one would think of applying this language to any but physical resemblance. But is it true that God has no form? Our friends say that this is the case, for God is a spirit. John 4: 24. The Bible says also that the angels are spirits. Heb. 1: 7, 14. The angels are always spoken of as having bodily form. In bodily form and always in human shape have they appeared to men. Three angels came to Abraham's abode. He had water brought to wash their feet, and his wife baked cakes and prepared them a good meal which they ate under the shade tree that stood by Abraham's door. And yet these were spirits. God is a spiritual being in the highest sense, and as such he must possess a bodily form as the instrumentality for the manifestation of his powers. He has a spiritual body. “There is a spiritual body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. Now do you ask what kind of a body a spiritual body is? I will point you to an example. Our Saviour had a natural body. This was laid in the tomb. “It is sown a natural body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. The third day he arose. He came from the tomb to die no more. He came forth with an immortal body. “It is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Cor. 15: 44. Our Saviour had, after his resurrection, a spiritual body. There was no difference in its form. The same marks that were made upon his natural body existed upon his spiritual body. There was the mark made by the spear; there were the prints of the nails in his hands and feet. St. John 20: 25, 27. He assured them that he had flesh and bones, and called for something to eat, and ate it before them. His spiritual body is the pattern after which the spiritual bodies of the saints will be fashioned. Phil. 3: 21. We do not think that there was any blood in it. The life principle was something else. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Cor. 15: 50. His blood was shed upon the cross by the soldier with the spear. Having now an idea of the spiritual body of Christ, we can better understand the form of God; for Christ is declared to be in the image of God, and in his form. Paul, speaking of him, says, “Who is the image of the invisible God.” Col. 1: 15. Also: “Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” How could Christ be in the form of God and yet God have no form? Again, speaking of Christ: “Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,” etc. Heb. 1: 1–3. Here is an inspired statement that God is a person; and to give an idea of his form it is stated that Christ, just as we conceive of him as ascended up bodily on high, is the express image of it. God has shown parts of his person to mortal eyes. Ex. 33: 21–23. He told Moses that he would put him in a cleft of the rock and cover him with his hand while he passed by; then he would remove his hand and Moses might see his back parts. Has he a face? back parts? hands? If not, what is the use of language? Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders, saw the God of Israel. Ex. 24: 9–11. “And there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone.” Has he feet, or is the statement that these persons saw them a falsehood? Daniel saw God, in vision. He describes the very hair of his head. “The hair of his head was like the pure wool.” Dan. 7: 10. When God created man in his own image, he made him in the likeness of his own personal form. S. N. Haskell
By Stephen N. Haskell
“Not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Rom. 5: 3. Patience is an admirable trait of character. All admire it. Meekness, which much resembles it, is said to be in the sight of God of great price. 1 Pet. 3: 4. In Christian experience patience is a very essential thing. The apostle in Romans 5, places it at the head of the Christian graces. Then how important that we have a proper amount of that which will work for us patience; namely, tribulation. The apostle viewed it of so much importance as to exclaim, “We glory in tribulations,” for he knew it worked patience. Yet that tribulation in every one does not work patience is evident. Tribulation comes from different causes, and works differently on different individuals. We may suffer tribulation which is brought upon ourselves by our wrongs. “For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, but if when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” 1 Pet. 2: 20. With one it works fretfulness, wrath, and all manner of hateful feelings; with the other it works patience, meekness, gentleness, kindness, and every good feeling. Now we want tribulation from the right source, and we want it to affect us in a right manner, if we would be benefited by it. The receiving of the word of God led the disciples to occupy a position so different from the world, that the world hated them, and thus caused the tribulation. John 16: 33; 17: 8–11, 14. In James 1, we read, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness,5and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.” The 25th verse gives us a clue to what this word is: “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” Verses 21–25. Now I would suggest, if any would have tribulation from a source that God can approve, that the commandments of God be strictly kept by them; and if they would be properly affected by it, keep also the faith of Jesus. Study his character and pattern after him. Then you will be of the number referred to in Rev. 14: 12: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” And the promise of Rev. 3: 10, will be yours: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.” May the Lord pity and help us. How to Begin and End the Sabbath.
By John Nevins Andrews
Do not wait for the disappearance of the sun. The approach of the rest-day of the Lord, hallowed in Eden, is the approach of that which should command our solemn reverence. “The day when God himself did rest, hath honors all divine.” Our work should be closed, the chores of the evening should be all disposed of, and ourselves in a proper state of mind to welcome “the holy of the Lord and honorable,” the Sabbath. If we have not the privilege of assembling with the people of God, at the commencement of the Sabbath, let us call together our own families for worship, and let the beginning of the Sabbath find us engaged in the solemn adoration of Him that made heaven and earth. And as we begin the Sabbath with solemn worship, let us end it thus. Some have suggested that not the moment of the sun’s disappearance in the west but a point still later, when it has become a little dark, is the beginning and end of the Sabbath. This is an excellent doctrine to govern us in closing the Sabbath. Do not so eagerly turn to the world at the close of the Lord’s day, as to testify to your neighbors that you feel relieved from unwelcome restraint. And that you find the business of the world more congenial than the observance of the fourth commandment. If we profess to hallow the Sabbath, let us honor God in the manner of its observance. THE California tent has been taken down in Visalia, and is waiting to be pitched at the camp-meeting. The North Pacific Tent is still at Salem, where the interest and attendance have been excellent. From the Eastern States come interesting reports, too lengthy to be copied. But that some idea may be gained of the increasing interest manifested to hear the warning message of the “third angel,” we give a few lines each from several of the tent laborers:— Rome.—Of the meetings held in that place Elder Canright says, that the number of the audience is limited only by the capacity of the tent. “The introduction of the Sabbath question has not diminished the interest any. Nearly every one admits already that we have the truth upon it. “Last Sabbath we held our first Sabbath meeting. We had one hundred out. After speaking a short time, twenty-three arose and testified for the truth. It did our hearts good to hear the hearty indorsement they gave to ‘the present truth’ and the Sabbath. Many wept. It was an excellent season indeed. How many are keeping the Sabbath we cannot tell, but probably about twenty or thirty.” The Ohio Tent, No. 2, was pitched about two miles from Norwalk, near where the camp-meeting was to be held. Of his previous meetings in Frazeysburg, Eld. St. John says:—“There are some precious souls here whom we believe will be saved when Jesus comes. From twelve to fourteen, as near as we could learn, have decided to keep the Sabbath. There are many persons in this village and vicinity that cannot read, and as a consequence they learned the truth slowly, and were more disposed to be influenced by their former teachers.” The Wis. Tent, No. 1, has been pitched at Mount Pisgah, where a good interest had been raised by Bro. O. A. Johnson. “About twenty,” says Eld. Sanborn, “commenced keeping the Sabbath. Our meetings removed much prejudice, and the number of Sabbath-keepers was increased to thirty. Last Sunday ten were baptized.” Brn. Lane and Horney report a good work in Marion which place they left July 30, to pitch their tent in Peru. “Sunday nights,” they say “all could not get into the tent. The last Sabbath meeting was a precious season. A goodly number took part, and were very thankful for having heard the truth. Some twenty or more have taken a stand to obey the truth. We have procured the Wesleyan church in which to hold future Sabbath meetings.” Eld. Bourdeau had been laboring four weeks in Waterloo, P. Q., when he wrote the following paragraph: “We gave our first lecture on the Sabbath question two weeks ago yesterday (Sunday); and last evening we gave a lecture on the change of the Sabbath, telling how, when, and by whom, the change was made. A large concourse of candid and attentive persons were in attendance. At the close a vote was taken; some arose in favor of the Lord’s Sabbath, none arose in favor of Sunday; and many influential persons expressed the opinion that more than nine-tenths of those present believed that ‘the seventh day is the Sabbath.’ Some of the French are deeply interested in the truth. We shall soon commence a course of lectures in French in the tent.” W. W. Stebbins, the brother whom Eld. Canright, in his report from Maryland, mentioned as being a leader in a Sunday-school held in his neighborhood, after stating the good result of Eld. Canright’s visit, describes the course of the Methodist minister as follows:— “Eld. Nicholson, Protestant Methodist, has had an appointment here every two weeks. At his suggestion the Sunday-school was organized. At his last meeting he made a very weak effort to sustain Sunday-keeping, charging us with supplanting him. He also charged upon his own people an indisposition to sustain his meetings and to erect a tent to worship in. This being the case said he would take up his own appointment and recommend to the Conference no future one for this place, and he would thus give the intruders the field. But still more he would do: With a great deal of dignity, he said, ‘I hereby disband the Sunday-school.’ This hasty, spite action has gained him no friends, neither has the truth lost by it.” “The following evening we replied to his arguments, holding forth the Bible Sabbath. At the same time we called for a vote of the people whether the school should be disbanded or not, when nearly every man, woman, and child voted to continue the school. Thus has he left his flock. May God help us to feed them.” Shall Women Speak in the Church?
Among some Christian sects it is considered disorderly for women to speak or pray in a public assembly. Of course they quote 1 Cor. 14: 34, 35, as deciding the case. Paul there says, “Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak.” If this passage is to be taken as a general law, it is forbidden to a woman to speak, pray, or sing, in public, for silence is commanded. It is as much a violation of this scripture to exhort in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, as to exhort in prose and to pray. But no one thinks it wrong for women to sing in public; why should they forbid the other forms of speech, and allow this? The fact is, Paul is here correcting abuses, disorders, which caused confusion in the churches at Corinth, and he commanded those who possessed the gift of tongues to be silent, unless an interpreter was present, and that only one should speak at a time. All this concerned those who professed or pretended to possess supernatural gifts, and were exercising them so as to cause confusion. Women were not to wrangle and to yield to pretended impulses, and become excited and immodest in such assemblies. But nothing is proved by this in regard to what is proper in orderly, sober assemblies. Because it is very improper for women to take part in such meetings as they had at Corinth, it does not follow that they may not take part in orderly religious meetings. In 1 Tim. 2: 11, 12, women are commanded to learn in silence, and forbidden to teach, or usurp authority over the men. This cannot mean absolute silence, but the opposite of loquacity, impertinence, arrogance. In some of the churches they had fallen into the habit of disputing and becoming much excited, and the result was great disorder. Where women indulged in this, the matter was made worse, on account of their being generally more excitable than men, and immodesty on their part caused offense and scandal. It was very necessary that this should be forbidden. Women who usurp authority over men, and become dictatorial in public assemblies, are very much out of place; but that does not prove it improper to speak in a proper manner. That these passages do not forbid a modest, orderly utterance of their views, hopes, and joys, in religious meetings, is evident from the fact that the Scriptures indorse and commend such acts. In 1 Cor. 11: 5, directions are given that women who pray and prophesy in public should follow the custom of society, and have their heads covered. If it was wrong for them to speak or pray in public, why give these directions? The only difference between men and women, is that men are to uncover their heads, and women are to cover theirs, when they speak or pray. Joel prophesied that under the gospel dispensation the “sons and daughters” should both prophesy, or exhort, as the word means; and Peter, Acts 2: 17, so applies it. It is not likely that Paul's words conflict with this. Philip, the evangelist, Acts 21: 9, had four daughters that were prophetesses, and so noted and useful were their services, that the inspired writer was moved to mention them, that all other sisters having the same gifts, might be encouraged to exercise them in the same way. When women are forbidden to speak for Christ the spirit of the gospel is violated.—Morning Star.