Review and Herald, Vol. 13, No. 24. (5/5/1859)

Review and Herald

May 5, 1859

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 5, 1859

THE TWO THRONES:

Or, the Throne of God and the Throne of Christ.

TEXT. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Rev. iii, 21.

These words are addressed by our Lord to his followers after his exaltation from suffering and death. They clearly recognize two thrones, viz., the throne of the Father and the throne of Him who "is the beginning of the creation of God." Verse 14.

The position that our Lord Jesus Christ occupies during the present age, we apprehend, is but very imperfectly understood; or, is too generally overlooked. He now occupies a position that may be illustrated by the case of Joseph after his captivity and suffering in Egypt. Gen. xli, 40–44. "Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot, in all the land of Egypt."

Here it is seen that Pharaoh invested Joseph with supreme and unlimited authority, reserving only the right to resume that authority when the end is accomplished for which this investment was made. During the period that this authority was in Joseph's hands, all Pharaoh's kingdom was to be ruled by Joseph's word, and without his authority "no man should lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." It was only in the throne that Pharaoh reserved a superiority to Joseph; all other authority was made subject to him; even to the right to make and "seal" laws, as the king's seal was put upon Joseph's hand by Pharaoh's own act. Thus God, the Father, exalted Jesus, after his sufferings and death, to his throne in heaven.

THE THRONE OF GOD.

This is that on which Jesus our Lord sits during this present age, and which he will continue to occupy till his enemies are subdued, and he has given to him his own throne: on this throne he is now invested with "all power in heaven and in earth." That this is his present position we shall now attempt to show from the Scriptures.

1. The text asserts that our Lord now sits on his Father's throne, and that prior to his actual session there, he overcame; which imports that it was after his sufferings and death that he was exalted to that high honor and dignity.

2. The present exalted position of our Lord was a matter of promise, as we find recorded, Ps. cx, 1. "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."

The meaning of this text the Pharisees could not comprehend when our Lord propounded to them the question how David in spirit called the Christ Lord, if he was David's son, as they affirmed. Truly, the Pharisees were not able to answer that question, nor was any other man prior to our Lord's ascension to the throne of God, after his resurrection from the dead. God had determined to give him the throne of his father David; but the spirit of prophecy foresaw that when he should come into the world the nation would reject him as a King and put him to death. Thus he would be denied his own throne, by men, at that time; but "the Lord Jehovah—said unto" him, in promise, I will raise you from the dead, and "sit thou at my right hand"—be seated on my throne; though denied your own, viz., the throne of your father, David, you shall nevertheless have a throne and be exalted to rule, till by the authority and power I will invest thee with, "thine enemies" shall be made "thy footstool." Such is the position to which Jehovah promised to exalt his Son, when rejected of men; for though "disallowed of men" he was "chosen of God and precious." In view of this exaltation—or, "for the joy that was set before him," he "endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God."

3. Peter took the same view of the present exaltation of Jesus, on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had been so copiously shed on the disciples. After having spoken of his death and resurrection, he adds, "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Here it will be seen that Peter refers to Ps. cx, 1 as having its fulfillment in Jesus' present exaltation. It should also be observed, that the Spirit of God in Peter marks emphatically the two thrones—"God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Christ signifies anointed, and refers to his kingship on David's throne; as all the kings of Israel were anointed to that office; so was David by Samuel, as God directed. Peter, then, speaks of Jesus as the anointed king for David's throne, which was on earth; but he also recognizes, and wishes "all the house of Israel to know assuredly, that God hath made" Jesus "Lord;" or had seated him at his right hand, according to the promise of Ps. cx; and the evidence of this fact was manifest in that remarkable effusion of the Holy Spirit on that day. He does not lose sight, in the glory to which Christ is now exalted, of the fact that he is the anointed who is to sit on David's throne—or Messiah's own proper throne—an event then future, but made certain by his present exaltation, now invested with power and authority to make his enemies his footstool.

4. Paul calls attention to the present exaltation of our Lord, in speaking of "the working of God's mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." Eph. i, 19–22.

Here his authority on the Father's throne is fully stated: and is seen to be universal and unlimited: there is no principality, power, might, or dominion, in any part of the empire of Jehovah, excepted. All this is done with special reference to the sanctification and final exaltation of Christ's church, "which is his body:" and is also to constitute the body of his rulers, on his throne, when he shall be put in possession of it.

5. In Heb. viii, 1, the Apostle uses this language: "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: we have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens."

Here not only is his exaltation to his Father's throne noted, but that while there he executes the office, also, of high priest. How glorious the thought, that while invested with "all power in heaven and in the earth," he also appears on that throne in behalf of all who trust in him, or may come to God by him.

6. Peter, in another place, expresses the idea of Christ's exaltation, and supreme authority on the throne of God. 1 Pet. iii, 22. "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." Here all is clear; there is a perfect subjection to his rule fully stated.

7. In Rom. xiv, 9, the Apostle tells us, "for to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." He attained to his present exaltation and authority by submitting to death and being raised up from the dead. Through this means he attained to

the honor of being Lord both of the dead and living; or the possession of unlimited power.

8. We now come to another text in which this point is fully brought out. It is Phil. ii, 7–11. "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Here we see that Christ first subjected himself, voluntarily, to humiliation and a most shameful death. For this cause—on this account—or, because of this—"God hath highly exalted him—that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow"—as Pharaoh required all to do before Joseph. And this subjection to Jesus was of all in heaven, in earth, and under the earth; that is, it was universal and unlimited. This is more fully expressed when it is added "Every tongue should confess that Jesus ["the man"] Christ ["the anointed" king for David's throne] is Lord [ruler on the throne of God] to the glory of God the Father," who hath given him exaltation, and now requires all beings to pay Jesus homage in that state. He that refuses to do it is a rebel against God, and does not glorify the Father. Here then comes the test; Jesus has been rejected of men as king on David's throne; but God hath placed him on his own throne, and now requires all, as the sine qua non—the indispensable condition—to confess Jesus as the supreme ruler on the throne of God, by God's own appointment. The penalty of rejecting the requirement is death—the reward for complying with it is life eternal, and to be a partner with Christ on his own throne when he shall take possession of it. The condition specified in this test is mortifying to the proud hearts of men; but that pride is the very thing that unfits them live forever, or to have part with Christ on his own throne; and hence must be overcome or we perish. Like Joseph's brethren let us make haste to humble ourselves before him, whom, by our sins, we have crucified afresh. He is "highly exalted," and we are required to honor him with great honor; and he deserves it well who has loved us unto death. Let all make haste to honor Jesus—the exalted Jesus—Jesus on the throne of God—Jesus invested with supreme authority and universal sway—let us make haste to honor him as "Lord of all." The humiliation must be deep and unfeigned—no hypocritical pretensions of submission will pass here—it must be sincere and unreserved.

9. In this state of exaltation Stephen saw Jesus just before his martyrdom, as recorded, Acts vii, 55, 56. "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." The testimony of Stephen, on that occasion, enraged the enemies of Christ, and they rushed upon the holy man of God with stones, stopped their ears, and slew him. Still, Jesus sits on the throne of God, notwithstanding the hatred of the human heart to this great truth, on the reception or rejection of which, where proclaimed, hangs life or death to men.

God has chosen to place Jesus there; and requires all men to do him homage in that position; and tests their disposition of mind towards himself by their acknowledgement or rejection of Jesus on the throne of God.

10. Our Lord himself, after his resurrection from the dead, announced this truth for the reception of his followers. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Matt. xxviii, 19. On this truth was based the commission to "Go teach all nations," on the reception of this truth depended the action of the disciples in their work—on the belief of this truth must depend the action of sinners to whom the proclamation should come—on the belief of this truth and a correspondent action hangs our eternal destiny. He who rejects this truth, when clearly presented to his mind, must experience the judgment of God unto condemnation to the second death.

11. We may here notice that at the last interview of our Lord with his disciples, after having announced this great and all-important truth, it is recorded [Mark xvi, 19] "So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." Thus taking his position for the present age, on the throne of God.

12. Paul informs us that it was after Jesus' sufferings that he was exalted to his high station. He says [Heb. i, 3] "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." And again, [Heb. x, 12, 13] he says, "But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." Here the Apostle intimates not only that it was after his sufferings that he was exalted, but that the exaltation is to continue till his enemies shall be made his footstool, leaving no hope of escape to such as continue to refuse submission to God's requirement as expressed in Phil. ii, 9–11; which we have contemplated. Submit and live; continue to rebel and die; one or the other we all must do.

13. But, for the comfort of those who do submit, we record one more text on this point, [Rom. viii, 34.] "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

How full of consolation to the humble soul who credits God's testimony of his Son, and who has complied with God's demand to yield him homage in the exalted throne to which he is raised. Four particulars are here stated, all full of consolation. 1. "Christ died." What then if we are called to suffering and sorrow for his name? 2. He "is risen again." Then he is alive; and because he lives his followers shall live also. 3. He "is even at the right hand of God." Then he has the power to execute all his love designs for his followers. 4. "Who also maketh intercession for us." Then our cause is safe in his hands; for, the intercessor has in his hands all power in heaven and earth. What an intercessor—what a mediator—what a Saviour! O, that men could see the bliss—the joy—the honor—the inexpressible value of an entire, constant, and eternal consecration to Jesus, God's exalted Son.

Our Lord's seat on his Father's throne is not an unmeaning matter. He sits there in the administration of authority and power till the number of his associate rulers shall be completed; then he will leave his Father's throne to take his own.

(To be Continued)

ALL WELL.

By H. Bonar

No seas again shall sever: No desert intervene; No deep and flowing river Shall roll its tide between.

No bleak cliffs upward towering, Shall bound our eager sight; No tempest darkly lowering, Shall wrap us in its night.

Love, and unsevered union Of soul with those we love, Nearness and glad communion Shall be our joy above.

No dread of wasting sickness, No thought of ache and pain, No fretting hours of weakness, Shall mar our peace again.

No death our homes o'ershading, Shall e'er our harps unstring, For all is life unfading, In presence of our King. [H. Bonar.

Prayer a Sign of Life.

"PRAYER," says John Fox, martyrologist, "is the breath of the new creature, and the sign of a spiritual life. Christians, let your prayers be secret, sincere, fervent, and constant." "The way to heaven," says a good man, "is through the closet," and they that have been eminent in piety have been excellent in prayer. David would not let a morning pass without prayer, yea, three times a day he was at his blessed duty. It was his constant employment. Your prayer must be fervent if it be effectual. Prayer without fervency is a bullet without powder, or as a bird without wings, that cannot mount up into the air. Holy fire must be put to the daily sacrifice. God answers by fire. He that looks upon the heart regards the manner of your prayers. Cold, slight murmuring over a few petitions, either out of custom or to stop the voice of conscience, will not avail. Christians, the time that you spend with God in secret, is the sweetest time and best improved. Therefore, if thou lovest thy life, be thou in love with prayer.

Dear reader, can Jesus say of you, "Behold he prayeth." Are you in earnest prayer? or are you cold, formal, and freezing? Stir up yourself every hour of the day to take hold of God, and wrestle, Jabob-like, for a blessing, until you as a prince have power with God and prevail. But be "praying in the Holy Ghost" and in faith, and let not your earnestness be the mere excitement of the flesh. "Then shall ye seek me and find me," says the Lord, "when ye shall seek after me with all your heart."—British Messenger.

The Mortara Case at Washington.

By Editor

[The following recital we find in the Independent. Who can read it without almost feeling impatient for the outpouring of the seven last plagues?—ED]

ALL Christendom yet resounds with the appeal of the Jew of Bologna for his kidnapped son. If Europe shall be kindled into a general war, no small element of the conflict will be the hatred of the masses toward the Papacy, stirred anew by this outrage upon the family relation in the case of Mortara. For while this is but one of a thousand petty cruelties perpetrated by the Papal Government, it shows that the spirit of the Inquisition yet lives, and this incident has been made to concentrate the agitated feelings of the masses upon the concrete fact that the Papacy is a fearful tyranny over every man's household, ready to trample at any moment upon the dearest rights of nature, the fondest pledges of affection. When this case was urged upon the attention of Mr. Secretary Cass, he assured his Jewish fellow-citizens of his personal sympathy, and that of the government, but declined to interfere solely upon the ground of non-intervention in the affairs of foreign governments. Now, however, the Mortara case is repeated at Washington, with aggravated cruelty. Let fathers and mothers read this narrative from The Evening Post of recent date, and make the case their own. It is given on the authority of the Washington correspondent of The Post under the date of March 29th:

“There was a singular slave case in the Criminal Court yesterday. A free colored man was tried before a jury for harboring his own son. A couple of months since, the offender was brought before a common justice on the above charge, and a bail of $2,000 was required, and it was given. The colored man has a wife who is a slave, and one by one his children have been snatched from him at the age of ten years and sold off. The father keeps a house to which his wife comes on Saturday nights, spending her Sundays at home. Her master has been very glad to make use of the father's affection for

his children to get them fed and housed till they were of a suitable age for selling, but he has always pounced upon each at a certain age and sold them off without allowing the parent a dollar for his trouble. In the present case the boy ran back home and the father did not turn him out of doors. For that offense a Washington jury has brought him in guilty of harboring slaves, and his punishment will be severe.”

Neither the Mortara nor that of the Neapolitan exiles, just released from their long and cruel imprisonment, can show such refinement of cruelty as this. The most sacred affections of nature—the hallowed institution of marriage—are used for the purpose of raising chattels for the market; the wife of a free man is permitted at intervals to enjoy her husband's society, in order that the offspring of their sacred wedded love may be secured for the service of another; the mother being held as a chattel, her children are doomed to the same fate; child after child is born in the father's house, and suffered to remain there as an object of parental love, to be maintained and educated at the father's expense; then just at the moment when the child begins to be serviceable, and when the hearts of the parents have become wrapped up in its welfare, the mother's owner steps in to seize her offspring just as he would take away a calf from his cow; and when this kidnapping of a free man's children has been many times repeated, and the father ventures to retain his own boy under his roof, he is arrested, condemned and imprisoned for harboring a fugitive slave.

Let the christian parent read this story aloud in the bosom of his family and then pronounce his judgement upon the law of slavery. Let this story be repeated at missionary stations, and what must be the judgement of unsophisticated converts upon our christianity? This cruelty is only a necessary application of the law of slavery, a product of the system. It is perpetuated at the seat of government, within the domain consecrated to the Union. It thus becomes a national crime. It is a crime of yesterday. Its victim now lies in jail in Washington. Are such things done in this christian land, and will not God arise for vengeance?

[Independent.]

Old Translations.

By M. E. Cornell

Eccl. xii, 13. "Let us hear the conclusion of all things, fear God and keep his commandments, for that toucheth all men."

Isa. i, 28. "The transgressors and the ungodly, and such as forsake the Lord, shall altogether be utterly destroyed."

Isa. xix, 3. "The mind also of Egypt shall be clean without counsel in itself, and the device that they take will I destroy, and they shall seek counsel at idols and at sorcerers; at workers with spirits, and at soothsayers."

Isa. xviii, 10. "For they that be such, must take after one lesson, another lesson, after one commandment, another commandment, for one rule, another rule, after one instruction, another instruction, there a little and there a little."

Jer. xxv, 28. "But if they will not receive the cup of thy hand, and drink it, then tell them, thus doth the Lord of hosts threaten you, Drink it you shall, and that shortly."—Bishops' Bible.

Rev. xxii, 9. "And he said unto me: see thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant and the fellow servant of thy brethren the prophets and of them which keep the sayings of this book. But worship God."—Tyndale.

William Tyndale first printed the New Testament in English, 1525, and was martyred, 1536.

"Rome thundered death, but Tyndale's dauntless eye Looked in death's face and smiled, death standing by. In spite of Rome, for England's faith he stood, And in the flames he sealed it with his blood." M. E. CORNELL.

The Idle Christian.

WHY stand ye here all the day idle? Matt. 20: 6.—Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 1 Tim. 4: 7. Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. 2: 10.

Christianity calls to a life of activity. Its true spirit is a spirit of activity. Many a person thinks himself a pretty good christian because he cannot, as he supposes, be convicted of doing anything inconsistent with his profession. He is guilty of no immorality. He does not lie, swear, nor drink. This is good but they do not go for enough. Christianity not only requires us to abstain from vice, but also to practice its virtues. It has a positive as well as a negative. We are called to work in the Lord's vineyard; but this the idle christian does not do. There are sins of commission and of omission. 2 John 5: 4. James 4: 17.

TO BE IDLE IS TO BE—NOT LIKE CHRIST. Christ led a life of activity. He labored for the good of the lost race of man. "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

TO BE IDLE IS TO NEGLECT TO GLORIFY GOD.—We are to live for God's glory. 1 Cor. 6: 20. The idle child is no credit, no honor to his parents.

TO BE IDLE IS TO BE FALSE TO THE CHURCH.—She needs help. The christian belongs to the church. He is not his own. The church has a right to his service. In whatever way he can promote the interests of the church he is bound to do it. One can make money—another can be useful in the prayer-meeting—a third can exhort—a fourth can preach—a fifth can sing—a sixth can write. Too many christians feel that they do not violate any of the prohibitions of God's word. It is just as much a sin in the sight of God to disobey his commands as it is to violate his prohibitions—to neglect the prayer-meeting as it is to lie—to neglect to give of our means to support the church as it is to swear. The true spirit is "Lord, here am I, send me." We should arrange all our business so as not to interfere with the interests of the church. One says, "I cannot attend prayer-meeting, I have other engagements, &c."

TO BE IDLE IS TO BE CRUEL TO DYING SOULS.—James 5: 20. It is as cruel as to leave a wounded man to perish by the way-side when we might save him. The good Samaritan shewed the true spirit of christianity.

TO BE IDLE SHOWS A LACK OF LOVE. 2nd Cor. 5: 14, 15. The parent who neglects his children, lets them run clothed in rags, in ignorance, &c., shows a want of love for them. The parent may provide for the physical want of his child, but neglect his soul. Christ showed his love for man in what he did for him.

TO BE IDLE IS INJURIOUS TO THE HEALTH. Exercise is necessary to health, and many injure themselves through indolence. Thus it is with man spiritually. Benevolence, sympathy, love, forbearance, devotion must be exercised to keep them alive. Soon as christians neglect this their spiritual health declines.

TO BE SPIRITUALLY IDLE IS TO BE SPIRITUALLY POOR. "The hand of the diligent maketh rich." See that man who has come down to an old age of poverty. Why is it? Idleness. Men differ, but all may accumulate something. Many come down to old age spiritually poor. O, says one, if "I could pray like such a one I would love to pray." He acquired this gift by cultivation, and you could do the same.

TO BE IDLE IS TO HINDER A BLESSING. Idleness hinders the crop. "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse." The gifts must all be brought into exercise if we would have the church prosper. In the industrious family all do something, and they prosper; but in the idle family all go to ruin. Thus it is with the church. In the idle family one is too lazy, another too proud and another too intent on pleasure. Thus it is in the church.

TO BE IDLE IS TO BE WEAK. Many men come up into life weak, because their powers were not developed and strengthened by exercise. Thus it is with many christians.

IDLENESS HINDERS ASSURANCE. The idle farmer has no assurance of a crop. Thus the idle church has no assurance of prosperity.—"Make your calling and election sure." How is this to be done? "Be thou faithful."

IDLENESS HAS NO PROMISE. The idle student has no promise of success. "So run that you may obtain." "Let no man take your crown."

IDLENESS BRINGS A CURSE, poverty, and want; and this leads to vice and wickedness. Thus it is with the church. Idleness breaks down the prayer-meeting, and the church. "Curse ye Meroz; curse bitterly; because they came not up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty."

THE IDLE ARE LIABLE TO A DISASTROUS END.—It always leads to ruin. "Man commences life with fair prospects, but ends in ruin." "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness."

IS IT TRUE THAT THE IDLE CHRISTIAN DOES NOTHING INCONSISTENT WITH HIS PROFESSION? Is it not inconsistent with our profession to neglect the family altar, the prayer-meeting, and the house of God?

THE ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS IN THE CHURCH are an active, industrious, spiritually minded minister; a devoted, earnest, benevolent, praying, hard working membership. Where these elements exist they always secure prosperity, and without them the church will go to ruin.

A glorious reward awaits the active, faithful christian. A CROWN OF LIFE. Matt. 17: 49; Dan. 12: 3; Rev. 7: 9, 17.—Herald of Gospel Liberty.

The loving-kindness of God.

THE loving-kindness of God—what a beautiful expression! How rich and consoling the thought contained in it! It is not mere good-will—not the mere neighborly kindness of human beings, although these are of high and precious account: it is the good-will, the friendship, the kindness of love—of the love of God, who is love itself. We know something of the loving-kindness of father and mother. We have been gently tended and nursed by this kindness: or, parents ourselves, we know full well the throbbing of parental affection. Deep, earnest, self-sacrificing is human love in many tender relations. We trust in it fervently, and without fear. Oh! if there were no human love in which we could trust, what a desolate place would this earth be! But the loving-kindness of God—of that great and incomprehensible Being who fills the universe with his presence, and before whose majesty the pillars of heaven tremble—what a loving-kindness that must be!—the kindness of infinite love wedded to infinite power! There is nothing that love can conceive of, or wish to do for its object, but is contained here, and rendered not only possible, but absolutely certain.—Sel.

Christ’s Example of Generous Giving

STANDING at the cross, we learn to feel most for the woes of sinful men. That awful burden which Jesus is bearing, shows what wrath must lie on them who know him not. "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" *

Can we believe that the Son of God became what we see him, and bore what we behold him bearing for our sakes, and refuse any burden he may lay upon us, or keep back any possession of which he has need? "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." Here is over the great argument for beneficent activity and generous giving. Nor is there motive alone in it, but law.

The life of Jesus is an authoritative model. "If I," he said, "your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done unto you."

Ah! what depth of meaning is there in these words of the apostle, so little thought of by many, too little by us all: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."—Sel.

Doing God’s Will Is Food

Doing God's will is food to a healthy soul.

God Is Ever With Thee

God is ever with thee, and with thee to save thee.

Dr. Hatch's First Onslaught on Spiritualism.

THE LIST OF RUINED SPIRITUALISTS.

Dr. B. F. Hatch, the husband of Cora Hatch, the medium, who declines to live with him for reasons already made known, is engaged in assailing the doctrine of Spiritualism, which he has heretofore advocated. In the first of a series of letters on the subject, published in the Herald, he announces the opinion, after nine years acquaintance with spiritualism and its leading advocates, that many of their theories are founded in wild delusion, and productive of the most direful results; that he is determined to 'flee from his errors,' and that though he once threw christianity overboard, he thanks God that he has again been made its recipient. For his wife Cora he professes the profoundest respect and tenderest regard, but asserts that Spiritualism, (of which she was a medium), is 'fifty per cent. self-delusion, twenty-five per cent. psychology, fifteen per cent. intentional imposition, and the remaining ten per cent. yet a matter of uncertainty.'

Dr. Hatch promises to answer Cora's complaint in her action for divorce a mensa et thoro, denying nearly every allegation therein made.

His theory of her behavior is that her mind is so extremely 'mediumistic' that it absorbs the thoughts and feelings of those around her and being surrounded by his enemies, has caused her to imbibe these sentiments of aversion to him.

In relation to his exposures of Spiritualism he says there are many startling facts in his possession, especially in relation to the immoralities of 'healing mediums' which are not fit for publication. He may possibly take the field as a lecturer against Spiritualism if he receives sufficient encouragement. His list of the names of persons who have been ruined by spiritual mediumship has increased to seventy-five.—Sel.

THE BURDEN OF PROOF.

BETWEEN the two institutions, a true and false Sabbath, the seventh and first day of the week, it would be well for all to understand with whom lies the burden of proof; which party are bound to make good their position. The following acknowledged logical principle will be in point here:

"Any ancient institution is presumed to be well founded until its principles can be shown to be false and mischievous; or it can be shown, by fraud or violence, to have supplanted a more ancient institution. In the latter case the burden of proof falls upon the more modern, and the presumption lies in favor of the more ancient institution. It happens, sometimes, that those are called innovators, who are in reality, the advocates of what is truly ancient and venerable. If they prove this to be the fact, they, of course, transfer the burden of proof to where it justly belongs." Tappan's Logic, p. 482.

Applying this principle to the question in hand, the burden of proof will be found invariably to fall upon the defenders of the more modern institution of Sunday-keeping. We are not the innovators—introducers of a new and novel institution, as some would fain have us believe, but are the advocates of that which is truly ancient and venerable. And this institution—the Lord's Sabbath, on the seventh day of each week, has every presumption in its favor: its principles cannot be shown to be false or mischievous; and certainly it cannot be shown to have supplanted by any means an institution more ancient or venerable; for its existence is co-eval with the world itself. The burden of proof then is "transferred to where it belongs." The advocates of the more modern institution of Sunday-keeping, are bound to show us its lease of life, the right it has to existence a single hour. It certainly has, with the mass of mankind, in so-called Christian lands, taken the place of the more ancient Sabbath. Is this a lawful succession? or is it a usurpation? Has it gained its present position by Divine right, or by fraud and violence? The whole controversy of the First-day Sabbath turns upon these points; and on these its advocates affirm, that it exists by legal succession, and divine right: on the same we deny. And remember that every presumption lies with us in favor of the more ancient institution.

But not only are the First-day advocates unable to prove what they claim on their affirmation, but we can even turn the negative into a positive, and show that it has usurped the true Sabbath, not only by fraud or violence, but both by fraud and violence. Let these principles and facts be remembered; and let him who affirms that Sunday is the Sabbath, bear in mind how much will devolve upon him to make that affirmation good.

A “NO” THEORY.

THERE are some persons whose creed seems to be such that “No” can be prefixed to every important article which might be contained therein. We have heard Infidelity called a great negation—a belief in all unbelief. This theory seems to be an approximation to the same end. For instance, they believe in No-law, No-Sabbath, No-prayer, No-Spirit, No-Devil, and No-resurrection-of-the-wicked; and if you inquire for the remainder of their creed, prefix “no” to whatever you please, and you will not get very wide of the mark.

Do you see anything, reader, very attractive in this dark array of negatives? Does it seem as though the humble obedient soul, could be satisfied with such a negation of all that is good and lovely? For our own part this is not sufficient. We want something positive, instead of all negative. We want something of which we can affirm positively, It is, instead of an unsatisfactory denial, It is not. We want something on which we can walk out, as upon terra firma, and build our faith in such manner as will stand the searching test of the last day. We want something that will be food, positive, substantial nourishment, for our souls, instead of endeavoring to satisfy ourselves with blank nothingness, or to “fill our belly” with a few breezes of “east-wind” from Old Jerusalem.

There are men going about the country, whose great delight, and one of their main objects, seems to be to dissuade people from keeping the Sabbath, or if they are already keeping it, to endeavor to prevail on them to give it up, promising them liberty. 2 Pet. ii, 19. And if they succeed in this, what then? They have only torn down something, and not built up; they have only lowered the standard which the individual before had up, not raised it; they have only brought him down again upon the level where he was before.

And what of those who thus fall into their snare? Are they made better? Do they become holier, more devoted, more godly? Rather the reverse of this. What satisfaction then can they take who are instruments in such a work as this? If they take any, it must be of that malicious kind which takes pleasure in tearing down and destroying the works of others. They seem to delight in their spiritual vandalism, taking sweet satisfaction in the thought that they are doing injury to another cause, though they may be gaining nothing for their own.

Granting that the Sabbath is only a matter of probability, it may be that it is binding, and that the Lord will require it at our hand. Which then is the safer course? To be found keeping it though it should not be reqnirod of us, or to be found breaking it, since it may possibly be binding. The only reasonable way to treat such a doubt would be to keep it; for in the one case we run no risk, but in the other a most fearful one. But the Lord has not left it thus in doubt. His law is plain, and his requirements imperative.

Let us have but very little “no” prefixed to our belief. We cannot subscribe to “no law;” for we do not feel restive under moral restraint; and we trnst that every emotion of every heart that will read these lines is in unison with its just requirements; and that with Paul they can can call it holy, just and good, and with another apostle, can say that its requirements are not grievous.

We have no disposition to have “no-Sabbath” a part of our creed; for we feel the Sabbath to be a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honorable. Neither do we desire that liberty (?) which is satisfied with “no-prayer;” for prayer, public, social, and private, is the life and joy of the christian. Nor can we believe in “no-Spirit;” for it has a work to accomplish for us which we are anxious to have fulfilled—even to seal us to the day of redemption. We cannot believe in “no-Devil;” for there is such a malignant, being in existence, who is warring against the works and the subjects of God; and it is well for us to be aware of his existence, and be on our guard against his devices. As to the resurrection of the wicked, we cannot prefix “no” to that; for the word declares that all this race of probationers, of which we form a part, the wicked as well as the righteous, the unjust as well as the just, shall give account for the deeds done in the body. Let us so live that we may be able to render up ours with joy and not with grief.

Continue reading: THE SABBATH--DO WE KEEP IT HOLY ?