With profit we may now briefly consider the duty of public worship, for which all Christians have a sincere and abiding love.
Says David, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." Ps. cxxii, 1. With emotions of lively gratitude, the heart of every child of God swells for the privilege of entering with those of like precious faith into the house of the Lord. And here in the language of the faithful servant of God, his invitation is, "O come, let us worship and bow down : let us kneel before the Lord our maker." Ps. xcv, 6. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness : fear before him, all the earth." Ps. xcvi, 8, 9.
But we would here remark that we should not go to the house of worship with a careless, heedless, or worldly-minded spirit. We should carry with us the Spirit of him who was rejected, buffeted and despised, and crucified, as we go forth to worship in his holy and all-prevailing name. We have reason to fear that some even of the remnant Church fail here. O brethren and sisters, "WATCH" your words and actions as you go to worship the Lord of hosts, especially on the holy Sabbath.
Remember the awful majesty and supreme power of him whom you worship, and before whom you bow. Says the Prophet, "But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion." Jer. x, 10–12.
The following remarks from the pen of a writer on this point we deem worthy of a place here:
"Be watchful over your spirit in going. Much of our spirituality and comfort in public worship depends on the state of mind in which we come. We should, as far as may be, abstain not only from worldly business, but worldly conversation and thoughts on the Sabbath. A dream cometh, says Solomon, through the multitude of business. Eccl. v, 3. If you are conversing or thinking on the things of this world till you enter the house of God, how is it possible that your heart can at once be raised to God?
"Earnestly aim at going thither in the spirit of prayer, looking upwards for the divine blessing to give life, efficacy, and unction to the outward service. It would be happy for us if we could always go in that spirit which David describes, "O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and77thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." Ps. lxiii, 1, 2. When we come in any thing of this spirit, how different a service is public worship to what it is when we come carelessly. How humbling, how awful, how elevating.
"Let us also go in the spirit of praise. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Ps. cxxii, 1. We should come up to his house with a thankful, grateful spirit; with the feeling of children going to their parents; not in the spirit of bondage, but in the spirit of adoption. A dutiful child, entirely dependent on the bounty, wisdom and love of its kind father, after experiencing the contempt or unfriendly treatment to which a stranger in a foreign country is exposed, loves to go to the father's dwelling; and whilst we are in this hostile and ensnaring world, it is our privilege to serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with joy. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.
"Yet let holy joy be ever connected with godly fear. The Jews were commanded, Reverence my sanctuary. Lev. xix, 30. And Solomon's directions should be often in our thoughts: Keep thy foot (watch and mark all the motions of soul and body, restraining all that would be unbecoming) when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to offer the sacrifice of fools. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God, for God is in heaven and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. Eccl. v, 1, 2. We should endeavor to have that lively impression of the divine presence, which pervaded Jacob's mind after his intercourse with his God: "Surely the Lord is in this place—how dreadful is this place; this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Gen. xxviii, 16, 17. The more just and lively views we have of God's character, presence and glory, the more we shall seek to honor him. This reverence Paul urges: Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. Heb. xi, 33.
"Closely connected with this reverence will be deep self-abasement. We may always observe this, when God's servants have had near approaches to him, or a true view of his glory, they have been greatly humbled in the sense of their own sinfulness; as Abraham, Behold, now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes; or as Job, Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth; or as Isaiah, Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Isa. vi, 5. We should come with that feeling which Daniel well expresses, We do not present our supplications before thee, O Lord, for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies. Dan. ix, 18."
Of him who lived our pattern, we read, "As his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day." Luke iv, 16. Let not those privileged with meeting together from Sabbath to Sabbath, grow unmindful of this blessing, nor neglectful of their duty, but strive rather to love and appreciate this great favor, and the benefits of the house of prayer.
For the "little flock" living in the present eventful period, the Apostle has a word of exhortation on this subject. "And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching." Heb. x, 24, 25.
Again, we are encouraged through the mouth of the Prophet to faithfulness, as we bend our footsteps to the land of the blest. Says he, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. iii, 10.
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Mal. iii, 16, 17.
The Lord is about to make up his jewels: his saints will soon be gathered home. "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isa. xxxv, 10.
O, blessed prospect! O, glorious hope! Who would not be faithful with this buoyant expectation before them? with so blissful a future beckoning them onward, upward and homeward?
(To be Continued.)
POOR IN SPIRIT.
"BLESSED are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. v, 3.
"To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." Isa. lxvi. 2.
The poor in spirit are truly rich; while those that feel that they are rich, and increased with goods, are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. And since there are such exceeding great and precious promises to the poor in spirit, is it not highly important for us to cultivate this grace? Since the kingdom of heaven is to be given to the poor in spirit, should we not labor and strive to be of that class?
And how shall we attain to this poverty of spirit? By what means shall we cultivate it? Shall we attain it by seeking worldly wealth and living in the style of the world; by following the fashions of the world making a show of wealth? Shall we increase in poverty of spirit by putting on costly apparel, so that we may not appear to the world to be so poor as they might otherwise think us to be? Shall we grow poor in spirit by decorating our persons with jewelry or other ornaments and outward adornings? Not at all. These things only cultivate the opposite spirit. If we desire them, it only proves that we are not poor in spirit. By this we may examine our heart. Our choice in respect to these outward things is a true index of the heart. If we are truly poor in spirit, we shall hasten to make our outward appearance and style of living correspond to this state of the heart. Pride, the sin of the devil, must be killed. But it will live as long as it has anything to live upon. It will abide with us till it is starved out. And we may be assured that poverty of spirit will not live in the same house.
A little in the future and all the proud will be cut off. They will be cut down as the grass, and wither as the green herb. But not so with the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In a little while their pilgrimage through this land, in which they are strangers, will be ended, and they will be at home. Think you that they will then regret the poor style in which they emigrated through the land of their sojournings? Will they then regret the scoffs and jeers which, as they took their humble meal by the way-side, they received from those that passed by on the other side? No; it was their choice to appear poor in the land of strangers. They might have stopped, and become citizens of the country by conforming to the prevailing customs. But they were seeking a better country—a land flowing with milk and honey—a land where they could feel they were at home. Consequently they were deaf to the censures or applause of those through whose land they passed. They were poor in spirit, but rich in faith; and now they enter upon their eternal inheritance. "Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
R. F. C.
REFORMER'S CONVENTION.
The pen would become weary in recording, and the eye in reading, all the absurd and blasphemous notions put forth by Deists, Atheists, Free Lovers and Spiritualists, which are now flooding the land. A Reform, or perhaps more properly a Spiritualist, Convention commenced June 25th last, in Rutland, Vt. Some of the positions taken, and the resolutions discussed it may be proper to record as waymarks of the progression(?) people are making in some directions. The first resolution will show the position into which some would be glad to reform themselves on the subject of law:
"Resolved, That the authority of each individual soul is absolute and final in deciding all questions as to what is true or false in principle, or right or wrong in practice; therefore the individual, the church or the State that attempts to control the opinions or the practice of any man or woman, by authority or power outside of his or her own soul, is guilty of a flagrant wrong."
The object of the Convention seemed to be to destroy the confidence of the people in the Bible and its Author, as the following resolution will show:
"Resolved, That nothing is true or right, and nothing is false or wrong, because it is sanctioned or condemned by the Bible—therefore our Bible is powerless to prove any doctrine to be true or any practice to be right, and it should never be quoted for that purpose."
Read 1 Tim. iv, 3, and compare with it the following:
"Resolved, That the slavery and degradation of woman proceed from the institution of marriage; that by the marriage contract she loses control of her name, her person, her property, her labor, her affections, her children and her freedom."
Mr. T. Curtis, a free lover of Philadelphia, Pa., made the following statement of his experience and sentiments:
"I married myself to my wife, and she married herself to me, upon the express understanding not that God sanctified it—she did not want God in the matter—not that it was sanctioned by magistrate or priest, because we cast that idea aside as none of their business, &c. . . . When we were married, we expressed that sentiment, and when we agree to separate, we shall accomplish that separation without the help of God, or priest or magistrate—we don't want the consent of either of the three—we do not want to be united because God unites us, and we will not be separated because God separates us. We will act upon our own judgment and opinions; each respecting the impressions, not which I state, or which she states, but the impressions which are for both, and which are the common property of all, and as such to be used both by men and women."
Eld. Grant, of the "World's Crisis," was present to hold up the true Bible doctrine concerning the state of man in death, and the immortality of the soul. From his report we copy the following paragraph:
"In replying to Prof. Brittan, we quoted both what the Lord and the Devil said to Eve. The Lord said, 'Thou shalt surely die;' and the Devil said, 'Ye shall not surely die.' We inquired which told the truth. Several voices from the platform cried out, 'The Devil.' They answered consistently with their belief; and we do not see how any one who believes in the immortality of the soul can honestly give any other answer."
If we may credit the various reports of this Convention, it was rather a failure and will prove a detriment to the cause of Spiritualism in Rutland and vicinity; but in an age when the masses seem thirsting for error, and hankering for any delusion which will exalt themselves, flatter their presumption, and give the rein to their passions and lusts, such a trifling incident will prove no lasting impediment to this work of devils.
Meetings in Portland, Mich.
By Joseph Bates
DEAR BRO. SMITH: A few weeks since we spent a few days with the church at Otsego, Mich. They have been in a state of trial and lack of consecration and spirituality for several months past: false teachings also with disaffected members, &c. From all these they have separated themselves, and begun anew to serve the Lord with all their hearts, and to live out all the precious truths in the last message.
According to previous arrangements we appointed to lecture in the school-house in Richland, some twenty-two miles from Battle Creek. Bro. Babcock and family were the only Sabbath-keepers in the neighborhood.
We commenced June 13th, with a full house, and the people apparently much interested. When we came to attend our eighth meeting, the house was locked and no one prepared to explain. We learned afterwards that the Sabbath question, which was up the previous evening, troubled some of the professors very much. Our meetings continued without further interruption at the house of Bro. Babcock, where we were invited to preach some four evenings.
Wm. Osburn, of the M. E. Church, had been holding protracted meetings in the school-house for some time, and a number had professed to be converted under his labors. On hearing of our protracted meeting, I was told that he labored hard to prejudice the people against the Advent doctrine, and advised them not to attend the meetings. After we were locked out, I attended one of his meetings. The main object of his discourse was to show up Advent Sabbath-keepers in a ridiculous and contemptible light. He exhorted his brethren to believe in Christ. Said he: They believe he is no better than Peter, and that man has no spirit any more than snakes and hogs; and our business was to scatter, divide, and destroy the churches, with much more of the same tenor, unbecoming the character of his profession. As he was personal in his remarks and labored to single me out before his audience several times, when he closed his meeting, I asked for the privilege of the house the next forenoon (First-day) to review his discourse; this was denied, rendering as an excuse, it would desecrate the Sabbath. I then asked Mr. O. what knew he about me or of me, or if he had ever seen me before? He said that he had not. To whom then were you directing your remarks? He replied, to Advent Sabbath-keepers. Where and when have you known them? O, said he, I have known enough of them. Where, sir, have you known them? Said he, in Monterey. Any where else? No, that was enough. What a sensible well-bred minister and teacher in Israel, to entertain an audience by directing the main portion of a long discourse, to a people living in a scattered neighborhood 25 miles from the place of his meeting! What he said about them after his meeting particularly, I considered unbecoming the character of an honest man. From what I learned afterwards, his unjust remarks against the Sabbath brethren at Monterey arose from a statement of his own, which he could not sustain. He therefore resorted to such ways to justify himself. Many of them once belonged to his church.
The next day a Mr. Parmenter, another Methodist preacher, came, as he said, to preach the immortality of the soul. He endeavored to show that man was made first, and then the soul, and that these were distinct, and the soul was separated from the body at death, and passed off to the spirit world. He endeavored two or three times, to describe the soul as a principle. When he had finished his subject, he challenged any person to show that he had not proved it by the Bible. Now, said he, I will show what these Adventists believe about the soul. He quoted several texts and gave his opinion of them, and then held us up to ridicule and contempt for believing contrary to his view of the subject. We asked the privilege to reply. He refused, and closed the meeting. We reviewed his subject the next evening, and trust that those who heard were satisfied that his position was without foundation in the Scriptures. We were invited and held two evening meetings in the adjoining district school-house. On leaving the place we learned that a number were satisfied that we had the truth on the Sabbath, and they were making up their minds to keep it.
JOSEPH BATES.
Battle Creek, July 8th, 1858.
PROPHECY.
By Jesse Dorcas
Its use—to guide our feet amidst the darkness of this deceptive world. Says Peter, We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, &c. 2 Pet. i, 19.
How can prophecy shine for us? Ans. "Whatsoever doth make manifest is light," and if we will take notice of what is passing around us, marking well specifications of prophecy that apply to our time, we may learn what the mind of the Lord is concerning us, and take the timely warning, that we fall not into the snare of the devil.
The devil is the great enemy of our race. He deceived our mother Eve, and brought death upon man. God has provided a way for man's escape. But Satan, ever busy to cheat mankind out of eternal life, fails not to apply himself skillfully in every age, as the circumstances of the case may require. God has shown, by the prophecy of the book of Rev. xvi, 14, by a striking symbol, that at the time of the pouring out of the sixth vial there would be a consummation of Satan's deceptive work: it is by "spirits of devils working miracles." It goes now, in its embryo state, under the pleasing name of "Spiritual reform." It will also creep into the churches of the world. Then it will be that they are become the habitation of devils.
Now, if in connection with the great spiritual delusion of this age, we attend to the plain, faithful teaching of the Apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, [chap. ii.] we cannot fail to see that "the prophecy came not in old times by the will of man;" for there never was a more clear description given of anything, even in the time of its existence, than is here given of the Papacy, and the period from its fall to the second advent of the Lord. "Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power, and signs, and lying wonders," &c. It is worthy of notice, that the very things that are the most prominent in this age, to our own personal knowledge, namely, wonderful spiritual manifestations concerning which doubts are entertained, as to whether they are, or are not, of the devil; the manifest disposition to reject the truth; and to be deluded, and delighted with the fables of unrighteousness; are the very things that are the most prominent specifications of the letter referred to.
It is understood by most readers of the Review that the Papal supremacy was taken away in the year 1798, about 60 years ago. Since that period, there have so many pointed prophecies been fulfilled, in such rapid succession, and have marked our whereabouts so clearly, that it may truly be said as in the prophecy, the day of the Lord hasteth greatly. "A something strikingly awful shall forewarn that the world will come to an end and that the last day is even at the door."—Martin Luther.
JESSE DORCAS.
Confession and Hatred of Sin
The Lord always pardons freely, but expects confession; and whenever he pardons sin, he imparts a hatred to it.
The Christian Warfare.
By M. Hull
BRO. SMITH : My mind for some days has been running upon the necessity of living more devoted to God than many of us are doing. And I have sometimes thought it was duty for me to speak through the Review, as sometimes the smallest child in a family can suggest a thought which will benefit the whole family. Considering these things will the brethren hear one of the "feeble ones."
The faithful and true Witness in addressing the second stage of the church says, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life." Rev. ii, 10. Being faithful consists in something more than a mere profession of faith, simply sitting down and saying "I have faith;" faith must produce corresponding works. Jas. ii, 20. Hear Paul on this subject, 1 Tim. vi, 11, 12. "But thou O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
Here Paul addresses the "man of God," the one who has made a good profession, and enjoins upon him to fight. Does the man of God want eternal life? Lay hold on it, it is within your grasp. But while our hands are full of this world, we are, to say the least, in a poor situation to lay hold on life, neither are we prepared to fight valiantly, while chained down to this world.
The Christian life in the Scriptures is compared to a "race" or "battle." But before producing any evidence on this point, allow me to ask, How many ever entered the race-paths, or enlisted in the army on a death bed? How many, think you, stopped to rest in the race-grounds? How many of those who stopped when fatigued, received the crown? "Hold fast that no man take thy crown," is the admonition of the faithful and true Witness. What success would I have in running a race and carrying all I could get of this world with me? While I should be holding fast to the alluring baits of sense, some man would take my crown."
Let us have the history of Paul as written by himself when he was ready to be offered, and the time of his departure was at hand. 2 Tim. iv, 7, 8. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, (or race,) I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." In this testimony, we discover that there is a crown of righteousness laid up for Paul, in consequence of his having fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith.
But, as before remarked, we cannot run speedily with weights and besetments about us. Hence Paul says, "therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us." Heb. xii, 1. It is impossible for us to run when loaded down with weights; neither will we run the whole length of the road, unless we exercise patience.
None get eternal life except "those who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, honor, and immortality." There is something more required of us than merely to start in the christian race. We must run patiently. May God help us to so run that we may obtain the prize.
Having examined the race, let us try the "battle field." But before we undertake to face the storm, we must put on the armor of God. 1 Thess. v, 8. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. We should do but poor business in the battle field without faith and hope. Take these motives from the warrior and he will fight no longer.
"Finally my brethren," says the apostle, "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." How many of us are strong in the Lord. Are we not depending somewhat upon our own strength? I fear some of us are. But those of us who are kept unto salvation, are kept by the power of God through faith." 1 Pet. i, 5. The Lord is almighty. Knowing the truth, let us be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Let us beware lest we trust our own strength, and in so doing find out our own weakness. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Our foe is a spiritual one and therefore the weapons with which we fight are not carnal, but mighty through God. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having all to stand.
Paul is not satisfied with having told them twice to stand, but he repeats, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." The injunction to stand, does not mean to stand still, but to stand against opposition. In the same verse where Paul enjoins steadfastness and immovability upon the church, he tells them to always abound (or move forward) in the work of the Lord. 1 Cor. xv, 58
But as we cannot stand unless we are equipped, we enquire what is the equipage? 1. A girdle of truth. 2. A breastplate of righteousness. But that will only protect the heart, so that we are as yet very illy prepared to ward off the fiery darts of the wicked. Thus far the armor is good; but there is something still lacking. What is it? 3. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Why have the gospel of peace upon our feet? Because we are fighting against the wiles of the devil. We should not go into the battle field barefoot. 4. Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench (or turn) all the fiery darts of the wicked. A shield unless successfully used, will be of little or no consequence; but even when we do our best, we may at some time turn the dart so as to pierce our own head; hence the necessity of a helmet. 5. "And take the helmet of salvation." Now we are fully equipped so far as the armor is concerned; and unless we turn our backs to the enemy, it will be impossible for him to wound us.
Now let us go into the arena, not to stand still as a target for the enemy, but to fight, feeling assured that we shall gain the day, notwithstanding our arms are small, and the Devil's large.
But what are our weapons? 6. "And the sword of the spirit which is the word of God." The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword.
O, Brethren why not fight valiantly? Do you realize how completely the one who fights under our captain is equipped? He starts out in the strength of the Lord, with truth upon his loins, righteousness upon his breast, the gospel of peace upon his feet, the shield of faith upon his arm, the helmet of salvation upon his head, with the word of God in his hand. When we are thus armed, earth and hell may unite against us; but thank God our captain never lost a victory. Then let us fight on. The battle is almost fought; the victory is almost won; let us breast a few more billows, and we are in the harbor of eternal rest. The Bible student is now lifting his prophetic telescope and as he looks through it, methinks I hear him exclaim, "The land begins to heave in view; we are passing the land-marks."
"The City bright appears in sight,
We're getting round the pier."
Dear reader, may you and I patiently, fight valiantly, and finally receive a crown.
M. HULL.
Decatur City, Iowa, June 26th, 1858.
WIFE.
By J. Dorcas
WhEN everything is as it should be in domestic matters, how endearing is this title. From the account we have in the Bible of the introduction of sin into the world, with all its fearful consequences, the wife played a conspicuous part; and ever since that eventful period, she has had a great share in shaping the condition of the family circle. Much of domestic happiness depends upon the conduct of the wife.
Is the wife a truly devoted christian, one who has a lively sense of the high position she fills in the domestic relations, especially if she be a mother, blessed with a good understanding? How sacred, how heavenly, are the joys of home, how well calculated to inspire love to God. Look at the wife who passes through the constantly accumulating cares of domestic life, with a cheerful, sweetened temper; how elevating the influence. Passing over the unnumbered cases given in the book written for our learning, let each one of us who live down here in the "hour of His judgment," draw the contrast, and labor with a zeal commendable to the times, to imitate the best examples. In all we do, if we are Bible christians, we should demonstrate to all our associates, the religion of that book.
Among us, who believe in the coming of the Lord Jesus, who believe that we shall live to behold his coming in the clouds, with power and great glory, (unless we die inordinarily soon) the wife should be a religious economist. No stock of living faith on the part of the husband and father, can stand the constant leakage of extravagant words, and mismanagement of her own, and the children's temperament. Though he like Lot may barely make his escape, ten chances to one if the result is not a broken up family. Let us say, therefore, to the wives and mothers of "the remnant," think of Sarah, whose daughters you are if so be that you are saved from the corruption that is in the world through lust. Stand not in the way of a well regulated, patriarchal, family government. Do not think that you will lessen your influence for good, by taking the second place in the family relation. Your mother Sarah did not overestimate her husband's, nor weaken her own authority by calling him lord. In view of bringing about this happy state of things, in all its simplicity and excellence, let each "husband know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and holiness."
J. DORCAS.
BE SOBER AND WATCH UNTO PRAYER.
By Laura C. Hutchins
Be sober, be sober, and watch unto prayer;
For Satan surrounds thee with many a snare.
His vigils are constant, awake, O awake!
Thy God, and thy duty, oh never forsake!
Gird on the whole armor, prepare for the fight.
What thine hand finds to do, quickly do with thy might,
For perchance thou art hastening fast to the grave.
Where no thoughts are cherished, no good can be craved.
Listen not to the tale that professors will tell,
That the smooth "by-path meadow," will do just as well.
"For how prone are professors to rest on their lees,
"To study their pleasure, their profit and ease!"
And the prophet of God loud proclaimeth His woe,
To all who in Zion seek ease as they go.
Yea the word of the Lord bids thee work while 'tis light,
And do what thine hand finds to do, with thy might;
And the path of the just is so narrow and straight,
There be few that will enter so lowly a gate;
And the thief and the robber climb over the wall,
Yet the thief and the robber forever shall fall.
Yea all, who endeavor to go round the cross,
Shall find that their labor is sorrow and loss.
Lay aside all thy showy and costly attire.
Dispense with the riches of carnal desire;
Go buy thee white raiment, that thou mayest be clad.
And get thee pure gold, that the furnace hath tried.
Be constant, consistent, O go not astray,
Lest the weak, or the lame, be turned out of the way.
The work of the christian to ruin is hurled, [world.
When he seeks to serve God, and join hands with the
God ever repels the proud wish of the wise,
While he lists to the prayer of the poor they despise;
And He chooseth the weak of the world, to confound
The works which earth's wise men and mighty have
planned.
Oh why wish for laughter? The wise man hath said,
That laughter is folly, yea, laughter is mad.
Oh how can the christian choose folly and mirth,
While God hath a work for his people on earth.
How reckless to jest, and the moment let slip,
When thou shouldest speak words that are holy and fit;
And, drunken with folly, be "courting a smile,"
When thy words should win tears from thy hearers, the
while;
And the wicked are hardened in view of thy sin,
And thy gold hath the value and luster of tin.
Be sober, be sober, and watch unto prayer!
For Satan surrounds thee with many a snare,
His vigils are constant, and oh, thou art weak,
And thou needest the strength of the holy and meek.
LAURA C. HUTCHINS.
Ganges, July 1st, 1858.
L E T T E R S .
By Tryphena N. Elliot
“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another”
From Sister Elliot.
DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: The word of God teaches that we ought to exhort one another daily, and so much the more as we see the day approaching. We are living in a solemn time, in the days of the sounding of the last message of mercy that this generation will ever hear, and it is evident from the word of God and events transpiring around us, that it is fast drawing to a close: "that the great decisive day is at hand." I have great reason to thank the Lord for the light of the first and second Angel's Messages, and that I have not been left to reject the third.
I ever believed that God led his people out on the tenth of the seventh month, 1844, and that they did his will in preaching time. I then expected to see my Saviour coming with clouds, in power and great glory, to take the throne of his father David, and reign forever and ever; but the two thousand and three hundred days ended, and the Lord did not come. But as I had come out of Babylon, I had no desire to return again, therefore the last five verses of the 10th of Hebrews were very precious to me. "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward; for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
The third Angel is now following the first two, and he must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. How sweet was the light of this angel when first I received it! It was like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. How very plain the Scriptures teach us that there is a sanctuary in heaven, (of which the earthly one in the Jewish dispensation was a type) which the Lord pitched and not man. We find St. John in the year 96 of the Christian era, and 63 years after the ministration in the heavenly sanctuary had ceased, describing a sanctuary which he saw in heaven. He says, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. &c. And I turned to see the voice which spake with me, and being turned I saw seven golden candle-sticks, and in the midst of the seven candle-sticks one like unto the Son of man clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. Rev. i, 10, 12, 13. And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire off the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Rev. viii, 3-5. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. Rev. xi, 19. And after that I beheld, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. Rev. xv, 5. St. John has here described not heaven itself, but something which he saw in heaven, even so to speak, the sanctuary and great High Priest of the Gentile dispensation, and not of ours only but where saints of all ages, since the ending of the prophetic days, have been and are now standing in their lot, that their sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
“The solemn moment is at hand,
When we who have his name confessed,
Each in his lot must singly stand
And pass the final searching test.
“Jesus! we hope in thee alone;
In mercy now upon us look,
Confess our names before the throne,
And blot our sins from out thy book.”
According to the word of God the church have shortly got to pass through fiery trials, especially when the Dragon begins to make war with the remnant of the woman's seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ; but Michael will stand up, and his people will be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book, and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever, and ever.
The fig tree is budding, everything is proclaiming in glowing language that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and if we would escape the strong delusion which is sent to those who reject the truth, let us do the commandments of God that we may have a right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city.
Yours in hope,
TRYPHENA N. ELLIOT.
Johnson Vt., June 24th, 1858.