Earlier text: THE BURIAL OF MOSESMOSES ON THE MOUNT.
By J. N. Loughborough
As some objections have been raised to the article of mine which was republished in Review No. 22, of Vol. xvi, I have thought it proper to speak again on this subject. Bro. A. M. West, of Leonardsville, N. Y., writes under date of Nov. 11th: "In the Review of Oct. 16th, I find a piece from Bro. Loughborough, claiming that Moses was resurrected and on the mount with Elias at Christ's transfiguration, and concludes by assuming that six persons had been 'born from the dead,' or resurrected, previous to the resurrection of Christ. I would thank Bro. Loughborough for the names of such persons, either through the Review, or otherwise." We gladly comply with Bro. West's request. We assumed the position that six were resurrected besides Moses prior to Christ's resurrection; not because we had no proof to substantiate the position, but supposing the readers would readily recollect the six cases we had in view. We stated in the article that if the expressions which are applied to Christ, that he is the "first-born," "first-fruits," "first-begotten of the dead," &c., "prove what they are quoted to prove, namely, that Christ was the first one raised, they prove too much; for the Bible shows that six at least besides Moses had been resurrected before Christ's resurrection." Again we say: "If Christ can be the first born from the dead virtually, when six had literally been born from the dead before him, might not a seventh be born immortal by virtue of his death, and he still be 'the first-born,' 'the first-fruits,' and 'the first-begotten'?" The six persons we referred to consist of three in each dispensation. First, 1 Kings xvii, 21, 22. The case of Elijah raising the widow's son. "And he stretched himself on the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." The second case is in 2 Kings iv, 32-35, where we have the account of a child that was raised by Elisha. The third is the case of a man who was thrown into the sepulchre of Elisha, and came to life as soon as he touched Elisha's bones. See 2 Kings xiii, 20, 21. The fourth case is recorded in Luke vii, 11-15. "And it came to pass the day after that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother." The fifth case is that of the maid, Luke viii, 54, 55. "And he took her by the hand and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway; and he commanded to give her meat." The sixth case is the resurrection of Lazarus, recorded in John xi, 23-26. Jesus said to Martha: "Thy brother shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die." Verses 43, 44. "And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, loose him and let him go." In this conversation between Christ and Martha we have the same idea that was inculcated in the last portion of my article, namely, that Christ is the resurrection. That is, it is through him that all resurrections must be accomplished, whether before or after his resurrection. A Mr. Davies of this city, a good Greek and Hebrew scholar—a believer however in the immortality of the soul—in a conversation a few days since with Bro. Amadon upon this subject, stated that Christ's being the "first-fruits," "first-born," "the resurrection," &c., did not prove that he was the first resurrected, but that it is by virtue of his resurrection that any were to be raised, and as his resurrection was certain to take place, five hundred could be resurrected before his resurrection, by virtue of his resurrection, as well as after his resurrection. And were it not a fact that Christ was to be raised, not one could have been restored from death. And how can we dissent from the above position? If Christ is the second Adam, and as such, is to restore what was lost in the first Adam, all life restored must be through virtue of Christ our second Adam, and he must be the "first-born," the "first-begotten," "the resurrection and the life." The Syriac N. T., when it speaks of Christ as our Saviour, almost invariably calls him the life giver. Another letter from Marble Rock, signed B. L. C., under date of Oct. 28, says: "I was reading the transfiguration on the mount, and my mind was led to inquire, Will our Advent teachers carry the truth so far that it will appear to be in a fog, so that many cannot understand? As for myself, I believe that there is no need of mystifying the truth, for we have been long enough in darkness; we want the light on all points in its true light. If Bro. L. can prove that those six were resurrected to immortality, then they were resurrected; but if not, I ask why call it by that name? Why not say they were restored to life and health. Was the widow's son a resurrection by virtue of the resurrection of Christ? Elijah stretched himself upon the child three times and cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord, my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again, and the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 1 Kings xvii, 21, 22. Will Bro. L. tell me if he was resurrected to a mortal life, or an immortal life. It appears that he was only restored to the same life that he lost, which was a mortal life. Christ restored to life, but in no instance it is called a resurrection to an immortal life. I do hope that our teachers will be careful and not mystify plain truth. This is from one who is seeking for plain truth." If I get the correct idea of the above it is that nothing can be called a resurrection unless it is a resurrection to immortality. The resurrection of the wicked is just as distinctly spoken of in the Bible as the resurrection of the righteous, and yet they are to come forth from the grave with mortal bodies and die the second death. They do not seek for immortality, and so will never receive it, so their resurrection must be with mortal bodies, yet Paul says, "There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." If the bringing forth of the wicked without immortality is named by inspiration a resurrection, why object to calling these cases above referred to, resurrections? No less than two of these six cases are called by direct language, resurrections. But the brother says, "Why call them resurrections?" Because the Bible calls them resurrections.5 In the case of the widow's son [Luke vii] Christ speaks of it to John's disciples [verse 22] as follows: "Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up," &c. See also the account of the resurrection of Lazarus. The brother says, "Why not say of these that they were restored to life and health?" That is just what constitutes a resurrection. A resurrection is the "bringing into life and activity that which was dead and inactive." As to whether these six cases were raised to immortality or not, I would not claim in the absence of testimony. But admitting that they died again, that would not prove that they never had been raised from the dead. It is asked whether the resurrection of the widow's son, &c., was by virtue of Christ's resurrection, and the brother quotes, "The Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived." I ask, Why did the Lord hear the voice of Elijah? It must have been because his prayer was put up in faith. A faith that sees the grave opened, must be a faith that lays hold upon Christ as a conqueror of death and the grave. This, instead of mystifying the Scriptures, is the doctrine that produces a harmony in the Bible, in that it reveals Christ as the only source of life. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
Battle Creek, Mich. We want the REVIEW to be a paper which shall have a marked and decided influence upon all who read it. There are papers whose position is too general and undefined to be effective for good, whose testimony volume after volume and year after year, may be intently perused without producing in the reader a single nobler impulse, or leading him to take in any single instance a higher or holier position. Such we do not wish the REVIEW to be; but we earnestly desire that it may be a paper from the perusal of which the seeker after truth shall rise a wiser and better man; that it may be laden with truths set home in so clear and christian a manner that their effects can but be seen in the lives and actions of all who read. We desire to see it filled with just such instruction as is needed by a people who are threading their way through the perils of the last days, shunning a pitfall on this side of their path, and a snare on that, here detecting the insidious approach and false gloss of the enemy, and there meeting him in open onset, and fierce affray. We desire to see it exerting such an influence that every subscriber may be vividly conscious of its being a blessing in his hands, of his being a better Christian and farther advanced in his heavenly journey from the privilege of its perusal; and that all those who contribute to its columns, and who in any way labor for its interests, may behold with joy that their labor has not been in vain in the Lord. Such a paper as we desire to see it, it certainly should be; and whenever and to whatever extent it is not so, so far there is a lack to be made up, and a wrong to be remedied. How many will give it a place in their prayers that such may be its position? and how many will labor, so far as God sees fit to employ human agency, to bring about this result? The interest that many have thus far taken in the REVIEW, and the large place it has seemed to have in their hearts and affections, has been a source of no small gratification and encouragement. Some have even expressed themselves that they valued it next to their Bibles, while others have thought that this seemed too much like the worship of men and papers. But while we are not solicitous that brethren should thus express themselves since it is painful to the ears of some as the voice of flattery and adulation, we are nevertheless solicitous that such should in fact be the case, and that every lover of truth should indeed value the REVIEW next to his Bible. Should it not be so? Think a moment upon its position. It professes to be advocating what is purely Bible truth. It is, moreover, the only paper in the land, so far as we know, which is engaged in the exposition of some special truths which are of vital interest and importance to this generation. And now unless, with every lover of the Bible, and of the truths of the Bible, the REVIEW does come next to that book—if there is anything that comes, in the affections of such, between the Bible and that sheet which is devoted specially and exclusively to its exposition, then as before said, there is a lack somewhere to be supplied, and a wrong to be remedied, either in the paper, or in the heart of the reader. Such is the object we have in view, and the end for which we labor. We look to you, reader, for co-operation in the good work. Past favors of our contributors are held in grateful remembrance. How many will contribute of the productions of their pen to enrich the columns of volume seventeen? EVIDENCES OF THE END.
By George W. Amadon
ABOUT eighteen hundred years ago a class of subtle persons came to the Saviour, and demanded a sign from heaven. He denounced their wicked motives, and told them they very readily judged of the weather by the aspect of the heavens, but inquired why they could not discern "the signs of the times." The Lord gave them to understand by this that we might just as readily judge of the moral condition of the world by the signs of the times, as we could the weather by the appearance of the heavens. We believe it is the duty of the "wise servant" to be well posted up on the signs of the times. We believe God has given certain signs, easily enough understood by all who want to understand them, by which we may certainly determine when deliverance will come to God's people. Believing it is an excellent thing to stir up our minds to things we already know, we will point out some of those prominent signs which declare that we are on the eve of the fulfillment of the promises. And, 1. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come." Matt. xxiv, 14. This must either mean the gospel in its broad sense, or some distinctive feature of it. The word gospel means literally good news, and embraces the doctrine of the incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of Christ. Paul says the gospel in his time had been preached to every creature, and its sound had gone into all the earth; but not in the sense spoken of in Matthew, for then would the end have come. We don't believe that a distinctive message on the Second Advent was preached in all the world in Paul's day, for it would not have been present truth. The burden of the apostles' labors and the primitive Christians, was to make the world believe in the first advent; but in our day a special message has been sounded in all the enlightened world that the Lord is coming. Missionaries also have spread the gospel all over the earth, as their printed works show, and in this we have the most convincing evidence that the end of all things is at hand. We will now pass to another evidence of the end. 2. Knowledge shall increase. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. xii, 4. Here we are told that at the time of the end there shall be a remarkable increase of knowledge. This must include knowledge in general or knowledge on the prophetic Scriptures. Taking it either way, though it probably refers to knowledge on the prophecies, how wonderfully it has been fulfilled. What an age of improvement, of invention, of enterprise and discovery is ours. It is a time when science reigns, literature abounds, and mechanical skill astonishes us with her useful productions. But what shall we say of knowledge on the Scriptures? It is a day when Bible Societies flourish, Tract Societies exist in wonderful numbers, religious institutions are found all over the world, and for a few shillings a man may purchase more reading than he can despatch for a twelvemonth. Bibles and religious books are sent all over the world by tons and shiploads; and when we speak of knowledge on the prophecies and the Second Advent, it cannot be fathomed. For over twenty years have faithful watchmen traversed the globe, telling the story of Jesus' coming, whether men would hear or forbear. The press has also mightily assisted in sending forth this message from heaven. Books have been published in vast quantities, tracts, millions of pages, have flown all over the earth, papers, magazines, journals, &c., exist in such numbers that all can hear and understand if they will. This then becomes our second mighty reason for believing we shall soon see the King in his beauty. And, 3. The great signs in the sun, moon and stars. It says in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, that the "sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven," prior to the closing up of God's great day of probation on earth. If we take the most authentic histories of the past few years, times in the remembrance of many living witnesses, we shall find how minutely and yet grandly those prophecies have been fulfilled, and the exciting effects they had on the people at that time. It is needless for us to say much on this point, for the "dark day" of 1780, and the "falling stars" of 1833, are facts familiar to all. But what do they teach the Christian, God's humble believer? They teach him to believe and prepare for the event mentioned in the verse following the description of these celestial phenomena—"And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Reader, do you believe this? If so, keep your lamp trimmed and burning, for as certain as the sun rolls through the heavens, so sure is Jesus soon coming. Let us discern all the signs of the times. 4. The increase of riches as in the present day. Hear the apostle: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days." Jas. v, 1-4. Here is a sign which any one with the least particle of discernment knows how to apply. The insurance companies, the banking institutions, brokers' shops, land offices, speculations, schemes, lotteries, railroad operations, begun, carried on, and finished in fraud, guile, deceit and covetousness, show how devoutly the "god of mammon" is worshiped, and how graphically this scripture is illustrated before our eyes. This is a money-making age. All the mass do is to lay plans, reckon interest, buy, sell and get gain. But what of all this? Why, to us, it constitutes a most startling sign of the times we live in. Heaven help us to understand our position. 5. Scoffers and mockers. The apostle says, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming?" 2 Pet. iii, 3, 4. No one who has any acquaintance with the Advent doctrine will be at a loss to know how to interpret this scripture. It has received its fulfillment from the lips of all ranks and classes. The pulpit, the press, the infidel, the professor, the great man and the mean man have joined hands and derided the little company who are waiting for the Consolation of Israel. Peter's scoffers and Jude's mockers are here, and this is fearfully significant of our position in this world's history. 6. The state of Christianity. Says Paul, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." 2 Tim. iii, 1-7. Here we have an inspired portrait of the popular church in the last days. This is a delineation of church sins, and millions now living know every word of it to be true. It is purely gratis to apply this to the world, for this has always been their condition; but how severely it fits the masses who have a form of godliness and deny the power; who pay great devotion to God with their lips, but in their hearts are to every good word and work reprobate. Who owns 660,000 slaves? The church. Who traffics in human beings, parts families, and are up to their eyes in a system the vilest and cruellest that ever saw the sun? The church. What does all this fraud, and selfishness, and mammon-worship, and hypocrisy become to us? A sign of the last days—an evidence of the close of probation. So teach the Scriptures, and so we believe. 7. The rise of Spiritualism. The record says, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. iv, 1. Has there any system come up within a few years that exactly answers to this description? Most certainly so. Who teaches that the Bible is a fable, Jesus Christ a mere man, the atonement a myth, and the God of the Bible a tyrant and impostor? Modern Spiritualism. What is the corner-stone of their religious foundation? The doctrine of the immortality of the soul. Who first preached it? The Devil in the garden of Eden. What does Paul rank this teaching with? The doctrines of devils. What has the prophet Isaiah said of Spiritualism? Answer, "When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God?" What is the chronology of this? "And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him." Then when somebody is looking for Christ's return, others will depart from the faith, as myriads now are doing, and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of the Devil. What does all this teach us? That we are in the last end of the indignation, and that soon God will rise up and sweep the world in the storm of his wrath. What shall we do in view of this? Believe, watch and pray. 8. A reform on the Sabbath and law of God. In the fourteenth of Revelation we have three messages which should be sounded just before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. The first two have gone forth, and the last is now going; and its main feature is, "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." The Bible tells us that to "fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man." These commandments bring to view the Sabbath; but the world keeps Sunday. By so doing they have made a breach in God's law, which must be made up by the "repairers of the breach," before the house of Israel will be prepared to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. But does the Bible call Sunday the Sabbath? No, not once. It never speaks of it as any more holy than Monday or any other day; it never tells us to keep it; it never speaks of it as sanctified time; don't say the apostles ever kept it; it don't speak of it but six or eight times;—and on the contrary, we are warned against the mark of the beast; against substituting the doctrines of men for the commandments of God;—we are also told that Jesus kept the law, the apostles kept it, and if we fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, we shall do well. The prophet Isaiah speaks of the restoration of the Bible Sabbath just before the second advent. See chap. lvi, 1, 2. And in chap. viii, 16, he speaks of binding up the testimony and sealing the law among the disciples, which seems to exalt it from its present downtrodden position, and prevail on men to keep it. This of course will make trouble in the world, and so we read, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." But is this now being fulfilled? Yes, for more than twelve years a faithful few have been canvassing the country proclaiming, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." "Here is the patience of the saints;" "Jesus is coming, get ready to meet him." What may the world understand by this? Answer. That it is Bible truth, and that soon the books will be opened and every one judged according to the deeds done in the body. 9. Likeness of the last days to those of Noah and Lot.6Said the Saviour, "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Luke xvii, 26, 28-30. This testimony shows us that the world will go on just as usual, until Jesus comes in the glory of the Father and the angels. The farmer will be at his toils, the merchant at his counter, the student at his books, the drunkard at his cup; there will be mocking, scoffing, carousing, eating, drinking, buying and selling, until the harvest is past, the summer ends, and the world find that they are lost. When men tell us that the end is not yet, for this is such an age of improvement, it is all very significant to the student of prophecy, and all who truly discern the signs of the times. It is just what Christ predicted. May heaven help us to be like the wise who shall understand. We have now passed over the most important signs which are portentous of the time we live in. They admonish us in trumpet tones to get ready for the day of war and battle, to prepare for the reception of the King of kings and Lord of lords. There are other events and signs, fulfilled and fulfilling, which go hand in hand with what we have written, which declare we are in the day of God's preparation. We refer to the ending of the prophetic periods, which places us emphatically in the waiting position—the fulfillment of the parable of the ten virgins, and the midnight cry of 1844—the general absence of faith as declared by Christ—signs and fearful sights in the earth—blood, fire, and pillars of smoke—men's hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things coming on the earth—fiery chariots with the speed of lightning running through the land—the anger of the nations and a general premonition of coming trouble, on our own soil as well as in foreign lands—the decline of the papacy and consumption of that system, as the prophet declared they should take it away and destroy it unto the end—the parable of the fig tree—the general increase of wickedness, all, all of these things unite in telling that soon "a King will reign in righteousness," when the nations will be "dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel," and "the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." Glorious hope! Blissful prospect to the saint of God! May we ever be co-workers with God and the angels until we finally rest in the Eden of love.
G. W. A. THE DEVIL OUTDONE.
By George W. Amadon
IN those portions of God's truth that delineate the last days we read that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” We suppose this means in plain English that they will get to be as bad as they can be, or as expressed by Scripture, until every imagination of their heart shall be evil and that continually. This was the condition of the earth before the flood, and Christ says it will be so when the Son of Man is revealed. We should judge by the following extract that certain portions of the world have perfectly fulfilled the prediction, and are as fully prepared for the wrath of God Almighty as they ever can be. Read it if you can without shuddering. It came from the unholy lips of one Joseph Treat, in a speech at the Paine celebration in Cincinnati, Sunday, Jan. 30, 1860. “There is no God! God is the first, great eternal mistake of the Age of Reason! God is the grand, pivotal mistake of all systems! God is the great central Superstition, round which all other Superstitions cling! God is the sole foundation of Bibles, Sabbaths, Priesthoods, Religions, Resurrections, Judgments, Heavens, Hells, Spirits, Spirit Worlds, all! I strike home at this root.” “If there is a God, men can know it; but nobody does know it. If there is a God, there must be proof of the fact; but there is no proof.” “Not one argument—that is an argument—in favor of a God, has ever been framed; and not one can be.” “There is no need of a God! There is nothing for a God to do.” “Call for a God when there is occasion for a God—but the Eternal Universe has none! And what there is no occasion for does not exist, and God does not exist!” “There is no room for a God! There is no place where God could be.” “God is an evil! He is the evil under which the earth has always been groaning.” “A good God is a contradiction. Any God dwarfs, enslaves, dehumanizes. A man and a God cannot live in the same universe!” “God is the curse of curses!” “God will be blotted out! It is written in the book of fate! It is the future of this planet! Over the whole extent of this wide, wide world—among all its unnumbered millions of inhabitants, and during almost endless ages that shall roll, there will be no God! God will be lost out of the history of the race. Eternal generations will come and go, and never hear of a God, nor know that ever preceding generations talked about one! God will be swallowed up in an infinite oblivion! His very name will die out of human language!” “No-God will be the world's millennium!” “Then will indeed be proclaimed that everlasting gospel, ‘Peace on earth, good will to men,’ when all the dwellers of earth shall lift up their voice together, and say with a shout, ‘God is dead, and we are glad of it!’” HINTS ON TEACHING.
By Editor
[As the season has arrived in which many of our brethren have engaged, or are about to engage in the business of teaching, they may be interested in any remarks and suggestions upon that point.—ED.] If there is a situation which requires patience, combined with every other heavenly virtue, it is the office of the teacher. Many of those now in the faith of the third message, are teachers of common schools, and as such, are subjected to the usual trials of, the peculiar and trying ordeal to which this class are subject. The apostasy of the present age renders this task far more difficult than formerly. Disobedient children are of course disobedient scholars, and every experienced teacher will bear witness to the fact, that well regulated families are the stay and support of the school, while those who are disorderly at home, bring their habits to the school, where such habits spread like the plague, without the benefit of quarantine. About every winter we hear of sad accidents (if accidents they may be called), happening in school; sometimes a teacher is killed by his rebellious pupils, or at another time, the teacher in his hot haste, seizes some heavy weapon, and partly in self-defence, partly in discipline, mingled with rage, deals the fatal blow upon his pupil With such well-attested facts before the public, the applicants for this responsible office are yearly increasing, and often without preparation sufficient to fill the place. One is well educated, but hot tempered; another is slack, and another ignorant of good manners; one in this and another in that particular; for home education being neglected, parents thus neglecting duty, the benches are filled with graceless pupils, and of course the graduating class turns into active life the graceless teacher, who educates pupils ten-fold worse than himself. In this sad state of things an honest-hearted teacher is called into the third message. With many disqualifications as a teacher, he is nevertheless sought after, as successful in the main, and perhaps superior to the mass of teachers, and his greatest fault and most obvious weakness is perhaps a bad, hasty temper. Dear brother or sister, whoever you are, let me warn and entreat you to beware. Be assured that every spasm of anger only weakens your bodily and mental power, and destroys your moral influence over the pupil, and shames yourself, and humbles your brethren, shocks the feelings of tenderest friends, grieves the angels, and disgusts the dignities of heaven. Can you not overcome this passion, that disgraces the cause, casts down your own influence, alienates your bosom friends, grieves the good, and exasperates the bad? Be assured, dear brother or sister, whether parent, or teacher, or guardian, that this same temper, this hasty temper is the recruiting office of Satan's troop; it has no apology, no excuse, no good trait, and is of no benefit at all. Can you not overcome? Fast, pray, watch. Do not put it off, and keep sinning and repenting, sinning and repenting. Do not speak so hastily to that little one. What if he is bad? Reproaches, be sure of it, reproaches will not benefit him. Love, love, largely mixed with firmness, patience, gentleness, goodness. Come to your school all aglow with love to God, come from the closet with a heart of pity, and love, and wisdom. But says one, teaching is a practical business, and love will not do it all; the penalty of disobedience must be applied. Just so, dear brother. "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod and reproof will drive it far from him." But be sure not to do this in anger. Let the offender stand upon the floor until your anger has wholly subsided. Rather wait until your contract expires, than punish in anger. You can let him wait until you have lifted your heart in prayer to God, until you have chastened your soul into love and humility. Be deliberate in executing penalties; slowly, calmly, considerately. If ever in the world you should be calm, it is in administering reproof and correction. As we are upon the subject of penalties and discipline, if it is in order, I will subjoin the opinion of a Mr. Ogden on this point. Many parents as well as teachers may perhaps profit by it. THE PHILOSOPHY OF FLOGGING.
Mr. Ogden, a teacher in Ohio, has published a volume on the 'Science of Education, and the Art of Teaching.' We make from it the following extract on the use of the rod: "As a strictly reformative measure, for certain cases, it has scarcely an equal, and surely no substitute." "He advises the application of the 'strokes upon the back, shoulders, and lower extremities, but never upon the hands, head, or face, or any other place where it would injure the person or offer any indignities. The clothing upon the parts should not be so abundant as to demand heavy blows, or injury might result from that quarter. Hence, portions of it might be removed, under certain circumstances, and its thickness tested before the operation commences. This will also serve to convince the offender that you are really laboring for his benefit.'" "The instrument should be a switch; not a pole, nor a club, nor a paddle, but a light switch; one with which you would not be likely to injure the muscle or bone. The chastisement should be confined to the surface. There, perhaps, is not a case, within the reach of reformation, so hardened as not to be reached without going below the surface." "As to frequency, the blows should not be repeated oftener than about once in a half a minute; and for some purposes the intervals might even be prolonged beyond this time; first, because the child wants time for reflection7between the strokes; second, he wants time to reap all the benefit of one before another is given. In this way about one-tenth the number of strokes will suffice, since every one expends all its force before another one is given; one is not lost or paralyzed in the pain of another; third, because there is less danger of arousing the passions of either teacher or pupils. Let the teacher strike half-minute or minute strokes, and he will feel no anger, but rather pity and love. Fourth, because he can then witness and measure the extent of suffering, and mark its effects; fifth, because it offers time for admonition and expostulation, which will frequently be necessary, and will do as much or more good than the bodily harm." "The severity of the blows must be regulated entirely by the temperament of the child, the deep-seatedness of the disease, and the objects to be accomplished—which last should be the entire reformation of the offender. In most cases where whipping becomes necessary, the blows should produce acute pain for the moment." "They should rather increase than diminish in severity." "The time of one operation, perhaps, should not be prolonged beyond ten or fifteen minutes (not all consumed, however, in administering blows), at one time, but may be resumed from day to day, until the reformation point is reached. It will be found, however, that three or four strokes, or a half-dozen at most, thus delivered, will usually produce the required results; simply because reason, judgment, good sense, sympathy, pity, love, suffering, justice, mercy, tears and prayers, instead of angry curses and vindicative rage, are all combined; and it must be a desperate case indeed that can resist all these." We wait for thee, all-glorious One,
We look for thine appearing;
We bear thy name, and on the throne
We see thy presence cheering.
Faith even now
Uplifts its brow,
And sees the Lord descending,
And with him bliss unending. We wait for thee, through days forlorn,
In patient self-denial;
We know that thou our guilt hast borne
Upon thy cross of trial.
And well may we
Submit with thee
To bear thy cross, and love it,
Until thy hand remove it. We wait for thee. Already thou
Hast all our heart's submission;
And though the spirit sees thee now,
We long for open vision,
When ours shall be
Sweet rest with thee,
And pure, unfading pleasure,
And life in endless measure. We wait for thee with certain hope—
The time will soon be over;
With childlike warning we look up
The glory to discover.
O bliss! to share
Thy triumph there,
When home, with joy and singing,
The Lord his saints is bringing. “Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another.”
BRO. SMITH: I am still striving to keep all of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It is my desire to do the will of my heavenly Master, so I can have his smiles and approbation from day to day, that when he shall come to take his saints to himself I may be among that number that shall meet him with joy and not with grief. I can say that the truth looks plainer than ever to me, and it is my desire to live out the truth, and to follow on to know the Lord, whom to know aright is life everlasting. The Review comes a welcome messenger laden with truths that cannot be overthrown; and it is cheerful to read the testimonies from the brethren and sisters scattered abroad. If we are faithful we shall soon meet in that glorious kingdom where there will be no more parting tears, sorrow, pain nor death, but all will be happiness; and where we shall sing praises unto God and the Lamb forever and ever. Yours in hopes of eternal life through Christ,
WESLEY J. MILLS.
Fowlersville, Mich.