p. 596 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 38. (10/9/1884)

Signs of the Times

Oct 9, 1884

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 9, 1884

General Articles.

By Ellen G. White

The Benefits of Industry.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

Those who look upon work as a curse are cherishing a mistaken idea. God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. Adam toiled in the garden of Eden, and found it to be one of the pleasures of his holy existence to do so. And when, as the result of his disobedience, he was driven from his beautiful home, and was forced to struggle with a stubborn soil to gain his daily bread, that very labor, although far different from his pleasant occupation in the garden, was a protection against temptation, and a source of happiness.

For thirty years Jesus was an inhabitant of Nazareth, and his life was one of patient industry. He walked the streets clad in the simple garb of a common laborer. He toiled up and down the mountain steeps, going to and returning from his humble work. He did not employ his divine power to lessen his burdens or to lighten his toil. He lived in a peasant's home; he mingled with the lowly, and shared their daily toil. His example shows us that it is man's duty to be industrious, that labor is honorable.

The life of Jesus should encourage the poor and lowly to be contented with their lot. Honest labor has received the sanction of Heaven, and men and women may hold the closest communion with God, while occupying the humblest positions in life. Jesus was as faithfully fulfilling his mission when working at his humble trade as when he healed the sick or walked upon the storm-tossed waves of Galilee.

Those who divorce religion from their worldly business are reproved by the example of Jesus. Although he could command the entire angel host, he dwelt among the hills of Nazareth, a simple carpenter, working for wages, and living a godly life. He called no attention to himself as a marked personage; yet his life is a lesson that mankind should copy to the end of time. It was a mystery to angels that Christ should condescend, not only to take upon himself humanity, but to assume its heaviest burdens and most humble occupations. But this he did that he might become like one of us; that he might be acquainted with the toil, the sorrows, and the fatigue of the children of men, and thus be better able to understand their privations and sympathize with their trials.

The essential lesson of contented industry in the necessary duties of life, however humble, is yet to be learned by the greater portion of Christ's followers. Though there may be no human eye to examine our work, nor voice to praise or blame, it should be done just as well as though the Infinite One himself were personally to inspect it. We should be as faithful in the minor details of our business as we would in the larger affairs of life.

Our varied trusts are proportioned to our various abilities. Where much is given, much will be required. God expects corresponding returns for the talents he has intrusted to his servants. It is not the greatness of the talents possessed that determines the reward, but the manner in which they are used, the degree of faithfulness with which life's duties are performed, whether those duties are great or small. Whoever does his work conscientiously and well, whether in the shop, in the field, or in the pulpit, will be rewarded according to the spirit in which he has worked. It requires more grace and discipline of character to work for God in the capacity of mechanic, merchant, lawyer, or farmer, carrying the precepts of Christianity into the ordinary pursuits of life, than to labor as a minister of Christ, where one's position is understood, and half its difficulties obviated by that very fact. It requires strong spiritual nerve and muscle to carry religion into the work-shop and business office, sanctifying the details of every-day life, and ordering every worldly transaction according to the Bible standard; but this is what God requires of his people.

Judicious labor is a healthful tonic for the human race. It makes the feeble strong, the poor rich, and the wretched happy. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train. Satan lies in ambush, ready to destroy those who are unguarded, whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself into their favor under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men in their idle hours.

Among the evils resulting from wealth, one of the greatest is the fashionable idea that work is degrading. Says the prophet Ezekiel, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom; pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." Here are presented before us the terrible results of idleness, which enfeebles the mind, debases the soul, and perverts the understanding, making a curse of that which was given as a blessing.

The glory and joy of life are found only by the working man or woman. Labor brings its own reward, and the rest is sweet that is purchased by the fatigue of a well-spent day. But there is a self-imposed toil that is utterly unsatisfying and injurious. It is that which gratifies unsanctified ambition, which seeks display or notoriety. Pride of appearance or the love of possession leads many to carry to excess that which is in itself lawful,—to devote the entire strength of body and mind to those interests which should occupy but a small portion of their time. They bend every energy to the acquisition of wealth or honor; they make all other objects secondary to this; they toil unceasingly for years to accomplish their purpose; yet when the goal is reached, the coveted prize secured, it turns to ashes in their grasp; it is a shadow, a delusion. They have given their lives for that which profiteth not.

God is watching the character we develop in our daily lives, weighing our moral worth. Those who ignore the claims of God in their business life, as carpenters, lawyers, or merchants, are unfaithful in matters of eternal interest, since it is the life that indicates the spiritual advancement, and registers upon the books of Heaven the unchangeable figures of the future. Those who are unfaithful in little things, cannot be intrusted with the true riches of the kingdom. Yet all the lawful pursuits of life may be safely followed, if the spirit is kept free from selfish hopes and the contamination of deceit and envy. The business life of the Christian should be marked with the same purity that held sway in the work-shop of the holy Nazarene. It is the working man or woman who sees something great or good in life, and who is willing to bear its responsibilities with faith and hope.

God designed that all should be workers. The toiling beast of burden answers the purpose of its creation better than does the indolent man, who does not develop his physical and mental powers, but neglects the tasks which God has set for him to do. In the cause of reform the indolence of the many necessitates the overwork of the few earnest and devoted laborers. Because these are allowed to do the work of others in addition to their own, they often fail beneath the burden. But though the path of the Christian reformer may be hard and narrow, it is honored by the footprints of the Redeemer, and he is safe who follows in that sacred way.

The angels are workers; they are ministers of God to the children of men. Those slothful spirits who look forward to a Heaven of inaction will be disappointed; for the economy of the Creator prepares no place for the gratification of sinful indolence. But to the weary and heavy-laden, rest is promised. It is the faithful servant who will be welcomed from his labors into the joy of his Lord. He will lay off his armor with rejoicing, and forget the noise of battle in the glorious rest prepared for those who conquer through the cross of Calvary.

THE SAVIOUR'S PRAYER.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

All nature now in silence hushed, For morn approaching waiting stood; No voice was heard save winds that rushed Amidst the foliage of the wood.

Earth never heard so sweet a sound, Or angels sung so soft a lay, As those that broke while on the ground Our Saviour gently bowed to pray.

He prays—how sweet the accents are— Bright seraphs listen with surprise! His voice perfumes the midnight air; No strains before like these did rise.

He prays—all Heaven astonished stands! Th' effulgent orbs with wonder nod; Amazement fills these unknown lands, While prostrate bows the Son of God.

He prays—all o'er the mighty deep Methinks the waters cease to roll; Yet thoughtless man is wrapped in sleep, While sins press heavy on his soul.

He prays—O may I ever tread The way our Saviour meekly trod, In every path of peace be led, With zeal that marked the Lamb of God.

Do All Things Heartily

"Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." Col. 3:23.

The Unspeakable Gift.

By J. H. Pettingell

Of what the soul of man consists, pure science can tell us nothing. Indeed, science cannot tell us whether man has any soul as an entity distinct from the body. Nor does Scripture give us any warrant for dogmatizing as to its independent nature, and asserting positively, as many do, that it can consciously exist, and exercise all the functions of an active, conscious personality, apart from the body. Without dogmatizing on a subject which grows more and more difficult the more it is examined, and in regard to which the wisest are the most diffident, we are free to confess that we have never been able to find any good evidence from Scripture—certainly not from science, to believe that man can exist as an intelligent, sensitive, responsible person, in a disorganized condition; or, in other words, that he can be dead and alive at the same time, as is commonly believed to be his abnormal condition between death and the resurrection. But, be that as it may, it is the ultimate state of man that especially concerns us now.

The extensive prevalence of the Platonic philosophy, which attributes to man an indestructible soul independent of the body—which is at best but a speculation—has put a new meaning into the word soul, which is quite different from the sense in which it is employed in the Scriptures—as we will show—and has introduced into our theological teaching, and into our literature generally, new forms of expression when treating of the destiny of man, not to be found in the word of God, such as "the immortal soul," "the ever-living soul," "the never-dying soul," etc.; and our dictionaries have incorporated this deathless nature of the soul into the very definition of the word, as its distinguishing characteristic. This is actually a pre-judgment of the whole question. At least, it misleads and confuses the minds of inquirers who would know what is the true doctrine of the Scriptures concerning the destiny of man. It sets them to disputing about the soul of man, when the real question which the Scriptures set before us is concerning the whole man, body and soul in one; man, not in any transitional state, but as reconstituted in the resurrection.

We need not stop to inquire what is the condition of man immediately after death, concerning which the Scriptures give us very little light. Our chief inquiry is concerning the man that now is, to whom the word of God is addressed; the man whom God created and placed under law; the man who sinned and forfeited the life—all the life—that was given him; the man to whom God said, "Thou shalt surely die;" the man who was redeemed by the death of the Son of God; the man to whom the unspeakable gift of eternal life is again offered in the gospel, and who is exhorted to lay hold of it; the man who will be raised and judged according to the deeds done in the body—What will become of him? The righteous, with new spiritual bodies like unto Christ’s glorious body, will then enter upon a new life, a life of joy and blessedness that shall never end—this, no one can doubt—and the wicked—who, according to the word of God, shall then "be punished with everlasting destruction"—Shall they too enter upon a life, a life of misery that shall never end? or shall they perish, soul and body together, in the second death, from which there is no resurrection?

It is not the future punishment of the wicked, nor even the future rewards of the righteous, that is the special subject of our inquiry; but the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. That the wicked are punished, and punished according to their ill desert, after death for the sins they commit in this life, and that the righteous are rewarded for all their good deeds, is too clearly revealed in the Scriptures to admit of any question by those who accept their testimony. But it is a great mistake, which too many make, and a fruitful source of error, on the subject of our inquiry, to suppose that the death which is the common lot of all men since the fall, is that punishment, or that the eternal life, which is a gift of grace, is the reward of the righteous. No man, however free he may be from personal sins, can hope for exemption from this death; nor can any one, however full he may be of good works, establish any claim to this life eternal on the score of merit. The punishment which is due to the sinner for his own sins, and the death which he dies as a mortal man, are two distinct things, and they should never be confounded with each other, as they commonly are in the popular mind. The same distinction is to be observed between the rewards of the righteous, and the unspeakable gift of God—the eternal life—which is the subject of our inquiry.

The Scriptures assure us that, "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." "It is appointed unto men—all men—once to die, but after this the judgment." Had it not been for God’s purpose of grace and mercy, made known in the gospel, this death would have been the final end of all men. But the gospel reveals to us a resurrection from the dead, and another life—a second life—which is pure, spiritual, and eternal, for all who shall be fitted to enjoy it; and a second death, from which there is no resurrection for all who have no fitness for this immortal life.

Now this is the life which is freely offered to all men in the gospel, without money and without price—the life which we are exhorted to seek, to lay hold of, to receive as the gift of God through Jesus Christ; and having received it, the way is open for us to lay up our treasures in Heaven, and to accumulate merit as abundantly as we please. We are assured that there shall be distinctions, according to merit, in the recompense of the righteous, and that not one good deed, even to the giving of a cup of cold water to a disciple for the sake of Christ, shall fall of its full reward.

The "second death" is the death we are warned against, and urged to escape, while we may. Though the first death may not be avoided, the second, which shall issue in utter destruction, may be. What various degrees of punishment shall be meted out to the unsaved by the hand of justice; how many shall fall under this dreadful doom of the second death; what the number of stripes that shall be inflicted upon "those who have sinned without law, and shall perish without law;" how many and how heavy the stripes which they shall deserve who have sinned against both the law and the gospel, and have rejected and despised an offered Saviour, and what shall be their disappointment, their rage, their anguish of spirit, and their torment, and how long all this shall endure, before the fires of Gehenna shall utterly consume them, and the universe shall be rid of their presence—we forbear even to guess. Nor need we now inquire, for this is not our theme. It is just the opposite of all this—the unspeakable gift of God.

This gloomy side has its fit place for consideration, but it now comes only incidentally into view as the background of the glorious picture we are considering.

Entertaining large views of the saving power of him who "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life," we would gladly hope, if we could, for the salvation of all the children of Adam. But bowing reverently, as we do, to the teaching of his word, we cannot entertain any such hope. Alas! that word assures us that, at the last day, "many" will be adjudged to be fit only for destruction; that the good wheat only will be gathered into the garner, and that the chaff will be "burned up with unquenchable fire;" "And then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father"—a kingdom which is not only everlasting, but co-extensive with the universe.

The notion of two everlasting kingdoms, running parallel with each other, the one, a kingdom of purity and blessedness; the other, a kingdom of sin and sorrow; the one, to resound with the praises and joyful songs of redeemed men and angels; and the other, with the groans and blasphemies of lost sinners and devils to all eternity, is not a doctrine of the Bible; it is a relic of Persian dualism and pagan superstition. It came into the Christian church in the latter part of the second century, with that other pagan doctrine of which it is the legitimate fruit—the natural and necessary immortality of sinners. It was incorporated into her creed by the philosophic schoolmen of the Dark Ages, and has been handed down to us through the medium of an apostate church; but is regarded by many, even to this day, as a part of the faith once delivered to the saints. It is full time that it were relegated to its source, and that those who call themselves Christians returned to the simple faith of the gospel, as taught by the Master himself and his apostles.—J. H. Pettingell.

Morning by Morning.

MOSES instructed the children of Israel not to leave over, until to-morrow, manna gathered to-day. But some of them did not hearken, and “left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank; and Moses was wroth with them.” It will not do for one to neglect to feed his soul on the spiritual bread of Heaven for a single day. However exalted his worship or full his heart was of love, joy, and peace yesterday, he needs a fresh, and ample supply again to-day. “Lord give us bread, not stale but fresh bread,” once prayed the renowned Berridge. He was right. “Give us this day our daily bread” is the law for our spiritual well-being.

We may have sat together with the Lord’s people around the Lord’s table yesterday, listened to an instructive and inspiring sermon, but those blessings will not suffice for a week nor even for forty-eight hours. One may remember a bountiful feast enjoyed last week, but such remembrance will not satisfy present hunger. This law applies to the soul as well as to the body.

Again the manna had to be gathered before “the sun waxed hot” or it melted. So at the beginning of the day, before temptations arise, see that thy soul is fed and strengthened. There is danger in delay. Are there not many Christians with leanness in their souls because these two rules are not observed? We believe the laws of the spiritual life and growth are as definite and inflexible as those of physical human nature.

Every morning the Saviour would press the inquiry, “Children, have ye any meat?” Every day he would have his disciples “watch and pray lest they enter into temptation.” Day by day, little by little, step by step, we grow up unto the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.—Atlantic Missionary.

Science Should Seek After God

SCIENCE should seek after God. It contemplates good works, and contemplates them by the faculties which God has given. The wise men of the text, no doubt, brought the richest products of their countries with them. Science should bring its most precious offerings to the Lord. The Bible does not reveal scientific truth: that would not be comprehended by the body of the people. God leaves it to science to discover order in disorder; thus it is calculated to widen the mind. Some men have so familiarized themselves with these processes that they feel as if nature moved without any higher power to guide it. But wisdom is the fruit of a light which was seen at Jerusalem, and must be sought out at Bethlehem.—Sel.

The Sojourners and the Dwellers.

By Epsilon

THE Bible divides the people into two classes; the few are "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" and the many are the dwellers, who center their happiness in this sin-polluted earth, and walk by sight and not by faith. But the sojourners look upon this earth as time's dark wilderness of years through which they must pass on a pilgrimage to the world to come, the earth made new. Father Abraham is the typical pilgrim; and all the true seed of Abraham will be partakers with him in the promised inheritance, the Paradise restored.

The descendants of Jacob possessed the land of Canaan; but this land was only typical of the true inheritance. "For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he [God] not afterward have spoken of another day [time]." Likewise is Edom, Bozrah, or Idumea, the land of Esau, the type of this sin-cursed earth with its idolatrous dwellers. Isa. 34 and 63:1-7. In Hebrews 11, we have a brief sketch of many of the sojourners, who walked by faith, not by sight. Verse 13 reads: "These all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Our Lord says to his disciples: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19. "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you." 1 John 3:13. "For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." Phil. 3:20.

We have given but few of the many scriptures that represent the true believers as having no real citizenship in this present earth; but having their heart in Heaven where Christ, their treasure, has gone to come again and receive them.

We now turn more particularly to the dwellers. Going back to the exodus from Egypt, we see that no amount of proof and miracles will convince and convert those who are bound by chains of idolatry to this earth. The miracles done in the days of Elijah failed to convert the determined sun-worshippers. When we think of our Lord's sojourn on earth, we are prone to look upon the Jews as the most obstinate and perverse of the human race. But both prophecy and history show plainly that Gentile dwellers are as willful and cruel as Jewish dwellers. Christ, in speaking of the day of his second coming, says, "For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." Luke 21:35. These dwellers do not include true believers who are watching and waiting; for they are furnished clear prophecies, and the Lord even commands them, saying, "Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28. "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24:33. "For when they [the dwellers] shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:3, 4. In Phil. 3:19, we read of those whose end is destruction, who mind earthly things. And in Gal. 6:8 we read of those who sow to the flesh and will reap corruption.

Passing over many plain scriptures on this point, we come to the "Revelation of Jesus Christ." This book of prophecy is given to Christ's sojourners to be a pillar of cloud to guide the true Israelites through this "wilderness of sin." It is written in symbols, so that, while it is a pillar of light to the true seed of Abraham, it is a cloud of darkness to the dwellers. These dwellers will always seek to interpret this prophecy favorably to their popular and false theories of Christianity, and are sure to put the wrong interpretation on it. This is why the two-horned beast is called the false prophet. The Bible history of the human race shows plainly that God will not compel men to believe the truth. For them who do not love the truth, strong delusions are prepared. 2 Thess. 2:10, 12.

In Rev. 3:10, we read: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." In 6:10, we read of the blood of the martyrs crying to God from the ground: "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth." In 8:13, we read: "And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters [dwellers] of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels which are yet to sound." In 11:10, we have: "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them [the O. T. and the N. T.] and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth."

In Rev. 13:8, we read: "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast], whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." In 13:14, we read: "And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast." We read in 14:6: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," &c. But these nations will not fear God and give glory to him, because they have drank of the wine of Babylon. They will not receive the warning against the mark of the beast, and therefore Christ will dash them to pieces as a potter's vessel. In 17:8, we have: "And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

It is not for want of proof that many do not keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus; but it is because the great majority of the people are them that dwell upon the earth, and shape their religion earthward.

Is Jesus on Your Cross?

You may be bearing a heavy cross—a cross that bears you to the very earth with its weight and crucifixion, and yet receive no power of life from it, because Jesus is not on it. Jesus said: "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me." Surely the Master did not mean the rich crosses that glitter on high altars, and tower above lofty domes, or the beautiful crosses that crowd richly-furnished dwellings, or the crosses worn as ornaments, alike by the rich and poor. These bring no life from the dead. Too often they are meaningless symbols that mock Heaven and mislead men.

But there is a true cross with Christ upon it, that brings life, joy, and gladness to dead souls. It is the cross of doing duty when it is hard to do it; of standing by the right, even unto death if need be; of following Jesus, even though he leads through desert places and fiery furnaces. It is the cross of yielding heart, life, and will to him, and walking humbly and obediently in his commandments; toiling on patiently in the sphere of duty he assigns; meekly and patiently doing his will, and joyfully accepting trials because of love for him.

Changing Opinions and Sacrificing Principle.

By George C. Tenney

THE two actions mentioned above are entirely distinct, and do not necessarily accompany each other at all times, though frequently they are considered as one and the same. Principles rather than opinions form the foundation and frame-work of character. One may change his mind without altering his character, or sacrificing a principle; but a change in principle involves both. An individual may change his mind and maintain the same attitude toward God and man as before; but when a principle is discarded or one is adopted, the character is modified and the person changes his position as a moral and responsible being.

By the confusion of these ideas people are often placed in a wrong light. Vacillation is regarded as a sign of weakness. But there is a difference between the motion of a pendulum and that of a man walking. One is vacillation and the other is progress. To vibrate between two positions betrays weakness; while to take advance steps in knowledge and duty is a vital process of Christian life, which does not involve a change of principle. Those to whom steps of advancement are revealed may advance without detriment to their character. Those who find that they are on the wrong side of a question may get right without sacrificing their good resolutions; they must get right or abandon those resolutions.

To refuse to accept light is not, as many fondly imagine, to show firmness of character; but it is selfish bigotry, which, were it universally carried out, would forever bar the progress of reform and improvement. To illustrate: People who see the light of the Third Angel's Message and embrace it are apt to be termed "turn-coats," and there are those who fear that appellation. But how is it? Two persons start out taking the highest position which it is possible for man to choose, to live for the glory of God. They embrace the religion of Jesus, and adopt the Bible as their guide, and the Spirit of God as their counsel. One after another duties and crosses are presented and are taken up. Wherever they find that they are not in harmony with the will of the Lord as expressed in his word, they quickly conform to it.

They have proved their fidelity by years of experience, until their attention is called to the fact that God says, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work." They search the Scriptures and inquire diligently, but find no divine authority for the observance of any other day. Their practices are at variance with the plain word of God. One says, I have been mistaken in my observance of the first day of the week and will now hasten to keep all of God's commandments according to the resolution I formed at the beginning of my Christian experience. Henceforth he observes the seventh day.

The other says, I will not be blown about by every wind of doctrine. I have been blest in my church and will not now turn from it and deny myself of its privileges and embrace an unpopular cause. It is true the Bible tells me I am wrong, but the change will require much sacrifice, and after all it cannot make much difference if I am only sincere. This position is directly against his former good resolution, and is a repudiation of it. Who, then, has undergone the most remarkable change? One has changed his mind and practices in order to sustain a noble principle; and the other has sacrificed a most important principle to maintain an opinion which the word of God does not uphold.

The former retains his position as a disciple, a learner; the latter assumes to decide what is right for himself and descends from the high position which they at first occupied together.

G. C. TENNEY.

The Sabbath-School.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

LESSON FOR THE PACIFIC COAST—OCT. 25.

When King Hezekiah was sick, what message came to him from the Lord? Isa. 38:1.
When he received this message, what did he do? Verse 2.
How did he feel at the prospect of death? Verse 3.
In answer to his prayer, what did the Lord promise? Verse 5.
When he had recovered, what reason did he give for the sorrow he had manifested? Verses 9, 10.
Of what did he say he was about to be deprived?
What do you conclude from that statement?
What further reason did Hezekiah give for his sorrow at the prospect of death? Verse 11.
Where does the Lord dwell? Ps. 11:4; 33:13, 14.
Then if Hezekiah had gone to Heaven, would he not have seen the Lord?
What had been the character of Hezekiah? Isa. 38:3; 2 Kings 18:1-6.
Then what must we conclude from his statement that if he died he should not see the Lord?
To what place had Hezekiah expected to go if his life was cut short? Isa. 38:10.
Was it simply his body that was about to go into the grave? Verse 17.
What did he give as the final reason for not desiring to die? Verse 18.
Who alone can praise the Lord? Verse 19.
How positively does David speak on this point? Ps. 115:17.
Why is it that men who have praised God all their lives cease to do so at death? Ps. 6:5.
Why do they so soon forget God? Ps. 146:3, 4.
If their thoughts perish, how much do the dead know? Eccl. 9:5.

THE texts quoted in our lesson this week are so clear that scarcely any comment is needed. The interesting story of Hezekiah's sickness and recovery is presented to us, and certain doctrinal lessons are drawn therefrom. These cannot be misunderstood by any who study the text. We would notice, in the first place, the popular fallacy that peace of mind in view of death is a sure test of piety, and a token that all is well with the departing one. We are told concerning the wicked that "there are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm" (Ps. 73:4); and in the lesson we find that righteous Hezekiah "wept sore" when he heard that he must soon die. While all good persons do not express deep sorrow, as did Hezekiah, we have no example in the Bible of one who expressed anything like joy at the prospect of death. Without exception, the Bible writers looked upon death as something to be dreaded. It is represented as an enemy; and Solomon could find no better example of cruelty than the grave: "Cruel as the grave." Cant. 8:6. Why, then, should it not be feared?

THE modern popular ideas of death are all upset by the statements of the Bible. We are taught that death is a friend, and that "'tis but the voice that Jesus sends to call us to his arms." If this were true, death would indeed be a friend; but it is positively false. Hezekiah's grief was entirely consistent with his previous upright and godly life, for, said he, "I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living." "For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth." Instead of death being the voice of Jesus, calling his loved ones to his arms, it is the cruel weapon of Satan, with which he seeks to destroy the human race, and deprive them of all happiness and good.

"I SAID in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave; I am deprived of the residue of my years." Isa. 38:10. Even if it were true that good men go to Heaven as soon as they die, this language shows plainly that Hezekiah knew nothing of any such doctrine. He regarded death as the cutting off of his days, the deprivation of the residue of his years, and not a lengthening of his existence to all eternity. The language that he used is utterly inconsistent with the idea of continued existence after death.

WITHOUT doubt many whose attention is specially called to the chapter relating the story of Hezekiah's illness and recovery, will query in regard to the sign that was given him by the Lord. We have no explanation to offer; we do not think that one is needed. There are some who think to rid the sign of the appearance of a miracle by saying that the shadow went backward on account of extraordinary refraction of the sun's rays. They do not seem to think that this would also require miraculous interposition. For our part, it is no more difficult to believe that God could, if necessary, move the sun itself backward, than to believe that he could cause it to stand still, or create it in the beginning. We have no sympathy with that spirit which attempts to bring the acts of an infinite God within the comprehension of a finite mind. That which is necessary for us to understand,—our duty to God and our fellows, and the blessings promised to the obedient, are clearly set forth in the word. To these things we should give earnest and reverent heed, and pray the Lord to increase our faith.

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