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Signs of the Times, Vol. 5, No. 29.

Union with Christ in Our Work

Signs of the Times

Jul 31, 1879

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1879

Union with Christ in Our Work

By Ellen G. White

General Articles.
Union with Christ in Our Work.
By Mrs. E. G. White.
Many profess to be on the Lord's side, but they are not; the weight of all their actions is on Satan's side. By what means shall we determine whose side we are on? Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Upon whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections, and our best energies? If we are on the Lord's side, our thoughts are with him, and our sweetest thoughts are of him. We have no friendship with the world; we have consecrated all that we have and are, to him. We long to bear his image, breathe his Spirit, do his will, and please him in all things.
In consideration of the shortness of time, we as a people should watch and pray, and in no case allow ourselves to be diverted from the solemn work of preparation for the great event before us. Because the time is apparently extended, many have become careless and indifferent in regard to their words and actions. They do not realize their danger, and do not see and understand the mercy of our God in lengthening their probation, that they may have time to form characters for the future immortal life. Every moment is of the highest value. Time is granted them, not to be employed in studying their own ease and becoming dwellers on the earth; but to be used in the work of overcoming every defect in their own characters, and in helping others to see the beauty of holiness by their example and personal effort. God has a people upon the earth who in faith and holy hope are tracing down the roll of fast fulfilling prophecy, and are seeking to purify their souls by obeying the truth, that they may not be found without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear.
The disciples of Christ are his representatives upon the earth; and God designs that they shall be lights in the moral darkness of this world, dotted all over the country, in the towns, villages, and cities, "a spectacle unto the world, to angels, and to men." If they obey the teachings of Christ in his sermon on the mount, they will be seeking continually for perfection of Christian character, and will be truly the light of the world—channels through which God will communicate his divine will, the truth of heavenly origin, to those who sit in darkness, and who have no knowledge of the way of life and salvation.
God cannot display the knowledge of his will, and the wonders of his grace, among the unbelieving world, unless he has witnesses scattered all over the earth. This is God's plan: that men and women who are partakers of this great salvation through Jesus Christ, should be his missionaries, bodies of light throughout the world, to be as signs to the people—living epistles, known and read of all men; their faith and works testifying to the near approach of the coming Saviour, and that they have not received the grace of God in vain. The people must be warned to prepare for the coming Judgment. To those who have been listening only to fables, God will give an opportunity to hear the sure word of prophecy, whereunto they do well that they take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. God will present the sure word of truth to the understanding of all who will take heed, that they may contrast truth with the fables which have been presented to them by men who claim to understand the word of God, and profess to be qualified to instruct those in darkness.
Many who have called themselves Adventists have been time-setters. Time after time has been set for Christ to come, but repeated failures have been the result. The definite time of our Lord's coming is declared to be beyond the ken of mortals. Even the angels who minister unto those who shall be heirs of salvation, know not the day nor the hour. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but my Father only." Because the times repeatedly set have passed, the world is in a more decided state of unbelief than before in regard to the near advent of Christ. They look upon the failures of the time-setters with disgust; and because men have been so deceived, they turn from the truth substantiated by the word of God that the end of all things is at hand.
Those who so presumptuously preach definite time, in so doing gratify the adversary of souls; for they are advancing infidelity rather than Christianity. They produce scripture, and by false interpretation show a chain of argument which apparently proves their position. But their failures show that they are false prophets, that they do not rightly interpret the language of inspiration. The word of God is truth and verity; but men have perverted its meaning. These errors have brought the truth of God for these last days into disrepute. Adventists are derided by ministers of all denominations. Yet God's servants must not hold their peace. The signs foretold in prophecy, are fast fulfilling around us. This should arouse every true follower of Christ to zealous action.
Those who think they must preach definite time in order to make an impression upon the people, do not work from the right standpoint. The feelings of the people may be stirred, and their fears aroused; but they do not move from principle. An excitement is created, but when the time passes, as it has done repeatedly, those who moved out upon time fall back into coldness and darkness and sin, and it is almost impossible to arouse their consciences without some great excitement.
In Noah's day, the inhabitants of the old world laughed to scorn what they termed the superstitious fears and forebodings of the preacher of righteousness. He was denounced as a visionary character, a fanatic, an alarmist. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." Men will reject the solemn message of warning in our day as they did in Noah's time. They will refer to those false teachers who have predicted the event and set the definite time, and will say they have no more faith in our warning than in theirs. This is the attitude of the world to-day. Unbelief is wide spread, and the preaching of Christ's coming is mocked at and derided. This makes it all the more essential that those who believe present truth show their faith by their works. They should be sanctified through the truth which they profess to believe; for they are savors of life unto life, or of death unto death.
Noah preached to the people of his time that God would give them one hundred and twenty years in which to repent of their sins, and find refuge in the ark; but they refused the gracious invitation. Abundant time was given them to turn from their sins, overcome their bad habits, and develop righteous characters. But inclination to sin, though weak at first with many, strengthened through repeated indulgence, and hurried them on to irretrievable ruin. The merciful warning of God was rejected with sneers, with mocking, and derision, and they were left in darkness, to follow the course their sinful hearts had chosen. But their unbelief did not hinder the predicted event. It came, and great was the wrath of God which was seen in the general ruin.
These words of Christ should sink into the hearts of all who believe the present truth: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Our danger is presented before us by Christ himself. He knew the perils we should meet in these last days, and would have us prepare for them. "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the son of man." They were eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and swept them all away. The day of God will find men absorbed in like manner in the business and pleasures of the world, in feasting and gluttony, and indulging perverted appetite in the defiling use of liquor, and the narcotic, tobacco. This is already the condition of our world, and these indulgences are found even among God's professed people, some of whom are following the customs and partaking of the sins of the world. Lawyers, mechanics, farmers, traders, and even ministers from the pulpit, are crying "Peace and safety," when destruction is fast coming upon them.
What a responsible position, to unite with the Redeemer of the world in the salvation of men! This work calls for self-denial, sacrifice, and benevolence; for perseverance, courage, and faith. Why there are so little results seen of those who minister in word and doctrine, is, they have not the fruit of the grace of God in their hearts and lives. They have not faith. Many who profess to be ministers of Jesus Christ, manifest a wonderful submission in seeing the unconverted all around them going to perdition. A minister of Christ has no right to be at ease, and sit down submissively to the fact that the truth is powerless, and souls are not stirred by its presentation. They should resort to prayer, and should work and pray without ceasing. Those who submit to remain destitute of spiritual blessings, without an earnest wrestling for those blessings, consent to have Satan triumph. Persistent, prevailing faith is necessary. God's ministers must come into close companionship with Christ, and follow his example in all things—in purity of life, in self-denial, in benevolence, in diligence, in perseverance. They should remember that a record will one day appear in evidence against them for the least omission of duty.
The followers of Jesus Christ, scattered throughout the world, do not have a high sense of their responsibility, and the obligation resting upon them to let their light shine forth to others. If there are but one or two in a place, they can, although few in number, so conduct before the world as to have an influence which will impress the unbeliever with the sincerity of their faith.
Belief in the near coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven will not cause the true Christian to become neglectful and careless of the ordinary business of life. The waiting ones who look for the soon appearing of Christ will not be idle, but diligent in business. Their work will not be done carelessly and dishonestly; but with fidelity, promptness, and thoroughly. Those who flatter themselves that careless inattention to the things of this life is an evidence of their spirituality, and of their separation from the world, are under a great deception. Their veracity, their faithfulness, and their integrity are tested and proved even in temporal things. If they are faithful in that which is least, they will be faithful in much.
In Christ's sermon on the mount, we have the injunction of the Great Teacher: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." This command of Christ is of the highest importance, and should be strictly obeyed. It is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Prophecy Fulfilling.

By S. N. Haskell

BY ELD. S. N. HASKELL.
About eighteen hundred years ago it was prophesied by John on the Isle of Patmos that there would be three messages given to the inhabitants of the earth. The first proclamation was, "Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." It was to be preached to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." The second was, "Babylon is fallen." The third was a solemn warning against worshiping certain powers represented by the expression, "the beast and his image."
The result of preaching the third message is that a class of Christians will be brought to keep "the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14: 6-12.
The "faith of Jesus" is the doctrine of the plan of salvation through Christ, as preached by the apostle Paul and the early disciples. Acts 13: 8, 12. The commandments of God are the ten, given upon Mount Sinai, which constitute God's moral law, by which sin is made known, and shows the necessity of a plan of salvation by grace. 1 John 3: 4; Rom. 4: 15; 5: 13.
These messages immediately precede the second coming of Christ, as it is a connecting event between the ending of probation, when the wrath of God will be poured out, Rev. 14: 10; 16: 1, 2, and Christ taking his seat upon the great white cloud, Rev. 14: 14. Also the proclamation of the hour of God'sjudgment is given in connection with that event. 2 Tim. 4: 1.
From 1840 to 1844 commenced a work which was an exact fulfillment of this prophecy. Wm. Miller, of Low Hampton, N. Y., had, for many years previously, been comparing history with prophecy, until he came to the conclusion that we are near the day of Judgment and second coming of Christ. He publicly stated his faith to others which was received by many.
During the time above mentioned, this doctrine of Christ's soon coming was preached by William Miller and his co-laborers throughout this country, and publications upon these subjects were sent to every missionary station in the world.
About this time Edward Irving proclaimed the same in England, and Joseph Wolf preached very extensively the same in Asia. Through these men and their co-laborers and publications, the subject of the Judgment and soon coming of Christ was very extensively known and believed over no inconsiderable portion of the earth's surface.
The great departure of the churches from spirituality and holiness in these days proves the second message to be correctly applied, as this message was understood to be an announcement of the moral fall of professed Christendom.
It was in the autumn of 1844 that a class of Christians who believed in the soon coming of Christ commenced to keep the seventh day of the week as the Lord's Sabbath. This was in Washington, N. H. From this small commencement the doctrine of the third angel's message has been preached, and believers are now found almost everywhere. Of these it may be truly said they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ. Sabbath literature in connection with the doctrine of the soon coming of Christ is sent by mail to the islands of the sea, and many places where the living preacher has never gone, and without effect. In Christiana, Norway, is a prosperous mission with many believers; and publications are issued and sent to all parts of Europe, wherever the Swedish and Danish languages are spoken. France and Spain have their living witnesses for these solemn truths. Italy, the territory of that blasphemous power which changed the law of God, has her Seventh-day Adventist churches and missionaries who are laboring ardently in behalf of the third angel's message. News from Greece gives us the fact that there are individuals belonging to churches in Russia where there are many bodies of Sabbath keeping Christians. In Egypt, which was the birthplace of Moses, and the asylum of our Saviour from the wrath of Herod, there are churches of those who believe these truths. In Alexandria, a city of over 150,000 inhabitants, representing all the nationalities of the world, is a school established where the doctrines of the third angel's message are taught in many of the ancient languages to those who carry it to their fellow-men in their own countries. In Basle, Switzerland, is a prosperous mission. At this place are publications issued in the French, German, and Italian languages, and sent to those portions of the globe where these languages are spoken.
Old England has many Sabbath keepers in different parts of the kingdom, and at this time a mission is established at Southampton, where Eld. J. N. Loughborough is preaching in his cotton meeting-house—a large 60-foot tent. These meetings are creating no inconsiderable interest, and success is attending his labors. In those States and Territories in this country, where the living preacher has never visited to preach these views, there are a goodly number of believers, made so by reading publications sent by vigilant missionary societies. Leading colored men in the South, who have never heard a single sermon from our people, have been raised up to proclaim these views to their people. And thus it is in all the civilized world; witnesses are raised up who become light bearers to their fellow-men. More than ten thousand copies are taken of periodicals in the different languages, and remailed by our missionary societies to different portions of the globe where the English, Danish, Swedish, German, French, and Italian languages are spoken.
Certainly these times call for action. The prophecy is being rapidly fulfilled. We should take broader views of this work, and engage in it as though it were a part of life's business. We have no time to delay. Time is short. The Lord is coming, and we have something else to attend to besides our farms and merchandise. God is signally blessing the reading of our periodicals as never before. He is raising up friends of influence and ability in different parts of the world, who enter the ranks and voluntarily defend these truths. Every man and woman, and every child who has reached the years of understanding should be at their post of duty in a time like this.

HIS WONDROUS NAME.

By Messiah's Herald

A PRINCE and Counselor he came, And stooped a man of griefs to be; He healed the sick, the blind, the lame, Yet gained but scorn and infamy, Till, leaving dark Gethsemane, He bore, with his own cross of shame, Our crushing load of guilt and blame, Up the rough path to Calvary.
"Jesus the King," high o'er his head, On that rude cross the name was hung; Below, the suffering Saviour bled, His soul with untold anguish rung— His name reviled by scoffing tongue— Behold fulfilled what prophets said; "A spotless Lamb to slaughter led," And loving hearts with sorrow stung.
Immanuel—God in human guise! Atonement—for his people's sin! Rejected, mocked, despised, he dies For those his love had failed to win. But hark! what songs in Heaven begin! Exultant shouts fill all the skies: "Lift up your heads, ye gates; arise And let the King of Glory in!"
Our Prophet—thus he lived and taught; Our perfect sacrifice he died, And life and peace for rebels bought; With his own life—the crimson tide That flowed so freely from his side; Now to his Father's presence brought— He pleads the finished work he wrought, Our great High Priest, once crucified.
When in his name I made request For cleansing from the sin of years, How sweet the answering sense of rest That banished all my guilty fears, And changed for smiles my flowing tears. The Spirit came to my guest; At once my lips with joy confessed: "I'm saved! My humble prayer he hears."
His name's a tower—a refuge nigh When foes assail; its power I feel When tempted, wounded, faint I lie, Like Sharon's odors round me steal, Or Gilead's fragrant balm, to heal The trembling soul that else would die— His saving name exalted high, Shall still new springs of grace reveal.
My Advocate in Heaven's high place, I make thy name my daily plea, To all the pleasures of thy grace This is the never-failing key, The Christian's blood-bought legacy; Here, armed and fitted for the race, Heavenward I run, that I thy face At length may see, and dwell with thee.
He comes, our Bridegroom-king, the same Who pledged his bride a princely dower, A stone engraved with his "new name," His seal of love and royal power, Reserved until the marriage hour To keep her love and hope aflame, Till he should come his own to claim, And regal splendors round her shower.
His precious, wondrous, glorious name, More bright than myriad stars shall blaze, When angel voices shall proclaim The end of weary pilgrim days. What glad, new songs the church will raise When on her brow he writes his name; And all creation swells th' acclaim: "Worthy the Lamb, of endless praise."
—Messiah's Herald.

Can God Organize Matter to Think?

By D. M. Canright

(Concluded.)
Whence comes the immortal spirit? We now have a few hard questions for our opponents to answer. If man has an immortal, immaterial, deathless spirit, we ask, From where does it come? and how is it propagated? Was it conscious in a pre-existent state, in some other world, and from thence was sent into the human body at birth? Or is a soul created by the Lord at the birth of every child? Or is it begotten, like the body, and perpetuated with the body? One of these three positions must be taken. Indeed, our opponents have always taken some of these positions, though they are not at all agreed which one to adopt. Shall we advocate the pre-existence of the soul, that it lived in some other world before it came into the body? If so, why do we not remember having lived somewhere else? Strange that we should have so utterly forgotten all the past. Then, why does not the soul come into the body pure and sinless, inclined to holiness? How does it happen, moreover, that children are so much like their parents, in their souls as well as in their bodies, mentally as well as physically? But as few except the Mormons now hold to the foolish idea of pre-existence, we will let it pass.
Shall we say, then, that souls are created for bodies at birth? This theory would involve a greater difficulty than the other. The Lord must be continually creating, every minute, additional immortal souls. More than that, this would make him sanction prostitution and adultery. A child is begotten in adultery, in the most wicked and corrupt manner. Must God immediately create a soul for that child? This would make God a party to sin. Moreover, if God thus creates immaterial souls, he must either make them pure and holy, or impure and sinful. The latter supposition is inconsistent with the character of God; and if the former be the true one, how shall we account for the natural depravity of the human soul? The evidence of our eyes proves that children are born predisposed to sin, some of them much more so than others.
Then, again, if the soul is thus created a separate entity, an intelligent being before it is placed in the body, why do we not remember even that little time that we existed before we were in the body? And again, at what time is the soul sent into the body? Is it just at birth, or a little after, or some time before? Does it come fully grown? or is it a baby soul that grows up afterward? If so, what makes it grow? On what does it feed? Does it grow out of the material which the body eats? Then it must be material itself. No: that wont do. Well is it placed in the body fully grown—man's size? How, then, can it be cramped up in so small a space? And why does not the soul of a baby reason and think like a man's, if it is a man's.
But we are interested to know when it is placed in the body. It cannot be after birth; because then the babe would be born without a soul! Is it placed there just after the child is begotten, and before it has assumed the human form? Moreover, we would ask these wise men, who are so positive as to what matter can do and what it cannot do, how it is that the immaterial, intangible essence which has not one particle of materiality about it, which can in no wise be grasped, nor held, nor handled by material organs,—we ask how this immaterial soul can come in contact with a physical body anyway. What point of contact can there possibly be between such a thing and the material brain? How can it operate upon our organs of hearing, smelling, or tasting? In fact, how can it be so closely confined within this material form? Why can't it leave the body at will? But it cannot. If there is such a soul inside, we know that the body holds it with a firm grasp; and however much the soul may desire to flee, it cannot possibly get away till the material body is dead, and has lost all its strength and power to hold anything. These difficulties, to our mind, are tenfold greater than those attending the admission of the simple truth that the material brain has been so organized as to think.
The advocates of the immortal soul theory freely admit that they cannot explain how the soul can act upon a material brain. Indeed, they admit that they cannot tell what the soul is. Bishop Clark himself thus speaks: "We confess that we know not in what the essence of soul, or spirit, consists. We readily acknowledge our ignorance of the essence, the subject-being, of matter. We make the same confession—and under the same limitations—concerning the soul."—Man All Immortal, p. 29. Another doctor of divinity says, "We do not understand the true nature of spirit, and cannot therefore determine what is or is not possible respecting it."—Knapp's Christian Theology, p. 202.
How do they know, then, but that the soul is material after all? They do not know; and after they have argued and philosophized to the end of the subject, one confession like the above overturns all their speculations. They are arguing about something of which they know nothing.
But further: if the soul is a living, intelligent entity, capable of thinking, moving about, and acting as well out of the body as in it, we ask, What was the use of making the body for it anyway? Why not leave it without the clog of this poor, gross, material body? Indeed, if our immaterialist friends are right, it would have been a great blessing to the spirit to have left it without the body; for they are always telling how the flesh weighs down the immortal spirit, and clogs its movements, and with what speed the disembodied spirit will travel when freed from the body, with what power it will then act. Then why do we have the body at all? Let those answer who can.
If the soul is not pre-existent, neither created directly at birth, it must be propagated with the body. Indeed, this theory has been held by many. Says Dr. Knapp, "The reason why this theory is so much preferred by theologians, is that it affords the easiest solution of the doctrine of native depravity."—Knapp's Christian Theology, p. 202. But the moment you adopt this theory you come upon our ground, and admit that the soul is material. For how could an immaterial soul beget another immaterial soul? Are these intangible souls male and female? and can they beget children? No. The very idea is utterly untenable and absurd. If souls are begotten, then they must be material. This is what they all admit who hold this theory. Thus Dr. Knapp says:—
"This hypothesis is not, however, free from objections; and it is very difficult to reconcile it with some philosophical opinions which are universally received. We cannot, for example, easily conceive how generation and propagation can take place without extension. But we cannot predicate extension of the soul without making it a material substance. Tertullian and others of the fathers affirm, indeed, that the soul of man, and that spirit in general, is not perfectly pure and simple, but of a refined, material nature, of which, consequently, extension may be predicated."—Christian Theol., p. 202.
But is this true that souls beget souls? and are spirits male and female? If they are material, and are begotten with the body, then the presumption is that they will also die with it. How much more natural and consistent is the simple truth, that man is a unit, that his mental powers grow out of his physical organization. A father begets a child of his own person; hence that child naturally partakes of the peculiarities of his father, both physical and mental. This we everywhere see to be the case. "Like father, like son." This accounts for our fallen natures, and inherited weaknesses of body and mind. The mental likeness of children to their parents is generally just as great as their physical likeness, and often even greater. With our view of man, this is just what we should expect; but on the supposition that the soul is an immaterial entity sent down directly from God, it is wholly unexplainable.
Cause of infidelity among scientists. The intelligent reader is aware that modern scientific men are, to a great extent, becoming skeptical. I am fully satisfied that one great cause of this skepticism is found in the false view which theologians have held concerning mind and matter. Scientific men readily see that, given the principle of life, or vital force, and all the phenomena of nature, vegetable, animal, and mental, can be readily accounted for in the physical organization. Hence physicians, physiologists, and phrenologists in particular, have largely been inclined to materialism. Says Dr. Knapp, speaking of the view that the soul is material, "It has always been the favorite theory of psychologists and physicians."—Christian Theology, p. 202. Seeing the absurdity of the doctrine of immateriality and natural immortality, they have given up their old theology, and thrown away their religion with it. Had they been taught the true doctrine of mind and intelligence, it would have done much to save them from their skepticism.
Is matter corrupt and mean? These immaterialists are always asserting how mean, corrupt, polluted, weak, and every way inferior, matter is. To hear them talk, you would suppose that matter must be very hateful to God. But if matter is naturally so corrupt and mean, why has God created so much of it? Who made of matter all those numberless millions of worlds on high? Every astronomer knows that they are all material, just such matter as our own earth is made of. Ghosts do not cast shadows, but the moon and other heavenly bodies do. Who made the moon? Who made the earth? the air? the water? the dust? the rocks? the plants? the trees? the insects? the animals? and our material bodies? God made them all of matter; yea, and pronounced them "Very good." Gen. 1:31. To these very things God always appeals as the highest proof of his power, glory, and Godhead. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Ps. 19:1. Again: "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. 10:12. To the idolatrous Athenians he is introduced as "God that made the world, and all things therein." Acts 17:24. Paul declares that "by the things that are made, his eternal power and Godhead" are clearly seen. Rom. 1:20. When the Lord would convince Job of his might and greatness, he pointed to the foundations of the earth, which he had laid (Job 38:1–6), to the sea (verse 8), to the clouds (verse 9), to the stars (verses 31–33), to the lightnings (verse 35), to the lions (verse 39), and all the beasts of the earth which he had made (Chap. 39). All these are material, made of the dust of the ground. God is not ashamed to appeal to these material things as proof of his glory.
Is it true, then, that the matter which God has made is so corrupt and naturally sinful as immaterialists claim? Then God would be the author of sin. God made man of the dust of the ground. Gen. 2:7. God made the beautiful and holy Eden of matter, of the ground. Yea; even the tree of life itself grew out of the ground. Gen. 2:8–15. God's divine Son, who came to redeem men, was a material being. He was born of a woman, had flesh and bones, walked upon our earth, ate its material food, breathed its material air, and drank its material water.
"It is not wise to repudiate materialism till we see what connection it has with our final salvation. And here we inquire, How are we to be saved? From our opposers, as well as from the Bible, comes the answer, By the death of Christ. Very well. Then could we be saved without his death? All agree we could not. This paves the way for another important question, If we are saved by the death of Christ, and could not be saved without his death, are we saved by the death of a material Christ? or by the death of an immaterial Christ? Own the truth, let the result be what it may. Did an immaterial Christ die for us? You say, No. Then was it not a material Christ that died? Certainly. So you admit that a material Christ died to save us, and that otherwise salvation would not have been possible, thus predicating your hope of salvation upon the death of materiality. No matter whether there was an immaterial entity within him or not, so long as that did not die; and we expressly read, "Christ died for us," and "We are reconciled to God by the death of his Son;" so we are indebted for salvation to the death of that part of Christ which could and did die, even if he had forty entities that could not and did not die; and the part that died for our sins was material. Hear it, ye haters of materialism! The foundation-stone of the system of salvation, from your own showing, is materiality, and there is no escape from the conclusion."—Bible Banner.
Then in the resurrection, our material bodies are to be saved and immortalized. 1 Cor. 15:51–55. Yes, and finally, this material earth is to be purified from the curse, and made the eternal home of the saints. Rev. 21:1–5.
But here I leave this very interesting question, having only glanced at a few of the innumerable proofs in favor of the materiality of all things. I have endeavored to avoid the fine metaphysical arguments which are generally employed on this topic, and use only those common facts of every-day observation with which every child is familiar.
D. M. CANRIGHT.

Spirit Photography Explained

"SPIRIT photography" is thus explained by a Rochester photographer: "I take a piece of glass and on it I paste the photographed heads of such 'spirits' as I wish to produce in hazy outlines about the head of the sitter. In the center of the glass I put nothing, but arrange the 'spirits' in a semi-circle. Then from this prepared plate I take a negative and afterwards a positive. When a sitter comes for photographs I take a negative just as I would any one's. When the printing is done I place the positive plate of the sitter under the positive plate of the 'spirits,' and allow the sun to print both. The 'spirits' being in a semi-circle the finished photograph appears as if the sitter was surrounded by heads in the air."
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