Review and Herald, Vol. 49, No. 9. (3/1/1877)

Review and Herald

Mar 1, 1877

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 1, 1877

The Righteous and the Wicked.

By G. V. Kilgore

BY G. V. KILGORE.

TEXT: “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isa. 3:10, 11.

Here are two classes mentioned, the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are the people in whose hearts is the law of God. They know righteousness and do right. Isa. 51:7. The wicked are those from whom proceeds wickedness. “As saith the proverb of the ancients, wickedness proceedeth from the wicked.” 1 Sam. 24:13. They forsake the law and do wrong. Prov. 28:4.

The two classes are many times spoken of in the Bible. To the former class are promised good things, rich blessings above all other people. To the latter, fearful things are threatened. It is said in the Bible that the righteous shall have good things in possession; that they shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace; and that they shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars forever and ever. Of the wicked it is said that they shall be clothed with shame, and brought to confusion; that they shall hunger and mourn and weep; and, finally, that they shall wail, and gnash their teeth in a fire that shall burn them up root and branch, completely destroying them, so that they shall be as though they had not been.

But these two classes have been living in the world together for nearly six thousand years. And, although the great book of God speaks so favorably to the righteous, we see they have been despised and rejected, shamefully abused, and many of them killed. They have suffered the slander and ridicule of the ungodly, and millions of them have been burned at the stake by wicked men. While they have endured such things, the ungodly have prospered in the world, and boasted of their ease and wealth. As it was in the days of the psalmist, so it is now: “Pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily.”

How is this? Has the Author of the Bible made a mistake? Has he promised things that he cannot bestow? If the earthly pilgrimage of the righteous were to be taken as an example of their promised blessings, all might well be discouraged. If the church, established by Christ when he was on earth, is the kingdom promised them, they are an unhappy people. Indeed, they would be the most unfortunate of any people that ever lived. Consider how they have been used since Christ was here; yea, and how Jesus himself was used after he had established his church. He was cruelly killed; and his followers, since that time, have been worn out by earthly powers. Is this the kingdom which the prophets of old promised to the people of God? Is this that stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, which was to smite the powers of this world and grind them to powder? I hope not. Yet many learned men teach that it is. But those who have really lived in the kingdom that Christ established by his earthly ministry, have well known that it is not that promised kingdom in which they were to enjoy the blessings that God had promised them.

Paul must have spoken the sentiments of all the righteous from Abel to the present day, when he said, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” Paul could well realize this to be a truth. His persecutions proved it. If he endured all his trials merely for the satisfaction of having his own way, and yet expected nothing beyond the comforts of this life, he was certainly a miserable man. Look at his calling: “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle.” This was esteemed a very low calling in those days. Jesus was supposed to be nothing but a common Nazarene. Matt. 2:23. And when Paul preached, it was thought that Jesus was dead. Acts 25:19. To be a servant of such a man, and that, too, after he had been disgracefully killed, was not a position to be envied. And to be abused as Paul was—whipped, stoned, and imprisoned—was not at all delightful. Yet Paul counted it a pleasure to be even a servant of this lowly Jesus. He also rejoiced in tribulation. But he knew his reward was not to be realized in this life. He, like all the righteous before him, looked beyond this vale of tears to an inheritance undefiled, which will never fade away.

No, thanks be to our God, our hope is not in this life. The pilgrimage of the righteous is only to fit them for their eternal home. The church below, which has been so abused, is not the kingdom in which there was to be fullness of joy. Oh! no. Nor are the righteous the most miserable of all men—far from it. They are the happy people of the Lord, because they have the sure promise of being saved with an everlasting salvation. They are the ones for whom the earth was made. When it is fitted for their abode, it will bloom like Eden. It will be inhabited by none but themselves, and will be theirs forever—a world without end. Then they will delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Then they will shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars forever and ever. Isa. 45:17, 18, 35; Ps. 115:16; 37:11; Dan. 12:3.

The wicked may speak loftily and set their mouth against the heavens now; and they may persecute the righteous as the papal power did; but woe unto them hereafter! When the Lord ariseth to shake terribly the earth, “Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him.” They have stained the earth with the blood of saints and prophets, and have oppressed the poor and needy. They have scorned the righteous, and laughed at their prayers. For thousands of years these things have gone on, and to-day the world is filled with evil men. They still exult at their prosperity, and scoff at the religious. They act and talk as though they were independent of God, and were never to render an account. A spiritualist once asked me what good it did me to pray to God. Said he: “What did you ever get by praying? I never pray. If I want any thing I pay for it and get it.”

If things were always to continue this way, the righteous would indeed be miserable. What a state of affairs! The innocent killed by the guilty, the honest robbed, the humble oppressed by the proud, the godly scoffed at by the ungodly! If conclusions were to be drawn from these things, the language of the text would have to be reversed. It would have to read thus: Woe unto the righteous! it shall be ill with him; for his troubles are great. But say ye to the wicked, It shall be well with him; for he is independent, because he pays for all he gets! But, no, no; this state of affairs will not always last. The text need not be reversed. It reads just right as it is. The God of Heaven hears the prayers of his faithful people, and it will be well with them by-and-by. “When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” God has already wrought for his people sufficiently to prove that he cares for them. He delivered the Hebrew worthies from the fiery furnace, and brought out Daniel from the lion’s den. He opened the prison gates, and loosed the bands which held the apostles. They gave him the glory, and he showered down upon them his Spirit, until they were able to heal the sick and raise the dead. That same God still lives, and his promises are yet sure. Praise his holy name!

Hear again what he has written: “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him.” Yes, take courage, righteous man, though you may be oppressed wrongfully, all will be well by-and-by. Lift up your head, discouraged one, the Lord will turn again the captivity of Zion. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” When the enemies of the Lord rise up to tread down the truth, call on the name of God; for he promises to hear all that call upon him in truth. He will hear their cry, and save them. Ps. 145:18, 19. “Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” Ps. 37:34.

The promises to the righteous are many, and the reward offered them is great. The name of the Lord is greatly to be praised for such promises. There is that city that is prepared for the faithful. Its light will so far outshine the sun of the new earth that it will be as light in the city at midnight as at noon-day. Rev. 21:23–25; Isa. 30:26. The psalmist says, “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.” Indeed, it must be a lovely place. Its walls are beautiful jasper, and its streets are pure gold, like unto clear glass. Its foundations are precious stones, glowing with brightness, and sparkling in the light of God. All of its gates are pearls. They will shine with resplendent brilliancy, and never grow dim. Precious and beautiful colors mingle together in those walls and foundations, presenting more lovely pictures than the brightest rainbow we ever saw. In the midst of those golden streets is the tree of life, whose fruits perpetuate immortality. There, too, is the river of life, whose waters are pure and free.

The throne of God will also be there. And before that throne, on a sea of glass, the redeemed hosts will stand, when they are gathered from this earth to reign with Christ a thousand years. They will raise their voices and touch their harps to praise him who saved them. There will be the persecuted of this earth, made free from sorrow and care, happy and joyful in God—Abraham and his seed all together. Oh! what an assembly—the church of the first-born! Think who will be there: people whose greatest delight it has been to honor God and make all around them happy. Not an ill-natured being in all that crowd! There will be men that we read about in the Bible—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel—all the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. Those who fell under the cruel hand of the papacy, and those who get the victory over the beast and his image, will be there. What a scene, to see all these people meet! The Bible says that tears shall be wiped from off all faces, but it does seem as though tears of joy would be shed as these people greet each other, when they know they are saved together for eternity. Those who were acquainted on earth will recognize each other at first sight (for Paul says, “Then shall I know even as also I am known”). But when we of this age see the sages of old shake hands together, we will have to be told who they are. Then what joy actually to gaze with perfect sight on such men, to hear them talk, and to talk with them.

My heart leaps when I think of such things. There these people can see the angels that ministered unto them, that blessed them when they glorified God, that lifted them up when cast down with trials. But the loveliest of all to look upon will be the Lamb of Calvary. To him the saved of all nations will ascribe their salvation. Had it not been for him, not one of them would be there. But there they will be. They will behold his face in righteousness. Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb! Praise him forever for his loving kindness! A meeting like this will be held every Sabbath and every month. “From one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” “The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.” Those shining mansions will ring with music more sweet than our earth has ever heard. Bright seraphs will swell the song. Not only will the city be filled with praise to God, but all this earth is to be full of his glory. Num. 14:21. All these things are promised to the righteous. And they will not be like scenes of this life, which soon pass away, but they will be forever—as long as God lives. Truly, we can say to the righteous that it shall be well with him.

But we are required to say, “Woe unto the wicked.” And this we must do, or his blood will be on us. Wicked man, hearken. There is a day coming that will reveal to all evil-doers that it would have been better for them to have done God’s will instead of their own. Hear what God says: “Remember this, and shew yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; calling the man that executeth my counsel from a far country; yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” Remember the former things of old. What things? Why, the judgments that came upon the transgressors of old—the flood, the fires of Sodom, the plagues of Egypt, the earthquake that swallowed Korah and his company, &c., &c. The Lord says, Remember these things, and bring them to mind again, O ye transgressors. Men that rejected the counsel of God that was given through Noah perished in the flood; those who laughed at Lot’s warning were burned in the fires of Sodom; and all the people that opposed the counsels of God in the days of Moses were destroyed.

Think of these things, sinner. All those wicked people found that they made a great mistake in choosing their own ways instead of the ways of the Lord. So will all evil-doers of to-day find the same. When God calls from a far country (from the place where Christ has gone, Luke 19:12) the man that will execute his word, then all the wicked will have to acknowledge that there is none like the God of the Bible. They will wish they had hearkened to his counsel. Christ is this man that executes the counsel of God (John 5:27), and he is coming to take vengeance on all the ungodly. 2 Thess. 1:7–9; Jude 14, 15. Can you not believe these things, sinner? All the prophets of God have foretold that awful day. All the other judgments of God were foretold, and they came. Prophets, living hundreds of years apart, and in different nations, some in prisons, and others banished to distant isles, have seen in vision the coming of the Son of man. And all describe him and his work in the same way. Could this have been done by collusion? Not at all.

Besides this, we have the words of the apostle Paul, who tells of the coming of Christ, with all the angels, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on all liars. Paul declares that he did not learn what he taught from man. He says, “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” “Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God I lie not.” Gal. 1. Now this is enough to prove to any sound mind that what is said in the Bible of things to come is not of the device of men, but is of the Spirit of God. Here Paul declares, before God, and in face of the Judgment, which he firmly believed would come and destroy all liars, that he preached for three years before seeing any of the apostles. And after that, he was with Peter only fifteen days—not long enough to hear a common course of lectures. Now the question for the skeptic to settle is, How did it come that Paul preached exactly in harmony with all the rest of the Bible writers? The only answer is found in Paul’s own words: “By the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

This same Jesus revealed to the prophets of old, scenes of the future and final Judgment, declaring that he would tread down the wicked in anger and with fury. Seven hundred years before Christ, Isaiah saw this mighty Conqueror coming, robed in red garments, and asked, “Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?” And the answer was, “I have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.” Isa. 63:3, 4. Ninety-six years after Christ, John saw the same, and said, “He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood,” “he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” Rev. 19:13–15. In this scripture John says the armies of Heaven followed him upon white horses at this time, as he came to judge and to make war.

About nine hundred years before John saw this vision, Joel saw a representation of the same armies, and declared that “the appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” Joel 2. He heard the Lord roar from on high, and utter his voice from Jerusalem. Chap. 3:16. Jeremiah, two hundred years later, heard the same exactly. Jer. 25:30. I might present many scriptures to the same effect, but space forbids. Who can doubt these harmonious testimonies? Sinner, that awful day will surely come. It will be so dreadful that even “the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.” The mighty man! Men that have fought in battle unarmed, that have not been frightened at the shock of armies and the din of war, that have faced the enemy in the rage of fight, will shrink at the fearful scenes of that day. The raging of mad nations, the shrieking cries of frightened millions, the loud noise of falling cities, the clashing sounds of dreadful thunder, and the crackling of mighty flames of fire, will be awful to hear. But that will not be all. Jeremiah says, “All the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth,” shall drink the indignation of God. Isaiah says there will be “a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.” But above all that great noise, the voice of God will strike terror to the heart of the sinner. The earth, yes, and even the heavens, will tremble at the sound of his voice. With his armies he will march through the land in indignation; and not a sinner will be left, but all will be destroyed and the land left desolate. Hab. 3; Isa. 13. That day will burn as an oven, and consume the wicked as stubble. Mal. 4:1.

The anguish of the sinner in that day can scarcely be imagined. But God has plainly warned him, so that he cannot cast reflections upon God who shall inflict the punishment. Read Zech. 14:12, and you will understand what kind of punishment to expect if you, dear reader, are fighting against the cause of God. When that plague falls on the sinner, all hope for salvation will be gone forever. Oh! that sinners could be made to feel that such a day is really coming, and that those who profess the name of Christ might depart entirely from iniquity! In that day there will be no intercessor. Isa. 59:16–18. Who could be saved without an intercessor? The least sin unpardoned then will bar any one from entering the city of God above. For the Lord will say, when his intercessions are over, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:11, 12.

The line will be struck, in a few years, between the righteous and the wicked. On which side will you be found, my dear brother or sister? Cast your thoughts back upon the course you have been taking, and, if you decide to continue in the same way, you can tell something about how it will be with you when that line is drawn. But do decide to press on toward the kingdom. Weigh well your words before speaking. Think of your deeds before doing them. Pray for presence of mind in this work. Confess past wrongs. In doing these things the Lord will bless us, and save us among the righteous. Let us hasten to prepare for the coming of the great day, in which God will render to every man according to his deeds.

Joy Cometh in the Morning.

By Lilla D. Avery

I know there is pain in the weary night, And we're filled with a sad unrest; But oh! there is joy when the morning light, In glorious splendor and beauty bright, We see in the brilliant east.

Our sad hearts long for the sunny day, When the troubles of life shall cease, When the murky shadows shall flee away, And the hopes we've cherished no more decay— In the reign of eternal peace.

I know there is grief in the night of pain; There are sorrows and bitter tears. Our bark is tossed on the billowy main— But the gloomy shadows begin to wane, For the glorious day appears.

I know we are sad when the chilling hand Of the angel of Death is laid On the cherished forms of the household band; And we long and sigh for the better land, Where the flowers shall never fade.

I know there is peace in the “by and by,” When the saints shall be gathered home. We shall lift our eyes to the sunny sky, And shout for joy as the shadows fly, And the glorious day shall come.

LILLA D. AVERY. Locke, Ing. Co., Mich., Feb. 5, 1877.

THE EPISCOPALIANS ON THE LAW AND SABBATH.

By R. S. Owen

In the “Church Catechism” published in London we find the following:—

“Ques. You said that your godfathers and godmothers did promise for you that you should keep God’s commandments. Tell me how many there be? Ans. Ten. Q. Which are they? A. The same which God spake in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, saying I am the Lord thy God, &c. Q. Which is the fourth commandment? A. [Here the fourth commandment is inserted]. Q. What reason is given for the observance of this law? A. Because God himself rested upon the seventh day. Q. What then did he do upon the first six days? A. He made heaven and earth, the sea and all creatures in each of them. Q. What did God do on the seventh day when he had rested on it? A. He blessed and Hallowed it. Q. What do you mean by Hallowed? A. He made it holy. Q. Why did God bless and make it holy? A. That we might rest on that day from our usual works, and set it apart more especially for worshiping him.”

In another work—“A Help to Catechising,”—we read, “Why did God choose the seventh day in particular?—Because he rested on it from making all things.—When did God make the seventh day holy?—As soon as he had made the world. Gen. 2: 3.—For whom did he make it holy?—For Adam and Eve and all their children and children’s children forever.”

Language more clearly teaching our obligation to keep the seventh day could not be found; and “those who are to answer before God for young Christians,” [their definition for godfathers and godmothers] will be interested in knowing which the seventh day is. This they teach as plainly as the other. In the Episcopal hymn-book we find a hymn for each day of the week, which plainly marks the Sabbath. It runs thus:—

“SUNDAY.

“‘And God said let there be light. . . . And the evening and the morning were the first day.’

“On this day, the first of days, God the Father’s name we praise, Who, creations found and spring, Did the world from darkness bring.”

“MONDAY.

“‘And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. . . . And the evening and the morning were the second day.’

“Come let us praise the name of God, Who on the second day Spread out the firmament above, His glory to display.”

Here follow appropriate scripture quotations and verses for the other days of the week. We give only the last:—

“SATURDAY.

“‘And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made.’

“Six days of labor now are past. Thou restest, holy God. . . Blest is the seventh morn of light Hallowed for rest divine.” &c.

When they observe the first day of the week and not the seventh, do they not fondly contradict themselves as well as the Bible? R. S. OWEN.

DEACON LEE'S OPINION.

Deacon Lee, who was a kindly, silent, faithful, gracious man, was one day waited upon by a restless, ambitious, worldly church member, who was laboring to create uneasiness in the church, and especially to drive away the preacher.

The deacon came in to meet his visitor, who, after the usual greetings, began to lament the low state of religion, and inquire as to the reason why there had been no revival for two or three years past.

“Now what do you think is the cause of things being dull here? Do you know?” he persisted in asking.

The deacon was not ready to give his opinion; and, after a little thought, frankly answered:—

“No, I don't.”

“Do you think the church is alive to the work before it?”

“No, I don't.”

“Do you think the minister fully realizes the solemnity of his work?”

“No, I don't.”

A twinkle was seen in the eye of this troubler in Zion, and, taking courage, he asked:—

“Do you think his sermon on ‘Their eyes were holden,’ anything wonderfully great?”

“No, I don't.”

Making bold, after all this encouragement in monosyllables, he asked:—

“Then don't you think we had better dismiss this man and hire another?”

The old deacon started as if shot with an arrow, and in a tone louder than his wont, shouted:—

“No, I don't.”

“Why,” cried the amazed visitor, “you agree with me in all I have said, don't you?”

“No, I don't.”

“You talk so little, sir,” replied the guest, not a little abashed, “that no one can find out what you do mean.”

“I talked enough once,” replied the old man, rising to his feet, “for six praying Christians. Thirty years ago I got my heart humbled and my tongue bridled, and ever since that, I've walked softly before God. I then made vows solemn as eternity; and don't you tempt me to break them!”

The troubler was startled at the earnestness of the hitherto silent, immovable man, and asked:—

“What happened to you thirty years ago?”

“Well, sir, I'll tell you. I was drawn into a scheme just like this of yours, to uproot one of God's servants from the field in which he had planted him. In my blindness, I fancied it a little thing to remove one of the stars which Jesus holds in his right hand, if thereby my ear could be tickled by more flowery words, and the pews filled with those turned away from the simplicity of the gospel. I and the men that led me—for I admit that I was a dupe and a tool—flattered ourselves that we were conscientious. We thought we were doing God service when we drove that holy man from his pulpit and his work, and said we considered his work ended in B——, where I then lived. We groaned because there was no revival, while we were gossiping about, and criticising and crushing, instead of upholding by our efforts and our prayers, the instrument at whose hands we harshly demanded the blessing.”

“Well, sir, he could not drag on the chariot of salvation with half-a-dozen of us taunting him for his weakness, while we hung as a dead weight to the wheels; he had not the power of the Spirit, and could not convert men; so we hunted him like a deer, till, worn and bleeding, he fled into a covert to die. Scarcely had he gone, when God came among us by his Spirit, to show that he had blessed the labors of his dear, rejected servant. Our own hearts were broken, and our wayward children converted, and I resolved at a convenient season to visit my former pastor and confess my sin, and thank him for his faithfulness to my wayward sons, which, like long-buried seed, had now sprung up. But God denied me that relief, that he might teach me a lesson every child of his ought to learn, that he who toucheth one of his servants touches the apple of his eye. I heard my pastor was ill, and, taking my oldest son with me, set out on a twenty-five miles' ride to see him. It was evening when I arrived, and his wife, with the spirit which any woman ought to exhibit toward one who had so wronged her husband, denied me admittance to his chamber. She said, and her words were arrows to my soul, ‘He may be dying, and the sight of your face might add to his anguish!’

“Has it come to this? I said to myself, that the man whose labors had, through Christ, brought me into his fold, who had consoled my spirit in a terrible bereavement, and who had, till designing men had alienated us, been to me as a brother—that this man could not die in peace with my face before him? ‘God pity me,’ I cried, ‘what have I done!’ I confessed my sins to that meek woman, and implored her, for Christ's sake, to let me kneel before his dying servant and receive his forgiveness. What did I care then whether the pews by the door were rented or not? I would gladly have taken his whole family into my home forever, as my own flesh and blood, but no such happiness was in store for me.”

“As I entered the room of the blessed warrior, whose armor was falling from his limbs, he opened his languid eyes and said, ‘Brother Lee! brother Lee!’ I bent over him and sobbed out, ‘My pastor! my pastor!’ Then, raising his thin, white hand, he said, in a deep, impressive voice, ‘Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm!’ I spoke tenderly to him, and told him I had come to confess my sin, and bring some of his fruit to him, calling my son to tell him how he had found Christ. But he was unconscious of all around; the sight of my face had brought the last pang of earth to his troubled spirit.”

“I kissed his brow, and told him how dear he had been to me; I craved his pardon for my unfaithfulness, and promised to care for his widow and fatherless little ones; but his only reply was, murmured as if in a troubled dream, ‘Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm!’”

“I stayed by him all night, and at day-break I closed his eyes. I offered his widow a house to live in the remainder of her days; but like a heroine she said, ‘I freely forgive you; but my children, who entered deeply into their father's anguish, shall never see me so regardless of his memory as to take anything from those who caused it. He has left us all with his covenant God, and he will care for us.’”

“Well, sir, those dying words sounded in my ears from that coffin and from that grave. When I slept, Christ stood before my dream, saying, ‘Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.’ These words followed me till I fully realized the esteem in which Christ holds those men who have given up all for his sake, and I vowed to love them more for his sake, even if they were not perfect. And since that day, sir, I have talked less than before, and have supported my pastor, even if he is not a very extraordinary man. My tongue shall cleave to the roof of my mouth, and my right hand forget her cunning, before I dare to put asunder what God has joined together. When a minister's work is done in a place, I believe God will show it to him. I will not join you, sir, in the scheme that brought you here; and, moreover, if I hear another word of this from your lips, I shall ask my brethren to deal with you as with those who cause divisions. I would give all I own to recall what I did thirty years ago. Stop where you are, and pray God, if perchance the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”

This decided reply put an end to the

new-comer's efforts to get a minister who could make more stir, and left him free to lay out roads and build hotels.

There is often great power in the little word, “No,” but sometimes it requires not a little courage to speak it so resolutely as did the silent deacon.—Sel.

READING

By Eliza H. Morton

Reading-matter was never so plenty and varied as at the present time, and readers never so numerous as now. Time is short and precious, hence it is important that we read the right kind of books and in the right manner. It is seldom, if ever, best to read simply for amusement. It is well to form in early life the habit of concentrating the mind upon one good book, and reading and re-reading it until its spirit is infused into our own, and all the information it contains is ours for life. One book read in this manner will prove of more value than volumes skimmed over. It is better for the mind to gain one hundred ideas from one book than to gain one hundred ideas from one hundred books. Some writers spread one idea through a volume; others convey a wealth of meaning in every sentence. One book written by the latter class is worth more than a library of popular trash. Therefore choose good, solid, and true books, and read them daily, carefully, and slowly, and remember what you read. It is a good plan to close your book at the end of each chapter, and think of all the ideas gained. This fixes them in the mind. Above all, do not neglect to read that glorious old Book, whose pages are ever new and covered with the sweetest poetry ever sung, the wisest words ever uttered, the grandest thoughts ever penned, and which is the only sure guide to that country “by prophets long foretold.” ELIZA H. MORTON.

FOUR OLD FRIENDS.

Readers, a word with you from four old friends—the Sabbath, the Sanctuary, the Scriptures, the Saviour.

“I am,” says the Sabbath, “nearly six thousand years old, the oldest of seven brothers, born in a quiet and happy time. When my eyes first opened I saw Eden in its primal beauty; there was no sin; my history began when God surveyed the new-formed world and pronounced it good, and as a gift of kindness he bestowed me as a boon to man, to whom he has made me a great blessing. I bring peace and rest and holy counsels to the sons of toil. I have been your family friend, bringing those together whom the week sundered, bringing them round the sacred altar in holy bands of union, amity, and love, to lead the mind from fading earthly things to those divine realities above the skies, to raise the nobler faculties to services celestial, and to give on earth the happy earnest of that endless rest laid up in Heaven; and thousands, as they gather together in my sacred hours, become illumined with the rays of gospel glory; souls receive the precious seeds of eternal life; heavy hearts are lightened of grievous burdens; many eat of heavenly manna and drink of water from the anointed Rock; in a word, in my well-ordered hours many blessings from on high descend, until the earthly courts of God are filled with radiant beams of heavenly glory. I am thy country’s friend and thine.”

The sanctuary says, “I am nearly as old as the Sabbath; at first I was only a bower in Eden, associated with recollections of ancient glory. I afterward floated with Noah in the ark; and to the patriarch with his stone pillow, his earthen bed, his cloud-formed drapery, his bespangled roof of glittering stars, and, withal, the mystic ladder, the traversing angels, and the likeness of Jehovah, I was at the gate of Heaven. I traveled through the wilderness with Moses; then as the magnificent temple at Jerusalem, with God for my architect and artificer, and now no longer circumscribed by the boundaries of Palestine. Where God is recognized, adored, and worshiped, with the exalted band, with the covenanted host, on the moorland, in the secluded ravine or sheltered dell, I am there; with the little company who meet around the cabin or on deck of the vessel floating on the mighty waters, or with the rustic company of the village in the well-swept barn, I am there; or in the room of the pious, where friends and neighbors meet to praise and pray, or in the cathedral, church, or chapel, where heart and flesh do thirst after God, I am there. Wherever God’s name is recorded, wherever God’s glory is designed, wherever God’s ordinances are celebrated, I am there, gathering households under my shadow, aiding them in worship, and praise, and prayer. I have seen sinners changed into saints, and habits formed, hopes imparted, desires elicited, the heart enriched, and God glorified. My meanest seat is higher than an earthly throne, and the lowest only less dignified than the stations of the beautified in Heaven. I am thy country’s friend and thine.”

The Scriptures declare, “I, too, am very old. First, in my infancy, I was only a simple promise. It was my work to teach men to be happy in this world, and show them how to be fitted for the world to come. I have studied languages in my time, and can now talk about Heaven in many dialects. There is hardly any land into which I have not traveled. I have many times whispered a pleasant word to your parents in their sicknesses and sorrows. I have cheered them through many a difficulty. I have pleasant truth for all ages, and classes, and conditions of mankind, teaching them what to know, to do, and to enjoy. I, also, am thy country’s friend and thine.”

The Saviour says, “I am the oldest of all the four. In the beginning I was with God, as the Word, speaking worlds into being and establishing all things. During many ages, I paid many visits in various forms to the children of men. At last I came and dwelt in the world for thirty-three years. I lived to teach and to bless, illuminating the sightless eye-balls, opening the ears of the deaf, loosening the tongues of the dumb, cleansing the impure and raising the dead, quelling the tumult of the winds, quieting the waves of the sea, conversing with angels, and I died to save sinners. But I rose from the dead, and am now alive forevermore. I have issued the commission of mercy to the world, and commanded the utterance of Heaven’s amnesty, through my death, to every creature. I am your best friend. It is I who make the Sabbath, the Sanctuary, and the Scriptures your friends.”

There are not many Sabbaths within the short time of man’s probation—none to be wasted, trifled with, or spent in sin and folly. Seek in the sanctuary the Holy Spirit of thy Lord, and then the blessings and promises of the Scriptures will make thee meet for the endless rest. Let thy cheerfulness be that which wisdom doth confer, and thy joy be that of those who know their God, and are with hopeful expectation looking for and hastening to the final day of Christ the Saviour.—Church Union.

THE FOUR CALLS.

The Spirit came in childhood, And pleaded, “Let Me in;” But ah, the door was bolted And barred by childish sin. The child said, “I'm too little; There's time enough; to-day I cannot open;” sadly The Spirit went His way.

Again He came and pleaded In youth's bright, happy hour. He called, but heard no answer; For, fettered in sin's power, The youth lay dreaming idly, And crying, “Not to-day; For I must have some pleasure.” Again He turned away.

Again He came in mercy, In manhood's vigorous prime; But still could find no welcome— The merchant had no time To spare for true repentance, No time to praise and pray; And thus repulsed and saddened, The Spirit turned away.

Once more he called, and waited. The man was old and sad; He scarcely heard the whisper, His heart was seared and bad. “Go, leave me. When I need Thee I'll call for Thee,” he cried; Then sinking on his pillow, Without a God, he died!

—Sel. from The Christian at Work.

Continue reading: COURAGE NECESSARY TO CHRISTIANITY