Your ShelfYour Projects

Signs of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 44.

Scripture Interpreting Scripture

Signs of the Times

Nov 18, 1889

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 18, 1889

Scripture Interpreting Scripture

“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev. 22:12.
THE infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is Scripture itself; and therefore when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.”—Presbyterian Confession of Faith.

War Preparations and Prophecy

The following from a journal which boasts of its optimism (the London Christian Commonwealth) is most significant. The future is not one of assured peace:—
“The saddest omen of the day is the activity of the masters of war. Though Europe is at peace, yet never were the mighty men of battle of all the great powers so incessantly engaged in the work of preparation for bloodshed. Massacre on an appalling scale is being arranged for by the help of all the appliances of an age of science. The latest triumph of military invention is of an appalling character. It is the smokeless powder.”
It is the fulfillment of the word of God, “Prepare war, wake up the mighty men.” Joel 3:9-12. Captain Zalinski, “America’s high-explosive celebrity,” says, in a recent cable report, “A European war is inevitable,” and “when it does come it will be terrible.” The prophet of God foretold it all more than 2,500 years ago.

THE LOVE OF GOD.

By Mrs. E. G. White

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
THE love of God toward fallen man is incomprehensible. The apostle cannot find words to describe it, but he calls upon the world to “behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” The love of the infinite God for his rebellious children is the most wonderful thing that the universe knows, and it will be constantly unfolding throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.
I feel an intense interest that all should comprehend, as far as possible, the love of God. We cannot afford to draw away our attention from this subject, for in it is contained the mystery of God,—the plan of salvation. We may put to the stretch every power of our mind, and yet we shall not be fully able to comprehend the heights and depths of the love of God; for the human mind is not capable of understanding its full significance. It is our privilege, however, to obtain clearer and more distinct views of the plan of salvation. We should not be content with a superficial knowledge of this wonderful plan, but we should seek to behold it in all its greatness, that as far as possible we may understand the love of God.
It is our privilege to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. We should becomebetter and better acquainted with the things of God. It is Satan's design to engage the attention of men with matters of worldly interest, so that they shall have no desire to contemplate the wonders of the love of God.
When our first parents transgressed the holy law of God, the Lord promised that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; the serpent was to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. But he was to have no power to touch the head. Humanity was lost, and Christ appeared as the world's Redeemer, the seed to whom the promises were made. He died to redeem mankind. Those who believed in him excited the wrath of the evil one, for Satan claimed man as his property. Satan persecuted the people of God. He tortured them, and put them to death; but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in this steadfast faith a mightier one than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. Living faith connected the people of God with Him who only hath immortality. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory that was to be revealed at the appearing of Jesus. Paul suffered much. He was persecuted from city to city, in perils oft, in prison, in scourging, in bonds, in fastings, in wearinesses and painful watchings, but he looked beyond the sufferings of the present time to glory beyond, and said: “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” This is what God would have his people do. He would have us reckon and consider the rich reward of the eternal world, that we may appreciate the privileges that are brought within our reach through the plan of salvation.
Christ came to our world to become our sacrifice. He came to discover to our eyes the gems of truth, to place them in a new setting,—the frame-work of truth. He brought out of the treasure-house of God things new and old, that we might be able to trace down the links in the great plan of salvation. Through the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish dispensation, we are pointed forward to Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. When Christ came, it was to engage in the conflict with the enemy of God and man, on this earth, in the sight of the universe of heaven. But why was it necessary to wage the warfare in the sight of other worlds?—It was because Satan had been an exalted angel, and when he fell, he induced many angels to join him in his revolt against God's government. He worked in the minds of the angels as he works in the minds of men to-day. He made a pretension of loyalty to God, and yet he argued that angels should not be under law. He inculcated his ideas, his rebellion and enmity, and hatred of God's law originated in the minds of the angels in heaven through his influence. He caused the fall of man through the same temptations with which he had caused the fall of angels; and in the world where he proposed to work out his principles of rebellion, the battle had to be fought, that all might behold the real nature and results of disobedience to God's great moral standard. He represented God in a false light, clothing him with his own attributes. Christ came to represent the Father in his true character. He showed that he was not an arbitrary judge, ready to bring judgments upon men, and delighting in condemning and punishing them for their evil deeds. The Lord proclaimed his character to Moses in the mount. “And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.”
This was the description that God gave of his own character. Jesus came to represent the goodness and mercy and love of the Father, and Satan was filled with enmity toward the Son of God, and strove from his very birth to destroy him. He worked through wicked Herod to accomplish his design, but the Lord preserved the life of the young child Jesus, and thwarted the design of the evil one. Repeatedly the life of Christ was in peril. Many times even after the people had listened to his gracious words, and had seen the manifestation of his power in healing the sick and blessing those around him, they were ready to destroy him. He hated sin with a perfect hatred. It was the pure, spotless life of Jesus that stirred up the hatred of Satan and a profligate nation; for Christ did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. The Jewish nation was filled with doubt and prejudice, and this led them to hate the Son of God. Because of their unbelief, they were on the enemy's side, under the control of the evil one.
(Concluded next week.)

The Demand for Sensational Literature

By Editor

The Oakland Morning Times thinks that the reason why bad books and vulgar newspapers sell so readily, why there is such a demand for this kind of literature, is because these publications are full of action. People like more to read of men and their deeds than to read about pious do-nothings. These are not our contemporary’s words, but they embody the idea. There is some truth in the statement; but the greater cause is a depraved appetite, which has been fostered for years. We can recall the time, not so very far distant, when solid books were read and studied; but now papers and sensational, light literature are scanned. The memory is injured, the taste is perverted, and solid thinking is ruined.

Cardinal Gibbons’ New Book

By Editor

CARDINAL GIBBONS’ new book, “Our Christian Heritage,” is just out. According to the San Francisco Examiner of November 8, the subjects discussed are something as follows:—
“In it is found, among other things, an argument to show there is no conflict between science and religion, and there is a chapter on labor. The book closes on ‘The Dangers That Threaten Our American Civilization.’ These, briefly summarized, are Mormonism and divorce; the imperfect and vicious system of education, which undermines the religion of our youth; the desecration of the Christian Sabbath; the gross and systematic election frauds; the unreasonable delay in carrying into effect the sentences of our criminal courts, and the numerous subterfuges by which criminals evade the execution of the law.”
We wait for the book and the comments of the Protestant press.

Evenness in the Christian Life

By Editor

THE following prayer is a good one for all people to pray, as well as the particular class from whose paper it was clipped:—
“May God keep us well balanced, with an even pulse of righteousness, is our prayer.”
We are living in an age of sensations, sensational revivals, and sensational holiness. Calmness and evenness in the Christian life is one of the best evidences of abiding in Christ. The steady burning of the star is better than the transient blaze of the meteor. The one blinds by its flash, and soon leaves a deeper darkness than before, while the other shines steadily on, a light and guide forever. It is a hard thing for many to learn that excitement is not religion. Elijah is a good illustration of the evenness, calmness, and power of simple faith; the prophets of Baal are an example of sensual excitement. One had the word of God to rest upon; the others depended on their senses and feelings.

Indulgences and the Reformation

PROF. P. V. N. MYERS, in his new ‘General History’ for advanced schools, according to the Advance of the 24th ult., has endeavored to meet the wishes of Romanists. Concerning indulgences and Tetzel it says:—
“The language that he, or, at least, his subordinates, used, in exhorting the people to comply with the conditions of gaining indulgences, one of which was a donation of money, was unseemly and exaggerated. The result was that erroneous views as to the effect of indulgences began to spread among the simple and credulous, some being so far misled as to think that if they only contributed this money they would be exempt from all penalty for sins.”
Whereupon the Advance remarks:—
“The laying of the blame of this shameless sale, not on the falsehood and cupidity of the priests, but upon the guilelessness of the ‘simple and credulous,’ is rather too transparent a sop to the Romanists. The statement also entirely omits the fact, that these indulgences not only were issued to remit penalties for past sins, but to allow the commission of future offenses.”
This shows the tendency of the times and the influence of Roman Catholicism. It will be but a little while before the Reformation will be deplored by the descendants of the genuine Protestants as a mistake. The Reformers even now are apologized for instead of being defended.

GOD IS LIGHT, GOD IS LOVE.

CREATION declares it,—the grass, trees, and flowers, Proclaimed by the sunshine, by generous showers; Proclaimed by the still, restful darkness of night, By the sun, moon, and stars,—the fountains of light, By the fish of the sea, by beasts of the wood, By the birds of the bowers,—He giveth them food,— By the insects that flit in the breezes that blow, By the wind and the rain, by the white, drifting snow,— By all nature below, by all nature above, The anthem is sung, God is light, God is love.
By the gift of the earth,—the home of mankind,— By the law of his love, man's actions to bind; By his mercy that bought us to save us from sin, By the Price that he paid, man's heart-love to win,— The life of our Lord,—by the pure words of life; By the angels of light,—our aids in the strife,— By his Spirit of power our hearts to make strong, By all blessings which strew our pathway along, By the sure promised life, by the bright home above, 'Tis the song and refrain, God is light, GOD IS LOVE.

MATTHEW TWENTY-FOUR.

By J. H. Waggoner

BY THE LATE ELDER J. H. WAGGONER.

“THIS GENERATION.”

Different views are taken of the Saviour’s words in Matt. 24 : 34, “This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” One is, that the generation means the race, or Jewish people. This we consider a forced construction. It seems to be as unnecessary as it is unnatural. And it leaves everything indefinite where every declaration of the context tends to definiteness. It adds nothing whatever to the force of the general statement of the chapter.
Another is, that the individuals then present, or the generation living at that time, would continue till all these things were fulfilled. This has far more appearance of plausibility than the other theory. It might well be considered the truth were there no opposing considerations. But opposing considerations exist, which are not only weighty, but, we think, insurmountable. This view is not necessary, because another and more reasonable one can be presented. The facts and reasons which we have set forth, do render one conclusion necessary; namely, that the chapter speaks of a personal, literal coming of the Saviour, which has not yet taken place. We have no idea that these facts will ever be met, and these reasonings refuted.
Another view, which we hold to be the true one, is, that the language is prophetic, and uses the present for the future, as is common in the prophecies. Isaiah 9 speaks of the birth of the Messiah as already having taken place, and chapter 53 in like manner speaks of his sufferings and death as being then in the past, more than half a millennium before he appeared on earth. If these prophecies were treated as Universalists and others of late years treat Matthew 24, the evidence of the Messiahship of Jesus would be entirely destroyed. Yet Matthew 24 is as certainly a prophecy as Isaiah 9 and 53.
Compare the language of our Saviour with that of Paul. Speaking to the Corinthian church, he said, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” or translated, at the sound of the last trump. The pronoun “we” naturally refers to the speaker and those to whom he speaks. But the trumpet has not yet sounded, the resurrection has not yet come, the translation of the living righteous to immortality without their seeing death has not yet taken place, and Paul and the church of Corinth have all fallen asleep. But Paul’s brethren have not. Paul was speaking by prophecy as surely as was Isaiah in chapter 9, when he said, “Unto us a son is given.” When Isaiah uses language which refers so directly and unmistakably to those then living, as taken according to the natural application of the terms, why do all so readily apply it to a generation centuries then in the future? It is only because the facts compel us to recognize this usage in the prophecies. So the words of Paul can refer only to the last age of the church, to those of his brethren who shall be living when Christ comes, who shall be saved from death, and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
And so also in 1 Thess. 4: 13-18. Here he says: “We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not go before those who are asleep.” He explains what he means by those who are asleep, for he says, “The dead in Christ shall rise.” Universalists uniformly refer the resurrection to a moral change, to a rising or passing from moral or spiritual death. But to speak of those who are morally or spiritually dead in Christ is to use language very strange and inappropriate. The Scriptures plainly teach that they who have fallen asleep in faith, who have died in Christ, shall have part in the first resurrection, which will take place when Christ comes.
Of Paul and his brethren in Thessalonica we can say, as we said of those in Corinth, They are not alive, they do not remain; “the day of the Lord has not yet come, for the ‘day of salvation’ still continues;” the voice of the archangel has not been heard; the saints have not risen from the dead, and the living saints have not been caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and worldlings and worldly-minded professors still cry, “Peace and safety.” As Paul spoke here also by the spirit of prophecy, to some of his brethren all these words will be fulfilled; not one word will fail.
And so of the words of the Saviour. Having carried the minds of the disciples forward to the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, he said, “When ye see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.” Will anyone pretend that these things there referred to were then present?—By no means. But do not these things refer to things in the presence of the speaker?—Not necessarily. But “this generation” and “these things” belong together, for “this generation” shall see “these things” (see verse 34), though all were then in the future. And when these things are fulfilled, this generation, to which these things are present facts, will not pass till all be fulfilled, even to the coming of the Son of man. It is a solemn truth to contemplate, yet we firmly believe it is truth, that the signs have been fulfilled, and that the generation which saw the wonderful shower of falling stars in 1833, the last of the signs, will not pass away till the Lord himself shall descend from heaven.
On the term “this generation,” we might have noticed the parallels to this in the Scriptures, to justify our conclusion. We will yet notice one, and use the language of E. B. Elliott, A.M.:—
“Our Lord might mean by ‘this generation’ the generation of the time he was then speaking of; just as in Luke 17 : 34, where speaking of the time of the second coming, he says, ‘On this night shall two be in one bed; one shall be taken,’ etc., meaning thereby the night of his coming, and so rendered in our English version ‘in that night.’”
(To be continued.)

MODERN EXPOSITORY SERMONS.

PULPIT fashions change as often as any other. The typical discourse in our grandfather’s day was the long and labored doctrinal sermon; that of this day is the so-called “expository” sermon. There is, perhaps, good reason for the prominence given to the exposition of Scripture in the pulpit of to-day, but not all the zeal shown is according to knowledge. One finds it easy, in the light of certain experiences that most of us have had, to understand why some people have a positive dislike to expository sermons.
One of these reasons is admirably put in a little paragraph of the current Harper’s Magazine: “Well, my dear, what did you think of Dr. Verbose’s sermon this morning?” “Why, I was very much surprised. I never knew before that the apparently simple text he chose was so hard to explain.” No doubt it is true that many of the most familiar texts will yield to close examination unsuspected depths of meaning; but after one has listened some time to the wrestlings of Dr. Verbose with a text whose meaning is all on the surface, one may admire the mental agility with which he twists it and turns it, and apparently accomplishes the miraculous task of making something out of nothing—but does that kind of exposition increase one’s reverence for the Scriptures?—(N. Y.) Examiner.

ANTE-REFORMATION REFORMERS.

By Talbot W. Chambers, D.D.

1. THE first one is an Englishman of high repute, John Wycliffe (1320–1384). He was a rector all his life, but maintained also a residence at Oxford, which was the center of his activity. His hostility to the papal system was at first far more on political than on doctrinal grounds, but gradually he was led to a revolutionary attitude toward the Roman see. He was instrumental in securing the first complete English version of the Bible. He denounced monks and friars, and set on foot an active propagandism by sending throughout the country a number of simple priests whose sole business was to proclaim the truths of the gospel and bear testimony against the religious errors that prevailed. In his writings he distinctly rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation, and denied any change of substance in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. More than once he was denounced as a heretic, and the attempt made to enforce the usual discipline, but in every case the protection of powerful nobles secured him immunity, and he died a natural death. But so evident was his departure from the established opinions of the church of his day, that the great reforming Council of Constance in 1415 ordered that his bones should be dug up and publicly burned, an order which was carried out in 1428. Imperfect as his views were on many points, it can hardly be doubted that he had seized upon the great principle that each human soul is immediately responsible to God, and needs no mediation of any priest, and that to it the sacraments, however desirable they may be, are not absolutely indispensable. And he is with justice called the morning-star of the Reformation. He lived and died in the communion of the church, yet no man doubts that the survival of his teachings among the English people prepared the way for the general and rapid uprising in the next century.
2. Of all the persons affected by Wycliffe’s teaching and example, none were so thoroughly quickened as John Huss, of Bohemia (1369–1415). He was, like Wycliffe, a rector, and also closely connected with a university. He esteemed and used the writings of the English reformer, without, however, coming in conflict with the ecclesiastical authorities, at least for some years. But, as early as 1403, some of his doctrines were condemned at a university disputation, and in after years he was repeatedly excommunicated by the pope, and in 1415 was formally condemned by the Council of Constance and burned as a heretic. One of his most marked peculiarities was his regard for the Scripture, which he incessantly proclaimed to be an infallible authority and the supreme rule of faith and conduct. Another was his view of the church, in which he shared the opinions of Wycliffe. He held that it was the body of Christ, it consisted only of those who have from eternity been chosen unto life, and therefore the pope was in no proper sense its head, for it is not a monster with two heads. He differed from his English teacher in that he firmly maintained the presence of the real body of Christ in the holy supper, although unwilling to define the manner of it, nor did he deny any place to works in the justification of the sinner. But the emphasis he put upon Christ crucified as the only Saviour, and upon the spiritual character of the church, and, consequently, the universal priesthood of believers, was enough to bring upon him the anathema of pope and council. But his name and influence and teaching long survived his martyrdom, as Rome felt for a century afterwards. And when, some years since, the five hundredth anniversary of his birth was celebrated in Bohemia, the whole nation arose in a body to do him honor, and even the Roman Catholic clergy were obliged, at least outwardly, to sympathize with the national outburst.3. Without any sort of connection with either of the foregoing was Savonarola, of Florence (1452–1498), a Dominican monk, who never renounced his vows. He was a staunch advocate of purity in public life and private, wielded great influence by his tongue and pen, and in due time came into open conflict with the papal court. His sincerity, his energy, and his boldness, inflamed an animosity which did not rest until he was hung upon a gallows and then burned. But it was not on points of doctrine. He always acknowledged the authority of the Roman Church and of the pope, affirming, however, that the latter should be resisted when enjoining anything contrary to the divine word. Nor did he anticipate any of the doctrinal views of a later age. He enforced the need of faith in order to salvation, but in equal measure the need of good works. He never professed, never admitted, any departure from the accepted doctrine of his day. His contention was not anything wrong in the constitution of the church, or in its authorized teaching, but in the administration of its discipline, and in the manners and lives of many in high places. Accordingly, his followers, after his death, asserted their fidelity to the truth, and refused to coalesce with Protestants. The very pope, Alexander VI., who condemned him and prohibited his writings, afterwards withdrew the prohibition. A severer inquiry, fifty years later, sanctioned all save fifteen sermons. St. Felip de Neri (“the apostle of Rome”), and St. Catharine of Ricci, adored the friar as a saint. Benedict XIV. judged him to be worthy of canonization. And some of his writings were used as text-books and reading manuals in schools under the control of the hierarchy. His “Confessionale” was frequently reprinted and used as a handbook for confessors.
When Savonarola was in prison he composed two meditations, which are full of the spirit of exalted piety, and which, when printed, obtained great celebrity. One of these, called the “Miserere,” from the first word of the psalm (the fifty-first) upon which it was composed, was republished by Martin Luther, in 1524, with a preface, in which he speaks of it as a precursor of Protestant doctrine, although “some theological mud” was still found sticking to the author’s feet. He says the reader will see in it the martyr’s “distrust and despair of his own strength, and a pure image of faith and hope in God’s mercy. Neither in the strength of his vows nor the rule of his order; neither in his priestly robe, in masses, nor in works, did he rest his hope, but solely in the gospel, in faith, and in righteousness.” Now, as we are reminded by Professor Villari, it is very true that in this critical period, when he was forsaken by almost every friend, surrounded by foes, subjected to cruel tortures, and with no prospect of release from his dungeon save by a cruel death, he despaired of himself and put his sole and whole trust in God. Nevertheless, it is a great mistake to say that he ever renounced or failed to maintain the value of those good works and religious ceremonies which the church of his day upheld. So far from this was he that he was apt to exaggerate their importance almost to the point of superstition. A man’s position is to be judged, not from a single composition, nor from select portions of his writings, but from his entire utterances, from the general scope and dominant tone of his thinking and speaking. Estimated by this standard, Savonarola was no more a Protestant in his day than Dr. McGlynn is in ours.
During his last imprisonment his jailer often besought him for some written words on virtuous living. Savonarola at last consented, and wrote the following:—
“Virtuous living depends wholly on grace; wherefore we must strive to attain grace, and, having won, to increase it. To examine our sins, to meditate on the vanity of earthly things, are means towards grace; confession and communion incline our hearts to receive it. Certainly it is a free gift of God, but when we have a strong contempt for the world, a strong desire to turn us toward spiritual things, then we may say that even if grace be not in us, it is assuredly drawing nigh. Therefore, perseverance in virtuous living, in good works, in confession, in communion, in all that draweth us nearer unto grace, is the true and certain way to procure its increase.”
Such, then, are the three men who stand conspicuous in the ecclesiastical history of their period; alike and yet how different! All were lovers of the truth, upright in life, and outspoken in their opposition to every form of ungodliness. All had the root of the matter in them, and whatever their failings, exhibited an eminently Christian spirit even under the greatest provocation. And yet while the two earlier advocated principles and practices utterly at war with the reigning system of the church, the third one sought only a reform of morals and left doctrine untouched. The former have never been exempted from the charges brought against them while they lived, while the latter was completely rehabilitated, and his memory vindicated, by the lineal successors of those who hounded him to death. Rome claimed Savonarola as a Romanist; she never dreamed of making such a claim upon Wycliffe or Huss.—Talbot W. Chambers, D.D., in N. Y. Observer.

THE INFIDEL'S SERMON TO A PREACHER.

By Peter Stryker

NEVER shall I forget the remark of a learned legal friend who was at one time somewhat skeptical in his views. Said he to me: "Did I believe, as you do, that the masses of our race are perishing in sin, I could have no rest. I would fly to tell them of salvation. I would labor day and night. I would speak with all the pathos I could summon. I would warn and expostulate, and entreat my fellow-men to turn unto Christ and receive salvation at his hands. I am astonished at the manner in which the majority of your ministers tell your message. Why, you do not act as if you believe your own words. You have not the earnestness in preaching that we lawyers have in pleading. If we were as tame as you are, we would never carry a single suit."
A decade of years has passed away since that remark was made. I bless God it was addressed to me. It put a fire into my bones which I hope will burn as long as I live. God preached a stirring sermon to me that day by the mouth of that infidel lawyer.—Peter Stryker.

CHRISTIAN WARFARE.

By Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna

SOLDIER, go—but not to claim Modering spoils of earth-born treasure; Not to build a vaunting name, Not to dwell in tents of pleasure. Dream not that the way is smooth, Hope not that the thorns are roses; Turn no wistful eye of youth, Where the sunny beam reposes. Thou hast sterner work to do, Hosts to cut thy passage through; Close behind thee gulfs are burning— Forward! there is no returning.
Soldier, rest—but not for thee Spreads the world her downy pillow; On the rock thy couch must be, While around thee chafes the billow; Thine must be a watchful sleep, Wearier than another’s waking; Such a charge as thou dost keep, Brooks no moment of forsaking. Sleep, as on the battle-field, Girded—grasping sword and shield; Foes thou can'st not name or number, Steal upon thy broken slumber.
Soldier, rise—the war is done; Lo! the hosts of hell are flying; 'Twas thy Lord the battle won; Jesus vanquished them by dying. Pass the stream—before thee lies All the conquered land of glory. Hark! what songs of rapture rise! These proclaim the victor’s story. Soldier, lay the weapons down, Quit the sword and take the crown. Triumph! all thy foes are banished, Death is slain, and earth has vanished. —Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna.

OUR BURDENS.

By T. E. Bowen

EVERY person that has arrived at years of understanding, has burdens. These, at times, seem hard to bear, and yet they are given us to carry until the hand of death bids us lay them down.
Each person has burdens peculiar to himself, and cannot exchange with another for those that would be more easily borne. If, then, it is our lot to bear such as are placed upon us by an unseen hand, is it not wise for us to learn the best methods for bearing them? While it is true that many of our burdens are self-made, and some caused by others, it is equally true that Christ has come to us with an invitation full of love and compassion, saying: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11: 28–30.
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” To those that are toiling underneath a load of sin, this comforting invitation is given. Come unto me. Why toil alone any longer beneath your heavy burden? I will give you rest. Precious rest! Have you ever experienced it? If so, you know its worth. It is far more precious than gold, and of infinitely more value than rubies. It is something the world can neither give nor take away.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Christ’s yoke is a yoke of love, and hence is easily borne. His meekness and lowliness of heart saved him from many of the troubles and burdens which we persist in carrying. He tells us, however, to learn of him, or be profited by his example. Worldly applause and ambition should be guarded against. We are cautioned to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2: 15. Do you think we shall obtain rest unto our souls if the love of the Father is not in us?—Never; because that which constitutes our rest is the fact that God’s love does dwell within us. Remove his love and our rest is gone.
We are about as simple in regard to carrying our burdens as the man who was invited to ride by a friend. This weary traveler had been carrying his heavy load all day, and being overtaken by his friend, was invited to ride. He gladly accepted the offer, but continued carrying his burden on his shoulders. Finally the gentleman asked him why he did not throw his load down into the wagon. The traveler replied by saying, “You were so kind to invite me to ride that I thought it would be asking too much to require you to draw my burden also.”
It is thus with many of us. Christ is carrying us just as we are, and yet we have such a jealous care for our burden that we cannot intrust this with him, thinking it is too much for him to bear. Thus Satan is deceiving us and cheating us out of the promised rest. Let us trust our truest Friend, giving to him all our burdens; and after giving them up, forever leave them with him, and his promise will surely be verified to us, “And ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Trust the Lord in days of gladness, Trust in him through time of grief, Trust, though full thy heart of sadness, For by trusting comes relief. Bring to Christ thy cares and burdens, Gently lay them at his feet; Go thy way, thy troubles leaving Here before his mercy-seat.
T. E. BOWEN.

A DARK PICTURE.

By Catholic Mirror

THE triple alliance, which includes Italy, was formed by Bismarck to overawe France and to protect Germany against the power of Russia. The price paid to Italy was non-intervention on behalf of the pope’s temporal power, and the cost to Italy—national impoverishment. Some idea of the position in which the later school of Italian statesmen have placed their country, by reversing the policy of “keeping her hands free,” may be seen in the following statement of her finances, which the Nation gives:—
The national debt, which, on the 31st of December, 1861, stood at £120,000,000 sterling, has reached the enormous figure of £520,000,000, with an annual charge of £23,000,000, exceeding considerably that sustained by the debt of the United Kingdom, and forming almost two-fifths of the entire expenditure of the country. This expenditure for the present year was placed at £63,000,000, but amounts, owing to the extra £5,000,000 voted for the army and the navy, to £68,000,000—an expenditure far exceeding that of England in times of peace since 1868, exceeding considerably the charges of the Federal budget of the United States, which has a population more than double that of Italy, and the greatest amount of wealth existing in the world.This magnitude of public debt, the increasing misery, the increasing deficit, the enormous taxation, are as a terrible malady which must be cured at any cost. How can it be cured? Further taxation is impossible—the land can bear no more; the land tax, unequally distributed (as the territorial census, ever promised, is not yet forthcoming), amounts in certain portions of Italy to eighty-seven and ninety per cent. of the estimated value. Hence small proprietors have been taxed out of existence; the larger ones, mortgaged up to their eyes, cannot spend sufficiently in manure or modern agricultural implements, still less in labor. After starving upon the impossible pittance of from four pence to eight pence a day, rainy days and holidays excepted, the surplus agricultural population has emigrated, chiefly to Brazil and Buenos Ayres, whence come sad accounts and appeals for money to return. Every article of consumption is overtaxed at the gates of every city, so that if free trade exists, in name at least, for the produce of other nations, Italy's own produce in cattle, wine, poultry, fruit, etc., is taxed often at the rate of twenty per cent. Take, for example, wine. In the vineyards round Florence this year you could buy a hundred liters for five dollars; once within the gates, they cost seven.
As a proof that no other tax can be borne, that none of the old taxes, "on a broad basis," can be renewed, you have the fact that when, during the present year, it was demonstrated to the House that fresh special, extraordinary credits must be accorded for the army and navy, Crispi, with all his energy and influence, could only extract an unwilling vote for the extra millions, saddled with "a prohibition against levying any extra tax." In this lies the gist of the question. The triple alliance compels Italy, who, in 1879, had a standing army of some 700,000 men on the rolls, with a militia of other 900,000, to keep under arms permanently or temporarily nearly a million of men, her mobile and territorial militia, ready for call. Without going into tedious statistical details, it is easy to understand the cost of the equipment and maintenance of the permanent army of useless hands, of the equipment, traveling expenses, and armament of the various categories called out for military exercises for from twenty days to one month, or more, every year. Add to this the expenses of war material, fortifications, etc., and it is apparent that the country is and must remain crippled as long as such a state of things exists. We do not here allude to the navy, which is on all hands admitted to be an absolute necessity for Italy as a defense.—Catholic Mirror.
Continue reading: REST AND RELIGION