Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 16, 1880
General Articles.
By Mrs. E. G. White
THE GREAT REBELLION; OR, THE CONFLICT ENDED.
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
THE sad history of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who led ancient Israel into rebellion, is recorded as a warning to the people of God until the close of time. "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
We learn from the sacred word that the people of God are still in danger from the devices of their archenemy. Satan stands ready to aim his shafts at the unguarded soul, and he will lead astray all who will give heed to his deceptions. Many who imagine that they have a sincere zeal for the honor of God, have permitted Satan to control their minds, and are accomplishing his purposes. Few understand the terrible power of prejudice, of envy and jealousy, when once they take possession of the soul.
The congregation of Israel had seen the earth open and the leaders in rebellion go down into its depths. Here the Lord gave his people an opportunity to see and to feel the sinfulness of their course. He gave the deceived ones overwhelming evidence that they were wrong, and that his servant Moses was right, and they should have been led to heartfelt repentance and confession. But reason and judgment had become perverted. All the congregation were, to a greater or less degree, affected with the prevailing jealousy, surmisings, and hatred, against Moses, which had brought the displeasure of the Lord in a fearfully marked manner upon them. Yet our gracious God shows himself a God of justice and mercy. He made a distinction between the instigators—the leaders in rebellion—and those who had been led by them. He pitied the ignorance and folly of those who had been deceived.
God directed Moses to bid the congregation leave the tents of the men whom they had chosen in place of their Heaven-appointed leaders. Thus the very man whose destruction the people had premeditated was the instrument in the hands of God of saving their lives upon that occasion. In obedience to the divine command Moses warned the people: "Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men." The whole congregation were in alarming danger of being also destroyed by the wrath of God in their sins; for they were sharers in the crimes of the men to whom they had given their sympathy, and with whom they had associated.
While Moses was entreating Israel to flee from the coming destruction, the divine vengeance might even then have been stayed, if the men who instigated the rebellion had repented and sought forgiveness of God. But Korah and his sympathizers stood boldly in their tents, in defiance of God's wrath. And yet some of this rebellious company were of the number who had been so recently honored of God, having been permitted to approach with Moses almost directly into the presence of the Most High, and behold his unsurpassed majesty. They had also seen Moses when he came down from the mount, his face resplendent with the glory of God, so that the people dared not approach him. But all this is now forgotten. They persist in their rebellion, and the wrath of God sweeps them from the earth, while the people flee in terror from the scene.
The hosts of Israel had an opportunity to pass the following night in reflection upon the fearful visitation of Heaven which they had witnessed. But though greatly terrified, they were not led to humble themselves before God in true repentance for their sinful course. They had been deeply influenced by the spirit of rebellion, and had been flattered by Korah and his company until they really believed themselves to be a very good people, and that they had been wronged and abused by Moses. If they should admit that Korah and his company were wrong and Moses righteous, then they would be compelled to receive as the word of God, the sentence that they must all die in the wilderness. They were not willing to submit to this, and they tried to believe that Moses had deceived them. They had fondly cherished the hope that a new order of things was about to be established, in which praise would be substituted for reproach, and peace for anxiety and conflict. The men who had perished had spoken pleasant words, and had manifested special interest and love for them, and the people had decided that Korah and his companions were good men, and that Moses had by some means been the cause of their destruction.
It is hardly possible for men to offer a greater insult to God than to despise and reject the instrumentalities he would use for their salvation. The Israelites had not only done this, but had purposed to put both Moses and Aaron to death. The multitude had fled from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, through fear of destruction; but their rebellion was not cured. They were not in grief and despair because of their guilt. They felt not the effect of an awakened, convicted conscience because they had abused their most precious privileges, and sinned against light and knowledge.
The goodness and mercy of God was displayed in sparing this ungrateful people when his wrath was kindled against the leaders in rebellion. The congregation, who had permitted themselves to be deceived, were granted space for repentance. The long-suffering and mercy of God toward erring and rebellious Israel is recorded as evidence of his willingness to forgive the most grievous offenders, when they shall have a sense of their sin and return unto the Lord with repentance and humiliation.
Jesus, the Angel who went before the Hebrews in the wilderness, would save them from destruction. Forgiveness is lingering for them. It is possible for them to find pardon. The vengeance of God has come very near, and appealed to them to repent. A special, irresistible interference from Heaven has arrested their presumptuous rebellion. Now, if they respond to the interposition of God's providence, they may be saved.
The repentance and humiliation of the congregation of Israel must be proportionate to their transgression. The signal manifestation of divine power has removed all uncertainty. They may have a knowledge of the true position and holy calling of Moses and Aaron if they will accept it. But their neglect of the evidences which God had given was fatal to them. They did not realize the importance of immediate action on their part to seek pardon of God for their grievous sins. That night of probation was not passed in repentance and confession of their sins, but in devising some way to resist the evidences which showed them to be the greatest of sinners. They still cherished their jealous hatred of the men of God's appointment. They strengthened themselves in their mad course of resisting the authority of Moses and Aaron. Satan was at hand to pervert their judgment and lead them blindfold to destruction.
The day before, all Israel had fled in alarm at the cry of the doomed sinners who went down into the pit, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up also." "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord." And in their indignation they were prepared to lay violent hands upon their faithful and self-sacrificing leaders.
Here we find a striking exhibition of the blindness that will compass human minds that turn from light and evidence. Here we see the strength of settled rebellion. Surely, the Hebrews had the most convincing evidence of God's displeasure at their course, in the destruction of the men who had deceived them. But they still stood forth boldly and defiantly, and accused Moses and Aaron of killing good and holy men. "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."
A manifestation of the divine glory appeared in the cloud above the tabernacle, and the angry throng were arrested in their mad, presumptuous course. A voice from the terrible glory speaks to Moses and Aaron in the same words which they were the day before commanded to address to the people. "Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment."
Moses did not feel the guilt of sin, and hence he did not hasten away and leave the congregation to perish, as the people had fled from the tents of Korah and his company the day before. Moses lingered; for he could not consent to give up that vast multitude to be destroyed, although he knew that they deserved the wrath of God for their persistent rebellion.
He prostrates himself before God, because the people feel no necessity for humiliation. He mediates for them, because they feel no need of interceding in their own behalf. Moses here typifies Christ. In this terrible crisis, Moses manifests the true shepherd's interest for the flock of his care. He pleads that the wrath of an offended God may not utterly destroy the people of his choice. By his intercession he holds back the arm of vengeance, that a full end may not be made of disobedient, rebellious Israel.
Moses then directed Aaron to take his censer and make an atonement for the people, for the wrath of God had gone forth, and the plague had begun. Aaron stood with his censer, waving it before the Lord, while the intercessions of Moses ascended with the smoke of the incense. Moses dared not cease his entreaties. He took hold of the strength of the angel, as did Jacob in his wrestling, and like Jacob he prevailed. Aaron was standing between the living and the dead, when the gracious answer came, I have heard thy prayer, I will not consume utterly. Again the very men whom the congregation despised and would have put to death are the ones to plead in their behalf that the avenging sword of God might be sheathed, and sinful Israel spared. Yet their Heaven-daring presumption had not passed unpunished. Fourteen thousand dead bodies lay upon the earth, a terrible evidence of the judgment of God against murmuring and rebellion.
410The apostle plainly states that the experience of the Israelites in their travels has been recorded for the benefit of those upon whom the ends of the world are come. Our dangers are not less than those of the Hebrews, but greater. The people of God at the present day will be tempted to indulge envy, jealousy and murmuring, as did ancient Israel. There will ever be a spirit to rise up against the reproof of sins and wrongs. But the voice of reproof should not be hushed because of this. Those whom God has set apart as ministers of righteousness have solemn responsibilities laid upon them to reprove the sins of the people. Paul commanded Titus, "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." There are ever those who will despise the one who dares to reprove sin. But when required, reproof must be given. Paul directs Titus to rebuke a certain class sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. And how shall the reproof be given? Let the apostle answer: "With all long-suffering and doctrine." The one at fault must be shown that his course is not in harmony with the word of God. But never should the wrongs of God's people be passed by indifferently. Those who faithfully discharge their unpleasant duties under a sense of their accountability to God, will receive his blessing.
The history of the Israelites presents before us the great danger of deception. Many have not a sense of the sinfulness of their own natures, nor of the grace of forgiveness. They do not wish to be disturbed. They have occasionally selfish fears, occasionally good purposes, some anxious thoughts and convictions. But they have not a depth of experience, because they are not riveted to the Eternal Rock. This class never see the necessity of reproof. Sin does not appear exceedingly sinful, for the reason that they are not walking in the light, as Christ is in the light.
The Hebrews were not willing to submit to the directions and restrictions of the Lord. They were restless under restraint. They desired to have their own way, to follow the leadings of their own mind, and be controlled by their own judgment. Could they have been left free to do this, there would have been no complaints of Moses.
God would have his people learn the precious lessons of humility and of willing obedience to his requirements. They will then be united in their purposes and motives, and will thus be brought into harmony of action. For this, Christ prayed in that last petition for his followers, offered before his crucifixion: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us."
"TILL HE COME."
Only a few more burdens must we carry,
In heat and toil, beneath the scorching sun;
Only a little longer must we tarry—
Only a little longer "till He come."
Only a little more of life's long journey
Through the world's desert till the day is done;
Only a few more desert scenes of conflict—
Only a few more Marahs "till He come."
Only a little longer, thinking gladly
Of the uprising of the brighter sun;
Only a little longer, waiting sadly,
In the fast failing twilight, "till He come."
Only a few more billows, wildly tossing,
Beating us backward from the longed-for shore;
Only a few more snares our pathway crossing,
Then all the trials of the way are o'er.
So let our eyes be on Him in his absence,
Seeking to serve Him in this day of grace,
While the thought cheers us in our constant sadness,
Soon He will come and meet us face to face.
THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
By W. H. Littlejohn
BY ELDER W. H. LITTLEJOHN.
(Concluded.)
NOR can any objection be brought successfully against this system of tactics. Its fruits were good beyond parallel. Its conceptions and purpose were strictly honorable, and admissible to all. So common is it for men in discussion to resort to this style of argument, that it is fully recognized in all works on logic as legitimate in debate, and claims for itself a distinct department and name. Archbishop Whately defines it as follows: "The argumentum ad hominem is addressed to the peculiar circumstances, character, avowed opinions, or past conduct of the individual, and therefore has a reference to him only, and does not bear directly and absolutely on the real question, as the argumentum ad rem does. It appears, then (to speak rather more technically), that in the argumentum ad hominem the conclusion which actually is established, is not the absolute and general one in question, but relative and particular, viz., not that 'such and such is the fact,' but that this man is bound to admit it, in conformity to his principles of reasoning, or in consistency with his own conduct, situation, etc. Such a conclusion it is often both allowable and necessary to establish, in order to silence those who will not yield to fair general argument; or to convince those whose weakness and prejudices would not allow them to assign to it its due weight. It is thus that our Lord on many occasions silences the cavils of the Jews."
Thus it appears that, as its name implies, it is an "argument to the man," i. e., the conclusion is one which he must accept, because regularly drawn from premises which he admits to be sound. The individual making the argument need not indorse the premises which he thus employs, but he must believe in the conclusion, having reached it from premises which he himself could approve. For example: Were a gentleman from South Carolina, and one from Massachusetts, discussing the propriety of legalizing dueling, the former affirming, and the latter denying, it would not be an unheard-of thing if the gentleman advocating the code of honor should declare his conviction that in some way God, or the fates, presides over such contests, so ordering that the result would prove the justice of the cause of the triumphing party. To meet this position upon strictly philosophical grounds would require time, and perhaps skill in debate. To avoid unnecessary delay, therefore, the Massachusetts man would look about him for some familiar illustration which would answer his purpose. He bethinks him of the great Rebellion. To his mind it was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity. Not so, however, to that of his friend. He has been in the habit of regarding it as a noble struggle for separate national existence. The Massachusetts gentleman, knowing this to be the case, says to him, "So and so, your theory that the ends of justice are served by resort to violence when individuals have personal altercations, is not sound, as I think I can satisfy you in a moment's time. Going to war is simply dueling on a large scale. Now, you were a soldier in the army for the Southern Confederacy; the war for their independence was a failure; and, therefore, if you are right in your theory of dueling, you ought to accept the results of that war as conclusive proof that the South was wrong, and the North right. Would not such reasoning be final?" You answer in the affirmative, and admit that the overthrow of the duelist was most complete.
But suppose that the Carolinian should still persist in his theory, offering as an objection to the logic of the New Englander that his illustration was not good, since he did not individually believe in the rectitude of the Southern cause? To this the Massachusetts man would reply, "I was trying to convince you, sir, and not myself, that the decisions of war are not always equitable, and therefore I selected an illustration to which you could not take exceptions. My personal opinions had been framed long before, upon historic facts and observations which were satisfactory to myself; now, therefore, before you can evade the deduction which I have made from the premises laid down, you must concede that those premises are incorrect." It may be true that, in the hypothetical illustration furnished above, the result reached would have been more satisfactory, because more general in its effect, if the premises, as well as the conclusion drawn from them, had been thoroughly correct; but as the decision reached could, under other circumstances, be vindicated in the use of data to which there could have been no exceptions, the means employed were fully justifiable, and the brevity of the time required in the employment of such a stratagem in making an individual acknowledge an important fact, and renounce a dangerous error, was a consideration of sufficient weight to call for a resort to the method pursued.
With our Lord, however, the one object had in view was the confounding of the Pharisees,—a thing which could not have been accomplished so perfectly in the use of a deduction from premises which, though well taken in every particular, had never received the full sanction of their authority. It was important that their prestige with the people as spiritual teachers should be completely destroyed. In no way could this have been done so effectually as by confounding them before the multitude, without traveling outside of their own record to obtain the instruments with which to do the work. Nor can any better evidence be given in vindication of the wisdom of the method employed, than is found in the absence from the context of everything like a declaration of dissent from his haughty opponents, either from the deduction which he made, or the means employed in reaching the same. Christ understood his men, and knew his opportunity. It was not the first time that he had employed the argumentum ad hominem to the confusion of those proud, self-sufficient teachers of the law, with whom consistency was more highly prized than truth. How successfully, for example, did he use it when they sought to condemn him for healing on the Sabbath day. "Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" Luke 13: 15, 16. Again, on a subsequent occasion: "Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things." Luke 14: 5, 6.
In these cases, as in many more which might be cited, it will be perceived that Christ does not stop to elaborate an argument to prove that the ox or the ass could properly be watered, or taken from the pit, on holy time; but he takes the short cut to the objective point in view, by appealing to those practices which they admitted to be correct, and then draws the conclusion therefrom that they, judged by their own opinions and usages, fully justified all that he had done. Just as, in the case of the rich man and Lazarus, he reasoned that they, by admitting that it was possible for the former to go to hell, and the latter to Abraham's bosom, had completely stultified themselves by holding one set of doctrines utterly irreconcilable with another in which they also believed. If, however, we would find another instance of the use by the Saviour of the argumentum ad hominem under circumstances more nearly like those attending the giving of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, it will be obtained from reading the account given of the interview between the Lord and certain individuals in regard to the casting out of devils by him, wherein they charged that he had accomplished it through the agency of Beelzebub. Replying to them, he said, "If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." Matt. 12: 27, 28.
Here, again, was a successful effort to put his adversaries on the defensive. He does not try to prove by independent argument that the power by which he worked was from Heaven, but he appeals directly, and in brief, to that which their own children were doing according to their belief. Now, he says in substance, if they do the same work which I am doing, the presumption is that they do it in the use of the same instrumentalities. If, therefore, I am the tool of the devil, they must also be the same. This logic was, of course, unanswerable. But the feature of it to which we wish to call attention especially, is the fact—for his then present purpose—he seemed to accept, or at least to employ without disputing the same, their profession that members of their party were really successful in exorcising evil spirits.
But right here it is submitted that it must be a matter of extreme doubt whether the children, or partisans, of those confronting our Lord—wicked, bigoted, and backslidden as they were—were actually able to expel demons under any circumstances. But if this doubt be justified, then we are furnished with a case precisely in point with the one found in the sixteenth chapter of Luke. The only objection which could be made to the exegesis of that portion of the Scriptures which has been presented in this article, would be raised against the hypothesis that Christ accepted, for the time being, as correct, the pharisaic notions in regard to hades. But in the case before us, the same thing, in effect, occurs unmistakably in the use of the argumentum ad hominem against his vilifiers, if, indeed, as we have supposed, he did, for the purpose of their confusion, employ their convictions in regard to the ability of their children to relieve the unfortunate victims of diabolic possession, when, in fact, they were wholly incapable of working such a deliverance.
But enough. It is now time that this article should be brought to a close. It has been the earnest effort of the writer, in presenting the exegesis which it contains, to free himself from the spirit of partisanship, allowing only such considerations to be presented as were thought to be411really pertinent to the issue, and of a nature to commend themselves to candid examination from individuals on either side of the prolonged controversy concerning the state of the dead. For this reason, also, he has endeavored to say what he had to say in this communication without making his own private opinions concerning the intermediate state at all prominent. In fact, it is thought that both the believer and the disbeliever in the natural immortality of man, might unite in approving the exposition herein given of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. To be sure, the former could not thereafter claim to draw from it any support for his own peculiar tenet, but he might insist that outside of the parable he could find in the Scriptures something which would justify his theory of the future life. Be that as it may, however, it has seemed to us that the system of interpretation herein offered is both natural and truthful, and that it at once removes all the difficulties attending the construction generally placed upon that portion of the sacred word which we have had under consideration, leaving it free from all indorsement of Pharisaic errors, and inculcating the grand and simple truth that the poorest and weakest of men, destitute though he may be of food and raiment, covered with sores and dependent upon charity for his daily bread, may, nevertheless, be highly esteemed in Heaven; while at the same time those who are arrayed in fine apparel and fare sumptuously every day, may, after all, be subjects of the divine wrath.
WHOLE-SOULED RELIGION.
SATAN is a shrewd strategist. His policy is to divide and conquer. All he asks of the sinner is to give him room enough to pitch his tent inside of the walls, and to occupy a part of the heart's territory. He has no objections to a man's going to church for an hour or two on the Sabbath, and reading a chapter in the Bible occasionally, and even having a serious thought once in a while. As long as Christ does not get the whole heart, he is quite satisfied that ultimately it will be all his own. In the fabled race for the crown, the golden apples of the Hesperides tossed down upon the course diverted the attention of the combatants, and he who stooped to grasp an apple lost the prize. Satan keeps tossing his glittering allurements upon life's highway; if he can keep the soul from "pressing towards the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus," he counts that soul sure for hell.
Christ, on the other hand, demands the whole heart. "No man can serve two masters." "He that is not for me is against me." How sharply and clearly he cuts the dividing line. It is death to all compromise. "Whoso would be my disciple let him leave all and follow me. He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me." This demand of the Lord for the complete lordship of the heart runs through the whole Bible. The chief commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy might, and all thy mind and strength." One of the richest promises in God's check-book for us to fill up "on demand," is this one, "Ye shall seek me and find me when ye search for me with all the heart."
The model characters in the Bible are the whole-souled Christians. Caleb is one of these; for it is written of him that "he followed the Lord faithfully," and in another passage it reads, "he followed me wholly." While the half-hearted and the cowards perished in the wilderness, loyal old Caleb survived to possess his fruitful acres in full sight of the vineyards of Eshecol. Hezekiah is another of these splendid characters whose entire reign was an unbroken line of holy achievements. His very name signifies "strength of Jehovah." The secret of his success is given in one golden line, "he did it with all his heart, and prospered." Daniel, the uncompromising hero of Babylon, belongs to this same company of choice spirits.
These are the type-men for our times. What we want to make our churches vigorous and successful is not the pine-shaving piety that blazes up only during the brief periods of revival excitements, but the solid anthracite that is always glowing at a red heat, with "patient continuance in well-doing." We want the full following of Christ with the whole heart, for the whole time, and for the whole life. This requires a thorough regeneration at the start. Half-way converts make half-way Christians. Mr. Finney always urged anxious inquirers to dig deep and build solidly upon Christ as their bed-rock. Unless the conversion is radical and thorough, unless the submission of the soul to Jesus is unreserved and complete, there will be half-heartedness and halting to the end. We do not wonder that some professors complain that they "do not enjoy their religion," for they have so little to enjoy. Instead of being filled with the fullness of God, they never had more than a pint measure at the outset, and the scanty supply soon ran dry.
My friend, the reason you are not a Christian is that you are not willing to give Christ your whole heart. A fragment of your thoughts and affections, a few hours on Sabbath, an occasional good resolution, you are offering to him in return for an eternal Heaven. You keep back your heart. He asks everything. You refuse it. And in your eternity of dark despair you will discover that you have lost everything, and forever!—Rev. Theo. L. Cuyler, in Christian Weekly.
THE LILY POINT.
WHILE watering my garden yesterday, I noticed a large calla leaf bent almost to breaking. It was one of the outside leaves of the plant; and as I thought it could well be spared, rather than take the trouble of placing a support till time should heal the bruise, I cut it off.
My chagrin was great indeed, when I discovered that I had cut off the point of a lily, just forcing itself up through the stem of the leaf. I had not dreamed of this, as the plant had already done its usual work, and supplied me with lovely flowers. For a time I felt almost inconsolable, reproaching myself for my rash and careless use of the knife.
Very soon a sweet lesson came to me through my mistake—who shall say it was not from Him who is the great Teacher of his people? "Who teacheth like God?" The lesson was so profitable to me that I would fain try to help others to learn it.
How often in life come trials that are hard to be borne; burdens, perplexities, and anxieties, that even though we are of those who would "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus," hinder us in the way; and sometimes seem to raise a veil, almost a wall, between our souls and God?
We mourn over this, and are troubled greatly because of it; and we think, "If only this disturbing cause were taken away from my life; if this annoyance that frets me, and drags my spirit down from heaven where I would rise, could be removed; ah, then I should grow in grace, peace would be my portion, and I should go on more rapidly and surely in the Christian life."
But our God and Father appoints every step of our way. He sometimes "leads us by ways that we have not known" or desired. He sends trial, plants thorns, lays burdens upon us, for which we cannot see the reason.
But, by and by, he will show us that this very trial, or perplexity, or burden, which we would fain cut off and cast from us, has enfolded a blessing which will, if we endure chastening, expand into a joy and peace which shall fill our lives. The blessed "afterward it yieldeth."
Let God's way be our way. And let us not, by running away from the trials he sends (forgetting that "even Christ pleased not himself"), cut off, like my poor lily, "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" enfolded in the trial—"the trial of our faith, which is much more precious than of gold that perisheth," and which shall be "found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ."—Christian Intelligencer.
STRAY THOUGHTS.
By M. L. Huntley
"THE thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us."
The sentiment here expressed by Solomon is true in Christian experience, which is much the same over and over. The circumstances of life are calculated to develop the traits of character which men possess. Notwithstanding this "there is no remembrance of former things."
Men do not learn as they might from the events of the past. Under all circumstances the same fruit will be manifest in a true Christian. A man possessing the true missionary spirit in the nineteenth century will bear the same fruit as did devoted men in the seventeenth century. In the experience of the true followers of Christ in ages past we have revealed to us the history of the people living at the present time; and in this history we have a rich and costly legacy. The past is thus spread out before us, and as in an open book we may trace the leadings of God's providence, his dispensations, his overruling power, and in the language of Holy Writ, "see the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy." It is here also that we may find practical and forcible illustrations of those noble, elevating traits of character, of that self-sacrifice and humility, which ever have, and ever will, meet the approval of Heaven. Here, also, in all their unmasked ugliness we may see pride, self-arrogance and selfishness, and behold their legitimate fruits.
The principles of God's government, those upon which all his dealings with mankind are based, have ever remained unchanged. Underlying the outward ever changing circumstances are the same great fundamental truths. Short-sighted humanity, blinded by the god of this world, fails to comprehend these truths, hence one age, one generation after another is led to commit the same errors which have repeatedly proved the bane of their predecessors. Their criminal blindness and oversight led the Jews to crucify the Saviour, and the successors of the true apostolic church to become the very personification of cruelty and wickedness in putting to death the people of God. To this same cause also may be traced the divided and confused condition of the Christian world at the present time. And still blindly rushes the multitude on, the same as though the experiment had never been tried, and thousands had not fallen over this rock of stumbling and offense. God would have us learn of the past and fly from dangers to come, and thus be saved in the kingdom of God.
M. L. HUNTLEY.
TRUTH TEMPERED BY LOVE.
THERE is always truth enough in the world, but it is merciless truth. Men are quick enough to see the faults and sins of their neighbor. If truth is merely fault-finding, then there is plenty of it everywhere. No man ever commits a sin but some one sees it and points it out. But the truth which has no love mixed with it has the effect of error. It is the nature of truth to convince; it is the province of truth to convert—to make people see what they ought to be and do, and what they can become. It is the lever to lift them to a higher plane, to awaken the purpose of going up, to give new aim and aspiration to the spirit. But cold, hard truth never convinces, it only provokes. It drives men away. It hardens them instead of converting them. It seems to me like injustice, cruelly wrong. Truth without love has therefore, virtually, the effect of falsehood.
Do All to the Glory of God
It is both honorable and profitable to do solid, honest work. This is true of temporal as well as spiritual work. If a boy's business is to black boots, let him do it well. If a girl's business is to wash dishes, let her wash them clean and not break them. If the work of a moment is to sing a spiritual song, let it be done heartily; if to speak a word of counsel or warning, let it be spoken bravely and lovingly. We shall not do everything right until we do it "as unto the Lord." Who would dare to slight his work, or to act from unworthy motives, under a clear sense of the divine inspection? Dear readers, never lose sight of this great truth: "Thou God seest me." "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."—Evangelical Messenger.
A Cure for Weather-Growling
"What awful weather!" says one, with a snarl in his voice. "Terrible!" says another, "rain, snow, or blow all the time, and I don't see as we shall have summer or anything else! What do they mean? They would doubtless be shocked if they but for a moment considered that they found fault with an all-wise Providence. If half the breath spent in weather-growling was employed in finding fault with and correcting our own shortcomings we fancy that very soon we would not entertain the least disposition to fault-finding. Try it; and every time you feel inclined to growl at that which you cannot control, commence a tirade against your disagreeable temper. Depend upon it, it will prove a sure cure.