p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 35. (8/28/1901)

Earlier text: BUFFALO'S WONDER OF WONDERS

LESSON 9.—SEPTEMBER 1.—ISAAC THE PEACE-MAKER.

Lesson Scripture, Gen. 26:16-25, R.V.

16 “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art 17 much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names 19 after the names by which his father had called them. And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well 20 of springing water. And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, The water is ours; and he called the name of the well Esek; because they contended with him. 21 And they digged another well, and they strove for that also: 22 and he called the name of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not; and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in 23 the land. And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. And 24 the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant 25 Abraham’s sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.”

Golden Text.—“Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.” Matt. 5:9.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What request did Abimelech make of Isaac? Why did he make this request? Verse 16. Note 1. (2) How did Isaac respond to the king’s request? Verse 17. Note 2. (3) How did Isaac obtain a water supply in his new location? Why did he have to reopen these wells? By what names did he call them? Verse 18. Note 3. (4) How did he get a further supply of water? Verse 19. Note 4. (5) What new trouble now arose? What name did Isaac give to this well? Verse 20. Note 5. (6) What then did Isaac do? What was the result of this work? What name did Isaac give to this well? Verse 21. Note 6. (7) What course did Isaac next pursue? What was the result of this effort? What name was given to this well? Why was it so named? Verse 22. Note 7. (8) Where next did Isaac go? Verse 23. Note 8. (9) Who appeared to him that same night? What assurance did Isaac receive? What promise was given him? Verse 24. Note 9. (10) In what way was Isaac’s religious character still manifested? What further provision was made for water? Verse 25.

NOTES.

1. A famine in the region of Hebron, after the death of Abraham, caused Isaac to seek relief in the land of the Philistines. The Lord told him to dwell there, but the Philistines were jealous of his prosperity. However, the king warned his people to do Isaac no harm, but in order to certainly avoid trouble he urged Isaac to go away.

2. Isaac departed from Gerar, where Abimelech lived, but evidently did not go very far, as he encamped in the valley of Gerar.

3. Abraham had sojourned in this country before, and the Philistines had been jealous of him, as they were now of Isaac. This is shown by their having filled up the wells which he had dug. And they were no doubt aggravated by Isaac’s reopening the wells, and giving them the same names that Abraham gave them.

4. The “well of springing water” was what we would call an artesian, or flowing well, and a valuable accession to Isaac’s possessions.

5. “Esek” means contention, or strife.

6. “Sitnah” means hatred, or spite. It is from the same root as Satan, an adversary, or hater.

7. “Rehoboth” means room. Isaac would not contend for his rights, yet in yielding he found room and prosperity away from his tormentors. There is no need of contention about particular localities in the world; for there is plenty of room for all. Because of Isaac’s meekness, the Lord had guided his judgment. Ps. 25:9.

8. “Beer-sheba” was an old camping-ground of Abraham. Abimelech had made a covenant with him concerning the well at this place, and the name (“well of the oath”) was in commemoration of the agreement. See Ch. 21:22-34.

9. The Visit of the Lord.—After Isaac had shown his faith in God’s care by yielding to the unjust demands of the Philistines, the Lord appeared to him, and renewed the promise made to Abraham. “The ‘Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to ‘all that call upon him in truth.” Ps. 145:18.

DAY OF THE SABBATH

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BACK TO THE OLD PATHS

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Sound an Alarm

By Editor

To-day this country is facing one of the most threatening and perplexing situations it has ever seen. Thousands are out of employment, factories are closed up, business in many places is paralyzed, and a spirit of unrest and uncertainty pervades the community. The struggle at present is between capital and labor, and never was the outlook more serious and threatening.

More than this, stupendous preparations for war still continue among the great powers, drought and famine stalk abroad in the earth, and the question is raised,

What Does it all Mean?

To answer this question, and show just what the Word of God says about these things, we have issued a 16-page tract entitled

“SOUND AN ALARM”

It has been written during the last week by the editor of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. It is appropriately illustrated and intensely interesting, and should have a wide circulation.

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Two Hundred and Forty Thousand

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Two hundred and forty thousand pages of tracts. One order from the East last week called for this quantity. This is but an indication of the great activity in the distribution of this form of literature. One brother regularly sends us his order each month for from $20 to $25 worth. It is a work that every one can engage in, and can not fail to accomplish untold good. Send for our booklets, “How to Use ‘Tracts’” and “Silent Messengers.” They are free on request.

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PAMPHLETS

The prices of all pamphlets published in the various libraries will probably be increased October first, until that time they will be as follows:—

Pamphlet	Price each	Price for 10 copies
Bible Sanctification, B. S. L., 1	$0 10	$0 62
The Sabbath and the Law, B. S. L., 53	20	1 24
Judgment, B. S. L., 55	15	94
Matthew Twenty-four, B. S. L., 58	10	62
Christ and His Righteousness, B. S. L., 72	15	93
Sunday: Origin of Its Observance, B. S. L., 80	15	93
Angels, Their Nature, B. S. L., 83	20	1 24
Sun of Righteousness, B. S. L., 97	10	62
Life: Its Source and Purpose, B. S. L., 108	10	62
Prophetic Lights, B. S. L., 117	50
Sure Word of Prophecy, B. S. L., 131	10	62
Lord’s Day, B. S. L., 134	15	92
Honor Due to God, B. S. L., 135	10	62
Saints’ Inheritance, B. S. L., 140	10	62
Will a Man Rob God? B. S. L., 145	10	52
Natural Food of Man, B. S. L., 158	25	1 53
Christian Patriotism, B. S. L., 159	15	92
Marshaling of Nations, B. S. L., 161	10	61
Glad Tidings, B. S. L., 162	25	1 77
Prophetic Gift, B. S. L., 164	15	91
Last Day Tokens, W. of T., 13	10	63
Steps to Christ, Berean Library, 1	25	1 30
Thoughts on Daniel, Berean Library, 2	25	1 55
Thoughts on Revelation, Berean Library, 3	25	1 55
Christian Principles, Berean Library, 4	15	93
Looking Unto Jesus, Berean Library, 5	25	1 55
History of the Sabbath, Berean Library, 6	50	3 23
Great Nations of To-Day, Berean Library, 7	25	1 58
The Battle of the Century, Berean Library, 8	10	63

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Heralds of His Coming

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Blow Ye the Trumpet! Sound an Alarm!

By Editor

“Blow Ye the Trumpet!”—“Sound an Alarm!”— Now is the Time to Strike!—Never was there a better opportunity than the present, never was the duty more urgent than just now, to circulate the truth concerning the perilous times of the last days. Both the church and the world are ignorant regarding the Word of the Lord that is being most strikingly fulfilled at the present time. There has just been issued from this office a 16-page tract dealing with the issues that are now agitating the public. They are vividly portrayed in the light of the unerring Word of God, and the matter can not fail to attract the attention of thousands who are wondering what these things mean. Bible Students’ Library No. 167 is entitled, “Sound an Alarm,” and briefly presents a number of features of the one great question: (1) “Vast Increase of Wealth;” (2) “Wealth and War;” (3) “Labor Troubles;” (4) “Intemperance;” (5) “Physical and Material Ills;” (6) “Unrest and Perplexity;” (7) “In the Field of ‘Religion,’ etc. This valuable matter prepared by the editor-in-chief of this paper, should be scattered as the leaves of autumn, and it should be done now. Price 1 cent, or 72 cents a hundred. Order as per advertisement on page 14 of this paper. G.

Pacific Grove’s Discriminating Sunday Ordinance

A new Sunday ordinance has been passed by the trustees of the city of Pacific Grove, in this State. It provides for the closing on Sunday of “any store, workshop, restaurant, banking house, or other place of business.” Exception is made of “stores which are kept open for the sale of drugs for medical purposes only, or to transfer, railroad, telephone, telegraph, or express offices, or to livery stables, barber shops, newspaper agencies, or to bona-fide hotels and lodging houses, which are kept open for the legitimate business of each.” It also provides that “bona-fide restaurants may be kept open for the transaction of the business of serving meals therein, on any Sunday, between the hours of 7 A. M. and 9:30 A. M., and between 12 M. and 2:30 P. M., and between 5:30 P. M. and 7:30 P. M.” The penalty for violation of the ordinance is “a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.” Even if it were sinful to keep open a legitimate place of business on Sunday, by what logic would it be more sinful to do a dry goods or grocery business or work at any mechanical trade on that day than to conduct any of the lines of business excepted in the ordinance? The numerous exceptions are supposed to make the ordinance appear very liberal, but in fact they make it decidedly discriminating, and place the law in the category of class legislation. There cannot be a liberal Sunday law, for all religious legislation is tyranny, and there never would be a Sunday law but for the doctrine that Sunday is a sacred day.

Editorial

Editorial.

The Most High Ruleth ............ 6

“Blessed Are the Peacemakers,” W. N. G. ............ 6

Are Mr. Dowie’s Claims True?—No. 4 ............ 7

A Preacher-Sheriff, G. ............ 8

Outlook.—Nerve Destruction—The Dependent Condition of Society—A National Reform State—Americanizing Not Gospel Work—Which Was More Out of Place?—Federation—Clericalism in France ............ 8, 9

The Home.—The Need of Helping Hearts and Hands—The Story of a Crime—How He Saved His Money ............ 10, 11

Missions.—A Letter From Maoriland—The Work of Missionaries—San Francisco Helping Hand and Medical Mission ............ 12, 13

International Sabbath-school and Sunday-school Lessons. ............ 14

Publishers ............ 15

Prohibition in Chicago

That prohibition of the liquor traffic is a possibility where the people really want it prohibited, is shown in the statement that even in Chicago there is a prohibition district covering over twelve square miles. And it is estimated that to remove the prohibition would depreciate the value of property at least $50,000,000.

The Bible in Ecuador

The Bible in Ecuador.—Until a couple of years ago no Bibles were permitted to pass the custom-house in the port at Guayaquil, Ecuador. But last summer one colporter sold over two thousand copies in that vicinity. It is time for those who love the appearing of our Lord to be entering this now open field. The opening may not be for a long time, as the enemy of souls has yet a strong hold upon the people, and reactions are the order of the day in the Spanish-Roman States of South and Central America.

Always a pitiable sight is a noble-looking head on a dwarfed and crippled body. Such a body is unfitted for the possibilities of such a head. Jesus Christ is the head of the church; therefore the head is perfect. But all that He desires to do in the earth is not done because the body is defective. The work of redemption is long delayed because of the deformity of the body, and its failure to properly carry out the will of the Head. Nothing short of a full acceptance of the “commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” will produce a body adequate to the work of fulfilling the design of such a Head.

Aid the Southern Publishing House

There are yet some of our brethren and sisters who remember the struggles to establish the Review and Herald Publishing House at Battle Creek, Mich. There are many more who personally know of the labor and sacrifice that was necessary in getting the Pacific Press Publishing House on a firm basis. Appeals were made to the brethren at large for both these institutions. Now there are thousands more than both the classes mentioned who personally and practically know nothing of sacrifice for either of these institutions, yet who owe their knowledge of the truth to these agencies. Their opportunity in the way of helping to establish a publishing house and lifting it above its infant struggles has now come. The institution claiming and deserving immediate financial aid is the Southern Publishing House at Nashville, Tenn. A new building is in course of construction, and a large amount of material for the work of printing and binding is needed at once. As all parts of the country have assisted the other houses in their infancy, it is but fair that those who can should assist this new and important work in the South. Certificates of stock have been issued, and may be purchased for $5.00 per share. Address Southern Publishing Company, 1025 Jefferson Street, Nashville, Tenn.

“Church Finances” is the topic of a recent paper by Rev. Newton Wray, in which he makes a strong plea for “free, spontaneous giving on the part of ‘Christians.’” This idea is advanced as against the custom of soliciting the co-operation of worldly people in order to relieve Christians of their responsibility. He does not approve of “‘enticing the world ‘to furnish money which should come from the con- ‘secrated pocket-books of believers,” and argues that such work has “‘dried up the springs of benevolence ‘by substituting carnal attractions for the Gospel of ‘the grace of God.” Mr. Wray suggests that “‘the ‘recipients of the Gospel are to make at the altar ‘financial returns for its benefits, as a spiritual ‘response to the Gospel appeal, and never as a ‘matter of appetite, fancy, or selfish profit, as is the ‘case when the money of the world is secured by ‘means of catch-penny entertainments.”

God’s Power to Change Character

The mightiest manifestation of God’s power to any person is the change that God makes in that person’s character when He changes him from a child of disobedience to a loyal servant of Christ Jesus. Evolution will not and can not change the natural man from sin to holiness. For thousands of years men in various ways have endeavored to accomplish this, but have failed miserably. Yet God has wrought that change in believers myriads of times through all the centuries of earth by His simple Word, received by faith. When God has wrought that miracle in the heart of a man, he will not marvel over lesser wonders. He will not be led away by manifestations of healing or hypnotism. Realizing God’s power, God can ever trust to him more of His Spirit. The reason why God’s people are wanting to-day is that they do not know His power in personal character.

The Right to Work Without Coercion

Unquestionably the right to choose to work for a stated sum implies the right to refuse to work; and the right to employ men carries with it the right to discharge men, the moral obligation being the same in each action. And after all, reader, is it not true that a man is just as much a man; is just as true a man, if he does not belong to an organization as if he does? It is a matter of personal decision, isn’t it? and should one be coerced for disagreeing with his fellows? Honest, now?

Mr. Frederick Harrison, the noted Englishman, says in an article in the Nineteenth Century that “if the ‘artists of the future can be restrained within the ‘limits of good sense and fine taste, Washington ‘[D. C.] may look more like Rome of the Antonines ‘than any city of the Old World.” Involuntarily men are continually comparing America with Rome, and unmistakably the drift of American Government is Romeward.

The Claims of John Alex. Dowie

By Editor

The articles concerning the teaching and claims of Mr. John Alex. Dowie, of Chicago, are written with no malice or ill feeling toward Mr. Dowie or any of his followers. We deem his claims gross errors, and serious because believed by so many. We have endeavored at some length to present a part of not only Biblical negative testimony, but positive testimony as to where the real truth lies. We hope our readers will give them large circulation. The last article is longer than we wish it were, but we desired to finish the study in this paper. Our prayer for all thus deceived is that God will help them to see the truth as it is in Jesus.

EIGHTEEN NINETY-FOUR AND NINETEEN HUNDRED AND ONE.

By T.

In 1894 there was a big strike set in motion by the American Railway Union. The leaders in the strike did their best to prevent violence and rioting, but things soon went beyond their control and thousands of dollars worth of property were destroyed, and many persons were killed and wounded. The strike was finally ended, and many said that the backbone of the labor agitation was broken, and it would be a long time before such a crisis could be brought on again.

The conflict was not ended; it was only a truce. The years since that time have been filled with agitation, and now a struggle is before the people of this country that looks much more dark and perplexing than anything hitherto seen. If the backbone of the labor agitation was broken in 1894, certainly a most skilful physician has been in attendance; for the spinal development of the labor unions gives unmistakable evidence of being far stronger than ever.

A gigantic struggle is on. The combines of capital are determined to destroy the labor unions, and the unions are just as determined that they will not be destroyed. As to the rights and the wrongs of the contending parties, it is not ours to be the judge. But it is our duty to keep the fact before the people that a revolution is at hand that will end in the complete destruction of this whole world. The end of time is almost here, and you know as you contemplate the situation in the world that this truth urges itself upon your convictions, despite every effort to shake it off.

In face of all the troubles of this time, our Almighty Father offers us a sure protection. There is nothing but destruction anywhere else. T.