Earlier text: EditorialPRESENT TRUTH.
By S. N. Haskell
For about half a century, in a special sense, many have looked for the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In connection with his near coming they have expected the Lord to pour out his Spirit to prepare his people to act their part in the closing work of the gospel. Says the prophet:— "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." Joel 2: 28-32. These words imply that this prophecy would be fulfilled in connection with the time when the sun should be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, which occurred May 19, 1780. What they received on the day of Pentecost was but the former rain. The prophet thus describes the former and the latter rain: "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." Joel 2: 23. It should require no argument to show that the gospel has not thus far accomplished its work in the world; and the way is now prepared for the gospel to reach every part of this habitable globe. The islands of the Pacific where cannibalism reigned a few years since, have opened their doors for the Christian religion; Japan, that was ever exclusive to all foreign nations, has welcomed the foreigners to bring to them the gospel of Jesus Christ; China, who had the gospel in the days of the apostles, but whose doors had become closed, by the treaties now formed with Christian nations, protects missionaries in different parts of that empire; every foot of India is claimed by some missionary society as being their territory to carry the gospel to every creature. The interior of Africa has been explored, and open doors invite the missionary to occupy that field. The time has therefore fully arrived when the prophecy of Rev. 14: 6, "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," should be fulfilled. The mighty angel having great power, that was to enlighten the earth with its glory, has descended from heaven. The most complete object of the gospel is to be fulfilled at the present time. The outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost was to fit the disciples to do the very work which the church is to accomplish in the closing scenes of this world's history. "Just prior to his leaving the disciples for the heavenly courts, Jesus encouraged them with the promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to us as well as to them; and yet how rarely it is presented before the people, and its reception spoken of in the church." This promise has not been dwelt upon as it should be by those looking for the accomplishment of the fulfillment of the gospel. It has been set aside, as if some future time would be given for its consideration. The impression concerning the Holy Spirit has been that this gift is not for the church now, but at some future time it will be necessary for the church to receive it. But if this promised blessing were claimed by faith, it would bring all other blessings in its train; and it is to be given liberally and freely to the people of God. Because of the lack of this the spiritual strength of God's people has been enfeebled, and their experience dwarfed and crippled, so that they have been disqualified for the work the Lord would have them do. "They are not able to present the great and glorious truths of God's word, that would convict and convert souls through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The power of God awaits their demand and reception. A harvest of joy will be reaped by those who sow the holy seeds of truth. 'He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.'" "We have a message to bear to the church and to the world. The disciples were taught to look up and expect the Holy Spirit; to lift up their thoughts, and enlarge their conceptions of his excellency and grace; for the gift of the Holy Spirit would compensate them for the loss of his personal presence. What a gift theirs! what an endowment to the church! and how little has this precious blessing been dwelt upon! As Satan would have it, the Holy Spirit has become almost extinct from the church. But the Lord calls upon his people to expect great things, to arise and shine, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon her. A vital element has been presented as a gift to the church. The work of salvation must not any longer be at a standstill. The sacrifice has been made, and the atonement accepted, and if we believe that we are at at-one-ment with God, tell it. Let it burn upon the altars of our heart. Let it radiate to others. A greater gift cannot be donated than the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. It is the living bread sent down from heaven; it is the living water sent down from the throne of God. Who can in the most exalted language exaggerate the value of the gift? It is the crowning gift whereby sinful human beings may, through its efficiency, become washed, purified, exalted. We may overcome, and be more than conquerors through Him that loved us and gave Himself for us." The office work of the Holy Spirit is to qualify men to become teachers, and to clothe their words with a power that nothing can withstand. The influence of the messages of Revelation 14 "has been deepening and widening, setting in motion the springs of action in thousands of hearts, bringing into existence institutions of learning, publishing houses, and health institutions. All these instrumentalities are the instrumentalities of God to co-operate in the grand work represented by the first, second, and third angels flying in the midst of heaven to warn the inhabitants of the world that Christ is coming the second time with power and great glory. The Revelator says: 'I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.' This is the same message which was given by the second angel, —Babylon is fallen, 'because she made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.'" "When Jesus began his public ministry, he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Almost the last act of his ministry was to cleanse the temple again. So, in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches, —the second angel's message, and the voice heard from heaven, 'Come out of her, my people, . . . for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.'" "God is testing us now; just now the whole earth is to be lighted with the glory of God. The light is shining now, and how hard it has been for proud hearts to accept of Jesus as their personal Saviour! how hard to get out of the rut of a legal religion! how hard for them to grasp the rich, free gift of Christ! Those who have not accepted that offering will not understand anything of that light which fills the whole earth with its glory. Let every heart now seek the Lord; let self be crucified, for rich and glorious blessings are awaiting all who maintain contrition of soul. With them Jesus can abide; they will let nothing interpose between their souls and God. I long, oh so much, to see the people of God elevated, ennobled, sanctified by the truth, manifesting in all their labors that intense, that earnest faith and hope which is proportionate with the value of the object they are in pursuit of. Life, eternal life, is worth persevering, untiring, lifelong effort. Never be weary in well doing; never be discouraged. Jesus lives; Jesus230pleads for us; Jesus will not leave us, not a moment, if we only commit the keeping of our souls to him. Be of good courage in the Lord. Look up, ever look up, and behold him who is your eternal reward;" for soon, yes, very soon, "he will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isa. 25: 8, 9. THE CLOSE OF CHRIST'S INTERCESSION.
By E. G. Farnsworth
THE most important and interesting theme that can engage the attention of the child of God is the time when our High Priest shall lay off his priestly robes and put on the garments of vengeance and take to himself his great power and reign. Now he presents to all men the merits of his own precious life, that whosoever will accept the righteousness that he has worked out may have a spotless garment in which to present themselves at the coronation banquet of Prince Immanuel. Now he is beseeching them by his mercies to present themselves to God. Rom. 12: 1. But ungrateful man, regardless of God's mercies, is often blinded because of God's goodness to him. But he whose love is infinite does not leave man in darkness unless he, after having a chance to come to the light, prefers darkness. So God sends his judgments that the inhabitants of the world may learn righteousness. This always has been God's method of dealing with sinful man, and it always will be until the awful sentence sounds forth from the throne above, “It is done.” God's mercy is now causing the last message of mercy to be carried to earth's remotest bounds. Soon his judgments will be abroad in the land, pleading for his people, revealing to all that there is a difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of the time of the coming of the Lord, says: “For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh.” Isa. 66: 16; also Jer. 25: 31. The prophet Joel, speaking of the same time, says: “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel.” “Let the heathen be awakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.” “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3: 2, 12, 14. The time of this gathering is clearly indicated in Rev. 16: 12-15, as will be clearly seen by referring to other texts. Daniel 12: 1 says that “at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble.” At what time?—The time spoken of in the last verse of the eleventh chapter, when the Ottoman Empire comes to its end, not when he plants the tabernacle of his palace between the seas, as some have thought. For this is not his end; he still exists, and is brought to his end under the pouring out of the sixth plague. Rev. 16: 12-15: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Then comes the wonder-working power of Satan, that gathers the nations to the battle of the great day. It is then, and not until then, that the voice coming from the sanctuary on high proclaims, with awful majesty, “It is done.” God has been pleading by his judgments, causing them to fall upon those that have received the mark of the beast and those that have worshiped his image, but not suffering any of them to touch one of his people that put their trust in him (Ps. 91: 10), thus giving to the world an object lesson of his wrath against sin, and his care for those that are obedient unto his truth. But an angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done, that the seal of God has been placed upon his people. Then Jesus ceases his intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts his hands, and with a loud voice says, “It is done.” And all the angelic host lay off their crowns as he makes the solemn announcement, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Every case has been decided for life or death. Thus the mystery of God is finished. And there still remains only the work of giving to each company their final rewards. Great Babylon comes in remembrance before God to give unto her the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. He brings forth the weapons of his wrath, that sweeps away the refuge of lies. The redeemed throng are caught up to meet their descending Lord in the air and with him ascend to the city of God. Oh, may it be the happy lot of us all to have a mansion in that beautiful home! THE PLAN OF SALVATION.
By Mrs. E. G. White
THE law of love is the foundation of God's government, and the service of love the only service acceptable to heaven. God has granted freedom of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate his character, and therefore with ability to love him and to choose his service. So long as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God's character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies. But known unto God are all his works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called the everlasting covenant; for the plan of salvation was not conceived after the fall of man, but it was that which was “kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” The purpose and plan of grace existed from all eternity. Before the foundation of the world it was according to the determinate counsel of God that man should be created and endowed with power to do the divine will. The fall of man, with all its consequences, was not hidden from the Omnipotent. Redemption was not an after thought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam, but an eternal purpose, suffered to be wrought out for the blessing, not only of this atom of a world, but for the good of all the worlds that God had created. Before Him who ruleth in the heavens, the mysteries of the past and future are alike outspread, and God sees beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, the outworking of his purpose of love and blessing. Though clouds and darkness are round about him, yet righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne. Through creation and redemption, through nature and through Christ, the glories of the divine character are revealed. By the marvelous display of his love in giving “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” the character of God is revealed to the intelligences of the universe. Through Christ our231Heavenly Father is made known as the God of love. When man sinned, all heaven was filled with sorrow; for through yielding to temptation, man became the enemy of God, a partaker of the Satanic nature. The image of God in which he had been created was marred and distorted. The character of man was out of harmony with the character of God; for through sin man became carnal, and the carnal heart is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. To the angels there seemed to be no way of escape for the transgressor. They ceased their songs of praise, and throughout the heavenly courts there was mourning for the ruin sin had wrought. Out of harmony with the nature of God, unyielding to the claims of his law, naught but destruction was before the human race. Since the divine law is as changeless as the character of God, there could be no hope for man unless some way could be devised whereby his transgression might be pardoned, his nature renewed, and his spirit restored to reflect the image of God. Divine love had conceived such a plan. It was through Satan's misrepresentation of God's character that man was led to doubt the reality of his love, and came to look upon God as his enemy. As Satan had done in heaven, so he did on earth,—declared God's government unjust, the restrictions of his law unnecessary, and bade man, as he had angels, to throw aside the yoke and let the dictates of their own nature be their only guide and law. He promised liberty; but as he himself is the servant of corruption, he brought the race into bondage, to sin, misery, and death. He represented God as claiming all and giving nothing, as requiring men's service for his own glory, but denying himself nothing for man's good. In the work of creation, Christ was with God. He was one with God, equal with him, the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, the representative of the Father. He alone, the Creator of man, could be his Saviour. No angel of heaven could reveal the Father to the sinner, and win him back to allegiance to God. But Christ could manifest the Father's love; for God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Christ could be the "day's man" between a holy God and lost humanity, one who could "lay his hand upon us both." None but Christ could redeem man from the curse of the law. He proposed to take upon himself the guilt and shame of sin,—sin so offensive in the sight of God that it would necessitate separation from his Father. Christ proposed to reach to the depths of man's degradation and woe, and restore the repenting, believing soul to harmony with God. Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, offered himself as a sacrifice and substitute for the fallen sons of Adam, though in this offering all heaven was involved in infinite sacrifice. But the Father so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that through his smitten heart a channel might be found for the outflowing of infinite love for fallen man. Man had become so degraded by sin, his nature so perverted by evil, that it was impossible for him of himself to come into harmony with God, whose nature is purity and love. But Christ redeemed him from the condemnation of the law, and imparted divine power, and through man's co-operation, the sinner could be restored to his lost estate. The grace of Christ alone could change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh, make it alive unto God, and transform the character, so that a degraded child of sin might become a child of God and heir of heaven. Man had no power to justify the soul, to sanctify the heart. Moral disease could be healed only through the power of the great Physician. The highest gift of heaven, even the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, was able to redeem the lost. The only hope for the fallen race was found in becoming reconciled to God. Satan had so misrepresented God that man had no true conception of the divine character. Christ came to the world, and in carrying out the plan of salvation, revealed the fact that "God is love." When the plan of salvation was revealed to the angels, joy, inexpressible joy, filled heaven. The glory and the blessedness of a world redeemed outmeasured even the anguish of the Prince of Life. Through the celestial courts echoed the first strain of that song that angels sang above the hills of Bethlehem,—"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will to men." And the lost pair in the garden of Eden, standing as criminals before the righteous Judge, waiting the sentence their transgression merited, heard the first notes of the divine promise. Before the life of toil and sorrow which sin had brought upon them was depicted before them, before the decree that the wages of sin is death was pronounced, they heard the promise of redemption. Though they must suffer from the power of their mighty foe, still through the merits of Christ they could look forward to victory. The mystery of the gospel was spoken in Eden, when God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." If Satan could have touched the head with his specious temptations, the human family would have been lost; but the Lord had made known the purpose and plan of the mystery of grace, declaring that Christ had bruised the serpent under his feet. But not only had man come under the power of the deceiver, but the earth itself, the dominion of man, was usurped by the enemy. Through the plan of salvation, the sacrifice of Christ, not only was man but his dominion to be redeemed. Through the merits of Christ all that man lost through sin was to be restored. The time would come when there would be "no more curse, but the throne of God should be in it, and his servants should serve him." The promise would be fulfilled, "The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever." Through the plan of salvation a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government would be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan refuted, the nature and result of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully demonstrated. Satan had declared that the law of God was faulty, and that the good of the universe demanded a change in its requirement. In attacking the law, he thought to overthrow the authority of its Author, and gain for himself the supreme allegiance. But through the plan of salvation the precepts of the law were to be proved perfect and immutable, that at last one glory and love might rise to God throughout the universe, ascribing glory and honor and praise to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. A PECULIARITY of the Bible is that its every portion continues to give out new meanings to him who continues in its reverent study. A Bible text may bear upon its face an obvious meaning apparent to all; but beyond this surface meaning there is always a meaning profounder than that which first shows itself to the casual reader. And there is literally no end to this new disclosing of truth to him who perseveres in new searching for truth. “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life,” says our Lord; and herein the words of the Bible are different from all other words. However much any one of us may know about any Bible text, there is more for us to learn from that text than all that we have learned thus far.—Sunday School Times. Right Forever on the Scaffold
By James Russell Lowell
RIGHT forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne;
But that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God amid the shadows,
Keeping watch above his own.
—From Lowell. The Endless Circle of God’s Love
The love of God is an endless circle from good to good, without error or inconstancy, moving in an everlasting round.—Farindon. TRUST Him when dark doubts assail thee;
Trust Him when thy strength is small;
Trust Him when to simply trust him
Seems the hardest thing of all. Trust Him, he is ever faithful;
Trust him, for his will is best;
Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus
Is the only place of rest. Trust Him then through cloud and sunshine,
All thy cares upon him cast,
Till the storms of life are over
And thy trusting days are past. "A CHRISTIAN NATION."
By Judge Henry C. Minter
BY JUDGE HENRY C. MINTER. History abundantly demonstrates that human life stripped of civil and religious liberty is but a painful mockery. In the light of this knowledge, the wise and sagacious framers of the great republican form of government of the United States of North America exhausted their ingenuity in their efforts to establish and perpetuate the enjoyment of these boons of priceless worth. History further instructs us that civil liberty cannot survive where religious bigotry or intolerance is suffered to invade and hold in subjection the domain of private conscience. Hence, civil and religious liberty must coexist or they must together perish. The recent agitation of Sunday legislation has revealed the fact that we have already crossed the danger line. Therefore, we may well awake to alarm and to action in discovering the distance we have drifted from sound and fundamental principles. Nearly all the active elements of our population are so absorbed in selfish pursuits or so intent on grasping and amassing so-called wealth that they are unaware that the very foundation stones of their temple of freedom are being displaced. Had I the ability to do so, it would require too much space to review the actions of our judicial tribunals in this connection and point out the distance to which some of them have drifted from our republican traditions. The Supreme Court of the United States, in an opinion delivered by Justice Brewer in the case of Holy Trinity Church vs. the United States, less than one year ago, and unanimously concurred in by the members of that tribunal, gives utterance to declarations which should excite alarm in all thoughtful minds, regardless of the soundness or unsoundness of the legal utterances of the court. I shall not attempt to enumerate the declarations of the court in that opinion, but refer the reader to the opinion itself. I will content myself with mentioning only one declaration. In that opinion the court solemnly and judicially declares that this is a "Christian nation." Were this a nation of true Christians, it would be great cause for rejoicing. But it is not. Neither is it a Christian nation in any sense whatever. It is a nation of men, women, and children, containing among them a few true Christians, doubtless. And any one of these true Christians would be furthest of all others from pronouncing this a Christian nation. Though an humble espouser of Christianity myself, I fiercely oppose the idea of incorporating, in any degree or in any manner, into the government of this country the religion of Christianity or any other religion. In fact, to do so with true Christianity would be utterly impossible. To do so with spurious Christianity would be quite easy. That the nominal Christian and the nominal Christian church do favor union in some form with the arm of civil government in order to enforce and perpetuate their religious dogmas and observances we have abundant proof. For this class the aforementioned decision8of the Supreme Court comes laden with rich promises of religious legislation. One writer of this class, in an article published in the Christian Statesman, seizes at once upon the logical conclusion to which the opinion of the Supreme Court leads. Commenting on the judicial decision of that tribunal that this is a "Christian nation," he says: "Then this nation is Christ's nation, for nothing can be Christian that does not belong to him. Then his word is its sovereign law. Then the nation is Christ's servant." Of course the idea of this religious bigot and the idea of the whole class of bigots which adhere to false theories of Christ's religion is that the government of this country should engage in religious legislation and the execution of religious laws. And why not? Have not their ideas the sanction of the court? The numerical strength and the political potency of this class of false or deluded Christians is revealed in their successful efforts to extort from Congress Sunday legislation in connection with the Columbian Exposition. This action of Congress is purely religious legislation, being had from a purely religious point of view, by religionists, in connection with a religious observance and for religious motives. One need not possess equal intelligence with these legislators to know that each one of them voting in favor of Sunday observance in connection with the Fair, has not only done violence to the history and traditions of republicanism in this country, but has violated his oath of office. If Congress can legislate respecting one religious subject, it can legislate respecting any and all religious subjects. It can make laws "respecting an establishment of religion." It has already in this very act "prohibited the free exercise of religion." A conscientious observer of the seventh day, by this action of Congress, would be religiously legislated into the necessity of observing two days before entering the Fair. Religion from its very nature is a purely personal and individual concern, and can never justly be made the subject of human legislation in any manner. Neither the observance nor the non-observance of any day can, in itself, be considered either right or wrong. It is a matter wholly within the domain of religion and individual conscience—a domain into which religious zealots have never yet forced the arm of civil government save with disastrous effects on the liberties and natural rights of men. It is not the extent to which we have already gone in the wrong direction that is so alarming, but it is the principle involved and on which we are proceeding. The beginning made is ominous of a ruinous end. It is not from violent revolution, it is not from shot and shell and cannon's roar, that we need fear the greatest danger to our ship of State. Our greatest peril lies in silent innovations and precedents which, left unchecked, noiselessly forge the chains of slavery.—St. Louis Republic. Keytesville, Mo., Jan. 19, 1893. It is said that when Oliver Cromwell visited Yorkminster Cathedral in England he saw in one of the apartments statues of the twelve apostles wrought in silver. "Who are those fellows there?" he asked, as he approached them. On being informed, he replied: "Take them down and let them go about doing good." They were taken down, melted, and put into his treasury. There are many to-day who, like these silver apostles, are too stiff for service in much of the Lord's work—some too nice, some too formal, some disinclined. They stand or sit stately in their dignity, and sinners go unsaved, believers uncomforted, unhelped, for all the effort they will make to lift a hand to serve them. They need to be melted down and sent about doing good. Statuary Christians, however elegant and burnished they may be, are of little real service in the cause of Jesus.—Bible Teacher.