Signs of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 8. (2/24/1887)

Signs of the Times

Feb 24, 1887

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 24, 1887

General Articles.

By Mrs. E. G. White

COURAGE FOR THE RIGHT.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

THERE are but few in this age of the world who have moral courage to take their position on the side of unpopular truth. Its principles are the principles of Heaven. Hence it conflicts with every wrong habit and sinful desire. Those who accept and obey the truth, must deny self, bear the cross daily, and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Therefore there is a constant warfare between inclination and duty. Inclination too often prevails, and silences the convictions of the Holy Spirit.

The faith which we cherish as "present truth" is sustained by the clearest and most conclusive evidence from the word of God. Still there is urged against it one objection which our ablest ministers cannot remove. Christ himself could not remove it. It has effectually barred the way of life to thousands. This hindrance is the cross. The cross, covered with shame and reproach, which Jesus bore for us, stands directly in the Christian's path. To evade that cross, the selfish, the world-loving, and the pleasure-seeking turn from the light that would guide their feet to Heaven. They choose doubt, unbelief, and infidelity, that they may have the pleasure of following inclination, and giving loose rein to the promptings of the carnal heart. Those who choose the broader and easier path, may enjoy the friendship of the world, which inspiration declares to be enmity with God; they may receive the empty praise of men whose hearts are not pure and whose lives are not holy; but they lose the only honor which is of lasting value, the honor which comes from above. They may secure worldly gain and transient pleasure, but they lose the eternal riches and that life which measures with the life of God. The language of many who are standing undecided is—

"I thought that the course of the pilgrim to Heaven Would be bright as the summer, and glad as the morn; Thou show'dst me the path; it was dark and uneven, All rugged with rock, and all tangled with thorn. "I dreamt of celestial rewards and renown; I grasped at the triumph which blesses the brave; I asked for the palm branch, the robe, and the crown; I asked—and thou show'dst me a cross and a grave."

Those who sincerely believe and teach the word of God must expect to be received by the world with no greater favor than was the ancient preacher of righteousness. Those who lived in Noah's day despised his prophecy; they styled his warnings the delusive fancies of an imbecile old man. But the unbelief and mockery of the people did not hinder the event. God manifested his power in a manner which has astonished the philosophers of every age.

The laws of nature cannot prevent the fulfillment of God's word. The law is never greater than the Lawgiver, nor are the things created greater than the Creator. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man. As men are warned of impending judgment, thousands will say, It cannot be. They will despise the truth, make light of prophecy, and deride the teacher of righteousness. One will turn aside to his farm, another to his merchandise, and care for none of these things.

The inhabitants of the antediluvian world were condemned to destruction for their iniquity; yet they had the offer of mercy. By repentance and reformation of life, they might have secured forgiveness and the protection of God. So in this dispensation, everyone who believes and obeys the divine word will find pardon and a shelter from the wrath to come. The history of their sins, with the sure destruction that followed, should be a warning to us. There is to be a baptism of fire as there was of water, and all the unbelief and scoffing of the ungodly will not hinder the event.

The Scriptures briefly state the reason for the prevailing iniquity in Noah's day. The sons of God married the daughters of men. Those who still cherished the knowledge of God united themselves with the ungodly and corrupt, and as a result became assimilated to them in character. The message of warning would have been received by a larger number, had it not been for their connection and association with those who despised and derided the word of God.

In the days of Noah the Spirit of God was so long and stubbornly rejected that it ceased to strive with men. Thus will it be prior to the end of the world. When the gospel falls on closed ears, when the Holy Spirit ceases to imprint the truth upon the heart, preaching and hearing will alike be in vain. Are we not fast approaching this state of things?

Those who would stand now must be Bible readers and Bible Christians; they must faithfully obey the divine precepts, both in private and in public. There are some who think it an evidence of superior ability to manifest indifference for the Bible and for religious things. They think it weak and unmanly to be always fearing to do wrong. Many a man permits himself to be allured from Christ, from purity and holiness, by those whom at heart he despises. And these very persons will privately ridicule his weakness in yielding to temptation. Those who associate with godless companions learn ways of life, habits of thought and speech, which lead them down to darkness and perdition. To win the applause of the low, the worthless, and the vulgar, they degrade themselves in the sight of God and man.

There is no class in greater danger than the young. Evil men and seducers are no less active now than before the flood. On the contrary, the word of God declares that they shall wax worse and worse. There are not wanting agents of Satan to taunt and ridicule all who would be true to virtue and to God. We are pained to see young men fearful or ashamed to acknowledge their principle before the ungodly or the blasphemer; ashamed that they have cherished holier sentiments, and cultivated purer morals. Oh, if these youth would but be firm and bold in the practice of virtue; if they would frown down the base advances of the agents of Satan, what a victory might be gained over the world, the flesh, and the devil! God calls upon the youth of to-day to love and serve him with the whole heart. They need a daily connection with Heaven to keep them unsullied by the corruptions of the last days.

Says Christ, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." And again, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine." Those who obey God's will as it is revealed to

their understanding, will be safely guided into the way of life. But it is impossible for finite man to fully understand the purposes and ways of the Infinite One. Those who refuse to accept and obey God's word until every objection has been removed, and there is no longer an opportunity for doubt, will never come to the light. Truth and error are before us. God has given us sufficient evidence to determine the right way, and then he leaves us to choose for ourselves.

Jesus calls us to walk with him in the light, instead of wandering in the dark mazes of unbelief. If men would but stop to consider the worth of the soul, and their own need of a Saviour, they would gladly, gratefully accept the hand which he has stretched out to them. Alas that so many, in their pride and stubbornness of heart, refuse to accept the guidance of infinite wisdom! Faith, hope, and love, man's highest and noblest faculties, have been paralyzed by sin and Satan. But Jesus stands ready to awaken them to new life, that they may be enlisted in his service. The power of renewing grace will bring them again into vigorous exercise.

Temptations to discouragement will at times come upon the children of God like an overwhelming torrent. Many are disheartened as they see that Christian example and instruction seem almost powerless before the tide of ignorance and unbelief. But Jesus is the stronghold of his people. His light shines still. It can never be quenched. Though evil now seems to prevail over righteousness and truth, yet it is by no means the strongest power. It shall not always conquer. Nay, even now its end is nigh. Truth and righteousness are plants of heavenly origin. God nourishes them every hour. He will no more suffer them to die than he will forget the honor of his own throne and name.

Every Christian must meet trial and temptation. Those who basely shun the reproach of Christ, and choose the honor which the world bestows, will surely reap the bitter harvest. Separation from God, the loss of Heaven, agony and despair, must be their portion. But if we will stand fearlessly and firmly for God and the right, relying upon the promises of the sacred word, we shall not be ashamed. Earth and hell can have no power to triumph over us. Let not the weakest be discouraged because they are assailed by temptation. The best men who ever lived have been grievously assaulted by Satan and his agents. Unless we yield to its power, temptation is not sin. The armor of truth will prove a sure defense against all the fiery darts of the enemy.

Yet the Christian should not place himself needlessly in the way of temptation. Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own, laden with the fragrance of love and piety, the heavy fogs of unbelief, or the deadly poison of infidelity and crime. When brought in contact with others, we are unconsciously affected by the atmosphere surrounding them. If this be laden with moral poison, the very life-blood of the soul may become tainted ere we are conscious of danger.

The worth of a human soul can be estimated only by the light reflected from the cross of Calvary. So terrible was the doom of the lost race, so great the glory to which the redeemed might be exalted, that the Father is satisfied with the infinite price which he pays for their redemption. It was the joy set before Christ in accomplishing so great salvation that led him to submit to shame, agony, and death. How do all the treasures and the glories of earth sink into insignificance when compared with the value of a human soul! As I see in the world such astonishing indifference to the work of redemption; as I see the unbelief, the skepticism, the Heaven-daring rebellion against God and his law, I am more and more convinced that we have reached those days of peril foretold in the Scriptures. I feel assured that the end is near; that our time of waiting and watching is short; and that the cause and truth of God will soon triumph.

THE OCEAN ROCK.

By William G. Haeselbarth

In lonely grandeur, mid old ocean's wastes, There stands a rock, against whose iron sides The wrathful waves continuously beat. Around its towering head the shrill winds roar, Adown its sides the salt spray dripping falls Amid the sea-drift cast up at its feet. Unnumbered ages have the billows broke In foam against the echoing bulwark strong, And shrieking whirlwinds round it swept in wrath, Yet still, scarred, worn, it stands as firm to-day As when God's voice first called it from the depths, And flings back from its base the leaping wave, As though it laughed at its vain strength in scorn.

So, like a rock uplifted from the sea, Shall that man be whose trust is in the Lord; Whose faith is strongest and whose love most firm When passions rise like surges to o'erwhelm, And when temptations fierce his soul assail, Like that mid-ocean rock he, too, shall stand Unharmed, unshaken by each rude assault; The tempter's wiles, his vengeance and his smiles, Alike shall fret themselves beneath his feet. His firm foundations are down deep in God, His peace, his strength, and his reward above. —William G. Haeselbarth.

FOUR WONDERFUL GARDENS.

By A. F. Schauffler, D. D.

THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

Two things had their beginning in that garden, man and sin. Eden speaks to us of the creation of man in the image of God, pure and holy. For him that garden was prepared, and there he might have remained had he obeyed God's commands. There he held free communion with his heavenly Father, and the glory of his future on earth, had he remained loyal to God, none can well depict. But Eden also speaks to us of sin. Unbelief came in, and with it disobedience; and following that came death. Were this all of which Eden reminds us, it would be a dark story without any single ray of light. But Eden speaks also of God's mercy; for in Eden there came the first promise that foreshadowed redemption. Before they were cast out God gave them that promise in which they and we discern, dimly it may be, but none the less truly, a coming Deliverer. Thus Eden speaks of three things to us, man, man's fall, God's promise.

All the ground between the first and second garden is filled with the manifold story of man's sins and God's favor. The plan of God's salvation grows clearer, and yet more clear, as the centuries roll by. From the darkness of the fall and the midnight of the flood the light slowly breaks until we reach

THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

Had there been no expulsion from Eden, Christ would never have been forced into Gethsemane. The one made the other necessary, unless man was to be hopelessly lost. In Gethsemane we see a partial fulfillment of the Eden prophecy. It may stand as the symbol of atonement; for the agony of the cross began there. In Eden, we see man's downward plunge; in Gethsemane, we see the downward plunge of the divine Saviour, in his effort to save his lost creatures. It was to recover the ground lost in Eden that the Master endured all that Gethsemane speaks to us of. Sorrow, pain, anguish of soul, the cross,—all this may be included in this one word. Not until we can understand all the sacrifice of Christ in its fullness, can we rightly estimate the sufferings of which that garden reminds us. Then there is

THE GARDEN OF JOSEPH.

Until that glad morning when the angel descended, Joseph's garden spoke only of defeat and death. The friends of Christ could get no comfort in that garden, but his enemies thought with joy of that tomb. But with the coming of the angel all this was changed. And from that moment until this day that garden speaks to us of triumph and glad victory. No such victory over the grave had ever been gained before. Christ is the first-fruits of those that slept. From Gethsemane he went forth to death, but from Joseph's garden he came forth to everlasting life. "The conflict at that tomb settled the question for all graveyards for all time;" for Christ rose not for himself, but for his people. As in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Resurrection there means resurrection everywhere. His resurrection means my resurrection, and that without fail. Wonderful garden! Finally, we come to

THE GARDEN OF PARADISE.

Revelation speaks of this. It is Eden, but improved. All that was beautiful in Eden is there, and more. All that was found in the earthly Paradise, of holiness and of communion with God is there, and more. Sin did indeed abound after Eden, but grace has much more abounded. Joseph's garden may speak to us of the Saviour's victory, but Paradise speaks to us of the fruits of this victory enjoyed by the ransomed and redeemed of the Lord. The groaning and travailing of creation there ceases, and the redemption of body and soul are complete. There God's plans of love and mercy are fulfilled, and thus we see man as perfect as God meant he should be, forever engaged in his service.

What a sweep from Eden to Paradise! Human failure, divine favor; human need, divine help; Paradise lost, Paradise regained,—this is the whole purport of the Bible. Its history, prophecy, poetry, epistle, are all only links in the golden chain by which God attaches humanity to himself. And can it be, when scholars have studied in detail this "wonderful story," that they still treat it with indifference! To angels, it must seem the miracle of miracles that this should ever be.—A. F. Schauffler, D. D.

JESUS THE COMFORTER.

By Methodist Recorder

How consoling the assurance of Christ to his disciples, "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come unto you." This assurance should bring comfort to every believing heart. Christ not only delivers us from the guilt and pollution of sin, but also from the bitterness of hopeless sorrow. He sustains us under our trials, comforts us in the midst of our afflictions, and abides with us forever. We may, like the apostle, be pierced with a thorn in the flesh, "the messenger of Satan to buffet us;" we may be called to endure great persecution, to pass through deep waters, or through fiery trials; but while in the world we have tribulation, in him we shall have peace. The storm may rage without, but all shall be calm within. The peace of God that passeth understanding shall keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. He says to all his tempted followers, "My grace is sufficient." He will never leave nor forsake us. He has promised to come and take up his abode with us—that he will sup with us here, and that we shall sup with him hereafter. He is a present and all-sufficient Saviour—just the Saviour that we need.

"In life his presence is our aid, In death 'twill guide us through the shade, Chase all our rising fears away, And turn our darkness into day." —Methodist Recorder.

The Effect of Evidence

THE real effect of evidence depends a great deal on something in one's own mind. Some prejudice, some wish, some willfulness, some sin will often spoil the force of the clearest evidence. While some persons look first of all at the main proofs in a large, willing, wholehearted, comprehensive sort of way, others are perpetually nibbling at the fringes of things, conjuring up a hundred petty objections, keeping faith in waiting, one foot in the air, till every difficulty that may be thought of shall have been answered. And oftener than otherwise the objections that seem so mighty would, with just a little more knowledge, wholly vanish.—Congregationalist.

Looking for the Coming Day of God

By New England Evangelist

The consummation of the Christian's desire may and ought to be found in looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, when our Lord shall come in power and great glory.—New England Evangelist.

WHY KEEP THE LAW?

By C. P. Bollman

THEORETICALLY all Christians are agreed on the necessity of keeping the first three and the last six commandments of the decalogue; and all the so-called evangelical denominations teach that no one can be saved in willful and persistent violation of any one of these precepts; and yet very many of them call Seventh-day Adventists "legalists" and "Judaizers" because they claim for the fourth commandment just what they themselves claim for each of the others!

Sabbath-keepers do not believe and neither do they teach that any one can be saved merely by keeping the Sabbath. What they do hold is this: that it is the duty of every soul to keep all of God's commandments and that the fourth precept, the one that enjoins the keeping of the Sabbath, is one of those commandments. And believing this, they claim for it just the same that other religiousists do for the other precepts of the law; namely, that its violation is sin, and that all sin if it is ever forgiven must be repented of, if it comes to the knowledge of the person committing it.

It is not possible that anyone can be saved by keeping the law, for the law is not given as a means of salvation but as a standard of character. Beings who have not sinned need no salvation, for they were never lost; and those that have sinned can be saved only by being justified. But the law can justify only those who have always obeyed it perfectly; hence the law can never justify one who has broken it—and all have sinned. Hence it is just as true now as it was when Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans and Galatians, that faith alone can justify the transgressor. But it is also true that "whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he [Christ] was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." 1 John 3: 4-6.

They who would make void the law through faith only show that they are not in harmony with Paul (Rom. 3:31), and that they are not in Christ, for whosoever abideth in him sinneth not (transgresseth not the law), for "sin is the transgression of the law;" and "he was manifested to take away our sins."

May the Lord help us to be among those who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.

C. P. BOLLMAN.

SANCTIFICATION.

By Obadiah Oldschool

THE popular errors that prevail on this subject are simply amazing. I met a neighbor the other day who had been attending holiness meetings. He said, as he grasped my hand with unusual warmth, "Well, Oldschool, I have got it at last."

"Got what?" I asked.

"Oh, they call it assurance of faith, and perfect love and holiness and sanctification. I don't know just what it is, but it makes me feel good all over. The preachers tell me that I am now free from sin—that I am holy, and of course I ought to be happy."

"How did you get it? Tell me all about it."

"Well, you see, I went to the big meeting, and the preachers said that unless we had assurance of faith and knew that we were sanctified we could not be saved, for nothing unholy could enter Heaven. That troubled me, and I asked one of them what I should do. He told me to go to the altar and pray for the blessing of sanctification. Scores of people were there crying, 'O God, make me holy.' I fell down among them, and prayed with all my might for an hour or more, and then I felt better. I told the preacher, and asked him what it meant and he said that God had heard my prayer and that I was sanctified. And I was glad, for now I am sure of going to Heaven."

"And you believe that you became sanctified by praying at that altar for an hour or two?"

"Certainly, for the preacher told me so, and I felt ever so much better."

"And you prayed for sanctification in the name of Christ, did you?"

"Of course I did."

"Now, John, if Christ should come to you and tell you that that was not the way to be sanctified, would you believe him, or would you believe that preacher?"

"I would believe Christ."

"Well, then, listen. John heard Jesus praying to the Father for us, that we might be sanctified. He did not say, O Holy Father, sanctify my disciples when they ask you to. He said, 'Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.' And again, 'For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.' Have you been sanctified through the truth? Have you been studying the Bible with new interest? Have you found in it new revelations of the hatefulness of sin, and of the love of God in Christ? Have you felt in reading it the pressure of new motives to try to know Christ and to be like Christ?"

"No, the truth is I haven't read the Bible as much lately as I used to. I have been so busy attending meetings and talking about this new doctrine of sanctification that I haven't had time."

"Then it is evident, John, that if you have been sanctified it is not in the Bible way. Your preachers at the big meeting were not inspired, but Peter was. And he tells us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and to desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby. He regarded spiritual growth as a work of time, and as dependent on knowledge. This is the law of all growth, and the idea that a man can kneel down and pray for sanctification, and get it without using the means of growth, without taking truth into his soul to nourish it, is as absurd as to believe that he can get bodily strength by praying while he neglects to take food. Remember that by using this word 'grow' God teaches us that we are to attain to spiritual perfection as a child attains to manhood, or a scion becomes a full-grown and fruit-bearing tree."

"Now, there is a peach-tree just transplanted from the nursery. It is trying to put out a few leaves. You don't want to wait three years for your peaches, and have to cultivate the soil and prune the scion. Well, God is good. He hears prayer. He has promised that he will give us what we ask in faith. So you need not wait. Kneel down and cry to him for an hour, 'O Lord, perfect my peach tree. O Lord, make it full-grown at once and cover it with fruit.' Would God answer that prayer?"

"Of course not. A tree has to grow, and that takes time."

"Yes, and it takes time for a Christian to grow. When Paul had been preaching the gospel for many years, and had received many wonderful revelations from God, he wrote to the Philippians, 'Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' If Paul had not attained to perfection up to that time, after all that he had done and suffered,

how could you expect to by praying an hour?"

"I have met in my time a good many earnest, prayerful students of the Bible. I know those who for years have spent several hours every day reading the Scriptures on their knees. But not one of these men was a perfectionist. Not one of them professed sanctification. The more they held the divine mirror before their hearts, the more they saw of their own sinfulness, the more humble and penitent they were. I have met, on the other hand, quite a number of honest, well-meaning people who believed that they were sanctified. But none of them were 'mighty in the Scriptures.' They had a few favorite texts, that they kept repeating like parrots, but 'sanctify them through the truth' was not one of them. Neither was that passage in Paul's epistle to the Philippians which I quoted just now. I tell you, John, you had better study what the Bible says about perfection, than to believe in these preachers who, though no doubt sincere, are often wofully ignorant. It is a great thing to be sanctified, 'body, soul and spirit,' to have holiness of the Lord written on every thought and feeling, to live a spotless life in this evil world. And we cannot attain to it in an hour or in a day."—Obadiah Oldschool, in Interior.

BRINGING FORTH FRUIT.

By George Bowen

CHRISTIANS are to bring forth much fruit, not because of peculiar incidental advantages enjoyed by them, not by the favor of circumstances, not in consequence of their social position or their wealth or their intellectual endowments, but because they are united to Christ. The virtue is in him, and it freely flows to those who are united to him. He is the source and origin of fruitfulness; all fruit is from him, and it reveals itself in connection with his people just so far as they abide in him.

The chief impediment to usefulness is the unsubdued feeling of independence on their part, the insidious idea that they have a strength and a wisdom of their own from which they can in some measure draw. Every Christian renounces this nominally, but the habit of self-reliance has so incorporated itself with his being during the life of nature that he does not easily discover how much he is under the influence of it, at the very time that he is professing to look to Christ as the sole ground of confidence.

How many there are who are looking to Christ simply to eke out their own inadequate strength and wisdom, as though it were the function of a vine to supply what was lacking in the inherent power of the branch to support itself! But the branch has no such power. Its glory is that it stands in a certain intimate relation to the vine, the source of its energy and fruitfulness.

It becomes every Christian to recognize fully and distinctly that much fruit is expected of him. It is expected that he will give powers, energies, influence, wealth, time, and talents in such a way to Christ as that he may bring forth much fruit. He is to place himself and all that he has in such a relation to Christ as that the fullness of power and of blessing that is in Christ may flow freely forth through his instrumentality into the world. There is much fruit in Christ germinantly waiting for the channels through which it must obtain its embodied existence among men. Everyone that professes to be a disciple of Christ really professes to be a branch for the production of this much fruit.—Rev. George Bowen's Gospel of John.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

IN commenting upon a recent statement made by a Romish priest that, "one-third of the number of students in Catholic convents in this country are of Protestant parentage," the Congregationalist says:—

"We have no means of judging of the accuracy of these statistics, but probably they are much exaggerated. However that may be, the fact remains that a large number of young ladies from Protestant families do obtain their education in such schools. This is utterly needless, as regards both expense, and the culture, and polish to be therein obtained.

"What little excuse mothers might have had a generation ago is removed now that . . . first-class institutions are open to aspiring young womanhood. The average Roman Catholic school of to-day is not up to the Protestant standard, and the religious influences are far from being what thoughtful parents could wish their children to grow up in and be moulded by. If parents will persist in sending their daughters to convents, they should not be surprised if, later, those daughters take the veil. Be careful how you bend the twig."

THE SAINT AMONG SINNERS.

By Alexander McLaren, D. D.

NOAH stands alone "in his generations" like some solitary tree green and erect in a forest of blasted and fallen pines. "Among the faithless, faithful only he." His character is described, so to speak, from the outside inwards. He is "righteous," or discharging all the obligations of law and of his various relationships. He is "perfect." His whole nature is developed, and all in due symmetry and proportion—no beauty wanting, no grace cultivated at the expense of others. He is a full man; not a one-sided and therefore a distorted one. We do not take these words to imply sinlessness, of course. They express a relative, not an absolute, completeness. Hence we may learn both a lesson of stimulus and of hope. We are not to rest satisfied with partial goodness, but to seek to attain an all-round perfectness, even in regard to the graces least like our dispositions. And we can rejoice to believe that God is generous in his acceptance and praise. He does not grudge commendation, but takes account of the deepest desires and main tendencies of a life, and sees the germ as a full-blown flower, and the bud as a fruit.

Learn, too, that solitary goodness is possible. Noah stood uninfected by the universal contagion; and, as is always the case, the evil around, which he did not share, drove him to a more rigid abstinence from it. A Christian who is alone "in his generations," like a lily among nettles, has to be, and usually is, a more earnest Christian than if he were among like-minded. The saints in "Cæsar's household" needed to be very unmistakable saints, if they were not to be swept away by the torrent of godlessness. It is hard, but it is possible, for a boy at school, or a young man in an office, or a soldier in a barrack, to stand alone, and be Christ-like; but only on condition that he yields to no temptation to drop his conduct to the level around him, and is never guilty of compromise. Once yield, and all is over. Flowers grow on a dunghill, and the very reeking rottenness may make the bloom finer.

Notice, again, the companion of the solitary saint. What beauty there is in that description of the isolated man, passing lonely amid his contemporaries, like a stream of pure water flowing through some foul liquid, and untouched by it, and yet not alone in all his loneliness, because "he walked with God!" The less he found congenial companionship on earth, the more he realized God as by his side. The remarkable phrase, used only of Enoch and of Noah, implies a closer relation than the other expression, "to walk before God." Communion, the habitual occupation of mind and heart with God, the happy sense of his presence making every wilderness and solitary place glad because of him, the child's clasping the father's hand with his tiny fingers, and so being held up and lifted over many a rough place, are all implied. Are we lonely in outward reality? Here is our unfailing companion. Have we to stand single among companions, who laugh at us and our religion? One man, with God to back him, is always in the majority. Though surrounded by friends, have we found that, after all, we live and suffer, and must die alone? Here is the all-sufficient Friend, if we have fellowship with whom our hearts will be lonely no more.

Observe that this communion is the foundation of all righteousness in conduct. Because Noah walked with God, he was "just" and "perfect." If we live habitually in the holy of holies, our faces will shine when we come forth. If we desire to be good and pure, we must dwell with God, and his Spirit will pass into our hearts, and we shall bear the fragrance of his presence wherever we go. Learn also that communion with God is not possible unless we are fighting against our sin, and have some measure of holiness. We begin communion with him, indeed, not by holiness, but by faith. But it is not kept up without the cultivation of purity. Sin makes fellowship with God impossible. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" "What communion hath light with darkness?" The delicate bond which unites us in happy communion with God shrivels up, as if scorched, at the touch of sin. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie."—Alexander McLaren, D. D.

ROMAN CATHOLIC TYRANNY.

IN discussing in the columns of the New York Independent the Dr. McGlynn affair which is at present attracting so much attention among both Papists and Protestants, "A Roman Catholic layman" speaks thus of the power of Catholic bishops, and of the lot of a priest who dares to appeal from the decision of his superior:—

"But let it be granted that a priest with a good cause goes to Rome, that he succeeds in his case against his bishop, and that he is restored to all his priestly powers, what has he gained? He is simply in a far worse position than he was before his suspension. Rome has spoken, certainly; but Rome is a long way from New York. Few Catholic laymen, and certainly no Protestant, can possibly understand the working of Catholic ecclesiastical government. The power of a Catholic bishop is practically unlimited. His power to act in the most arbitrary manner, to crush, to inflict the keenest pain, to break down the spirit and health of those under his control, may each, and all, be exercised without even the least public suspicion of injustice.

"Again let it be repeated, that we do not attribute any special intentional injustice to the Catholic hierarchy; it is simply that circumstances and human nature have their sway. The whole professional life of the ecclesiastic is spent in ruling others, and in ruling with spiritual authority of the most absolute kind.

"At the present day, and especially in America, when Protestants of all denominations seem to consider the acquaintance of a Catholic bishop to be an honor, and when to be noticed by a priest is thought to be a compliment to the layman, many will think they have personal proof of the injustice of what is above stated. If those good Protestants who are treated with such deference and such courtesy by Catholic ecclesiastics, only knew how too many of these same ecclesiastics treat each other and the poor, they would soon be undeceived. Wealthy and influential Catholics may practically live what lives they please, and they will be courted and caressed by men who show but little kindness and have but little consideration for those less favored with this world's goods. . . . But it would require a high degree of sanctity for any bishop to treat a priest who had gained a case against him with ordinary justice.

"The unhappy priest would soon find his mistake. Better far for him to have borne the injustice in silence, and submitted quietly to his wrongs. He is now a marked man. Every priest in his diocese is well aware he is under episcopal displeasure, notwithstanding his success. Whatever his own private feelings may be, no priest will dare to show him sympathy or brotherly friendship. The Catholic laity are against him also, and it is hard to say whether his case is made better or worse by Protestant sympathy or Protestant censure."

SAYING AND DOING.

By R. F. Cottrell

Our Saviour said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven." Matt. 7:21.

The will of the Father is revealed to us in his word, and is all briefly comprehended in the ten commandments; and yet there are multitudes who are saying Lord, Lord, who are unwilling to yield to the revealed will of the Father. Some excuse themselves upon the ground that his will has been changed since it was written; and others declare that it has been totally abolished. And yet both these classes imagine that they enjoy the favor of God. But this cannot be, if their minds have been enlightened by the truth.

I have met with some people of late who parry the force of revealed truth by a professed enjoyment of divine favor. They profess to have a something within which they call "present and full salvation," and one would think, from their conversation, that they imagine that this something within will excuse them from doing such parts of the will of the Father as are unpopular in these days of degeneracy. They acknowledge every jot and tittle of the ten commandments to be binding, but when shown that they change more than a jot or a tittle of the fourth, they appeal from the heavenly statute to that "present and full salvation" which tells them that they are safe.

I would earnestly entreat such to examine more carefully the foundation on which they are building, remembering that they that hear these sayings of Jesus and do them not, have been compared by him to the man that built his house upon the sand. Be assured, dear friends, that neither saying nor feeling, nor both combined, can fulfill that part of the word of God which requires the doing of the Father's will as he has revealed it to us in the commandments which you acknowledge in every jot and tittle. If you would be sure that you have the favor of God I can recommend that you follow the example of the patriarch David. Said he, "I entreated thy favor with my whole heart; be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments." Ps. 119:58-60.

R. F. COTTRELL.

Continue reading: CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER