A Statement of Facts Concerning Our Present Situation—No. 3
By Arthur Grosvenor Daniells
It is that which Seventh-day Adventists believe the Bible teaches that makes them a separate and distinct people in the world. The teaching of the Scriptures regarding the sanctuary has brought into one harmonious, consistent, convincing system, the whole range of gospel truth. This is our theology, our philosophy of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. It was this that appealed to the pioneers of this cause, separated them from all other organizations, and inaugurated this world-wide movement which we are carrying forward.
The doctrines we hold not only created our denomination, but our denominational aim, purpose, or policy, as well. This denominational purpose or policy is formed by our views of what the Bible teaches. It is peculiar to our denomination. It differs from the policies of other denominations and organizations as widely as our doctrinal views differ from theirs.
Seventh-day Adventists believe what they teach. They believe it with their whole hearts. They believe, too, in the general denominational policy. They have held to this one great aim from the beginning of their work. While they have adjusted the smaller details of their policy to meet the changing conditions of the growth and enlargement of the cause, they have maintained the same general plan of administration to the present time.
It is very evident that a people holding such pronounced views regarding Bible teaching and plans of administration, could not be easily moved from their positions. And it must be plain to all that any effort to introduce either a teaching or a policy of management that would displace the doctrinal teaching or the general plan of administration, would be met with resistance.
Many efforts have been made during the short history of this denomination to add to, and to take from, the great fundamentals of this cause as they were revealed to, and adopted by, its pioneers. Every such effort has been met with prompt, decided opposition. This has created disturbance and conflict in our ranks. Denominational differences are to be deplored, and every loyal adherent to a good cause deplores them. But intelligent, loyal adherents of a good cause would rather have conflict than to have disaster and ruin come to their cause.
As already pointed out in this series of articles, it has been the steady, persistent effort to bring in, and establish among us, both a teaching and a plan of administration utterly subversive of our cause, that has been primarily responsible for the differences that have existed between the main body and the medical branch. This is not simply the opinion of one party in the conflict: it is the plain, positive, oft-repeated teaching of the spirit of prophecy.
In the first article of this series there were given three primary causes of the differences which have existed in our denomination between the main body and what was its medical branch. The first has been dealt with as fully as space will permit at this time. The second cause specified was this:—
Plans of administration which, if carried out, would make the medical missionary work the body instead of the right arm of this cause, and would give to a central board of management and a single individual a controlling, dominating power that would utterly pervert God's plan of organization.
The first part of this second proposition will be considered in this article. The relationship and relative importance of the evangelical and medical missionary parts of this cause are clearly defined by the Testimonies that have come to us, as the following quotations will show:—
Medical missionary work is in no case to be divorced from the gospel ministry. The Lord has specified that the two shall be as closely connected as the arm is with the body. Without this union neither part of the work is complete. The medical missionary work is the gospel in illustration. But God did not design that the medical missionary work should eclipse the work of the third angel's message. The arm is not to become the body.—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, pages 240-41.
Medical missionary work was ever to be as the arm to the great work that was to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God so soon to be realized. “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” The gospel ministry of truth for these last days, in its sacred dignity, is to stand as the body; Christ himself is the head; and the medical missionary work is to be the arm and the hand.—Unpublished Testimony, written at Cooranbong, N. S. W., Australia, Feb. 27, 1900.
I must caution you to restrain the influence you may exert in a wrong direction, under the name of the medical missionary work. Be careful lest this work become the body rather than the arm of the body.
I was instructed by the Lord that your temptation would be to make your medical missionary work stand above every other work independent of the conference. But this plan is not right.
Light has been given me that you have carried so-called medical missionary work altogether too far. For a long time warnings and cautions have been sent to you. You have made this work not the arm, but the body. God has7instructed me that the work you have set yourself to do is not the work he has given you to do.—Unpublished Testimony, addressed to the Superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, in 1899.
That view of things which would lead to giving undue prominence to the medical missionary work, would naturally lead to the criticism of those who could not work to this plan, and this would mean conflict. Many warnings, such as the following, have been given on this point:—
The ministry is not to be belittled or criticized. The men appointed to the ministry are not to be censured because they do not give soul and body to that which is termed medical missionary work. God has given to every man his work. It is not the duty of the ministers to do as you have done. If they did, they would rob the destitute, suffering fields.
The third angel's message is virtually ignored by you. You have belittled the work of the gospel ministry, while you have made the medical missionary work disproportionately important. You have weakened where you should have strengthened.—Unpublished Testimony, addressed to the Superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, in 1900.
The next step that would naturally follow the above, would be to separate the medical work from the general work of the cause. Repeated warnings of this danger have been given us.
The Holy Spirit never has, and never will in the future, divorce the medical missionary work from the gospel ministry. They can not be divorced. Bound up with Jesus Christ, the ministry of the word and the healing of the sick are one.—“Testimonies for the Church,” Series B, No. 7, page 64.
Never, never, should a sanitarium be established to become an interest independent of the church. Genuine medical missionary work is in no case to become divorced from the gospel ministry. The cross is the center of all religious institutions. These institutions are to be under the control of the Spirit of God, and no one man is to be the sole head in these institutions. The divine mind has men for every place.—Unpublished Testimony to the Superintendent of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, written in 1899.
As the medical missionary work becomes more extended, there will be a temptation to make it independent of our conferences. But it has been presented to me that this plan is not right. The different lines of our work are but parts of one great whole. They have one center.—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 235.
The medical missionary work should be a part of the work of every church in our land. Disconnected from the church, it would soon become a strange medley of disorganized atoms. . . . The gospel ministry is needed to give permanence and stability to the medical missionary work; and the ministry needs the medical missionary work to demonstrate the practical working of the gospel. Neither part of the work is complete without the other.—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, page 289.
Some of the ministers, physicians, and nurses prominently connected with our work have for years understood the causes of our trouble, and the dangers threatening this movement as presented in the foregoing quotations. They have been anxious to correct the evils, but have not known how to do so without apparently increasing the complications. Many have chosen to remain silent rather than do anything that would seem to widen the breach. But this silence has neither corrected the wrongs nor prevented the differences from becoming greater. The suspense endured for years by some has been almost unbearable. All this time the spirit of prophecy has been faithfully instructing the responsible parties. And now the servant of the Lord is instructed to “no longer appeal privately as heretofore to the individuals who have been cautioned and warned.” And further:—
The light that has been given I dare not withhold. The Lord has appointed me as his messenger, and I must speak the words he gives me. The Testimonies that have been given by the Lord for nearly half a century in regard to the ministerial work, and the management of our sanitariums, must come before the people, that our brethren and sisters in the faith shall understand the light that God has been pleased to give regarding the different branches of the work to be carried on at this time.—“Testimonies for the Church,” Series B, No. 7, page 49.
Already light is coming to many who have long been perplexed and confused, faith in the Testimonies is being restored and strengthened, and confidence in the sure and speedy triumph of this cause is being revived. A. G. DANIELLS.
Note and Comment
THE first Hindu temple in America was dedicated last month in San Francisco. It is a structure with an auditorium capable of seating one hundred and fifty persons. It indicates the progress of the Hindu or “Vedanta” philosophy and religion in the Western world.
The following statement “explanatory” of the religion for which this structure stands, made at the time of the opening of the temple by the Hindu leader, Swami Trigunatita, shows its essentially spiritualistic nature:—
Vedanta is neither a philosophy nor a theology nor religion, neither a science nor a system of faith nor a theory; neither is it a scripture nor a code of laws nor a discipline; neither an object nor a subject nor an idea. Neither is it made by man, by sage, nor by prophet. It is not made at all; it is ever existent. It is neither of this age nor of the bygone golden age alone. It is neither of this world alone, nor of the sun or the moon, nor of even heaven alone. Vedanta is said to be, for that reason, infinite and eternal. It is the philosophy of philosophies, the religion of all religions, and the science of all sciences. It is the end and aim of all these. It is the very terminus of everything; nay, it is beyond all. It is the knowledge after which all philosophies, all sciences; all religions, have ever been searching.
Who can understand such a religion? Who can grasp it? Contrast such mysticism with the sermon on the mount. Contrast such a religion with a religion that can be understood by children. Contrast such a nebulous platform with that of “the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” The one is spiritualism; the other is Christianity.
Christian Endeavor’s Twenty-Five-Year Growth
ONE of the greatest religious movements of modern times finishes the first quarter century of its existence Feb. 2, 1906,—that represented by the Christian Endeavor Society. Some figures showing the rapid growth of the movement during this period are given by its founder and president, Rev. Francis E. Clarke, as follows:—
Feb. 2, 1881. One society with forty members.
Feb. 2, 1906. Over sixty-seven thousand societies, with nearly four millions of members.
Feb. 2, 1881. One nation and one language represented in the society.
Feb. 2, 1906. Over fifty nations or large colonial dependencies and eighty languages represented.
Feb. 2, 1881. The only literature a draft copy of the constitution.
Feb. 2, 1906. Forty weekly or monthly publications in fifteen different languages exclusively devoted to the society, weekly or monthly Christian Endeavor departments in several thousand papers and magazines, and abundant other literature in most of the chief languages of the world.
Feb. 2, 1881. No national, State, or local Christian Endeavor unions.
Feb. 2, 1906. National unions in the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Bohemia, India, China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa both for the Dutch and English, and more than three thousand State and local unions, with regular meetings held in almost all parts of the world.
Feb. 2, 1881. One denomination represented.
Feb. 2, 1906. One hundred denominations represented.
If this great religious force keeps to the pathway of true Christian endeavor, it will be a tremendous power in the world for good. If, however, it is led to diverge from this pathway, and is made to lend its great power and influence to the furtherance of movements which conceal injustice under a Christian exterior, then it will accomplish incalculable harm.
The devil “is transformed into an angel of light,” and as such he seeks to lead these mighty religious bodies to diverge from their proper pathway.
Stedfast Unto the End
By Ellen G. White
Lessons From the Life of Solomon—No. 23
“Stedfast Unto the End”
MRS. E. G. WHITE
The life of Solomon is full of warning, not only to the youth, but to those of mature years and to the aged, those who are descending the hill of life and facing the western sun. We see and hear of unsteadiness in youth,—the young wavering between right and wrong, and the current of evil passions proving too strong for them. But we do not look for unsteadiness and unfaithfulness in those of mature years; we expect the character to be established, the principles to be firmly rooted. In many cases this is so, but there are exceptions, as with Solomon. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” When Solomon should have been in character as a sturdy oak, he fell from his stedfastness under the power of temptation. When his strength should have been the firmest, he was found the weakest of men.
From such examples as this we should learn that watchfulness and prayer are the only safety for either young or old. A man is not one whit the safer because he occupies an exalted position, and has been given great privileges. Those who for many years have enjoyed a genuine Christian experience, are, nevertheless, still exposed to Satan’s attacks, and are liable to fall into grievous sins. In the battle with inward corruptions and outward temptations, even the wise and powerful Solomon was vanquished. His failure reveals to us that, whatever a man’s intellectual qualities may be, and however faithfully he may have served the Lord in past years, he can never with safety venture to trust in his own wisdom and integrity.
Whenever man accomplishes anything in spiritual or temporal lines, he should bear in mind that he does it only through the grace and co-operation of his Maker. When left to himself, man reveals his natural temperament; selfishness appears; human wisdom occupies the throne of the heart. But those who make God their efficiency, realize their own weakness, and the Lord supplies them with his wisdom. As day by day they depend upon God, carrying out his will with humility and whole-heartedness and strictest integrity, they increase in knowledge and ability. By willing obedience they show reverence and honor to God, and are honored by him.
From the beginning there has been opposition between the forces of good and evil. God declares, “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.”
Man vainly attempted to exalt himself by following his own way, in harmony with Satan’s temptation, and in opposition to the will of God. He thus gained a knowledge of evil, but he gained it at the cost of his loyalty; and his disobedience, opened the flood-gates of woe upon our world. Ever since, men have been trying to exalt themselves by the same means. When will they learn that the only way to true exaltation is the path of obedience? Men’s plans may seem to them to be exceedingly wise, but there is safety for those only who walk in accordance with a “Thus saith the Lord.”
The originator of evil, Satan comes with stealthy tread, presenting plausible theories to the people of God, telling them that if they do this or that, even though it may be questionable, they will gain great advantage, and the end will justify the means. He tries to persuade them that the eating of the forbidden fruit will be to them a source of great good. When men listen to him, the spiritual insight is dimmed, and the power of distinguishing between good and evil is lost.
Nothing has been so difficult for the people of God to learn as loyalty to the pure, elevated, unselfish principles of heaven. And as a result, sin and suffering make up a large part of their history. The words spoken to Daniel by the angel are positive: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand.” Satan, as a strong man armed, is continually on the watch, seeking to bring in questionable methods, and thereby mar the work of God. He would be well pleased to eclipse the brightness of God’s principles by the selfishness of the principles on which he works. If he possibly can, he will tarnish the pure gold of character. If he can place the false where the true should be, his object is gained.
Shall we give heed to the warning of Solomon’s apostasy, and shun the first approach to those sins that overcame him who was called the wisest of men? In these days of peril, nothing but obedience will keep man from apostasy. God has bestowed on man great light and many blessings. But unless this light and these blessings are received, they are no security against disobedience and apostasy. When those whom God has exalted to positions of high trust turn from him to human wisdom, their light becomes darkness, and how great is that darkness! Their entrusted capabilities are a snare to them. They become an offense to God. There can be no mockery of God without the sure result.
Till the conflict is ended, there always will be a departing from God. Satan will so shape circumstances that unless we are kept by divine power, they will almost imperceptibly weaken the fortifications of the soul. We need to inquire at every step, “Is this the way of the Lord?” As long as life shall last, there is need of guarding the affections and the passions with a firm purpose. Not one moment can we be secure only as we are relying upon God, the life hid with Christ in God. The safeguards of our purity must be watchfulness and prayer. We must do nothing to lower the standard of our religious principles.
Notwithstanding the warnings that God has given in his Word and through his messengers, many have closed their eyes to danger, and have gone on in their own way, infatuated, deluded by Satan, until they fall under his temptations. Then they abandon themselves to despair. This was the history of Solomon. But even for him there was help. He truly repented of his course of sin, and found hope. Let none venture into sin as he did, in the hope that they, too, may recover themselves. Sin can be indulged only at the peril of infinite loss. All who enter the city of God, enter there through the strait gate,—through agonizing effort. But none who have fallen need give themselves up to despair. Aged men, once honored of God, may have defiled their souls, sacrificing virtue on the altar of lust; but there is still hope for them if they repent, forsake sin, and turn to God. He who has so graciously declared, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life,” has also inspired the invitation, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” God hates sin, but he loves the penitent, and declares, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely.”
“Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight.”
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh9righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
“My beloved brethren,” the apostle Paul wrote, “be ye stedfast, unmovable.” God desires us to “hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.”
Knowledge
By Anna Hempstead Branch
Once I thought that healing came
From the angels’ wings.
Now the bruised hands of men
Seem the kindest things.
Once I thought to pluck and eat
The fruit of paradise.
Now I break with these their bread
With unsaddened eyes.
Once I thought to find on earth
Love, perfect and complete.
Now I know it carries wounds
In its hands and feet.
— Anna Hempstead Branch.
Importance of Studying the Scriptures
By Stephen Nelson Haskell
S. N. HASKELL
THE Bible is truthfully said to be the Book of books. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. But how will the study of the Scriptures strengthen the intellect? It can not be done by hastily reading the Scriptures. One may read the whole Bible through, and yet fail to see its beauty or comprehend its deep, hidden meaning. Yet every person should read the Bible through, not once or twice, but do it continually. Then he will involuntarily begin to compare scripture with scripture. Strength comes by taxing the mind not only to retain, but to compare spiritual things with spiritual; as the blacksmith's arm is strengthened by constant use.
The apostle Peter's words are, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” He again instructs us as to how we may grow. It is by “laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” There is no growing by the Spirit without the word. For Christ's words “are spirit, and they are life.” We are begotten by the word of truth. If we are not doers of the word, but hearers only, then we deceive our own selves. We are like the man who beholds his natural face in the glass; for “he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgeteth what manner of man he was.” We are to be sanctified through the truth; the word of God is truth.
No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's Word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose that is seldom seen in our day. The Bible has in it all the power and intelligence of God. But we can not derive this from the Word of God without taxing the mind, without meditating upon its contents as we read it. My friend, if you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Scriptures. Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read it; fix the texts in your memory.
The secret of the apostle Paul's strength was his personal application of the Scriptures to himself. When the prophet Ananias came to him, he quoted Isa. 49: 6: “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” In believing that the Spirit of God inspired these words and applying them to himself lay Paul's strength. He lived until he saw the fulfilment of Col. 1:23.
It is when we take the Scriptures and personally apply them to our own heart, meditate upon them, and act in harmony with them, that they unconsciously impart to us strength of intellect. It is then we will go forward in the strength of God; for it is God that is in the word, and circumstances bow in submission to the will of the soul. One day without food brings physical weakness. One day without taking some scripture to meditate upon brings barrenness of soul. We can not live spiritually, we can not grow in grace, without meditating upon the word until it becomes the magnet of the soul. It should be the first thought in the morning, the last thought at night. In our waking moments, some rich promise, or some Bible thought, will, like a magnet in the midst of steel shavings, draw us from evil.
“My first thought shall be of Jesus,
To greet the rising day;
My last thought shall be of Jesus,
When twilight fades away.”
Loma Linda, Cal.
2. What is the character of God?—Holy, just, good, true, perfect, spiritual. 1 Peter 1:16.
3. If the character of God can not be changed, can his law be changed?—Surely not.
4. Then is not the law of God and his character the same? Rom. 8:7, 8.
5. Did the death of Christ make void the law? Rom. 3:31. Faith in the death of Christ and the cross will establish the law in the heart of the believer.
6. What will he oppose who opposes the law of God? Rom. 8:7. He also opposes the atonement effected on the cross.
7. If it is a sin to oppose God, is it not a sin to oppose his law? 1 John 3:4.
8. Is the Sabbath of Jehovah part of God's law? Luke 23:56.
12. If the Sabbath was to be a benefit unto man even after the fall, and all benefits come to us through Christ since the fall, through whom does the Sabbath blessing come?—Through Christ.
16. Who rested on the seventh-day Sabbath?—Christ.
17. Who blessed the seventh-day Sabbath?—Christ.
18. Who sanctified the seventh-day Sabbath?—Christ.
19. Who by these three acts made it the Sabbath?—Christ, associated with the Father.
20. What have we then?—A blessed, holy, sanctified, seventh-day, Christian Sabbath; for Christ is its Author.
21. Under what authority does the first day of the week come in?—Under the authority of the Catholic Church.
22. “What warrant have you for keeping the Sunday preferable to the ancient Sabbath, which was the Saturday? Ans.—We have for it the authority of the Catholic Church and apostolical tradition.” — “Catholic Christian Instructed, page 202.”
23. “Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precepts? Ans.—Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day,—a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” — “Doctrinal Catechism, page 174. “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify.” — “Faith of Our Fathers, by James Cardinal Gibbons, page 111.”
24. What does Jesus say to such testimonies? Matt. 15:9.
25. Will God regard our prayers if we knowingly trample on his holy law? Prov. 28:9.
26. Did Jesus teach that the seventh-day Sabbath should be kept this side of the cross?—Yes. Matt. 24:20.
27. When was Jerusalem overthrown?—A. D. 70.
28. Did the apostles meet on the seventh day to hold religious service? Acts 13:14, 27.
29. What day did the Gentiles keep? Acts 13:42-44. This was in the year A. D. 45.
32. Whom was he following?—Christ, his example. Luke 4:16.
33. Who is to blame for the trampling of the sign and seal of God's law under foot? Eze. 22:25-28.
Ladysmith, Wis.
Regarding the Light
By H. E. S. Hopkins
H. E. S. HOPKINS
SHALL we forsake God as did ancient Israel? shall we, like them, say, “All that the Lord has said we will do,” and then neglect to put forth every effort to heed his commands, keep his statutes, and regard his laws?
“The Israel of God are in constant danger of mingling with the world, following their customs and practises, and losing all signs of their being the chosen people of God.”
We shall be judged by the light given. If we disregard light on one point, we shall also disregard it on other points.
The Spirit of the Lord has pointed out to us that “in these days of peril we should be exceedingly careful not to reject the rays of light which heaven in mercy sends us; for it is by these we are to discern the devices of the enemy.”
“Those who reject light because it does not harmonize with their inclinations, will be left in darkness to choose the things they love—the things that separate them from the favor of God;” then when further light comes, they are unable to see it. What saith the Scripture? “Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.”
National City, Cal.
The Secret of Promotion
By D. H. Kress
D. H. KRESS, M. D.
THEORETICAL or book knowledge does not of itself fit men and women for positions of influence and responsibility in any branch or department of God’s work. Frequently it unfits them. Character is the only fitness for position in the work of God. Character does not come through study. It is not acquired in a moment, therefore a novice, even though thoroughly converted, is not fitted for a position of trust. Character is acquired by appropriating the grace provided when brought face to face with trying circumstances and experiences which bring to the surface the weaknesses and idols of our hearts. Character is developed in the faithful and cheerful discharge of the ordinary duties of life.
Passing through ordinary experiences such as all are called to pass through, and passing through them without murmuring, complaining, fault-finding, or losing faith or patience, or being overcome in any other way, gives men and women a fitness to be placed in positions of responsibility.
It was this that gave Joshua a fitness for his work as leader. He had passed victoriously through all the experiences and trials that he was called upon to lead others through. He could therefore sympathize with and succor those over whom he was placed when they were tempted and tried as he had been. This is the lesson Christ in his life of humiliation and temptation on earth desired to teach, that in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest, “in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, . . . for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.”
“Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.” This is not the path that leads to promotion. Seek to do well whatever your hand finds to do, and do all to the glory of God. Perform the lowliest duty with cheerfulness and faithfulness and contentment, and do not ask, “What shall we have therefore?” This is the path which leads to promotion. Such a spirit God will honor, and men will recognize.
Joseph served God as faithfully in prison (when “the word of the Lord tried him”) as he did on the throne. The prison experience was a necessary fitness for the throne. Joseph could not be kept in prison any longer than God wanted him there. Men could keep him there only sufficiently long for him to obtain his fitness for the throne. Then Joseph had to rise. “Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Ps. 75: 6, 7.
There often are those who are desirous to do a work for which their past experience has not fitted them. While under training at the school, the sanitarium, or the publishing house, they perhaps complained at every providence they could not understand, and every change that was made in their work. In what they did do, they lacked faithfulness, and now, perhaps, that the time has come when they should be able to bear responsibilities, they recognize it, and complain because they are not promoted. They think they are not given a chance, and that those who have been watching for their souls as they that must give account, have a grudge against them. “Why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?” “God is the judge;” he it is that “putteth down one, and setteth up another.” It is not a matter of chance or of luck; it is not something that men manipulate.
We must be willing to be servants, and do service in the lowliest place and station, saying, “Anything or anywhere, dear Saviour, to work with thee,” before we are fitted to be placed over others.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, . . . made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. . . . Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” Phil. 2: 5-9.
That name indicates the character he developed here upon earth as the Son of man, which gave him his fitness for his exalted position as the sinless representative of the human race before the throne of God. Unto the Son, God said, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. . . . Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Ps. 45: 6, 7.
In the life of Christ we have revealed the true secret of promotion and honor. Those who are honored and exalted are those who love righteousness and hate iniquity, and who are willing to serve in any place. They do not seek position, but seek to honor God.
He who is faithful in that which is least, gives evidence that he would be faithful in that which is much. To such it will be said, “Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.”
Wahroonga, N. S. W.
In Memoriam
MRS. RUTH A. S. WILBUR
In the glad spring-time it is not in vain
To scatter the seed with a lavish hand;
Swift the months go by, and the golden grain
With beauty fills a waiting land.
So lives have been sown in the world's great field,
That, falling to earth like the grains of corn,
Shall at last a bounteous harvest yield
In the gathering time, the resurrection morn.
Yes, there are faithful hearts that have ceased to beat
In India, Africa, and on China's plain;
But the work goes on, there'll be no retreat,
And they shall garner eternal gain.
And to us who remain comes the ringing call,
“Close up the ranks! Let the work go on!
Nor think of rest till we're gathered all
On the sea of glass before the throne.”
Yes, close up the ranks, and with eager haste
Reap the whitened fields that are waiting to-day;
If we longer delay, there will be much waste.
Send forth more reapers, O Lord, I pray.
And may the spirit that rested on those
Who loved not their lives unto the death,
Rest down on others that they may go
And labor for souls till their latest breath.
Blessed hope that soon our Saviour will come
And bring us the robe and the diadem!
Now we lay our loved away in tears,
But we'll meet in the New Jerusalem.
Arabia, Neb.
Heavenly Treasures and Earthly Goods
“THE nearer we get to heaven, the heavier this world's goods become.”
The Christian Duty of Missions
By Henry Van Dyke
THE commonwealth of love for which Christ lived and died is world-wide. We can not love any part of it rightly unless our thoughts and our desires reach out through that part to the greater whole to which it belongs. Indifference to missions is the worst kind of treason. Enthusiasm for missions is the measure both of our faith in Christ and of our love for man.—Henry Van Dyke.