Signs of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 47. (12/11/1884)

Signs of the Times

Dec 11, 1884

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 11, 1884

The Light of the World.

By Mrs. E. G. White

"I AM the light of the world." The feast of tabernacles had just closed when Jesus uttered these words in the temple at Jerusalem. Around the court were the golden lamps whose brilliant light had illuminated the city. Pointing to these, and beyond them to the glorious sun just risen in splendor above the Mount of Olives, he declares himself to be the light of the world.

Jesus sought by his illustrations to associate every object around him with divine truth. As the day previous he had likened the Spirit's influence on the heart to cool, refreshing water, inviting all who thirsted for the life-giving draught to come unto him and drink, so now he compared himself to the all-pervading light, the source of life and gladness to nature and to man. From him must come the only light that can illuminate the darkness of a world lying in sin. "There is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." But the light of hope is granted to all who will receive it. Said the Great Teacher, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Those who receive this divine radiance are in turn to become light-bearers to the world. Thus our Saviour taught his disciples: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." It is not merely the conviction of the mind, it is not the acceptance of a theory, however correct, that makes us Christians. It is the indwelling of Christ in the soul, the development of his Spirit in the life. We are to look to Christ, and by beholding we shall become changed into his image. Christian experience is a constant effort to conform the human will to the will of Christ, and to form the character after the divine model.

The law of God is the only true standard of moral perfection, and that law was practically exemplified in the life of Christ. He says of himself, "I have kept my Father's commandments." Nothing short of obedience on our part will meet the requirements of God's word. "He that abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." We cannot plead that we are unable to do this; for Jesus has given us the assurance, "My grace is sufficient for thee."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." Religion is not to be held as a precious treasure, jealously hoarded, and enjoyed only by the possessor. True religion cannot be thus held; for such a spirit is contrary to the principles of the gospel. "Freely ye have received, freely give," are the words of our Master; and again he bids us, "Love one another as I have loved you." "Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him." And not only so, but we should love those who "have no hope, and are without God in the world." While Christ is dwelling in the heart by his Spirit, it is impossible to conceal the light of his presence, or for that light to grow dim. On the contrary, it will grow brighter and brighter, as day by day the mists of selfishness and sin that envelop the soul are dispelled by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. The world lies in darkness. All around us souls are going down to ruin and to death. As Christ sheds the light of his love upon his followers, they are to reflect this light upon others. They should do all in their power to win men from the path that leads down to ruin, to the narrow path that leads up to eternal life. But the word of God declares that the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. Often, in their efforts to save human life, or to minister to the comfort of the needy and the afflicted, they put to shame the zeal and devotion of professed Christians. A lesson may be learned from the faithfulness of the light-house keeper, whose duty it is to warn men of the perils that threaten them on the trackless sea.

"The watchman at Calais light-house was boasting of the brilliancy of his lantern, which can be seen ten leagues out at sea, when a visitor said to him:—

"You speak with enthusiasm, sir, and that is well. I like to hear men tell what they are sure they have and know; but what if one of the lights should chance to go out?"

"Never, never! Absurd, impossible!" replied the sensitive watchman, in consternation at the mere supposition of such a thing. "Why, sir," he continued, pointing to the ocean, 'yon-

der, where nothing can be seen, there are ships going by to every port in the world. If, tonight, one of my burners went out, within six months would come a letter, perhaps from India, perhaps from Australia, perhaps from some port I never heard of before,—a letter saying that on such a night, at such an hour, at such a minute, the light at Calais burned low and dim; that the watchman neglected his post; that vessels were consequently put in jeopardy on the high seas. Ah, sir,' and his face shone with the intensity of his thought, 'sometimes in the dark nights, and in the stormy weather, I look out upon the sea, and feel as though the eye of the whole world were looking at my light. Go out? Burn dim? That flame flicker low or fail? No, sir, never!'

"And shall Christians, shining for tempted sinners, allow their light to fail? Forever out upon life's billowy sea, are souls we see not, strange sailors in the dark, passing by, struggling, it may be, amid the surges of temptation. Christ is the light, and the Christian is appointed to reflect the light. The ocean is vast, its dangers are many, and the eyes of far-away voyagers are turned toward Calais light-house—the church of Jesus Christ. The church is set to be the light of the world. Are its revolving lamps all trimmed and brightly burning?"

Think of this, professed Christians! A failure to let your light shine, a neglect to obtain heavenly wisdom that you may have light from God, may cause the loss of a soul! What is the life lost at sea, in comparison with the eternal life which may be lost through your unfaithfulness? Can you endure the thought? Can you go on from day to day indifferent and careless, as though there were no God and no hereafter, as though you were not Christ's servant; as though you had no blood-bought privileges? It is of the highest consequence that you stand at your post, like the faithful watchman, that your light may shine out before others. You should be so impressed with the importance of your work that to the question, "What if your light should go out?" your whole soul would respond, "Never, never! for then souls would be lost!"

You may never know the result of your influence from day to day, but be sure that it is exerted for good or for evil. Many who have a kind heart and good impulses, permit their attention to be absorbed in worldly business or pleasure, while souls that look to them for guidance drift on to hopeless wreck. Such persons may make a high profession, and may stand well in the opinion of men, even as Christians; but in the day of God, when our works shall be compared with the divine law, it will be found that they have not come up to the standard. Others who saw their course fell a little below them, still others fell below the latter class, and thus the work of degeneracy went on.

Throw a pebble into the lake, and a wave is formed, and another, and another; and as they increase, the circle widens, until they reach the very shore. Thus our influence though apparently insignificant, may continue to extend far beyond our knowledge or control. It is as impossible for us to determine the result as it was for the watchman to see the ships that were scattered upon the sea.

We are dealing with stern realities. Our

life-record will be what we make it. What are we now doing with our God-given duties and privileges? Are we making the very most of the blessings that are granted us? Is our light, kindled at the divine altar, shining out as a guide to tempest-tossed souls upon the sea of life?

"Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting, struggling seaman You may rescue, you may save."

JOY IN TRIBULATION.

By Mrs. M. Stratton Beers

BY MRS. M. STRATTON BEERS.

"Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." Heb. 12:6.

Он, blessed bit of comfort, that comes to aching heart, When the way is hedged with darkness, and we only see a part, And we're left to grope in blindness, perchance for many a day, Till our hands hang down with weakness, and we tremble all the way,— To know that those He loveth He toucheth with chastening hand, And only the son whom He scourgeth can enter the promised land.

Oh, wonderful bit of knowledge, whate'er the sorrow may be, Though even my friend familiar proves false in heart to me, Or tongue of slander tarnish that I hold most dear—my name— Or disease be sent to shatter this feeble mortal frame,— I know 'tis those He loveth He toucheth with chastening hand, And only the son whom He scourgeth can enter the promised land.

There is "joy in tribulation," though the storms come thick and fast, And we cry in utter anguish until each be overpast; For only with God's permission could seeming ill befall, And the hand that quick restraineth doth underlie it all; While only those He loveth He toucheth with chastening hand, And only the son whom He scourgeth can enter the promised land.

National Reform and the Chinese.

EVER since Congress passed the Chinese Restriction Act, the Christian Statesman has been in great tribulation, because of the great wrong committed by the nation in that piece of legislation. Now in this article we propose no discussion of the righteousness or unrighteousness of that act of Congress, or whether it was just or unjust in itself. Our controversy is with the Christian Statesman, on its own published propositions, all of which are editorial utterances, and therefore stand as authoritative principles of National Reform.

By act of Congress the importation, or emigration, of Chinese laborers was prohibited for a period of ten years. This act the Christian Statesman denounced at the time. The late political campaign has given occasion for it to renew its objections. In its issue of Sept. 25, 1884, among "the gravest moral evils, evils which threaten the very life of the nation," "injustice to the Chinese" is one. In its issue of Oct. 23, 1884, it says that "the unchristian Chinese policy of the two great parties is part of the indictment which the better conscience of the country is charging upon them." Again, in its issue of Oct. 2, 1884, we read: "The two leading political parties have vied with each other in displaying their readiness to exclude the Chinamen from our shores, and have declared for the policy of exclusion, in their respective platforms. This policy, on the other hand, is felt by large numbers of Christian men to be in violation of the natural rights of men, as well as contrary to the spirit and teachings of the religion of Jesus, and increases the dissatisfaction with which, on other grounds, these parties and their platforms are regarded."

Now what do the Statesman and the National Reform Party propose instead of this? We read: "We may not shut the door in the face of any one who wishes to come and dwell with us. No nation has the right to do this, even for the preservation of religious character." "Make all men welcome to our shores, but give all men to understand that this is a Christian nation; and that believing that without Christianity we perish, we must maintain by all right means our Christian character. Inscribe this character on our Constitution. . . . Enforce upon all that come among us the laws of Christian morality."

Let us analyze this position and see wherein it differs from the position of the political parties which it condemns. By the term "laws of Christian morality," the Statesman means the ten commandments. With this definition then it says, "Enforce upon all that come among us the ten commandments." Now "enforce," according to Webster, means "to force; to constrain; to compel; to execute with vigor." Therefore the Statesman says: "Force, compel; all that come among us to keep the ten commandments." "Execute with vigor the ten commandments upon all that come among us." But the second commandment forbids men to make, to bow down to, or to serve, graven images; and this bears with particular force against the Chinese, for they do make and worship graven images; so that it may fairly be said that of all the Chinese who should ever desire to come to this country, they would be, without exception, idolaters. Now when, by constitutional amendment, this shall have been declared a Christian nation, and notice shall have thus been given that all who come here will be compelled to keep the ten commandments, will that be a sufficient argument to induce the Chinese to abandon their idols that they may come here? Allowing all the wondrous efficacy that has been ascribed to National Reform, such could hardly be expected of it, for the Chinese are just as sincere in their worship, idolatrous as it is, as are the National Reformers in theirs; and it certainly will require something more than an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to convince them that their worship is wrong. So it is easy enough to tell what the Chinese will do when the time comes that they shall have to choose whether they will abandon their worship or come to the United States. With such an alternative they will never come to this country. Therefore the success of the National Reform policy will just as absolutely exclude the Chinese from this country as does the act of Congress which is now in force, and which is so unsparingly denounced by that party.

Now to show that the force that is given to their expressions, by the definitions before given, is not more than they intend, we give some more of their words on this subject. In the San Francisco Chronicle of September 24, 1884, appeared an account of a Chinese procession in that city, in honor of their god How Wong. In the Christian Statesman of October 30, 1884, under the caption, "Idolatry Publicly Tolerated," the account is copied in full, and then commented on as follows: "The remedy lies, not in the exclusion of the Chinese from our shores, where they have from God a perfect right to come, but in the legal prohibition of their public idolatry, which they have from God no right to practice, and which no Christian Government ought to tolerate on its soil." "Odious it is, offensive to Christian sensibilities, provoking the anger of Heaven against the nation which tolerates it. But . . . the American people generally would doubtless be shocked by the suggestion that such open idolatry should be suppressed by law. But if this is, as claimed, a Christian nation, and if Jehovah is our God, why should the suggestion be considered as strange or impracticable?" It is plain, therefore, by their own declarations, that the Chinese cannot come to this country and bring their worship with them, and that, as we have seen, works the exclusion of the Chinese as effectually as any other means that could be employed. And all this must be done, it says, to "maintain our Christian character;" and this, too, after stating explicitly, as above, that "no nation has the right to do this even for the preservation of religious character." The Statesman may talk of the servility of the political parties all it pleases, but if there ever was a political party that exceeded the National Reform Party in hollow pretense, or sham principle, we should like the Statesman to point it out.

There is another phase of this question. Suppose that while the United States refuses to "tolerate" the worship of the Chinese, they should refuse to "tolerate," in their country, the worship of the Christians. Suppose that when this nation has "suppressed by law" the worship of the Chinese, they should retaliate and suppress by law the worship of the Christians. What could this nation do? Remonstrance would come with very poor grace from the nation that first committed the intolerance. And so the sword of National Reform would cut both ways; it would not only shut the Chinese out of this country, but would shut Christianity out of China.

Now let us draw a comparison between the action of Congress which the Statesman condemns, and the action of the nation which it would approve.

IT CONDEMNS

An act of Congress which excludes the Chinese. An act which excludes the Chinese for ten years. An act of Congress which might be repealed by any subsequent Congress. An act which excludes only one class of Chinese—laborers. An act which excludes only one class of one nation for ten years.

IT APPROVES

An amendment to the Constitution the effect of which will be the same. An act which would exclude them for all time. An act the effect of which would be the same, and which could not possibly be effected by less than three-fourths of the whole nation. An act which will exclude all classes of Chinese but one—Christian Chinese. An act which, with one exception—Christians—excludes all classes of all nations for all time.

Therefore if the action of Congress and the political parties are by the National Reform Party to be condemned seven times, surely the National Reform Party itself must be condemned seventy times seven. A. T. JONES.

"Thy Kingdom Come."

By Rev. Jesse S. Gilbert, A. M.

So did our Lord teach his disciples to pray. This prayer implies that Christ has a kingdom. This kingdom is not a ghostly, shadowy, an indefinable something, but a real kingdom. It is not "of this world," that is (as the original signifies), it does not proceed from this world, has not its origin here, derives not its laws and authority from this world. But it will be upon this world. Otherwise how would the promise ever be fulfilled that "the meek shall inherit the earth"? If it is not to be established here, why pray for it to "come"? We might be taken up into it, but it would not in any sense "come" to us.

It is implied in this prayer that the kingdom has not yet come. If it has already come, why pray for its advent? If, as Paul tells us, a man does not hope for what he already has (Rom. 8: 24) he certainly does not pray for it. Mark the precise language employed: it is not, "thy kingdom come fully"—though this is the sense in which many say it—but it is, "thy kingdom come." Evidently it is not yet set up.

This prayer implies most emphatically that Christ's kingdom will come. We are not pouring forth idle petitions—beating the air with empty words. God's word is crowded with promises of the coming kingdom. In holy vision the prophets of the old dispensation saw it come. John, on the isle of Patmos, beheld its glories. It is more certain than the rising of to-morrow's sun.

"Thy kingdom come." This prayer has been lifted by the innocent tongue of childhood, and uttered in tremulous tones by the withered lips of age. It has been pronounced at the marriage altar, and beside the open grave. It has been chanted in sublime liturgies beneath the vaulted roofs of cathedrals "old in story," and has gone up to Heaven mingled with the ecstatic shouts of simple-hearted worshipers in the tented grove. It has sounded out in holy defiance from the summits of lofty hills, and has been breathed in holy whispers in the dens and caves of the earth. The church has been praying this petition for over eighteen centuries. God will answer it. Only the coldest skepticism can doubt this. Let us "keep on praying." The kingdom will come, and the King will come. There can be no kingdom without a king. The King came once, but in such lowly form that only a few recognized him. He went away to a "far country;" but before he went away, he said to his chosen ones, "I will come again."—Rev. Jesse S. Gilbert, A. M.

The Glory of God in Christian Life

THE first, and great object of true Christian life is the glory of God. The first strain of the angels' song, on the plains of Bethlehem, was, "Glory to God in the highest." That which God seeks in his creatures is not happiness, but holiness; happiness follows as a natural consequence.

Bible Education vs. Theological Training.

THE Advance gives an account of the ordination, some years ago, of an old man in Virginia, who, although uneducated, was very devoted, and quite familiar with the Bible. His limited education would not allow of his reading anything else. He was averse to being ordained, but had proved himself so efficient a laborer among the mountain people that the Presbytery were determined to ordain him. Accordingly he was examined. We copy a few of the questions and answers, as they exhibit the difference between an education derived from the Bible alone, and one obtained from theological works:—

Moderator. "Mr. Leland, do you belive that God had a people, chosen and elect, before the foundations of the world?"

Leland. "I don't know what God was doin' before he made the world. Don't know anything about it. I a'n't a educated man."

Moderator. "Mr. Leland, we have heard of your Christian life, of your efficiency and your success, and we are met to ordain you to the ministry of the gospel. This is a solemn occasion, and you must not make light of the questions. Now, I want to know if you believe in the total depravity of mankind?"

Leland. "No, I don't, if you mean by that that men are as bad as they can be, for the devil a'n't any worse that, you know."

Moderator. "Do you believe in imputed righteousness, and that it is sufficient to save all who have faith?"

Leland. "I don't know any righteousness that will save a man who won't do right himself."

Moderator. "Do you believe in the final perseverance of the saints?"

Leland. "I don't know what that means."

Moderator. "Well, you believe that all who are converted will be kept, and not fall away."

Leland. "Oh, I don't know how it is down in the settlements, among the educated, but I tell you up where we live, we have the awfullest cases of backsliding."

Moderator. "But, Mr. Leland, you certainly believe that when a man is converted he will be kept in some way, and finally saved?"

Leland. "I cannot tell much about that, till I am saved myself. Don't know anything about it now."

Moderator. "Mr. Leland, you certainly desire to see all men come to repentance, and turn to righteousness. Your acts show that. We have heard of your self-sacrificing spirit, your love for mankind, and all your good works to win sinners to the gospel and repentance."

Leland. "Mr. Moderator, I'll tell you the honest truth. I am a little ashamed of it, but it is God's truth just as I tell you. Some days I do feel that way, and then again some of them act so bad I don't care if the devil gets half of them."

In spite of his ignorance of theology, and the honesty of his last answer, he was ordained, and, we doubt not, did as effectual work for the Master as those who were thoroughly familiar with the Westminster Confession.

Power of Prayer.

By James Hamilton, D. D.

WHEN Jacob and Esau met—on the one side the shaggy chieftain with his four hundred swordsmen, and on the other side the limping shepherd with his caravan of children and cattle—a flock of sheep approaching a band of wolves; when the patriarch took his staff in his hand and stepped forward to meet the embattled company, and the anxious retinue awaited the issue, they saw the tear start into the rough huntsman's eye, they saw the sword drop from Esau's hand, they saw his brawny arms around Jacob's neck, they saw in the red savage a sudden and unlooked-for brother. They saw the result, but they had not seen the prelude which led to it. They had not been with Jacob at the ford of Jabbok the night before. They had not viewed his agony and heard his prayer; and though they noticed the halting limb, they did not know the victory whose token it was. They saw the patriarch, the husband, and the father; but they knew not that he was a prince with God, and had gained Esau's heart from him who has all hearts in his hand. The halting thigh and the pacified foe were obvious, but the wrestling over-night was unknown. The reward was open, but the prayer was secret.—James Hamilton, D. D.

Silent Forces.

By Alexander Clarke, D. D.

WORKMEN in the stone quarries sometimes find a very hard kind of rock. They pick little grooves for the iron wedges, and then with great sledge-hammers, drive and drive the wedges into the flinty rock. And yet, once in a while, they fail to divide the solid mass. The iron wedges and the sledges prove useless, and the workmen wonder at the stubborn rock. But there is yet another way. The iron wedges are removed from the narrow grooves. Then little wooden wedges, of a very hard fiber, are selected. Now you begin to shake your head and think, "Well, if iron wedges will not do, how is it possible for wooden wedges to be used successfully?" Just wait, until we explain. The well-made wooden wedges are tightly inserted in the grooves, and then wet, and water is kept in the grooves, and no sledge is needed to drive them. They would break under the severe blows of the ponderous hammer. But the workmen just let the wet wedges alone. They will do what the driven iron fails to do. How so? The dampened wood swells. The particles must have room to enlarge. And the granite hearts of the rocks cannot withstand this silent influence. In a little while this solid rock parts from top to bottom, and the workman's will is accomplished. It is so, often, in other things. What noise and visible effort fail to do, some quiet power, when applied, will surely achieve. Teachers may remember this fact in mechanics, and manage some very stubborn natures by the application of the silent forces. The iron and the sledge-hammers often fail; but tears, prayers, and a patient example never fail.—Alexander Clarke, D. D.

Self-Deception.

A MAN is never in a kindlier mood than when he is well satisfied with himself. If he thinks he has done a good thing, he is ready to smile on those about him, and to express his good wishes to them. And a man is never more inclined to think well of his own course than when he has acted according to his own judgment, and conformed his course to his own standard. He who looks outside of himself for a rule of action, and recognizes God's law as the standard, and Christ as his example, is sure to see that he has not yet come up to the full measure of well-doing; but if he thinks of no higher standard than his own judgment can form, he can look down on that with complacency, and be sure he has reached it without half trying. Then is the time for him to say to anybody and everybody, "Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord;" and I hope you will try to do as well.—Sel.

Every One May Be Useful

THERE is a sphere in which every one may act and be useful to his fellow-beings. No matter how limited his abilities may be, there is a work for him, and by doing it he may render essential service to the church. If the one talent is not improved, what a sorrowful account many will have to give at the last day!—Sel.

God’s Word a Lamp

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Ps. 119: 105.

Treating the Word with Disrespect.

By Epsilon

SUPPOSE, reader, that you are in a large social gathering. There is also present a man who is a notorious tattler. He has often been convicted of downright falsehood, and his influence has created much variance, bitterness, and animosity among men. Another man approaches you for information on a subject on which you are well informed. Instead of telling him what you think, or would prefer, or what others say, you simply tell him what you positively know. By leaving out all hear-say and all belief founded on gleanings, and stating what you positively know to be fact, you give him the benefit of your personal knowledge. To evade the force of your words, he must either impeach your knowledge, or your veracity.

But all present see by his manners that he is not satisfied with what you have said. By the manner in which he put the questions to you, it is plain to all present that he wanted you to say something that you would not say. There is an expression of dissatisfaction on his face, and with lips compressed in a manner which says, "I will have my way in spite of you," he turns to the tattler for information. There is something in his actions which all present understand as saying, "Here is a man that will talk as I would have him talk." After questioning the tattler, he turns to the company and begins to explain the subject at variance with what both yourself and the tattler has said, wresting both your words and his.

Is not this a true picture of the way many teachers are treating the Bible? After using much cunning craftiness to extort from the Bible, "The 'first day of the week' is the 'Christian Sabbath,'" they turn with evident dissatisfaction to the great tattler, the writings of "the Fathers." In so doing they say, "We cannot extort from the Bible what we are determined to teach; but we can make the great tattler say almost anything." But the great tattler has been succeeded by other tattlers, that have suppressed some of his words, interpolated their own, and forged new books to his credit. The great tattler's words if pure and entire, would only be the testimony of a tattler. But having good evidence that these writings have passed through the hands of designing men, who have clipped, interpolated, forged, and destroyed writings, how must it appear in the sight of God and holy angels for teachers to array them against the Bible?

Even in the days of the apostles professed Christians said, "There is no resurrection of the dead," and others placed the resurrection in the past. In the third epistle of John we learn that Diotrephes loved to have the pre-eminence in the church, and mistreated the aged apostle John, and other Christians. But has there not been even down to the present time many a Diotrephes? Such men must have things their own way in spite of John or other apostles.

But, reader, what do you think of poor fallen man, when he is inspired by Satan and his angels? What wickedness will he not do? What deceptions will he not practice? What blindness is too dark for his ambitious aims?

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Isa. 2:22. "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Ps. 146:3. "I will delight myself in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word." Ps. 119:16. "I have chosen the way of truth; thy judgments have I laid before me." Ps. 119:30. "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." Ps. 119:142. "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." John 17:17. EPSILON.

Honor to Parents.

By C. P. Bollman

OUR first duty as accountable beings is to God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt. 22:37-40; Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18. The first great commandment is the foundation upon which rests the first four precepts of the decalogue; while the last six specify what is required by the second great moral principle, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

If we may single out any one duty required by the second table of the law and say that it is of first and prime importance, that one certainly is the duty we owe to our parents. For the violation of the fifth commandment, one of our Saviour's most cutting reproofs was given to the scribes and Pharisees. Matt. 15:3-9. From the words of Jesus on this occasion, we learn that obedience to this commandment is of vital importance, and that no worship is acceptable to God which makes void any part of the divine law. The Saviour says: "In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." How important, then, that we rightly understand what God requires of us, that we do not, like the self-righteous Jews, make void his law by our traditions.

That parents are to be honored by obedience, is evident from the language of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (chap. 6:1, 2); but duty to God is not to be forgotten; the apostle says: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise." It may be said, however, that this text applies only to children; perhaps so; but the claims of the fifth commandment do not cease when we become men and women. Ham was himself the father of children, when he sinned by showing disrespect for his father (Gen. 9:22-27); and the sin for which Christ rebuked the scribes and Pharisees consisted in teaching that by giving to the church, children could be freed from all obligation to support their needy parents. But it is not to this phase of the subject that the writer desires particularly to call attention; for there is another way in which children may honor their parents, especially godly parents.

Solomon says, "A wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish man despiseth his mother" (Prov. 15:20); and as "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10), we must conclude that when we truly honor God, we, at the same time, honor our parents, in the highest and most perfect sense; for our duty to God and our duty to our parents are in perfect harmony, both being enjoined by the perfect law of God. Failing to discern this fact, persons sometimes seek to excuse themselves from accepting present truth, because their pious parents, long since dead, did not so believe. They argue that to believe and practice differently from their parents, in matters of religion (no one ever thinks of reasoning thus in worldly affairs), will dishonor their memory! Their parents, say they, were truly pious people; and, no doubt, in many instances this is true; and where it is true, those parents must have lived up to all the light they had; they must have loved the truth, and walked in it, so far as they saw it. They could not have been Christians had they refused to humble themselves before God; and if such were their principles, they must have so taught their children. This being the case, they who refuse to follow the example of their pious parents, by cultivating a love for Bible truth, and by walking in the light of the divine word, not only disobey God, but they also dishonor those pious fathers and mothers whom they profess to revere.

No parent can be more highly honored in his children, than to have them devoted to the service of God; and no child who sincerely desires to honor his parents, in obedience to the fifth commandment, will hesitate to keep all the commandments merely because his mother or father did not have the light which now shines upon his pathway. True reverence for parents does not lead to sin against God; and they who obey the divine law will not lack filial affection. The wise man has said, "Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. 12:13. Let us then have a care lest we, too, be found, like the scribes and Pharisees, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." C. P. BOLLMAN.

Continue reading: The Race-Sabbath