Earlier text: THE LIFE-GIVERHUMILITY THEN GLORY.
By A. F. Ballenger
Pride an Obstacle—All Boasting Excluded—All Must Be Beggars—Why the Spirit Is Not Granted.
"WHOM He justified, them He also glorified." Rom. 8:30. Why is it that the message of justification by faith, or the blessing of Abraham, must be received before the promise of the Spirit, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, can be received? Gal. 3:14. Because the reception of the truth that we are made righteous and kept righteous by faith, is a complete and everlasting destruction to the thing which above every other thing is keeping the baptism of the Spirit from the church. That thing is pride. Self pride, family pride, church pride, State pride, national pride—it matters not in what form it appears—it is a barrier to the reception of the promise of the Spirit. But the reception of the Gospel message of righteousness by faith, is instant and eternal death to all the pride of every human heart that receives it. "If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God." If you could justify yourself by your good works, you would have whereof to glory; but you can not, and when you come to really believe this, all self-glorying, all pride, will depart from the heart. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded." Rom. 3:23-27. All boasting is excluded from that heart which has come to realize that righteousness is alone of faith. But why is this so? What is the divine philosophy of it? Here it is: If righteousness is of faith, not of works, then it can not be earned; it must be begged. Justification by faith, therefore, makes a beggar of every sinner, and as "all have sinned," it makes beggars of the whole human race, rich and poor, high and low, wise and unwise. And when men and women are brought to the place where they feel their need so keenly that they will humble themselves to beg, it is to be expected that their pride is crucified. When justified by faith, we must come to the Lord and acknowledge that we are unjust, that we are sinners, that we need to have our sins forgiven. This is humbling to the natural heart. By this coming we acknowledge that we can not make ourselves righteous, can not forgive our own sins; if we could, we would not have come. And this, too, is humbling. And when we come, we have to ask for forgiveness as a beggar would have to ask for food at the door. "Ask and it shall be given you." And this, also, is humbling. And should we be asked what we have to pay for it, we must reply that we haven't anything to pay, but that the Lord Jesus told us that if we would come and ask help in His name, it would be given to us free. And this is humbling, too. But all this is only a small part of the process of humbling. We have to ask for a fresh supply every day; we can not come and get a supply that will last forever, so that we can go away and be independent of the Giver, and become proud and self-righteous over what was given us. We are compelled to acknowledge that we can not keep ourselves from falling into those same sins for which we have been forgiven. We have to ask the Lord for daily bread, for strength to keep us from falling, and tell Him again and again that we have nothing to pay, but that our Saviour told us to come and ask for keeping power in His name, and it would be given free. Yes, we have to come and ask to be fed free all the time, to become a regular charity boarder. And if we ever get the idea that we are earning our living, that we are not any longer charity boarders, or, in other words, that we can keep ourselves from falling into our old sins, there must come a terrible fall, which, like David, will break all our bones, and bring forcibly to mind the fact of our dependence on Him who alone "is able to keep us from falling." Yes, the Gospel truth that men are made righteous by faith, humbles the glory of man in the dust. It teaches him that he can not forgive his own past sins, but must come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness, and take it by faith. It teaches him also that he can not keep himself from falling into those old sins again, and must come and ask for keeping power, and then believe that he receives it, and be thankful for it. Reader, has the Gospel of righteousness by faith done this work of humbling for you? Is all your pride crucified? Is your own glory in the dust? Are you ready to be glorified with "power from on high"? Should you be baptized with the Holy Ghost for witnessing power, could you keep humble while the multitude looked on in wonder and amazement? When the cripple was healed and began leaping and shouting, and the people flocked around and looked at you with awe and admiration, would you say from the heart, "Why look ye so earnestly upon us, as tho by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk"? Would you point them to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world? The Gospel of righteousness as a free gift is sent to you to humble you and prepare you to be glorified. There is much being written and spoken today concerning the Holy Spirit. Many prayers are offered at conventions and conferences for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But God is merciful and does not grant the request, because to do so would be to bring ruin to the receiver. Should the Lord grant apostolic power to one who was proud, He would thereby feed that pride. A proud man with power is a foe to himself, his God, and his fellow-men. Satan is a startling example of the results of pride with power. God is anxious to baptize men and women with the Holy Ghost and power. But they must first be humble. The apostles were men from the humble walks of life, but still they had to be humbled. Paul's converts were men who were led to turn from the "foolish things" of the world, but he exhorted them to humility thus: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the6world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Cor. 1:26-31. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:4-9. "For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" 1 Cor. 4:7. A young minister came to the writer with this sad complaint: "Whenever the Lord blesses me in my ministry, I become exalted over it, and He has to withdraw His power. What shall I do?" He was urged to confess his pride to the Lord, and ask Him to crucify it, then claim the crucifixion by faith in the promise of God, then go before the congregation and confess his pride there, and tell of the victory gained by faith. He did so, and obtained the victory. Why, some one will ask, must he confess it before the congregation?—Because no one was ever proud without the people finding it out. And when the people know a man is proud, that man will never gain the confidence of the people until they know that he has discovered his pride and put it away, and this they will know when he confesses it. If he is too proud to confess his pride, then he has not yet gained the victory over his pride. While pride is the sin above every other sin that is keeping the baptism of the Holy Spirit away from men and women, yet it is easy for God to destroy. Ask Him to do it. Believe that He does it, and it is done. Accept of righteousness by faith and you will be humbled. When humbled, you are ready to be exalted with power from on high. 1 Peter 5:6. SABBATH REFORMATION.
By G. E. Fifield
THERE are several Sabbath reformations either recorded or foretold in the Scripture. We have already spoken of how Jesus magnified the Sabbath and made it honorable by ignoring the Rabbinical traditions which were contrary to the spirit of the Sabbath, and so made it of none effect. This was true Sabbath reformation. When Israel were slaves in Egypt, driven by the lash of the taskmasters, many of them came to ignore the Sabbath. God sent Moses and Aaron to preach to them. And Pharaoh said: "Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? . . . Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens." Literally, Ye make them keep Sabbath. But Moses and Aaron said, "Thus saith the Lord, Let My people go, that they may serve Me." And the first we read of their religious observances after they left Egypt is where the Sabbath is plainly brought to view as separated from the other days of the week by the divine method of giving the manna. And when all did not faithfully observe the Sabbath, the Lord said, "How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?" Ex. 16:28. The religion of Egypt was the most complex form of sun-worship. That Israel had been contaminated by this sun-worship is made certain by their worship of the golden calf, for this was but a representation of the life-giving power of the sun. So here is a true case of Sabbath reformation. God, through Moses and Aaron, so preached His Word, and so gave the heavenly manna, the type of Christ, the true bread, that the Israelites were rescued from sun-worship and Sunday-keeping, and restored to the observance of the true Sabbath. This is typical of the final proclamation of the truth and of the final work of deliverance, by which the Lord rescues His people from the Egyptian bondage of this world and opens for them the gates of the final Canaan of rest. Of this final work it is said, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people." Isa. 11:11. At the consummation of that typical deliverance back there, Israel sang the triumphal song of Moses; but when the final deliverance is completed, the redeemed Israel sing the still more triumphal "song of Moses and the Lamb." Exodus 15; Rev. 15:3. Here, then, in the antitype, as back there in the type, we shall not be surprised to find a true Sabbath reformation. That there is need of such reformation here is most clear from the preceding papers. God’s Israel down here in their pilgrimage among the nations of the earth have been contaminated by their sun-worship. This paganism, as we have seen, has come into the church, bringing with it the sun festival, and driving out the Sabbath of the Lord. In support and justification of their false sabbath, the attempt has been made to falsify both history and the Bible, and yet its pagan origin can not be hidden. But will the final church,—the church that shall meet the returning Lord and be translated7without seeing death,—will this church thus be contaminated with paganism? Will she be thus resorting to guile and deception to hide the pagan origin of her practises?—Ah, no! For Paul says Christ shall be presented with "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27. John says of that final church, "In their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. 14:5. Only one conclusion is possible from these texts,—there will be a true Sabbath reformation here, as back there. These pagan spots and wrinkles on the church’s garment of righteousness will be purged away. The guile and deception made necessary to support this pagan institution in the Christian church will have been swept away by the heavenly breezes of the Spirit. There will be those who will not have been defiled by the harlot woman, but who will follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. Rev. 14:4. Of this final church which will be waiting to receive the Lord it is said, "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12:17. The very prophecies which foretell this pagan contamination, foretell also the final restitution in the true church. Of the "little horn," the Papacy, Daniel says, "He shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Commentators quite generally agree that this period of time expired at about the beginning of this century. What inference could be more plain than that after this period of time these things should be taken out of the hands of this power? Indeed, we are not left to infer, for the next words are, "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Dan. 7:25, 26. In the age of types, the sanctuary was pitched in the center, and the hosts of Israel were encamped around. God’s sanctuary is now in heaven, "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1, 2. But of the Christian, the true Israel of to-day, it is said, "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, . . . hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-6. In God’s sight, who sees the end from the beginning, His children, the persecuted and forsaken of men on earth, are still the host of heaven, encamped around the throne. In the sight of Daniel this same papal power is brought to view as magnifying itself against this host of heaven, and against this divine sanctuary; "and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered." Dan. 8:10-12. Here is another prophecy of this same persecution of God’s people and this same corruption of His truth by the Papal Church. No wonder an angel is heard saying, "How long shall be the vision to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot?" The answer comes clear and plain, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:13, 14. In interpreting this vision, the angel plainly says that this period of time begins at the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, which was 457 years before Christ. The Bible says of prophetic symbols, "I have appointed thee each day for a year." This makes this period end in A.D. 1844. If, therefore, there is any connection between that which caused the question to be asked and the answer of the angel, after 1844 A.D. there is to be a reformation. The truth which the Papacy has cast down to the ground is to be uplifted: the sanctuary is to be cleansed. Israel frequently became contaminated with the paganisms around them. God in His mercy tolerated this for a time; but when the great day of atonement came, when the sanctuary was cleansed, then He said, "Whosoever shall not repent and afflict his soul on this day shall be cut off." While the high priest was in the sanctuary, Israel were confessing their sins and purifying themselves without. As in the type, so in the antitype. The church here has, through the Dark Ages, become contaminated with paganism. The pagan sun festival has taken the place of the Sabbath of the Lord. God in His mercy, because of our ignorance, has tolerated this for a time. But let no man "lay the flattering unction to his soul" that because his fathers kept the Sunday instead of the Sabbath, it is all right for him to do the same. Truth is progressive. The Dark Ages are passed or passing. The day is dawning. The time of the cleansing of the sanctuary has come. As our High Priest enters that heavenly temple, unless we prostrate ourselves without, and confess our sins, and turn our faces and our hearts toward the light He sends us, we too shall be cut off from His true church that shall meet Him in peace when He comes. When thus cut off, we shall then belong only to that church which has on the Babylonian garment instead of the beautiful wedding robe of Christ's righteousness, and so shall we be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. With these thoughts thus so solemnly brought before us, let us turn to that final book of Biblical prophecy, the Revelation. As might be expected, we find here this final reformation fully brought to view. As all Protestant commentators agree, in the thirteenth chapter, under the symbol of the beast, we have the work of the Papacy outlined, identical in every respect, in character and time of continuance, with the "little horn" of Daniel 7. Then, in the fourteenth chapter, the coming of the Saviour is set forth thus: "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle." Verse 14. But before this a great threefold warning message of reformation and of protest against the papal beast is brought to view as going to every nation and kindred and tongue. The grand announcement begins: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come, and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The cleansing of the sanctuary was a work of judgment. The day of the cleansing of the typical sanctuary was understood to be typical of the great day of judgment. This announcement that "the hour of His judgment is come," immediately connects this message with the prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary, already referred to. The sanctuary was to be cleansed after the expiration of the twenty-three hundred days, or after 1844. The cleansing of that sanctuary is this work of judgment. This announcement, "the hour of His judgment is come," could not, therefore, be made until after A.D. 1844. Here, then, this message is definitely located. This message is to preach the everlasting Gospel to every nation, kindred, and tongue. The great church to-day has lost sight of the fact that the Gospel of Christ is everlasting, the same in all ages. The false Sabbath the church has received has given them the false idea that the Old Testament, creation, and the giving of the law, were by the Father, and that Christ antagonized all these, and introduced a new age, a new Gospel. Instead, the Gospel is precisely the same in all ages, from everlasting to everlasting. That Gospel is the good news of the power and sufficiency of the divine love to cleanse the heart and make righteous the soul. "All Thy commandments are righteousness," and "love is the fulfilling of the law." Nothing, therefore, can make us righteous only that which can make us loving. And love is only born of love, the human of the divine. This everlasting Gospel is the everlasting fact of God's unchanging love for sinners, and of the power of that love to redeem the soul. This great fact is to be proclaimed anew and more fully. The popular churches are losing this spirit of sacrificing love, and are so losing the Gospel, for this spirit and this only is the Gospel. As they grow loveless, they grow weak; and, conscious of this weakness, they resort to the power of the world. They are everywhere asking laws to compel people to be good according to their ideas. Becoming unwilling to serve as did the Master, they seek to rule. Thus the espoused bride of Christ allies herself with the world as did the church in the fourth century, and so becomes the adulteress, the harlot, Babylon. So there follows "another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Rev. 14:8. Truth is represented in the Bible by the pure wine, the juice of the grape. This intoxicating wine of Babylon is the false doctrines the church received from her unlawful connection with the pagan world. This wrath which comes with these false doctrines is the dragon spirit of force which seeks by the dungeons and the sword to enforce the false practices it has received. This, in short, is the beast power, instead of the Gospel, or love power. Having reasserted the sufficiency of the Gospel, or love power, and proclaimed the sad fact that the churches are losing it, and are so becoming Babylon and fallen, then follows the solemn protest against the beast and his power and worship which is taking the place of the Gospel: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." Rev. 14:9, 10. Then the Spirit describes the people who are brought out by this protest against the papal beast: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Verse 12. The beast, the Roman power, has "thought to change" God's law by introducing as a sign of its own power and authority the sun festival in the place of the Sabbath of the Lord. The papal beast has demanded that the church should keep its laws as thus changed, instead of the "commandments of God." She not only has demanded this, but by her "beast" power she has succeeded in compelling it for centuries, until, alas! the church has come to do it willingly. But here is brought to view a great reformation, a world-wide, loud-voiced protest against the papal beast; and the result of this reformation is a people who "keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Could anything be clearer than that here is prophesied a Sabbath reformation and a return to the faith once delivered unto the saints? This threefold warning has been going to the world since 1844. It is repudiating all force, and appealing to the divine love alone as the power to save the soul. It is thus showing that the churches, by resorting to the civil law to enforce their decrees, are denying the everlasting Gospel, and so are becoming Babylon and fallen. It is making a mighty protest against the papal beast and his worship. The soul's supreme allegiance and religious obedience are the highest and only worship. Those who knowingly render this obedience to the papal law instead of to God's, do worship the beast. Says Father Enright: "Protestants, by their solemn act of keeping Sunday, acknowledge the power of the Catholic Church. The Bible says, 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy;' but the Catholic Church says, 'No; keep the first day of the week;' and the whole world bows in obedience." Reader, in these papers this solemn message is coming to you. Will you "worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters," and keep His holy law? or will you be found worshiping the beast? "Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are?" G. E. FIFIELD. SHRINKING FROM DUTY.
By Charles Spurgeon
THERE are occasions when God's servants shrink from duty. But what is the consequence?—They lose the presence and comfortable enjoyment of God’s love. When we obey our Lord Jesus as believers should, our God is with us; and, tho we have the whole world against us, if we have God with us, what does it matter? But the moment we start back, and seek our own inventions, we are at sea without a pilot. Then may we bitterly lament and groan out: “O my God, where hast Thou gone? How could I have been so foolish as to lose all the bright shinings of Thy face? This is a price too high. Let me return to my allegiance, that I may rejoice in Thy presence.”—Spurgeon. Progress Through Individualized Effort
"As HUMAN progress is made by individualized effort, it behooves all persons to labor and study for themselves, regardless of what this or that man says." CAST forth thy act, thy word, into the ever-living, ever-working universe; it is a seed-grain that can not die.—Carlyle. HORRORS OF HEATHENISM.
By Editor
SOME idea of the blessings of civilization may be obtained by contrasting our condition with the state of things in some parts of China. We have a graphic account from three English bicyclists, who have been making a tour of Western China, and who spent some time at the large walled city of Chaotung Fu. They found that seventy-five per cent. of the female infants are killed, while a majority of those saved are sold into slavery, the city being famous for its slave girls. It is the custom to throw bodies of girl babies over the walls at night, and in many cases these children are still alive. It is a common sight to see pariah dogs gnawing the arms of living infants. Bodies of the pauper dead are also thrown over the walls, and devoured by wolves and hyenas that come down in the night from neighboring mountains. The city is also famous for in-human punishments. Lately a woman was strung up by the neck, with her toes just reaching the ground, till she died. A murderer was crucified on one of the city gates, red-hot nails being hammered through his wrists. He tried to escape the agony by battering his head against the gate, when the authorities provided a pillow to prevent this. He hung in great agony, watched by crowds of men and children, for four days before death came.—8Christian Conservator. THE EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE OF WAR.
It was William Tecumseh Sherman who said, "War is hell," and it was James Russell Lowell who declared, "As for war, I call it murder; there you have it plain and flat." But war is now used to justify the taking of human life under other circumstances. Recently a Supreme Court justice of Connecticut declared in an address that a physician is justified in hastening the death of a patient afflicted with an incurable disease. Now a noted physician contends that "if a patient is suffering from an incurable disease, and he wants relief from his misery, a physician is doing an act of mercy if he helps him end his life." And he further declares, "I have relieved the suffering of a good many patients in the course of my thirty-five years' practise." In justifying himself in this against his critics, he remarks:— "As for the moral or religious aspect of the case, it is still a matter to be settled by the individual. To be sure, there is in the Decalogue a commandment, 'Thou shalt not kill.' But there are circumstances under which killing is admissible. The United States takes that stand in her war policy. She is killing Filipinos daily in what she calls a humane war." All of which is true Jesuitical casuistry—"the end justifies the means." To take life might be an act of mercy, but finite man does not know this. God can permit life to go out; He can give it again. Man is taking what he can not restore. Even tho a physician relieved pain, he does not know that the case is incurable. There have been many who have to all human seeing been taken from the very jaws and throat of death; who have recovered from what appeared to the medical man to be the last agonies of an incurable disease. Such cases may be as one in a million, but what moral mortal man in the sight of God would take even that responsibility? Again, even tho the patient died, he might in the few hours that the "humane" physician would take from him say or do that which would greatly add to the temporal benefit of the living, or even affect the eternal destiny of himself or his friends. Man is not God, altho not a few are assuming positions which indicate that they think, as the prophet of old declared, that God is altogether such an one as themselves. Ps. 50:21. But God declares: "I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." The moral standard of the judge and physician above referred to is the result of the teaching of a lawless church and the educational influence of a "humane" war. A FEW days since a laboring man stepped into our office to inquire if we had a certain book written by a college president on a live social theme. We told him that we had the book and that we were interested to know what use he cared to make of it. He said that he belonged to a society that had frequent meetings for the discussion of current topics, and that he was on the program for a debate with another member on the question of imperialism. The man in question is a mechanic, and does not look a bit brighter than hundreds of workmen that you may meet on the streets or see at their labor every day in the week. But you could not talk with him very long without being impressed that he is doing some thinking for himself on the topics of the day. And not only is he thinking, but he is meeting with his fellows to discuss these things. And their discussions require still more and more research, and keen, close study of the themes under consideration. The time was when to speak of a laboring man was, as a usual thing, to speak also of one who was ignorant and superstitious; he was a man that blindly followed those who possessed education, and was willing to let others do all his thinking and talking for him. But the laboring man of to-day is a very different person altogether. Some of them may still be ignorant, it is true, but in general they are not. If you will take the pains to investigate, you will learn that all of our cities and most of our towns have clubs of various kinds of laboring men that are meeting every week for social discussions. And you will also find it invariably true that they are dissatisfied with present conditions. They are strongly possessed with the idea that very radical changes should be made in the present system of business and social life. These men study, dream, and talk of these things; some of them write books about them, and many advocate the adoption of radical measures if a remedy does not come very soon. You will find by mingling among the thinking workmen that most of them seem to be settling down before the grim necessity of a revolution. They will all express a hope that it may be bloodless, but let it be what kind it may, they say they are ready for it. If many are killed in the stormy times that are before us, they think that those who will be left will have things so much better that it will pay to go through the ordeal. And then nearly every one thinks that it will be the other person that will be hurt or killed, rather than himself, so he is all the more willing to take the risk. When everything seems to be calm, these elements do not appear to be very dangerous. But let the flood-gates open up, and this stream of pent-up sentiment begin to pour forth, and no one who has not been made acquainted with the writings of divine prophecy could have even the faintest conception of what will surely take place. Men may hope for better times. But all such hopes are vain. The world is plunging into chaos just as fast as it can go, and all should be made acquainted with the fact, so that they can turn to the Refuge from the doom of sin.
T. "THE NATIONS WERE ANGRY."
By T.
THE eighteenth verse of the eleventh chapter of Revelation presents the following significant and thrilling view of the world:— "And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." The time viewed by the prophet is when the "nations were angry." And when he sees this marked anger among the nations, he sees at the same time the scenes connected with the wrath of God and the judgment day. Language could not be so framed that it would make this fact clearer than the foregoing scripture states it. Every little trouble that arises now between any two of the nations is taken up by all the rest. This has always been true in a sense, but never have the jealousies of the nations in this respect been so apparent as to-day. When this country was having her recent war with Spain, the powers of Europe, with the possible exception of England, were watching the matter closely and jealously. Many hard things were said about the United States that showed that there was not a very friendly feeling toward this country. And now when England gets into trouble with the people in South Africa there is a regular torrent of epithet poured out against her by the press of the Old World. It is considered that England is seeking to become the mistress of Africa, and the nations of Europe are not willing that this shall be so, and so army and navy equipment are being studied, and everything is being closely watched to see if any opportunity may offer that will allow the other powers to take advantage of England while she is at war. And it should be noted that this strife is largely over territory. There is great wealth in South Africa, and England wants to get hold of it. The covetousness of those in power in England leads them to desire to get everything they can, and the comfort or the rights of others are not always taken into consideration when the plans are laid to seize upon territory and the wealth and resources of nature. A like covetousness among other nations leads them to say that they will do all in their power to keep England from getting the coveted prize. And thus does the greed of covetousness stir up jealousies, anger, and strife. This spirit of covetousness that is so characteristic of these times is also foretold by the apostle Paul as one of the things that would make the last days "perilous." See 2 Tim. 3:1-5. And thus do the various elements combine in fulfilling the Word of God. Covetousness, jealousies, and intrigues commingle and make the anger among the nations. And we know by all these things that the end is right at hand. God has foretold the condition of the world to-day, and said to us, when we see "all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors." That great day, which is right at hand, may be to you a day of darkness, gloominess, and indescribable and torturing fear, or it may be the bright morning when your Redeemer will bestow immortality upon you. All depends upon your choice now. These moments are surcharged with importance. To be blinded by the sophistries of Satan at this time carries with it the awful possibilities of speedy destruction in that day that comes rolling on with rapid whirl. Russia Increases Its Navy
By Editor
The Russian Government has decided to spend 87,500,000 rubles during the coming year in the increase and perfecting of her navy. The setting aside this immense sum ($67,375,000) in a single year has astonished the whole world, especially Europe. Russia already possesses a powerful navy, but she seems determined not to be left behind in the race of the powers for maritime supremacy. It is also significant that she has chosen a year to make this large appropriation when England is more or less tied up with the Boers in South Africa. English and Russian interests are clashing in China, Persia, Afghanistan, and Northern India, and it seems very evident that Russia is planning a move in which she expects to need the entire resources of her realm—notwithstanding the Peace Congress. This large appropriation seems the more remarkable when we remember the grounds upon which Russia based the call for that conference,—the inability of the people to continue bearing the burdens of taxation, which the great armaments of the nations made necessary. In spite of this, and in spite of the fact that between fifteen and twenty millions of her people have been on the verge of starvation for the past two years, Russia adds this further burden to her groaning people. She is preparing, as are all the nations, for that supreme struggle which will close earth's history of sin, misery, and war. The Cologne Gazette says, "If the Boers, in consequence of a protracted campaign, should cause England serious trouble in her international politics, Germany will retain a free hand and guard her interests in a manner becoming the dignity of a first-class power." The evidences are too numerous to make note of showing that the nations to-day are not watching to conserve the peace of the world, but rather to see how much advantage they may gain by the difficulties of another power. Do such things as these mark the beginning of the reign of a millennium of peace on earth?—Nay, verily. They show most forcibly that the world is rapidly shaping itself for the great battle of Armageddon. But Armageddon's fight is at the end of time. Are you ready for the momentous event? These are no times for men to be thinking of killing each other in battle. Eternity, with all its possibilities and never-ending realities, is right here, and Satan wishes to have our minds all engrossed in wars, and such like distracting subjects. But do not be deceived. Get ready to meet the righteous Judge, our tender Redeemer. His coming is right at hand. American Anti-Imperialist League
The committee on permanent organization appointed by the anti-imperialist congress, met in Chicago on October 19, and formed a national organization, to be known as the American Anti-imperialist League. The headquarters of the organization will be in Chicago, with a branch office in Boston.