Review and Herald, Vol. 25, No. 8. (1/17/1865)

Review and Herald

Jan 17, 1865

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 17, 1865

Sanctification: or Living Holiness.

By D. T. Bourdeau

BY ELD. D. T. BOURDEAU.

(Continued from Review Vol. xxiv, No. 19.)

THE TONGUE.

"The tongue," says James, "is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindlith! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell." James iii, 5, 6.

This is said of an unsanctified tongue, and shows that though the tongue is a small member yet it exerts a mighty influence. It sustains a relation to and exerts an influence over the whole body. It is compared to bits that we put in the horses' mouths and by which we turn about the whole body; and to a helm by which the mighty ships are turned whithersoever the governor listeth. Verses 3, 4.

Such is the importance that James attaches to governing the tongue that he declares, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body." "If any among you seem to be religious, and brideth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." Verse 2: Chap. i, 26. And Solomon must have been forcibly struck with the necessity of governing the tongue when he wrote, "Life and death are in the power of the tongue." Prov. xviii, 21.

The tongue, as an instrument of speech, is one of those prerogatives which exalt man above the beast, and was designed by the Creator to express holy and virtuous thoughts. It is an index to the heart; "for out of the abundance of the heart," says our Saviour, "the mouth speaketh." Matt. xii, 35. The use that is made of the tongue indicates the moral condition of the heart, and consequently the character of the whole man; and there are as many ways in which men sin with their tongues as there are in which they sin with their thoughts, tempers and actions.

It is readily seen that the sanctification of the tongue is a vast subject. But we will confine ourselves to some leading priciples and thoughts, and to some of the many Bible instructions on the subject.

And first, the tongue is rightly used in speaking of and addressing the Creator with reverence, according to his holy and exalted perfections and our dependence upon him. If we do this from the heart we shall not be guilty of taking God's holy name in vain. We shall realize his goodness and love, and will not be inclined to murmur against him, but will be grateful to him for his dealings with us, and for the least blessing we receive at his hand.

But while the tongue is properly used in speaking of, and addressing, God in a manner compatible with his holy perfections and our dependence upon him, it should speak of, and address, others with respect, according to the relations they sustain to us and the Creator. In speaking of the wrong use of the tongue, James says, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing My brethren, these things ought not so to be." James iii, 9, 10.

It is not a small matter to curse others with the tongue. If we curse our fellow creatures who are made in the image of God and have God for their Father, we offend God, and are not in a condition to bless or exalt him, and he cannot accept a blessing from us. Indeed, he cannot look on any thing that we can say to exalt him as a blessing. What we say of him proceeds from the same heart that leads us to curse those whom he has created, and over whom his care, love and mercy are extended. This is clearly illustrated in the following verses: "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." Verses 11, 12.

Cursing is the opposite of blessing, and we can curse others in various ways. And the ungodly are not the only ones that are guilty here. James is here admonishing and correcting his "brethren."

We curse others with the tongue in slandering and backbiting. The unsanctified tongue is said to be full of deadly poison, and its deadly and poisonous influence is felt by others. It would be considered a heinous crime to put a portion of strychnine or arsenic into food prepared for others; but many consider it a light thing to poison the character of others, and injure their feelings by slandering, backbiting or tale-bearing. By these, thousands of innocent characters have been shamefully and maliciously martyred.

Many professed Christians are not guarded enough, and fall on this point. If they are tried with a brother or sister, and see or hear any thing unfavorable about them, they are sure to tell it to others, and perhaps in their tried condition they will put a wrong construction on what they have learned; and if their remarks take and they are not checked, they will tell it to others, and then to others, and so on; and some are not satisfied till they have spread their slanderous reports among the enemies of truth. And then the poor, blinded, deceived souls may think they have done a noble work. But what have they done? They have got the sympathy of some, who will perish with them unless they repent. They have blown on and fed the fire of hatred which they in weakness suffered Satan to kindle in their breasts, till it has grown and kindled a great matter, and others have been set on fire of hell. They perhaps have discouraged weak and well-meaning brethren, who have not sufficient experience to meet their influence, and some of whom may never recover from the shock they have received. They have caused the good way to be evil spoken of, and some may have been shut out of the kingdom. The Spirit and lovers of peace have been grieved, and Satan and his contentious host rejoice.

It is not strange that those who know not God, and the power of his truth, should indulge in slandering and backbiting; but for those who profess to know God and his truth, for professed followers of Jesus Christ, to backbite and slander, is shameful and criminal in the extreme.

But thank God, those sins need not exist in the church of God, if gospel order and discipline are carried out. Says Christ, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone," etc. Matt. xviii, 15-17. Here is the proper course marked out by the Saviour. First go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. He does not say, go and tell his fault to everybody in the church and to everybody in the world. Those who do this err, and need to be immediately labored with themselves. If those who are tried with their brethren, would go directly to them with their grievances, they would not have so much to say, and much trouble might be saved.

But some will here say, if ever wisdom is needed it is in doing this duty. This is true. But James says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him;" chap. i, 5; and he describes heavenly wisdom as follows: "The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits,

without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Chap. iii, 17. If every trait of this wisdom were fully examined, and strictly followed, this would be an easy duty to perform.

The following scriptures show how God looks upon slandering, backbiting and talebearing: "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool." "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off." "For I fear, lest when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults." "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people. . . I am the Lord thy God." "He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth (or enticeth, margin) with his lips." "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth." Prov. x, 18; Ps. l, 20; ci, 5; 2 Cor. xii, 20; Lev. xix, 16; Prov. xx, 19; xxvi, 20.

One of those sins of backslidden Israel over which Jeremiah was grieved, and which ripened Israel to receive the lingering wrath of Jehovah, was slandering. Jer. ix, 1-4. And when David undertakes to describe the man who will abide in the tabernacle of the Lord, and dwell in his holy hill, among other things he says, "He that backbiteth not with his tongue." Ps. xv, 1-3.

We should never use the tongue in speaking of others in any way to injure them. We should guard against bearing false witness. This is often done unintentionally by exaggerating. It is better to say nothing about the faults of others, than to speak of them in a manner to defame the character. When it becomes necessary to speak of the sins of our fellow creatures, we should show that while we hate sin, we love and pity the sinner. When we are about to speak concerning the faults of others, we should ask ourselves questions like these: Will what I am about to say benefit any one? Will it be rightly handled? Will it benefit the cause? Am I going to speak as I would like to have others speak of me if I were in the same condition?

Evil-speaking is strictly and repeatedly prohibited by the Scriptures; and under the head of evil-speaking, is speaking evil of dignities. Jude 8. The evil of this sin is not resisted by all. Some are liable to overlook the sacred position of those whom God calls to help in leading out his people toward the rest that remains for the children of God. Like ancient Israel, they look upon these agents as though the work with which they are connected was merely a human work, and speak accordingly. Some, like Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and a host of others, not realizing the weight and responsibilities of this work, will envy the position of those who are called to it. Num. xvi. They think they are of consequence and that the servants of God take too much upon themselves. They despise dominion, attribute the cause of their trials to dignities, and murmur when they are corrected for their sins. By pursuing this course they despise God, and murmur against him. "He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me." Luke x, 16.

The fate of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the punishment of others spoken of in the Scriptures, are sufficient to teach us how God regards this sin. But besides this, we have in the backsliding and fall of many within our own recollection, a clear demonstration of God's disapprobation for this sin, and of the necessity of guarding against it.

We curse others with the tongue in speaking angry words, in fretting and scolding. No good has ever resulted from so doing. Angry words, fretting and scolding, have never benefited any one. On the contrary, they have often proved a curse and a source of much evil. They may overpower and intimidate the fearful for the time being; but they will never reform them. They are destructive of peace, affection, and happiness. Peace and angry words do not exist together, and who can love habitual fretters and scolders with a love of approbation? Such are more dreaded than loved. Even the meek will feel an uneasiness while in the society of such. Though they may bear with, and pity them, they will feel as if among nettles and thistles.

Thousands of families are made miserable and unhappy by irritating words. In many instances, parents fall here. Instead of speaking kind and cheerful words, they complain and fret and scold. As they do this, they are shut up to each others' faults. The husband sees no virtue in his wife, and the wife sees no virtue in her husband. Separation often follows. Many a husband has been driven to the tavern by a fretful and peevish wife, and many a wife has been discouraged and made miserable by a fretful and complaining husband.

But the evil is not confined to the heads of families: the children generally imitate their parents. They do not obey them through love, but through fear and dread, and perhaps to not be annoyed by their fretting and scolding. Some children will conceal from their parents important matters, and tell falsehoods to avoid a scolding. Home has no attractions to such children; and many in discouragement will leave their parents.

Prov. xii, 18: "There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health." While the unsanctified tongue causes discord, sorrow, gloom, discouragement and death, the sanctified tongue brings peace, joy, light, courage, health and life to those who use it, and to those who eat of its fruit.

It is quite an easy matter to speak pleasant and cheerful words to the meek, to those who always bless us; but it is more difficult to speak words of pleasantness to those who address us with angry words, to such as curse and revile us. But we are expressly commanded to bless them that curse us, to bless and curse not, to not render railing for railing. Luke vi, 28; Rom. xii, 14; 1 Pet. iii, 9. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow in his steps. . . Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." 1 Pet. ii, 21-23.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Prov. xv, 1. In our intercourse with our fellow-creatures, a spoonful of oil is better than a quart of vinegar. By taking revenge of an injury we are only even to our enemy; but by passing it over we are superior. And a more glorious victory cannot be obtained over another than to return injury with kindness.

Those who give away to anger and speak angry words, manifest real weakness of soul. They may at times think they gain victories over their enemies; but they are overcome by Satan and their own corrupt propensity. They are apt to say things that they would be ashamed of if they were in their right mind. For instance how liable some are to call others fools, devils, etc., when they are angry with them. But Christ shows in what light he views these rash and irritating expressions when he says, "Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (or vain fellow, margin), shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Matt. v, 22.

Christ pronounces a blessing upon peace-makers. He says, "They shall be called the children of God." Matt. v, 9. In striving to make peace they imitate their Creator, who has done so much to bring peace into this revolted province, and to reconcile us unto himself. God sacrificed his dearly beloved Son for this object, and can we not deny ourselves a little, by not indulging in angry expressions? Can we not encourage and enforce the principles of peace by a meek and godly conversation?

The tongue is wrongly used in lying, and should be unemployed in telling the truth. The Lord has spoken nearly and repeatedly on this point, both in the Old and New Testaments, showing the evil that is caused by lying, and setting forth the awful consequences that await liars, and the advantages and blessings that result from telling the truth.

Lying originated with the Devil, who is the father of lies, and a liar from the beginning. He lied to Eve and beguiled her, and since then, lying has been practiced in many ways, and for various purposes.

But the lying tongue cannot be relied upon. It is ever looked upon with suspicion by the prudent. But it is considered safe to confide in those who are always known to tell the truth. He that sets out to tell a lie is not sensible of the task he undertakes; for he may be forced to invent many more to support it.

Lying is often practiced to get gain. This is seen in buying and selling. It has almost become a universal custom for those who sell to speak too highly of the articles they hold out for sale, and to say little or nothing about their defects, thus making an impression that these articles are worth more than they really are; and for those who buy to undervalue the articles they wish to buy, and to say little or nothing about their qualities, thus conveying the idea that they are worth less than they are in reality.

And just here we would notice the case of Ananias and Sapphira. They sold their possession, and kept back part of the price, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. They lied in trying to convey the idea that they had brought the whole price. But what language was used to convey this false idea? Peter said to Sapphira, "Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea for so much." Acts v. And the fate of Ananias and Sapphira is known to all Bible students.

Doubtless if many at the present time were in the condition of Ananias and Sapphira, and were permitted to live and speak for themselves, they would justify themselves somewhat as follows: Why, I did not lie: I said I sold it for so much. I did sell it for that and something else. But would such be more justified than were Ananias and Sapphira? And will not the punishment of such be as certain as was theirs?

One common way of lying is to attempt to uphold error by the word of the Lord. Those who do this knowingly, or ignorantly when they might have known but refused to know, may be classed among liars. In order to give force to what they say, and make their remarks appear truthful, they must intimate or affirm that the Lord has spoken when he has not spoken; that the Bible says thus and so when it does not.

Cases of lying spoken of in the Bible are sometimes referred to, to prove that guile may be used on certain occasions to bring about a good end; and falsehoods are often told to cover sin. But the Bible nowhere justifies lying. It teaches that we should not do evil, that good may come. None of those who used guile in Bible times were blessed of God for lying; but such as were blessed of God, were blessed for good traits that they possessed; and their lives would shine brighter in the heavenly records if they had not spoken guile.

No consideration should lead us to practice deceit. It is better to frankly confess our sins than to tell falsehoods to cover them, and to lose by telling the truth, than to gain by using guile. Of the holy Pattern we read, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." 1 Pet. ii, 22. And of the last church it is written, "The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth." Zeph. iii, 13. "And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. xiv, 5.

The tongue is wrongly used in speaking vain and idle words. "But I say unto you, That for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Matt. xii, 36, 37. If all were duly impressed with the truthfulness of this solemn declaration of the Saviour, vain and idle words would be fewer than they now are. But men will have to give account for their idle words in the day of judgment, whether they realize it or not.

our words we will either be justified or condemned in that day.

"How careful then ought we to live, With what religious fear, Who such a strict account must give Of our behaviour here."

(To be continued.)

The Fellowship of Suffering.

Thy cruel crown of Thorns! But where, O Lord, is mine? Are there for me no scoffs and scorns, Since only such were Thine?

Or, having named Thy name, Shall I no burden take? And is there left no thorn, no shame, To suffer for Thy sake?

Unscourged of any whip, Unpierced of any sting,— O Lord, how faint my fellowship With Thy sad suffering!

Yet Thy dread sacrifice So fills my heart with woe, That all the fountains of mine eyes Well up and overflow.

The spear that pierced Thy side Gave wounds to more than Thee. Within my soul, O Crucified, Thy cross is laid on me!

And as Thy rocky tomb Was in a garden fair, Where round about stood flowers in bloom, To sweeten all the air,—

So in my heart of stone I sepulcher thy death, While thoughts of Thee, like roses' blown, Bring sweetness in their breath.

Arise not, O my Dead!— As one whom Mary sought, And found an empty tomb instead, Her spices all for nought,—

O Lord, not so depart From my enshrining breast, But lie anointed in a heart That by Thy death is blest.

Or if Thou shalt arise, Abandon not Thy grave, But bear it with Thee to the skies,— A heart that Thou shalt save!—Independent.

The Joys of the Kingdom.

By Wm. H. Wild

DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS: How ravishing to our longing souls, are the bright celestial visions of the eternal joys to come. Oh, when will the vail be rent, that hides the lovely face of our long absent elder Brother from our gaze? When will we behold him surrounded by the angelic host, descending to the joy of the little flock, to escort them into the heavenly mansions. Oh, what a hope is ours! Have we not great promises, yea, promises more precious to us than the most fine gold, promises that should cause us to rejoice with our heads uplifted, in the blessed hope of soon entering a city, whose builder and maker is God? Yea, dear brethren and sisters, it is our prerogative, while men's hearts are failing them for fear of those things, which are coming on the earth, to lift up our heads and rejoice. Like one of old we can say,—

“Whatever ills the world befall, A pledge of endless good we call, A sign of Jesus near.”

Oh, the news of his coming, is good news to me. Of all the people in the world, we ought to be the most cheerful, the happiest, the meekest, and the most self-denying. Oh, it is blessed to abide in Jesus, even in this world of trials, and temptations; but how much more blessed, to have confidence, that when he shall appear, we shall not be ashamed before him, at his coming. We are surely a favored people. Our hearts should be filled with praise and thanksgiving. What manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called his sons. And when the earth is restored to its Eden beauty, and all the scattered millions of the Lord's shall at last hear the welcome voice of their dear Saviour, saying, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, then will our joys be complete. May the Lord by his good Spirit fill our hearts with love, and peace, and joy, and finally grant us an abundant entrance into that golden city, the New Jerusalem.

WM. H. WILD. 135 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Genesis, the Wonderful Book.

By D. I. Robinson

Yes, the most wonderful book in this wide world of ours. It is wonderful that we should have it at all. So old—only think of it, 3400 years since written. The oldest book known to be in being. Perhaps it is the first! who knows or can know to the contrary? But no matter; old enough, strange enough, and good also. If we go back three or four hundred years, and find the first printed books, how we wonder, and prize them; buy at enormous prices, and keep as great curiosities. We go back a few centuries farther, for early manuscripts of history, poetry and philosophy, and laws, and with great search and cost find a few, and how they are trumpeted, and make long famous the finder, or owner.

But here is a book, which at one bound, goes a thousand years before them all, and stands up, and stands out, singly and alone, unless Job be its compeer, challenging the nations and ages for its equal, or its like. If India, China, Nineveh, Babylon or Egypt be as old as they, and their skeptical friends claim, let them bring forth their volumes of law, history, poetry, as the fruit of their long ages of previous government, progress and glory. They should have whole libraries of them, but if not one, if God's Israel alone, if God's prophet alone, of them all, has left his book of history, law and poetry, then, let him and them enjoy the meed of glory fairly belonging to them, without cavil. The oldest book! how venerable! The first book perhaps, ever written and published! how wonderful that it should still live, still be read, still be understood! How many since lost! how many cannot be understood! how many unread that can be! But this oldest, first of all, is still published—in nearly all languages too, and read in nearly all and understood! Wonderful! Through what changes it has come, both from weak friends and many and mighty foes! Proscribed, burned, banished, with its few and despised, and poor and hated friends, it has outlived and triumphed over all. More numerous, powerful, and prized to-day than ever before! It is worthy of it. It is God's book and about God, and his greatest works and plans. It is worthy of it. It is for man's good, his enlightenment, reformation, salvation; holy and soul, time and eternity. The first that tells of God and creation in any manner worthy of him, and adapted to human culture. It gives the origin of the race, and its unity, and changes and spread on earth, consonant to reason and known facts. The only one that unfolds the ground of reconciliation to God, and reason for sacrifice to God so common to the race. The first to unfold the seed of hope, and triumph of man over Satan, of grace over sin, and earth's restitution from the curse. Ah more! It solves the source of sin, the cause of the curse on man and earth, and of the Divine Redeemer and bruiser of the serpent. It is wonderful as old a book should contain all this, and more, abundantly more. For it tells of the apostasy of the race, the judgment of the flood, the preservation of a godly seed on earth, and through the flood, by divine love and power. Of the second degeneracy, the origin of nations and languages. Of Nineveh, Babylon, Egypt, Tyre, Persia, Greece. The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, for an example, and the rise of that singular, and still existent, widest spread and most oppressed people. And more wonderful still, from Abraham, Jacob and Moses, the writer of the book, it gives their history beforehand, most as plainly as we read it now, after 3400 years of fulfillment and facts. Wonderful, that it should give us the unity, infinity, and spirituality, and omnipotence, and omniscience, and goodness, and justice, and truth, and mercy, and long-suffering of a prayer-hearing, sin-pardoning God, loving and blessing the good, and punishing the bad, without respect of persons. In a word, all the attributes of God, all the doctrines and duties of religion, known now, after 3400 years! The Sabbath, marriage,

parental duty, filial obedience, honesty, truth, love, hospitality, benevolence, chastity, monogamy, temperance are involved and exhibited in its pages, and the opposite condemned expressly, as by implication. How much of this is done in the brief biographies of the patriarchs, and the inimitable stories of Dinah, Judah and Joseph; giving life and variety to the sober gravity and brevity of history. And all this so authentically. All this among an uneducated people. It is a great thing to write a book now, after ages of experience, especially one to be read; much more to be by posterity. What to have made one then! Perhaps the very first. To be the pioneer; to discover, invent, and carry out the manufacture of a book, all new, to be read, revered, loved, believed, obeyed, for all ages, nations! This is wonderful. God is its author, Moses the penman only. Salvation of men and the honor of God, its object and result!

And yet, wonderful of all, this author claims nothing of himself, no display, no great I. No evidence of effort, no display of study, no claim to learning, philosophy, or even inspiration. It is all natural, easy, modest, as though nothing extraordinary were in it. No great hard-sounding words of pomposity. All is artless, plain, rational, holy; and has stood the criticisms of friends and foes of all ages, lands, religions, dispositions and abilities. It has not a parallel aside from the others with which it is found. It must be divine. It carries these marks and evidences in itself. Its light is clearly from Heaven and leads thither. Whatever lack of external proof, it has enough within itself to hold its ground, and maintain its way to the end. Sail on, then, little bark, on the river of time, or ocean of society, thou art safe. No storm can overwhelm thee, the Lord gave and keeps thee.

D. I. Robinson, in Advent Herald.

The Penitent's Resolve.

By J. D. Downer

How have I strayed; what wanderings made From out the narrow way : How sad and weary, the desert dreary, Has proved for many a day.

In doubt and anguish, I'm left to languish, All weary sad and lone : Reft of the Spirit the saints inherit, Ah where is my white stone ?

I will no longer, the desert wander ; In hopeless sorrow mourn : I'll heed the warning, this very morning With penitence I'll turn.

O Lord I perish ! O Saviour cherish, Revive the hope in me ; Help my endeavor this thrall to sever ; From Satan's power set free.

Both weak and wicked, yea blind and naked ; And sunk in poverty, In all my weakness, I come with meekness And pray for liberty. J. D. Downer. Lemonweir, Wis., Jan. 1, 1865.

Winning Souls.

A FEW weeks ago a man and his wife, being tenderly admonished by a Christian friend, were persuaded to visit the long-neglected house of prayer. The Spirit of Christ opened their eyes, and they were led to see their need of mercy, and sought and found a God ready to forgive. With thankfulness and love, in conjunction with the friend before alluded to, these new converts sought to bring other careless ones to the sanctuary; and the Lord had been pleased graciously to own and bless these efforts, and two other couples have united themselves with the people of God.

That was a blessed Sabbath when this Christian friend with these six souls, sat at the table of the Lord to commemorate his dying love. O, who can tell the far-reaching results of this simple Christian effort? This friend did no more than every disciple can do. Who can not say to his brother, "Come thou with us, and we will do the good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel?"

"Would you win a soul to God? Tell him of the Saviour's blood, Once for dying sinners spilt, To atone for all their guilt."

These converts are heads of families, all of them having little children to train up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." There are now three more family altars in the world. The world is richer, brighter, and purer for these; and when we can estimate the usefulness of a Doddridge, we may learn how to value pious parental example and instruction.

Dear reader! fellow Christian! follower of Jesus! where is thy brother? Are you earnestly, and prayerfully, and wisely seeking to win his soul? or are you sleeping over his immortal interests?

The 2300 Days.

"Joseph Wolfe states that the Jews of Ispahan and Bochara, possess some ancient manuscripts of the prophetic writings of Daniel in which chap. viii, 14 reads 2400, instead of 2300 days.' Also that in Adrianople in 1826, he saw an Armenian manuscript of the Bible in Greek supposed to be of the fifth century, and translated by Misrob, in which the same number occurs; and yet this missionary tells us, that 'as the most number of the manuscripts contain 2300,' he adopted that number in his arguments with the Mura at Lucknow. And, indeed, the authorities in favor of this latter number of 2300 days, are so numerous compared with others, 'that there is probably no numeral in the Scriptures the correctness of which may be more entirely relied on.' And as for the Vatican copy, it is affirmed by competent judges, 'that there is not a single manuscript known to be extant, whether in Hebrew or Greek, that sanctions the reading of 2400 days. It rests entirely upon a manifest typographical error of the Vatican edition, taken from the Vatican manuscript; which the Christian edition of Daniel notices, and says that the Vatican manuscript reads 2300 days.

Who is N. J. A.?

By John Nevins Andrews

We should undoubtedly be considered excusable for not deigning to notice the attacks of our opponents on the Sabbath or any other question, until they can examine our works with sufficient attention to give the initials of their authors correctly.

Mr. I. C. Wellcome in the World's Crisis of Jan. 3, 1865, appears to be greatly distressed over a work called the "History of the Sabbath" by N. J. A. ! and four times in his article the writer of the work is referred to as N. J. A. !! Nevertheless that the reader may see how he endeavors to get over a knotty point in history, relative to the Sunday, we will present the facts.

On pages 204 and 205 of the History of the Sabbath, conflicting statements in relation to Sunday are given from Mosheim and Neander. Mosheim's statement is as follows:

"All Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, on which the triumphant Saviour arose from the dead, for the solemn celebration of public worship. This pious custom, which was derived from the example of the church of Jerusalem, was founded upon the express appointment of the apostles, who consecrated that day to the same sacred purpose, and was observed universally throughout all the Christian churches, as appears from the united testimonies of the most credible writers."—Maclaine's Mosheim, cent. 1, part ii, chap. iv, sec. 4.

In opposition to this, Neander states as follows:

"The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intention of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect. Far from them, and from the apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday." "Perhaps at the end of the second century, a false application of this kind began to take place; for men appear by that time to have considered laboring on Sunday as a sin."—Rose's Neander, p. 186.

That Neander should be made to appear to contradict Mosheim in this statement, the article in the Crisis thinks a great perversion on the part of N. J. A. (?) The article is headed, "Wrestling History;" and as the writer has a happy faculty of illustrating his own subject, we will let him speak for himself.

After quoting the statement of Neander, he comments upon it as follows:

"What does the Doctor mean? Those who read N. J. A., and the language with which he has clothed the above extract, are led to think the Doctor asserts that the christian observance of Sunday was only of human origin, and which the apostles and early church did not observe. Does the Doctor teach this? Never. He says, 'The FESTIVAL of Sunday was always only a human ordiuance.' Note this. Well, then he means that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper 'was' always only a human ordiuance,' does he? If the festival of which the Doctor speaks is the Lord's Supper, then he means this and nothing else."

Who has said anything about the Lord's Supper? Neander certainly does not in the language above quoted. We might just as well say, "If the festival of which he speaks is Christmas then he means this and nothing else!" But there is no evidence that Neander refers to Christmas, and no more that he refers to the Lord's Supper.

Then what does he mean by the "festival of Sunday? The article in the Crisis answers as follows:

"This festival was a Catholic corruption of Christ's institution of the Supper, and by this corruption, Sunday became a day of feasting, and gamiug, and ceremonies, instead of a day of worship and rest."

Indeed! Can the Crisis tell us about what time this was brought about, and by what means. And then we would like a little authority for it, just a little to relieve the statement from some of its barrenness; for we shall be excused if we cannot place the most implicit oonfidence in mere assertions. The festival, then, that Neander refers to, was "a Catholic corruption of Christ's institution of the Supper !" (?)

Let us read Neander's language with this definition. "The Catholic corruption of Christ's institution of the supper, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intention of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect! Far from them and from the apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to a 'Catholic corruption of Christ's institution of the Supper !' Perhaps at the end of the second century, before Catholic corruption existed, the 'Catholic corruption of Christ's institution of the Supper,' began to be considered sinful!" Splendid sense this, is it not! But Neander says no such thing. He speaks of the transfer of the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday. He speaks not of the festival of the Lord's supper, but of the festival of Sunday. It is classed with "other festivals." Says the Encyclopedia Americana, "Sunday became a weekly holiday in memory of the resurrection, and at the same time a substitute for the Sabbath of the Jews. The division of festivals into classes are very various. They are, weekly, as Sunday," &c. Again it says, "In the most ancient times, we find besides Sunday, only Good Friday, Easter, Whitsunday, and some not very precisely fixed commemorative festivals of certain martyrs, introduced among Christians as holy times." This is what Neander designs to say; that Sunday rests upon the same foundation as all these other festivals, namely upon human authority as ordinances of the church; and it was far from the apostles or the apostolic church to furnish any divine command for Sunday celebration, or any transfer to it, of the law or sanctity of the ancient Sabbath. This is too plain to need further notice. The Crisis continues:

"Also, in this time of corruption, the laws which had governed the Jewish Sabbath were applied to the first day, and labor on that day considered sin; which 'was far from the intention of the apostles and apostolic church to transfer.'"

It is here admitted that it was far from the intention of the apostles to transfer to Sunday any sacredness from which it would be considered siuful to work on that day. Then in what does the sanctity of Sunday consist?

In regard to the statement of Mosheim that all Christians were unanimous in setting apart the first day of the week, &c., he says it was founded upon the express appointement of the apostles. Now we would like to see that appointement. That is all we have to say. Just show us the appointement. If he found any such thing in the writings of the apostles we can find it there too. If he could not find it there, his assertion is good for nothing.

In the History of the Sabbath these statements of Mosheim and Neander are fully tested by a critical and impartial examination of the testimony on which they rest. The best antidote to anything we have yet seen published against either the History of the Sabbath or Both Sides, is the books themselves. Let them be circulated.

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