Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Feb 4, 1904
Tracts That Will Answer
QUESTIONS, such as, What does it all mean? Why wasn't this found out before? Who changed the day? How may we know anything about Christ's coming? etc., etc., are invariably asked of those presenting present truth. The following lists of tracts, arranged according to subjects, will furnish ready answers to these questions, and in many cases are more effective than verbal discussions:—
What Does It All Mean?
Signs of the Times ................................................ 1
What Do These Things Mean? ....................................... 1
Wonders of the Nineteenth Century ................................. 2
Great Day of the Lord ........................................... 2½
Truth for the Times ............................................. 1
God's Message for To-day ........................................ 1½
Heralds of His Coming ........................................... 1½
Without Excuse .................................................. 1
Sabbath or Sunday, Which?
Which Day Do You Keep, and Why? .................................. ½
Is Sunday the Sabbath? .......................................... ½
Who Changed the Sabbath? ......................................... 1½
Day of the Sabbath .............................................. 1
Bible Authority for Sunday Observance ............................ 1½
The Seventh or One-Seventh ...................................... 1½
New Testament Sabbath ............................................ 1
Scripture References ............................................ 2
Elihu on the Sabbath ........................................... 1
Rome's Arraignment .............................................. 1
Seal of God and Mark of the Beast ................................ 2
Christian Sabbath (Catholic authority) ........................... 1½
Mortal or Immortal?
Immortality of the Soul ......................................... 2
Tormented Forever and Ever ...................................... 1
Thoughts for the Candid ........................................ ½
Jesus and the Resurrection ...................................... ½
Thief on the Cross .............................................. ½
Scripture References ............................................ 2
Rich Man and Lazarus ............................................ 1
Spiritualism
Spiritualism, Its Source and Character ........................... 1
Samuel and the Witch of Endor ................................... 2
Hypnotism, What Is It? ......................................... 3
What Must I Do to Be Saved?
Some One Cares for Your Soul .................................... ½
Jesus Died for You ............................................. ½
The Name — Help to Overcome ..................................... 1
What Must I Do to Be Saved? .................................... ½
The Way to Christ .............................................. ½
Privilege of Prayer ............................................ ½
There Is Help in God ........................................... 1
Salvation through Christ ....................................... ½
Sure Promises of God ........................................... ½
Power of Forgiveness ............................................ ½
The Christian's Privilege ...................................... 2
Have Faith in God .............................................. ½
Religious Liberty
United States as a Christian Nation ............................. ½
Shall Christ and Caesar Yoke Together? ........................... ½
Church and State Distinguished .................................. 1½
Limits of Civil Authority ...................................... ½
Religious Liberty and the Mormon Question ........................ 1
The Civil Sabbath — Disguised Legislation ........................ ½
The Immaculate Conception ....................................... 1
Christ and the Pharisees ....................................... 2
Our Answer ..................................................... ½
Discount in Quantities
There are 50 of the half-cent tracts in a package; and of the one-cent, or larger tracts, there are 25 in a package. To those who will order sufficient full packages to equal 100 or more tracts, we will allow a discount of forty per cent, postage to be added at the rate of two cents for each package.
Story of Daniel the Prophet
THIRD edition, beautifully illustrated with full-page half-tone engravings.
One who desires to master the philosophy of an acceptable Christian life, and the means and methods by which a close connection with God may be maintained, can find no more competent text-book than is furnished in the record of the experiences of the prophet Daniel. If you would acquire a vivid sense of God's care for his people, and his constant remembrance of them, and the easy means he makes use of to accomplish his ends, you will find the subject fully exploited in the prophecy of Daniel.
An interesting book, because it tells the simple story.
A remarkable feature of this book is an appendix of nearly one hundred pages, containing a chart with Bible references on the principal points of present truth, the whole focusing in the sanctuary question; also short Bible readings on the Second Coming of Christ, Millennium, the New Earth, the Law of God, the Sabbath, Repentance, Fate of the Wicked, Christian Help Work, Spiritual Gifts, Christian Education, Ministration of Angels, Baptism, Dress Reform, the Judgment, Lord's Supper, Righteousness by Faith, Health Reform, Life Only in Christ, Tithing, Church Order.
Do you remember what you read? Turn to the appendix of this book and you will find questions on each chapter, calling forth the leading points therein, and thus establishing them in your memory. Over 2,300 questions in all.
From the Index of Marginal References and General Index, comprising some twenty-five pages, a storehouse of valuable information is always at the command of the reader.
There is no other book like it.
Neatly bound in cloth, postpaid, $1.
Education
BY MRS. E. G. WHITE
A book for children, young or grown up.
A book for the aged: we're never too old to learn.
To parents, teachers, and students, all pupils in earth's preparatory school, this book is dedicated. May it aid them in securing life's greatest benefits, development and joy in service here, and thus a fitness for that wider service, the “higher course” open to every human being in the school of the hereafter.
Table of Contents
First Principles:
Source and Aim of True Education.
The Eden School.
The Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Relation of Education to Redemption.
Illustrations:
The Education of Israel.
The School of the Prophets.
Lives of Great Men.
The Master Teacher:
The Teacher Sent from God.
An Illustration of His Methods.
Nature Teaching:
God in Nature.
Lessons of Life.
Other Object Lessons.
The Bible as an Educator:
Mental and Spiritual Culture.
Science and the Bible.
Business Principles and Methods.
Bible Biographies.
Poetry and Song.
Mysteries of the Bible.
History and Prophecy.
Bible Teaching and Study.
Physical Culture:
Study of Physiology.
Temperance and Dietetics.
Recreation.
Manual Training.
Character-Building:
Education and Character.
Methods of Teaching.
Deportment.
Relation of Dress to Education.
The Sabbath.
Faith and Prayer.
The Life-Work.
The Under-Teacher:
Preparation.
Co-operation.
Discipline.
The Higher Course:
The School of the Hereafter.
Scripture Index.
General Index.
This intensely interesting and instructive volume is not at all intended for those alone who seek merely a worldly education. “Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. . . . True education means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world, and for the higher joy and wider service in the world to come.”
Dedicated to Parents, Teachers, Students — to All.
Bound in cloth, beautiful cover design, postpaid, $1.
By Land and Sea
IN every young heart there is a desire to see the world. While this is proper, it is beyond the reach of many; and to see and appreciate the wonderful things in the different parts of the world, one needs to study beforehand the scenes and places of interest. With “Travels by Land and Sea” in one's possession, a truthful and accurate description can be secured of many of the places of interest in the different lands on our globe, which people spend many dollars in traveling to see.
Our church schools can gather from this excellent book much profitable information in connection with their geography study.
Price, postpaid, $1.50.
“I do not see why this book should not have a large sale, now that the price is reduced. This will enable thousands to secure it who felt hardly able to purchase it when it was sold as a subscription book. It certainly will make a fine addition to a library; and it is a book that will be very instructive for our young people, especially in studying the different missionary fields. We will do all we can to circulate it.
“SECRETARY OF WISCONSIN TRACT SOCIETY.”
Order of State Tract Societies; Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich.; Review and Herald, Washington, D. C.; Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal.; Kansas City, Mo.; Southern Publishing Assn., Nashville, Tenn.
Editorial
By Editor
Unmasking Satan
THERE is more satisfaction in talking about Christ and his gospel than in speaking of Satan and his work, but it is nevertheless necessary to expose the snares of Satan, and save the unwary from being caught in them. The Lord would not have us ignorant of the devices of the great deceiver, and he has therefore clearly revealed to us in his Word the plan of the campaign which will be followed by the prince of this world. In tearing off the covering of religious phrases and forms under which he is now attempting to hide his false teaching, and in revealing the true character of his hellish philosophy by showing what a perversion of the genuine gospel it really is, we hope to save some unsuspecting souls from eternal ruin.
Hasten the Work
THERE is every inducement to lead us to hasten the work of giving this message to the world. Men are being deceived and led astray for lack of the light of this truth. Satan is holding many in bondage who would be made free by the knowledge of this gospel message. Hope would take the place of despair, joy would take the place of sorrow, and confidence would take the place of dread in the experience of troubled souls who would welcome this message, if they only knew what it holds for them. The whole long reign of sin will come to an end when this message has finished its work, and the way will be prepared for the return of our blessed Lord to take his people to himself. Then those who have been separated by death will be restored to each other's companionship, and all will behold the loving Saviour face to face. There is nothing enduring but the things of the eternal kingdom. The things of this world will pass away. “Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.” “Amen: come, Lord Jesus.”
Accepting Forgiveness
THE disposition to forgive inheres in the very nature and being of God. He himself thus defines his own character: “And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth; keeping loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” The psalmist speaks of the same thing in these words: “Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive.” This disposition to forgive was rendered effective for us in the gift of Jesus, “in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins,” whom God did exalt to be “a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.” In the cross of Calvary we find the solution of the problem of freely offering forgiveness to all who will accept it, while preserving justice as the foundation of the throne. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.” God has thus provided forgiveness for sin, but in order to be benefited by this provision we must accept the forgiveness offered. The first step in this experience is repentance. “Repent ye,” is the oft-repeated call. Repentance is coupled with the remission of sins. The risen Saviour declared to his disciples that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations.” True repentance includes confession of sin, and this brings the application of the forgiving mercy of God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Having sincerely repented of sin and confessed our sins unto God, we accept forgiveness by taking God at his word and believing his assurance of full pardon. In doing this we honor God, who has pledged himself that the repentant sinner shall have forgiveness. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Do not fail to accept the forgiveness freely offered to us.
The Life of Faith
HE who lives the life of faith is by no means a mere visionary and impracticable dreamer. He who deals with the things which are unseen is not thereby unfitted to deal in the most sensible way with the things which are seen. He who believes God and accepts his estimate of the comparative value of things present and things to come will be the best prepared to deal prudently in the whole conduct of life. It is those who devote all their time and strength to the acquisition of that which they may lose in a moment of time who are justly open to the charge of acting foolishly. So it was with the rich man in the parable. After a time of great prosperity, according to the usual way of thinking, he said, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” “A prudent man, who had made wise provision for the future,” says the world. “Thou fool,” said God. Which is right? Is it evidence of an unbalanced mind to follow the counsel of the Nazarene, who had not where to lay his head? His advice is, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.” “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”4Are the one hundred thousand millionaires of this country more sound in their views of finance than the Great Teacher? And the would-be millionaire is building upon no better foundation than he who is able to reach the goal. There are really but few who exercise an unwavering faith in God, and who order their lives in harmony with the plain statements of the Scripture concerning this world and the world to come. The life of faith is the unusual life. The cases are becoming rare where the unseen, the things of the heavenly kingdom, truth and righteousness, are viewed from God’s standpoint with the eye of faith, and estimated in the light of eternity. Nevertheless it is true that the life of faith is the soundly practical life, the Word of God being true. Happy is the man of faith.
The Coming of the Seed
The Two Mysteries
In the first advent of Christ, when the Son of God became the Son of man, the mystery of the kingdom of God was made manifest, “even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” To this revelation of divinity in humanity those had looked in all the ages whose minds had been able to discern the meaning of the prophetic utterances. From the time when the original promise was made in the garden that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, this clothing of divinity with humanity had been declared in a variety of statements and typical experiences. When Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the rulers, meeting the procession on the Mount of Olives, asked the question, Who is this? “the disciples, filled with a spirit of inspiration, are heard above all the noise of the crowd, repeating in eloquent strains the prophecies which answer this question. Adam will tell you, It is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, It is Melchisedec, King of Salem, King of Peace. Jacob will tell you, He is Shiloh of the tribe of Judah. Isaiah will tell you, Immanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Jeremiah will tell you, The Branch of David, The Lord our righteousness. Daniel will tell you, He is the Messiah. Hosea will tell you, He is the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial.” When “the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,” the mystery which had been revealed and yet hidden in symbol and prophecy became a concrete fact—God manifest in the flesh. This is the mystery of godliness. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; he who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory.”
This opening up of the divine purpose to angels and men made it forever clear that the eternal Son had not simply been given for man, but to man, and the truth was taught with a positiveness hitherto unknown that the gift of the Seed was the essence of every promise, and that only in the acceptance of the gift of the Seed could any promise be realized. And even though Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, so that his bodily presence was no longer experienced by his disciples, yet in his humanity he had connected man on earth with the throne of God, and he had promised his constant presence with the believers, in the gift of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. And so the mystery of the gospel was proclaimed and revealed, and the power of a present Christ was manifested, and the church prospered, even though its testimony for Christ was sealed with the blood of many martyrs.
But in the very generation during which this mystery had been thus wrought into fact and testified of to the whole then known world, such a perversion of this gospel began to manifest itself as afterward developed into that chiefest counterfeit of the gospel, that masterpiece of deception—the papacy. The apostle Paul wrote of this as “the falling away,” and the apostle John designated it as “the antichrist.” And even in their time the foundation of this great apostasy was being laid. In one of his very earliest epistles Paul wrote of this, saying, “The mystery of iniquity doth already work,” and he warned the church of it in his farewell words to the elders of the church at Ephesus: “I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” By the teaching of these “perverse things” the gospel of “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” was perverted, and an attempt was made to lay another foundation than that which had been laid. The corner-stone of the true gospel foundation is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and that he is the Head of the church. This is the mystery of godliness, and upon this foundation the true church rests. The corner-stone of the perversion of the gospel is that the pope of Rome is the vicegerent of the Son of God, and takes his place as the visible head of the church. This is the mystery of iniquity, and upon this foundation the false church rests. The mystery of iniquity is simply a counterfeit of the mystery of godliness, and its whole intent is to shut Christ out of his place in the plan of salvation, to take away from the gospel that which has constituted its very essence from the time of the original promise.
The blasphemous nature of this counterfeit gospel, and the terrible perversion of the mystery of godliness which is found in this mystery of iniquity are thus described by one who has given much study to this system:—
The great primal truth of God’s unity and supreme and exclusive government was supplanted in the old world by the device of making men adore inferior divinities, not as God, but as representatives and vicegerents of God. So in the modern world the leading Christian truth respecting Christ, and the oneness of his mediation, has been supplanted by the device of other mediators, and of another Christ,—antichrist. Popery is the counterfeit of Christianity,—a most elaborate and skilfully contriven counterfeit,—a counterfeit in which the form is faithfully preserved, the spirit utterly extinguished, and the end completely inverted. This counterfeit church has its high priest,—the pope,—who blasphemes the royal priesthood of Christ, by assuming his office, when he pretends to be Lord of the conscience, Lord of the church, and Lord of the world; and by assuming his names, when he calls himself “the Light of the world,” “the King of Glory,” “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” Christ’s Vicar and God’s Vicegerent. This counterfeit church has, too, its sacrifice,—the mass,—which blasphemes the sacrifice of Christ, by virtually teaching its inefficiency, and needing to be repeated, as is done when Christ’s very body and blood are again offered in sacrifice by the hands of the priests of Rome, for the sins of the living and the dead. This church has, moreover, its Bible, which is tradition, which blasphemes the Word of God, by virtually teaching its insufficiency. It has mediators,—saints and angels, and especially the Virgin; and thus it blasphemes the one Mediator between God and man. In fine, it blasphemes the person and office of the Spirit as the sanctifier, because it teaches that its sacraments can make holy; and it blasphemes God, by teaching that its priests can pardon sin, and can release from the obligations of divine law. Thus popery has counterfeited, and, by counterfeiting, has set aside, all that is vital and valuable in Christianity. It robs Christ of his kingly office, by exalting the pope to his throne; it robs him of his priesthood in the sacrifice of the mass; it robs him of his power as Mediator, by substituting Mary; it robs him of his prophetic office, by substituting the teachings of an infallible church; it robs God the Spirit of his peculiar work as the sanctifier, by attributing the power of conferring grace to its own ordinances; and it robs God the Father of his prerogatives, by assuming the power of justifying and pardoning men.
Thus the counterfeit Christianity of Rome is as extensive as the real Christianity of the New Testament: it substitutes other objects of worship, other doctrines, other sacraments; all of which, however, in the letter, have an exact correspondence with the true. The forms of Christianity have been faithfully copied; its realities have been completely set aside. Thus Satan has carried his object, not by erecting a system
Off to the Mission Fields in 1903
By W. A. S.
LAST year it was early seen that the mission treasury would not warrant adding very heavily to the staff of missionaries in the fields abroad. Here and there posts required strengthening, but the General Conference Committee decided to defer opening several new stations earnestly called for by the fields. The hard time in missions comes when we have to hold back candidates who offer themselves, and send word to the fields that we shall have to delay re-enforcements. Yet, as the list for 1903 shows, even last year in missions means no little movement toward the fields abroad. As you go through the record, think what an added responsibility of praying and giving such a list lays upon our churches in this country. There went out in 1903 the following workers to the fields named:—
Elder J. A. Strickland and wife, January, to Jamaica, West Indies.
Elder B. E. Connerly and wife, January, to Porto Rico, West Indies.
Elder D. U. Hale and wife, January, to the Gold Coast, West Africa.
Elder A. W. Kuehl and wife, February, to the Transvaal, South Africa.
Brother J. M. Hyatt and wife, February, to the Gold Coast, West Africa.
Elder J. H. Watson and wife, March, to Nyassaland, Central Africa.
Brother Andrew Ness and wife (canvasser), April, to Scotland.
Dr. A. J. Hetherington, April, to the Bay Islands, Central America.
James McKay, David Johnson, Laura V. Porter (canvassers), April, to Great Britain.
Elder Alexander Ritchie and wife, April, to Scotland.
Dr. J. M. Keichline, May, to Egypt.
Miss Berta Taylor (canvasser), May, to England.
Elias Zarub, May, to Syria.
R. T. McPherson and wife (printer), June, to South Africa.
George M. Harris and wife (nurses), June, to England.
A. C. Enns and M. H. Wentland (nurses), July, to Germany.
C. D. Lude (teacher), July, to Argentina, South America.
Elder S. W. Nellis and wife, Elder S. M. Cobb and wife, Elder R. D. Quinn and wife, J. L. MacElhaney, N. J. Walldorff, in July, to Australia.
Fred Robert and wife, August, to France.
Drs. A. C. and Bertha L. Selmon, Drs. H. W. and Maude T. Miller, Charlotte Simpson and Carrie Ericksen (nurses), October, to Inland China.
Earl Rees and wife (nurses), October, to Japan.
Ella McIntyre (nurse), October, to Egypt.
Dr. V. Pampaian and wife, and C. Pampaian (nurse), October, to the Transcaucasus, Asiatic Russia.
Dr. A. W. George, October, to Turkey.
Elder I. J. Hankins and wife, October, to South Africa.
James G. Smalley (teacher), October, to the Bay Islands, Central America.
Dr. Geo. W. Thomason and wife, October, to Ireland, preparatory to going on to South Africa.
Drs. A. M. and Maude O. Vollmer, October, to Samoa, Pacific Islands.
Of workers from this country, already in fields abroad, Elder M. A. Altman and wife, of England, sailed for South Africa in December, while Brother A. C. Enns, reported above to Germany, went on in October to German East Africa, in company with J. Ehlers, of Germany. Early in the year W. O. James and wife went on from England to India, and Elder H. Armstrong and wife, of England, also sailed for India.
Besides these laborers some have gone to Mexico and to Europe as independent, self-supporting workers.
The laborers named, with the wives, make up a total force of sixty missionaries who sailed from this country in 1903, while eight from Europe went on to regions beyond. We do not list the children, who, nevertheless, are wanted in the fields, and count as helpers in the missionary campaign.
Of this list, Brother and Sister Hale have returned from the Gold Coast, being driven back by the deadly fever, and Elder J. H. Watson has laid down his life in Nyassaland. All the rest are pushing the battle in the fields. It means something very practical to this mission treasury that this force has been added. Yet it is, after all, such a little contribution to the world's great need. Truly we must pray the Lord to greatly bless the efforts of the little band abroad as they seek to break the bread of life to hungry souls. Then shall even a few loaves and fishes suffice to feed the multitudes. And it is most important that all shall remember the regular, systematic, weekly gift laid by for missions, the faithful remembrance of which by all would produce a steady flow of means to sustain work already begun and to greatly increase it. There is not a laborer in the list who does not realize that in the day of harvest he will divide his sheaves with those who at home have prayed and given in order that he might go. W. A. S.
“The Hidden Presence”
IN a recent number of The Outlook (New York) there appeared an editorial with the heading, “The Hidden Presence.” It is worthy of some attention as indicating with much clearness the trend of the “New Thought” movement. The first sentence of the article is this: “We fail to find God because we do not look for him in the right place.” After speaking of the common tendency to confine God to the remarkable and striking displays of his power, it says further: “The Scripture writers did not any less believe in God’s presence in the commonest phenomena of nature. In truth the commonest phenomena of nature are as great manifestations of his power and presence as those which impress us as unique.” As illustrating and enforcing the meaning of this statement, quite a long quotation is then made from Psalm 104. Then comes this further declaration concerning the presence of God: “As he is in all the common phenomena of nature, so he is an inspiring, guiding, protecting, redeeming presence in all the experiences of men; not more the God of the poet or the prophet than of the shopman or the day-laborer. . . . What Jacob said when he awoke from his dream of the celestial ladder to find his head pillowed on the stones, we might all of us say at all times: ‘Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.’”
Applying the same method of interpretation to the teaching of the Scripture concerning human conduct in general, it says: “We have an idea that only the extraordinary, the uplifting, the celestial movements of our minds are6divinely inspired; but this was not the conception of the sacred writers. The secret and source of all life is God; he is over all and in all; in him we live and move and have our being. All human activities of every kind have the source of their power in the infinite and the eternal. . . . Let us not, then, wait for the extraordinary to bring us the revelation of God’s presence. We are to look for him not without, but within. . . . Every voice of conscience summoning to virtue or restraining from vice, saying, Thou shalt, or Thou shalt not; every regret for a misspent past, . . . every inspiration to a higher, nobler, and better future, calling from the heights above, Follow thou me—yes, every incentive to generous or unselfish service and self-sacrifice for another, every impulse toward humanity, of pity for the sorrowing, or of mercy for the erring, is the voice of God speaking within us. Nay, more than that; all the common operations of our mind are, if we do but recognize it, witnesses to his presence from whom comes all our life, and by whom, if we will but allow it, all our life may be both guided and strengthened. To commune with ourselves is to talk with God.”
This article is a good illustration of the method of interpreting and applying the Scriptures which is in vogue in many quarters to-day. It is that mixture of truth and error, and that mingling of Scripture teaching with the assertions of a speculative philosophy which appears to prove the presence of God as very real and very near to every one of us, while in reality it sets aside the true God altogether, and substitutes in his place that false conception of God which ends in making each one a god unto himself. While in the outward form of its statements and its reasoning it ostensibly makes God the upholder and the director of all things and all persons, it in reality dethrones the true God, and deifies impulse and those mental processes which it transforms into “spiritual consciousness.” While it apparently lifts all the common experiences of life to a high spiritual plane, it really eliminates the truly spiritual experience altogether by breaking down the distinction between the natural man and the spiritual man, by making the conduct of every man inspired and directly controlled by God in him, and by asserting for every man, regardless of his personal attitude toward God, the same experience of the presence of God within him. The logical result of all this misleading philosophy is that man becomes God, but this final step in the logic is usually not stated in direct terms. Not so, however, in the case of this article. It does not hesitate to declare in plain language the legitimate conclusion from its “philosophy and vain deceit,”—“To commune with ourselves is to talk with God.” Here is revealed openly and baldly the inevitable result of that professedly Christian teaching which is based upon the creed of God in man as revealed in those mental and physical experiences which are common to all men. It dispenses with the atonement as unnecessary. It belittles all those great truths which center in the cross of Christ. It ends in the universal salvation of all men by making every man as God, and consequently his own savior. But this is heathenism.
The very title of this editorial, “The Hidden Presence,” is suggestive of the fact that this modern teaching concerning the being and nature of God which is set forth as “The New Thought” is simply a variation of the Chaldean idolatrous worship, that paganism which has been preserved for centuries in the creed and ritual of the papacy. In such doctrine as this apostate Protestantism is showing its identity with “the mystery of iniquity.” This is made clear by a consideration of the simple facts in the case. The god of the ancient Chaldean mysteries was Saturn. “Saturn and Mystery are both Chaldean words, and they are correlative terms. As Mystery signifies the hidden system, so Saturn signifies the hidden god.” The papacy has perpetuated this pagan perversion of the truth in its form of service. “In the litany of the mass the worshipers are taught thus to pray: ‘God hidden, and my Saviour, have mercy upon us.’ Whence can this invocation of the ‘God hidden’ have come, but from the ancient worship of Saturn, the ‘hidden god’?” And now this same pagan notion is being brought forward by a degenerate Protestantism as “The New Theology.” That these three presentations of this conception of “the hidden god” are simply different phases of one and the same root principle is shown by the fact that they all arrive at the same conclusion. They exalt man in the place of God, they put humanity in the place of divinity, and they make each man his own savior. Here is the foundation of every heathen religion.
It is manifestly a Scriptural teaching that the true God hides himself. “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.” But in the true revelation of this same God man is humbled in the dust, God is exalted, and the only way of salvation is shown to be through faith in the man Christ Jesus, who is “Emmanuel, . . . God with us.” This is the difference between Christianity and the heathenism of every age.
The Gospel of the Coming Seed
avowedly antagonistic, but by amusing and deluding men with the counterfeit.
It is apparent further that in the doing of all this, in the substitution of the counterfeit for the real, the mystery of iniquity for the mystery of godliness, there has been taken out of the gospel message the very heart of “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” In this false gospel there is no place nor need for the teaching that all the glorious promises and prophecies will find their consummation in the coming of our Lord in glory, and in this false church there is found no voice responding to the “Behold, I come quickly”, with the earnest petition, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
In the mystery of godliness, the true gospel, Christ is exalted as God manifest in the flesh, and the hope of mankind is shown to depend upon the coming of the Seed as the Lord of glory. In the mystery of iniquity, the counterfeit gospel, the pope is exalted as the vicar of Christ, and men are deluded with the claim that through the sacraments of the church they may secure heaven and everlasting bliss entirely independent of the coming of the Seed. To such an extent has the gospel of the original promise in Eden been perverted. There is certainly a demand for a message which shall proclaim the gospel of the coming of the Seed.