p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 39. (10/7/1897)

Earlier text: Aaron

CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

By Editor

Editorial.

"The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love" (notes) . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 2

The Hope of the World . . . . . . . . . . . 2

One Sure Thing, E. J. W. . . . . . . . . . . 2

But Why Not Stick to the Word? . . . . . . . . . . 3

Poetry.

Wait on the Lord, C. L. RICHARDS . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Holy Scriptures . . . . . . . . . . 8

A Mortifying Mistake . . . . . . . . . . 9

Rest at Home, D. E. W. . . . . . . . . . . 10

Faith . . . . . . . . . . 10

General Articles.

Applied Gospel, MRS. S. M. I. HENRY . . . . . . . . . . 3

"Rightly Dividing the Word" . . . . . . . . . . 4

"Trust in the Lord," MRS. E. G. WHITE . . . . . . . . . . 4

Meaning of Hell and Gehenna . . . . . . . . . . 5

Feeling, W. N. G. . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Apostles and the Sabbath, W. L. ILES . . . . . . . . . . 7

Is It Wrong to Attend the Dancing School? EDEN BUMSTEAD . . . . . . . . . . 7

Trust . . . . . . . . . . 7

Bible Readings.

Spiritual Declension . . . . . . . . . . 8

Question Corner.—No. 633, Picking Grapes or Hops—No. 634, The Hollow of the Thigh—No. 635, Dan. 12: 11, 12—No. 636, Is It Sabbath-breaking?—No. 637, A Question on the Law, Matt. 5: 17—No. 638, Christ and the Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Outlook.—Increase of Mob Law—Decadence of Religion—"Deceiving and Being Deceived" . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Fireside.—The Pint of Ale, John—Simplicity in Dress—The Tarantula . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10

Missions.—Sketches from the Orient, H. P. H.—Opponents of the Bible—Our Work and Workers . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11

International Sabbath-School Lesson.—Ministry of Paul and Peter (Sabbath, Lesson 4, October 23, 1897) . . . . . . . . . . 12

International Sunday-School Lesson.—Paul before King Agrippa (Sunday, Lesson 4, October 24, 1897) . . . . . . . . . . 12

News and Notes . . . . . . . . . . 13

Publishers . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15

Complete Salvation in Christ

Jesus Christ is a complete Saviour for every one who will submit to him. He will not save you against your will. He respects your individuality. He would draw you by his love and eternal goodness.

It Ought Not So to Be.

The Catholic Mirror prints a letter from Alaska saying that Protestant schools of Alaska are supplied with public funds while Catholic schools receive nothing. This if true ought not so to be. The government has no more right under the constitution to favor the one than the other.

It Is in Love

It Is in Love.—It is frequently said, "If God is love, why does he threaten such terrible punishment upon the disobedient?"—He does it because he is love. The punishment is the result, the fruitage, the working out of sin. It would come whether God warned us or not. In his love he reveals the terrible consequences which inhere in the very transgressions, in order that we may escape them. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye, from your evil ways; for why will ye die?"

Let Us Therefore Come Boldly

Let Us Therefore Come Boldly.—Where? to the priest? to the bishop? to the pastor?—Nay, but to the Throne of Grace. And what for? to be told to go to the priest or the "church" for absolution?—Nay, but "that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4: 16. Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace where sits the Lord Jesus Christ on the right hand of the Father, a merciful and faithful high priest on our behalf. The business of pastor or priest is to introduce, lead, point, the sinner to Christ; not to tell Christ that that sinner deserves mercy because he has been thus brought, or for any other reason, the Lord knows all that; but to tell the sinner that all mercy and life and blessing and healing is found in Jesus Christ.

Every Christian’s Work: Revealing Christ

The Apostle Paul was not burdened as to himself; but his object was to preach "the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery." This was to see the Father in Jesus Christ; for "truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." To reveal Jesus Christ is the work of every Christian.

Inner Consciousness, Deception.

The deceptions and delusions of the world are self deceptions. Saul of Tarsus was sincere in his persecuting course, but it was self deception. Hear him: "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Acts 26: 9. Thinking with one's self is like regulating a clock by itself. It is the surest way to be wrong. What God desires, and that is the only sure way, is to think with him. God's will is expressed in his Word. When we think with that we have a twofold witness; the spirit in us answers to the unimpeachable Spirit of his Word.

Legalism

By Editor

Legalism.—It comes with an ill grace for those who believe in keeping a day for a sabbath not enjoined in the Bible, and are asking for human law to enforce it, to accuse those who observe the Sabbath of the Bible, the Sabbath kept by Jesus Christ, of "legalism," or of being "sticklers for a day." If they had their choice of a day apart from Revelation, they would doubtless go with the majority; but the Lord has in his Word, in the example of Jesus Christ, left them no option. The law is not theirs; it is God's law. The Sabbath commandment is not theirs; it is God's commandment. And "this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." Is this "legalism"? If so it is of the Gospel. But what does clinging to Sunday mean? And what should demanding a human Sunday law be called? Is it not akin to "legalism"?

A Neat Souvenir

By Editor

A Neat Souvenir, "Gateways of Tourist Travel" (issued by the Passenger Department of the Grand Trunk Railway System, E. H. Hughes, Assistant General Passenger Agent, Chicago, Ill.), has come to our table. In clear type and readable text it presents in its 80 pages, embellished with over 100 beautiful photo and pen illustrations, a few items of interest in the continuous panorama of interesting scenes on the Grand Trunk system from Chicago, the queen city of the prairies on the west, crossing the great waterway of the lakes twice, the last time at Niagara, down the wonderful St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic seaboard by the way of the lakes of Maine and the mountains of New York, in the east.

Going by Feeling

Going by Feeling.—Our feelings of duty and field of labor are not always the safest guide. They are more or less influenced by early education and surroundings. The apostle Paul felt that he must go to Jerusalem and the Jews. Dr. Alexander McClaren, in his always excellent notes, on the Sunday-school lesson of October 10 (Acts 22: 17-30) in the S. S. Times of September 25, thus forcibly expresses it:

“But the apostle's heart clung to his nation, and not even his Lord's command was accepted without remonstrance. His patriotism led him to the verge of disobedience, and encouraged him to put in his ‘but, Lord,’ with boldness that was all but presumption. He ventures to suggest a reason why the Jews would receive his testimony, as he thinks. They knew what he had been, and they must bethink themselves that there must be something real and mighty in the power which had turned his whole way of thinking and living right round, and made him love all that he had hated, and count all that he had prized but dung. The remonstrance is like Moses’, like Jeremiah’s, like that of many a Christian set to work that goes against the grain, and called to relinquish what he would fain do and do what he would rather leave undone.”

So also when Paul would preach in Asia the Lord forbade him, and then when the apostle thought to go to Bithynia, the Spirit suffered him not. Acts 16: 7. See also Rom. 1: 13; 15: 22. God knows best. Our present dream may be our future duty; leave all with God unmurmuringly, and follow his opening Providence. God's time is the best time; his way the best way.