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Review and Herald, Vol. 50, No. 13.

THE TIME OF THE END

Review and Herald

Sep 20, 1877

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 20, 1877

THE TIME OF THE END.

By A Congregationalist

BY A CONGREGATIONALIST.
“I heard, but I understood not; then I said, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Dan. 12:8–10.
That ministers of the gospel are the Lord’s watchmen, and that it is incumbent on them carefully to familiarize themselves with the teachings of the Sacred Oracles, and to bear to the church and world, as ambassadors of Christ, a faithful testimony of what is there inculcated, will hardly be denied by any unregenerated believer in Inspiration. “For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” Isa. 21:6. Of such, multitudes of anxious listeners are now seriously inquiring, “Watchman, what of the night?” Is that inquiry a reasonable one, or do those inquired of satisfy the obligations devolving on them when such inquiries are left unheeded?

THE EXPECTATION GENERAL THAT A CRISIS IS IMPENDING.

That this world is verging toward a momentous crisis is testified to by men in every walk and department of life. Endeavor to divest themselves of the impression as they may, they cannot shake off the conviction that events of unprecedented importance are impending, which may change and revolutionize the whole framework of society. Men may not be agreed as to the nature of these; but whatever their views respecting the future, they express themselves in similar phraseology, and unite in denominating the era in which we live as one that is to be terminated by the “sounding of the seventh trumpet,” “the binding of the great red dragon,” “the regeneration,” “the pouring out of the Apocalyptic vials,” “the battle of Armageddon,” etc., etc.,—terms which Inspiration and the faith of the church have ever connected with the ushering in of the millennium. Are all these voluntary utterances meaningless expressions and idle rhetorical flourishes, designed merely to amuse the hearer or reader? or are they solemn expressions of honest and serious convictions? And if so, whence come these convictions, and whence originates the impression, everywhere encountered, that events of startling importance and world-wide interest are about to transpire? Can they be other than the premonitions which God, by his providence and grace, grants to his children when about to perform any marvelous work?

GOD REVEALS COMING EVENTS.

No truth of Inspiration can be more clearly enunciated than that “surely the Lord God doeth nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. He does not necessarily do this by a special revelation, nor by visible manifestations—his communications with men being different in different ages of the world. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” Heb. 1:1, 2. And the prophets by whom he now speaks are the faithful men who are called in his providence and qualified by his grace to become “ambassadors for Christ”; and he revealeth his secrets to them by moving them to study and enlightening them to comprehend the import of the “sure word of prophecy, whereunto,” says an inspired apostle, “ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts.”
It is not to be truthfully disputed that, during the last half-century, the attention of the church has been called to the study of the prophetic Scriptures in a manner never before witnessed, and with an intensity and earnestness of investigation that is irreconcilable with any theory that denies that God is thus moving upon the people and preparing his chosen ones for some manifestation of his dealings with them, the nature of which can only be known by a careful and prayerful study of his word.
That he should thus give admonition of the future is in harmony with the record of all his past doings. Said the Rev. John Hooper: “As God is one, having one will and one purpose, so his dealing with mankind has ever been the same. What he was to man at the beginning, and what he was to him in after ages, he is now and ever will be—Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and forever; he changeth not, neither can change.” To this the psalmist beareth witness, saying, “Thy memorial, O Lord, endureth throughout all ages.” Now, one great feature in God’s dealing toward his people is, that he revealeth himself to them according to the age in which they live and according to their need in their day and generation, that they, knowing his will and purpose concerning them, might worship him truly and serve him acceptably, and so be prepared for greater manifestations of his glory, and dwell forever in his presence.” —Apoc., p. 12.
In accordance with this principle, when man had fallen from the created innocence in which God had placed him, one of God’s first acts toward him was to reveal his purpose of redemption, by the triumph of the Seed of the woman over the head of the serpent. When the wickedness of man had become great on the earth, and it was necessary to destroy all flesh by a flood of waters, God revealed his purpose to Noah, and instructed him to build an ark, so that as many as believed might enter in, and be saved from the coming judgment. During one hundred and twenty years the long-suffering of God then waited, and men doubtless were faithfully admonished and entreated; and though the unbelieving multitude knew not the nearness of the judgment till the flood came and swept them all away, yet those that believed were in the secret of God, entered into the ark at the appointed time, and were all saved. At a later period, when the nations had become sunk in idolatry, and Abraham, apparently, was alone faithful, God communicated his purpose to make his seed a blessing to all the nations of the earth, revealed the length of their sojournings, and made known the time of their restoration. When the destruction of wicked Sodom was determined on, the Lord said (Gen. 18:17), “Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” And due notice was given to righteous Lot, who, with his daughters, was preserved; and none, even in that guilty city, perished without due warning.
When “the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworn unto Abraham” (Acts 7:17), we find the children of Israel (Ex. 2:23) sighing by reason of their bondage, and crying unto God for deliverance. We also find that Moses was divinely moved to visit his brethren, supposing they “would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them; but they understood not,” till the period of their Egyptian servitude was more nearly fulfilled; when Moses spake unto them the words of Jehovah and performed wonders in their sight, and “the people believed.” This was a pre-requisite for their deliverance; and so (Ex. 12:41) “it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self-same day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt.” As we come down through the periods of Jewish history, and it became necessary to punish them for their transgressions (2 Chron. 36:15), “the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes and sending; because he had compassion” on them. When “they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words,” so that his wrath “arose against his people, till there was no remedy,” they were graciously informed of the duration of their punishment,—that it was to be in Babylon for seventy years.
As what is once written needs no repetition by a special revelation, so the record of Jeremiah (25:11) was amply sufficient to make known the end of the Babylonish servitude. And, accordingly, we read that Daniel (9:2) “understood by books the number of years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem”; and therefore he set his heart toward God to seek its accomplishment. To him also was made known (Dan. 9:25–27) “that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks,” of symbolic time, or four hundred and eighty-three years. And in just that period from the date of the decree which Artaxerxes the king gave to the priest Ezra (7:11), we hear “a voice from heaven [Matt. 3:17] saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And the Saviour affirms the accuracy of the prediction when he declares (Mark 1:15), “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Previous to the appearing of our Lord, there were those among the Jews who understood from the Scriptures that the time of his advent drew near, and who were “waiting for the consolation of Israel.” To one of these, the “just and devout” Simeon (Luke 2:26), “it was revealed that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” And there was a widow also (verse 36), “one Anna, a prophetess,” of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day,” who “spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Not only (Matt. 13:17) “many righteous men desired” to see his day, but the opinion was so general, that when the Baptist preceded him (Luke 3:15) “the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or no.” Nor was the belief confined to Palestine that some remarkable personage was about to appear in Judea. Says Suetonius, a Roman historian: “An ancient and settled persuasion prevailed throughout the East, that the Fates had decreed some one to proceed from Judea, who should attain universal empire.” And Tacitus, another Roman historian, says, “Many were persuaded that it was contained in the ancient books of their priests, that at that very time the East should prevail, and that some one should proceed from Judea, and possess the dominion.” When he came, the glad tidings of his birth were announced by angelic voices to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night; and wise men, recognizing his star in the east, came to worship him. A forerunner was sent to prepare the way before him; and those who received him not were rejected, “because,” as he said to Jerusalem (Luke 19:44), “thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
When he laid down his life, he first revealed, not only to his disciples, but to the entire nation, that in three days he should rise again; and when he ascended on high, he left the promise of the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, till the reception of which the disciples were commanded to tarry at Jerusalem. If these illustrations are not sufficient, we have on record the Saviour’s prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem during the continuance of the generation that rejected him, which was fulfilled in less than forty years subsequent to his crucifixion. And, that the Christians living in Judea might escape its impending doom, they were told (Luke 21:20) that when they should “see Jerusalem compassed with armies,” or, in other language (as in Matt. 24:15), “the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place,” they were to “flee to the mountain”; which admonition they heeded, and escaped safe to Pella.
Such is the testimony of Inspiration respecting the dealings of God with his people in past ages; in view of which is it to be supposed that an unchangeable Being should pursue an opposite policy respecting events of the future, particularly when that future is to witness the “crowning consummation of all prophetic declarations”? Under every dispensation the near coming of every great event has been known to his people. In every important instance he has told them what he was about to do; so that none of them were ignorant of it, or unprepared for it who regarded his revelationsrespecting it, those only being left in darkness who disregarded and wickedly closed their eyes and ears to the instruction which God gave them. Therefore it cannot be that God will withhold from his people, in any age, such knowledge of their own times, as is needed for their serving him acceptably in the performance of the duties pertaining to their respective age. And that he would not do so respecting the time of the closing of the present, and the ushering in of the millennial dispensation, may be clearly inferred from the considerations already presented.—The Time of the End.

HE IS COMING!

Rejoice, O land of promise, Let Judah now rejoice, And bid her ancient valleys Re-echo back the voice. Let Carmel and Mount Sharon Take up the joyful strain,— Thy King is coming, Zion, In glory soon to reign.
He is coming, he is coming, Though he has tarried long, To bring to thee thy beauty, To give thee back thy song; To robe thy plains with verdure, Richer than days of old, Thy hills to crown with glory, Thy city pave with gold.
He is coming, vale of Sharon, To give to thee thy rose; He is coming, Mount Moriah, To scatter all thy foes. He'll come unto thy temple, Its glory to restore; Thine altars crown with blessing, As when in days of yore.
He'll come to thee, Mount Olive, And on thy summit stand; In him the sons of Jacob Shall yet possess the land; The land by promise given To Abraham of old, When as a stranger driven From his parental fold.
He'll come to thee, O Jordan, He'll cause thy face to shine, Thy banks he'll strew with olives, The orange and the vine. While yet upon the mountains, He'll smile upon thy wave, For to thy sacred waters He came the world to save.
He'll come in all his glory, With him a shining band, To gather all his chosen From every sea and land. Then all the Gentile nations His majesty shall own, While on the hill of Zion He'll reign on David's throne.
He is coming, he is coming, Earth's curse to far remove, To make his saints immortal, To rule the world by love. He is coming, he is coming, And his advent now is near. Thrice hail the blissful morning, Earth's grand Sabbatic year.
—Sel.

THE LAW.

By Jos. Clarke

The sacred writers speak of “the law” in different ways, leaving the reader to determine which law is meant by the manner in which it is spoken of and by the context.
Thus in 1 John 3:4, the apostle says, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” evidently meaning the moral law of ten commandments. Paul has this law in view when he says (Rom. 3:31), “Yea, we establish the law.” The same law is mentioned in Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14; Matt. 5:17–19. There is a large number of texts, both in the Old and New Testaments, in which the moral law is given as a perfect rule of life. James calls it a “royal law,” a “law of liberty.”
Another class of texts speak of a different law. Thus in Heb. 7:12, it is written: “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Here the Melchisedec order of priesthood is contrasted with the Aaronic. As Jesus Christ did not come in the line of Aaron, but of Judah, and in the similitude of Melchisedec (see chap. 7:11–15), the order, or line, of the priesthood was changed; but would it not be very wicked, as well as foolish, to say that the law here referred to is the moral law of ten commandments? Read the whole of chapter 7.
In Colossians, Paul speaks of the handwriting of ordinances that was against us—contrary to us, and of its being nailed to the cross, taken out of the way, etc. Here he refers to that cumbrous system of worship which existed under the Jewish priesthood, and which was done away when the new priesthood, the Melchisedec order, was established by Christ. Is any reference here made to the great moral law?
It must be understood that when Paul states that no one can be saved by the works of the law, and that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified, he speaks of the great doctrine of justification by faith. Men are not saved by the law; for all have broken it, and justification by grace does not invalidate the moral law.
Again: it is written in Rom. 3:19, that “what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” Not only Jews, but all the inhabitants of the world, are condemned by this law. This assertion could be true of only the moral law; therefore this law is not in any sense Jewish, nor can it be that law which was made with reference to the Aaronic priesthood or the cumbrous system of ordinances connected with that priesthood. No! the law which stops every mouth, and causes all the world to become guilty before God, must certainly be the law of God, the ten commandments.
Paul goes on to state that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified. Rom. 3:20. He explains by stating in verse 23 that “all have sinned,” that is, have broken this law; consequently the remedy at hand is, “being justified by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Verse 24. “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Verse 28.
What could be plainer than that a sinner cannot be justified by his past life, which has been one of sin? His carnal mind has risen up in rebellion against God, and against his law. Now he sees the majesty of God, and the purity of that universal law, and he sinks helplessly in the dust. What can raise him up? Nothing but the pardoning grace of God. He triumphs in God, and sings of the love which provides a way of redemption from his lost condition.
Does he now make void the law through faith? If he does, he is not a follower of Christ; if he is a true convert, he establishes the law. Jos. Clarke.

NOTHING ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT LABOR.

By F. M. T. Simonson

[The following essay was read before the Illinois Tract and Missionary Society at its last annual session, held in connection with the camp-meeting at Clinton, Ill., and by request was furnished for publication in the REVIEW.]
This is an age of quick thought, immediate resolution, rapidly followed by execution, all aiming to produce immediate results.
We are wont to look only at success in any enterprise, without taking into consideration the expenditure of physical and mental labor to gain the desired end. We ascribe the favorable termination of an undertaking to some peculiarity of fortune, which is bestowed, unsought, on some, while it is withheld, for some unaccountable reason, from others equally worthy, as far as principle is concerned; but a close observation and intimate knowledge of the mode of obtaining a great good will disclose the fact that success is not the result of chance; it is the remuneration or compensation for an equivalent, and that equivalent is hard labor.
Might we not have had another Michael Angelo, in substance if not in name, if some one endowed with like artistic gifts had possessed also his indomitable energy? We are told that he studied anatomy twelve years; that some of his figures were begun as a skeleton, and muscles were laid on, one little bundle of fibers after another, until his extremely faithful labor was rewarded by a perfect model. Art lovers gaze upon his productions in statuary and painting, and ascribe them to his genius, which would have been as nothing without persevering labor.
Instances of like tenor might be multiplied at will; but we take only a limited interest in those objects which we believe are soon to perish. We profess to be engaged as auxiliaries, not as prime movers, in the work of seeking the salvation of our fellow-beings. To the prime movers, the ministers, we have no suggestions to offer; but to the tract and missionary workers we would address a few words. It has been proved, by actual experiment, that lay members may be successful as messengers. The extent of country over which the third angel's message has traveled, since the beginning of systematic tract work, has surprised even those who first suggested the measures taken. The number of attentive hearers, of interested readers, is increasing in a ratio agreeable to contemplate.
Facts and statistics concerning the rise and progress of the Illinois Tract and Missionary Society not being accessible, a retrospective view of labor, in detail, cannot be taken; and as for the result of the past six years' labors, who can estimate it in figures? Can any one demonstrate the extent of the influence this side the Judgment? We record quarterly the number of pages distributed, the visits made, etc.; but the tears, the prayers for and pleadings with our judgment-bound fellow-creatures are noted only by the recording angel. A number of efforts being made, lines of influence start out, ramify, intersect, and finally become a network.
While we congratulate ourselves on the good accomplished, let us not lose sight of the successes which might have followed, had we bestowed more labor, or had we performed the remaining nineteen-twentieths of the work we might have done. Are we not, in many instances, so overcome by the Laodicean lethargy, that we turn our backs upon our faith, and the fact that the angel of God is now holding the winds to allow the message to go forward, well nigh fades from memory?
At one period, Napoleon left his letters unopened for thirty days, and on examining them at the expiration of that time, he found that, by waiting, many needed no answer. Not a good way for tract and missionary workers. There is a mutual obligation between officers and members to be prompt. Slow-moving officers lessen the efficiency of members, and dilatory members weaken the power of a willing officer.
Do we believe what we profess? Are we positive we shall have plenty of time in which to work? For what were the rapid mode of transit, cheap fare, wonderful mail privileges at such low figures, fine inventions in printing presses which are worked at such a low price, telegraph, telephone, etc., reserved until this particular age? Any one slightly versed in prophecy can readily tell. They are to facilitate the spread of this last message.
With such a convenient highway open before us to nations, peoples, tongues, and kings, what excuse have we for not rising to the work, as never before? Let us not contemplate past endeavors; but from this hour, bend to the work till Illinois shall encourage sister Societies by her example of devotion. F. M. T. SIMONSON.

A DISCUSSION ON THE SABBATH.

By C. H. Chappee; H. Woodruff

In connection with our meetings at Half Rock, Mo., we recently held a two days' discussion with a Campbellite elder from Fairfield, Iowa. We affirmed the perpetuity of the Sabbath and the law; he denied. The following positions were taken:—
1. The Sabbath was made for man. Mark 2:27. The word man is unlimited, embracing all mankind. Job 14:1: “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” Verse 10: “Man dieth, and wasteth away.” Who dies? All mankind.
2. The Sabbath was made at the close of creation week. Gen. 2:2, 3. The patriarchs reckoned time by weeks. Hence they had the Sabbath. Gen. 8:10; 29:27. It was observed by God's people before the law was given. Ex. 16:22–26.
3. The Sabbath commandment was spoken by the voice of God, and, with the rest of the law, was written with the finger of God on tables of stone. Christ had it, with the other commandments, in his heart, and preached it in the great congregation. Ps. 40:6–10; Matt. 5; Luke 4:16; 6:6, 9. The elder admitted that Christ kept the law and the Sabbath and taught the same; but said his teaching was all before his death, and belonged to the old dispensation, hence it is no guide for us on the Sabbath, as it (the Sabbath) was abolished with the law at the cross. We then showed that if Christ's teaching was not good on the Sabbath question it was not good on any other point.
He claimed that the New Testament proper begins with the Acts of the Apostles, and unwittingly cited Heb. 9:15, 17, and said that if Christ gave no law after his death he never gave any. We showed that Christ was the testator; that what he taught was his testament, and of course came in force immediately after his death.
The elder claimed that the old covenant was made with Abraham. We showed that it was made with the house of Israel, over three hundred years after the death of Abraham. Jer. 31:31, 33; Heb. 8:8, 9.
He claimed that Moses wrote the ten commandments on the tables of stone. We showed that God wrote them. Ex. 24:12; 31:18; 32:16; Deut. 5:22. We showed him against the Bible, in all, ten times.
The elder also claimed that Christ met with the disciples on the resurrection day, the first day of the week; and again the next first-day; and the third time on the first day of the week, and on the fourth first-day ascended to Heaven, and that the next first-day was Pentecost. After we had shown that the second meeting could not have been on the first-day; that the third time that Christ met with the disciples they were fishing; that his statement brought Pentecost on the fifth first-day after the resurrection, which makes the time too short by several days; and that the ascension could not possibly have been on the first day of the week, he admitted to the audience that his mouth went off too fast. We then showed that the law was taught by the apostles from twenty-nine to fifty-nine years this side of the cross, Rom. 7:7, 12; James 2:8–12; 1 John 3:4; 5:2, 3; also that the apostles observed the Sabbath, Acts 13:14, 15; 16:12, 13; 17:1, 2; 18:1, 4; and that Luke said by inspiration that it was the Sabbath when they had those meetings, to all of which he made no reply.
His last ditch was Rev. 1:10. He claimed that the original was Messiah's day. We answered: Admitting the criticism to be correct, it did not prove what the elder wished. It only proved that there is a day in this dispensation called the Lord's day, or Messiah's day, without proving which day of the week it was. We then showed that the Lord's day was the seventh day of the week. Ex. 20:8–11; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28. The discussion closed apparently with good feeling among the people, and glorious results have followed.
C. H. CHAPPEE.
H. WOODRUFF.

The Prophets of Old.

By Charles W. Elliott

Imagination can hardly picture the startling effect of the presence of one of these men, appearing suddenly in the midst of a careless multitude at the doors of the temple, and raising his threatening, warning cry.
If it be possible, let us suppose such an one to stand in the porch of one of our beautiful churches on a Sunday morning, when crowds of well-dressed, self-satisfied, prosperous people are thronging its doors. He shakes his warning finger, he raises his voice, shrill with anxious forebodings:—
“A voice from the east and a voice from the west, from the south and from the north—It is the voice of Jehovah saying to me, ‘Go to this people and cry aloud in their ears, that they are a lying people, a cruel people, a base people, a foolish people. They come here to this house, clad in silk and lace, and pretend to worship Me, while their hearts worship mammon—Gold, gold, gold is their god! They know that I require of them to visit the fatherless in their affliction and to keep themselves pure from corruption; and yet they live and fatten on the ill-paid wages of the poor; the air they breathe is tainted with the misery of the wretched; the cry of the outcast smites their ears! They call themselves honorable men, high-minded directors; yet they lease the railroads to themselves, and take the money of the widow and the orphan and put it into their own pockets! They know that these money-kings are greedy, unscrupulous, seizing thespoil; that they are corrupting the morals of the young men, and insuring untold mischiefs to the coming time;—yet the people fall down and worship these men and say, “Smile upon us, for ye are gods.”’
“‘Hearken not to sweet voices, hearken to me. Tear off your finery, sit in sackcloth, repent, amend, do justly, walk humbly, and save yourselves from eternal infamy and ruin.’”
Should we listen to such a voice as that? Should we not laugh it to scorn? Should we not mob it, stop it in any way? We should. We should do like the Hebrews; we would not have such amongst us: disturbers of the peace, spoilers of trade, disagreeable in every way.
Are we then so very different from those ancient Jews?
There is, however, a marked difference between them and us. They believed in the prophetic utterance; believed the prophets had direct communication with the Spirit of God. Now we do not. They were excited to fear—they trembled and repented; or they were roused to frenzy, and then they killed the prophets. We should laugh at them, despise them for a time, but if they persisted, it is not at all certain we should not kill them too.—Charles W. Elliott.

THROUGH TRIALS.

By Rosegarten

Through night to light. And though to mortal eyes Creation's face a pall of horror wear, Good cheer, good cheer! the gloom of midnight flies, There shall a sunshine follow, mild and fair.
Through storm to calm. And though his thunder car The rumbling tempest drives through earth and sky, Good cheer, good cheer! The elemental war Tells that a blessed healing hour is nigh.
Through frost to spring. And though the biting blast Of Boreas stiffen nature's juicy veins, Good cheer, good cheer! When winter's wrath is past, Soft murmuring spring breathes sweetly o'er the plains.
Through strife to peace. And though with bristling front, A thousand frightful deaths encompass thee, Good cheer, good cheer! Brave thou the battle's brunt, For the peace march and song of victory.
Through cross to crown. And though thy spirit's life Trials untold assail with giant strength, Good cheer, good cheer! Soon ends the bitter strife, And thou shalt reign in peace with Christ at length.
Through death to life. And through this vale of tears, And through this thistle-field of life, ascend To the great supper, in that world whose years Of bliss unfading, cloudless, know no end.
—Rosegarten.

SABBATH THOUGHTS.

By T. L. Waters

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
Like the lighthouse on the sands of Hatteras, built to warn the mariner of the miry quicksands of that stormy coast, is the Sabbath institution, which was given to mankind by the Creator to keep in memory his name, and to preserve them from the vain and foolish imaginations of the natural heart concerning him. All through the long centuries of strife, bloodshed, and anarchy of which this world’s history is the record, has the light of this beacon shone out to the world from that people who were once Jehovah’s chosen. Cast off as a nation, they have clung to it with a tenacity of purpose worthy of their better days, when all Israel were wont to go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord of hosts.
Nations that have made earth tremble, and its dwellers pale beneath their military tread, have passed into oblivion, and are known only by the record of the historian, and still this peculiar people exists. Scattered among the nations as thistle blows are scattered by the autumn winds, they have carried this light from their own loved Palestine to the farthest shores. And since the days of the apostles, there have not been wanting among Christians some to uphold this beacon light, and let its rays shine out amid the moral darkness. All through the Dark Ages God had witnesses to his truth; and at this present time, its rays are shining out clearer than ever.
Brethren, let us be guided by this light. It points us to the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. It warns us to beware of infidelity and disobedience; for He who created the earth will yet rule it in righteousness. T. L. WATERS.

THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE.

By M. Wood

This language deserves more than a passing notice. This statement of the Saviour’s is of so much importance that God saw proper to have it recorded upon the page of his holy Book for our profit. It seems from personal observation that the world at large are becoming careless upon this point, and that they lightly regard the rights of their fellow-beings, often withholding from the laborer his hard-earned wages. Even professed Christians, and some who profess to be waiting for the coming of the Lord, need to reform upon this loose way of dealing with their brethren.
The laborer is worthy of his hire. Christ, with his great heart of love, could not endure the thought of sending his disciples forth into the vineyard wholly dependent upon the bounties of a cold and merciless world. He gave them to understand that the laborer is worthy of his hire. Minister or missionary, or whoever has given himself to the work of God in any capacity whatever, is worthy of his hire, or support. Yet there are instances in which, either from a lack of interest, or from carelessness on the part of those who have pledged themselves to the support of the cause, the laborers have been left unprovided for. Such things ought not to be. We should redeem our pledges made to God. “Cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully [margin, negligently].” If in our temporal affairs we should thus disregard our obligations, what would be the result? Financial ruin would surely follow. Where we spend one hour meditating upon the work of God, we spend hours, yes, days and weeks, of hard, sober thought studying and planning how best to meet our liabilities and save our reputation. We heed the apostle’s injunction to “be diligent in business,” so far as secular matters are concerned.
Now, why not be as diligent and as zealous in spiritual matters as we are in our temporal affairs? Why make the cause of God a secondary consideration, when we know that eternal life is at stake? When we pledge ourselves to the support of God’s cause, it is equivalent to giving our bond. It is a business transaction between God and ourselves. Our vows and our pledges are recorded in the courts of Heaven; and the pledge, or bond, which we have given to the great God, stands against us until fully redeemed. The day of grace is almost past. Let us redeem our pledges, brethren, lest they be protested, and in the final settlement of accounts, we be found wanting.
In the counting-room or upon the farm, in the desk or attending to the most commonplace matters pertaining to the closing work of the gospel, the principle laid down by our Lord in Luke 10: 7 is applicable until the close of time. So long as the laborer fulfills his part of the contract, we are morally bound to render to him his due to the utmost farthing. God has said, “Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him; the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” Lev. 19: 13. James says, “The hire of the laborers, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”
Often through carelessness and neglect, not through a desire to withhold from another what is rightfully his, the laborer becomes an object of charity, whereas if we would practice the teachings of God’s word, and heed the admonitions of his Spirit, we should render unto “Cæsar, the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God, the things that are God’s.” M. Wood.

ILLINOIS T. AND M. SOCIETY.

By G. W. Colcord; F. M. T. Simonson

The seventh annual State meeting of the Illinois T. and M. Society was held in connection with the Illinois Camp-meeting at Clinton, Ill., convening Aug. 26, 1877, at 5 P. M. Opened with singing, followed by prayer by Eld. C. H. Bliss.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and accepted. The work for the closing quarter was as follows:—
District report Total
Membership 322
No. reports 478
Donors 200
Families visited 1,770
Letters written 1,906
New subscribers 449
Periodicals distributed 5,855
Tracts & pamphlets distributed—pages 461,656
Almanacs distributed 4,000
A statement for the year is as follows:—Membership, 322; reports, 478; donors, 200; families visited, 1,770; letters written, 1,906; new subscribers obtained, 449; periodicals distributed, 5,855; pages of tracts and pamphlets distributed, 461,656; almanacs, 4,000.
Rec’d on widow and orphan fund, $62.38 By donations, $291.09 From book sales, $86.60 Membership fees, $51.00 Total, $491.07
It was found that the amount of work performed was not proportional to the membership; and all were urged to work, as, the ministers being few, the responsibility of spreading the message rests, in a large measure, upon the shoulders of the T. and M. workers. The interesting letters calling for help, from all quarters of the globe, some having come from far-off New Zealand, should arouse our flagging energies. Interesting statements followed concerning the result of missionary labor. If each does even a little, it amounts to much, and no one who is working hard in tract work is likely to backslide.
It was found there was much labor performed which was not reported, thus making our tabular statement a poor index of the workings of the Society. The members were referred to the pledge they made to God, to labor earnestly in the cause, and they were urged to pay the vow.
The following officers were elected:—For president, Eld. G. W. Colcord; vice president, Eld. R. F. Andrews; secretary, F. M. T. Simonson; treasurer, George Foreman.
Directors: Dist. No. 1, A. A. John; No. 2, J. H. Bennett; No. 3, George Foreman; No. 4, Cary Dryden; No. 5, Christopher Turnipseed; No. 6, H. Smith; No. 7, Martin Kittle; No. 8, L. A. Logan; No. 9, J. W. Tait; No. 10, Jared Mallernee; No. 11, Short Glassock.
The treasurer’s report was as follows:—Rec’d during year, $364.91; paid out, “ ” $341.91; balance on hand, $23.00. Total, $364.91.
Considerable discussion followed, concerning the disposition of the almanacs for 1878. It was decided that children make the best salesmen, and that we would give our best efforts to the work.
Following the reading of an essay, by the secretary, came the adjournment to call of the president. G. W. COLCORD, Pres. F. M. T. SIMONSON, Sec.

WATCH

By CHAS. LEWIS

In many places in the Bible we are directed to watch. We should be careful, however, how, when, and what we watch. We should watch for the coming of Jesus; for he says, “Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” We should “watch and pray that we enter not into temptation.” We should watch against spiritual lethargy, and mirthfulness; for Paul exhorts,—“Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
We should watch for opportunities for doing good; for it is written, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.” But nowhere are we told to watch over the tops of our seats during a season of prayer to see who is coming in. Nor do I believe Paul meant this when he instructed Timothy to “watch in all things.” Neither do I think the blessing pronounced upon those servants whom the Lord shall find watching, is a reward for this kind of watching.
O my dear young brethren, let us remember, when we are tempted, from our knees, to watch those entering the house of worship, that God is watching us. May the Lord help us to be consistent.
CHAS. LEWIS.
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