Review and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 3.
For Thee, For TheePage 1
For Thee, For Thee
By Milton C. Wilcox
*O soul, He died for thee! the Son of God
Most High came down from highest throne to earth’s
Profoundest depths of sin. He fierce temptation bore;
For thee the midnight agonies of soul;
For thee the sighs, the tears, the prayers, the groans,
Unuttered oft, because in feeling, depth,
Unutterably deep in love divine,
For thee the mountain, pleading all the night,
The watchful sleep, more weary than the full
Awaking; too, the bloody sweat in dark
Gethsemane, when, all alone with none
Of human brotherhood to bring Him cheer,
Or share His grief profound, He trod alone—
Divinest love—the wine-press of God’s wrath;
And, sinful soul, He did it all for thee.* *For thee the shame, the mocking pitiless,
The cruel scourge, the nail-pierced hands and feet,
The thorn-crowned brow, the great heart doubly pierced,
The long, slow hours of fevered, torturing pain,
The awful soul-enshrouding darkness deep,
In which all nature, humbled, stood abashed
Before the mighty death of God’s own Son.
The Light of Life went out; all earth was dark,
All nature shuddered to its central heart;
And God Himself did suffer with His Son.* *’Twas all for thee, that Sin’s degraded thrall
No longer thou mightest be; no longer know
The fearful bondage binding soul and mind
Till dark despair bore fruit in desperate deed,
And Hope departed. But He died for thee,
And in His blood is cleansing for thy sin,
Is healing for thy heart, is balm for bruise,
Is freedom from thy load of sin and guilt.* *Christ rose for thee,for thee He broke the bands
Of sin and death, triumphant Conqueror.
Forever for thee He lives and reigns
That thou mayst live and reign with Him for aye.
O, wilt thou not turn from thy sin to Him
Who lived and suffered, died and rose and lives
For thee, that He may share with thee His all?* Other Tracts With Important Messages
THE tracts described below are those especially recommended for use in the missionary campaign. They are especially good to use in connection with the Open Letter tract mentioned above. Many people, after reading the Open Letter tract, will inquire about the change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. The tract bearing the title of “Who Changed the Sabbath?” will answer their questions in a clear and concise manner. It has been carefully prepared and arranged with a view of making the subject plain, convincing, and conclusive. Price, one cent, or 70 cents per hundred, post-paid. To those who can make a judicious use of some of the New Booklet Catalogues, containing notices of our standard works, and who will send us one or more two-cent stamps for postage, we will send a number of these booklets free. They should be placed in the hands of interested friends, and the valuable features of the different books explained. We have just printed a supply of Tract Order Sheets which will give information as to the names and prices of all our tracts and pamphlets. These will be sent free on application. Conducted by the Department of Circulation of the Review and Herald Publishing Association Open Letter From Seventh-day Adventist Ministers Sunday Observance Crusade
THE Open Letter recently sent to the Protestant ministers of Washington, D. C., has been printed in tract form in response to the urgent request of many of the workers who have read the copy of the letter printed in the Washington Post, and in the REVIEW of January 12. The object of this open letter was to reveal to the ministers of Washington the fact that, according to the Bible, “Sabbath observance” means the keeping of the seventh day of the week, that the Sunday crusade they are proposing to inaugurate is not Christian, and to call their attention to what the Bible says on the subject of the Lord’s day and the breach in God’s law. These points are presented in a manner so logical, concise, and conclusive as to render the positions taken unanswerable. The publishing of this letter in the Post has demonstrated its effectiveness in that it has created a lively interest in the Sabbath question, where before it appeared there was no interest whatever. The same matter, circulated in tract form, will do a similar work. It will be one of the best tracts ever published on the Sabbath question; and being an open letter addressed to a definite body of ministers during a special Sunday enforcement campaign, it will command the attention of the people better than an ordinary Sabbath tract void of a special issue. The spirit of the letter is Christian and highly commendable. It will strongly appeal to the people, and will bring conviction. If justice is done to the world to-day, and reasonable service rendered to the Lord of the Sabbath by the readers of the REVIEW, fifty million copies of this tract will be circulated in the near future. Every church should make a generous order for these tracts at once, and organize for its circulation. It will be on sale by all publishing houses and State Tract Societies at the following rates: $3.75 a thousand; 40 cents a hundred; ½ cent a copy. containing a large number of studies on important Bible topics, including the Second Advent, The Law of God, The Sanctuary, Soul and Spirit, Spiritism, Nature of Man, etc. Price, 1½ cents each; $1 per hundred, post-paid. revealing the time of Christ’s coming, The End Near, Signs of the End in the Increase of Knowledge, Darkening of the Sun and Moon, Falling of the Stars, the Crying of Peace and Safety, Preparing for War, Accumulation of Wealth, Increase of Crime, etc. Price, 1½ cents each; $1 per hundred, post-paid. The Gospel Message for To-day
A sixteen-page tract containing a brief study of the character of God's messages to the world, and contrasting those applicable to times past with the great special message for the world in the present generation. This tract might be named “Present Truth.” It contains much important information for the professed Christians in the popular churches at the present day. Price, 1 cent each; 70 cents per hundred, post-paid. Way-Marks to the Holy City
A study of the prophecies of Daniel relating to the different kingdoms of earth. Those pointing to the new earth are also clearly though briefly explained. A very important tract for general circulation. Price, 1 cent each; 70 cents per hundred, post-paid. THIS being the time of year to begin a file of our various periodicals, we call attention to the following convenient and durable cloth-back periodical binders:— Review and Herald, 9 1-8 x 13 1-4, 30 cents. Signs or Watchman, 10 1-4 x 15, 30 cents. Instructor, 10 3-4 x 15 1-2, 30 cents. State papers, etc., 9 x 12, 20 cents. Abridged Edition of “Christ in Song”
By Editor
WE are pleased to announce to our friends that we are again prepared to supply the abridged edition of “Christ in Song” in flexible cloth. This little abridgment of the regular edition is cheap, and suitable for use in all religious gatherings. Price, 15 cents, post-paid. Our Little Folks’ Bible Nature
A NEW child's book of simple, graded lessons on Bible nature, beginning with the narration of the events of the week of creation, and continuing these in the order given in the Scriptures. It is a beginner's graded book on the sentence-method order. Each subject is thoroughly illustrated with new drawings made especially for the book. It is further illustrated with fifteen beautiful colored plates. It contains 128 pages, and is bound in board and cloth, with colored cover design. It is a reader especially adapted to church-school work, and also an excellent little book to sell to the trade. Of this work, Prof. J. G. Lamson says:— ‘I have carefully examined ‘Our Little Folks’ Bible Nature,’ by Ella King Sanders, having read it through several times, and each time reading it my admiration for the book has been increased. ‘In taking up the story of creation, and developing the history of that week in such a way as to use only a few words in each lesson, and yet preserve the order of creation, the author has certainly accomplished a desirable result. These little lessons from the book can not fail to call forth from the teacher more complete explanations of that one period in the history of the world, and I truly believe that children who take this as their guide in learning to read will be brought nearer to nature and nature’s God than by the study of any first reader that has ever come to my knowledge. I have examined many, and this one, for workmanship, design, and all, in my judgment, heads the list.’ NEAT, cheap, and durable, being made of strong straw-board in imitation of oak wood, and will hold a good assortment of tracts. A number can be used in one public place, instead of one large, expensive rack. This plan of missionary work is recommended for public places where it is not possible to do systematic follow-up work. Only a short time is required occasionally to refill the racks. Price, post-paid, 20 cents each. Order of Review & Herald, Washington, D. C.; Battle Creek, Mich.; Pacific Press, Mountain View, Cal.; Kansas City, Mo.; Southern Publishing Assn., Nashville, Tenn.; or your State Tract Society. THE east and the west are just as far apart as possible. Did you ever find encouragement in this fact? Remember the assurance which comes to us by the mouth of David: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” “He will mention them no more forever,
My sins are all taken away;
For his royal promise changes never,
My sins are all taken away.” LISTEN to the apostle Paul's statement of his loss and gain account: “What things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ.” On the loss side, “all things;” on the gain side, “Christ.” Was Paul in danger of bankruptcy? WE are not left in doubt and uncertainty as to what time we have reached in the world's history. From the plain teaching of the prophetic Word we may know the time. Although there have been delays and disappointments in the past, yet just so surely as it is true that Jesus will come again according to his promise, just so surely there must be a last generation, and, according to the teaching of the Scriptures, the people of the last generation will have a definite message to bear to the world concerning the judgment hour and the immediate coming of the Lord. “This generation shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished.” This generation is the last generation. In this advent movement is given the last message of warning and invitation before probation closes. Let the watchman give the trumpet a certain sound, that the people may be ready for the coming King. An advertisement of a recently published book entitled “The Ethics of the Greek Philosophers” endeavors to show “the absurdity of applying this term ‘pagan’ to the old Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three of the greatest minds in the history of religion.” As an unanswerable argument in the demonstration of the claim that these old philosophers should not be regarded as pagans, the following statement is made: “In the words of Socrates, five hundred years before the New Testament was written, will be found a clearer statement of the doctrine of the immortal soul and its future states of probation, reward, and punishment than can be found in any part of the Bible.” We shall make no attempt to deny the truthfulness of this claim. In fact, we heartily indorse it. We fully believe that Socrates taught the immortality of the soul more plainly than it is taught in the Bible. More than this, we believe that Socrates taught the immortality of the soul with much clearness, while the Bible does not teach it at all. And this is one of the distinct proofs that Socrates was a pagan. Heathen philosophers have maintained with much show of deep reasoning the original falsehood of Satan that man possesses by nature an indestructible life by virtue of which he will continue to exist to all eternity, making man in this respect equal with God. This teaching was introduced into the professed Christian church in that time when, as Neander says, “Pagan vices, pagan delusions, pagan superstition, took the garb and name of Christianity, and were thus enabled to exert a more corrupting influence on the Christian life.” In marked contrast with this pagan philosophy, which dishonors God and attempts to rob him of his very existence, is the teaching of a pure Christianity which shows that life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel of Christ. This is the doctrine of the Bible concerning man and the soul. This is the very essence of the Christian religion as opposed to the paganism of Socrates. Which Day Is Sacred ?
By W. W. Prescott
Sabbath Observance in Light of Decree of Spires
Reply to Bishop Satterlee
Seventh-day Adventists Rest Their Case on Famous Protest Against Civil Intrusion and Arbitrary Church Commands—The Principles in Which Protestantism Had Its Birth
UNDER these headings there was printed in the Washington Post of January 7 an open letter written by the editor of the REVIEW to Bishop Satterlee, of Washington, who had replied to the “Appeal to Clergy” which was printed in the last issue of this paper. The general tenor of the bishop’s letter can be seen from the quotations made, and from the whole trend of the reply. The editor’s letter is as follows:— The Right Rev. Henry Y. Satterlee,
Bishop of Washington. DEAR SIR: Referring to your letter of Dec. 30, 1904, printed in the Washington Post of December 31, we beg to say that we greatly appreciate the Christian spirit in which you have replied to our former letter, and that it is only love for the pure gospel of apostolic times, for our brethren in the ministry, and for those who look both to you and to us to be “ensamples to the flock,” which prompts some consideration of the two points in your communication to which you courteously invite our attention. Your first point is stated as follows:—
“The first, the sociological point of view, relates to the enactment of Sunday laws by the civil authorities. Apart from all Christian association whatever, whether emanating from the Old or the New Testament, the institution of the American Sunday has been declared by the Supreme Court of the United States to be part of the common law of the land.” The conclusion which you drew from this point, after dwelling upon “the necessity of a weekly day of rest,” and the benefits derived from such an institution, runs thus:—
“Whatever our own personal wishes and convictions may be, it is the part of true patriots who love their country, who would cling to the institutions which have been handed down to us from colonial days by our American forefathers, to join with the rest of our fellow countrymen, as with one heart4and one mind, in espousing the cause of those beneficent laws which are enacted regarding the American Sunday as an American institution.” The second point to which you call our attention is “the religious one.” After reciting certain events which are recorded in the New Testament as having occurred on the first day of the week, but which furnish no authoritative basis for the change of the Sabbath, and after appealing to “the early Christian writers of the first three centuries,” usually called the Church Fathers, you state the ground upon which Sunday observance rests, in these words:—
“Not by any statute law did this observance of the first day of the week become general, but through the free working of that universal Christian consciousness which constitutes the real authority of the church.” Put into brief and direct form, we understand the points to be these:— First: Inasmuch as “the American Sunday has been declared by the Supreme Court of the United States to be a part of the common law of the land,” it is the duty of every citizen of this country to regard his “personal wishes and convictions” as entirely subordinate to the authority of the magistrate, and to join those who have no convictions on the subject “in espousing the cause of those beneficent laws which are enacted regarding the American Sunday.” Second: From the fact that certain events are recorded in the New Testament as having occurred on the first day of the week, the very large conclusion is drawn that, contrary to the custom of centuries and the direct command of God, “the first day of the week is mentioned as the day that was loved and kept sacred,” and it is further declared that this observance became general “not by any statute law,” but “through the free working of that universal Christian consciousness which constitutes the real authority of the church.” It seems to us, dear sir and brother, that the best answer we can make to these points is, passing over much which might be said concerning some of the things which you assert that “every reader of the New Testament knows,” to quote some history which appears to us to be pertinent to the case in hand. The evangelical princes in attendance upon the Diet of Spires decided, says D’Aubigne in his History of the Reformation, “to appeal from the report of the Diet to the Word of God, and from the Emperor Charles to Jesus Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords.” One of the reasons given why they could not consent to the decree of the Diet is found in the following paragraph:—
“Because it concerns the glory of God and the salvation of our souls, and in such matters we ought to have regard, above all, to the commandment of God, who is King of kings and Lord of lords; each of us rendering his account for himself, without caring the least in the world about majority or minority.” The closing paragraphs of their famous protest are as follows:—
“Moreover the new edict declaring the ministers shall preach the gospel, explaining it according to the writings accepted by the holy Christian church; we think that, for this regulation to have any value, we should first agree on what is meant by the true and holy church. Now, seeing that there is great diversity of opinion in this respect; that there is no sure doctrine but such as is conformable to the Word of God; that the Lord forbids the teaching of any other doctrine; that each text in the Holy Scriptures ought to be explained by other and clearer texts; that this holy Book is in all things necessary for the Christian, easy of understanding, and calculated to scatter the darkness: we are resolved, with the grace of God, to maintain the pure and exclusive preaching of his only Word, such as is contained in the Biblical books of the Old and New Testament, without adding anything thereto that may be contrary to it. This Word is the only truth; it is the sure rule of all doctrine and of all life, and can never fail or deceive us. He who builds on this foundation shall stand against all the powers of hell, whilst all the human vanities that are set up against it shall fall before the face of God.” “For these reasons, most dear lords, uncles, cousins, and friends, we earnestly entreat you to weigh carefully our grievances and our motives. If you do not yield to our request, we PROTEST by these presents, before God, our only Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Saviour, and who will one day be our judge, as well as before all men and all creatures, that we, for us and for our people, neither consent nor adhere in any manner whatsoever to the proposed decree, in anything that is contrary to God, to his holy Word, to our right conscience, to the salvation of our souls, and to the last decree of Spires. “At the same time we are in expectation that his imperial majesty will behave toward us like a Christian prince who loves God above all things; and we declare ourselves ready to pay unto him, as well as unto you, gracious lords, all the affection and obedience that are our just and legitimate duty.” In his comments upon this protest, D’Aubigne, the historian of the Reformation, says:—
“Thus, in the presence of the Diet, spoke out these courageous men whom Christendom will henceforward denominate THE PROTESTANTS. . . .
“The principles contained in this celebrated protest of the 19th April, 1529, constitute the very essence of Protestantism. Now this protest opposes two abuses of man in matters of faith: the first is the intrusion of the civil magistrate, and the second the arbitrary authority of the church. Instead of these abuses, Protestantism sets the power of conscience above the magistrate; and the authority of the Word of God above the visible church. In the first place, it rejects the civil power in divine things, and says, with the prophets and apostles: We must obey God rather than man. In presence of the crown of Charles the Fifth, it uplifts the crown of Jesus Christ. But it goes further: it lays down the principle that all human teaching should be subordinate to the Word of God. Even the primitive church, by recognizing the writings of the apostles, had performed an act of submission to this supreme authority, and not an act of authority, as Rome maintains; and the establishment of a tribunal charged with the interpretation of the Bible, had terminated only in slavishly subjecting man to man in what should be most unfettered—conscience and faith. In this celebrated act of Spires no doctor appears, and the Word of God reigns alone.” In this remarkable protest, which sets forth divine principles with such clearness and force, Protestantism had its birth. And in appealing, as you do, first “to the enactment of Sunday laws by the civil authorities,” and second to “that universal Christian consciousness which constitutes the real authority of the church,” as the ground for urging us to join in an effort to secure the observance of the first day of the week as the Sabbath, in direct opposition to the commandment of God which says that “the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God,” it appears that you are repudiating what D’Aubigne declares to be “the very essence of Protestantism.” Will you pardon us if we quote, as applicable to the present situation, a sentence or two from Luther’s stirring letter to Henry VIII? “By the grace of God, king of England and France, defender of the faith, and lord of Ireland:” “For me, I cease not to cry, ‘The gospel! the gospel! Christ! Christ!’ While my opponents cease not to reply ‘Customs! customs! ordinances! ordinances! Fathers! Fathers!’ Let your faith, says St. Paul, stand not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” In our former letter we invited the attention of the ministers of Washington to the pure teaching of the Word of God as it relates to the question of Sabbath observance. We beg you to consider the fact that the disagreement is not between the Seventh-day Adventist ministers and the ministers of other denominations, but between those who advocate the observance of Sunday as a holy day and a plain “Thus saith the Lord” which requires the observance of another day. If there is any controversy, it will be with the Word of God, and not with us. We renew our statement made at the close of the former letter: “If any position here set forth is not in harmony with the truth, we shall be glad to have it pointed out from the Scriptures. We desire only the truth.” In behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist ministers of Washington,
I beg to remain,
Yours sincerely and with great respect,
W. W. Prescott, The Sabbath Question in Washington
The publication of this letter and other correspondence upon the subject in the daily papers of Washington has brought the Sabbath question prominently to the attention of the people of this city, and we have no doubt that many are being led to give serious consideration to the matter who have never before regarded it as a question of importance. Surely the Lord is opening the way for his truth to be presented to those who would never attend one of our regular religious services to hear these things. We can only hope and pray that it may be to the glory of God that many shall accept the message of light and truth. The Gospel Sign
By L. A. S.
THERE is one sign of Christ’s coming that ought to interest us more than any other at this time,—that sign which he stated to his disciples in the words: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” This is not a sign in the heavens, a sign in nature, or in the rise and fall of kingdoms, but the sign which Christ’s followers—which we, if we are his followers—are fulfilling in the earth. It is the sign in the fulfilment of which God’s people are coworkers with him. Never before did this sign loom up so impressively before us as it does at the beginning of this new year. It is almost startling to think that nearly every inhabited land has now been visited by the messengers of this gospel,—that it is hardly possible to name a country on the earth which the third angel’s message has not reached, and where it has not now some native converts. Almost to “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” the final warning has been given, which immediately precedes “the end.” Much remains to be done to spread the message throughout the various countries where it now has a foothold; but few indeed are the lands that are yet waiting to be included in the world-wide proclamation which the prophecy foretells. Wonderful has been the providence of God leading up to this climax in his work. What mean the marvelous inventions of this age, by which the messengers and the message are enabled to go so swiftly from land to land, almost annihilating time and space? the marvelous increase also in facilities for producing and spreading the printed page? Did it just merely happen that after eighteen centuries from the beginning of the “Christian era,” and six thousand years from Adam, there came a sudden and great revival of travel and discovery, a running to and fro of many in the earth, and a wonderful increase of knowledge? Did the inventions and improvements of this age come because people are greater and wiser now than of old? or because by these things the world could be made better?—No; but because God’s final message for men, of his coming and of the end of the world, must go to all the world quickly, in order that men may be everywhere prepared for the close of probation. A message must go to all the world which will draw a dividing line among its people, by compelling all to take their stand for or against God, and placing upon all who will receive it the seal of God. Not until that work is done can probation close. Never before has any work been done in the earth which would prepare it for the close of probation. This is why the world to-day, by the increase of knowledge and scientific discovery, has been made so small, and all its nations and tribes brought in contact, as it were, with one another. It is the day of God’s preparation. For a century or more his providence has been shaping events toward this end. One noteworthy feature of this preparation is the marvelous spreading of the Word of God, by its translation into almost every tongue and dialect in the world, and its equally world-wide distribution. The Bible has been almost cast aside by the Christian churches, and but little now remains of the old-time faith and reverence with which it was regarded by religious people in enlightened lands. The “higher criticism” has for a long time been doing its fatal work. But notwithstanding this, there has been at the same time a marvelous multiplication of copies and portions of the Bible in all tongues, and the distribution of the same in all lands, through the work of the British and Foreign Bible Society and the American Bible Society and allied organizations. God has provided that earth’s peoples who have not hitherto had his Word shall have it when such a work is to be done in the earth as he is now doing. The last message now going to earth’s inhabitants is an appeal to the Bible; that Word is the foundation upon which the work of moving men to a decision must be based. And so now, as the message goes to new people in new lands, even to the dark corners of the earth, it finds the Word of God in the hands of the inhabitants, ready for the work which the message is to do. In all this, as one contemplates it, there is overwhelming evidence of the working of a super-human and overruling intelligence, fulfilling a plan which no human wisdom could devise or human opposition thwart.6Rapidly is the gospel message of the kingdom now going, and rapidly is “the end” drawing near. L. A. S. The Inspiration to Finish the Work
By W. A. S.
Surely it is not so much more instruction—to know more—that we, as a people, most need. What we need is the inspiration to rise up and, do what we know. The hand of providence has been preparing the way for this last message to go quickly to all the world in our day. There is no shadow of doubt about it. The generation before the Reformation of Luther’s time was one of preparation for it. It was a period of discovery and change and intellectual awakening. Then the light broke in upon the papal darkness, and a new era opened in God’s work on earth. When Luther was toiling up that stair in Rome on his knees, hoping thereby to get release from his burden of guilt, the Holy Spirit flashed into his heart the words, “The just shall live by faith.” A new man rose from the well-worn stair. Luther had often before read the words, but now the fulness of time had come when the Lord was to have a new work in the earth; and in those words of inspiration was enfolded the life and power of the great reformation. Soon the word of light was to be sent by preacher and teacher, press and canvasser, throughout the whole papal world. Those were stirring times. The pressure of the conflict and the urgency of the message developed hardy, manly faith and undaunted courage. Men believed in their message. God called multitudes into service who cared for nothing save the glorious cause of truth and righteousness. They laid their lives and their all upon the altar, and within a few short years a marvelous testimony was borne to the world. Not the instructive history, merely, but above all, the inspiration of those active times is what we need to-day. The old times are to be lived over again. God has in hand now the finishing of the great Reformation. Light from the Word has broken forth, and we see that the fulness of time has come for the world-wide revelation of the final gospel within the life of this generation, so that “all flesh shall see it together.” The past century has been one of special preparation for the issue that now faces us—the call of God to carry this message to every tongue and people on earth. The whole world has been opened. God is pouring out his Spirit on all flesh. It is not enough to know these things. What is necessary now is the inspiration from on high that shall set every believing soul aflame with holy and untiring zeal to do the work. The awakening word has come to us in the message, “There shall be delay no longer.” This word from the Revised rendering of Rev. 10:6 has been emphasized again and again in our ears of late. No more delay! Thank God for the word! Nothing can turn back this missionary forward movement. The work is to be pushed to a speedy triumph. Let the inspired words that gave birth to the Reformation that day in Luther’s heart be taken as the motive power for the life of justification and righteousness, and then let the heaven-sent word to us, “There shall be delay no longer,” be the ever-ringing call to instant service till the Reformation is finished. The Gospel Message for To-day
By A. G. DANIELLS.
In the prophecy of Rev. 14:6-14 we find the gospel set forth in language which is altogether peculiar to that prophecy. The messengers brought to view in the prophecy are said to have “the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.” In preaching that gospel, they say to the world:— “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. . . . Babylon is fallen, is fallen, . . . because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. . . . If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.” From the fact that in proclaiming the everlasting gospel the messengers say the very words just quoted, we have the most positive evidence that the preaching of these three messages, or, rather, this threefold message, is the preaching of the everlasting gospel in God’s way at the time this message is due the world. To illustrate: Noah was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Heb. 11:7. He was a preacher of that righteousness. 2 Peter 2:5. As the righteousness which is by faith is the very essence of the everlasting gospel, Noah was a preacher of the gospel. In preaching the gospel, the righteousness which is by faith, Noah “prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world.” There was salvation in the acceptance of the message of Noah concerning the flood, and there was condemnation in its rejection. At no other time has the gospel ever been preached by the peculiar warning and work of Noah. But that was the particular message of the gospel for that time, and it was not possible to preach the gospel in God’s way without giving that warning and building the ark. To have ignored that would have been to reject the gospel. That was what the masses did, and the result was their destruction. By giving the warning and building the ark, Noah was counted an heir and preacher of righteousness—of the gospel. So with the threefold message of Rev. 14:6-14. That message is the gospel. When it is due the world, as was Noah’s message, it must be preached in the language ascribed to the messengers. The world must be told plainly that the judgment hour has come, that Babylon has fallen, and that if any man worship the beast and his image, and receives his mark, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. The facts declared in this message are gospel facts. They will some day be due the world, and when they are, they must be preached. The preaching of these specific truths will be the preaching of the gospel. It will be impossible knowingly to reject or even ignore them and preach the gospel acceptably to God. Who Is Responsible ?
By I. H. EVANS.
WHENEVER God has had a message for the world, he has invariably used human agencies for its proclamation. Only once is there any record of God's dealing otherwise. The warning of the flood was a world-wide message, and was to be given in one generation. God revealed his plan to Noah, who was to be the preacher of righteousness. To Moses God revealed his plan for delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage, and it was the same man who must bear God's message before Pharaoh. Nineveh was to be destroyed. The prophet Jonah was the instrument chosen by Heaven to warn the city. When the herald of a coming Messiah must prepare the people of Judea for their King, it was John the Baptist who delivered the message. When God reveals a truth or a message to an individual, it then becomes an individual responsibility with that one to deliver that message to those whom it concerns. If the destinies of destruction are pent up in the warning, how imperative that the message be delivered to those who must perish if it is not received. If Jonah had failed to warn the people of Nineveh of their threatened doom, would he have been free, and all that vast city left to perish because he refused to deliver God's message of reproof?—Nay, verily. He must have perished, and God would have sent his warning by other hands. Let God speak to us on this subject: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.” Eze. 3:17-21. Now note the responsibility of the one knowing the right, who understands the danger, but who fails to deliver the warning. He must answer for the soul of the lost. “His blood will I require at thine hand.” But if the message is delivered, and the warning given, and the soul will not receive the same, “thou hast delivered thy soul” though he perish. To whom does this apply? Certainly not to any one class to the exclusion of all others. It can not apply to the ministry alone, nor to the missionary in foreign fields only. It must apply to each individual to whom God has revealed a special message. The third angel's message is a special warning message. Turn to your Bible and read it in Rev. 14:9-12. No such denunciation of wrath as this can be found against any other people in all the Bible. The punishment is “without mercy,” upon those who worship the beast and his image, or who receive his mark. Who is to give this warning? Angels?—No; for God always uses human agents to proclaim his messages. Then who must give this message?—Evidently those to whom God reveals this truth. The Methodists can not give it; for they know it not. The Baptists can not give it, nor the Congregationalists, nor the Presbyterians, nor any other organization that does not even pretend to believe its truth. Who, then, will give it? God will first reveal that message to some honest heart. Then the world warning must begin. That one soul must tell others, and they must tell others, and each receiving the message will carry it on to others, the circle ever widening as each new convert adds his warning voice to those already proclaiming the message. Each soul receiving the truth must then become a proclaimer of that truth. His share in giving the warning message can not be neglected, or there will be the “blood of souls” to answer for. Then who is responsible to God for seeing that the third angel's message goes to all the world?—Not the General Conference Committee, nor the Mission Board alone. They are responsible for7their trusts, and as individuals. But who is responsible before God for this work and its success? The answer must be, Each soul who receives the message of God is responsible to him for passing the same message on and on to the very limit of his ability. Let us humbly ask, Are we faithful in our work? Are we doing all we can to advance the cause of God? To this end let us each labor and pray.