Earlier text: SUBLIME METEORIC SHOWER ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.—1833THE SABBATH AND THE GERMAN BIBLE.
By George W. Amadon
It is a noticeable fact that converts to the Lord’s Sabbath do not multiply as rapidly among the Germans as among some other nationalities, namely, the Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, and French. Perhaps the rationalistic tendencies of the Germans may have something to do with this; but the singular readings of the German Bible on those texts which refer to the first day of the week, must certainly ever be a standing barrier to hinder Protestant Germans from obtaining the true light on the Sabbath. It should be remarked that the simple Bible phrase, “the first day of the week,” is never found in the German Bible. In the French Testament we have eight times the clause, “le premier jour de la semaine,” literally, the first day of the week. In the later Swedish version we have the rendering, “den första dagen i veckan,” the first day of the week; in the Danish-Norwegian Testament, “den förste Dag i Ugen,” the first day of the week; in the Portuguese, “primeiro dia da semana,” the first day of the week; in the Holland, “den eersten dag der week,” the first day of the week; in the Italian, “primo giorno della settimana,” the first day of the week; in the Spanish, “el primer día de la semana,” the first day of the week. Perhaps, if it were necessary, this list might be even further extended in harmony with the above versions. The translations here given show that the German Bible, in its renderings of the eight passages which speak of the first day, is quite out of harmony with its European neighbors. In every instance where the English Bible, and the seven versions mentioned above, simply read, “the first day of the week,” the common German Testament reads, “the first of the Sabbaths,” “the first holy day of the Sabbaths,” “every one of the Sabbaths,” etc. Now while these renderings might not mislead those who thoroughly understand the Greek, they do give a decidedly wrong bias to the more unlettered person. They teach him this grave error, namely, that the first day is called Sabbath and holy day. But fortunately for the cause of Sabbath truth, there are several German translations of the Bible. Two of these are Roman Catholic versions, and almost strange to add, these two are the very ones which are circulated by “The British Foreign Bible Society.” The translations referred to are those of Van Ess and Kistemaker. The former I have not seen; but the version of Dr. Kistemaker is before me, and by its remarkably clear renderings it relieves those passages which speak of the first day of the week of that obscurity which is so apparent in the Protestant German Testament. That the reader may have a better opportunity to decide this question for himself, the eight texts which speak of the first day are here given from both versions, in parallel columns, with a free English translation underneath, by one who translates for the press. Here are the eight texts mentioned:— Matt. 28:1: “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.” “Am Abend aber des Sabbaths, welcher anbricht am Morgen des ersten Feiertages der Sabbathen.” But on the evening of the Sabbath, which begins on the morning of the first holy day of the Sabbaths. “Nach dem Sabbat, bei der Morgendämmerung des ersten Tages nach Sabbat.” After the Sabbath, near the day dawn of the first day after the Sabbath. Mark 16:2: “And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher.” “Und sie kamen zum Grabe an einem Sabbather sehr frühe.” And they came to the grave on a Sabbath very early. “Und sie kamen zum Grabe den ersten Tag nach Sabbat, sehr frühe.” And they came to the grave the first day after Sabbath, very early. Mark 16:9: “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.” “Jesus aber, da er auferstanden war frühe am ersten Tag der Sabbathen.” But when Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the Sabbaths. “Er aber, da Er auferstanden war früh am ersten Tage nach dem Sabbat.” But when he had risen early on the first day after the Sabbath. Luke 24:1: “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning.” “Aber an der Sabbather einem sehr frühe.” But on one of the Sabbaths, very early. “Am ersten Tage aber nach dem Sabbat, sehr früh Morgens.” But on the first day after the Sabbath, very early in the morning. John 20:1: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early.” “An der Sabbather einem kommt Maria Magdalena früh.” On one of the Sabbaths came Mary Magdalene early. “Am ersten Tage nach dem Sabbat ging Maria Magdalene, frühe.” On the first day after the Sabbath, went Mary Magdalene early. John 20:19: “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week.” “Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbaths.” But on the evening of the same Sabbath. “Als es nun Abend war desselbigen Tages, des ersten nach dem Sabbat.” As it was now evening of the same day, the first after the Sabbath. Acts 20:7: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.” “Auf einen Sabbath aber, da die Jünger zusammenkamen, das Brod zu brechen.” But on a Sabbath, when the disciples came together to break bread. “Den ersten Tag nach Sabbat, da wir versammelt waren, das Brod zu brechen.” The first day after the Sabbath, when we had come together to break bread. 1 Cor. 16:2: “Upon the first day of the week.” COMMON VERSION. “Auf einen jeglichen Sabbather.” On every one of the Sabbaths. KISTEMAKER. “Jeden ersten Tag nach Sabbat.” Every first day after the Sabbath. The reader will please note that in Dr. Kistemaker’s version, just given, the first day is always mentioned as a different day from the Sabbath, and as coming immediately after it. Let those who use the German tongue make a note of these important readings on the first day. The Kistemaker New Testament has already set more than one person straight on the great question of the Lord’s Sabbath. Let us ever “hold fast that which is good.” G. W. A. Berdan's Range-Finder for Artillery and Infantry
The Berlin correspondent of the London Times states that General Berdan, of the United States, has invented an instrument which will greatly improve the art of killing. He calls his invention a “range-finder.” It consists of a telescope and other instruments, all of which can be carried on a dog-cart, and which enable the engineers to measure with perfect accuracy up to 2,000 metres, or 1,500 yards. The time needed to ascertain distances, is only two minutes, and the General believes that his invention will double the accuracy of artillery fire, and quadruple that of infantry. French Government Adopts Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
Mr. Hotchkiss, an American inventor, whose improved revolving cannon we illustrated some time since, has received intimation that his system has been approved by the French Government, and that they have decided to adopt his cannon,—Scientific American. Mighty as merciful, tender as strong.
Teach us that if we unfeignedly love Thee,
All that seems wrong will be righted above;
Teach us that even our sorrow and sadness,
Are but thy angels so holy and pure,
And that our griefs shall be turned into gladness,
If we have patience and faith to endure. Courage and Faith.
By Jos. Clarke
Courage is necessary in the Christian life; and without faith true Christian courage expires, as a lamp without oil. When discouragement and low spirits settle down upon the mind, unfitting us for work in the cause of God, we may be sure that faith is becoming weak. It was by the power of faith that the ancient worthies gained the victory in their severe trials. As they lived in the daily exercise of faith, and thus kept the flame of love continually burning, they were always prepared for the severest test of persecution. Paul, in his letter to the Hebrews, speaks to the point on this important subject. After having introduced the topic in the tenth chapter, he proceeds in the eleventh to give a brief but distinct summary of the principal and most sublime acts of faith on the part of ancient prophets and saints. Faith in lively exercise is a quality of the mind, abstract, yet active and benevolent. It excites the mind to the highest degree of love and of virtue. Paul calls it the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen;” and he adds: “For by it the elders obtained a good report.” By the same faith all the good of every age and nation have been able to please God in all the varied walks of life. In the twelfth chapter, Paul sums up the subject by saying, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Now what is the sin that so easily besets us, if it is not the sin of unbelief? Verse 2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Here is the point that we must keep in mind. Faith is too little valued, or it is abused and made a pretense by presumption. But true faith is a sublime and heavenly grace, of which Jesus is the author. He values this grace as he sees it developed in his people. It is precious in his sight. He allows it to be tried and tested, that it may be firm and true and permanent; and that it may be sufficient to stand amid the storms of adversity or the smiles of prosperity. As Jesus is the author of faith, it is our duty and privilege to look continually to him to increase our faith. Faith is the greatest and best of the Christian graces, as it includes charity, or love, which completes faith and gives it energy and beauty. Faith without charity is only hideous and odious. Such a faith as this was the faith of Jehu, when he, as an act of obedience, slew the wicked queen Jezebel. Such a faith had Herod, who beautified the temple; and Simon Magus also had a faith which was destitute of love, unless it was a selfish love. A living faith is beautiful and noble. It supports its possessor under the most trying circumstances, and its clear and brilliant light beams steadily amid the thickest darkness and gloom. When this living faith is constant and full in its workings, when the heart bids it a cordial welcome, and shuts its doors against Satan and the carnal mind, then faith holds its jubilee in the heart, and sings its songs of joy and praise. Then Paul and Silas sing, though in chains, and the prison doors fly open, and light shines all around. Then sinners are converted, and backsliders are reclaimed, and saints are comforted. It was in obedience to such a faith that Hezekiah spread out his letter before God in the temple, and immediately the invading army of Sennacherib turned pale in the embrace of the messenger of God, who slew the pride of the Assyrian host. The same faith inspired the apostles, as they, on the day of Pentecost, for the first time, proclaimed the good tidings to the world of a risen and ascended Saviour, whose blood and pleadings are the sinner’s hope and confidence. Who would not have such a faith? Jos. Clarke. UNSUCCESSFUL WORKERS.
By Bonar
Desponding Christians do not make successful workers or valiant soldiers. “Feeble-Hearts” and “Ready-to-Halts” and “Little-Faiths” win no battles, and wear no crowns. They are so occupied with themselves, with their own experiences, their own evidences, their changing moods and feelings, that they have no time for manly, noble service. They are so busy in trying to perform “acts of faith;” and having performed them they are so intent upon analyzing them, in order to ascertain whether they be all of the exact quality or quantity which will recommend them to God, that they leave no space for “joy in believing,” and no room for the large-hearted labor to which such joy cannot fail to lead. Tossed up and down on the waves of unbelief, like Paul's ship in Adria, they are in fear of perpetual shipwreck, and have no heart to work. Shutting their eyes against the light, they grope their way uncertainly, and cannot run the race. Afraid to believe, but not afraid to doubt; afraid to trust, but not afraid to distrust; doubting themselves, and making that a reason for doubting God; putting away peace, and giving full scope to gloom; refusing light, but letting darkness reign within them,—they are not in a condition to do hard work—nay, to do any work at all. Strength comes from joy, and of that joy they have none. They refuse both food and medicine, and they become lean and sickly. They are fitter for the hospital, than for the battle field. They seem, too, to get more and more emaciated, though the food provided is abundant. Laboring under what physicians call atrophy, the more they eat the less they seem to be fed. Keeping All Strings in Tune for God
By Dr. Owen
THAT instrument will make no music that hath but some strings in tune. If, when God strikes on the string of joy and gladness we answer pleasantly, but when he touches upon that of sorrow and humiliation we suit it not, we are broken instruments that can make no melody unto God. —Dr. Owen. The statements contained in the following paragraph from the Spiritual Magazine, we have no doubt are strictly true. It shows a phase of spiritism of which those who do not look below the surface are not aware, and is a plain index to what its future is to be. It says:— “Many prominent clergymen, and an innumerable host of private members of Christian churches, are firm believers in the essential, distinguishing doctrines of Spiritualism. These will finally become the link between Christians who do not believe in Spiritualism and Spiritualists who do not believe in Christianity. True Christianity, as taught in the New Testament, will be substituted for the present absurd systems of theology called by that name; and the true Spiritualism of the Bible will take the place of the present mongrel teachings of familiar spirits and true angels.” Not having the truth on the nature of man, and the state of the dead, the churches have no safeguard against the seductive influence of this last fascinating phase of error; and we see no reason why the way is not all prepared for the silent spread of this delusion among them, and its final open manifestation of such power as is assigned to it in the prophecies. And this may be nearer than the most discerning perceive. U. S. THEY FEEL IT.
By Uriah Smith
The humiliation which has come upon the papacy in these later years, Roman Catholics are not able to bear with any becoming grace. The prophet asserted that they should take away his dominion (the papal dominion) to consume and destroy it unto the end. We live in the time when this is being fulfilled, and the old harlot and all her followers are writhing under the infliction. This is shown by the following amiable (?) language in reference to the occupation of Rome by Victor Emanuel, taken from the address of Father Burke to the great meetings lately held in Limerick and Kilkenny, in honor of the pope’s jubilee:— “There is a man in Rome, in the Quirinal Palace, in the pope’s own chambers, who entered into those chambers and took possession of the old pontiff’s house by breaking his word. [Hear, hear.] By forging his own name in contradiction of the signature of that treaty of September, by which he swore before God and before Europe that he would respect the pope, the pope’s office, the pope’s independence, and the papal sovereignty. [Cheers.] He came into the city of Rome where he had no right to come. He came into the city of Rome where he said he would never come. He came into the city of Rome not only as a thief, but also as a perjurer. He came into the city of Rome not only as a thief stealing in, but as a burglar—a burglar. [Hear, hear.] Instead of his picklock and crowbar he had his great cannon, thundering at the walls, and breaking down those barriers that in their solemn and almost helpless antiquity were far stronger in their representation of the barrier of right and justice against wrong and injustice, than in the mere material strength they opposed to his force. “He came in a manner befitting him. He came in over the walls battered down in defiance of every principle that even modern civilization has acknowledged to be the governing power of nations. He came in and stole the bishop’s house—he stole his property, he plundered the churches, he robbed the monasteries, and he drove out the poor nuns upon three and four-pence a day to starve—ladies who had brought their dowries with them—and he took their fortunes and put them into his pocket, but he is not a bit the better for it to-day. But, my friends, although we sympathize with our Holy Father for that plunder, that violence, that rapine, that robbery—although we sympathize with him deeply, because the hand of the infamous, perjured burglar is at the old man’s throat, we sympathize with him far more deeply in this, that the scoundrel—for I can call him no other name—the scoundrel who took the man’s house, the ruffian who broke into the man’s city is not content with this—he must rob him of his independent intercourse with his children.” TO CORRESPONDENTS.
By Uriah Smith
J. H. Cook: We have no evidence that Alexander Campbell became a convert to the Sabbath before his death. J. R. Calkins: We get the victory over the number of the name of the beast by refusing those institutions and practices which he sets forth as evidence of his power to sit supreme in the temple of God, by adopting which, we should acknowledge the validity of his title, by conceding his right to act for the church in behalf of the Son of God. We understand that verses 5 and 6 of Rev. 15, go back again in the prophecy to the beginning of the sanctuary work, as the prophecies are not consecutive, but composed of independent lines. M. C. Wilcox: We have not received the pamphlet you mention. G. D. Chester: You will find an exposition of 1 Pet. 3:19, 20, in Man’s Nature and Destiny, pp. 87–95, or State of the Dead, pp. 73–79. F. A. Marvin: The question of dealing with cheese factories in a manner not to infringe the Sabbath, we leave to the wisdom of those living in those localities, and knowing more of the circumstances attending such dealings, or to the consciences of those engaged therein. We believe that a conscientious Sabbath-keeper will be quick to discern any plan of the enemy which is drawing him into an infringement of the Sabbath; and in all cases where there is the least doubt, he will give his conscience the benefit of the doubt, by refraining from everything that is questionable. T. Brown: For an exposition of Isaiah 65:20, see REVIEW, Vol. 43, No. 1. On Matt. 5:19, see works on the Sabbath question; and on Ps. 49:19, see works on the nature of man. F. Morrison: Prov. 21:18, “The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright,” seems to refer to those instances in which the punishing of the wicked has preserved the righteous. Thus when Achan was stoned, he was a ransom for the camp of righteous Israel. The seven sons of Saul, when they were hanged, were a ransom for the kingdom of righteous David. And often the righteous are delivered out of trouble, and the wicked coming in his stead, seems a ransom for him. Prov. 11:8. Questioned. A correspondent questions the date of the great auroral display noticed last week. He thinks it occurred in 1836, instead of 1837. We gave the date as we found it in the book. A. M. Johnson: See an explanation of Acts 26:23; 1 Cor. 15:20, etc., in “State of the Dead,” pp. 115–125, where the question of the resurrection of Moses is discussed in full. In regard to the newspaper paragraph trying to show that Christ was in paradise on the day of his crucifixion, because he was in Heaven when conversing with Nicodemus, John 3:13, it will be sufficient to say, there is a difference between Christ’s personal presence, and his presence by his Spirit, which any one can see and understand; and when the writer will tell how Christ could say, I have not yet ascended to my Father, when he was there, according to his view, all the time, it will be worth while to notice his remarks further. “Is it wrong for railroad companies to run their cars on the Sabbath? And if so, is it consistent in Sabbath-keepers, under ordinary circumstances, to travel by railroad on the Sabbath?” —J. R. Whitham. Ans. It certainly is wrong for R. R. companies to run their cars as they do on the Sabbath for purposes of traffic. But suppose that all R. R. companies, and all who travel, were Sabbath-keepers, would there be anything wrong in steaming up and running a moderate distance to attend a Sabbath meeting, and for that purpose only? Would there be any where near the amount of work involved in this that would have to be put forth if the same company should go by private conveyances? And if this could be done, it may be asked further, May not a Sabbath-keeper avail himself of the fact that the cars do run, to accomplish just that for himself that he would do, in the case previously supposed? In some cities, Sabbath-keepers to get to meeting at all, have to avail themselves of the street cars, where the same principle would apply. And between the cities of Oakland and San Francisco, Cal., Sabbath-keepers have to pass by cars and steamer. If they go from one to the other for Sabbath meetings at all, they have to go in this way; for there is no other. Is it not right? D. S. Plum: We have no Catholic catechisms for sale. They can be had at Catholic book stores in large cities. J. W. Lesan: To meet the misrepresentations of your Methodist minister on Matt. 28:1, and other texts that speak of the first day of the week, you need the tract on this subject, published at this Office, entitled, “Argument on Sabbath.” It fully answers the false reading of the Greek of those passages, by ministers and self-styled scholars. We would recommend you to procure a quantity for distribution in your neighborhood. U. S. The Argument of Blessing.
By Joseph Harvey Waggoner
A missionary worker in Battle Creek received a letter from a friend who resides on one of “the islands of the sea,” in which he writes:— “I have read the book on the Sabbath, but am afraid you will be surprised when I tell you I cannot follow all the way you seem to go in the subject, for I cannot believe that our Heavenly Father would have showered down so many and so great blessings on the missionary efforts of both England and America if they were teaching so great an error.” The writer of this letter is not alone in this opinion; it is an argument put forth in some form by a great many people. But this writer sees the apparent force of it beyond most of those who use it, because he dwells in a missionary field where the power of the gospel has been seen in the conversion of dark-minded cannibals to Christianity. Yet the argument is not only faulty, but really a dangerous one to act upon. 1. It leads to the conclusion that God blesses only those who are right in all things, and the belief will inevitably follow in many minds that they are right in all things because God blesses them. If it does not amount to this it amounts to nothing at all. Therefore it is a dangerous doctrine, fostering a spirit of self-righteousness. And hence, 2. It shuts out all efforts toward a growth in grace. Why progress, why change in any thing, why examine ourselves with a view to correct our errors, if the blessings of Heaven prove we are already right? This is the force of the argument precisely. We once conversed with a man in St. Clair Co., Mich., who made great profession of high attainments in Christianity; we tried to impress on his mind the inconsistency of a Christian indulging in the foolish, costly, injurious, and filthy habit of using tobacco, and we presented it in all these lights. With much self-complacency this man not only excused his habit but declared that it was right, and a thing to be commended; “for,” said he, “God sanctified29me in the use of tobacco, which he would not have done if it was wrong, and so I know it is a practice approved of God.” Of course we were too much shocked at his irreverence and selfishness to attempt to carry the argument further. Thus he made his own position and not the teachings of the word the standard of acceptance with God. And this is the direct result of that argument. The same method of argument was once put forth in the American Congress in favor of slavery. A Southern Representative confidently pointed to the extent of religious influence which prevailed, to our growth and prosperity, to the many proofs of Heaven’s blessings on us as a nation, as evidence that slavery was right, for in this practice we had received all these blessings. Owen Lovejoy, who intensely hated the institution of slavery, met the argument with this proposition, that God had not blessed us because of slavery, but he had blessed us notwithstanding this wrong in our practice. This is the correct view; this is the manner in which God bestows all blessings. All of us have more or less errors yet to correct, truths to learn, and duties to accept. But that idea shuts out all these. God has already blessed us; why strive for more? Mr. Lovejoy used in Congress the following illustration to show the fallacy of the argument: A certain lady had a deformity on her face in the shape of a wen. She had an unusually kind and affectionate husband. She noticed that she was loved more deeply and treated more tenderly than her neighbor women, and of course she noticed that they had not such a wen as she had. Putting these ideas together she came to the conclusion that her husband had special love for her because of the wen! and therefore took particular pains to give it prominence and call attention to it, much to the annoyance of her husband. He could overlook the blemish, regarding it as a misfortune, and love her notwithstanding. But she regarded it as an accomplishment, as entitling her to special esteem, and therefore turned it into a fault. God is compassionate; he often passes by our faults, and blesses us far beyond our deserts. If this were not so, who would ever be blessed? But when we build ourselves up in self-righteousness upon these faults, and make them minister to our selfishness and spiritual pride, then they become truly odious. Then there is need of reform. The Lord bore with the errors of Israel with much long-suffering, even until they were almost all departed from his commandments, and the false prophets were numbered by many hundreds, with only one prophet of the Lord in the whole nation. Why he did not arrest their downward course before they strayed so far we cannot tell. It has been cause of wonder to many that God suffered the Papal power to triumph over the saints for so many centuries, and put such multitudes of faithful ones to death by most cruel tortures. His ways are not as our ways. He might earlier have started the Reformation, and spared the lives of his people, but he did not see best to do so. We must submit to the ways of his providence; we cannot correct them. “The times of this ignorance,” says Paul, “God winked at, [overlooked, or bore with], but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” Why he did not sooner command them to repent, we cannot say. In our view it was needed as much before as then. And this leads us to say, 3. That view would have annulled the great Reformation, yea, would forestall all reformation in the church. Prosperity, not truth, is to be made the standard of judgment. So the Catholics talked in the days of Luther, and so they still talk about the work of Luther. But Luther and his associates did not finish the work of the Reformation. This truth is accepted by Protestants generally, for almost all evangelical Protestants now discard some things held by Luther, and have received things not received by him. They have advanced upon his ground. Why is this? did not God bless him? Why not rest content with what he had, and not strive over new questions of reform? God blessed him for his faithfulness in using the light he had; but we have more light, and the continuance of our blessings depends upon our faithfully using the clearer light shining on our pathway. We believe that we are in the last days; that “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” God has a special work of preparation for his people, a synopsis of which is presented in Rev. 14:12, in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It is now time to correct errors, and prepare to stand in that fearful time when Jesus shall proclaim, “Let him that is unjust be unjust still,” Rev. 22:11, when errors can no more be corrected. Jude speaks of certain ones who turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness. This can be nothing but perverting the blessings or favor of God, making them subservient to our own feelings. So the Jews might have excused themselves from sprinkling the blood of the lamb upon the door-posts in Egypt, for the Lord had already owned them as his people, even his first-born,—the beloved and favored. Ex. 4:22, 23; 5:1. With such high commendations from God how could they need a special work to shield them from the plagues which were about to fall on the Egyptians? But such reasoning is vain. They did need this work, and without it their first-born would also have died, for God required it, and safety lies only in implicit obedience. So in the last days, before the winds of destruction are let loose upon the earth the servants of God must have a special work wrought for them. See Rev. 7:1-3. Yes, God has blessed us. For this we should be thankful. But we insist that we shall better show our thankfulness by examining ourselves by the unerring standard of his commandments and drawing nearer to him by more perfect conformity to his will, than by sitting down self-satisfied with our past obedience because of past blessings. Every blessing lays us under increased obligation and should be made the incentive to still greater devotion and more perfect obedience. And this infallible rule and test should ever be in our minds, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” If our lives are not in conformity with those commandments, now is our time and opportunity to reform. Excuses will not avail in that day, and great blessings, if perverted to selfish ends, will sink us to deeper perdition. J. H. Waggoner. PROPHETIC TRUTH ACKNOWLEDGED.
By Uriah Smith
The extent to which an application of prophecy to events now transpiring, is acknowledged by men of different religious denominations, is somewhat remarkable. We gave last week a notice, taken from the Chicago Evening Journal, of a discourse by Dr. Newman, of Washington, D. C., in which he applies the last verse of Dan. 11, to the Turkish power, and believes that the present movement between the Turks and Russians will see a fulfillment of it. We give this week an extract from a paper published by a Methodist minister, in Brooklyn, N. Y., in which he admits that men must yield to the evidence of their senses, that the illusion of a temporal millennium is dispelled by the unfavorable outlook, and that the coming of Christ is at hand. And now a religious writer, in the Saginaw (Mich.) Daily Republican, admits the application of Rev. 16:12, to the Turkish power, and thinks it will be fulfilled in the present war. A paragraph from this will be of interest to our readers. It is headed, “ ‘And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared.’ Rev. 16:12. “We do not propose to offer anything like an exegesis upon the strange vision of St. John, the divine, but simply wish to call attention to the present war and its relation to this prophecy. That the days of Mohammedan misrule are about ended is a self-evident fact. The man sick so long has become a stench in the nostrils of the nations of the earth, and all would willingly assist at his obsequies with, possibly, the one exception of England, who would have to pay the funeral charges in the loss of her highway to India. It is useless to insist that the Moslem empire should longer exist. For ages this nation of bigots has acted as a clog upon the wheels of progress. Enlightenment of any kind has been absolutely forced upon them. They are beholden to Christian nations for existence for years past. Lust and bloodshed have ever been their governing principles, and now, whether it be a coincidence or not, the vision of John on the island of Patmos is being verified. “Viewed from simply a political aspect, we insist that it is high time that this nuisance amid nations should be removed. Freedom demands it; religion demands it; the sanitary laws governing the health of the world demand it; and as in the case of other nations in the past who failed in fulfilling their mission, so must the Moslem pass away, and the crescent give place to the cross.” U. S. VIGILANT MISSIONARY WORK IN BATTLE CREEK.
By Uriah Smith
WE have adopted the plan of having each member of the V. M. Society who has accomplished any work during the week, hand in a synopsis of it to the secretary at the opening of each weekly meeting, so that we are able to look back over the week, and see the amount of work that has been done. The plan can hardly be said yet to be in operation, and the reports are consequently not full; yet at our last meeting, reports for the week ending July 11, made the following encouraging exhibit:— Periodicals sent away, 245. Periodicals distributed in B. C., 279. Pages of tracts distributed, 1,465. Letters written, 127. Families visited, 59. Subscribers, for INSTRUCTOR, 1. When we consider the results which are known to have followed in some cases the giving of a tract, or the sending out of a single periodical, there is no computing the good that may in a brief course of time grow from one such week's work as above reported. U. S. THE STAR SHOWER.
By Uriah Smith
Do not fail to read the graphic account of the great meteoric shower of Nov. 13, 1833, given on our first page. Much has been written on the subject, but some particulars are here given which have never before appeared in any of our works. The objection raised against our view of this phenomenon, namely, that it cannot be a sign because many other similar exhibitions have taken place, may be answered in the same manner as the same objection against our view of the dark day of 1780. See No. 2 of this volume. First, it is the most remarkable event of the kind of which we have any record; and, secondly, it took place within the limited time marked out in the prophecy in which the falling of the stars, as a sign, was to occur. There can be no question that this was the sign predicted by our Lord, when he said, “The stars [meteors] shall fall from heaven,” and by John when he said, “And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a figtree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” U. S. THE PROGRESS DEPARTMENT.
By Uriah Smith
FORTY-SEVEN ministers are heard from this week in the Progress Department, through thirty-four reports. These show a good deal of activity in the field, a large amount of work being done, and an encouraging degree of success. All these workers request to be remembered in the fervent, effectual prayers of the people of God. U. S. The above is the heading of an article in The Whispers of Peace, edited by S. H. Platt, Methodist minister, 202 Montague St., Brooklyn, N. Y.; and the following is an extract from the article:— “The time-honored dream of a regenerated humanity dwelling in peace, with the lion and the lamb harmlessly lying down together, is being dispelled by the hopelessness of the outlook. . . . “Meanwhile the prophecies are running out. The battle of Gog and Magog seems to be waging. The temporal power of the Pope has been stripped away. Distress of nations is certainly here. Amid it all, the most devoted students of God’s word all over the world are looking for the speedy coming of the Lord from heaven. . . . “This bent of the deepest religious thought, this spontaneous kindling of the longings of the most spiritual leaders of His people does most surely portend some wonderful change. And what change so likely to occur when the grand prophetical national visions pass into history fulfilled, as that final marshaling of events that ushers in the day of days? “Let every lover of his Lord be on the watch-tower, ‘for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’”