Earlier text: NEVER GET ANGRYJEHOVAH-JIREH
By Laura C. Nourse
Upon the page of inspiration we find recorded no severer test of faith and obedience than that narrated in Gen. 22d, where Abraham, the chosen and faithful servant of God, in whose seed the promise was that all the nations of the earth should be blessed, is commanded to offer up his son, his only son Isaac, upon the altar of sacrifice; to take with his own hand the life of his child, that life which is part and parcel of his own. We find no record that God in any way explains or signifies to Abraham his design or purpose in this extraordinary requirement. Abraham was accustomed to full and implicit obedience to all the commands of God. He had never stopped to question or to doubt, and now when this sacrifice was required of him he knew no path but obedience. God had commanded; he must obey, and without hesitation, questioning, or repining, he made the needful preparation. We who have stood beside the death-bed of those dear to us as our own life, who with breaking hearts have watched in silent agony or with tumultuous grief the last flickering ray of life go out, and had no power to save; you who are fathers and mothers, from whom death has snatched your dearest earthly treasure, who in the intense, deep agony of your souls have cried out, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” whose agonized and bleeding hearts have for weary months or years refused to give your lips the right to breathe the other and sublimer half of that memorable prayer, “nevertheless not my will but thine be done,”—we may know something, but not all, of what Abraham suffered as with the son of his old age, the child of promise and the hope of Israel, he toiled up the mount of sacrifice. God required not merely the life of his child, but that that life should be taken by his own hand. It was not enough that thus suddenly his son must die, but he himself must be the instrument. There is some grief, some suffering before which we sit speechless; which in its intensity and sharp agony forbids sympathy or alleviation; some danger before which our whole soul stands appalled, and yet, to meet which, we go steadily and persistently forward. There are men who noisily parade their grief before every passer-by, asking for sympathy and help; others, who silently suffer on, whose grief is too sacred, too precious, their agony too intense, to give even those nearest and dearest to them the right to share their suffering. Enough for such that God knows, God pities, and God can help. To this class, we may safely infer, belonged Abraham, for none but God knew the terrible suffering of those dreadful hours, none but he could understand the mute agony of his soul, an agony which deepened and intensified at every step, until at last, the journey done, the altar builded, the child bound with his own hands and placed thereon (for in the last hour of conflict he was alone with his child and God), the knife raised over the prostrate form ready to do its terrible and deadly work, it reached the very culmination of all human suffering. He could not, it seems to me, have suffered more had the knife been indeed bathed in the life-blood of his child. And now the object is accomplished, the test complete; Abraham’s faith and obedience perfect. God requires no further proof; and he stays the uplifted hand, and points out a lamb for the sacrifice. We could not comprehend the grief—can we understand the joy that floods the soul of the grand old patriarch in this moment of miraculous deliverance as he takes the sacrifice which God has provided, and offers it up in the stead of his son? With a gratitude and thankfulness that we may never experience, he desired to leave there some token, some memorial of what God had done for him, “and he called the name of that place ‘Jehovah-jireh,’ literally signifying, ‘the Lord will provide.’” And now God renews unto Abraham his promises and blessing, because he had heard and obeyed his voice, and had not withheld his son, his only son, from him. God had some design to us in leaving upon record this chapter in the life of Abraham. Do we need the application? It teaches us simple faith, implicit trust, cheerful, unquestioning obedience; willingness to do and to suffer whatever God in his wisdom sees best for us. It teaches more than this; that only when we have discharged every known duty in his fear, have taken every step which he has indicated to us, are living in cheerful and glad obedience to every one of his commandments, have accepted Christ as our Saviour, our rule of life and conduct, can we hope for or have any right to expect his favor; that having done this, bringing every act of our lives, every purpose and desire into conformity to his will and law, we have a right to look for help and deliverance and in a special sense to secure his blessing; that having done all we can, taken the last step in the path of obedience, then in the direst straits, the deepest grief, in every sorrow, trial, and perplexity of our lives, we may look confidently unto him for succor and help, may write “Jehovah-jireh” upon the tablet of our hearts, and gain from an abiding faith and trust in God the sweet assurance of his love and protection, the glorious realization of that blessed promise, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you,” with the bright and cheering prospect of the life beyond, where we shall “go no more out forever.” Brooklyn, New York, May 19. THE religion of the Bible is a religion of song. The earliest deliverance of God’s people upon the borders of the Red Sea was celebrated with strains of triumphant exultation. Songs were interwoven with the Jewish worship, and the psalms are full of exhortations to praise and magnify the Lord in song. Heathenism, Mohammedanism, Brahminism, Buddhism, are not religions of song. The non-Christian and anti-Christian world have no songs to express the unfaith which they cherish. The bird has its carol, the lover his lay, the mourner his elegy, the patriot his ode, the bacchanal his maudlin song, but infidelity has nothing at all. Infidelity has no songs, for it has nothing to sing about. No hymns of joy rise from the hearts of those who walk in the murky shadows of sin and unbelief. One day after having alluded to this fact in a public assembly, a skeptic came and promised to produce “an infidel hymn book” in the afternoon. He brought it,—a book compiled by an apostate minister, having nothing infidel in its title, and very little in its composition. It was made up of such infidel hymns as “Hail Columbia,” “The Old Oaken Bucket,” and various other secular songs, with now and then a parody upon some well-known hymn,—a word left out here and another added there,—giving the compiler about as much right to claim the authorship of the hymns as borrowing a pair of boots and cutting the straps off would give him to be considered a shoemaker; and this was the boasted “infidel hymn book” which was to confute the assertions we had made. We exhibited the book and reiterated our statements. Infidelity is songless because it is joyless, lifeless, hopeless. What theme is there for song in a life full of trouble and a death which is an eternal sleep? The true utterance of infidelity’s emotions would be a wail of deep despair. Men who are “without God” are also “without hope” in this world. Men who are in bondage to Satan cannot sing the Lord’s songs in a strange land. Not until their feet are brought up out of the horrible pit and the miry clay, is the new song put in their mouths. Not until they are redeemed from the thralldom of sin and the power of Satan, can they sing the song of victory over their relentless foes. Blot out Christianity, and erase what it has done, and everything that has been written from the inspiration of its joys and hopes, and the world would lose much of its music, and sink down in the silence of sullen despair. Ever since the angels sung above the plains of Bethlehem, the gospel of Christ has been the inspiration of the holiest and most rapturous song. Let infidels forsake their ways and turn to God, and they will soon learn to sing, for God our Maker giveth songs in the night. The church of God came singing into the world. Shut up in a dungeon, and with feet fast in the stocks, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at the midnight hour; and the religion of Christ has ever gone forth singing along its way, singing in the darkness of the prison, singing in the weariness of pilgrimage, singing amid the curling flames of fagot fires, singing while infidels have blasphemed and devils have opposed and bacchanals have rioted; and this voice of song shall never be hushed until “the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” And then, when the new song—the song of Moses and of the Lamb—shall roll like thunder peals throughout the universe of God, we shall find that the day of Christian song has just begun, and that when infidelity shall have breathed its last despairing wail of death, the tide of deep and holy melody shall roll along through endless years, “and every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,” shall say, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” Rev. 5:13.—The Armory. The following sensible remarks from Mr. Moody, which we clip from the Golden Censer, will be read with interest:— “The first miracle our Saviour did, was performed at a wedding. The first thing that will take place in the next dispensation will be the marriage of the Lamb. I want to say a few words about matrimony. The moment that I mention that subject there is a general titter. People talk about death as the most solemn thing in life. I believe that the most solemn step that any man ever took was matrimony. There are a number of hells on earth to-day because people have not been led together by God; because their marriage was not made in heaven, and God never intended them to live together. They are living miserable, wretched lives in consequence.” “I don’t know any subject we ought to pray more over; and it is farthest from our prayers. We pray for everything else, but we do not pray for a blessing on our marriage. Look at the misery, look at the wretchedness to-day on account of it. I want to say right here, and I don’t want to give any uncertain sound, may God have mercy on those men who are putting away their wives for nothing. There is a God of equity sitting in the heavens, who will judge them by and by. Don’t let those men think they are going to escape judgment. This thing of divorce is alarming, and yet by many it is considered a trifle.” “Men get married to-day and divorced to-morrow. ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.’ The idea that a man should, without provocation, put away his wife is terrible, and yet it is being done. I think there is a blight in many a home to-day on this account. And let me say another thing—that I believe in Paul’s declaration, that no converted person should marry an unconverted person. What right has a man to give himself away to a godless, Christless woman; or what right has a religious woman to ally herself for life with an irreligious man?” “When you speak to people about this, they laugh at you and say it is none of your business—that the church has nothing to do with it. But the church has to do with it. There is just as imperative a law in regard to it as the commandment, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ Look at the misery which comes of such alliances. If you are going to marry, my friends, be sure you have Christ and his disciples there. Do not do anything you cannot ask the Lord to bless you in. We as parents ought to be very careful in whose society our children go. We ought to pray very much when they select a companion for life that God may help them, and that the match may be made pleasant and profitable.” THE PRINTING OF THE BIBLE.
The Bible production in our time is equal to more than a million copies a year, or say more than nineteen thousand every week, more than three thousand every day, three hundred every hour, or five every minute of working time. At this rate, the press is producing an English Bible or New Testament every twelve seconds. Those Bibles are not wasted—they are required—and more copies of the sacred Scriptures are demanded in the English tongue than in the languages of all the other nations of the world.—Religious Intelligencer. EQUALITY IN RAISING MEANS.
The manner of raising means, not only to properly support our ministers and to carry forward tract and missionary work, but also to build up and sustain our institutions, will be thoroughly canvassed. We see this great evil amongst us: Only a few of those who constitute our present rapidly growing membership have taken stock in our Publishing Associations, our College, and our Health Institute. Those who have recently cast their lot in with the Seventh-day Adventists do not take stock in these worthy and indispensable institutions. There is a wrong here that must be corrected. There are no reasons why those who enter the vineyard at the eleventh hour should not work sharp this last hour. God bless them! Let them have their penny, as well as those who have borne the burden and heat of the day. But all the circumstances will fully justify these last in putting their time and means into the cause in good earnest. We think that the old hands, who have been sacrificing largely all the way from five to twenty-five years in the past, would not be grieved if these who enter the vineyard as the sun is nearly set, should come nobly forward to the work with their means. They should do this. Our ministers should preach equality in bearing the burdens of the way. Our system of benevolence to support our ministers is equitable, scriptural, and right. It touches the poor man so very lightly that he does not feel it, and brings the burden on the wealthy, who can bear it without the least difficulty. Why not establish equality in raising means to sustain other branches of the cause? Let those who have taken but little or no stock in our institutions answer this question. There is a debt upon our College of about $12,000. About $50,000 has been paid by the few. Should all our people take stock in our College proportionate to their property as the few have done, the entire sum raised would not be less than $150,000. But only one-half this sum is needed at present to remove the debt, and to build cottages on vacant lots on which the College pays taxes, and loses interest on the money invested. The General Conference Committee recommend and urge equality. The names of those who have pledged means for the College, and the amounts paid, will be published in pamphlet form, and put into the hands of the officers of our Conferences and Tract and Missionary Societies. Then it will be seen who have pledged, who have paid, and who stand all the day idle, and have taken no stock. Then the workers will know where to take hold to bring all up on equality in regard to stock in our College. This is not the work of a day. It must be taken hold of with a will, combined with patient toil. The people must first be instructed, then tenderly entreated, and, if necessary, repeatedly and persistently urged. In due time the same plan will be carried out in establishing equality in the stock of our Publishing Associations. Our Eastern brethren have raised $10,000 to furnish the Pacific Press with presses, types, and other printing material. We recommend that no certificates of stock be issued to these Eastern brethren, unless they urge it, as the majority of stock must be represented at the annual meeting of our Pacific Association, either by person or proxy; and it would be difficult to have this large amount of Eastern stock, held by so many persons, represented. The cause on the Pacific Coast is in a healthy and growing condition. The few that were members in 1875 nobly raised about $20,000 for the Pacific Press. Those who have joined the little army on the coast since that time, and who will join it by the autumn of 1878, will be as able to raise $20,000 more, as the old hands were to raise that sum in 1875. These new hands, these eleventh-hour men, are scattered all along the coast from Mexico to British Columbia. There are no reasons why our good people in Oregon and Washington should not take stock in the Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association. As fast as these new hands take stock, it should be refunded to Eastern brethren, to put into the Atlantic Press, which must be established very soon. Our Eastern brethren did well to send $10,000 to California to help there in time of need, until new friends could return it. This they did with pleasure. And now, if equality shall be established on the Pacific Coast, as in other parts of the great field, they will have the double joy of lifting twice with the same means, first on the Pacific, and second on the Atlantic. EAST AND WEST—PAST AND PRESENT.
By Joseph H. Waggoner
Though I accepted all that Bro. White wrote during his sojourn in Colorado, on “Broader Plans,” I must confess I was one of those who had some doubts of the expediency of starting the SIGNS OF THE TIMES in California at the time it was started. But all such doubts have long since been dispelled, and I must confess to the wisdom of the faith with which it was undertaken. It was truly a work of faith, and in the undertaking, Bro. White showed that, not only in plans, but in execution, he was taking in the future wants of the cause, while we doubters had our vision circumscribed by the narrow limits of the present. The year preceding that just passed was not a bright one for California. Many in the churches in that State had fallen into habits of doubting and fault-finding, and this spirit largely leavened the camp-meeting of 1875. This threw discouragement on the servants of God, and they were greatly crippled in their labors. Those who truly loved the cause were made to mourn; and the fear was freely expressed that the SIGNS would go down. This was the condition of things when Bro. White was called East, in the spring of 1876. At the meeting of the Pacific Publishing Association of that year, I improved the opportunity to present some facts given by the publishers of other religious weeklies showing the amount and kind of patronage needed to make them self-sustaining. All could readily see that the SIGNS could hope for only a tithe of that amount, rejecting advertisements also, for several years. But I did not regard the case as hopeless, and felt free to say that if they would cordially second Bro. White’s efforts, and thereby secure his continued interest in the SIGNS, he would bring it through successfully. A close acquaintance with him and with his work for over twenty years gave me confidence to speak thus. And the event has shown that this confidence was not misplaced. The friends took hold of the work anew, the grumblers were converted or weeded out, and the light of Heaven shone upon the churches. Willie C. White had, almost from a child, entered into the counsels of his father, and was, better than any other, enabled to carry out the plans of his father. He was called to the charge of the Office, and by efforts and a consecration to the work very rarely found with one of his age, he kept the paper up until the return of Bro. White in the fall. And at the last spring meeting, the friends of the cause were agreeably disappointed to learn that the SIGNS Office was actually paying up its past indebtedness. Such a result, under such circumstances, cannot be shown by any other office in the land, and gives assurance, not only that great financial skill has been manifested in the work, but that the hand of God is in the work, and his blessing is with those who walk in his counsel, for without this such a result could never have been reached. How far we, as a people, have learned the lesson of the past, time will show. We have constantly stood trembling lest those called to lead out in the work would move in advance of the openings of Providence. But when we consider the progress of the cause East and West, the wide field of the Southern States waiting to be improved, the calls among the Swedes and Danes in our own land and in Europe, the progress of the cause in Switzerland, France, and Germany, the increasing demands of the Health Institute, the growing importance of our camp-meetings, etc., we must confess that it will take breadth of plan and more than human energy and wisdom to keep up with the openings of Providence. Our Tract and Missionary Societies are doing a great work. In another direction the Biblical Institutes are doing a work equally great. That lately held in California did more to develop and call into activity the resources of the cause than could have been done by months or years of ordinary labor. The manifest blessing of Heaven attending the closing exercises did much to strengthen confidence in the cause, and to bind together the hearts of those who there consecrated themselves to the work. Such an Institute is needed in every State. I most heartily indorse the suggestion of Bro. White that a paper will be needed in the very near future in the Shenandoah Valley or some other eligible place in the Southern States. And we have no time to spare. Perhaps it is because we are learning the lesson of the past, but it certainly seems that the call is as urgent (if not more so) to establish a press in the South or South-east, as it was a few years ago to establish one in California. Happily the number of laborers is being greatly multiplied. But it will be found necessary for all these to drink in the spirit of “broader plans,” and to stand ready ever heartily to second the efforts of those who are called of God to lay these plans and to lead out in their execution. I feel the most firm assurance that the time is not very far distant when Bro. and Sr. White will be called to visit Europe, to meet the wants of the growing cause there. “The field is the world.” And it is white to the harvest in every direction. We need faith, earnestness, and complete union in purpose and action, and success will crown our efforts. The third angel will speak “with a loud voice” as sure as the words of inspiration are truth. And may the Lord hasten the day, and grant us all a part and place in the work. MISSIONARY TOUR TO DENMARK AND NORWAY.
By John G. Matteson
In order to be prepared to labor in the Danish-Norwegian Mission in Europe, I have spent about two months writing for the ADVENT TIDENDE. I found good homes for two of our children with the brethren in Neenah, where I stayed four days and held meetings. The large school-house was crowded every time with attentive hearers. The Baptist minister and most of his members attended our two last meetings. Four precious souls were baptized and added to our number. Bro. J. P. Jasperson was ordained as local elder. My companion has decided to go with me and assist in missionary work. May 11th we left our dear brethren in Oakland, Wis., where we have resided the last eleven years. Here we leave our three youngest children in the kind care of a dear brother and sister. We tarried a few days with the brethren in Chicago, and enjoyed the blessing of God in our meetings with them. We stayed a week in Battle Creek, where we were favored by the help and kind counsels of our beloved Bro. and Sr. White, who had just arrived from California. We shall never forget the favorable impressions received during our short stay here. We leave our two oldest children to attend the College. The Battle Creek College is truly an honor to our denomination, and to those who, by the help of God, have succeeded in establishing this worthy institution. The dear brethren who are teachers in this school have been successful in uniting Christian religion, good morals, and obedience to the laws of life and health with a thorough course of instruction to a degree of perfection which excels all that I have witnessed before in this line. The Sabbath-school in Battle Creek is truly excellent. On Sabbath Eld. White gave a sermon full of present truth, and on Monday evening, a lecture on The Great Harvest Field. I found a kind reception at our good Health Institute. May God bless those who try to build up this institution in their mission of love. Sunday evening we had a Scandinavian meeting attended by about thirty persons. We felt the presence of the Holy Spirit uniting our hearts in brotherly love and full harmony with our American brethren. We left Battle Creek Monday night, arrived at New York to-day, and leave to-morrow on the German steamship “Pomerania” direct for Hamburg. The Lord has greatly favored our undertaking so far, and we leave the shores of America with strong feelings of love and respect for our dear brethren in this great country. In God we trust for the future. Brethren, pray for us. JOHN G. MATTESON. “I DIE DAILY.”
By John G. Matteson
UNBELIEF goes before faith, the curse before the blessing, and death before life. Of the prodigal son it is written, “For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Luke 15. The Christians in Rome were once the servants of sin, but afterwards they became servants of righteousness. Rom. 6. Then they could share in that gift of God which is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Paul died through the law. Rom. 7:10. His spiritual eye was opened so that he could see the corruption of his own heart. Then he felt that he was under the curse of the law; for he had no Christ, no Saviour. But when he humbled himself before Jesus of Nazareth, whom he before had persecuted, and accepted him as his Lord and Saviour, he found that his load of sin was removed. Then he could say, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1. Paul died “through the law,” and was “crucified with Christ.” Gal. 2:19, 20. He humbled his proud heart, and bore willingly the reproach of Christ and of his cross. Then I—the old selfish and proud I—did not live any more, but Christ lived in him. Then he says, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20. But although Paul thus once was converted, and once died through the law unto sin and to his old life in pride and self-righteousness, yet he did nevertheless afterwards die daily. “I protest [or testify] by your rejoicing [margin, our rejoicing, Danish, that rejoicing] which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Cor. 15:31. For the sake of Christ and the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection he fought with wild beasts at Ephesus. He stood every hour in jeopardy. He suffered reproach and persecution, chains and imprisonment, hunger and scourging. In all this he had an opportunity to humble himself daily. It was not enough that he humbled himself once. He had173to continue to humble himself before the Lord. It was not enough that he died once. He had to die daily. Without this he could not live every day in the faith of the Son of God who died for him. Here we have a live picture of a true transformation from darkness to light, from death to life. Have we experienced such a conversion? Do we now live such a daily life in the Lord? Do we die daily? Oh! that we could understand how important this matter is. Satan and the world and the flesh try daily to renew our life in pride and selfishness. Many who profess to follow Christ have never felt their own wretched and doomed condition. And others who have felt it once have not learned with the apostle to die daily. Is not this necessary to our salvation? Need we not to humble ourselves so truly that we can endure to be reproved by others? Must we not as true followers of Jesus learn patiently to suffer wrong? Come, brethren, let us strive earnestly against our own proud and stubborn mind until we may learn to die daily. Then we can also live daily in the faith of the Son of God, who died for us. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
By James White
We were very happy to meet Elders Canright and Haskell at Battle Creek the 25th. The General Conference Committee will remain in council until June 4. The matters under consideration relate to the whole work, in all its branches, throughout the entire harvest field. The subjects now before us are, equality in raising means, the proper distribution of laborers, the pioneer sheet for 1878 for the T. and M. workers to use in place of copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, the establishment of the Atlantic Press, and to perfect as far as possible the system of Tract and Missionary work. More full report will be given next week. J. W. THE WORK IN THE SOUTH.
By James White
Eld. S. Osborn of Kentucky has been with us several days. He reports a membership in the Kentucky and Tennessee Conference of seventy, and one hundred and sixty Sabbath-keepers within the bounds of his mission. That mission, from first to last, has not cost the General Conference five hundred dollars, including the cost of their tent, and is now self-sustaining. Bro. Osborn is one of our hard-working, faithful men. If it please God, Mrs. W. and the writer will hold camp-meeting with his people in late autumn. We shall be glad to hold camp-meetings in Virginia, Kentucky, and Texas, near the edge of next winter, which we now expect to spend at some point in the South. We commenced to labor in this cause when, and where, it was new, and have continued to build up the weak places up to this time. We have lost burden for the old fields, where we have labored in the fear of God to the utmost of strength and ability. If the Lord will go with us in power, we may do something more where the cause is new and weak. J. W. THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES is ably conducted. The local editor of that paper knows when the work of editing is done well, and she labors to come up to the true standard of the profession. Our discerning people are fully satisfied with the SIGNS, and are giving it a wide circulation. Glorious news comes in from all quarters of what it is doing in converting men and women to the Sabbath and also to the Lord of the Sabbath. We very much regret that the T. and M. workers let so much precious time go by before they commenced. But they can do much next year to redeem the failure of the present. Each year we are learning how to make a better pioneer sheet for the next, and our people are also improving in the manner of circulating it. By the grace of God our paper for new fields for 1878 shall exceed the SIGNS for 1877. We shall lay our plans well, and in season, and shall ask for a circulation of 25,000. Correspondence: Questions on Melchizedek, Pentecost, and the Thieves
S. I. Carnahan: After a member has received a letter from a church, he is still a member of that church, and entitled to all the rights he had before, until he joins another church. Questions.—1. Is the bread and wine spoken of in Gen. 14:18 a type of the communion? 2. Is the Holy Ghost given to people now at conversion or any other time as it was on the day of Pentecost? Isaac H. Moser. Ans. 1. I have seen no evidence that it is. It was presented to Abram probably as simply a lunch to refresh him after his weary pursuit of the kings. 2. It is not a common occurrence. Jesus promised to send the Comforter, and to be with his people by his Holy Spirit, even to the end of the world; and another promise stands thus: “And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17. There may yet be manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit equal to those exhibited at Pentecost. M. C. Wilcox: It is quite probable that both the thieves did revile the Saviour, as Matthew and Mark both state; and while these writers do not mention the repentance of the thief at all, Luke omits to say that this man at first joined with the other in his language of derision. I think the pronoun he in John 19:17 represents Christ. Putting John’s account with the accounts of Matthew and Mark, we conclude that the cross was at first laid upon the Saviour; and as they “led him out to crucify him,” his strength failing, they compelled one Simon, who passed by, to bear it. You ask if Moses ever re-wrote the moral law. We have no knowledge of his having done it, only as he was preparing his manuscript for Exodus and Deuteronomy. C. W. S.