By Mrs. E. G. White, Author of the "Desire of Ages," etc.
MORE than eighteen hundred years ago Christ walked on this earth, a Man among men, yet a God. Hear what He said, "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." A solemn duty rests upon every one who believes in Christ, to go outside the church and seek in every way to save souls. To be a Christian means to be Christlike, and upon all Christians rests the burden of working as Christ worked.
Christ came to this world to represent the character of God as expressed in His law, and in human nature He lived that law. So our lives are to be spent in doing God's will. We have been made repositories of sacred truth; but this truth is of no value to us unless it is practised in the daily life. Christians are to do thorough work. Instead of expending their time and means in working for those who have already been blessed with so many opportunities and privileges that they do not know how to appreciate them, let God's workers go into places where the truth has not been heard. Let earnest zeal and fervent piety be manifested in behalf of those who are in the darkness of error. Of those who work in this way Christ says: "Ye are laborers together with God." "Ye are the light of the world." "Ye are the salt of the earth." "Ye are My witnesses." "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
We are to exert a saving influence over those who are without God and without hope in the world. The pathway to the city of refuge is to be kept free from the rubbish of selfishness and sin. Those who profess to be following the Lamb of God are to take every stumbling-block out of the way. But too often those who claim to believe the truth lay stumbling-blocks in the way of others. They say that they know Christ, but in works they deny Him. By their trifling conduct they hurt those they might have helped. They sin against God, and lie against the truth, imperiling their own souls and leading others astray.
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time," "because the days are evil." This principle was laid down by the apostle Paul, to whom the Lord gave special light. God's people are to be lights, shining amid the moral darkness of the world. By a godly life they are to show that the truth exerts an ennobling influence over them.
Great efforts are made by many to present an attractive exterior. Far more essential is it to have the truth implanted in the heart; for grace in the heart will work outward. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, that is, it does not consist of ceremonies. There is danger of ceremonies becoming too numerous, of the simplicity of the Gospel being lost in a multiplicity of machinery. When professing Christians work without truth enthroned in the heart, their religion is only a stumbling-block to sinners. "Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots." The church will be perfect only when its members live the truth, vindicating the honor of God by winning souls to Christ.
As Christians we are keenly watched by the world. Our words and deeds are remarked upon. The Christian is a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. When we realize that as followers of Christ we are living epistles, read and known of all men, we shall be more careful of how we follow Christ. Those who do not search the Scriptures for themselves receive their impressions of our faith and doctrines by the way in which we practise the teachings of God's Word. They may have no inclination to study their Bibles, but they do study the lives of those who claim to be Christians. A true Christian is a living commentary, explaining day by day the truth as it is in Jesus.
If the truth is enthroned in our hearts, we shall live its principles. Our lives will reveal its cleansing efficacy. We shall show that new cloth has not been joined to a threadbare garment. We are clothed with the garment of Christ's righteousness, woven in the loom of heaven. The Holy Spirit takes the things of God, and shows them to us. Truth is applied to the understanding and the heart. We see Christ's sacrifice and intercession in a new light. The work of the Redeemer in our behalf fills us with holy joy and peace, and we are constrained to go out and work for those who need help.
Christ gave His life that we should not perish. He has our eternal happiness in view, and He says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." He who heeds these words will indeed become a son of God, a living epistle, known and read of all men. He will not be careless in words or actions, but will make it his aim to seek and to save those that are lost. He will work earnestly and lovingly for those that are wandering in the wilderness of sin.
O BEAUTIFUL River, from Zion outflowing,
In freshness and favor, majestic and broad;
The redolent splendor and grace of thy going
Rehearseth the greatness and glory of God!
I sing of thy Source, in the Mind of the Maker,
The trend of thy purpose, untrammeled and free,—
How each, by thy wealth of design, is partaker
Of all the bright blessings inherent in thee.
Thy crystalline cleansing no mortal may measure
Who knows not the stain and pollution of sin;
Thy touch, like the hope of an infinite pleasure,
Hath pureness, delight, and rejoicing within.
What marvelous pulse thrills the hand of thy healing,
Ecstatic with being and pregnant with "Breath,"
The limitless love of Jehovah revealing,
As higher than heaven and deeper than death!
How strong is thy strength, by Omnipotence in thee!
How buoyant thy bearing o'er earth's meaner things!
The word of the Lord from His house did begin thee;
Baptized in thy waters my spirit hath wings.
O bountiful River, Divine and Eternal,
Flow on in thy fulness and freedom, sublime!
The desert shall blossom in fragrance supernal,
And life bloom for aye from thy shore-ways in Time.
Toronto, Aug. 20, 1899. LLEWELLYN A. MORRISON.
ARE YOU SOWING TO THE FLESH?
WHAT eternal law of moral conduct is continually demonstrated in nature?
"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7. "To every seed his own body." 1 Cor. 15:38.
2. What will he reap who sows to the flesh?
"He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." Gal. 6:8.
3. To what is the flesh contrary?
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other." Gal. 5:17. "The carnal [fleshly] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. 8:7.
4. What are the works of the flesh?
"The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like." Gal. 5:19-21.
5. What will be the result of such sowing?
"They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:21. "He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." Gal. 6:8. "To be carnally minded [fleshly minded] is death." Rom. 8:6.
6. In thus reaping, what does a man truly do?
"They eat of the fruit of their own way" and are "filled with their own devices." Prov. 1:31. "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." Prov. 14:14. "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity [nothingness, death]." Prov. 22:8. "Hear, O earth; behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My words, nor to My law, but rejected it." Jer. 6:19.
7. That we may be saved from such a fate, what faithful warning does God give us?
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7.
DEPENDENCE UPON GOD.
By William N. Glenn
UPON whom is every man dependent?
Upon "God that made the world and all things therein, . . . seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." Acts 17:24, 25.
2. What is every man's position in this world?
Every one is a servant. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Rom. 6:16.
3. Whose servant is every one naturally?
"Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:34. "All have sinned." Rom. 3:23.
4. Has man no power to uplift himself or his fellow-man?
"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." Ps. 146:3.
5. What was the result of Israel's trust in man?
"Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies; because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men." Hosea 10:13.
6. To whose power, then, shall we look for freedom?
"Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Isa. 45:22. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36.
7. What has God promised dependent man concerning the necessaries of life in this world?
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily shalt thou be fed." Ps. 37:3. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Mal. 3:10.
8. What protection to the harvest does obedience in this duty secure?
"I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord." Verse 11.
W. N. GLENN.
FOR more than two thousand years God's Word has had on record the assertion that He, in contrast with all others, is able to declare "the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done." Isa. 46:10. Again He has affirmed that He surely would do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7. The history of the ages has so fully verified both of these statements that they may be entirely trusted.
In the days of Noah God revealed to him, not only the length of time the Holy Spirit would strive with men, but also the number of days to intervene between the completion of the ark and the time when the flood would begin its destructive work. Gen. 6:13; 7:4. Abraham was fully informed that before his seed should inherit the promised land they must be strangers and slaves in a foreign country for four hundred years. Gen. 15:13-16. The Egyptian bondage was the fulfilment of this. After the Israelites had spent several hundred years in Canaan, the prophet pointed out that they would again be in bondage seventy years. Jer. 25:11. This prediction was soon followed by the Babylonian captivity, which ended in the overthrow of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Compare the chronological tables at the beginning of the books of Daniel and Ezra for confirmation.
Again, while Israel was in Babylonian captivity, God gave to Daniel the very time when the Messiah would appear for the comfort of His people, and measured the interval by incidents, which were intended to assure all of the certainty of the major event. Dan. 9:14-16. This time, measured by the Bible rule of applying prophetic days, ended in A.D. 27, when Christ was baptized in Jordan, and the holy dove descended upon Him, and the voice from heaven proclaimed Him the beloved Son of God. Mark 1:10, 11.
To all the ancients the prophetic outlook was unmistakably marked, and might have been made of eternal profit to them had they heeded the indications. But the predictions of the prophets did not stop with those early generations, by any means. The very prophecies given for a light on their future, continue to shine on to our own time, so that, after tracing in history the fulfilment of their first predictions, we may follow the inspired declarations onward, and thus get a view of the outlook before the present generation.
Take, for instance, the seventh chapter of Daniel's prophecy. In that the Hebrew seer is given a view of all the future through the symbols of four wild, ferocious beasts. In verses 23 and 24 an angel explains that the fourth beast stood for the fourth great kingdom of earth, and that the ten horns it carried represented the ten divisions of empire it would undergo. Following this, another little horn was to appear and subdue three of the existing ten, after which it would arrogantly speak against God, wear out His saints, and attempt to change divine times and laws, all of which were to be under its control for a designated period.
Knowing, as we do, that one sovereignty alone, of all earth's empires, was ever thus divided, we are confined to Rome as the theater of those prophetic fulfilments. Between the years 351 and 476 A.D. that government crumbled into ten divisions, and by the subjugation of three of these ten, the bishop of the Church of Rome became recognized as legal head over all churches, in the year 538. With this elevation he began to proclaim himself the representative of God on earth, and the "corrector of heretics." In carrying out this supposed mission, the papal hierarchy literally "wore out" millions of dissenters, until the overthrow of its supremacy, by the French, in 1798, the point of time covered by the prophecy.
THE OUTLOOK PROPHETIC
Then was fulfilled the next statement of the prophet, that his dominion was to be taken away, to be wasted to the end of time, when the greatness of all rule under the heavens would revert to the saints of God forever and ever.
But this in no way indicates that a time of universal peace and good-will is to come to the world under political systems. On the other hand, we are assured that the "man of sin" will continue to the end, to be destroyed in the brightness of Christ's coming. 2 Thess. 2:3-8. This implies that wickedness will abound to the very close of the world's career; indeed, we are told, on the authority of inspiration, that in the last days perilous times will surely come, because men will be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, without natural affection, false accusers, despisers of those that are good, traitors, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, while having a form of godliness, and denying the power of it. 2 Tim. 3:1-5.
This, of course, forbids the prospect of a temporal millennium, even tho nothing were written to the contrary. But the Lord has spoken definitely on this point. In connection with the last quotation, He says that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." Verse 13. Not only will they deceive others to follow in their lead, but they themselves will be blinded and deceived as to the nature of what they lead others to do.
These wicked acts being the outgrowth of what is taught by those having a form of godliness yet denying the power of it, all forms of crime would naturally increase in every grade of society. As stated by the prophet: "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth; they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. . . . Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands." Isa. 59:4-6. That the very time thus described is here, without a doubt, may be established by the reckless disregard for human life shown in the dealings of man with his fellow-man, even tho his name may be recorded as a member of the church of Christ.
How true are the words of the apostle, that in the last days men having a form of godliness will be fierce and without natural affection! How true again that, with this dragging society downward into hasty marriages and frequent divorces, the production and abandonment of base-born children, with the ever-widening distinction between the classes, and the prophetic declaration that the situation is constantly to grow worse and worse, the dream of a world's millennium is shown to be a delusion of Satan to hold the discernment of men under his control!
Again, the attitude that the great nations are assuming in the scramble for power and precedence, is cultivating the spirit of national jealousy among those who call themselves followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Everything, in fact, goes to show that the world is on the eve of that period predicted, when there will be a "time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation." Dan. 12:1.
Such a time as this will not burst upon the world like a meteor flashing from its place in the heavens, but must be the culmination of forces which gather in various parts of the earth. Already there are smoldering embers of contention everywhere, that only await the breeze of controversy to fan them into destructive flame. The pending questions of supremacy between leading nations of Europe and America, are assuming complications that the keenest diplomacy fails to regulate, and some of the gravest statesmen of the world look upon the situation with fear as to the final outcome. One prominent government official said not long since to the writer, who questioned him on the outlook, "The fact is that human government is fast becoming a problem beyond the power of human wisdom to regulate."
This expresses the feelings of many regarding the future, and may be one reason for the strenuous efforts being constantly made to correct matters by new political organizations. But to the student of prophecy all this is but the fulfilment of the Saviour's statement that, just prior to His return to earth, men's hearts will be failing25"them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26.
But the Saviour adds words to these which are sure to be a comfort to His people who wait for His coming: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." These accumulating troubles in every quarter of the globe are, therefore, in one sense, cheering omens to the true child of God; for by these he is assured that soon the great Prince, who stands for the faithful, will "stand up" (begin His reign), and deliver every one whose name is found written in the book of life. Dan. 12:1.
With His reign ushered in, the world's strife will cease. Contention for the mastery will no longer be known; for then only the mild principles of love and peace will exist, because sin and sinners will have been destroyed, and every one will dwell safely "under His shadow" whose righteousness and faithfulness will be the "girdle of His loins." All will then "revive as the corn, and grow as the vine," because God's kingdom has come, and His will is being "done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matt. 6:10.
Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall control them. No astute political maneuver will then be necessary to stem the rising tide of national strife, since no one will desire to hurt or destroy in all the holy government of God; for then the whole world will be filled with the knowledge of God and His righteousness, as the waters cover the sea. Isa. 11:5-9. Every highway there will be a way of holiness; nothing unclean will pass over them; wayfaring men, tho simple, will not err therein. No dreary desert will meet the eye in that country; for everywhere the glory of God will be seen, making the whole earth blossom as the rose. Isa. 35:1-10.
How much better is this than any promise the reign of sin can give! Best of all, when once the sovereignty of righteousness is ushered in, it can never be discontinued; for of the increase and peace of that government there shall be no end, "to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever." To all eternity, therefore, the subjects of that reign will be permitted to dwell under the fostering care of Him whose name will be called "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 9:6, 7.
"Then let the hurricane roar,
It will the sooner be o'er;
We will weather the blast,
And land at last
Safe on the evergreen shore."
THE COMING OF THE REAPER
By Francis M. Wilcox
By Francis M. Wilcox, Boulder, Colo.
IN nature, seed-time and harvest are the seasons of rejoicing. One is the time of springing hope; the other, of glad fruition. With joyful anticipation the husbandman sows the seed. The seed springs forth,—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. During this period of evolution and progress, the seed-sower watches with eager anxiety the development of each stage, to see if the harvest will repay the work of toil. If the seed sown is good, if it has been tended with care, refreshed by dew and rain, and warmed by the sun, an abundant harvest is the result. The harvest brings the day of reward for the seed-sowing and labor. In nature, as a man sows, so shall he reap. The husbandman who plants good seed will reap the good as a harvest. If he sows wheat, wheat will be garnered. If he sows tares, the baneful results of their influence will be seen in the time of the harvest gathering.
As this is true in nature, so it is just as true in the spiritual world. Day by day, year by year, and century by century, through all the ages of the past, men have been sowing seed, good or ill, as the case may be, according to the life and influence of each. God will reward every man according to the fruit of his doings. Jer. 17:10. "He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." The mercy of Christ the Lord in so long bearing patiently with sinful men has been taken by them as evidence of His indifference to the heinous character of their evil-doings. But such is not the case. Says the wise man, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Says the Lord through David, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself; but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." The delay of God is but an evidence of His love. Unwilling that any should perish, but desirous that all should come to repentance, He delays the execution of His righteous judgments, multiplying to every soul the opportunities for receiving His grace.
But in God's great purpose, and in His own time, there will come the awakening. As in the end of the year there comes the harvest in the realm of nature, so in the end of this earth's history will come the harvest of the world. The grain will become ready for the sickle, the clusters of grapes for the press, the tares and chaff for the burning. "Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Says our Saviour, in Matt. 13:39, "The harvest is the end of the world."
Christ is the sower of the seed: "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man." Matt. 13:37. In the end of the world Christ comes as the reaper. "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap; for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." Rev. 14:14-16. The cloud upon which the Son of man is represented as sitting is doubtless made up of the angelic host. These heavenly messengers, in the parable of our Lord as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, are likewise termed the reapers: "The harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels." They are thus termed because of their association with Christ in His gathering work.
In the day of harvest, the two classes who have grown together, represented by the tares and the wheat, whose every-day experiences perhaps have been most closely intermingled, will be separated. The wicked shall be given to the burning flame and destroyed. Says our Lord: "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
“THE SON OF MAN SHALL SEND FORTH HIS ANGELS, AND THEY SHALL GATHER”—
But the destruction of sin and sinners is the contemplation of the dark side of the picture. There is a brighter view, a purer scene, and a more entrancing vision. While the Reaper comes to gather out of His kingdom "all things that offend, and them which do iniquity," He comes likewise to gather the wheat into His garner. His promise to His waiting church is, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself," and, true to His promise, He comes to take His children home. When the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, then it is that the "righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Matt. 13:43. When the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heaven and the earth shall shake, then shall the Lord be the strength of His people, and the hope of His children Israel. Joel 3:16. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth." With faces lit up with His glory, with hearts full to bursting with His love, and with tongues tremulous with emotion, they shall say in that day, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
The great harvest day hastens on apace. Soon He who shall come will come, and will not tarry. Soon to every man will be given according to his works. Dear reader, to which class will you belong at the coming of the Reaper? Will you be numbered with the tares, or garnered with the wheat? Now, in the day of salvation, while the Spirit still appeals, and while mercy still lingers, your decision should be made. "To-day, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart." "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." In the harvest-time it will be too late to sow. From the decision of that hour there will be no appeal. Here in this world an adverse decision in a lower court may be repealed by a higher. Now in these days, when truth is fallen in the street, and justice standeth afar off, the judge may be bought or the jury may be bribed; but not so in the day of the final settlement of all accounts. Says the prophet, "Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath." Wealth will not avail; worldly position will not influence; power will not intimidate. One thing and one only will furnish a passport into the heavenly kingdom, and that is the righteousness of Christ the Lord. Robed in His spotless purity, possessing His perfect character, the recipient will be enabled to pass the grand review, and enter unabashed into the presence of the Holy One. The Judge, beholding him, will see but a reproduction of His own dear Son.
The possession of God's righteousness places salvation within the reach of every soul. Had God made the condition of salvation the possession of worldly power, or of riches, or of education, how few would have been enabled to avail themselves of the proffered grace! But God has made the condition so simple that every soul may accept of the proffered salvation. "Whosoever will" may come and "take the water of life freely;" and the simple condition of coming is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The same exercise of faith by the king on his throne and the peasant in the field; by the man of poverty or the man of wealth; by the learned or the illiterate; by the black or the white, will bring the salvation of God. But this faith in the Lord Jesus is not a mere sentiment, nor a mental assent to the fact that He died for the human family. It is an inwrought principle of the life, a faith that makes a personal application of His sacrifice to the individual heart and life. It is a faith which works "effectually in them that believe," that manifests itself in love, purifying the heart and life.
May you, dear reader, experience the transforming power of this faith in your life, so that the coming of the Reaper shall be welcomed by you with glad acclaim. May you sow the good seed, which will bear a harvest unto everlasting life. We may sow in tears, but if we sow in love and faith we shall reap with joy. May ours be the wise sowing, the joyful reaping, and the glad gathering in the great day of harvest.
The Coming of Christ
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then shall He reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20.
