Signs of the Times, Vol. 4, No. 7. (2/14/1878)

Signs of the Times

Feb 14, 1878

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 14, 1878

BATTLE CREEK COLLEGE.

By Ellen G. White

REMARKS BY MRS. E. G. WHITE, AT GOGUAC LAKE, JUNE 26, 1877.

(Concluded.)

[The closing exercises of the Battle Creek College for the year were held in the beautiful grove at Goguac lake, about two miles from the city of Battle Creek. Before the services closed there were about four hundred persons present who witnessed the baptism of fourteen students of the school who had been converted during the last term. The following is the concluding remarks of an address, which was reported by a student.]

WE would say to the students who are soon to return to their homes, we hope they will make continual advancement in the knowledge of God, and in his fear. An education that is obtained merely in book knowledge is a very deficient education. An education in the things of God, a correct knowledge of God, combined with all the knowledge that you may obtain from books will give you symmetrical characters. As the students return to their homes, we hope they will carry Jesus with them; and that they will have the fear of God before them. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Here is a principle which reaches deep beneath the surface, taking hold of the thoughts and actions of the entire man. He is required to be constantly guarded, a faithful sentinel over the citadel of the soul, prepared to meet and resist every thought and action which will dishonor his heavenly Father. A compliance with this injunction of the apostle will bind and hold in restraint every unlawful passion, and will make self-control an absolute necessity to the Christian. Economy, industry, energy, and everything which will strengthen and develop noble qualities and powers will be cultivated. The Divine power combined with human effort will give to all perfect and entire victory. Every believing mind will be filled with conscious power. The language of the soul will be: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Such youth, and only such, can stand before the world with symmetrical characters.

Solomon prayed to God for wisdom. The Lord said, because he had not asked for temporal riches or for worldly honor, he should have not only the blessing of wisdom, but riches and honor also. One who has heavenly wisdom is prepared to make a right use of the talents and means which God has given him. All the talents and ability he may possess will not lead him to forget the Giver. There is danger of some of these dear youth being self-deceived, as was the young man who came to Jesus, and in all self-confidence inquired: "Good Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Said the Searcher of all hearts: If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments. Exultingly the young man replied: All these have I kept from my youth up, what lack I yet? How earnestly, and with what elation of soul he said this. But Jesus looked pityingly upon this deceived young man and said: "Yet lackest thou one thing; sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and come follow me, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." This practical test unfolded to the deceived young man his supreme selfishness. His deficiency of character spoiled all his virtues. It was a fatal deficiency, for he turned away from Christ, from the heavenly inducement, rather than to comply with the conditions.

We have hope that when you shall return to your homes and mingle in society, and are surrounded with temptations, when you shall meet with difficulties and obstacles, when self-denial is called for, when self-sacrifice is required, that you will be connected with God, and maintain a Christian fidelity of character; that you will be like the pure lily, only gathering to yourselves the good and refusing the bad. You can all do this if you will. Every one of you may have moral power; every one of you may have grace and strength to become victors on your own account, in the name of the One who has conquered for you, and has ascended up on high to represent your case to the Father. Man's representative pleads in heaven in our behalf; and we want that the youth who have given their hearts to God will so live that Christ can freely present their cases before the Father. We hope that those who have just entered the school of Christ will continue to be learners. "If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." There are many who cease to be learners in Christ's school after they have received the ordinance of baptism. They appear more like graduates. "Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." How natural for many to love to teach, but who will not be taught. "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." Who so easily taught as a child; who so willing and ready to believe? God looks with love upon the confiding simplicity of children. Duties in our homes, in the college, and in the church, may be regarded as drudgery; but in proportion as these duties are blended with the love of God they are made cheerful and pleasant. The simple faith and trusting confidence of the child is necessary to be possessed by the learner in the school of Christ.

After the baptism of Christ he bowed upon Jordan's banks, and heaven never listened to such a prayer as he then and there uttered. And in answer to that prayer, the light and glory of God flashed forth from his throne and descended as a dove and rested upon him. Immediately from the Infinite One came a voice, saying: "This is my beloved Son." Here, heaven was opened to man; earth was connected with heaven through our representative, and finite man with the Infinite God. Heaven was opened to you, dear youth; and you need not to feel that the heavens above you are brass. God testified to his Son in his own voice that he accepted him; and in accepting the representative of the race he signifies to man that he will accept him through his Son if we comply with the conditions laid down in his word. The steps requisite in conversion are repentance, faith and baptism. And then after these steps are taken, the life of prayer is essential to maintain the Christian life, and to seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth, you cannot stop at baptism and feel that you have graduated. Your Christian life is only entered upon, the formation of Christian character is yet before you, you have just entered the school of Christ, and need to continue to learn of him.

You are to continue to be instructed in the school of Christ, having the heart open to receive the heavenly knowledge that will be imparted unto you; and thus you will grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth. There is a final examination that is to take place in reference to your probationary time in this world which is of vital interest to every one of us. There will in that day be no indifferent spectators. Every one will have a part to act, and will have intense interest to pass that ordeal with heavenly honors. All will have an opportunity to educate themselves while in this world, that they may be fitted to stand the grand review which must shortly take place. If you make efforts in one term at our college, and through negligence on your part fail to stand the examining test, you may console yourselves with the hope to redeem you failure in the following term. But if in the vital interest of your soul's salvation you neglect to learn the lessons necessary to stand the test of the great examination to come, there will be no second privilege and opportunity granted. It is now or never that you must perfect Christian character. There will be no following term that you may enter the school of Christ to redeem abused privileges and lost opportunities. It is of the highest importance that in the great examination to come you can stand in the merits of your heavenly Redeemer by having gained the victory in his name.

We have been having an exhibition of talent here to-day, but the grand review of character is to take place by and by. Jesus would have us learn in his school that we may become intellectual Christians. He would have us learn of him that we may grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth, that we may be qualified to talk intelligently upon the things of God, repeating the lessons of the cross of Christ. We have heard speeches from the stand to-day from you which have done credit to both students and teachers. We are anxious that those who are learning in the school of Christ should have willing hearts and ready tongues, that they may speak the praise of God, and tell, in their language and deportment, the advancement they have made in the divine life. You want to make your mark high, and progress every day. Every day you want to obtain knowledge how to successfully control self. You want to obtain knowledge how to gain new victories. The Christian warfare is a battle and a march. Take Christ with you in everything you do; take him with you at your homes, and wherever you go; and if Jesus is with you, if you have his presence and his love, you have a heavenly companion, a heavenly guest.

Think not that the Christian's life is one that takes away from you all pleasure. It opens to us fountains of pleasures that it is impossible for us to measure. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Take away from me everything that this world can give, but do not take away my connection with Heaven. I love my Saviour; and I want every one of these youth to love him. I want you to prepare for the final examination, when every man shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body. Who will be acquitted in that day? To whom will it be said: "Well done, good and faithful servant?" Who in that day will hear the words: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?" How many who are present on this occasion will listen to those words which are richer than any music that ever fell upon human ear? And who, then, will have the crown of glory placed upon their brow? Who will bear in their hand the palm branch of victory, and the harp of gold?

We want you to swell the triumph of "Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and that lives again, a triumphant conqueror." We want to see every one of you with your laurels of honor that you shall cast at the feet of your Redeemer; and then touch your golden harps, and fill all heaven with the melodious strains, and songs of praise to the Lamb. Talk not to me of the pleasures of earth. I have my eye fixed upon the immortal inheritance, and it has eclipsed all that is beautiful, all that is lovely, and all that is attractive in this world. I want heaven. I must have the eternal weight of glory. Will you strive with me to obtain heaven? Will you triumph with me in that day when God makes up his jewels? God grant that we may all be there; that every one of us may tread those streets that are paved with gold; that we may enter the pearly gates of the holy city, and that we may go no more out forever.

Invitation.

By E. D. W. B.

Come to the Fount of endless peace, The Spirit bids you come, O come where joys shall never cease, Though worldly joys be gone, Let not earth's gilded toys deceive Thy heart until too late, But in the Saviour Christ believe, His cause no longer hate. Thy worldly pleasures, hopes and joys Will shortly pass away; There's nothing here without alloy, Then why should you delay? Come, for probation soon will end, Life's precious hours be gone; Choose Christ the Saviour for thy friend, That he may lead thee home. Grieve not the Spirit's tender love Which oft has moved on thee, But seek the wisdom from above And from the tempter flee. Religion may be sought to-day, To-morrow is not thine; Repent, believe, without delay, And in Christ's image shine. —E. D. W. B.

Unprofitable Servants.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

JESUS once said to his disciples: "When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." How is this? God has created us to glorify him, to love him, and to obey him. He has given us a law that is perfect, holy, just, and good. It is the duty of every man to strictly do all that God has enjoined upon us without once disobeying. If any man could do this, he would simply do what was his duty to do from his birth to his death. But all have sinned, all have disobeyed God. Hence, when we come to the Lord to become his servants, we stop our disobedience and begin to do those things which are commanded us. But from this time out, if we do the very best, we can only do just what it was our duty to do provided we had not sinned at all. Hence our obedience now cannot pay up for our disobedience in the past. God must freely forgive us for all our past sins, and then for the future we can only do what we always ought to have done.

Take an illustration: Mr. A trades at the store of Mr. B for several years. He gets in debt more or less each year, till finally A owes B $100. Now A has nothing to pay that with, but is just able to meet the wants of his family from day to day. So B says to A, If you will now pay me down each time for what you get as you go along, I will give you that debt. A gladly accepts this kind offer and continues to trade with B. Now though A pays the just value of every article he gets of B, yet B could truthfully say that A is an unprofitable customer.

So with us: we are, to use the illustration, in debt to the law of God. We cannot possibly pay that debt by simply not getting into debt any more. So God offers to forgive us that debt provided we will strictly obey him in the future. This we promise to do. But if we do all this, even then we are unprofitable servants, we are only doing that which we always ought to have done. D. M. C.

Words of Jesus.

The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon says: "I remember being in the Island of Lido, off Venice, listening to the music of the bells, thinking how charming it was—perhaps no melody could be sweeter; but, on returning to the city on the same day, the bells there ringing seemed to drive one mad; there was no sweetness apparently, in any one; distance had lent enchantment to the sound. And so with the word of man. At a distance, it rings out melody only; but take it to pieces and find out each quality, each separate thought, and you find nothing but discordance. It is never so with the great words of Jesus. You can hear them ring very far when you are a sinner, alone on the mountain wilds, and they still ring of hope; and you can afterward listen to each distinct word, each separate silver bell, and, among all, say of each separate one: 'I never thought there was anything so inexpressibly sweet as this, outside of Heaven.' The best of all is that these precious words will never wear out; for Jesus said, 'Though heaven and earth shall pass away, yet my words shall never pass away.'"

Teaching Early and Late

To teach early is to engrave on marble; to teach late is to write on the sand.

Thoughts on the Book of Daniel.

By Uriah Smith

CHAPTER XI—CONTINUED.

Verse 15. So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities; and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

The tuition of the young king of Egypt was intrusted by the Roman Senate to M. Emilius Lepidus, who appointed Aristomenes, an old and experienced minister of that court, his guardian. His first act was to provide against the threatened invasion of the two confederated kings; Philip and Antiochus. To this end, he dispatched Scopas, a famous general of Ætolia, then in the service of the Egyptians, into his native country to raise reinforcements for the army. Having equipped an army, he marched into Palestine and Cœle-Syria (Antiochus being engaged in a war with Attalus in lesser Asia), and reduced all Judea into subjection to the authority of Egypt.

Thus affairs were brought into a posture for the fulfillment of the verse before us. For Antiochus, desisting from his war with Attalus at the dictation of the Romans, took speedy steps for the recovery of Palestine and Cœle-Syria from the hands of the Egyptians. Scopas was sent to oppose him. Near the sources of the Jordan, the two armies met. Scopas was defeated, pursued to Sidon, and there closely besieged. Three of the ablest generals of Egypt, with their best forces, were sent to raise the siege, but without success. At length Scopas, meeting, in the gaunt and intangible specter of famine, a foe with whom he was unable to cope, was forced to surrender on the dishonorable terms of life only; whereupon he and his ten thousand men were suffered to depart, stripped and naked. Here was the taking of the most fenced cities by the king of the north; for Sidon was, both in its situation and its defenses, one of the strongest cities of those times. Here was the failure of the arms of the south to withstand, and the failure also of the people which the king of the south had chosen, namely, Scopas and his Ætolian forces.

Verse 16. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

Although Egypt could not stand before Antiochus, the king of the north, Antiochus could not stand before the Romans who now came against him. No kingdoms were longer able to resist this rising power. Syria was conquered and added to the Roman Empire, when Pompey, B. C. 65, deprived Antiochus Asiaticus of his possessions, and reduced Syria to a Roman province.

The same power was also to stand in the holy land and consume it. Rome became connected with the people of God, the Jews, by alliance, B. C. 161, from which date it holds a prominent place in the prophetic calendar. It did not, however, acquire jurisdiction over Judea by actual contest till B. C. 63; and then in the following manner:—

On Pompey's return from his expedition against Mithridates king of Pontus, two competitors, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, were struggling for the crown of Judea. Their case came before Pompey, who soon perceived the injustice of the claims of Aristobulus, but wished to defer decision in the matter till after his long coveted expedition into Arabia, promising then to return and settle their affairs, as should seem just and proper. Aristobulus, fathoming Pompey's real sentiments, hastened back to Judea, armed his subjects, and prepared for a vigorous defense, determined, at all hazards, to keep that crown which he foresaw would be adjudicated to another. Pompey closely followed the fugitive. As he approached Jerusalem, Aristobulus, beginning to repent of his course, came out to meet him, and endeavored to accommodate matters by promising entire submission, and large sums of money. Pompey, accepting this offer, sent Gabinius at the head of a detachment of soldiers, to receive the money. But when that lieutenant-general arrived at Jerusalem, he found the gates shut against him, and was told from the top of the walls that the city would not stand to the agreement.

Pompey, not to be deceived in this way with impunity, put Aristobulus, whom he had retained with him, in irons, and immediately marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. The partisans of Aristobulus were for defending the place; those of Hyrcanus, for opening the gates. The latter being in the majority, and prevailing, Pompey was given free entrance into the city. Whereupon the adherents of Aristobulus retired to the mountain of the temple, as fully determined to defend that place as Pompey was to reduce it. At the end of three months, a breach was made in the wall sufficient for an assault, and the place was carried at the point of the sword. In the terrible slaughter that ensued, twelve thousand persons were slain. It was an affecting sight, observes the historian, to see the priests engaged at the time in divine service, pursue with calm hand, and steady purpose, their accustomed work, apparently unconscious of the wild tumult, though all around their friends were being given to the slaughter, and though often their own blood mingled with that of their sacrifices.

Having put an end to the war, Pompey demolished the walls of Jerusalem, transferred several cities from the jurisdiction of Judea to that of Syria, and imposed tribute on the Jews. Thus for the first time was Jerusalem placed by conquest in the hands of that power which was to hold the "glorious land" in its iron grasp till utterly consumed.

Verse 17. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do; and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her; but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

Bishop Newton furnished another reading for the verse, which seems to express more clearly the sense, as follows: "He shall also set his face to enter by force the whole kingdom." Verse 16 brought us down to the conquest of Syria and Judea by the Romans. Rome had previously conquered Macedon and Thrace. Egypt was now all that remained of the "whole kingdom" of Alexander, not brought into subjection to the Roman power, which now set its face to enter by force into that country.

Ptolemy Auletes died B. C. 51. He left the crown and kingdom of Egypt to his eldest son and daughter, Ptolemy and Cleopatra. It was provided in his will that they should marry together and reign jointly; and because they were young, they were placed under the guardianship of the Romans. The people accepted the charge, and appointed Pompey as guardian of the young heirs of the throne of Egypt.

A quarrel having not long after broken out between Pompey and Cæsar; the famous battle of Pharsalia was fought between the two generals. Pompey, being defeated, fled into Egypt. Cæsar immediately followed him thither; but before his arrival, Pompey was basely murdered by Ptolemy, whose guardian he had been appointed. Cæsar thereupon assumed the appointment with which he had been vested by the government of Rome, as guardian of Ptolemy and Cleopatra. He found Egypt in commotion from intestine disturbances, Ptolemy and Cleopatra having conceived hostility to each other, and she being deprived of her share in the government. Nothwithstanding this, he did not hesitate to land at Alexandria with his small force, 800 horse, and 3,200 foot, take cognizance of the quarrel, and undertake its settlement. The troubles daily increasing, Cæsar found his small force to be insufficient to maintain his position, and being unable to leave Egypt on account of the north wind which blew at that season, he sent into Asia, ordering all the troops he had in that quarter to come to his assistance as soon as possible.

In the most haughty manner he decreed that Ptolemy and Cleopatra should disband their armies, appear before him for a settlement of their differences, and abide by his decision. Egypt being an independent kingdom, this haughty decree was considered an affront to its royal dignity, at which the Egyptians, highly incensed, flew to arms. Cæsar replied that he acted by virtue of the will of their father Auletes, who had put his children under the guardianship of the senate and people of Rome, the whole authority of which was now vested in his person as consul; and that, as guardian, he had the right to arbitrate between them.

The matter was finally brought before him, and advocates appointed to plead the cause of the respective parties. Cleopatra, aware of the foible of the great Roman conqueror, judged that the beauty of her presence would be more effectual in securing judgment in her favor than any advocate she could employ. To reach his presence undetected, she had recourse to the following stratagem: Laying herself at length in a bundle of clothes, Apollodorus, her Sicilian servant, wrapped it up in a cloth, tied it with a thong, and raising it upon his Herculean shoulders, sought the apartments of Cæsar. Claiming to have a present for the Roman general, he was admitted through the gate of the citadel, and deposited the beautiful Cleopatra at his feet. Cæsar was far from being displeased with the stratagem, and, being of a character described in 2 Peter 2:14, the first sight of so beautiful a person, says Rollin, had all the effect upon him she had desired.

Cæsar at length decreed that the brother and sister should occupy the throne jointly, according to the intent of the will. Pothinus, the chief minister of State, having been principally instrumental in expelling Cleopatra from the throne, feared the result of her restoration. He therefore began to excite jealousy and hostility against Cæsar, by insinuating among the populace that he designed eventually to give Cleopatra the sole power. Open sedition soon followed. Achillas, at the head of 20,000 men, advanced to drive Cæsar from Alexandria. Skillfully disposing his small body of men in the streets and alleys of the city, Cæsar found no difficulty in repelling the attack. The Egyptians undertook to destroy his fleet. He retorted by burning theirs. Some of the burning vessels being driven near the quay, several of the buildings of the city took fire, and the famous Alexandrian library, containing nearly 400,000 volumes, was destroyed.

The war growing more threatening, Cæsar sent into all the neighboring countries for help. A large fleet came from Asia Minor to his assistance. Mithridates set out for Egypt with an army raised in Syria and Cilicia. Antipater, the Idumean, joined him with 3000 Jews. The Jews, who held the passes into Egypt, permitted the army to pass on without interruption. Without this, the whole plan must have failed. The arrival of this army decided the contest.

A decisive battle was fought near the Nile, resulting in a complete victory for Cæsar. Ptolemy attempting to escape, was drowned in the river. Alexandria and all Egypt then submitted to the victor. Rome had now entered into, and absorbed, the whole of the original kingdom of Alexander.

By the "upright ones" of the text, are doubtless meant the Jews, who gave him the assistance already mentioned. Without this, he must have failed; with it, he completely subdued Egypt to his power B. C. 47.

"The daughter of women; corrupting her." The passion which Cæsar had conceived for Cleopatra, by whom he had one son, is assigned by the historian as the sole reason of his undertaking so dangerous a campaign as the Egyptian war. This kept him much longer in Egypt than his affairs required, he spending whole nights in feasting and carousing with the dissolute queen. But, said the prophet, she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. Cleopatra afterward joined herself to Antony, the enemy of Augustus Cæsar, and exerted her whole power against Rome.

(To be continued.)

Why Choose to Be a Gentile?

By R. F. Cottrell

From the time that Jacob wrestled with the angel and prevailed, that is long before the days of Moses, down to the time when Paul wrote to the Galatians, the true church have been "the Israel of God." Gen. 32:28; Gal. 6:16. James addresses his entire epistle to these, calling them brethren; and these are to enter the gates of the city of God from heaven. James 1:1, 2; Rev. 21:12.

A Gentile is an "alien from the commonwealth of Israel," a foreigner, an outsider, "without Christ," unconverted, and by Webster defined, heathen. The church of the Ephesians were such before their conversion. The apostle tells them that they were "in time past Gentiles," and he says, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." A sad condition truly! The covenants, the new, as well as the old, belong to the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and all the promises are theirs. Says Paul of the Israelites, "To whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, [plural,] and giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen." Rom. 9:4, 5. Truly Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, "Salvation is of the Jews." Gentiles are in a poor condition; "afar off," no covenant, no promises, no hope. But, thank God, the middle wall of partition which shut them out has been broken down, and they can come in. When converted their case is changed in all these respects. Says the apostle to the converted from among the Gentiles, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" See Eph. 2:11-20.

Now since the cases of Israel and of the Gentiles are, such as set forth by Inspiration, why should any enlightened man of the nineteenth century prefer to be a Gentile? I know of but one reason, and that is to get rid of the Sabbath. This is strange; for in getting rid of the Sabbath, they get rid of a special blessing. Read Isa. 56:1-8, and you will see that even the sons of the strangers, the Gentiles, are blessed of God, "every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it."

But I am told that "the Sabbath is a sign between God and the children of Israel forever." Ex. 31. That is very true; and if there are no children of Israel now, that "forever" is come to an end, and the sign is of no further use; otherwise it is continued. But my friend thinks it was intended that the Jews should keep the seventh day, and that Christians should observe the first day. Else, he inquires, how could it be a sign between God and the Jews forever?

My dear brother, it is not a mark of distinction between Jews and Christians; but a sign or token between God and his people Israel, between the Maker of heaven and earth and those who know him as such. It is a sign of the knowledge of the true God. The text says, "That ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Those who have not this sign are not supposed to know the true God, the maker of all things. It is the sign of God's creative power. He says, "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Now we ask, Are the unbelieving Jews who rejected Christ and were consequently rejected of him, the Israel of God, to whom he says, "I am the Lord that doth sanctify you"? Are they the people who know God, and are known of him as his sanctified ones? Far from it. The Jews are no more a nation; they are outcasts, aliens, foreigners, in all nations. But the Israel of God shall endure to the endless ages of eternity—as long as the heavenly worlds shall endure—"Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name; if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever." Jer. 31:35, 36. Israel shall endure; and in the world to come they will remain, and show that they know God and are sanctified of him by keeping the Sabbath, the memorial of his creation power and goodness.—"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass,

that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66:22, 23.

In view of such glorious promises to Israel, who would wish to remain a Gentile, and trample the memorial of the God of Israel under foot? Not I, truly. I would much prefer to be grafted in, and partake of "the root and fatness of the olive tree." It is by the coming in of the Gentiles that all Israel shall be saved. So Paul affirms Rom. 11:25, 26.

The fullness of the Gentiles have not all come in; but the remnant of Israel, Joel 12:32; Zeph. 3:13, which are the same as the remnant of the seed of the woman, Rev. 12:17, are being manifested in almost every enlightened nation in the world; and their distinguishing characteristics are, that they "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ," keeping in view the promised blessing: "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14.

R. F. COTTRELL.

Loving Good and Hating Wrong

We hate wrong because it is wrong, but love the good because it is good.

Baptism.

By James White

In order that the ordinance of baptism be properly administered, the administrator should instruct the candidate in the following particulars:—

1. That he close the mouth at the very moment the administrator has finished the words, "I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen," and be sure not to catch the breath while buried in the water. If this be strictly observed by the candidate he will not be embarrassed by disagreeable strangling.

2. The candidate should have perfect confidence in the ability of the administrator to handle him while in the water, and should not undertake any part of the baptising. Many, especially the sisters, are disposed to sit down, which throws the head forward, and in order to bury it the administrator is obliged to plunge them deeper. The candidate should be sure to keep the body straight.

3. The administrator should take the charge of the candidates, and hold them firmly when going in and coming out of the water, lest they stumble. I have seen administrators take hold of only one hand of sisters, leaving them to stagger about, and sometimes fall. J. W.

Continue reading: Reports from the Field