"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. From what we have found in former articles, there will be no time this side of Christ's second coming when all flesh will be worshipping God.
The apostle Peter tells us when the new earth will be made, and the "all righteous" state be brought in. It is in "the day of the Lord" [Christ's second coming introduces that day. See 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; 5: 1, 2.]. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3: 10-13.
The promise respecting this new earth is found in Isaiah's prophecy: "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind [not come upon the heart, margin—no desire to get back to the old]. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." Isa. 65: 17-19. Edward Robinson, D.D., a learned Greek scholar, says that "the word new, in 2 Peter 3: 13; Isa. 65: 17; 66: 22 means renewed, or made new; hence, better, superior, more splendid."
This renewed earth was probably in the mind of David when he said, "Thou renewest the face of the earth" (Ps. 104: 30), and, "Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed." Ps. 102: 25, 26.
John, on the isle of Patmos, had a view of the new earth, and says: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21: 1-5. The Lord wipes away the tears by removing every cause of sorrow.
The prophet Isaiah, writing of this new earth, said: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Isa. 11: 4-6. This must be the first dominion (over the earth) restored. Still further he says: "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord." Isa. 65: 25.
Again: "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; and the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed." Verse 20. Paganinni's translation of this text reads, "There shall be no more thence carried out to burial an infant of days, or a youth, nor an old man who hath not filled his days: for the man of an hundred years shall be as a youth."
Still further we read: "They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree [the Tree of Life — Septuagint] are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth [the products of labor] for trouble." Verses 22, 23.
In another chapter Isaiah says, "The Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord." Isa. 51: 3. Again: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly; and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given6unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God." Isa. 35: 1, 2. The ancient forest of Lebanon was the most beautiful of any in the Eastern world. And the valley of Sharon was adorned with flowers of every description.
Abraham looked for a city "that hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God." John saw "that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations. . . . And the city was pure gold like unto clear glass. And the foundations [base moldings] of the wall of the city were garnished [garnished—decorated, embellished—Webster,] with all manner of precious stones. . . . And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl." Rev. 21: 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 21. We suppose each gate is one variety of pearl set in gold, for the city "was pure gold."
We will note the precious stones with their colors. "In these precious stones we have all the colors of the rainbow, only more complex in their mingling."—Stewart.
Jasper.—"A precious stone, purple, or cerulean green."—Greenfield.
Sapphire.—"A precious stone of a blue color in various shades."—Greenfield, Robinson. "Perfectly transparent."—Clarke.
Chalcedony.—"Whitish, bluish, or smoky green color. Susceptible of a very high polish."—Greenfield.
Emerald.—"Bright green, without any other mixture."—Clarke.
Sardonyx.—"White with streaks of flesh color."—Robinson.
Sardius.—"Blood-red, and sometimes flesh color."—Greenfield.
Jacinth.—"Deep red, with mixture of yellow."—Clarke.
Amethyst.—"Purplish violet, very brilliant."—Chambers.
The glory of God, exceeding the light of the sun, illuminating these precious stones, will make a display that only immortal eyes can endure. As we contemplate this scene, it enkindles in the heart a desire to be there. John spoke of this city as the "bride, the Lamb's wife;" and said, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." May we each respond with,
"O, glorious hope, O blessed abode,
May I be there, and like my God."
The Books in Heaven
By Emma Hildreth Adams
It is evident from multiplied passages of Scripture, that the ultimate destiny of mankind is not determined—so far as the investigative judgment now in progress in heaven is concerned—by the personal recollections of men’s life and deeds, by Christ,—now Judge upon the supreme bench of the universe.
Nor will the vast memory of the righteous Judge, nor His sweeping survey of every man’s life, from the years of accountability to the hour of death, affect in slightest degree the decisions eternal, unalterable, which will be rendered during the long assize which precedes the second resurrection.
Not one of those intensely solemn pronouncements will be the result of personal prejudice, or the outcome of favoritism on the part of the faultless Judge. Nowhere in the universe will arise the cry of "lack of equity," the charge of narrow knowledge of the LAW, the intimation of "undue influence," the accusation of cold bribery.
Every sentence by that court will evince the absolute integrity, the untainted uprightness of the Occupant of that eminent seat of justice. "It is just" will be the full assent after every decision—in your case, in my case—if we wait until the session of that latest tribunal; but how sad if we have neglected this boundless promise: "Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." And this: "Because I live, ye shall live also."
Records for the Judgment-Day
From the inception of human life upon the earth, the exalted, equitable Judge, looking forward to this passing era and to the days of the second judgment, has provided Himself with evidence irrefutable—in every individual case—which must settle the question of guilt or innocence before Him during that momentous time.
In other words, for equity’s sake, to insure absolute conviction of justice, to still forever throughout the universe, all query, all doubt, as to the rectitude of His administration of human affairs, God instituted in heaven two great systems of record of men’s lives on the earth—of their deeds good and bad, of their clear loyalty, of their presumptuous neglect, or their wilful infringement of vital law.
Books of Record
Let us now ascertain what mention the Bible contains of these books of record.
The first intimation of such volumes stored in heaven is probably that from the life of Moses (Ex. 32: 32), when he returned to the Lord, on Mount Sinai, after his aggravating experience upon finding the Israelites worshiping the golden image made by Aaron during the long absence of their great leader with God, on the mountain.
Approaching the mighty Deliverer of that long enslaved people, Moses pleaded: "O, this people have sinned a great sin. . . . Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin;—and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written."
That the "book" was the "Book of Life," to which several of the marginal references of the text allude, is evident from that wonderful first verse of the 12th chapter of Daniel, wherein the angel Gabriel, in closing his momentous interview with the sad-hearted prophet, tells him: "At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." The language employed by the great messenger indicates that being "written in the book" means escape, salvation, LIFE.
But let us turn now to Ps. 69: 28, wherein David, with powerful pen, makes the astonishing entreaty that almost every class of afflictive punishment may be visited upon his enemies, and closes with the startling request that their names may "be blotted out of the book of the living," and not be written with the righteous.
The inference from this petition must be, that the names of his enemies were written in the "book of the living," wherein were recorded the names of those only who had lived righteously, and he prays that they may be blotted out.
This sounds like a strange supplication to spring earnestly from the heart of a man chosen of God to become a distinguished leader of Israel; a man who was to occupy eminent place among the human ancestry of Christ, a man who was to serve indeed as a remarkable type and prophecy of the Son of Man.
He Pleads as Advocate
But if we read this Sixty-ninth Psalm carefully, thoughtfully, with knowledge of the New Testament records of Christ’s life, we shall find from many of his expressions that this pleading king of Israel personates the far greater King to come. Several of the petitions, the entreaties, the statements prefigure clearly conditions, experiences, and occasions in the life of the Saviour.
With this view in mind, one can well understand why the shepherd king prays that his enemies may "be blotted out of the book of the living;" that "their habitation be desolate;" "that none dwell in their tents." In due time his requests would become petitions of mighty significance upon the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
It is of vast interest to the human race—and to the universe—that the names of the many powerful enemies of David’s great Antitype "be blotted out of the book of the living;" that they "be as tho they had not been."
A most woful thing it would be should the names of Lucifer and his misled host remain inscribed with those of the righteous. Far back in time, before the sadly fruitful revolt in heaven, their names were so recorded, but that amazing chapter of history on high erased them. God’s reply to Moses was: "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book."
Book of Life in the New Testament
Now opening the New Testament, we read (Phil. 4: 3), containing Paul’s manful request of his "true yokefellow" that he would help those women, who had labored with him in the gospel and with Clement also, "whose names are in the Book of Life." Paul does not inform the Philippians where is stored this Book of Life, because, probably, they already possessed that knowledge.
But on this point we have unimpeachable testimony from the Lord Himself. Upon the return of the seventy—whom He had commissioned to proclaim to the people of Judea: "The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you"—telling Him joyfully of their great success, He said to them:7"Behold, I give unto you power . . . over all the power of the enemy. . . . Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
Years afterward, when, on the island of Patmos, this same Jesus, sending most vital messages to the seven churches of Asia, by His servant John, authorized him to say to the few "in Sardis which have not defiled their garments," that they should walk with Him "in white," and He would not blot their names "out of the Book of Life," but would confess their names before the "Father, and before His angels."
In a succeeding vision (Rev. 13:8), John heard a beast, a mouth, a power, speaking and doing great things. It was announced that unto him was given all power over all kindreds, tongues, and nations, and that all who dwell upon the earth should worship him — the power symbolized by the beast — "whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
In chapter 17:8 occurs a similar statement, but with this striking difference — that they who dwell on the earth, whose names are "not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world" — shall wonder when they behold the scarlet-colored beast upon which is seated a woman bearing the tremendous title capitalized in verse five.
The Books Besides the Book of Life
But let us glance at chapter 20:12, 15, embracing another of John's wonderful visions of history, and enlarging our knowledge of the "books in heaven." He writes:
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the BOOK OF LIFE: and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books, according to their WORKS. . . . And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
That the closing verses of this vastly important chapter portray the progress, the termination, the dire result, of the second great investigative judgment, in heaven, is evident from the feature of finality expressed in every statement. An earlier portion depicts the first judgment work, and the beatific issue of the first resurrection.
Once more: chapter 21:27, speaking of the new earth and its beautiful capital city, the apostle says: "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE."
Add to the World’s Brightness
WHATEVER adds in even the smallest way to the world’s brightness and cheer is worth while. One who says an encouraging word to a disheartened neighbor, gives a look of love to a lonely one, or speaks a sentence which may become strength, guidance, and comfort to another, does something worth while. It is always worth while to live nobly, victoriously struggling to do right, showing the world even the smallest fragments of divine beauty.—Woman’s Life.
Decorative Divider
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Prayer
By Mrs. M. M. Barton
By Mrs. M. M. Barton
O, I love to talk with Jesus,
How it soothes my troubled heart,
Just to tell Him all my trials,
And His loving care impart.
Yes, He drives away my anguish,
Or gives grace, and helps me bear
All the burdens of this earth-life,
That my heart would break and tear.
O, such loving consolation
He doth give me when I pray;
As I tell Him all my heartaches,
How He drives them all away.
And He whispers to me gently,
While He soothes my troubled fears;
And He tells me, "Child, I'm with thee,
Will be with thee, all thy years."
And then when I leave my closet,
And to round of duties go,
I'm buoyed up above the trial,
For I've told Him, and He knows
How to take away the heartache,
And so fill me with His love
That my heart is tuned to praises,
And my thoughts are turned above.
Rutland, Vermont.
The Law and Christ
1. What prophetic announcement was made concerning the attitude Christ would maintain toward the law?
"The Lord is well pleased for His [Christ's] righteousness' sake; He [Christ] will magnify the law, and make it honorable." Isa. 42: 21.
2. What does the psalmist say of the affectionate way in which Christ would hold His Father's law?
"I [Christ] delight to do Thy [the Father's] will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40: 8.
3. What is said of making void the law of God?
"It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law." Ps. 119: 126.
4. When Christ began His ministry upon earth, what striking statement did He make concerning His attitude toward the law?
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matt. 5: 17.
5. In what manner did Christ show the people of His time that they were setting aside the commandments of God?
"For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such things ye do. And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7: 8, 9. See also Matt. 15: 1-9.
6. What did Christ say is the sum and substance of both the law and the prophets?
"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matt. 7: 12.
NOTE.— Then according to the teaching of Christ, the "Golden Rule" is the summing up of both the law and the prophets. And because the law is the embodiment of such wonderful principles, therefore the Master enshrined it in His heart, so that He affectionately obeyed it.
Born Again
By Delwin Rees Buckner
By Delwin Rees Buckner
When spongy night hours spill their chocolate
dyes,
Then Nicodemus treads the streets, his face
Half-muffled in a mantle to erase
Its features, lest betraying, dogging spies,
Hired to report his steps, should recognize
Him, now en route to the abiding-place
Of that One, he feels sure God sent our race
To teach it deep, soul-vital mysteries.
He lacks the courage now to face a storm
Of hate, nor dreams that, later born again
With other heart, by day, with ne'er a fear,
He'll kneel beside that Master's mangled form
And close with myrrh the wounds his countrymen
Have caused, and shed a mourner's parting
tear.
Heart-Throbs
By Alice Cornish Pearson
By Alice Cornish Pearson
("As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
So panteth my soul after Thee, O God.")
Heart of love that pants for me,
Dost Thou hear mine throb for Thee?
From the fount, the source of life,
Flowing on and on forever;
Throbbing, throbbing, throbbing,
Beats the great heart of our God.
Through the heart and then returning;
Flowing on and on forever;
Floating, rippling, purling,
Flows the water and the blood.
Hear the music of its throbbing;
Flowing on and on forever;
Pealing, rolling, sobbing,
Swelling from the throne of God.
See the light of its vibration;
Flowing on and on forever;
Quivering, flashing, gleaming,
Beaming rays from throne of God.
Through the universe — the body —
Flowing on and on forever;
Surging, swelling, brooding,
Moves the Spirit of our God.
O, the power of its breathing:
Flowing on and on forever;
Warming, glowing, burning,
Breathings from the breath of God.
Keep the Lights Burning
By Mrs. M. Sollars
By Mrs. M. Sollars
O, keepers of lights on a sin-darkened shore,
Where billows are raging, and wild tempests roar,
Is your lamp burning brightly, as bright as
can be,
Reflecting the light He has given to thee?
There are souls on Life's ocean now drifting
away,
Far, far from the harbor, and all that is day.
Wreck after wreck on Life's ocean I see,
Lost, lost forever, and eternally;
Looking to thee Christian,— looking for light,
Through the dark tempest and perilous night;
Wrecked on Life's ocean! O may I not be
Guilty, my Saviour — found guilty by Thee;
Keeping, on duty, my lamp burning bright,
Leading with Him precious souls to the light.
Per Pacem ad Lucem
By Adelaide A. Proctor
I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be
A pleasant road;
I do not ask that Thou wouldst take from me
Aught of its load;
I do not ask that flowers should always spring
Beneath my feet;
I know too well the poison and the sting
Of things too sweet.
For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead;
Lead me aright—
Tho strength should falter, and tho heart should bleed—
Through peace to light.
I do not ask, O Lord, that Thou shouldst shed
Full radiance here;
Give but a ray of light, that I may tread
Without a fear.
I do not ask my cross to understand,
My way to see;
Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand,
And follow Thee.
Joy is restless day; but peace divine
Like quiet night;
Lead me, O Lord, till perfect day shall shine,
Through peace to light.
— Adelaide A. Proctor, in "Lutheran Observer."
A Will and a Way
The hills have been high for man's mounting,
The woods have been dense for his ax,
The stars have been thick for his counting,
The sands have been wide for his tracks.
The sea has been deep for his diving,
The poles have been broad for his sway;
But bravely he's proved by his striving
That "where there's a will there's a way."
— Anon.
Assured Against Destruction
By T.
IN days like these, when death and destruction are evident in so many parts of the world, it is well to be assured that there is One who has power above all these things. This One commissioned His exile to Patmos to write us: "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [hades, or the grave] and of death." Rev. 1:18.
This is the One who died to show His unbounded love for mankind; but He "liveth" and is "alive forevermore." We can safely trust such a one as this, because of His love and because He liveth ever. It is not enough merely to know that an individual has life and power, but we need to know that he is our friend, that he loves us. But how comforting to know that we have One who is our Friend, and who loves us with an undying love, and further that He is "alive forevermore." There can never be a time when He is not alive to give attention to our needs. The power of living forever, the power of immortality and an endless life, are under His hand.
We do not fear anything when we have such a Friend as this, for He tells us in this same text that He has the keys of the grave and of death. So we do not fear either death or destruction if we are His, for He holds even them in His power. He is filled with love toward us, and even tho we should be called to go down in death, in our service for Him, we can not be held by the grim monster; for our Lord, in the majesty of His ever-living power, holds the keys.
We have approached the time when the Master said "men's hearts" would be "failing them for fear, and for looking after those things that are coming on the earth." But if we bear in mind that He ever liveth, and that He also loves us, we will know9nothing of this fear.
Having placed our cases in His hands, we trust Him with a confidence that is a total stranger to any of the tortures of being afraid. What a citadel of hope, and how it sweetens the joys of living to be acquainted with such a Friend! T.
The Day Not the Time
By Editor
ONE of the chief arguments against the seventh-day Sabbath is the seventh-part-of-time theory. The argument is that God is not particular as to the day, and that if the proportion of time — one seventh — is kept, the requirement of the fourth commandment is met. Any day of the seven, it is claimed, will answer the intent of the Sabbath law. Sunday is kept because more expedient.
But is this true? Why then did the Lord make the commandment so definite as regards the one particular day? It is the seventh day of the seven we are to remember; in it we are to do no work; on that day God rested; that particular day He blessed and sanctified, or hallowed; that day is His holy Sabbath day. And no other day can be; for no other day ever passed through such a process. The definite day is the pivotal point of the whole Sabbath law. God could not rest upon and make holy a day without resting upon and making holy a definite day. A man could not sell one seventh of seven horses without selling a definite horse. The Sabbath of Jehovah can, therefore, only be a definite day; and the commandment is very emphatic that that is the seventh day.
Again: Why will people contend for the proportion of time, which is only implied, and disregard the specific day, which is clearly stated. In some conditions it is impossible for an individual to keep one seventh of the time. For instance, a rapid train going westward would in one day lose about an hour. To a passenger the day would be one of only twenty-three hours; consequently, he could not keep the seventh part of time. But there is no such difficulty to him who keeps the definite day. Have we any more right to change from the day so plainly expressed in the law, than we have to change the proportion of days? Is not Papal Rome, that has attempted the change from the seventh to the first day, just as guilty as is infidel France, that changed from the seventh day of one cycle to the tenth of a new cycle? Did not God mean what He said when He gave the seventh day? Did patriarch, prophet, or the Christ ever understand it otherwise? If the Lord did not mean what He said, who can say what He did mean? The same reasons exist now for the seventh-day Sabbath that existed when it was given from Sinai. Who dare say otherwise? "Who art thou that repliest against God?"
Worship the Creator
OUR divine Father desires that we should worship Him as Creator, for His Word declares, "Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." Jer. 10: 11. He who has created the heaven and the earth, and He alone, is worthy of worship. The mythical gods of the heathen do not have this power, and they are doomed to perish from the earth along with all the superstitions that have been centered in their worship. A striking text, calling us directly to the worship of the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is the following:
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." Rev. 14:6, 7.
This text calls for a great message, in which the everlasting gospel and the judgment-day at hand will be the central theme. And this important message calls for the people of the world to worship the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The desire is that we should worship only Him who has creative power, for we have already seen that to worship any god that does not possess such power is to worship something that will eventually perish from the earth.
Our God is so desirous that we should keep in mind that He is the Creator, and that we should worship Him as such, that He has set apart one whole day of every week, not merely as a worship day, in the common acceptance of the term, but as a memorial day. This divine memorial day is that which gave rise to the week, an institution that has embedded itself in the civilization of all countries and climes. If this important memorial of creative power is not clear in the mind, please read the following:
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11.
It is readily seen, from the foregoing text, that the Sabbath commandment calls us to consider the work of the mighty Creator as the great central theme of the worship day He has given us. According to His plan, the day begins with the setting of the sun. And as we are waiting for the Sabbath, we see the sun disappear,—one of the mighty objects that our Creator has made, and that He continues to guide in its course. Then in a little time after the sun has disappeared, the twilight permits one star after another to be seen. As each one of these suns or worlds comes to view, how sublime, on the Sabbath evening, and how it fits into our worship, to think that these wonderful bodies in the heavens are all the handiwork of our Father! How restful it is, and how it fills us with trust and confidence to think that the Creator, the All-powerful One, cares for us!
The individual who has never seen in Sabbath observance the call to worship the Father as Creator, has missed one of the most sacred and one of the sweetest joys. Our God desires that we should come in touch with Him as our Creator, so that we may sense His power and have unbounded confidence in His ability to save, protect, and keep us.
God's Care
GOD'S care for His people is often manifest in those things which seem to be against them. Jacob, mourning over the loss of his favorite child, when called upon to part with the son of his old age, cried out in the anguish of his soul, "All these things are against me." Gen. 42:36. But the seeming loss of Joseph was God's plan for the rescue of Jacob's whole house from famine. God's special providence was over His people.
Moses' forced flight to the land of Midian was the means by which the Lord showed him man's littleness and God's greatness. It placed him in the best school he ever knew.
A king's dream is used once and again as a means by which God lifts up the head of His captive servants, and advances them to such positions that they can help their companions in tribulation. So it was with both Joseph and Daniel.
But time would fail us to tell of God's infinite mercy, wondrous goodness, and loving, watchful care for His people. The inspired Word reveals to us again and again that out of the most insignificant, or of that which is naught to us, God can bring deliverance and blessing. Let us then "trust, and not be afraid."
Modesty in Girls
MRS. LENORA M. LAKE, of St. Louis, a well-known lyceum lecturer, in speaking to the Y. W. C. A. of Kansas City, said some things which young women everywhere would do well to ponder.
“Modesty—that is the first quality of every popular girl,” said Mrs. Lake. “And the girl who has a full measure of it, who is honest and fair with her men friends, who doesn’t flirt and isn’t bold—that girl is mighty sure, sooner or later, to find her reward of love.”
Referring to fashions, Mrs. Lake said:
“Modesty in dress, speech, and conduct are the fundamentals of good character, while vanity, desire, and fashion destroy the moral stamina of a girl. The lovable girl will be modest in her dress. A large number of women are in the insane asylums to-day because of trying to keep up with the nerve-racking desire to be in fashion.
“Working girls have no business trying to follow every turn of fashion. If a girl is sensible she will buy dress-goods within her means. There is no modesty in a girl wearing a skirt half a yard around. Legs were given us to use, not to put hobbles on. The dress women wear to-day is immodest, immoral, and indecent. Some of the costumes are worse than no dress at all. The Igorrote’s attire is far more respectable. Modesty will be an unknown quantity in the future if women persist in wearing such creations.”
Mrs. Lake also told the girls that the chances of being loved and respected were altogether against the girl if she allowed men to kiss her.
The lecturer reprobated such terms as shop, factory, store, or office girls. Let girls call themselves business women wherever they work, and stop classifications. A good suggestion.
