XI. The Sabbath precept, like all moral precepts, applies equally well to all nations, in all countries, and at all times.
All moral laws are of universal application. They are not restricted to one nation, or to one country, nor do they change with circumstances. But, on the other hand, merely ceremonial precepts are, from their very nature, restricted in their application to certain persons, times, and places. Here, again, we find evidence of the morality of the Sabbath. As we have shown already, God instituted the Sabbath at creation in Eden before the fall. From this fact several important conclusions necessarily follow.
1. It is not a type. Types were given after the fall to shadow forth redemption; but the Sabbath points back to creation, not forward to redemption. See Ex. 20:8.
2. The Sabbath being given in the Edenic state indicates that it was designed to be a perpetual institution. Hence we read that when the curse shall be removed from this old earth, and the new-earth state shall be brought in, then the Sabbath will still be observed, and that forever. Isa. 66:22, 23.
3. It is not a Jewish Sabbath. The simple fact that it was given at creation, twenty-three hundred years before such a distinction existed, proves this.
A Jew is a descendant of Judah, one of the twelve tribes. But Judah himself was not born till nearly twenty-three hundred years after creation. Hence it is absurd to call it a Jewish institution. It is never so called in the Bible, but it is ever designated as God's holy Sabbath.
The Sabbath was given to Adam who was the representative head of the whole human race, the father of all men and all nations. Acts 17:26. In giving it to him, God thereby gave it to man as a race; hence Christ says truly, "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:27. He does not say it was made for the Jew man, nor for the Gentile man, nor for the Christian man; nor does he limit it in any manner; but he puts it on the broad basis that it was made for man. It is a rule in grammar that a noun, unlimited by an adjective, is to be taken in its broadest sense, as, "Man is mortal," meaning all men, the race. So in this case; Christ does not limit it to one class of men, but says that it was made for "man," that is the race.
In this language he points us right back to the time when the Sabbath was made and says that it was made for man. When was the Sabbath made? It was made at creation. God rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it. This is how and when it was made. For whom was it made? Christ's language is definite. It "was made for man." Being given to Adam, the father of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews, it was thus given to all nations; for Paul says that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth." Acts 17:26.
A careful examination of the commandment will show that it is equally applicable to all nations in all ages. Read it carefully. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Cannot Gentiles do that as well as the Jews? Can we not do it as well in America as in Asia?
"Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work." Is not that enough for any man to work in any country, or in any nation? Can the Gentiles endure to work more days than the Jews? Have we not already shown that all men do need a day of rest after six of labor?
"But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Is not the seventh day God's rest day now as truly as it was then? Does it not remain a fact now that God did rest upon the seventh day? and as long as this continues to be a fact, will it not be true that the seventh day is God's rest day? Certainly.
"In it thou shalt not do any work." We need a day of rest and worship now as much as then, the Gentiles as much as the Jews.
"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." Do not all these relations exist now among all nations? Do they not all have sons and daughters, servants and cattle? Certainly.
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." Is it not just as true now as it was then that God created all things in six days and rested the seventh day? Does not this remain a fact now?
"Wherefore [that is, for this reason] the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Why did the Lord bless the Sabbath day and hallow it? Because that in it he had rested from all his work.
As we have shown, the Lord set apart the seventh day as a memorial of creation. Who should observe that memorial? All who are interested in creation. Verily, are not the Gentiles as much interested in the work of creation as the Jews ever were? As Paul significantly asks, "Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also." Rom. 23:29. Was it not, then, true that God created the Gentiles as well as the Jews; and did not the Gentiles inhabit the earth which he there created? Are they not constantly enjoying the blessings which he there made for man? Certainly. Then why should they not be as interested to commemorate this great work as were the Jews?
In short, there is not a single idea in the fourth commandment but what applies equally well to all nations, in all countries, and at all times. Did the Jews need a day of rest? So do the Gentiles. Did the Jews need a day for religious worship? So do the Gentiles. The Jews kept the seventh day to commemorate creation, so should the Gentiles.
XII. The Sabbath is the seal to God's moral law, without which that law would be of no authority.
Every government has its seal, and every office its seal. It has been found very important that this should be so. This seal is always attached to every law, edict, or document put forth by the government or the officers of the government, and they would be of no authority without it. Its object is to point out the author of the document,—what his office is, and how far his jurisdiction extends. This is necessary in order that the subjects of any power may not be imposed upon by an impostor. This seal is a sign of the authority of the one issuing such law, edict, or official document.
To illustrate: John Brown is elected justice of the peace for a certain township. It becomes necessary for him to issue a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Jones. He writes it in due form; but, being a novice in the business, he simply signs his name John Brown. The sheriff proceeds to arrest Mr. Jones. But Jones being a sharp man and wishing to gain time, demands the officer's authority for arresting him. The sheriff shows him the warrant. "John Brown," says Jones, "Who is John Brown? There are many John Browns in this world. I don't run at the call of every John Brown." What could the sheriff do? His warrant is worthless. It has no authority. Why? Because it has no seal to it. But now let Brown just put the seal of his office to that warrant, then Mr. Jones will have to respect it. The signature now stands, "John Brown, Justice of the Peace, for such a township." This tells which Brown it is, what his office is, and how far his authority extends.
Take it in a higher office. Every lawful document issued by our President must have the seal of his office attached. Simply signing his name, "U. S. Grant," would give it no authority. To this he must add, "President of the United States." "U. S. Grant," tells his name. "President," tells his office. "Of the United States," tells how far his authority extends. This, then, is the nature and object of a seal.
Now if a seal is so important in human laws how much more so in the divine law? Has the living God no seal? Reason itself would teach us that he has; but the Bible settles this beyond dispute. "And I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God." Rev. 7:2. Then the living God has a seal, and this seal is in his law; for thus we read: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." Isa. 8:16.
As we have shown, no law is of any authority unless it contains the seal of the lawgiver; and this seal must be in the handwriting of the one issuing such law. If therefore, the living God has ever given a law in his own handwriting, then that law will contain his seal. The moral law, the ten commandments, was given by God and written with his finger. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." Ex. 24:12. "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." Ex. 31:18.
Now let us examine this law and see if we can find God's seal in it. A seal, remember, is to point out the author of the law, what his office is, and how far his jurisdiction extends. To bring out the thought clearly, we will suppose that a missionary is sent to convert the heathen who have never heard of the true God, but are worshipers of the sun. Of course his first effort must be to convince them that they are not worshiping the true God, and hence are sinners. He learns from Paul, that "by the law is the knowledge of sin;" Rom. 3:20, and that without the law a man would not know sin. Rom. 7:7; James 2:9; Rom. 4:15; 5:13. Obtaining a congregation of these heathen, he reads them the first commandment.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." "Me," says one, "whom does he mean by me? Does he mean himself?" "O no," says another, "he means our god, the sun. We don't have any other gods before him." What could the missionary do? This commandment does not show who the true God is. It does not tell who gave this law, nor what his authority is. But the missionary knows that the law must point out the true God, so he reads the second commandment.
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." They all exclaim, "O, we never make any images to our god, the sun. Of course we will love him, for he promises to show mercy to those who do." Here the missionary finds himself balked again. Still he is confident that the law will point out the true God, who alone must be worshiped. He reads the next commandment.
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; (for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.)" Once more they reply, "No, indeed, we never speak the name of our god, the sun, but with the greatest reverence." Here he is stranded again. He would read the fourth commandment, but he thinks that it never was of much account, and has been abolished any way, so he reads the fifth.
"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." "There," say they, "our god the sun will give us long life if we honor our parents." The missionary now runs over the other five precepts, but does not find the name of God in them at all, nor anything which tells who is the author of this law, nor anything by which he can convince these heathen that they are not worshiping the true God. As his last hope he now turns and reads the only remaining commandment, the Sabbath precept.
"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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, 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." Ah! here he has the very thing for which he has been so long looking. Who is the author of this law? It is the one who made heaven and earth, and all things in them. He is the one who made the sun which these heathen are worshiping. Hence they are idolaters, not worshiping the God who gave this law.
Thus it will be seen that this commandment is the one, and the only one of the whole law, which does point out the true God and author of the law. The law was divided into two parts and written upon two tables of stone—the first four commandments relating to man's duty to God, his Creator, upon the first table; and the last six precepts, relating to our duty to our neighbor, upon the second table. At the bottom of the first table God signed his name and put his seal to it. After giving the first four commandments, the Lord then gives the authority by which he commands them to do these things. Thus: "For in six days the LORD [here he writes his name,—the LORD] made [this gives his office,—MAKER of] heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is; and rested the seventh day: [this shows how far his authority extends,—through heaven and earth. The Lord did thus formally sign and seal his own divine law. Then he adds], wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
Thus plainly is it shown that the Sabbath precept does contain the seal to God's law, without which that law would be of no authority whatever. There is nothing else in the whole law which shows by whom or by what authority it was given. This fact alone elevates the Sabbath precept to the highest moral importance. It shows that all the other precepts of the moral law depend for their authority upon the fact set forth in the fourth commandment and commemorated by the seventh-day Sabbath. The Lord says to me, "Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal, &c. What gave him the right thus to command me? Answer. The very fact that he is my Creator and the maker of all the earth. So important a fact as this upon which rests God's authority as a lawgiver, should be sacredly guarded and the knowledge of it carefully preserved among men.
As we have abundantly shown, this was the very object for which the Sabbath was given. God made the earth in six days and rested on the seventh. Did God rest because he was tired? No, indeed, for he neither fainteth nor is weary (Isa. 40:28); but evidently he did it to lay the foundation of an institution for man by which he could commemorate God's great work of creation. At the close of six days' labor as we celebrate God's rest day, it becomes a weekly reminder of the great work of creation and our obligation to our Maker. Creative power is the distinguishing attribute of the living God, and to this the Lord always appeals as the evidence of his existence, his power, and his authority, and as that which distinguishes him from all false gods.
D. M. CANRIGHT.
Becoming Noble
To live nobly we must be noble; and we only become noble by resolutely banishing every unworthy thought and feeling.
Seventh-day Adventists.
By James White
OUR RELATION TO OTHER RELIGIOUS BODIES.
As long as Seventh-day Adventists shall have a world-wide message, which is destined to penetrate all forms of social and religious compacts, it is our duty as much as lieth in us, taking into account the nature and work of our message, to be at peace with all men. And while it becomes our duty to proclaim to the ends of the earth the message which God has given us, it is our privilege to avoid those discussions, as far as possible, which stir up strife, and encourage a spirit of noisy debate.
Our strength is in the proclamation of clearly-defined propositions, sustained by the word of God taken in its obvious meaning. The strength of our opponents is in misstating our positions in order to create prejudice. And the contest, to human view, becomes unequal in that we are on the side of the cross, while they are on the side of popular opinion and the carnal mind. And were it not that God, who is always a majority, is on our side, or, rather, we are on his side, and his hand is with us in the truth, we might expect to be overwhelmed with opposition and discouragement. "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say: If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick." Ps. 124:1-3.
In God we trust to fight our battles for us. A simple glance at the past shows that in him alone we have the victory. Our history is brief indeed, but is wonderful in that so many have been brought to Christ and his truth, and that the foundation has been so well laid for a vast work in the immediate future. A handful of penniless men, who had not been educated in the schools, took hold of the work in earnest a little more than a score of years since, and the good hand of our God has been with us. Had the work been of men, it certainly would have come to nought ere this. We may safely challenge learning and energy combined to accomplish so great a work in the face of determined, popular opposition, in so brief a time.
With all the religious bodies, Seventh-day Adventists differ on some points, and with many of them we disagree on most points. And while we may feel called upon to proclaim abroad unpopular religious sentiments, it is very important that we should cultivate that liberality of views and feeling that will lead us to apply to ourselves those warnings and cautions found in the Scriptures to those similarly situated.
The fact that we are sustained by the obvious meaning of the sacred writings should be a matter of sincere and humble gratitude to our adorable Redeemer, that the way of life and salvation is so plain through his dear name, rather than to encourage a spirit of self-exaltation and religious bigotry, which has so often blinded the minds and ruined the influence of God's people in the ages past, both Jews and Christians.
The Bible abounds in admonitions to the Lord's people to make God their strength, and in warnings against becoming strong in themselves. The New Testament especially is exceedingly plain. One apostle says that "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." He exhorts in these emphatic words: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." 1 Pet. 5:5, 6. "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 14:11.
Another apostle says that "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." James 4:6. And he adds in verse 10: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
And still another apostle says: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. 12:14. It may be regarded difficult to be at peace with all. And in some cases it may be thought impossible. Some men, it is true, seem filled with determined hatred against those who teach and do the commandments of God. In them we recognize the spirit of the dragon of Rev. 12:17. They, by continued transgression, have so passed under the power of Satan, and are so completely led captive by him at his will, that it may not be in their power to cease foaming out the ire of the dragon.
But when we read Paul again we may see that he provides for just such cases. He says in his epistle to the Hebrews, "Follow peace with all men." This we may all do, and yet in some cases fail to reach the desired result. He exhorts the church at Rome, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Rom. 12:18.
The apostle here intimates that it is not possible to sustain peaceful relations with some men. There are those whose natural element is strife, bitterness, and war. These are to be disposed of by prayer according to Paul's epistle to the church at Thessalonica. "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you; and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men." 2 Thess. 3:1, 2.
When we have done our duty, so as to come under the benediction of the Son of God, in these precious words from his sermon on the mount, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God, Matt. 5:9, and have failed to come into peaceable relations with those who hate the truth of God, then we may pray for deliverance from their influence. And if best for his people, God will dispose of such in a manner to magnify his name, and advance his cause. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Ps. 76:10.
While we have an important message, under the direct providence of God to give to the world, it is his will that we should be on peaceable terms with the religious bodies, so far as possible with the free and uncompromising proclamation of the word of life. God save us from the extremes which are the misfortune and weakness of very many. One is to barter away the truth of God for peace. The other is to hold the truth in the spirit of self-righteous bigotry. More men are wanted with sufficient firmness, and breadth and liberality of soul, who can "speak the truth in love."
The gospel of the Son of God was distinctly proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds while watching their flocks by night upon the plains of Bethlehem, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Verse 11. The heavenly band did not enter the city of the Hebrews, and press their message upon the closed ears and hardened hearts of the leaders of the people. And at a later date the fully converted Peter, once impetuous, but now softened and refined, did not judge it best to crowd the truth of God upon the attention of unwilling listeners. Hear him. "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Pet. 3:15.
"Be ready," says the apostle. But few are ready for the duties of the present hour. Peter suggests not only a preparation of heart, but also of mind by careful study of the word of God. Be ready to give to every man that asketh the reason of your hope. Be ready always. The spirit of inquiry is out. The Spirit of God is moving upon the minds of men, as the message God has given us arises in power. The demand is for reasons, given in the spirit of meekness and fear, rather than loud assertions. We do not plead for that gentleness that barters the truth of God for quiet, or that sits down and does next to nothing.
The times demand firmness and energy. "Be ready always," says the apostle. Read up. Be fortified with reasons. But we should remember that the present is a time when the prejudices of the people are strong, and are easily aroused. Some men handle the truth of the Bible in a manner to excite prejudice, and call out opposition. They then turn martyrs, and cry persecution. Our need has need of these. Peter says to such, "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
Men are wanted with hearts consecrated to the great work of saving souls, whose lives shall be a continued illustration of the teachings and deportment of Christ and his first apostles. Firmness and energy, with meekness and kindness combined, are qualifications necessary for our time and our message. Bible religion is scarce. The more we have of it the greater our influence, especially with those who feel the apostacy of our time, and are hungering and thirsting for living bread and water.
Men of God are wanted, who can arise in the strength of the Coming One, and shake off the powers of darkness, put on the armor of light, and cut their way through the moral darkness that lies upon the Christian world like the pall of death, without that darkness cleaving to them. Men of power are wanted, who walk and talk with Christ, and in whom the fruits of the Spirit are ripening, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." As long as we shall have a world-wide message, Christ will go with such men, and they may expect to have that confidence and respect of the people necessary to the fulfillment of their mission.
Encouraging Report.
By Editor
WE are made very glad by reading the encouraging report in the Review for January 28 from our dear brother and sister E. B. and E. S. Lane, of the successful commencement of their labors in the city of Lapeer, Mich. Lapeer, for certain reasons, had been regarded as a hard field of labor until our glorious camp-meeting held there the last autumn. We never had a better hearing than at that meeting, and never received kinder treatment than from the candid people of Lapeer. Brother and sister Lane say:—
“We commenced meetings here Jan. 13. Our congregations were small at first, but have been steadily increasing, until now, Sunday night, our house of worship is well filled, and those present listen with the deepest interest. The Spirit of God is with us in a wonderful manner.
“It is not uncommon to see a large part of the congregation in tears. Several of the young have taken their stand with us already, and many others seem under deep conviction. Some outside have arisen for prayers. Last evening in conference meeting nearly thirty testimonies were borne in about fifteen minutes, and largely from those not in faith with us. We never attended a meeting where there seemed to be more Christian union from those not identified with us than here. We hope for much good. We especially invite brethren living near here to attend and help us as often as possible. We expect to continue some time.”
J. W.
The Book of Psalms.
By J. H. Waggoner
For the spirit of devotion, of praise, and trust, the book of Psalms stands unrivaled. No one who loves to draw near to God, whose "soul thirsts for God," can afford to pass a single day without reading more or less of the Psalms. The spirit of penitence manifested in the writings of King David reveals the secret of his character. He was not above temptation and error; nor was he above confessing his error. Some, when they have once made mention of their wrong, think it is all canceled, and feel hurt if it is ever mentioned again. But not so David. The spirit of confession seemed to have taken full possession of his being; and his lamentations over his sins against God—the God of his heart's love, his hope and his confidence—seemed to be the every-day burden of his life.
It is not every frame of mind that can appreciate the book of Psalms. The careless or lukewarm cannot adopt its fervent devotion; the pharisaical or self-conceited cannot feel its depth of penitence and humiliation; nor can the heart at ease, filled with worldly good and prosperity, breathe freely in its atmosphere of trust and patience. But when afflictions press us sorely, and deep anguish of spirit weighs us down; when our sorrow is so overwhelming that no earthly friend can help, or even realize its weight, and no human sympathy is strong enough to reach our depth of woe; then, the Psalms of David are inexpressibly sweet to the soul.
All who read the Psalms, may well admire them; but he who can say with their writer, "My tears have been my meat day and night," will love them; to him will they afford a daily feast, and prove an inexhaustible fountain of pure and holy consolation.
In reading the Psalms I have learned a lesson of "patience in tribulation" that I might never have learned anywhere else. First, I was led to wonder that my own feelings and experience in sorrow were so well described therein. If I wished to give expression to the deepest feelings of grief, I had only to read it there. And longings for deliverance, for the vindication of God's righteous judgments, reverential trust, quiet resignation to the divine will, patient hope and confidence in the darkest hour of trial,—all are there; and the heart bows to the most mysterious providence with a trust almost enrapturing under their soothing influence. Often have I stopped to wonder how David could have been situated, what deep trial he was passing through, to describe my feelings so exactly, and leave on record the words of consolation so suited to my wants.117
Again, from all this I have been led to reflect on the use our afflictions may be to others. David could scarcely have realized that his trials would be the means of affording such sweet consolation to other sorrowing ones through coming ages. It is in our natures to lament our afflictions; it is only by faith that we understand that "all things" work together for our good if we love God. We cannot see what good they will work for us; much less can we understand how our sorrows may be a source of sacred joy to others. But when we consider that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings, Heb. 2:10, that he might be a merciful high priest touched with the feelings of our infirmities, chap. 4:5; that Paul said he filled up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ for his body's sake, which is the church, Col. 1:24; we may know that our afflictions are not all for our own sakes; and it becomes us to inquire how we may benefit others by our ills, and so let our deepest sorrows be a source of joy to some heart-stricken one. So shall we follow Christ, who died not for himself; he gives us life through his death, and a crown by his cross.
By carefully reading the Psalms, we may learn how to benefit others by the recital of our woes. Often do we hear professed Christians talk of their trials in such a manner as to leave darkness on the minds of all with whom they converse. No one would judge from their conversation that their tribulation worked patience, Rom. 5:3; or that their affliction worked for them, 2 Cor. 4:17. But who ever read the complaint of the Psalmist with increased feelings of distrust? Who can listen to the recital of his sorrows without having his heart softened and subdued into a calm and joyful resignation to the ways of God's providence?
Brethren and sisters, let us learn to imitate our Saviour in his sufferings; and if we tell our grief to others, let us so mingle our words with tears of contrition, and so manifest a spirit of resignation to the divine will, that all who weep with us may be drawn nearer to the God of all consolation, and our hearts be melted in the furnace only to flow together in Christian love and patient hope.
J. H. WAGGONER.
The Work in Europe.
By James White
UNDER the caption, The Work in Europe, as published in the Review and Herald for Jan. 28, Eld. J. N. Andrews states that the friends in Switzerland are by no means indifferent to the advancement of the cause. After speaking of his personal consecration to the work, and his efforts to qualify himself to preach Christ in the French language with freedom, he speaks of advertising his mission in these words :—
“When I began to think seriously of this mission, one of the first things which suggested itself to my mind was to advertise in the most widely circulated papers of Europe. While laboring to master French I have with the approval of our friends here begun this work. The Journal de Jenéve is the leading French paper of Switzerland. In this journal I have advertised the nature of my mission, and have invited the correspondence of any who hallow the Bible Sabbath or who are willing to investigate its obligation. My advertisement will be inserted every other day during sixty days. For this I pay 75 francs, or $15. I have received letters from a professor of languages at Geneva, and from the proprietor of one of the largest watch manufactories in that city. I have answered these, and have sent them Sabbath publications. I hope to find some seventh-day Christians by means of this journal. But if I find none now observing it, I shall at least make known the fact and object of my mission, and shall probably find some persons who may have an interest to examine the claims of God’s holy law.
“I wish also to advertise in the leading German paper of Switzerland, for the German language is as extensively spoken in this country as is the French. I have heard that there are seventh-day Christians in Holland, and I mean as soon as possible to advertise in one of the principal papers of that country. And so with respect to Russia.”
The urgency of the work, and the spirit of the present time, whether in Europe or America, seem to fully justify judicious advertising; such as above mentioned. Brother Andrews closes his article with these good words :—
“I cannot doubt that there is as great moral honesty with the people here as in America. They only need to understand their duty in order to obey it. I have an intense desire to witness their salvation. There can be no more precious thought suggested to my mind than that by God’s help I may be the means of saving some. Our Lord is coming. I pray that he may find me faithful to the work which he has committed to my charge. If this may be my record in the coming day it will be enough.”
J. W.
A Profitable Day.
By Uriah Smith
THE instruction with which the church in Battle Creek was favored, Jan. 16, is deserving of special mention. Another is added to the many occasions we have enjoyed, in which the Spirit of God has seemed to be especially present to prompt his servants to bring forth just that instruction needed by the people.
Bro. White spoke in the forenoon from Phil. 2:1-11, a rich portion of Scripture, opening a large field of timely and profitable thought. Sister White spoke in the afternoon on the present hour, its duties, importance, and dangers. These were set forth in such a manner that we would all could have heard. We as a people, everywhere, need to be aroused to the fact that we are not half awake to the time in which we are living. Events the most solemn of any since time began, now hang over us; a work of the most imperative nature is committed to our hands; an individual preparation of which we have as yet but a faint perception, is to be made; dangers of which we are little aware, crowd our way; and time is dashing on swifter than a thousand rail trains, to the final consummation. Yet how little of feeling there is over these things! How few realize the situation! How easy and contented we all are! How listless and indifferent are the actions that should be performed as if we had sinews of steel and hearts of fire! We have a theory of truth that is clear, consistent, harmonious, and powerful; but we seem to have caught as yet but a glimmer of its awful reality. Oh! that the chilling and dimming mists of this state of sin and unbelief could be lifted, and all eyes be opened to see things clearly.
Almost overcome by the weight of the solemn truths she was presenting, sister W. was hardly able to control her feelings while speaking. A great burden of soul was manifested for this dear cause and people; and her words were some of the most solemn to which we have ever had the privilege of listening. Well will it be for all who heard to heed the timely admonitions, and to arouse to newness of life. U. S.