Signs of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 17. (4/27/1904)

Signs of the Times

Apr 27, 1904

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 27, 1904

LESSONS FROM THE STORY OF CORNELIUS.—IV.

Angel-Messengers.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

THE experience of Cornelius should bring great encouragement to those who are seeking the Lord with an earnest purpose to do His will. A heavenly messenger was sent to Cornelius for the express purpose of bringing him into touch with one who could teach him more about God. To-day angels of God draw near to those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance. Heavenly messengers are passing through the length and breadth of the earth, seeking to comfort the sorrowing, to protect the impenitent, to win the hearts of men to Christ. No one is neglected or passed by. God is no respecter of persons, and He has an equal care for all the souls He has created.

To the worker for Christ, also, the experience of Cornelius should bring strength and courage. Angels of God are co-operating with His servants in their efforts to bring to the full light of truth those who are walking in all the light they have. They unite with men in sympathy and labor for the saving of the lost. We can not see them personally; nevertheless they are with us, guiding, directing, protecting.

Angels protected Lot, and led him safely out from the midst of Sodom. So they protected Elisha in the little mountain city. When the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of the king of Syria and the great host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the nearer hill-slopes covered with the armies of God,—horses and chariots of fire round about the servant of God.

So in all ages, angels have been near to Christ's faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels, we shall never know, till in the light of eternity we see the meaning of the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day.

The Beautiful Minnehaha Falls, near Minneapolis, Minn.

The very angels, who, when Satan was seeking the supremacy, fought the battle in the heavenly courts, and triumphed on the side of God; the very angels who shouted for joy over the creation of the world and its sinless inhabitants; the angels who witnessed the fall of man and his expulsion from his Eden home,—these very heavenly messengers are most intensely interested in the work of all who are seeking to restore the image of God in man.

Heaven and earth are no wider apart to-day than when the shepherds listened to the angels' song. Humanity is still as much the object of Heaven's solicitude as when common men of common occupations met angels at noon-day, and talked with heavenly messengers in the vineyards and the fields. Angels from the courts above attend the steps of those who come and go at God's command.

Heavenly beings still visit the earth, as in the days when they walked and talked with Abraham and with Moses. Amidst the busy activities of our great cities, amidst the multitudes that crowd the thoroughfares and fill the marts of trade, where from morning till evening people act as if business and sport and pleasure were all there is to life, where there are so few to contemplate unseen realities,—even here heaven has its watchers and its holy ones. There are invisible agencies observing every word and deed of human beings. In every assembly for business or pleasure, in every gathering for worship, there are more listeners than can be seen with human sight. Sometimes the heavenly intelligences draw aside the curtain which hides the unseen world, that our thoughts may be withdrawn from the hurry and rush of life, to consider that there are unseen witnesses to all we do or say.

We need to understand better than we do the mission of the heavenly visitants. It would be well to consider that in all our work we have the co-operation and care of heavenly beings. Invisible armies of light and power attend the meek and lowly ones who believe and claim the promises of God. Cherubim and seraphim and angels that excel in strength,—ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,—stand at His right hand, "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation."

"Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

FAITH AND THE NEW LIFE CHANNEL.

BY WILLIAM COVERT.

THE Lord brings into being. He gives form and beauty. His power sustains and makes happy. All His works are manifestations of love. "The Lord is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works." Ps. 145:9.

The study of God's works teaches man of His love. Love increases faith, while faith makes love stronger. Faith is constantly storing up joy. It is the vehicle in which the substance of all happiness is carried. It is also the road over which this vehicle is drawn. It is the power which moves the load, and the guide which directs the way. It is the hammer that drives, and the nail that is driven. It is the rule that measures, and the board that fills the measure. It drives out want, and brings in plenty. It carries death away, and returns with life.

"To those who pray, the Lord will give A faith that grasps the heaven's power, And meekly holds it fast; That scales aloft the highest tower, And sweetly bides at rest."

Justification by Faith.

The first step in the new life is to believe. Every subsequent step is believing. Faith accepts God's promise of pardon. He that fully believes the promise, simply takes the gift. He does nothing to merit what he receives. Indeed there is nothing he can do to merit it. It is not to be sold. And even if it could be obtained by purchase, man has nothing to give. For his own salvation he is helpless to do, and unable to pay, anything.

But life and liberty come through a surer way,—simply to choose to live, and so be free. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1.

Justification is an act on the part of God toward the believer. Webster says the verb "to justify" means in theology, "to pardon and clear from guilt; to absolve or acquit from merited punishment, and accept as righteous on account of the merits of the Saviour, or by the application of Christ's atonement for the offender." The person who is justified from sin has the merit of the Saviour imputed to him. It is the sinner's privilege to ask for this favor, and receive it. "Ask, and ye shall receive" is the admonition and the promise.

If by faith the seeker accepts the gift, he is then declared free from his sins. The gift is the righteousness of Christ. His former self is set aside, and that gift which he now has taken is henceforth to stand for him. In heaven he is accounted as conformable to God's law,—conformable because Christ's own obedience to the law is accounted as the obedience of the justified one. Being justified, his condemnation is canceled.

The Lord does nothing for any man only that which He does freely. The object and the way of justification are both stated in the following summary: "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness; . . . , that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom. 3:24-26.

What Faith Includes.

Faith in Christ embraces all that Christ is. It includes all that He has been. Faith accepts the death of Christ as a cancellation of the death penalty. Faith connects with the life of Christ, and lives in Him. It lets go of self, and unites all to Christ. Faith merges the whole being of the believer into the Lord's life. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17) is a truth which can be realized only by believing.

What Faith Does.

Faith severs from death, and joins to life. Faith works a new creation; and so it is written: "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:8-10.

Re-creation in Jesus Christ takes one back into the good works of creation,—those in which it was ordained that he should walk in the beginning. Faith brings Christ into the life to abide, therefore the apostle's prayer: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; . . . , that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph. 3:17-19.

Faith is not a substitute for works. It really works. It brings Christ within, to dwell, and to work the works of God. Its work is constantly conforming the life of the Christian to that which is right. It is the same influence, the same power, and the same life, actuating the child of God here that will move him in the eternal world,—the life of Christ.

THE CHRISTIAN TO THE SOCIALIST.

By H. B. Chatterton

BY H. B. CHATTERTON.

SOCIALISTS sometimes wonder why Christians do not take up and work for Socialism instead of souls. They say it is applied, practical Christianity.

Socialist workers are fervent and zealous, but for what? What do they expect? What is the most they hope to accomplish or receive in return? If man could live a hundred years in the full enjoyment of his highest expectations, what is that but dust? A moment of commonplace in contrast with eternity—the life God has promised to those who love and work for Him. What is the most that can be given in this life anyway compared to the great beyond—limitless eternity? Do not stop to pick up such pebbles and forget to look up at the stars, diamonds, and rubies beyond! If we could ever hope to dodge death, if Socialism could hope to bring in an elixir of eternal life, then might we begin to compare notes.

People are dying all about us, they have the same flesh and life, or souls as we—mothers, sisters, brothers. Why should we mortals, who know we must shortly pass to the great beyond, spend all our life in seeking for things that never come, or, at most, not till we are ready to die? If there is anything the ages prove, anything man's history shows, what is plainer than that men's earthly ambitions are never realized—mere phantoms? But there is one awful result those chimeras have accomplished. Those ambitious to work out things for this life have blinded souls to the great, the eternal life, till countless numbers have gone down to the grave without God and without hope.

True Christianity does not claim to bring heaven into this life, only as it is grasped by faith in the future. It does, however, bring a heavenly influence, a blessed experience, into the lives of those who yield to the will and ways of God. Christ said, "My kingdom is not of this world," and true heaven can never come until "He come whose right it is" to reign. He is coming soon at most; therefore, this precious time must be used saving souls instead of chasing a phantom. At most, you do not and can not promise eternal life, and we expect to die in a moment, or, at most, in a few years, and soon take up the eternal promise by God and Jesus Christ, His Son. Yes, "we are playing for big stakes," but it costs no more than you are putting up.

But you answer, "Socialism is not a chimera, it is a fact—eight million voters now in Germany, etc." Very well, even admitted it is here. You die to-morrow—or I? Shall I spend ten years advocating this, instead of saving ten souls to enjoy eternal bliss?

You admit, then, that eternal life would be preferable, and that you would give all you have, or all Socialism promises, if you could have eternal life. Now the hardest thing for human minds, accustomed to seeing big results only from big efforts, is to grasp a simple statement of a promise, a simple truth. Jesus Christ, the admittedly best Man the world has ever seen, promises you eternal life. Now, will you accept it and believe Him? That is the only condition. But your belief must be seen in your life.

"FEEL YOUR PULSE."

By H. A. St. John

BY H. A. ST. JOHN.

"If you would know whether the Lord had forsaken you or not, feel your pulse. If you would know whether the Lord is still working for you and in you, for your eternal well-being, feel your pulse; if it still continues to beat, then the Lord is in His living temple, and has not forsaken you, or left you without hope."

After the tenor of the above statements we have recently read words of so-called comfort to the desponding. Now to my mind, the mere existence or continuance of heart-beats or pulsations, is in no way a sure test, or a test at all, of the moral or spiritual relation of a soul to God.

The pulse may and does, testify that physical life from God does continue, but mortal, physical life may continue to exist after the complete and eternal divorcement of all moral and spiritual life. We simply assert that physical life, attested by the pulsation of the heart, may continue for a time, thus divorced, but cut off from the moral and spiritual life of God, must necessarily cease sometime.

Satan and all the fallen hosts of angels, for long centuries have had life from God, nevertheless all this time they have been in a state of hopeless condemnation. Whether they have each a pulse to feel, or not, is immaterial, for no one will question the statement that they are full of life, received from God, the only source of life, in all of its manifestations.

Reader, permit your mind to go back to the antediluvian age. See the multitudes of struggling, strangling beings, contending with the terrific flood of water, falling faster and

faster, and rising higher. I imagine a host of these despairing and drowning creatures in the immediate vicinity of the ark, calling loudly to Noah, who is safely sheltered from the storm. They appeal to the man of God to know if there is any chance for their safety or salvation. Imagine, if you please, just at that juncture the venerable old patriarch calling to them out of the only window in the ark: "Feel your pulse; if your pulse is still beating, God has not left you. There is hope as long as your pulse beats."

You say, and say truly, that would be bitter irony, comfort with a vengeance, solemn mockery of their fears. And such would be true, also, in many cases, since that day, and will be again in numerous instances, before the end. The pulse will beat, life will continue after probation ends, and all hope in God is forever cut off. If we would know our true relation to God, and the only safe and true ground of hope for the future, we must needs repent of all sin, believe and obey the Gospel, and receive the witness of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, or life, that we are the children of God. The Lord in His Word has given us rules by which we may know that we have passed from death unto life, but the beating pulse is not one of them.

FAITH IN GOD.

[Hab. 3:17, 18.]

"YET should rising whirlwinds tear From its stem the ripening ear, Should the fig tree's blasted shoot Drop her green, untimely fruit; "Should the vine put forth no more, Nor the olive yield her store; Tho the sickening flocks should fall, And the herds desert the stall; "Should Thine altered hand restrain The early and the latter rain; Blast each opening bud of joy, And the rising year destroy; "Yet to Thee my soul should raise, Grateful vows and solemn praise; And, when every blessing's flown, Love Thee for Thyself alone."

RE-ARRANGEMENT OF THE STARS.

By A. Smith

BY A. SMITH.

[It is designed that this article be studied as a Bible reading, the reader turning to and reading each reference given. The force of the article will be lost if this is not done.]

WHAT events in nature were to herald the second advent of Christ? Isa. 13:10-13 and 24:20-23; Joel 3:14-17; Matt. 24:29. See "Early Writings," page 33.

Why are the stars to be removed from their present relative positions in heaven? Heb. 12:27, last clause.

What can not be shaken, and because of which the stars are to be moved? Heb. 12:28, first clause.

Why can not the kingdom of the saints be removed from the earth? Ps. 115:16; Isa. 45:18.

Who rules and guides the stars in their courses? Isa. 40:26; Ps. 147:4; Job 31:33. Arcturus is a sun estimated to be many hundred thousand times larger than our sun. His orbital velocity is over 550 miles a second; being much more rapid than that of other stars in that quarter of the heavens. Astronomers can not account for it. Truly, Arcturus, with his sons (planets), needs a guide; and that Guide is Jehovah.

Will the dominion of the universe be transferred to the earth?—It is implied. Job 38:34. If such an event could not take place, and it was not God's purpose that it should, the question would have been entirely irrelevant. See Rev. 21:2, 3; 22:3. "The earth itself, the very field Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed, but exalted. Our little world, under the curse of sin, the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God."—Desire of Ages, p. 26.

Is more than the earth embraced in the dominion to be given to God's people? Dan. 7:22; Eph. 1:17, 23; Rev. 3:21; Phil. 2:5; Matt. 28:18; John 16:15 and 17:20-24; Rev. 21:7. Because sin is abroad in the universe, the glory of God in heaven is now veiled in darkness. Ps. 97:2; Job 22:12-14.

The "mansions" that Jesus has gone to prepare (by atonement, Lev. 14:48-53) for His people, are doubtless those of the angels that sinned and were cast out of heaven. See Ezek. 28:18; Jude 6; John 14:2. "Are these [says Satan] the people who are to take my place in heaven, and the place of the angels who united with me?"

Sin originated in heaven, and, no doubt, the whole universe felt, more or less, the pulsations of the malady which soon developed in the earth into a malignant eruption. This is evidently why the entire creation must undergo a change. See Heb. 1:10-12; Rev. 21:5; 2 Peter 3:10.

What the ultimate destiny of the heavenly world will be is not certainly revealed. The New Jerusalem, the capital of the universe, and the home of the angels is to be removed to the earth, and the throne of God with it. "It was His [God's] purpose to re-populate heaven with the human race, if, after test and trial, they proved to be loyal to Him."

"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." Dan. 12:3.

Grandville, Mich.

"THIS GENERATION."

By L. D. Santee

BY L. D. SANTEE.

"VERILY I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. 24:34. These words of our Lord were in answer to the question, "What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" The same words are repeated in Mark 13:30, and again in Luke 21:32. You will notice that after each of these texts the verse following reads, "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but My words shall not pass away." Why is this solemn statement thrice repeated?—Because the preceding verse is hard to believe. Whenever this conviction enters into the heart and becomes an abiding principle, the whole life is transformed. There is a solemnity that before we never felt.

All the duties of life become holy, and we walk "as seeing Him who is invisible." The thought that we are the ones on whom the ends of the world are come, is a thrilling one,—that this generation has a future before it that no preceding generation has ever had, and that the life we are now living may be changed by the power of God, into that life that knows no end. No wonder that we can not grasp the mystery of immortality, for we have never seen its glorious reality. Jesus said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die" (John 11:26); and in this generation our lot is cast. No wonder that this stupendous truth is hard to believe. It seems too good to be true. And so the Lord caused it to be thrice repeated, and each time with a reminder of the immutability of His word.

The many prophecies that the Saviour gave to His disciples in His answer to their question, were landmarks, or stepping-stones, toward the great consummation, the coming of the Lord, and the thrilling events that attend it. Last, in the history of this present world, are signs in the sky and on the earth. Matthew enumerates them as follows:—

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven." Matt. 24:29, 30.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory." Mark 13:24-26.

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring." Luke 21:25.

Joel bears witness of the same time as follows:—

"The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come." Chapter 2:31.

Again I read:—

"The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood." Rev. 6:12.

These events are in the past. A hundred histories have noticed them, and a record of their fulfilment is spread before the world. The sun was darkened May 19, 1780. A newspaper, bearing date of three days later, said, "It was the spreading of the pall-cloth over the earth by strong, invisible hands." A minister testified, "It was midnight darkness at noon-day." "And the moon shall be darkened." The night following, a full moon, in a cloudless sky, was enshrouded in utter darkness. We shall not take time to notice this further. Reliable histories are on every side, and it has never been questioned. "And the stars shall fall from heaven." Nov. 13, 1833, saw this prophecy of our Lord fulfilled. Evidence of this is on every hand. Living witnesses are abundant. The leading authority at Yale College voiced the universal sentiment when he said that it was probably the greatest display of celestial fireworks that had ever been since the creation of the world, or at least within the annals covered by the pages of history. There are two other signs noticed, "distress of nations, with perplexity," and the shaking of the powers of heaven. He also adds as an existing condition, "men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:26.

We shall not take time to dwell on these signs. Let the thoughtful ponder. Study existing conditions. Are these signs fulfilled? We continue this subject, and now notice our Saviour's conclusion. "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it [margin, He] is near, even at the door. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. 24:33, 34.

The next question is, Where shall we begin in reckoning "this generation"? The signs shown in the heavens seem to be different from the rest recorded in this chapter. They are followed by the coming of Christ. So we would naturally reckon the generation from the last sign, which was the falling of the stars in 1833. When this took place, then the world could say, Now we have seen "all these things." The things that are spoken of as following, do not have a definite time, but are conditions that will grow worse and worse, until the end. Then it seems entirely reasonable to conclude that the generation began with the falling stars, and will reach to the Lord's coming. Cruden, in his concordance, quotes Matt. 24:34, and makes this comment on "this generation":—

"All who are at present living, shall not be dead, when this shall come to pass."

Again: If the Lord should not come in this generation, then our preaching of the Third Angel's Message would not be in place. The message declares that any man that worships the beast or his image, or receives his mark, shall suffer the seven last plagues. They begin after probation closes, and continue one year, to the coming of the Lord. Now, if we are not living in the generation that shall witness those plagues, we are giving the wrong message,

just as Noah, had he preached to a preceding generation. The Lord says that the one that saith in his heart, "My Lord delayeth His coming," is an evil servant. Satan tries in every possible way to draw our minds away from the coming of the Lord; for he knows that "every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."

We have no right or reason to doubt the Word of God. I close by quoting Rom. 3:3, 4: "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar."

Elgin, Ill.

DEUTERONOMY.

By F. D. Starr

BY F. D. STARR.

THIS book derives its name from an expression found in chapter 17, verse 18, which says concerning the prospective king of Israel: "And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites."

The term used in the Greek Version, the Septuagint, for the words, "copy of this law," is deuteronomy. He shall write him a deuteronomy, the meaning of which is, a duplicate of the law, or a second law, a repetition of the law. The object and result of this would be, as stated in the following verses: "And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them; that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."

If the king of Israel was to take the time to write a copy of this book, as well as of the preceding four, and then read from it all the days of his life, can we not at least take the time to read a copy that has been already printed for our convenience? Writing is a slow process. It certainly would take much longer to write a copy of these books than to read them, as it takes much longer to write a letter than it does to read it.

The beneficial results of carefully reading this book will be to us the same as to the Israelite monarch, to make us obedient to all the requirements of Jehovah, to fear God and keep His commandments, which is the whole duty of man (Eccl. 12:13, 14); to keep us humble, that our hearts will not be lifted up to consider ourselves better than others, above our brethren; and that we shall prolong our days in the midst of God's chosen Israel.

It would, no doubt, help to impress divine truth upon our minds if we were now in the habit of writing out copies of the Bible, as it had to be done before the art of printing came into existence. The press is a great blessing to the race, but, like so many other blessings, an unfortunate advantage is taken of it in our allowing it to cause us to become more careless and less thorough in accurate knowledge of the Scriptures.

The importance of Bible study is also brought out in chapter six of this book, verses 6-9. We here find that it is not only reading and writing God's Word that will be such a blessed and profitable employment for us, but also social conversation about these inspired topics, especially in the family circle. "Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Happy is the home where this is practised.

It is well to have the law of God repeated, rehearsed to us, as we have it in this book. Review of our lessons helps much to fasten them in our minds. Israel had shown the necessity of having a deuteronomy, or regiving of the law, in breaking those requirements when they made the golden calf so soon after the proclamation of the Decalogue, thus causing Moses to cast the visible tables, upon which the law was graven, to the ground. This act was followed by another forty days' fast in the holy mountain, at the end of which God gave him a new copy of the law. Deut. 9:18; 10:4.

Sublimity is the prominent characteristic of the book of Deuteronomy. What more sublime language could be penned than that found in its closing chapters? And all ending with a most sublime event, the burial of that eminent servant of God, by whose hand the first five books of the Bible were written.

We have all attended funerals that have made a deep impression upon our minds; for the living will lay it to heart when he goes to the house of mourning and sees the actual end of human existence. Eccl. 7:2.

But who has ever attended a burial service that has affected his heart as has the rehearsal of the sublime obsequies recorded in Deuteronomy 34? Here is neither modern undertaker nor Egyptian embalmer, but of what other human being was such high burial honor ever recorded? The Lord buried him; "but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day." Even the blessed Saviour was buried by human hands, but this eminent servant of the Lord, of whom it is recorded, "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face," was given the honor of a divine burial.

But this was not all there was to the interesting circumstances of this event. A controversy at a grave is a startling occurrence; but here appears an enemy on the scene. The matter is thus described by Jude, "Yet Michael the Archangel, when contending with the devil He disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."

The death had reigned from Adam till Moses, resurrection power was manifested in this case, and Moses was raised from the dead, and taken to heaven, from whence he came centuries later, to talk with Jesus concerning His decease, which He should accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:28-35.

Consider the remarkable physical condition of the prophet at his death: "Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." Youth in old age!

The practical lessons of this book are numerous. Let us notice a few. What is in the parenthesis of Deut. 1:2?—The lesson that, as Israel was about forty years traveling over the ground that could be traversed in eleven days, so the progress of many professors in the Christian life is most deplorably slow. The fewness of the faithful is shown in the cases of Caleb and Joshua, who alone of the hundreds of thousands who were numbered on leaving Egypt, were permitted to cross the Jordan.

The difference between faith and presumption is seen in Deut. 1:41-46. Israel had been told not to go at that time to fight against the Amorites, but they rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously into the hill. When God told them to go, they would not go; if they had gone, they would have acted in faith; so faith is simply doing what God has commanded us to do, while presumption is doing what He has forbidden us to do.

The advent of the Messiah is clearly predicted in Deut. 18:15, 18. "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me," said Moses. When that Prophet came, He began at Moses and all the prophets to teach the people concerning Himself. See Luke 24:27.

As we take a comprehensive view of the five books of Moses, we can feel the force of the prophet's words: "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20. "Remember ye the law of Moses My servant." Mal. 4:4. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, tho one rose from the dead." Those who believe not Moses believe not Christ, who rose from the dead. "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?" Let us give these books the respect and attention they deserve.

REMARKABLE CONVERSION IN WASHINGTON.

By E. Payson Hammond

BY E. PAYSON HAMMOND.

I HAVE recently received an interesting letter from Major Hall, of Washington, D. C. He is well known, and at that time was a member of a prominent club. His three children were led to Christ in our children's meetings, and begged their father to attend the services. His friend, General Crittenden, related his conversion in Dr. Rankin's church. Major Hall expressed much displeasure to his wife that General Crittenden should have thus spoken, and angrily refused to remain at the inquiry meeting. He went from the meeting to a gambling saloon, where he remained until daybreak. The next day his wife resolved to spend in prayer and fasting for the conversion of her husband. In her agony she cried, "O God, if need be, lay my dead body across his pathway to keep him from tumbling into the pit of destruction." No sooner had she offered this prayer than she ran across the street to her friends, saying, "God has answered me, and my husband will soon be converted." The next Sunday he was in his business office under deep conviction of sin. At five o'clock Dr. Black came to see him, and pointed him to Christ. That night he stood up before the great audience of, perhaps, three thousand, and related the story of his experience. His wife sprang to her feet, saying, "I am the happiest woman in Washington." And next Sunday he stood by my side upon the east steps of the capitol, where for ten weeks we had held open-air meetings, and spoke to about twenty thousand people, in a manner which profoundly moved that vast audience. Since then he has been an earnest worker in Washington. Years after, when I returned to hold another series of meetings, he was one of the leaders in the work, and did all he could to help win souls to Christ. Surely the Lord answers prayer. He is indeed able to save unto the uttermost all them that come unto God by Him.

HOW SANCTIFICATION COMES BY TRUTH.

IN order that truth may sanctify, the mind must be brought in contact with it. As soon might you expect iron to fuse without bringing it in contact with the furnace heat, as to look for sanctification where the Word of God has not, by some process, reached the human understanding.

The mind must also be familiarized with the truth in order to gain the benefit of the sanctifying process. If the truth is simply proclaimed in the ear, and passes out of the mind as soon as it passes in, making no more impression than does the musket ball as it glances from the ironside, it will not prove to any extent a sanctifier. There must be adhesion as well as contact. By frequent reading of the Scriptures, and, better still, by treasuring up their contents in the memory, making them the subject of meditation, turning them over and over in the mind until they become the warp and woof of the every-day thoughts, the Word of God will become familiarized to the candidate for sanctification, and will be to his soul like an atmosphere in which there is no impurity.

The mind must also comprehend the truth. Its true meaning must be discovered. Whoever neglects the opportunities which offer to hear the Word of God expounded, or to meditate upon what he has heard, will be properly classed with those who are “ever learning, and never coming to the knowledge of the truth.”

The truth, in order to sanctify, must be yielded to, and not resisted. Whoever sets himself, in any manner, to resist the truth, or whoever would evade the just conclusions to which it would compel him, interposes an insuperable barrier to his own sanctification.

Prayer for sanctification under such circumstances would be a solemn farce.—William Campbell Scofield.

Continue reading: How They Became Convinced