p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 3. (1/15/1902)

CONTAINED IN THIS NUMBER.

By Editor

Poetry.

My Pathway, MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 "Keep Thy Heart," JOHN WM. STEIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Recompense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Dinner and a Kiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Something Each Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

General.

Our Elder Brother, MRS. E. G. WHITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Second Coming of Christ, GEO. W. RINE . . . . . . . . . 1 Christians and Theater-going, M. O. HUBER . . . . . . . . . 2 The "Letter That Fell from Heaven," E. A. AXON . . . . . . 3 The Early Christian Church, J. O. CORLISS . . . . . . . . . . 3 "Darwinism at Its Last Gasp," GEO. E. PRICE . . . . . . . . . 4 Adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Editorial.

"Jehovah-raphah" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 How Are You Related to the Law? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Two Great Protests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 "Once in Grace, Always in Grace" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Glory of the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Outlook.—The International Prophetic Conference, F. C. GILBERT—Commercialism in Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 9

The Home.—Meteorological Records, FREDERICK GRIGGS— The Useful Life—"Grumpy Cobe's" Awakening . . . . . 10, 11

Missions.—The Weakness of Mohammedanism, E. J. BURNHAM—Among the Laós Tribes . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13

International Sabbath-school and Sunday-school Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Publishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The Eighth Precept: Thou Shalt Not Steal

By Editor

The articles on "The Law of God" are not yet finished. Next week will appear the one on the eighth precept of the law, "Thou shalt not steal."

Suggestions for Children’s Home Time

By Editor

Do you find home-time dull for the children? Professor Griggs' article in our Home Department contains some good suggestions. Put them in practise. Encourage and help the children. It will aid them, if rightly done, physically, mentally, morally.

Our Elder Brother and Christ’s Second Coming

By Editor

We have no first-page illustration in this issue, but we are sure that every Christian soul will find more than its compensation in the exceedingly helpful article, "Our Elder Brother." And that is followed by one worthy of study, "The Second Coming of Christ; Its Place in the Gospel Scheme."

Darwinism at Its Last Gasp

By Editor

Those Christians who love the Bible, yet who tremble before the loud assertions of uncertain science, will enjoy reading the article, "Darwinism at Its Last Gasp." This is not a phrase of our coining, or of the author's coining, but the expression of a scientist. The writer of the article has a book in press, soon to appear, entitled, "Modern Christianity and Modern Science."

The Unknown God

The "Unknown God" is as much of a superstition in the world to-day as He was in the minds of the Athenians in ancient times. They set up an altar to "the unknown God," lest there might be some deity overlooked in their manifold devotions. So men in our time nominally acknowledge the God of the Bible, not because they know Him, not because they intelligently believe in Him, but because they do not want to openly deny Him, lest He be a reality, and might retaliate upon their incredulity. Looking upon God as altogether such a one as themselves, they have a superstitious dread of Him, and would fain be in a position to claim His favor in case He should prove to be a real Being to whom they are accountable. The true God is as verily the unknown God to the masses of mankind to-day as He ever was; yes, even to millions who profess His name. And this is why, in the very end of time, it is necessary to send the everlasting Gospel to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," calling them to "fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." Rev. 14:6, 7.

Italy and the Pope

By Editor

Italy and the Pope.—There are many rumors of late that Italy is seeking reconciliation with the pope. It is bound to come sooner or later. Not to accept of true Bible Christianity is to sometime yield to the Papacy.

True Prayer and Righteous Prosperity

It is not true prayer that asks God's blessing on a course that is contrary to principles of righteousness. God may preserve and bless a man in spite of his wrong course, because the man is ignorant; but God never prospers the evil. All prosperity of that sort is ephemeral and transient. "The long gain is the true gain."

Prohibition of Alcoholic Liquors

A movement is on foot to prohibit the traffic in alcoholic liquors with aboriginal races. It is a good move, and is indorsed by the President. But if prohibition is good for the aboriginals, why would it not be good for the people at home—the white race and the American negroes? The movement, which is receiving considerable attention, is a logical acknowledgment of the propriety of prohibition; and it is an admission that this one prominent feature of "civilization" is bad, at least for the aboriginal. Or shall we assume that the use of alcoholic poison is one of the boon privileges of civilization, and an inducement for the barbarian to become "civilized"—for the heathen to become "Christian"?

NOT FORGOTTEN IN ENGLAND.

THE great papers of the United States all overlooked the anniversary of the death of George Washington, December 14; but the London Daily News of that date made the following reference to that event:—

On this day, in the year 1799, died, in his sixty-eighth year, George Washington, first President of the United States, and (as the resolution of the House of Representatives on his death described him) "first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." The ex-President had retired from office in 1797, and devoted himself to his plantation at Mount Vernon, when, a year later, he was re-appointed Commander-in-Chief, a war with France becoming probable. While busied over military details, he caught a cold, and died of a sore throat within twenty-four hours. There was no theatrical scene; he talked business to the last, and his final words were, apropos of arrangements for his funeral, "It is well." Napoleon, as First Consul, put the French army into mourning for him. The British fleet off Torbay lowered its colors to half-mast on receipt of the news. Washington was a slave-owner, but he looked forward to abolition. When independence was won, he resolved never to acquire possession of a new slave, and he wished from his soul that his State (Virginia) might abolish slavery: "It might prevent much future mischief."

Regarding his attitude concerning the institution of slavery, it is worthy of note that all his slaves came to him by inheritance, were all well cared for during his ownership, and by his last will were all set free.

Increased Power of Rome.

Says the Watchman (Baptist), as quoted by the Christian Work: "Never did Roman Catholic prelates in Washington speak to our national government with quite the authoritative tone they used last winter. The results of the war with Spain have added enormously to the prestige of the Roman Church in the United States, and no one realizes it more deeply than the higher ecclesiastics. Cardinal Gibbons now speaks to the great officers of the government at Washington as the representative of at least 10,000,000 more American citizens (in the making) than he did previously to 1898." Roman Catholicism brought Spain to the lowly position she has occupied for years. The United States conquers the decadent nation, and is now yielding to the same influences that made Spain what she is. Amaziah of old conquered the Edomites, and then brought home, to worship, the gods of the Edomites, which had no power to save.

Industrial Peace and Christian Regeneration

By Editor

We may not solace ourselves with the consolation that a time of universal industrial peace is at hand, because the great magnates of money met in friendly conference with the leaders of labor. It is good so far as it goes, and we would not question the intentions and desires of the gentlemen on either side; but we do say that, in the very nature of the case, till men are regenerated by Jesus Christ (an individual work of faith), the strife and strikes will continue. Men in themselves can change the form of sinning; God only can take away the sin and the sinning.

How Would Jesus Keep Christmas?

By Editor

"How would Jesus keep Christmas?" is a question asked by a prominent religious journal. The question is easy: If He were on earth just as He was formerly, He would just go about doing good, as on other days. There are some things, it is safe to say, that He would not do. He would not make that the one day in the year for dispensing charity, and consider His duty done for the year. He would not make it a day of gluttony and debauchery. He would not make it a day of idolatry by a waste of means on self-indulgence that was needed to carry the Gospel of salvation to the heathen. It is not difficult to know what Jesus would do on any day; for He left a record that is ample proof. He would observe in becoming manner the special days set apart for special observance by divine authority, and ignore the claims of all others to special notice. He would take advantage of any occasion, by whomsoever appointed, if special opportunity presented, for working the works of God—not because of the day, but because of the opportunity. On Christmas, as on other days, He would be about His Father's business—the business of saving souls. And it is for us to do likewise.

Patriotism Degenerated Into Idolatry

The extreme of soldier glorification, which took such a hold of the people of the United States during the war with Spain, was reached in a recent speech by a major-general of the army, in New York City, when he said: "I believe most truly that the man who dies for his country has his sins forgiven him. That I believe as truly as I believe God lives." This is patriotism degenerated into idolatry. It is self-salvation as verily as Confucianism, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Brahminism, or Mohammedanism. It is winning one's way to peace with God by the use of carnal weapons. It would count as well for the dead patriots of one nation or people as another, and those of all ages. It would count as well for Goliath as for David. It would count as well for Amalek as for Israel, albeit the Lord sent Israel to utterly destroy Amalek. When will the "enlightened" "Christian" people of the world cease setting up substitutes for salvation through Jesus Christ? If General Brooke's doctrine be true, then many more souls will be in the kingdom of God by means of war than through the everlasting Gospel.

Christianity Is Life and Power

The devotees of the new "Science of Religion" do not believe in the absoluteness of Christianity. One of them, Professor Troeltsech, thus expresses it (Literary Digest, Dec. 28, 1901): "Christianity is a purely historical phenomenon;" and he tells us that in this conception of Christianity, religion is viewed "as an expression of the relation between man and the Divine." Another, Dr. Max Christlieb, confounds the perverted ideas of Christianity held by its professors with Christianity itself. Of course, to such Christianity must seem like other religions,—a theory, a set of rules, a system of morality. But it is much more than all these. Christianity is the life of God sent down to men, manifested normally in righteous, holy living. It can not be compared with other religions. It is not so much moral teaching that the world needs; it is life, power, to live righteously. Christianity is the only religion having the life, and he who does not know this, let him be called by what name he may, does not know Christianity.

The Sea Reminds Man of His Limits

The Eastern papers tell us of a huge wave fifty feet high, that the big Cunard liner Umbria encountered December 27. The storm raged all day: "A fifty-foot wave broke high over the main bridge, and dashed the watchers from their refuge, one of the men, Thomas Laurie, being swept off the bridge to the deck, fifteen feet below. When the flood receded from the decks, Laurie was found unconscious under the rail on the port side. Several bones were broken, and his body was a mass of bruises. It was estimated that there were over a thousand tons of water in the great wave." The Daily News of London remarks that these fearful storms continually remind man that he is not lord of creation.

Praise God, Not Men

If Christians would but turn the praises which they lavish upon men, upon God and His works, no one could estimate its effect in soul-saving. It is God that must do the work, not man. Why praise the instrument alone, and say naught of Him who used that instrument for others' good?