Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 24, 1859
HUMILITY.
By Geo. Wright
I have thought much and deeply on this crowning grace of the christian, of late. In my short experience in present truth, my times of rejoicing have been greatest when I felt the most humble, the most teachable. Then all the grateful emotions of my soul have been aroused with love to God and to my neighbor.
Dear brethren and sisters are we as a people praying to be clothed upon with humility? The Lord promises grace (only) to the humble; then let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God; for he has promised to exalt such in due time.
Says Montgomery.
"When Mary chose the better part,
She meekly sat at Jesus' feet;
And Lydia's gently-open'd heart
Was made for God's own temple meet.
Fairest and best adorned is she
Whose clothing is humility."
Meekness and humility are frequently enjoined both in precept and example, by our blessed Lord and his apostles. Hear him in Matt. xxiii, 12. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. What a blessed promise. Turn to that most interesting epistle of Paul to the Romans [xii. 10.] Be afflicted one to another, with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another. Please read the remainder of the chapter.
"Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" &c. And again Phil. ii, 2, 3 : Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
My heart pants after more of that mind that was in the meek and lowly Saviour, as the hart panteth after the water brook. He declared while on earth, the foxes had holes, the birds of the air had nests, but the Son of Man had not where to lay his head. When he was reviled he reviled not again. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. O what humility was this! God grant that you and I dear brother and sister may drink deep of this spirit of humility. Then we shall have as the fruit, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law, Gal. v, 22, 23. Praise the Lord O my soul and let all that is within me bless his holy name for what my eyes have seen and my ears have heard and my heart has felt of his love shed abroad therein. How true as the Psalmist says that the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit. Psalm xxxiv. 18
While penning the above thoughts my own heart has been made to rejoice. I trust it may have the same effect on those who read. If this should meet the eye of any who are living without God or hope in the world, I would admonish them in the language of the apostle, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God; cry mightily to him for mercy till you hear him say son, daughter, thy sins which were many are all forgiven you. Then if you endure unto the end you will have an abundant entrance administered unto you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Lapeer, Mich.
Geo. Wright.
Means and Ends.
A great part of practical wisdom consists in properly regarding the distinction between means and ends. Ploughing ground and sowing seed are not ends. Of themselves they will do no good. If they are not followed by a harvest, they are useless. Some men live to eat, instead of eating to live. Their end is the gratification of appetite, not the acquisition of strength.
The same tenor of remark applies to spiritual things. Some peruse the Bible, and are satisfied with the exercise of reading without any profit. They seek not spiritual wisdom. They rest in what they have done.
Others pray, but do not look for the answer. The prayer was the task they set themselves. That done, they are content. They send in the petition. They concern not themselves with the granting of what it asks.
Others attend to the matter of self-examination because it seems to be a duty, but that is all. Their plan is, not to find out what manner of spirit they are of, or whether they are true Christians, but to do that which is so urged on their consciences. This is their sole end.
So also many are satisfied with the ordinances of God, without the God of the ordinances. The sermon ended, the prayers over, the singing concluded, they go home satisfied, even if there be no profit.
Not thus is it with the wise man. He is willing to sow, but it is that he may reap. He is willing to toil, that he may gather fruit unto eternal life. If reading and study do not make him wise unto salvation, he regards them as a waste of time. If the ordinances do not satisfy him as with marrow and fatness, he is hungry and sad. He lives by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He rests in nothing short of God.
Is your own religion a form? Is it your Saviour? Or is Christ your Saviour? Is your church-membership the rejoicing of your heart, or is God's salvation all your hope and all your desire? Do you regard all religious forms a vanity, if your own sanctification is not advancing? God is not mocked. If he is not our chosen heritage, will he be our portion?
If you are "seeking for glory, honor, and immortality," you shall have "eternal life." Hold on your way. The combat, though fierce, is nearly over; the race, though hard, is almost run; the pilgrimage, through a howling wilderness, will soon terminate in your beholding the temple not made with hands. Your song will soon be that of Moses and the Lamb. Your victory will be followed by an eternal triumph. Your contest will end in a glorious prize.—Am. Messenger.
Christlike.
CHRISTLIKE is a plain and simple word, but full of meaning to the thoughtful mind, for it is the sum of all that man ought to be. It is the burden of many a secret heart-sigh and longing aspiration known but to God alone. Those professing religion bear it indelibly impressed upon their very name of Christian. But what is it to be Christlike? who can be called such? Is our so-called Christianity real Christlikeness! These are practical questions, that it behooves each, Bible in hand, to settle candidly for himself. Christ, we are told, prayed; but he did not cease there; action accompanied his prayers. He preached, but that was not all; he practiced. He contributed his portion into the treasury, but he also gave more than money—himself. His life was given. He reproved the Scribes and Pharisees for their sins and hypocrisies, but he was not guilty himself of like sin. And he had other language than that of denunciation; these were blest, winning voices of peace and pardon, free forgiveness and love. His was no censure-loving spirit, that always chillingly, haughtily said, "Stand back, for I am holier than thou," though if any may, he most surely might use this language. He blazoned not abroad his many deeds of mercy. He did not oppress or pass by in scornful neglect the afflicted, sorrow-stricken, and poor, but delighted to raise the bruised reed. His wonted place of preaching was not between frescoed walls, nor his preaching opiate words to an opulent, sin-flattering charge. His was the grandly arched sky dome, and his pulpit carpet the flowing grass, and his most attentive audience were the poor. "They heard him gladly." His life was an overflowing of his divine love welling up in a sympathetic human heart. No weekly charity-donation measured that. He was content with nothing less than constant sacrifice, self-denial and bestowal of his all. His life was one incessant106personal mission of humanity. He shunned not the tenderest of all sensibilities, nor shrank from the contact of suffering in its most revolting forms. The sick, diseased, and afflicted of all classes flocked to him, and he healed them all. It was his meat and drink to do his Heavenly Father's will. Having loved, he loved unto the end. He forgave the deadliest enemies, for them was his last prayer uttered; reviled, he reviled not again. Christ with his disciples, teaching, healing at Jerusalem, Gethsemane, and Calvary, these all preach to us. Like Christ in kind, for we cannot in degree, must each become ere ready for entrance into the world of bliss.
Reader, art thou Christlike? Think.—Cong. Jour.
TH PILGRIM.
By Sarah M. Swan
Whence comest thou, stranger? and why in such haste?
Thou art fainting and weary; come halt thee and rest;
Why stayest thou not to enjoy life's brief ray?
To what distant country art thou bending thy way?
From a land that is doomed to destruction I come,
In the city celestial to seek me a home;
A home that is peaceful, immortal and fair,
Ask me not here to tarry; I haste to be there.
But here's riches, and pleasure, ambition and mirth,
And varied the joys and the pleasures of earth;
Fame, honor and wealth, with their charms all combined,
If here thou wilt tarry, all this shall be thine.
I cannot delay; your pleasure and mirth,
Your riches and honor, I view little worth;
With treasures more beauteous, exquisite and rare,
My soul is enraptured; I haste to be there.
But why tread a pathway so rugged and drear,
So lonely and dark? does thy heart never fear?
Who will shield thee from lions which compass thy way,
And direct, if perchance from the path thou should'st
stray?
Though the path may be rugged, I love it full well,
For it leads to the land where my Saviour doth dwell;
My heart shall not fear while his footsteps I trace,
He'll protect from all danger, and give me his grace.
His word is a lamp to illumine my dark way,
His Spirit a guide which forbids me to stray,
His hand shall me lead 'mid temptation and care,
To his heavenly kingdom; I haste to be there.
SARAH M. SWAN.
Mantua, Ohio.
SPIRITUALISM.
By James White
In view of the testimonies given in relation to spirit manifestations, we are constrained to believe that they are caused by spirits. It is not possible to believe that so many men of distinguished intelligence, judgment and apparent candor, could be deceived by a mere cheat, or trick, and then engage with such ardor to deceive others. These manifestations have endured the closest scrutiny, and most thorough investigation, and yet what is called the Cause of Spiritualism, is advancing more and still more rapidly. Those who can, under such circumstances, receive the testimony of those who cry, "Humbug," "trickery," &c., are more to be charged with credulity, than the most ardent Spiritualist.
CHARACTER OF THE SPIRITS.
The question now arises, What kind of spirits are these? Are they what they profess to be, namely, the spirits of the dead? We answer, They are not; and give the following reasons:
(1.) They profess to be commissioned by God to visit this world to communicate instruction for the benefit of mankind. That this is not so is evident from the fact that God has forbidden necromancy in his word. Deut. xviii, 11; Isa. viii, 19. And admitting that the dead know a thousand times more than the living, it is certain that God does not commission them to come to this world to lead men to break the divine command.
(2.) They cannot be spirits of the dead, because the Bible teaches that the dead have not knowledge. "For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything; neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Eccl. ix, 5, 6.
Says David: "Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee." Ps. cxix, 175. Why David! Cannot your soul praise God when separated from the body, and you are dead and buried? Let him answer: "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. cxv, 17.
These manifestations cannot be from the Spirit of God, neither can they be good angels, ministering unto certain ones, from the fact that they profess to be something else; and the Spirit of God and good angels will tell the truth. Then what are they? We answer: They are lying spirits, the messengers of the father of lies. The fact that they are very numerous is no objection to this view. The unclean spirit that was cast out of the man from among the tombs, by our Lord, answered, "My name is legion; for we are many." Mark v, 1–13. That the Devil has angels or messengers to go at his bidding, and carry out his purposes is evident from the following texts: "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." Jude, verse 6.
"And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Matt. xii, 7–9. "Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels." Matt. xxv, 41.
Now when these spirits visit individuals, professing to be the spirit of Paul, Peter, John or James; of the Patriarchs, Prophets; Dr. Franklin, Washington, Paine, Calhoun, or some dear friend, or perhaps a lovely infant recently buried, they come with a lie in their mouths. It is no such thing! Behold the deception! Job says of the dead, "His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job xiv, 21. But these spirits testify that they know all about the condition of the living.
Solomon says of the dead: "Neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." Eccl. ix, 6. But these spirits, in many cases, act a very conspicuous part in what is done under the sun. They rap, write, play on musical instruments, and move chairs, tables, &c.
David in speaking of man says: "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." Ps. cxlvi, 4. Here are three inspired witnesses perfectly agreeing in their testimonies that the dead have not knowledge. Therefore the testimony of these rapping and writing spirits, in regard to themselves, is false, and the reader must allow us to call them lying spirits.
They say one great object of their manifestations is, to convince the world of the immortality of the soul, that all men have immortality. But the Bible plainly teaches that immortality, or eternal life, is the gift of God through Jesus Christ, and consequently, conditional. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. vi, 23. "Who will render to every man according to his deeds; to them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honor, and immortality; eternal life." Rom. ii, 6, 7. Certainly, God does not require man to seek for immortality if all men now possess it!
Paul says to Timothy: "Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and the only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, &c." 1 Tim. vi, 15, 16.
These spirits teach that all men possess immortality; but St. Paul teaches that it is possessed by the King of kings and Lord of lords only; and that Christ has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel; [2 Tim. i, 10;] and that it is to be put on at the sound of the last trump, at the second appearing of Christ. 1 Cor. xv, 52–54.
Although these spirits generally appear very good and pious, and profess that their mission is to improve the spiritual good of mankind, yet it is evident that they are commissioned by the great author of lies, from the manner they treat the word of God.
The holy Apostle says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. iii, 16, 17. But these spirits teach that the Sacred Volume is imperfect, and that they have come to correct its errors. That it is quite out of date, its light being eclipsed by the glory of these communications from the spirit world. The truth is, that the Bible doctrine of life and immortality alone through Jesus Christ, and that conditional, is perfectly destructive of their whole philosophy; therefore they declare that the Bible is not purely the word of God.
We give the following from a work entitled, Spirit Rapping Unveiled, by H. Mattison, A. M.
"A. W. Hoar, medium," represents the spirit of St. Paul as going through the Bible, and speaking of the different books on this wise: GENESIS.—"About as true as any fictitious work that is now printed." p. 10. EXODUS.—"As good a book as could be expected in that day."—Ibid. LEVITICUS.—"Not directly from God as man supposes." p. 12. NUMBERS.—"Such an absurdity as that [the facts stated in chapter 1st,] ought to be cast into the lowest depths of the infernal regions." p. 12.—JOSHUA.—"Almost the whole book is false."—Ibid.—JUDGES.—"About the same as the others; and it needs no argument to show that it is void of inspiration." p. 14. RUTH.—"Without inspiration, the same as the others." p. 15.
"SAMUEL.—'A part of it is correct.' p. 15. KINGS.—'Multitudes of mistakes—not correct—no inspiration.' pp. 16, 17. EZRA.—'By a person bearing its name, without inspiration.' p. 17. JOB.—'Written through mediums—would have been correct, had it not been that man destroyed its purity.' pp. 18, 19. PSALMS.—'Written in the same way, and some of them are correct.' p. 19.
"The rest of the books in the Old Testament are said to be 'somewhat correct in the main' [p. 20;] and in reference to the whole, this 'spirit of darkness' says: 'Let me say unto you, O, man at this day, in regard to the Old Testament, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.' p. 21. In the same strain this medium passes on through the New Testament, exclaiming, as he passes from book to book, through the gospels, epistles, and Apocalypse, 'not correct,' 'mistake,' 'fictitious,' 'contrary to the will of God.'
"The Bible when first written was nothing more than a book written through mediums, as I am now writing through my medium." St. Paul through Mr. Hoar, p. 9.
"John Wesley is represented as saying: 'The men who wrote the Bible were not always under full control of the spirit communicating, so that many errors crept into the Bible. . . . The Bible has more good teachings than any other work, and has more evil; choose the good, discard the evil.'"
The New Era publishes a letter from Rev. James Smith, A. M., London, July 8th, 1853, from which we extract the following:
"The Old Testament is but the skin of the old Serpent. But who will say that God did not make that skin? It is the use that is to be made of the Bible, rather than its origin that should be discussed. I believe the Old Testament to be divine; but I creep out of it as a chicken out of an egg, when I have exhausted its nourishment." "The living law is more than a rule that God has given me. It is God himself using us as mediums. It is the living God, not the dead Rule that will interpret the word of God." "We want the living law that will show us what great service the Bible has done, and what mischief it has done; and how to transform its evil into good, its nonage into maturity, its sourness into sweetness."
We copy from Mr. Mattison's work, a few testimonies from these spirits relative to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The spirit of John Wesley is represented as saying: "Jesus was a great and good man; but there was nothing more miraculous about his conception, birth, life, and teachings than any good man. Jesus never taught the people to pay divine homage to him; he never taught that he was the Son of God, except in the sense in which other men might be the sons of God." Unfoldings, p. 7.
"What is the meaning of the word Christ? 'Tis not, as is generally supposed, the Son of the Creator of all things. Any just and perfect being is Christ. The crucifixion of Christ is nothing more than the crucifixion of the spirit, which all have to contend with before becoming perfect and righteous. The miraculous conception of Christ is merely a fabulous tale." Telegraph, No. 37.
"The spirit of Channing says: 'The spirit of Lazarus had not entirely left the body; he was in a trance. Christ in his superior condition saw this, and by his magnetic power restored the action of the system. The same was done at the restoration of the maid.' Telegraph, No. 34."
"The spirit of Christ was not wholly separated from the body when he was placed in the tomb, and the guardian spirits, who had attended him through life, using him as a medium, rolled away the stone, restored the spirit to the body, and Christ walked bodily out of the tomb. Sometime afterward he died naturally, his body was left to moulder back to dust, and his spirit, seen only by those who were mediums, ascended to heaven." From Dr. Bristol's letter.—Telegraph, No. 34.
These spirits also testify that there is no Devil, nor evil spirits. This really looks like Satan's masterpiece. He is advertising throughout the earth107through these spirits, that he does not exist! If he can only make them believe this, then he is ready for his last great deception.
This reminds us of a story which well illustrates the case. It is in substance, this: "The notorious robber, George Cole, of England, whenever he wanted to perpetrate an act of some dreadful villainy, would get some suitable tool to advertise his having been hanged ! or imprisoned ! or transported to Botany Bay ! Thus, suspicion was allayed; and his villainous deeds more easily accomplished."
"The imagination of evil spirits is an image only belonging to the human mind while such mind is yet in an unenlightened or undeveloped state, &c." Love and Wisdom, p. 98. "I asked if there was any Devil. Answer: 'No.' 'Are all spirits happy after death?' 'Yes, measurably.' 'What church is nearest right?'—Answer: 'Universalist doctrine is nearest right.'—Telegraph, No. 3." "There are no bad spirits; that is, no devils or demons. Those spirits we have conversed with will not allow us to use the term."—Supernal Theology, p. 71. "The spirits utterly disclaim all truth in the imaginations of individuals who believe in the doctrine of evil spirits." Teacher, p. 116.
They are "familiar spirits." They sustain the very character of the familiar spirits named in the Bible, as the following text shows: "And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper [margin, peep, or chirp] out of the dust." Isa. xxix, 4.
All will see the identity of this low rapping spirit, and the low whispering, or peeping spirit named in the text. The one named in the text was a "familiar spirit;" so is the other. They are almost always ready to communicate, especially with those who are entirely devoted to them. They will rap, write, move, or throw things about, play musical instruments, and direct persons from place to place. Though they sometimes appear very religious, yet they are not very particular with whom they are so familiar; communicating in their low manner freely with the vicious, as well as the virtuous. We will here give the principal passages in which reference is made to "familiar spirits," to show in what light they are held by the Bible.
"There shall not be found among you . . . an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deut. xviii, 10, 11.
"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God." Lev. xix, 31.
"And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among the people." Lev. xx, 7.
"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and enquire of her." 1 Sam. xxviii, 7.
Poor fallen man! When forsaken by God he fills up the cup of his iniquity by consulting a familiar spirit! For it is said: "So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it." 1 Chron. x, 13.
"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter, should not a people seek unto their God?" Isa. viii, 19. J. W.
Protestants not Guided by Scripture.
“Ques. Have you any other proofs that they are not guided by the Scriptures? Ans. Yes; so many that we cannot admit more than a mere specimen into this small work. They reject much that is clearly contained in Scripture, and profess more that is nowhere discoverable in that Divine Book.
Q. Give some examples of both? A. They should, if the Scripture were their only rule, wash the feet of one another, according to the command of Christ, in the 13th chap. of St. John;—they should keep, not the Sunday, but the Saturday, according to the commandment, ‘Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath-day;’ for this commandment has not, in Scripture, been changed or abrogated.
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept? A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her;—she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.
Q. Do you observe other necessary truths as taught by the Church, not clearly laid down in Scripture? A. The doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine the knowledge of which is certainly necessary to salvation, is not explicitly and evidently laid down in Scripture, in the Protestant sense of private interpretation.
Q. What say you of infant baptism? A. One third part of the whole human race die before they reach their seventh year: it is then a matter of the last importance to know whether infants should be baptized; for the Scripture declares that baptism is necessary to salvation; and yet the Scripture does nowhere tell us clearly whether Christ intended infants to be baptized. If it did, why should we have Baptists, who have never been able to see this truth clearly laid down in Scripture? Here, then, we have a truth, upon which the salvation of one third part of the whole human race depends, which is not to be found in Scripture.
Q. When Protestants do profane work upon Saturday, or the seventh day of the week, do they follow the Scripture as their only rule of faith—do they find this permission clearly laid down in the Sacred Volume? A. On the contrary, they have only the authority of tradition for this practice. In profaning Saturday, they violate one of God’s commandments, which he has never clearly abrogated—‘Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath-day.’
Q. Is the observance of Sunday, as the day of rest, a matter clearly laid down in Scripture? A. It certainly is not; and yet all Protestants consider the observance of this particular day as essentially necessary to salvation. To say we observe the Sunday, because Christ rose from the dead on that day, is to say we act without warrant of Scripture; and we might as well say that we should rest on Thursday because Christ ascended to heaven on that day, and rested in reality from the work of redemption.
Q. Is it not said in the book of Revelation, that St. John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, that is, Sunday; and is not this Scriptural proof that Sunday is the day to be observed in the new law? A. Are we then to observe this particular day merely because St. John had a revelation upon it—must we observe as a day of rest and holiness, any day upon which an apostle was in the Spirit?
Q. But it is called the Lord’s day. A. . . . Does this text tell you not to work upon that day—does it tell you that the obligation of keeping Saturday is done away with, or that it was not the day of the resurrection or ascension which St. John here calls the Lord’s day?
Q. Is it not said in the Acts—‘And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and is this not sufficient Scriptural authority for the observance of the first day of the week? A. But does this text abrogate the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, or allow Protestants to do profane work on that day? Certainly not. They should then rest upon both days, if they hold the above text as any argument. The text in question does not say that the Apostle preached, or that the people assembled every first day of the week, but merely on this particular day, for which a good reason is given, namely that St. Paul was to depart next day. It is quite clear, however, that they met every Saturday; for the same Acts say, St. Paul preached in the Synagogue every Sabbath, and exhorted the Jews and the Greeks. Besides it is not wonderful that the disciples came together on this first day of the week, since, according to Acts ii, they continued DAILY in the temple breaking bread.
Q. Does not St. Paul order the Galatians and Corinthians to make collections on the first day of the week? A. Yes; but, again, this does not abolish the observance of Saturday. St. Paul does not say that the people would be at church on that day—that they were to keep that day, to the exclusion of Saturday, holy—or that these collections were to be made at church, but merely that every man should lay up by himself in store upon that day.”—Doctrinal Catechism, pp. 101, 174, 351–355.
Science and the Bible
By Dr. Cumming
In speaking of this book there is one question which, though it does not occupy so large a space as formerly, nevertheless exercises a great and growing interest, and it is this: Is it true that science in its freest development in the least degree contradicts any written word of God? Once it was said that it did; but what are the last results? That the progressive science of the nineteenth century and the statements in that blessed book show that true science and true religion have a common origin—the bosom of God. Now, mark, your Bible was not written to teach science, but it is the only book that will stand the test of science. The Veda, the Shaster, and the Koran cannot stand the test, but the Bible can, and even where it seems to us beset with difficulty and mystery, those passages by modern investigation shine with a brilliant light. Let me mention to you one or two proofs of this. First of all, the Bible never hints at a system of science. If it had been written by mere human writers, they might have indicated here and there something like a system of science. It speaks of flower trees, from the hyssop on the wall to the cedar of Lebanon; but there is not a hint of a system of botany. It speaks of stars and sun and moon, but not a hint of a system of astronomy. So that no investigator or professor of science can assert that he is in the least degree assisted or impeded in his system of science by the Bible; so that it seems to me, the silence of the Bible is as impressive as its eloquence, just as on the dial the shadow and the sunshine are alike instructive as to the hour of the day. Then take the word “firmament,” which you find in Genesis. In the Greek it is translated by a word signifying a concave with a vast solid mass. Translators translated it according to their knowledge; but when you go back to the original word you find that it means a space without limit. So that, you see, Moses was far in advance of those who translated him; for the actual truth is disclosed by modern science. Take another instance: Job speaks of himself as standing on the circle of the earth; and Isaiah speaks of the circle of the sea. Now, you know that the rotundity of the earth was for some years regarded as a heresy by the Church of Rome; but no one believes now that it is a flat surface, except, perhaps, Archbishop Cullen. Take one thought more: “Who can sway the influence of the Pleiades.” Many have wondered what was the influence of the Pleiades. Science, however, tells us that the stars, and the sun and the moon, and the earth, and their leading satellites, constitute one group which revolves round a central sun, and that central sun is one of the Pleiades. Here, then, we see that, while the Bible does not teach science, when it does refer to science it is always correct.—Dr. Cumming at the Anniversary of the Bible Society in London.
Deserving Fame Over Seeking It
GREAT minds had rather deserve contemporaneous applause, without obtaining it, than obtain without deserving it : if it follow them, it is well, but they will not deviate to follow it. With inferior minds the reverse is observable,—so that they can command the flattery of knaves while living, they care not for the execrations of honest men when dead. Milton neither aspired to present fame, nor even expected it; but, to use his own words, his high ambition was “to leave something to after ages, so written, that they should not willingly let it die.” And Cato finally observed, he would much rather that posterity should inquire why no statues were erected to him, than why they were.
Where Is Hell
HELL—A scoffer asked, “Where is hell?” A Christian wisely answers, “anywhere outside of heaven.”