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Signs of the Times, Vol. 8, No. 33.

General Articles

Signs of the Times

Aug 31, 1882

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 31, 1882

General Articles.

By Mrs. E. G. White

The Final Test.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.
The defeat of the Philistines at Michmash seemed a turning-point in the fortunes of Israel. Though the Lord was displeased with Saul, and purposed to set aside his family, yet he granted him success in battle against the oppressors of his people. No enemy seemed able to stand against him. He made war in turn against Moab, Ammon, and Edom, and against the Amalekites and the Philistines; and wherever he turned his arms, he gained fresh victories. Yet, having missed the opportunity which God had granted him, he was never able permanently to subdue the Philistines. He had sore war with them all the days of his life.
When commanded to destroy the Amalekites, Saul did not for a moment hesitate. To his own authority was added the command of the prophet, and at the call to battle the men of Israel flocked to his standard. Two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah were numbered at Telaim. With this force, Saul attacked and defeated the king of Amalek, and overran the country.
This victory was by far the most brilliant which Saul had ever gained, and it served to kindle anew that pride of heart which was his greatest danger. The divine edict devoting the Amalekites to utter destruction was but partially executed. Ambitious to heighten the honor of his triumphal return by the presence of a royal captive, Saul ventured to spare Agag, the fierce and warlike king of Amalek.
This act was not without influence upon the people. They too felt that they might safely venture to depart somewhat from the Lord's explicit directions. Hence they covetously reserved to themselves the finest of the flocks, herds, and beasts of burden, destroying only that which was vile and refuse.
Here Saul was subjected to the final test. His presumptuous disregard of the will of God, showing his determination to rule as an independent monarch, proved that he could not be intrusted with royal power as the Lord's vicegerent. Unmindful of all this, Saul marshals his victorious army, and with the captive king and the long train of flocks and herds—a booty highly valued in the East—set out on the march homeward. At Carmel, in the possessions of Judah, he set up a monument of his victory.
While pride and rejoicing reigned in the camp of Saul, there was deep anguish in the home of Samuel. His intense interest for the welfare of Israel had not abated. He still loved the valiant warrior whom his own hands had anointed as king. It had been his earnest prayer that Saul might become a wise and prosperous ruler. When it was revealed to him that Saul had been finally rejected, Samuel in his distress "cried unto the Lord all night," pleading for a reversal of the sentence. With an aching heart he set forth next morning to meet the erring king. But when he heard that Saul had erected a monument of his own exploits, instead of giving glory to God, he turned aside and went to Gilgal.
Thither the monarch with his army came to meet him. Samuel had cherished a longing hope that Saul might, upon reflection, become conscious of his sin, and by repentance and humiliation before God, be again restored to the divine favor. But the king came forward with great assurance, saying, "Blessed be thou of the Lord; I have performed the commandment of the Lord." Saul had so often followed his own will, regardless of the command of God through his prophet, that his moral perception had become dulled. He was not now conscious of the sinfulness of his course.
The sounds that fell upon the prophet's ears, disproved the statement of the disobedient king. To the pointed question, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" Saul made answer, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." The plea here urged was at best but an excuse for covetousness. The beasts saved from the spoil were to be offered by the Israelites in place of their own animals required for sacrifice.
The spirit which actuated Saul is evinced by the fact that when proudly boasting of his obedience to the divine command, he takes all the honor to himself; when reproved for disobedience, he charges the sin upon the people. Samuel was not deceived by the king's subterfuge. With mingled grief and indignation he declares, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night." Then he reminded Saul of his early humility: "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?" He repeats the divine behest concerning Amalek, and demands from the king the reason for his disobedience.
Saul stubbornly persists in his self-justification: "Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroy the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal." Had Saul himself obeyed the command of God, and enforced it upon the people with the same
decision that he had manifested in carrying out his own decrees, he would have had no difficulty in securing obedience. God held him responsible for the sin which he basely endeavored to charge upon Israel.
In stern and solemn words the prophet of the Most High sweeps away the refuge of lies; and pronounces against Saul the irrevocable sentence: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
As the king heard this fearful sentence, he cried out, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice." Saul was filled with terror by the denunciation of the prophet, but he had, even now, no true sense of the enormity of his transgression. He still persisted in casting blame upon the people, declaring that he had sinned through fear of them.
This was the same excuse urged by Aaron to shield himself from the guilt of making the golden calf. But so far from accepting the excuse, Moses sternly rebuked Aaron, in the presence of all the people. As the high priest of Israel, and the representative of Moses in his absence, Aaron should at any risk have opposed the rash and godless designs of the people. His neglect to do this brought upon them sin, disaster, and ruin, which he was powerless to avert. While he found it easy to lead them into sin, he sought in vain to lead them to repentance. Moses afterward declared, "The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him." His sin would have been punished with death had he not in true penitence humbled himself before the Lord. Had Saul, in like manner, been willing to see and confess his sin, he too might have been forgiven.
It was not sorrow for sin, but fear of its penalty that actuated the king of Israel as he entreated Samuel, "I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord."
"I will not return with thee," was the answer of the prophet; "for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel." As Samuel turned to leave, the king, in an agony of fear, laid hold of his mantle to hold him back, but it rent in his hands. Upon this, the prophet declared, "The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine that is better than thou." And knowing how lightly his words had heretofore been regarded by the king, he adds the solemn assurance, "The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent." Saul had gloried in his exploits, as though he were the deliverer of his people. The prophet rebukes this pride by reminding the haughty monarch that God was the strength of Israel.
Even now Saul fears only personal disgrace and the loss of his kingdom. He is far more disturbed by the alienation of Samuel than by the displeasure of God. He entreated Samuel to pardon his transgressions, as if the prophet had authority to reverse the divine sentence against him. He knew that the people had greater confidence in Samuel than in himself. Should another king be immediately anointed by divine command, he felt that his own case was hopeless. Should Samuel denounce and forsake him, he feared an immediate revolt among the people.
As a last resort, Saul entreated the prophet to honor him before the elders and the people by publicly uniting with him in the worship of God. Samuel remained, but only as a silent witness of the service. Without humility or repentance, Saul's worship could not be accepted of the Lord.
An act of justice, stern and terrible, was yet tobe performed. Samuel must publicly vindicate the honor of God, and rebuke the course of Saul. He commands that the king of the Amalekites be brought before him. Above all who had fallen by the sword of Israel, Agag was responsible as the upholder of the debasing heathenism of his people, and the instigator of their revolting cruelties; it was just that upon him should fall the heaviest penalty. He came at the prophet's command, in the pride of royalty, flattering himself that he could overawe the servant of God, and that all danger of death was past. Samuel's words dispelled his assurance: "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be made childless among women." "And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord." This done, Samuel returned to his home at Ramah, Saul to his at Gilgal. The prophet and the king were never to meet again.
Samuel was a man of great tenderness of spirit, and strong affections, as is evinced by the anguish which he felt when commanded to declare the divine sentence against Saul. Yet when required to execute justice against the wicked king of Amalek, he performed the unwelcome task unflinchingly. He would maintain his fidelity to God, however great the sacrifice of personal feeling.
How wide the contrast between the conduct of Samuel and the course pursued by the king of Israel. To serve his own purpose, Saul could be exceedingly cruel; but when divinely commissioned to destroy utterly a rebellious people, he smites only the lesser criminals, and spares the one upon whom the curse of God especially rested. In his pride of heart he flattered himself that he was more merciful than his Maker. By his course of action he declared the divine requirement unjust and cruel.
The case of Saul should be a lesson to us, that God's word is to be respected and obeyed. All the crimes and calamities of ancient Israel resulted from their neglect to heed the instructions of their divine Ruler. Here is our danger. We must give diligent heed to what the Lord has spoken, even in apparently small matters. God requires his people not merely to assent to his word, but to obey it with all the heart. To comply with the Lord's instructions when it is compatible with our own interests, and to disregard them when this best suits our purpose, is to pursue the course of Saul. Pride in our own achievements or a stubborn adherence to our own will, renders the most exalted profession or the most splendid service odious in the sight of God.

LIFE'S HEAVIEST LOSS.

By Miss Frances Brown

UPON the white sea-sand There sat a pilgrim band, Telling the losses that their life had known; While evening waned away From breezy cliff and bay, And the strong tides went out with weary moan.
One spake with quivering lip Of a fair-freighted ship, With all his household to the deep gone down; But one had wilder woe— For a fair face, long ago, Lost in the darker depths of a great town.
There were those who mourned their youth With a most loving ruth, For its brave hopes and memories ever green; And one upon the West Turned an eye that would not rest, For far-off hills whereon its joy had been.
Some talked of vanished gold; Some of proud honors told; Some spake of friends who were their trust no more; And one of a green grave Beside a foreign wave, That made him sit so lonely on the shore.
But when their tales were done, There spake among them one, stranger, seeming from all sorrow free: “Sad losses ye have met, But mine is heavier yet, For a believing heart is gone from me.”
“Alas,” these pilgrims said, “For the living and the dead, For fortune's cruelty, for love's sure cross, For the wrecks of land and sea!— But, however it came to thee, Thine, stranger, is life's last and heaviest loss.”
  • From Lyrics, by Miss Frances Brown.

Experience, and Investigation of the Sabbath Question.

By E. W. Barnes

BY ELD. E. W. BARNES.
About nine years ago, I visited, for the first time, a little town in Shasta Co., Cal., known as Millville, for the purpose of preaching a few discourses, and trying to gather together those who had been members of the Christian Church, in view of organizing them into a working congregation. While there, I met with a Brother and Sister Clark, who had recently moved up from near Woodland, in Yolo Co., where they had been attending a meeting of the "Seventh-day Adventists," where they had, in a measure, embraced the doctrines of the Adventists—especially that in reference to the "Lord's Sabbath," about which they were much concerned. They desired that I should read a few pamphlets which they had. I answered that I thought that they had been deceived and carried away into a false doctrine, but that I would read their pamphlets.
I took two or three small pamphlets with me, and began reading, and was very much astonished to find so much in the Bible—for they constantly referred me to the Bible—in favor of the seventh day or Lord's Sabbath. But I would keep thinking all the time, that if the obligation to keep the Sabbath was still binding, it would certainly have been found out by some of the good, learned men before now, forgetting that a similar excuse had been urged against our Saviour by his enemies, who said, "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?" (John 7:48), and against the martyrs during the dark ages, against the Baptists, against Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and against A. Campbell, a thousand times over; and forgetting further that the same excuse would have forever kept us, in the first place, in the worship of idols, and in the second place, would have kept us in the faith of the Catholic Church, and it would, in the nature of things, prevent all reforms from error to truth. But I read on until I had hastily run through the pamphlets, which, by the way, contained but a small portion of the evidence in favor of the Lord's Sabbath, and supposed that I had pretty thoroughly investigated the Sabbath question. This I find to be the case with hundreds at the present time. I finally settled down in the view that there could not be anything in it to justify a thorough inquiry at the hands of authorities, and having found, as I thought at the time, sufficient reasons to justify me in dropping the matter, and having gotten Brother and Sister Clark pretty well whipped back into their old faith, I had no further trouble with the question until a year or so later. Having, on account of being afflicted with the chills, gone up into "Big Valley," I there met with a Brother Brown, who was a Sabbath-keeper, and he began to disturb the community by telling them that they ought to keep the Lord's Sabbath. By this time, I began to wish that those Adventists would let the people alone, and in order to settle the minds of the brethren, lest some might be led away, I preached against this everlasting Sabbath agitation. Brother Brown then talked of having one of their ministers come up, and, among a few, there was some talk of a debate. But the minister could not come, and the matter cooled down with no damage done.
In the meantime I had written to Prof. J. M. Martin, President of the Hesperian College at Woodland, in Yolo Co., Cal., for some of his strongest points against the Sabbath, he having had, a short time before this, a discussion with the Adventists on the "Sabbath question." But when I received Brother Martin's most sustainable objections to the Sabbath, I was astonished at how few there were, and those given were not of a stronger character than what they were. One of them was the exploded theory that there was no binding obligation to keep the Sabbath from creation, until the law was given at Sinai. Now it does appear to me that it would be very easy for any one, after reading the second and third verses of the second chapter of Genesis, to see a plain institution of the Sabbath. The language is, "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; because that in he had rested from all his work which God created and made."Also, in Ex. 16:27, 28, it will be seen that when the Sabbath was not kept "God's law and commandments" were transgressed. By this we learn that the Sabbath was a part of God's laws and commandments before the law was given at Sinai. Now, by turning to Gen. 26:5, we see that Abraham "kept God's commandments, statutes, and laws."
Thus it is made evident that more than four hundred years before the law was written at Sinai, Abraham was keeping the Sabbath. In fact, the ten commandments are so plainly traceable through the book of Genesis and to the nineteenth chapter of Exodus, all before the law was given at Sinai, that a person must have his eyes well-nigh closed not to see the meaning of Paul in Gal. 3:19, that God's law—referring evidently to the ten commands which had been repeatedly transgressed—had been violated to such an extent that God saw fit to add a law containing a penalty for the punishment of the transgressors; and further, the reason given in the ten commands (see Ex. 20:8, 11) why men should keep the Sabbath, namely, that God created the heavens and the earth and all things therein in six days, and rested on the seventh, shows plainly that all men in all ages are under like obligations to keep the Sabbath. Also that the Saviour, knowing this, spoke accordingly when he said that the Sabbath was made for man, that is, for the race, in using the word in its unqualified sense.
But there has been another matter at work during this same time. Brother Brown handed me a pamphlet of 75 to 100 pages, which read, perhaps mainly with a desire to learn what I had to fight, but be that as it may, by the time this had all passed by, I had learned that several passages of Scripture upon which I had formerly relied as proofs against the Sabbath, could not be used as such, in fact, had no reference whatever either to the Lord's Sabbath or the ten commandments. The passages which were the most prominent among those thus lost were Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 2:14-17, and Rom. 14:5, 6. I saw plainly that the passage in Ephesians could not have reference to the ten commandments, for it is evident that there is nothing in them which could in any possible event constitute "a wall between the Jew and Gentile;" especially is there nothing in them which could be contrary to either as servants of God; neither is there anything in them that could possibly have the remotest tendency to prevent, or be in "the way" of any intelligent being rendering to God the purest, freest, and most perfect spiritual worship. But, on the contrary, the keeping of them must ever be a source of strength and joy to every child of God.
As to Romans 14, there is nothing in the passage, nor in the connection in reference to the Sabbath, nor the ten commandments; and by the introduction of the "eating of meats" in connection with the "day," it leaves hardly a possibility of involving the Sabbath-day.
But notwithstanding the fact that several passages of Scripture upon which I had been depending to help me fight the seventh-day Sabbath, thus slipped away, I still thought I had Scripture enough to enable me to successfully meet the arguments which were put forth in favor of the Sabbath, supposing again that this time, with what I had learned before, I had certainly gathered up the best arguments that the friends of the Sabbath could make in its favor; and so once more settled back quite well satisfied with keeping the first day of the week.
Thus things moved along, without anything of a very special character, religiously, to interfere, except such difficulties and inconveniences as is usual to the labors of an itinerant who is pioneering the greater part of his time—always having more work pressing upon me than any one man could possibly do, until while stationed at Harrisburg, in Linn Co., Oregon, Bro. Jones, now of the Upper Columbia Conference, came to that place and held a meeting (this was about four years ago) which, on account of my own work, and perhaps a desire to create as little friction as possible, I did not attend, though the interest was considerable during the meeting. I however had the privilege of Bro. Jones' acquaintance, also had one or two short talks with him on the Sabbath question, but nothing to disturb my mind as to the correctness of my Sunday-keeping.
Thus I continued in my work, having the good will and good wishes of the church where I labored, with a few exceptions, which were caused, as a rule, by a reproof given either in public or private, in the performance of my duties. But woe betide the man who happens to make such enemies (and all who are faithful in the discharge of their ministerial duties will), especially if he ever changes his faith in some fundamental particular, enough to justify him in severing his connection with one church and casting his lot in with another. More particularly will this be found to be the case with those churches which profess the greatest amount of liberality. For then "mole-hills into mountains grow," and at once the whole sky which was quite fair before is covered with a black cloud!
Finally while living in Scio, in Linn Co., Oregon, my attention was called to the Sabbath question again by some papers (Signs of the Times, I think), which were sent to me by Sister Godfrey, of Salem, Oregon, containing some articles on the Sabbath, which, no doubt, made some impression upon my mind, but not sufficient to awaken any particular interest. My attention was also called, from time to time, to the question, during my residence at Scio, by Brother Jacob Stoner and Brother Roberts, who were Sabbath-keepers, and who, although not realized at the time by me, were also exerting some influence upon me favorable to the Sabbath.
About the second week of November last, I was studying with some care the second chapter of Colossians, expecting to preach upon the subject matter of that chapter, and had fixed in my mind the thought of the proper division of the word of God, until I reached verses 16 and 17, when at once it became clear that the items mentioned by the apostle were types, and belonged in the typical law, and hence, had no reference to the "Lord's Sabbath," which is a memorial, and is found in the ten commandments (Ex. 20:3-17), while the sabbaths which Paul mentions are the annual sabbaths mentioned in Leviticus 23, in connection with the feast days, etc., and also distinguished in the same chapter from the Sabbath of the Lord, as anyone can see who will carefully read the chapter. For those sabbaths occurred but once each year,—that is, the first occurred on the first day, the second on the tenth, the third on the fifteenth, and the fourth on the twenty-third of the seventh month, while the Lord's Sabbath occurs on the seventh day of each week. Besides, no man can speak intelligently and apply the phrase of verse 14, "the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us," to the ten commandments. What one of the ten commandments does the true Christian consider a "yoke of bondage" to him? Which one is it that is "in the way" of a Christian? "Against" what Christian act, or "in the way" of what Christian principle is any one of the ten? Do you answer that you are in slavery or bondage in keeping holy the Sabbath-day? I ask you, then, was the Almighty God in bondage when he rested upon it? or was it against or in the way of a holy, or spiritual life of any of the holy men of old time? Is there an instance in all the Bible where the "Sabbath of the Lord" (unless you claim the passage under consideration, Col. 2:14-17, as one) is classified with meats, drinks, feast days, etc.? Where in all the Bible was the "Lord's Sabbath" ever called a "shadow?" Now it does appear to me, that after the mind of any intelligent reader is once directed to the above facts, it would be out of the question for him to ever again use Col. 2 against the Sabbath.
The realization of the above fact had a great effect upon my mind, for I now saw clearly that there were no more than three or four passages which could possibly be used against the keeping of the Sabbath, and as some other scriptures, which at the first appeared to me to be equally strong against it, had to be given up, the thought occurred, May it not be barely possible that a proper understanding of those scriptures would show that they, too, would have to be given up as furnishing no argument against the Sabbath? The bare thought that such a thing was possible, and that I had been living in open violation of "God's holy law and commandments" (see Ex. 16:27, 28), and worse still, that I should by my example and work as a minister of the gospel teach others to reject God's law (see Matt. 5:18), and to trample his Sabbath under their feet, and do their own pleasure on his holy day, had the effect to stir me deeply, and I knelt down and asked God in earnest prayer to help me to lay aside everything that would in the least hinder me from a most perfect understanding of the truth upon this question.
I then began as thorough an investigation as I was able to make. I obtained all the reading matter which I thought would help me to a full understanding of the subject, especially of the best things that could be said against the Sabbath. I had in my library "Dr. Young's Analytical Concordance," which contains the original Hebrew and Greek with definitions, which I found to be useful in my investigations, also other important works bearing upon the subject of the Sabbath; also some pamphlets by Elders S. C. Adams, Pardee Butler, and A. Burns. But I may as well say here, that from the first of this inquiry, I began to be astonished, and the further I prosecuted my work, the more I became astonished, for the volume of evidence in favor of the Sabbath increased continually, while the very best arguments which I could frame against the Sabbath, together with the best that I could find elsewhere, so continually failed to be of any value or explanation of the true relation of the Sabbath to man, or man to the Sabbath, that I was continually amazed. And the question kept ever recurring to my mind, How is it possible that an honest man, with ordinary intelligence, can read the Bible and not see these things? At last I was compelled to exclaim, "The Sabbath was made for man!"—for the race, for all men of all ages, and as one of that number, as a child of God, I now, for the first time in my life, felt that it was both a duty and a glorious privilege to keep holy the Sabbath of the Lord.
A new world now opened up to me. I could see the glory of God as I had never seen it before. The wisdom, fitness, and harmony of God's works and his dealings with the children of men from the creation of the world poured themselves in upon my soul, until I could but stand in awe of the living God, and thank and praise him for his wonderful mercy and goodness. I here wish to say that I am certain that God, by his Spirit, did lead me into this glorious truth. Oh, may he lead others into this blessed truth that they may praise him and enjoy his blessedness forever, is the prayer of my heart.
But at this point another question comes up for settlement, and that is, Will the church with which I am now associated accept this Bible truth? With my knowledge of the bitterness with which the Christian Church had been, and was still, fighting the Sabbath of the Lord, and being cognizant of how the main body of the church was opposed to the receiving of anything which they had not already been taught in the church as being necessary or binding, it did not take me long to become fully convinced that any effort to induce the church to receive God's truth in reference to the Sabbath must result in failure and in trouble. For it is a fact that when any body of people start out upon the road of reform, in reference to any truths, or fancied truths of the Bible, that they rarely get beyond the one or more truths which gave rise to their movement. Hence no radical change, no matter how desirable it may be, need, ordinarily, be expected or hoped for. Thus realizing that I could accomplish but little for the cause of truth, and that trouble and a final withdrawal of fellowship would be the inevitable result, I decided to finish up my contract, which would end in about a month, and then sever my connection with the church. Accordingly I said but little about the matter to any one, knowing that there would be some unnecessary excitement if I did, and at my next appointment on Saturday the 4th day of February, 1882, in our regular business meeting, I ask for a letter of good standing in the church, which was unanimously granted. But, as I was secretary of the meeting at the time, I did not write the letter out, in fact, I had no need of a letter, and would not have asked for one, except to have the action of the church, where I had been preaching for two years, placed upon record as a fact and, for future reference if need be. On the next day, Feb. 5, 1882, at 11 o'clock, at the close of my discourses, I announced my convictions in reference to the Lord's Sabbath, and declared that I did then sever my connection with the Christian Church. And thus, at the end of twelve years of active labor in the ministerial field, I closed my labors and severed my connection with the above church. My prayer to God is that he, in the plenitude of his mercy, may finally lead many of those with whom I have formerly worked to keep his holy Sabbath.

Responsibility.

By George D. Ballou

BY ELD. G. D. BALLOU.
OPPORTUNITY is the measure of responsibility. The privileges that surround us, and how we have used them, will determine the degree of our guilt or innocence, in the Judgment. Men sometimes seem to think that they will have to answer only for those privileges which they have used, and that the opportunities for good which they have let slip will have no weight in the decision of their cases. In other words, they seem to think that they will be judged only by what they have actually done, and not by what they have failed to do. Those who stop to think must readily perceive that the principles of justice demand that both these elements must enter as prime factors into the decision of all cases.
One of the greatest moral obligations that devolves upon men is the duty to take advantage, as far as possible, of every opportunity that is presented for moral and intellectual improvement. A failure to do this is a crime, not only against one's self, but against society and against God. The moral relations we sustain to God and our fellows demand of us that we should make the very best use of all our powers, spiritual, intellectual, and physical.
It is a crime for a man to shut his eyes and go on in ignorance. No man has a moral right to be only half developed, especially in his knowledge of spiritual things. No one can hope to escape responsibility by shutting his eyes against light, simply because he fears it will necessitate some change of action on his part.
Suppose a new law were made against fishing at a certain season, and some old sportsman who had a special love for angling should persistently refuse to read the law or hear it read or be informed as to its import. When that individual was brought before the court for violation of the law, do you think he would be excused on the ground of ignorance? Would not the court be inclined to make an example of his case by imposing upon him the full penalty of the law? And is not God as particular in carrying out the principles of justice as men? Then what will be the fate of those who are "willingly ignorant" of the truth that we are now in the "last days," as attested by the signs given by our Lord himself? What, in the final Judgment, will be the fate of those who turn away from hearing the law, and "hide their eyes" from the Sabbath of the Lord; or of those who, seeing the truth, refuse to obey it because it will cause them inconvenience? Their condition is fitly represented by the man in the parable, who had not on the wedding garment. Truly, the ease they now gain by shunning responsibility will not compensate for the suffering that will come by and by.
How much wiser, then, to gladly accept responsibilities and make the most of them, looking beyond into the kingdom of God for a full reward for all our toil and cross-bearing. There are broader fields of thought and higher planes of action before us if we will cheerfully go forward. But rest assured that every new height of advancement attained will cost a struggle of heart and mind against opposing desires and influences. A pang of self-denial will precede every victory we gain in the struggle against error and sin.
The quality which humanity most needs to aid them in their upward toiling, is a keener moral perception, a more refined moral sensibility. Then it will be easier to appreciate our responsibilities, and we shall advance in the ways of truth with less care for the applause of men, and more for the approval of God. Then we shall care less for reputation and more for character.

The Runaway Knock.

“TEACHER,” said a bright, earnest-faced boy, “why is it that so many prayers are unanswered? I do not understand. The Bible says: ‘Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;’ but it seems to me a great many knock, and are not admitted.”
“Did you ever sit by your cheerful parlor fire,” said the teacher, “on some dark evening, and hear a loud knocking at the door? Going to answer the summons, have you not sometimes looked out into the darkness, seeing nothing, but hearing the pattering of some mischievous boys, who knocked, but did not wish to enter, and therefore ran away? Thus it is often with us. We ask for blessings, but do not really expect them; we fear that Jesus will not hear us, will not admit us, and so we go away.”
“Ah! I see,” said the boy, his eyes shining with the new light dawning in his soul; “Jesus cannot be expected to answer runaway knocks. I mean to keep knocking until he cannot help opening the door.”

The Growth of Brooklyn

Rev. W. M. Martin, the Superintendent of the City Mission of Brooklyn, presents some surprising facts concerning the growth of that city. He states that its population has increased in thirty-five years from 59,000 to 600,000 and has doubled in fifteen years; that it has 546 miles of streets, 335 of them paved, or as many as New York; that it has a water front of twenty-five miles; that 8,000 vessels were at its wharves in 1881, while New York had only 6,000; that, while of the 244,000 families in New York, 160,000 live in tenement houses, only 31,000 of the 124,000 families in Brooklyn were of this class. Though it is called the City of Churches, it has only 269, and a great part of these are in the old wards, in some of which there is a church to every 1,000 inhabitants, while in several of the new ones there is only one to every 10,000.—Ex.

Keep Your Mouth Shut.

BLESSED is the man who knows enough to keep his mouth shut. Some people live sixty years without learning the art. Indeed, the older they grow the wider their mouths open. A man or a woman who is a gabbler at forty-five is a dreadful affliction to a house, or church, or community. There are two things this age needs to learn: when to say nothing, and when to say it well. "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue that man's religion is vain."—Golden Rule.
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