Signs of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 20. (3/19/1894)

Signs of the Times

Mar 19, 1894

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 19, 1894

Principles and Men.

Men change, but principles do not. Men may be converted; principles cannot be. A bad principle is wholly bad, whether held by good or bad men, and only evil will result from following it. It is frequently worse in results when held by good men than when held by those who are inclined to evil; for from wicked men evil is expected, and the character of the men demands the rejection of the principle. On the contrary, an evil principle is not infrequently considered good, or harmless, because it is held by good men. The general reputation of the man is taken as the exponent of the principle which he advocates.

The Fruit of Evil Is Evil.

But evil principles result only in evil. They led Saul, the zealous and conscientious Pharisee, to become a persecutor of the people of God. Decius, one of the most conscientious of Roman emperors, was one of the worst persecutors of Christians, only because he conscientiously adhered to Roman laws. An evil principle followed will lead the best of men naturally to just what the Son of God declared to his disciples, "They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." John 16:2. The reason why "they" so act is that they are not led by the true principle of justice and love, and hence are led by a wrong principle; for "these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." Verse 3. It is not from the men as such that the persecutions of the world have come, but from the principles which these men followed, and which made the men what they were.

Why the Good Is Rejected

On the other hand, good principles are often rejected because they are held by men or classes of men who are unpopular, or sometimes immoral. The unpopularity of those who hold the principle is taken as the exponent of the principle itself. Oftentimes a good principle is held professedly, in connection with others which are evil, and the good principle is rejected, because, like "poor dog Tray," it is found in bad company. But generally the good is rejected, and always ultimately so, because the heart of man is opposed to it. In God's law is every principle of good. "The law of the Lord is perfect;" it is "holy, just, and good." "But the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." This is the great reason; all others are subsidiary.

The Present Situation.

There is a greater struggle now between the principles of good and evil than the world has ever known. The prophet, looking forward to this time, exclaims, "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near." Upon no principle is there so much at stake, so far as temporal interests and kingdoms are concerned, as that of civil liberty; so far as the church is concerned, as that of liberty in all its fullness. The great Protestant churches, so called, talk loudly of religious liberty, and so does the Roman Catholic Church, but their actions show that they mean only liberty in their own pale, while they persecute when they have the power those whose lives are not in harmony with their creed. Many in these churches are eloquent, learned, able, conscientious men; and the very principles which they hold, which will result and have resulted in religious persecution, are considered to be either good or harmless because held by good men. Our statesmen talk loudly of religious liberty, yet no less than four different States of the Union have placed men in durance vile during the last few years for conscience' sake alone,—men against whom no immoral charge lies, but who are persecuted because of their religion. And many citizens and Christians subscribe to these principles because they think that these good men in the churches cannot do wrong, and our country, the very cradle of civil liberty, cannot persecute. On the other side of the question are men who oppose Sunday laws, not from principle, but from self-interest. Prominent among these are the saloon keepers and whisky men. Another class which opposes religious legislation from principle, as far as the principle is recognized, may be represented by the Secular League, but who hold with their opposition to all religious legislation antagonism to religion. Many persons confound the principle of religious liberty with infidelity, and reject it, not on its merits, but because certain classes hold it with other principles which are in themselves evil. There is still another class of earnest Christians who hold the principle of religious liberty, and demand such liberty for all, believer and non-believer, Jew and Gentile, Sunday people, Sabbath keepers, and no-sabbath men. But many persons think that because infidels hold the same principle negatively the principle is therefore infidel, and so class these earnest Christians with the rumseller, the unbeliever, and the irreligious. All these sad mistakes come by confounding men with principles.

What Shall We Do?

All these various opinions and conflicting elements, with the consequent evil results of some of them, ought to lead every believer in the Bible to seek that word as never before. In his word God has revealed every principle of good. In the teachings and life of Christ and his apostles is found that which will enlighten every candid learner in these great principles. He will not find flattering words spoken of great men; he will not find heavenly indorsement of great majorities; he will not find that which will ease the indifference or sinfulness of the carnal heart; he will find no ornate ritual, no mitred priests, no stereotyped and perfunctory service, no uniforms or ordinances of human traditions or human device, no approval of dead, cold creeds, no laudations of backslidden, worldly-wealthy churches, but he will find principles, eternal principles, of truth, justice, mercy, love. He will find the demonstration, the personification, of eternal wisdom, power, and love in Christ Jesus. He will find Him in whom dwells and dwelt "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," declaring: "If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." His chosen disciples, who would condemn and punish men for slighting and rejecting him, he rebukes in these words: "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." He bade the disciple who imperiled his life to save his Master, to put up his sword, that it was not needed; for, as he declared to Pilate a few hours later, "My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight." The weapons of his servants are "not carnal," but spiritual, to fight a spiritual warfare, to win a spiritual kingdom. These are the teachings of Christ; these are the principles of Christianity, mighty, eternal, whether

believed by a multitude or but one soul, or rejected by all, whether held by the scribes and Pharisees or by the sinners and publicans, whether embraced by the doctors of the law or the unlearned laborer. Reader, seek God's word. It matters not what man may say or do; weigh all opinions, all theories, all arguments, all schemes and plans and devices, by the word of the eternal God. That is able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15), and "to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified" (Acts 20:32). Man's word is chaff; God's word is the wheat.

Not Men but Principles.

It is for the foregoing reasons that we war with principles, not with men. We have no personal feelings toward any, Buddhist, Brahman, Romanist, Protestant, or infidel. The principles are bigger than the men; the principles make the men. Against all evilly operating principles in religion, so far as we see, and so much as lies in our power, we raise not ourselves, but the word of God, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that if men will reject the evil and accept the truth as it is in Jesus, he will save them from all error. The sinner may be converted, the sin never. O brethren in Christ, by whatever name you may be called, will you not join us in the holy warfare? The power is with God; the weapon is the sword of his word, wielded by men in whom Christ dwells by faith.

ON WHICH SIDE WILL "CHRISTIANS" STAND?

IN the Christian Standard of August 13, 1893, an organ of the denomination called "Christians," is an article from one of their own denomination, which presents some facts which are worthy of consideration by that people. It is entitled "Our Great Danger," and is as follows:—

What have we done?

Our plea for apostolic Christianity, our plea for Christian union, our work and labors throughout the whole restorative movement for Christianity pure and unalloyed, our fights upon all things that bear the marks of Romanism, are marred by our action in the Sunday question, that has been under agitation, and will be agitated for a few years yet to be.

It seems now that we list to the misapplied Sabbath day—misapplied by the "infallible pope," and received as righteousness by the sectarian world. We excuse this action by differential statement, designating it the "civil sabbath."

What has constructed or made a "civil sabbath"?—Law. Who makes law?—Man. Who made the Sabbath?—God. For whom did he make it?—For man. Can man make it for himself?—No. Then we bow before the force which takes the affairs of God into its own hand. Who is "above all that is called God"?—The Papacy. To whom and to what do we bow in this question of the "civil sabbath"?—To the pope and to Romanism.

There can be no doubt but that this legislation upon the Sunday (sabbath) question is a "mark of the beast." As a people who have vied in the creation and enforcement of this sabbath law, we have received upon our foreheads and upon our hands the "mark of the beast." We have not too much evidence that the first day of the week is the Lord's day, while we have conclusive evidence that the first day of the week is not the Sabbath day.

If, as we infer, the first day be the Lord's day, then what authority have we to enforce the Lord's day upon the world, or expect its recognition by legal force. Or by what authority do we assume to exact from other brethren by legal force the rights of honest, conscientious worship on the only day embodied in the divine law? Church and State should not be combined. Our glorious brotherhood must not assist in combining them.

If we engraft (it has been engrafted) in law the first-day sabbath, then, indeed, as all law it must be enforced. Besides injustice to very good and honorable people, we should know we have no right to enforce God's law upon the people that dwell in the earth, presuming it to be the Sabbath day, which we all know quite well it is not. As well might we expect a law to compel all men to be baptized, or fix in law what may constitute a Christian, or by law create Christians.

A person out of Christ is no better by respecting, or being compelled to respect, a day of worship, for he is not spiritually or otherwise in the realm of worship, and, therefore, beyond the reach of God and the church; still this carnal law, when enforced (and enforced it will be, sooner or later), has gotten higher than God.

What now is "higher than all that is called God"?—Why, it is papal authority, unmistakably and certain. And the "saddest of all sad things" is that the church of Christ has stultified itself in its action in this matter, and taken one step backward toward Romanism.

We have brethren who thoroughly understand this question and this line of prophecy now under fulfillment, and know well these are facts we must confront.

For shame! May not the General Convention further compromise our position upon these questions by indorsing our national legislation upon the subject, or giving support by resolution or otherwise to a national sabbath—the beginning of the union of Church and State in America?

"Let no man therefore judge you . . . of the Sabbath day."

"One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

Let us come down out of the crowd and watch what we are about.—Jas. A. De Moss, M.D.

Satan Casting Out Satan

By A. T. Jones

In the same issue is an article entitled "Satan Casting Out Satan," in which the editor attempts to show that Roman Catholics are not working for this Sunday legislation at all, and endeavors to justify Sunday legislation by the conceded right to legislate against prostitution, intemperance, etc. He evidently does not see, or if he does will not admit, that the Sunday question is a purely religious question, and a question which lies between man and God. Prostitution, fornication, and intemperance have to do with the civil rights of man, with the expense of government, etc. But he who keeps Sunday is no better citizen, other things being equal, than he who keeps the seventh day or no day.

As regards the Catholics, they are as anxious for a Sunday law as are these "Protestants," only they prefer the original and Catholic Sunday to the perverted Puritan Sunday. Over and over again they demand Sunday legislation. Archbishop Ireland said, "The violator of a Sunday law is the worst of criminals." The Christian Statesman of February 24, 1894, says:—

The citizens of Wisconsin are becoming aroused to the necessity of securing a better observance of the Lord's day. Week-day meetings are being held, and are attended by large masses of the population. Protestant pastors and Catholic priests unite in urging a better observance of the day.

The Standard will ever find Rome on the side of Sunday; and why not?—the day is hers.

But the Standard not only has left the Protestant ground, the Bible, in acceptance of the Sunday, an institution which has no scriptural warrant, but it also turns from the Protestant and Christian position of entire separation from the State, and demands human law for the support of Christian institutions. It says:—

The Standard holds itself at liberty to strike for a national sabbath as it does for the abolition of the liquor traffic, or for social purity, or for anything else that the Almighty has pronounced good. We do not regard the sanction of the Almighty as a positive detriment to any law.

Exactly; but there are others whose rights are as sacred as those of the Standard, who object to the Standard's interpretation of law, and who further object and protest against the legalizing of anybody's interpretation of divine law; and they have a perfect right to do this. It is neither Protestant nor Christian not to do it.

Question Corner.

By Editor

"If ye will inquire, inquire ye." "But avoid foolish questions."

[From time to time we will reply under this head, if deemed advisable, to such candid inquiries as may be sent us. Correspondents wishing a reply to their questions must give their full name and address, not for publication unless they wish, but as an evidence of good faith on their part, and to give us opportunity to reply by letter if deemed best. It is always well to inclose stamp. Let the questions be short and pointed, and such as may be answered in limited space. The questions will be numbered continuously.]

134. VARIOUS QUESTIONS.

FROM a correspondent, F. B. D., we have received the following questions:—

Will you please explain 1 Tim. 4:3.
Will those who die in infancy be in the kingdom?
Is it right to have funerals and bury the dead on the Sabbath?
Should we fast, or fast and pray, now as they did in olden time?
Is it right to play games of any kind?

1. 1 Tim. 4:3, from the connection, seems to refer to the doctrines of Spiritualism, which will be especially manifest in latter times. The verse simply says that those seducing spirits forbid their devotees to marry, and to abstain from foods which God has created to be received with thanksgiving. It evidently refers to the various free-love doctrines and will-worship fasts which have been manifested in various false systems of religion, and which will be probably more and more manifest as we near the end.

2. We have no reason to suppose that those that die in infancy will not be in the kingdom. That is something that God has not expressly revealed. What he is anxious for everyone to do is to so seek him as to insure his own salvation and the salvation of all others in his power. Questions which are not expressly revealed it is much better to leave with God. The gospel appeals to those who are responsible; those who are not we may leave with God.

3. It is right to have funerals and bury the dead on the Sabbath if necessary. Where it can be reasonably avoided we believe that it ought to be, as it involves much work and service many times, which are not in harmony with the best observance of the day.

4. We should not look to any time or any people as to our example in fasting and praying. God would have every soul understand its own duty, and everyone may do this if he will but seek God in faith. There are times when fasting and earnest prayer are demanded, and there would be doubtless much more power in the church if there were much more fasting and prayer. For instruction in this, read the second chapter of Joel and the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah.

5. The matter of playing games is one which every soul must decide for himself. The game, the circumstances, and the condition of the individual all have a bearing on the question. Certainly these games largely connected with gambling, and which naturally involve great excitement and the expenditure of nerve energy and precious time, should be avoided. There are times, doubtless, when the moderate amount of exercise which is necessary in some

games may be good for the sick and for children. And even well people may find recreation in some harmless game. It is impossible to lay down any rule in this respect. The great principle of honoring and glorifying God should be manifest in all these things. Christians who are well may find on every hand plenty of opportunity for the expenditure of both mental and physical energy in a useful way, rather than in senseless games.

135. A QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE.

Please explain 1 Cor. 10:25.

The text reads, "Whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat asking no question for conscience' sake." By noticing the context it will be seen that the question was whether it was harmful to eat meat which had been offered to idols. Sometimes, after this meat had been offered to idols, it was placed in the market for sale, and the conscience of some was troubled as to whether it would not be doing homage to idols to eat it after it had been so offered. Now, "an idol is nothing" (1 Cor. 8:4), and yet there were those who had been idolaters whose conscience would not allow them to eat anything that was offered to idols without injury to their conscience. In such a case the apostle tells us we should not eat, for the sake of him that has such scruples, but it was perfectly legitimate to purchase whatever was found in the market suitable for food without asking any questions. Of course this would not be true if the food was evil in itself. Then it would be a duty to inquire, that is, if we suspected it to be bad. But when the idol was nothing and could not by any means affect the meat thus purchased, it would be perfectly proper to eat it, asking no questions for conscience' sake, so as not to make it a question of conscience.

136. THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

Please inform us of your understanding of the lost tribes of Israel. Are not the tribes found, or a part of them?

The Bible says nothing whatever about the lost tribes of Israel. Jesus speaks of the "lost sheep of the house of Israel;" that is, those who are out of Christ and longing for a Saviour; but we nowhere read in the word of God of the lost tribes of Israel. The Lord told the people of the ten tribes that they would go into captivity and their kingdom be utterly destroyed if they refused to hear his voice (see 2 Kings 17:20, 23), yet we learn from Ezra that when the children of Judah and Benjamin returned to Jerusalem, some from other tribes returned with them (see Ezra 1:5; 2:70). The decree was so broad that it gave to all the permission to return, and that is all that the Lord ever does. It seems also that at the dedication of the temple the twelve tribes were all represented among them at the time. Ezra 6:17. See also 2 Chron. 30:10, 11 and 35:18, which show that those of the ten tribes who desired returned to Jerusalem, and identified themselves with the tribes of Judah. The ten lost tribes is an unscriptural theory.

THE MISSIONARY'S PATTERN.

By Ellen G. White

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged; till he have set judgment in the earth."

There is need for every soul to study the Pattern, Christ Jesus. Those who follow his methods of labor will have freedom in utterance and earnestness in manner. They will be inspired by the sacred themes of truth. Christ understood the needs of all classes, and was successful in preaching the gospel to the poor. He understood all their temptations. We need to study methods whereby we may preach the gospel to the poor and downtrodden and degraded of humanity. But let no one think that God will approve of a method which will require a man to act the part of a clown, or like a man who has lost his senses. Such methods as these are wholly unnecessary and inappropriate.

Among the Salvation Army workers such methods as these have been employed; but it is more necessary that they should study and preach the word than act in a sensational way in order to draw the attention of the people. It is the word of truth that, like a strong, golden chain, will bind men to God, where they will learn of the great Teacher. It is the word of God that is to test character. The Lord has precious, conscientious souls who have joined the Army; but they need to advance and receive other and higher truths of the word of God.

Those who are teaching the way to life have much to learn, and the Lord invites all who will to come to him and learn of him who is meek and lowly of heart. He declares, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light; and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Take your text from the word of God, and make use of the scenes of nature, and of events and objects about you, to make the meaning plain, and find your way to the hearts of the people, and angels of God will make a personal application of the truth to the hearts of those who are ignorant. You need not be formal or mechanical. You need not depend upon notes, neither need you be rough and uncouth, and use coarse language and slang expressions, thinking that in this way you will reach the uneducated classes. Look at the manner in which Jesus addressed the poor. His language was pure, but it was simplicity itself, and through the imagination and the heart he reached the hearts of the people. Boisterous gesticulation, jumping up and down, and pounding on the desk, is not after the order of Christ, and the good that has been accomplished has not been on account of these things, but in spite of them.

Personal labor is far more effective than is preaching, and yet this essential feature of the work has been strangely neglected. The ministers of different denominations do little personal labor; but we should not wait for needy souls to come to us. We should go forth to seek and to save that which is lost. We should seek individual intercourse with the wealthy as well as with the poor; for generally the rich are poorer in spiritual knowledge and experience than are the poor. The sermons that they hear do not touch them, and laborers are needed who will dare not only to seek out the jewels from among the low and degraded, but who will also go to the rich, and bring to them a knowledge of the word of the Lord. There are some who have had a knowledge of the word of God who have once been in high position, but have become poor through misfortune and failure, and are obliged to occupy a position among the very poor. In circumstances of this kind some are seeking to keep alive the feeble flame that they have kindled at the divine altar. There are also souls who, through intemperance, have been brought very low, who are in misery hardly to be conceived of by those who have never acted the part of a true missionary. There are souls in the strongholds of sin who have nothing to give them a ray of hope, or inspire in them a spark of courage that they may live a better life.

Oh, that all who claim to be Christians might have a view of the misery, the destitution, of those who are low down in the scale of humanity, and might realize at the same time that these are souls for whom Christ died! God understands every woe. His heart is touched with human woe and sorrow, and it is time that all Christians should wear his yoke, and work in his line, identifying themselves with human sympathy in the way in which he identified himself with our fallen race.

Whatever may be your office, your position, your wealth, if you are a laborer together with Christ, you will seek out the needy and the distressed, the bereaved and afflicted, and will make their interests your own. You will possess the spirit of self-sacrifice and self-denial, which led Jesus to yield up his life as a sacrifice for man on Calvary's cross. You will carry forward his work, and walk in his footsteps, and will look upon all as the purchase of the blood of the Son of God. Jesus died for every son and daughter of Adam, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The love of Christ in the heart will be manifested in unselfish missionary labor, and will be more mighty to deal with the evil doer than will the sword and the courts of justice. These are necessary to strike terror to the heart of the law breaker, but the loving missionary can do more than this. The medical missionary can take up his appointed work, and relieve not only the physical maladies, but, through the grace and love of Christ, can lead the sinner to the great Physician, who can heal the soul of its leprosy of sin.

However much we may deserve rebuke, the heart will harden under reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. It is to manifest his love to the fallen that Jesus has enlisted every follower of his, that the transgressor may be brought back to allegiance to God. Jesus accepts all who will give themselves to his service, who will coöperate with heavenly agencies, as they seek to restore the moral image of God in man. The work we are given is to bid the sinner hope in God, and not feel that he is an outcast in the world, a discouraged, desperate sufferer, but that he is a prisoner of hope. Let your words to him be, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Present before him a love that cannot be measured, and bring the lost back to faith in God.

He who is actuated by the love of Jesus will see in every soul, whether rich or poor, a value that cannot be computed, in comparison with which the world sinks into insignificance. Oh, the love that God has revealed for the soul is infinite, beyond estimation! He who is a partaker of the divine nature will love as Christ loved; he will work as Christ worked, and will manifest sympathy and compassion. He will not fail nor be discouraged. This love can exist and be kept pure and refined and elevated only by continual communion with Jesus Christ. All coldness and hardness of heart will pass away from those who come into the sunshine of Christ's presence; and those who abide in him, and let him abide in them, will naturally, willingly obey his injunction, "Love one another as I have loved you."

THE VALUE OF PROPHECY.

By George I. Butler

BY ELDER GEO. I. BUTLER.

PERHAPS there is no feature in the great realm of religious truth wherein the popular theology of the present day demonstrates its departure from the Scriptures more fully than in its neglect and indifference to the prophecies. They comprise at least one-fourth of the whole Bible. Therefore to ignore them or regard them as of little value is to treat with contempt a large portion of inspiration. Nothing is more sure than that the prophecies are a part, a most essential part, of God's holy word. To treat his word with indifference is to treat him with disrespect, a result which will most certainly hurt the souls of those who do it.

But are not the prophecies mysteries, secret things, hidden truths, impossible to be understood? This seems to be the prevailing opinion. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Deut. 29: 29. The Bible is a revelation from God, the whole of it. What is revealed is made known. Some things God presented to the prophets in holy vision that were not to be made known to men. But those things he commanded them not to write.

Rev. 10: 4. Not everything they saw was to be uttered. 2 Cor. 12: 4. But what "things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom. 15: 4.

It is not to be supposed that the great and glorious things of God’s word can always be discerned at a glance. We are to learn these things by patience, perseverance, and prayer; then the comfort and blessedness and joy will surely follow. How precious are thy words, O God! How sweet and comforting they are! But modern theology, permeated as it is with its so-called "higher criticism," a synonym for unbelief, finds no use for the great truths of prophecy. The pulpits of the land pour forth well-constructed sentences of earthly wisdom on almost every conceivable subject, but have little to say on the wonderful fulfillments of prophecy transpiring all about us. Let us notice some declarations of Holy Writ which teach the importance of prophecy. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3: 7.

A fair understanding of this text would teach us that all of God’s great plans concerning the welfare or punishments of the children of men the Lord would reveal through his prophets. If, therefore, we have any interest in these events, a proper study of the prophecies would be sure to enlighten us. And what subjects could be more important than these? How frivolous are many of the subjects which interest great masses of the human family, and professedly religious people at that, in comparison with those foretold in prophecy. Do we desire to know concerning what God will do in our world relative to the affairs and salvation of men?—Then let us diligently study what the prophets have written. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not at any time [margin] by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1: 19–21. Prophecy, then, is light in the darkness. And those who reject it choose darkness rather than light. It serves as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path in the dense spiritual darkness of this sinful world, till the dawn of that glorious morn when the Sun of Righteousness shall dispel the gloom and appear in his glory.

How foolish would be the man who, passing through scenes of great danger, would refuse the friendly offer of light to guide him! We are now in the perils of the last days. Many and conflicting voices are everywhere heard. Who will be able to steer his bark through the rocks and quicksands, the devious channels and crooked inlets leading to the harbor of rest, as the ship reaches the haven? Certainly not those who spurn the light that "shineth in a dark place." Prophecy is of no private character. It belongs to all who will receive it, cherish it, be guided by it. It came by no human power, but is a direct and precious gift of Him who loveth us and gave Himself for us. It was the Spirit of Christ which was in all the prophets, and enabled them to testify "beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter 1: 11. The Jewish nation fell from its high position as the special people of God for this very reason, because it failed to heed the prophecies. The prophets foretold "the sufferings of Christ" in wonderful words. Let the reader peruse carefully the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy and Dan. 9: 26 and corresponding texts. Yet the selfish, ambitious Jews would only accept a conqueror as the Messiah who would give them riches, power, and popularity, a king like David or Solomon, who would subdue their enemies. Had they read the prophecies and believed them, they might have been saved from the awful ruin which followed them for ages. They were led by a worldly, haughty, selfish class of teachers. They despised the lowly Nazarene, and would not love the meek and lowly Saviour whom Heaven sent to save them.

Are not the modern clergy making the same mistake? Are they not imitating their example, cherishing the same spirit, following in many ways their evil course. They are seeking high positions among the great men of the earth. They are prominent in the great political bustle, and look more and more with longing eyes to the political benefits of a closer union of the Church and the State. They do all in their power to keep their members from studying and heeding the prophecies, as the Jews did anciently. While the Spirit of Christ in the ancient prophets spoke of the sufferings of Christ, and thus condemned the Jewish Church, who desired no suffering Saviour, it also testifies of "the glory that should follow" when Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with all his mighty angels. Where there was one prediction concerning the events of the first advent there are several concerning his coming in glory.

Yet all the leading incidents of his life on earth and of his death for our salvation were clearly predicted beforehand. So in regard to his second appearing, most wonderful predictions are given. The political events of the great nations of the world, the most prominent in all history, are made to testify to the age of the world in which we live. The wonders of astronomy, the testimony of sun, moon, and stars, give unfailing witness to the same point. Old earth itself, with all its various manifestations, or phenomena, speaks in earthquakes, tidal waves, volcanic fires, furious, destructive tempests and cyclones, famines, strange diseases of man and brute, of its coming dissolution. The changing currents of human thought, political, scientific, and religious, add their testimony on this grand theme. The Spirit of Christ in the prophets, yes, from Christ’s own mouth itself, foretell in a wonderful manner all these things, yes, many more that point unmistakably to the great consummation. Christ thus sends us messages of mercy and love, warning us of the events sure to come. He uses such language as this: "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21: 28. "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that he [margin] is near, even at the doors." Matt. 24: 33. Who dare dispute the words of the Son of God? Yet nothing is more prevalent than the belief that it is impossible to know anything about it. But nothing is more plainly contradicted in all the Bible than this sentiment.

The study and belief of the prophecies is emphatically inculcated in the Bible. "Whoso readeth, let him understand." Christ spoke of the prophecy of Daniel. Matt. 24: 15. A blessing is pronounced upon those who hear and keep the words of Christ’s revelation to John on Patmos. Rev. 1: 3. The most terrible consequences fell upon the Jewish nation for their wicked treatment of the prophetic words of inspiration, and treating the message of love and mercy sent by this agency with indifference. And the modern church is fast going into darkness, worldliness, spiritual blindness, and utter apostasy, from the same cause. But, thank God, there are honest souls all through its communion who are sighing and crying for light on the peculiar perils of our time. Such will find the most luminous rays of light in the blessed words of prophecy, sent us in this dark world by Jesus Christ himself. May his precious blessing rest upon all such, till light, joy, and peace shall fill their souls as with an eye of faith, as they behold the Saviour near.

THE SPIRIT OF SONG.

By Eliza H. Morton

BY ELIZA H. MORTON.

THE spirit of song is throbbing Within my soul to-day,— A bird that is caged yet longing To soar afar away. My words are so weak, so faulty, They never half express My visions of joy and beauty, My dreams of loveliness.

But somewhere I know an angel Awaits to quicken me, To give the sweet, glad assurance My songs henceforth shall be No more in my heart in secret, But forming chords above With those of the chanting millions Whose notes are endless love.

I grasp the blest thought of freedom, Its depth and breadth and height. My heart shall enlarge in glory, With floods of living light; My lips shall express my gladness; My songs be full and free When I shall behold the Saviour Who died to ransom me.

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