Review and Herald, Vol. 23, No. 8.
Israel, and Israel's HopePage 1
Earlier text: Israel, and Israel's HopeTHE Psalmist says, speaking of man, "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." A declaration so comprehensive, so positive and direct, must in some way be disposed of by those who hold to consciousness in death, if they would save their theory from utter annihilation. We consequently see in various quarters no small amount of figuring to evade this to them "perplexing" declaration. The quibble by which they hope to get safely over it, is this: The word thoughts in that text does not mean, thoughts, an operation of the mind, but purposes, plans and projects. The man dies, and all his plans and intentions thus come to nought. There would be small ground for such a turn as this, even had we nothing else from which to reason, but the English word, thoughts; for in looking at the definition of that word, it is not until we reach the seventh degree from its primary signification, that the definition of "design" and "purpose" occurs; showing that the plainest reasons should exist for adopting this instead of the more primary significations. But it often happens that the original is more definite than the English, and hence cannot justly be passed by in examining such questions as these. The Hebrew from which the word, thoughts, in Ps. cxlvi, 4, comes, occurs in no other instance in the Old Testament. The entire definition as given by Gesenius, is simply, "Thoughts, counsels." The idea of purpose or design is not here. The word, counsels, must mean the power of counseling, and not the things counseled; for these latter do not always perish on the death of the individual, and in this case the psalm would not be true. A person might give counsel to another, and though he died the next moment, his counsel all be carried out with the utmost minuteness and success, and no item of it fail; hence the psalmist's declaration must contemplate something different from this. Understand by it the power of counseling through the operation of the reasoning faculties of the mind, and all is harmony. Thus, a person may be depending on the superior judgment and wisdom of another, to assist him in carrying forward any enterprise, or in any trying and perplexing emergency. But death comes and cuts short his career; he is deprived of his power of counsel and advice, and his help is lost. This word comes from a root which in its reference to the mind is defined thus: "Which forms, fashions, moulds anything by revolving it." Hithp., to bethink oneself, cogitare, as Vulg. well; to excogitate. Recogitare is defined "to think, or consider, again, to recall, to reflect." "Excogitate, to invent: to strike out by thinking; to contrive." These definitions all throw light upon the word, and show that an operation of the mind is intended by it, and that alone. We come to the Septuagint, and learn how "the seventy" who translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew into the Greek over two hundred years before Christ, understood this word. Their aim of course in translating was to use such Greek words as were the exact equivalent of the Hebrew. The word they have used for thoughts in Ps. cxlvi, 4, is dialogismos. In the definition of this word, therefore, we read their understanding of the original Hebrew. Dialogismos is defined by Liddell and Scott, "a balancing of accounts; hence consideration, thoughts, reasoning." Robinson's definition is substantially the same. Parkhurst says, "Reasoning, ratiocination, thought." By none of these authors is the definition of purpose or design, given to this word. Ratiocination, one of Parkhurst's definitions, is defined by Webster thus: "The act or process of reasoning, or of deducing consequences from premises." In view of this testimony will any one say that the word thoughts in the text under notice means purposes or designs? Not unless he is willing to discard all authority for the purpose of adhering to his own prejudices; for if language has any determinate meaning, the word, thoughts, there means the operations of the mind. And these the psalmist says, perish in death. The question, therefore, whether a man's thoughts ever perish, is equivalent to asking whether David told the truth. We believe he did, and have tried briefly to prove it. But no necessity for such an argument would have existed, had not Paganism and Papacy been suffered to tamper with the pure principles of Heaven-born truth, and impregnate the faith of the church with their subtle poison. We have long been aware that certain liberties might be taken with speech on the authority of "poetical license;" but we have not known till of late that poets might lie outright, on the same rule. It seems however that orthodoxy is becoming willing to grant them even this privilege, if thereby it can make a shift to save its creed. Job, the psalms, and some of Solomon's writings, contain some very plain declarations concerning the state of the dead. Job declares that till the heavens be no more, the dead shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep. David says, that in the grave there is no remembrance of God and none giving him thanks; that the dead praise not the Lord, nor any that go down into silence; and that in the day of death even a man's thoughts perish. While Solomon declares that the dead know not anything, and that every emotion and passion with them has ceased. But when we bring in these testimonies as evidence on the state of the dead, we are met with the declaration that these portions of scripture are poetry; that we must not be too literal in our interpretation of them; that there are certain figures of speech, allowable under a poetic license, which must not be held in too precise a manner. But hold! all figurative language must harmonize with the literal. But if popular theology be true, these declarations are the direct opposites of the truth. And is it allowable even under the license of poetry, to thus contradict facts, and represent as true that which is positively false? Would it be admissible for a poet at the present day to represent as matter of fact, even under the most fiery figures, that water ran up hill; that the sun rose in the west, that trees grew with their roots in the air, and tops down; or that men walked on their hands? Neither is it allowable for the poets of the Bible to make equally glaring departures from matters of fact. But these declarations, consider them as figurative as we will, cannot be harmonized with the claims of modern theology, and hence the plea of poetry is here of no avail to the adherents of that theology. Being thus called upon to decide between the now prevailing belief and the poets of the Bible, we go with the latter. If secular poets are required to be true to nature and to facts, we may be sure that the sacred poets do not inculcate lies. Faith Requires Obedience to the Law.
By M. E. Cornell
WHAT a fatal mistake some have made in teaching that the moral law is made void by the faith of Christ! "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid : yea we establish the law." Rom. iii, 31. A repentance by godly sorrow for past transgression of the law of God constitutes the very foundation of genuine faith. A faith which does not acknowledge the importance and the perpetuity of the moral law must be defective. A true believer in Jesus Christ once said, "I consent unto the law that it is good," "I delight in the law of God," &c. Rom. vii, 16, 22. In a letter to the Bishop of Jerusalem, Charlotte Elizabeth says, "In the course of your ministerial experience, my lord, among professing Christians, and especially in attending the death-beds of such, you have doubtless met with many instances where the individual, on being interrogated as to the ground of his hope, has answered, that he had lived honestly and uprightly; had committed no murder, never stolen, never wronged his neighbor; had gone to church, said his prayers at home, and, in short, kept the commandments as well as he could. You have labored to show him the utter worthlessness of such a plea before God; assuring him that an expectation so founded must be quenched in darkness : but while holding before his mental eye the one sole hope of a sinner, the sacrificial atonement and justifying righteousness of Christ, you never told him that he ought to have broken, or ought then to determine on breaking those commandments, or at least wholly to forget them, in order that Christ might be all in all. No, you told him that the fruit of saving faith is love, and the fruit of love is obedience, and the rule of obedience, those laws which God has given us. That in the act of keeping the commandments, we render the cheerful service of an affectionate, grateful child, not the exacted toil of a hired laborer." In speaking of "Israel's Ordinances" on another page the same writer says: "The Sabbath was first. If a converted Jew is firmly persuaded in his own mind that the day which we all admit to be the seventh of the week is still the Sabbath to him; if he pleads, as well he might, that the fact of Jesus' resting in the grave from the great work of redemption on that 'high Sabbath' is rather a confirmation of its sanctity than a token of its abrogation, . . . God forbid that I should wound the conscience of such a brother by forcing upon him the breach of his Sabbath, and the substitution of mine! It is quite clear that the first-day was adopted by the Gentile church, very early; and that it was a day much observed by the Jewish church also; but while I cannot find one word in the whole Bible indicating that it was God's will to alter his original Sabbath, as observed in this day by the whole house of Israel, I never would "make sad, the heart of the righteous whom the Lord hath not made sad," by compelling him to trample under foot what he knows to have been an ordinance given to his fathers, so far as the day is concerned, and to hallow in its place another day of our selecting. To hallow it as we do, alas! To join us in listening to the fourth commandment, in praying that our hearts may be inclined to keep that law; and then stepping into our carriages, or into hired vehicles, and exhibiting how obediently we cause our servants and our cattle to rest as well as we. I would to God that our dear brother Ewald could convince the Christian church that the ten commandments are not abrogated! The manner in which the poorest of your people observe their ancient Sabbath is a deep reproach to us, who so impiously, so vauntingly profane ours." This author continues, "In the Journal of our dear Hebrew brother, the Rev. F. C. Ewald, as quoted in the 'Jewish Intelligence,' of August last, I meet with the following passage: There was an interesting Jew with me nearly the whole day; he is earnestly seeking the truth, but cannot see how the law of Moses could have been abrogated. I explained to him the meaning of the words 'Law of Moses,' by telling him that if he attentively read the five books of Moses, he would find that they contain a threefold law; that is, the moral law, as expressed in the ten commandments; the civil law; and the ceremonial law. The two latter have been abrogated by God himself. But the moral law has not only not been abrogated by Jesus, but more fully developed; and this moral law, Christ declared should remain forever." Martin Luther declared that without the law there could be no church government. Taking it away, takes away the gospel. That the decalogue is the logic of the gospel, &c. Life of Luther, pp. 215-217. The apostle Paul, while speaking of the ten commandments, says, "I had not known sin but by the law." Rom. vii, 7, and, "By the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. iii, 20. Now, inasmuch as the "knowledge of sin" is necessary before the gospel can take effect, and that knowledge can only come by the law, it follows, that taking away the law makes void the gospel. If then, the death of Christ did not confirm and establish the law, He must have died in vain. And we can but conclude that the Antinomian doctrine is one of the most fatal errors ever preached to man. Oh that the true light upon the "First Principles" may shine out in these last days. With all my soul I cry, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work; for they have made void thy law." Report from Bro. Bates.
By Joseph Bates
Bro. White: According to the previous appointment in the Review I have visited the churches in Otsego, Mich., Lake Station, and North Liberty in Northern Indiana. December 9-16 we spent in Otsego, visiting individual families and holding meetings on Sabbath and first-day. The church was much blessed and refreshed in celebrating the ordinances of the Lord's house. Some of their number which had been lingering with sickness, were so far recovered and graciously strengthened in the Lord that they enjoyed the blessings of the meetings with their brethren. Dec. 17-21, was with the church in Lake Station, Ind. Here we held five meetings, and at the close baptized three; two of them youths of twelve years, from the Sabbath-school, and Sr. S., who had become fully satisfied that sprinkling in infancy did "not answer a good conscience." They much desire to be organized and share the blessings and privileges of the remnant of God's people. Dec. 22 came to Laporte. The great portion of the church here within a few years have scattered to find better employment in other places. The few that remain are hoping to overcome and be numbered with the remnant. Dec. 23-30 with the church in North Liberty. Here we found their numbers reduced by sickness, and one sister died while we were there. (See obituary notice.) We held six meetings. Spent a part of the Sabbath by request in the sick room, and by the dying bed of Sr. C., who fell asleep after the Sabbath closed. The celebration of the ordinances of the Lord's house after this was solemn and profitable I trust to all. O Lord help us to profit by this and all other dispensations of thy providence and always remember how frail is feeble man. Dec. 30, Bro. J. Harvey took us in his conveyance to South Bend, thirteen miles, to take the stage for the central R. R. Here he introduced us to an Advent brother and his companion with whom he had some acquaintance and had given them books on the Sabbath and other subjects. They kindly invited us to tarry with them until stage time in the morning. One of their brethren joined them, when the Sr. said, Now Bro. Bates we want to hear all you can tell us about your position. This we gladly did by a brief history of the Advent movement, noting the two disappointments in April and October in 1844 forever settling the question that the first and second angels' messages of Rev. xiv, were given in the right time; and how readily and clearly we found the Sabbath of the Lord in the third angel's message that followed them. They all acknowledged it was clear, and true. We asked them if they would keep the Sabbath of the Lord. They all answered they would. We then united our voices in prayer and separated. God help them to remember and keep the Sabbath holy. Jan. 1st 1864, came to spend the Sabbath with the church in Otsego, Mich., but the violence of the raging snow storm kept us all away from the place of meeting. Jan. 4 Bro. Leighton brought us to Monterey. CHRISTIAN DEFENSES.—Without the girdle of truth, you may fall into error. Without the breast-plate of righteousness, you may fall into legality. Without the shoes of the gospel of peace, you may fall into despondency. Without the shield of faith, you may fall into apostasy. Without the helmet of salvation, you may fall into despair. Without the sword of the spirit you may fall into cowardice. And without prayer and watching, you may fall into anything, however bad or dangerous. Tobacco Injurious to the Mind.
By Wm. H. Brinkerhoff
JoEL ShEW says, "Any narcotic, the use of which is capable of causing hypochondriasis, hysteria, epilepsy, mental imbecility, and insanity, must of necessity, if employed habitually, become detrimental to the intellect and the morals in proportion to the extent of the abuse. Besides it is a recognized principle in nature, that whatever enfeebles the body, must, in the end, and in the same degree, enfeeble the mind. 'A sound mind in a sound body' is the physiological law. This every tobacco user violates." Dr. Rush "states of the father of Dr. Massillac that he lost his memory through the excessive use of snuff at only forty years of age." Sir John Pringle's memory was also sadly impaired in the same way, as was proved by his recovery on abstaining from it at the suggestion of Dr. Franklin. Prof. Hitchcock says, "Intoxicating drinks, opium and tobacco, exert a pernicious influence upon the intellect. They tend directly to debilitate the organs; and we cannot take a more effectual course to cloud the understanding, weaken the memory, unfix the attention, and confuse all the mental operations, than by thus entailing on ourselves the whole hateful train of maladies. These can bow down to the earth an intellect of giant strength, and make it grind in bondage like Samson shorn of his locks and deprived of his vision. The use of tobacco may seem to soothe the feelings, and quicken the operations of the mind; but to what purpose is it that the machine is furiously running and buzzing after the balance-wheel is taken off." Remarks. Paul in 2 Tim. i, 7, says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." It is designed that the Christian should have a "sound mind," an unclouded intellect. This is very necessary in these last days, as Satan is continually placing before the mind many devices calculated to lead astray. These are days of peril; but the tobacco inebriate, with his mind racked and balance-wheel gone, is illy prepared to battle against these evils and travel in the pathway of purity. Again, in Romans vii, 25, Paul says, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." The slave of tobacco, with his mind beclouded, memory weakened, and all his mental operations confused, can render but a feeble service unto God. Men, by the use of tobacco might forget that God has a law: at least many of them who profess to keep the commandments, ignore the testimony because it condemns tobacco. Oh what a monster vice! and how many are willing slaves to tobacco in all its uses! Let me say, Adopt for your motto "Immediate Emancipation," now and forever. Ask God to help you in your resolves, and you will then be free and able to work in the Master's vineyard.