Review and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 11. (3/2/1916)

Review and Herald

Mar 2, 1916

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 2, 1916

The Word of God

MOST wondrous book! bright candle of the Lord! Star of eternity! the only star By which the bark of man could navigate The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss Securely; only star which rose on Time, And, on its dark and troubled billows, still, As generation, drifting swiftly by, Succeeded generation, threw a ray Of heaven’s own light; and to the hills of God, The everlasting hills, pointed the sinner’s eye: By prophets, seers, and priests, and sacred bards, Evangelists, apostles, men inspired, And by the Holy Ghost anointed, set Apart and consecrated to declare To earth the counsels of the Eternal One, This book — this holiest, this sublimest book — Was sent. Heaven’s will, Heaven’s code of laws entire To man, this book contained; defined the bounds Of vice and virtue, and of life and death; And what was shadow, what was substance taught. Much it revealed; important all; the least Worth more than what else seemed of highest worth.

— Pollok’s “Course of Time.”

Simplicity of Dress

IN the early days of its history the Methodist Church was noted for simplicity of dress. This no doubt was due to the earnest convictions of some of the founders of this church. In a paper contemporary with John Wesley, according to a recent number of the Christian Advocate, there is found this item of news relating to services conducted by Mr. Wesley:—

“The first quarter of an hour of his sermon was addressed to his numerous female auditory on the absurdity of the enormous dressing of their heads; and his religious labors have so much converted the women who attended at that place of worship that widows, wives, and young ladies appeared on Sabbath without curls, without flying caps, and without feathers; and our correspondent further says the female sex never made a more pleasing appearance.”

It is to be regretted that there has been such a wide departure from this old-time simplicity in the church of Wesley. The line of demarcation between the professed Christian and the worldling is not very clearly drawn at the present time; and in proportion to the departure of the great Christian churches from their old-time simplicity, has been their loss of power in spiritual things. Our safety as Seventh-day Adventists is in maintaining simplicity of faith and of Christian living. The great drift toward worldliness which we see in other denominations constitutes a temptation and a menace to members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Let us seek to safeguard our churches and our own lives against the influences of these disintegrating worldly elements.

“Waves of Abnormal Crimes”

ONE has only to glance at the daily newspapers to realize the existence of a rapidly increasing wave of crime and iniquity which is sweeping over the world at the present time. As stated by another, we have reached the time when “men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails.” Only he who is obsessed with the idea of the world’s conversion will contend that conditions are growing better. Most carefully compiled statistics show that crime is increasing out of all proportion to the increase in population, and the serious feature of this situation is that the spirit of criminality is taking possession of the young as never before. Under the above heading the Detroit Free Press speaks of the condition which prevails:—

“The appalling frequency of what may be called unnatural crimes is often the subject of remark these days. The case of the Updike brothers at Chicago, who confessed plotting the murder of father, mother, and sister, that they might inherit the family property at once; the charge brought against John Edward Teiper in connection with the mysterious shooting near Buffalo, of which his mother, brother, and sister were victims; the young university student who is alleged to have given a quick poison to his sweetheart at Lake Forest and to have calmly watched her passing; the attempt at wholesale poisoning of Catholic prelates and priests at Chicago last week, are recent incidents in what appears to be an unusual and peculiarly devilish epidemic of crime, directed against those who, through ties of blood and tenderness and respect if not reverence, should be safe from such assaults.

“Surely such occurrences were not so common twenty-five or thirty years ago. The crimes of Jesse Pomeroy and Irving Latimer were unique in the records of those days. Has the public become so familiar with the horrors of war, its carnage and bloodshed, that it can contemplate them with indifference? Do they fill the mind to such a degree as to make men callous and cold-blooded?

“These are not the crimes of the uneducated and unintelligent, but of those who have had social and educational advantages. Another frightful fact is the youth of the offenders. We need light upon such circumstances. May it not be found in the progressive elimination of the moral and religious element in education? It is generally accepted that the existing régime for moral instruction, as found in modern educational machinery, is ineffective. Our schools do little for moral training, yet more and more are usurping the duties and offices of parents. Ties of love and affection are weakened.

“There is a moral and spiritual decline in the youth of today that is bearing fruit in crime. Society is suffering from a moral disease which springs from a constant contemplation of evil and evil effects. We look to laws to defend human life, but laws cannot overcome the moral derelictions of society itself. Without moral training, conscience is undeveloped, or wrongly trained to expediency and convenience.”

Will these conditions improve with the passing of the years? We wish sincerely that we might cherish this hope. The apostle Paul declares that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” The Scriptures liken these days in which we live to the days of Noah and Lot, when the earth was filled with violence. The apostle tells us that even the professed church of God will have among its membership many wicked men whose hearts are bent upon their own selfish ways, and upon the pursuit of pleasure, rather than upon God. 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.

Relief for these conditions which prevail will be found only in the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords. His coming will end the reign of sin. As we view conditions around us, we can only pray for the speedy advent of that great day.

Note and Comment

The Sabbath Known in Ancient Babylon

MANY have held the view that the Sabbath was purely a Jewish institution, and that its sacred character was not known to the nations of the ancient world. The recent publication of a volume by Prof. A. T. Clay, of Yale University, gives additional proof that in ancient Babylonia a seventh day was recognized as a day of worship. Of this discovery the Independent of Feb. 14, 1916, says:—

“We now come to Professor Clay’s new evidence. In the Yale collection Professor Clay has found a group of twenty-three tablets containing a report of monthly receipts of sheep intended for temple service at Erech, a very ancient city in southern Babylonia. They are dated from the fifth year of Cyrus, 534 B. C., to the sixth year of Cambyses, 523 B. C. inclusive. The tablets are all of the same nature, and after stating that the sheep have been received for sacrifice, a report is made in four columns for each day. Now the important thing is that a note is added to the record for the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-eighth days, stating that an additional sacrifice of a lamb was offered on those days. Here is a definite recognition of a special religious observance celebrated at the temple on those days. The evidence is indubitable that four days which we may call sabbaths were observed each lunar month, seven days apart; and this evidence is of great value for religious history.”

The Broad Range of Christian Service

WHAT is comprehended in the term missionary work? How broad is the range of service for Christ and for our fellows? How fully may we consider ourselves laborers together with God? In the minds of many the term missionary work has a very restricted meaning. It is regarded as applying only to preaching sermons, the giving away of tracts, the visiting of the sick, etc. We believe, however, that it may be made to cover a much larger field in connection with life's activities. This will depend of course upon the motive of service, and the spirit in which such service is performed.

The editor of the United Presbyterian summarizes some of the activities which may be considered as true missionary work. Supplying the needs of humanity; giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty traveler, or a loaf of bread to one who is hungry; calling on one who is ill; kneeling in prayer by the bedside of pain; telling to those in darkness the story of salvation that is in Christ Jesus; rendering temporal assistance to a sick neighbor; ministering to the sufferers on the field of battle; lending a good book; giving flowers to the sick; assisting a poor boy or girl in obtaining an education; going to a heathen land as a missionary, or assisting some one else to go; living for Christ in the home, on the farm, in the workshop, and on the street,—such deeds, and many others that might be enumerated, if done in the love of Christ and from worthy motives, are missionary work, and make the one who does them a laborer together with God.

Let us remember that whoever we are or wherever we live, or whatever may be our business, God desires us to labor for our fellows. And we may be assured that if we will prove ourselves missionaries where we are, even though in most humble surroundings, we shall be prepared in due time for broader responsibilities and for occupying a larger field of usefulness. There are too many in the world at the present time who are longing for opportunities to do missionary work, shutting their eyes the while to the abundance of opportunities which the providence of God brings to them every day.

The mother in her home can find no broader, nobler field for missionary endeavor than training for God the children which have been committed to her care. The brother with unconverted neighbors surely has a field around him inviting his most earnest attention. We do not need to pray for opportunities; we need to pray for the heavenly anointing, that we may see the openings which exist on every side. And then, seeing the openings, we need to pray for wisdom and divine grace, that we may do our part in performing the work which God brings to us.

“Be Ye Also Ready”

By F. M. W.

REPEATED warnings are given in the Scriptures of truth against the danger that Christian believers will become indifferent to the gospel message. Particularly is the church of God in the closing days of earth’s history admonished to guard against this menace. Read the following earnest exhortation given by our divine Lord:—

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matt. 24: 42-44.

Similar warnings are given, as recorded by Mark and by Luke. These warnings are echoed and reechoed in the writings of the apostles.

The Master recognized that in the closing days of earth’s history his disciples would be beset by terrible temptations; that iniquity, like a great overflowing scourge, would sweep in upon them; that sin, in all its myriad forms and with its subtle and insidious wiles, would seek to overcome them. There would be danger of their sensibilities’ becoming benumbed, and that they would become weary in their long waiting for the Lord’s return. Hence these warning notes were sounded in the Sacred Record.

We who live now, in the closing days of earth’s history, know how easy it is to lose the sense of the significance of these solemn times. It is easy for us to become so engrossed in the cares of life, and even in the cares and perplexities attendant upon some part of the Master’s service in which we may be engaged, as to forget the terrible meaning which attaches to present-day movements. It is admitted by many careful observers that there has been a great deadening of the world’s sensibilities during the last two years. Great and important events have passed in such kaleidoscopic rapidity, the terrible war has had connected with it so many heart-sickening and revolting episodes and experiences, that the great multitudes are unmoved by ordinary events and occurrences. Conditions existing in the social, religious, industrial, and physical worlds, which two years ago appeared so pregnant

with meaning, have come to be regarded as hardly worthy of passing thought. Political events of the greatest importance as related to present-day civilization, and to the whole future history of the nations of men, are rapidly taking place. The outcome of the situation which exists no statesman can predict, no human intellect forecast. What startling events a day will bring forth, what far-reaching changes will come as the result of the present struggle, we must leave for the future to reveal. To his church in such a time as this the words of the Saviour are addressed:—

“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13: 33-37.

Years ago, the servant of the Lord in speaking, we believe, of this very time, uttered this significant warning:—

“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude. “The agencies of evil are combining their forces, and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. “The condition of things in the world shows that troublous times are right upon us. The daily papers are full of indications of a terrible conflict in the near future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, p. 11.

How little did we realize when this message was given that a little way in the future there would break upon the world the terrible scenes we have witnessed during the last two years. But the war with all its horrors came, and it came suddenly and unexpectedly, even to those best acquainted with the political situation. It was the suddenness with which all Europe was set on fire that startled men. In a week Europe was transformed from a land of peace, of quiet industrial pursuits, of apparent concord and harmonious cooperation among the nations, to a great armed camp. The industries of peace were transformed into accessories of war. Of the sudden terribleness of this transformation the editor of the London Daily Telegraph, in its issue of Aug. 1, 1914, speaks as follows:—

“As we look back over a week which has been full of the keenest excitement and the most feverish anxiety, we cannot fail to be struck with the extraordinary rapidity with which this present crisis has developed. . . . “Practically within the compass of a single week, we have had to watch the evolution of a crisis absolutely unparalleled in the memory of the present generation,—perhaps in the history of the world,—and have discovered to our astonishment and dismay that we stand on the brink, not of a mere localized conflict in the east of Europe, but of an appalling European war. It is this alarming violence, this remorseless haste, as of a tornado tearing its way with resistless force across peaceful lands, which takes away our breath and paralyzes our thoughts. Before we have had time to guess whither events were leading us, we find ourselves in the center of the storm; and every man in every capital looks with feverish anticipation for what the next few hours may bring forth. Human imagination is stunned by so sudden, so tremendous, and so unexpected a catastrophe.”

We believe that the sudden and unexpected manner in which this war broke upon the inhabitants of Europe is an object lesson of the rapid manner in which other significant events will shape in the closing days of earth’s history. Says the servant of the Lord, “Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” How greatly we need to be on our guard lest the great day of the Lord come upon us as a thief in the night, and we be taken as in a snare. Satan would have us believe that we can actually figure out the proximity of the Lord’s return; that by casting up figures and compiling statistics we can determine just how far the last gospel message has extended, and how nearly Israel is made up.

We take the map of the world and point with pride to the progress of this movement. There are few countries it has not entered, yet much remains to be done. But after all, how little we can determine the forces and the agencies which God has at work in the accomplishment of his purpose! We thank God from the depth of our heart for what has been accomplished, but we can measure only the material extent of the message. We have no means of determining the unseen influence which has gone out into all the world. We only know this, that in many instances the Spirit of God has reached over and beyond denominational effort, and men and women in various countries, by personal study of the Word, have been led to see many of the precious truths which we as a people hold, and have accepted them without any knowledge of us as a denomination.

We seek many times to measure the extent to which certain movements have progressed. We consider the fulfilment of prophecy with respect to the United States, with respect to Turkey, and we argue that the end must be reached through certain progressive steps in the fulfilment of the prophetic word, and yet, after all, this is largely human reasoning and human speculation. We know that certain results will be reached in the end, yet we have but little conception of just what steps may be taken and how rapidly these steps may be taken. It is evident that we are on the eve of mighty and startling events. Everything is shaping toward a speedy climax. The great forces of evil have been marshaling, and are ready to make their last great stand against God and his truth. All heaven is ready. If the church of God were as fully prepared, how speedily God could accomplish his work in the earth!

Sometime, we know not when nor how soon, God will set his hand to cut his work short in righteousness. Are we ready for this as a church, as individuals? Are we ready for the events which wait on the morrow, whatever they may be? for the startling changes which this year will bring? We would raise no false alarm. We do not believe in wild enthusiasm or erratic moves; but we do believe that we have come to a time when we need to be very greatly in earnest in seeking God.

What is it to be ready? It is to have every sin forgiven. It is to be gaining daily victory in our Christian experience. It is to have everything placed upon the altar of service,—our property, our sons and daughters, our own lives,—all to be used as the providence of God shall lead and indicate. It is to live separate and apart from the evil influences of the world around us, to avoid partaking of its spirit or coming under its power. It is to find pleasure in the service of God rather than in the pleasures of the world or the service of self. It is to be in our own homes and in the consciousness of our own hearts what we profess to be before our brethren and sisters. He who puts off this day of complete consecration does so at his peril. The call of God to his people today is to prepare themselves for the things that are coming upon the earth. Are you ready? This is the question which we desire to press home to the heart of every reader. Are you prepared for the close of your probation? Are you prepared to meet the Lord Christ?

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21: 34-36. F. M. W.

Just Anybody

By G. B. T.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

“Whosoever believeth in him.” Whosoever means anybody. I can come; you can come; everybody can come. No matter how crimson the stain of sin, it can become as white as snow. Sins of the darkest hue can be made white. It was for this very purpose that Jesus died and rose again. Those sins which trouble you, and haunt you with a dread lest God will not forgive, for these Jesus died. Believe God; you are made righteous by faith. There is no sin of such awful turpitude that the blood of Jesus will not atone for it if you will confess and forsake it, and believe what Jesus says. The doubts which come into your mind are from Satan himself.

“Whosoever is a wonderful word. “Whosoever will, may come.” This is better than if your own name were in the Bible. You could not be absolutely sure the name was yours. It might be some one's else. But “whosoever” means you. You can have pardon; you can come to Christ; you can drink freely of the water of life; you can be saved today; you can sit with Jesus on his throne; you can have immortality and live with Jesus through eternal ages. Believe, and let the peace of God come into your heart. G. B. T.

The Events of His Coming

By L. L. C.

The Second Advent—No. 4

The Events of His Coming

WE have found that the promise of Christ’s coming runs through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation; that his coming is to be personal and glorious; that the purpose of his coming is to judge all men, give every man his reward, restore the earth, and have his people ever with him. Let us now consider in more detail the order of events which the Bible connects with the second advent.

The preaching of the gospel to the whole world will precede the return of him who died on Calvary, but comes back to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Again, as in the days before the destruction of Jerusalem (A. D. 70),—

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Colossians about A. D. 64, could exhort them to remain faithful to “the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” Col. 1:23.

The words in which this gospel is to be preached when it again goes to the whole world are given in Revelation 14. The very next thing which the apostle John saw after the work of the three angels was the coming of Christ on a great white cloud:—

“I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Rev. 14: 14-16.

Thus a world-wide message is to be given. While we are not to expect that all will be converted, the message comes as a witness to all, and “then shall the end come.”

The resurrection of the righteous dead and the translation of the righteous living will take place at Christ’s coming. This is made very clear in the words of 1 Thess. 4: 16, 17:—

“The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

A fuller description of the change which both the dead and the living undergo is given in 1 Cor. 15: 51-53:—

“Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

The wicked are not raised in the first resurrection. Their resurrection occurs after a period of a thousand years, during which, having no subjects to deceive, Satan finds himself bound. In the words of Scripture,—

“The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Rev. 20: 5-7.

These words bring to view the Biblical doctrine of the millennium, a thousand years of inactivity for Satan because all the wicked are dead and the righteous are reigning with Christ. At the close of this period the rest of the dead live again, and Satan gathers them to battle:—

“They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Rev. 20: 9.

The apostle Peter tells us that “the heavens and the earth which are now . . . are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7. In further describing that day he says:—

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3: 10-13.

The beauties of that new creation no human pen can paint. We can but say with the great voice out of heaven which John heard:—

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev. 21: 3, 4.

May God hasten the glad day of this glorious consummation. L. L. C.

Ingratitude

By G. B. T.

INGRATITUDE is a very grievous sin. It is the exhibition of the greatest selfishness. To receive unmerited favors and kindnesses from friends, and never say, “Thank you,” to make no response from the heart in return, makes one appear as a selfish ingrate, and unworthy of being the recipient of kind words and acts. “Be ye thankful” is an injunction that all should heed.

We are told of a woman who one day rushed into a blazing room when her home was on fire, and rescued her infant daughter. The flames disfigured the mother’s once beautiful features, and through all her remaining life she was a deformed, hideous cripple. The years passed, and the daughter whom she had rescued grew to be a beautiful and talented woman. One day when she was walking with a companion down the street of a large city, she met her poor, deformed, crippled mother. Her companion asked, “Who was that hideous woman?” The daughter, instead of saying that it was her mother and dearest friend, said, “I do not know.”

Such ingratitude shocks all the tender sensibilities of the soul. Yet think of Jesus! To save us from the awful consequences of sin, he suffered ignominy and shame, and went down into the portals of the tomb. Yet many are often ungrateful. He is, among those whom he saved, as one unrecognized. In our lives we deny him. How sad it all is!

But the day is just before us when those who have denied him will be denied before the Father and before the holy angels. Did you ever stop to think what it will mean when we stand at the tribunal of God, in the very presence of the majestic Ruler of all, with all earthly support cut off, in darkness, and without one ray of hope, to have Jesus deny us? That will be a terrible hour for those who through selfish ingratitude have denied the Lord who bought them.

How deeply thankful we should be for all the blessing with which the Lord has surrounded us, and the heart should continually be overflowing with grateful praise to him who died that he might redeem us. G. B. T.

The Mystic Ladder

By Ellen G. White

MRS. E. G. WHITE

Jacob's experience as a wanderer from his home, when he was shown the mystic ladder on which descended and ascended the angels of heaven, was designed to teach a great truth in regard to the plan of salvation. The purposes of God were opened to the discouraged man, who felt himself cut off from God and man. In marvelous love, Christ presented before him in a dream the way of life. The truth was unfolded before him in the emblem, and its significance is as great in our day as it was in his.

“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. . . . And he called the name of that place Bethel.”

Although the plan of salvation was not then as clearly unfolded as it is in our day, the Lord Jesus communicated most wonderful things to his children.

The ladder represented Christ; he is the channel of communication between heaven and earth, and angels go to and fro in continual intercourse with the fallen race. The words of Christ to Nathanael were in harmony with the figure of the ladder, when he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” Here the Redeemer identifies himself as the mystic ladder, that makes communication possible between heaven and earth.

When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” he uttered a truth of wonderful significance. The transgression of man had separated earth from heaven, and finite man from the infinite God. As an island is separated from a continent, so earth was cut off from heaven, and a wide channel intervened between man and God. Jesus bridged this gulf, and made a way for man to come to God. He who has no spiritual light sees no way, has no hope; and men have originated theories of their own regarding the way to life. The Romanist points the sinner to the Virgin Mary, to penances, indulgences, and the absolution of the priest; and to this theory come those who would be saved in their sins, and those who would be saved by their own merit. But the only name given among men whereby they can be saved is Jesus. Across the gulf that sin has made come his words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

There is but one Mediator between God and man. In heaven this great truth was announced. A voice from the throne was heard, saying, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” Isaiah, looking forward in prophetic vision, writes, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.” And from the wilderness, the voice of the messenger cries, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The beloved disciple declares of him: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Christ only is the way, the truth, the life; and man can be justified alone through the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Man is justified freely by God's grace through faith, and not by works, lest any man should boast. Salvation is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Many have felt their hopeless condition, and have asked in perplexity, “How shall we gain admission to the world to come? Earth lies under the curse, and is doomed to destruction; how shall we be able to enter the city of God?” We would point you to Christ, the way, the truth, the life—the mystic ladder between heaven and earth.

After the enemy had betrayed Adam and Eve into sin, the connection between heaven and earth was severed; and had it not been for Christ, the way to heaven would never have been known by the fallen race. But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ is the mystic ladder, the base of which rests upon the earth, and whose topmost round reaches to the throne of the Infinite. The children of Adam are not left desolate and alienated from God; for through Christ's righteousness we have access unto the Father. “By me,” said Christ, “if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” Let earth be glad, let the inhabitants of the world rejoice, that Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made, and has bound earth and heaven together. A highway has been cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. The weary and heavy-laden may come unto him, and find rest to their souls. The pilgrim may journey toward the mansions that he has gone to prepare for those who love him.

In assuming humanity, Christ planted the ladder firmly upon the earth. The ladder reaches unto the highest heaven, and God's glory shines from its summit and illuminates its whole length, while the angels pass to and fro with messages from God to man, with petition and praise from man to God. Through the divine nature, Christ was one with the Father; and by assuming humanity, he identified himself with man. He, “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took

upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” In the vision of Jacob was represented the union of the human and the divine in Christ.

As the angels pass to and fro on the ladder, God is represented as looking down with favor upon the children of men because of the merit of his Son.

Every minister should learn the lessons which Christ taught, that he may be able to instruct sinners in the way of salvation. Christ said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” The sinner cannot take one step unless the Spirit draws him; he must cling to Christ if he would be saved. If he ascends to heaven, it must be by mounting up step by step the whole height of Christ's work, so that Christ shall be his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

The gaining of eternal life is no easy thing. By living faith we are to keep on reaching forward, ascending the ladder round by round, seeing and taking the necessary steps; and yet we must understand that not one holy thought, not one unselfish act, can be originated in self. It is only through Christ that there can be any virtue in humanity. Without Christ we can do no good thing, but with him we may do all things. It is at this point that many stumble, to their ruin. They think that they must struggle in their own strength to grow into goodness, before they can receive a new heart. But such effort is in vain. All warfare is useless unless Christ's power is combined with human effort. But while we can do nothing without him, we have something to do in connection with him. At no time must we relax our spiritual vigilance; for we are hanging, as it were, between heaven and earth. We must cling to Christ, climb up by Christ, become laborers together with him in the saving of our souls.

We are not merely to see a way by which to cross the gulf of sin, but we are to appreciate the value of the ransom paid for our souls; we are to realize something of what has been suffered that we might be forgiven, and rescued from destruction. We are to rejoice that the atonement is complete; and believing in Christ as our complete Saviour, we may know that the Father loves us, even as he loves his Son.—Review and Herald, Nov. 11, 1890.

Continue reading: My Vigilant Shepherd