Review and Herald, Vol. 46, No. 13. (9/30/1875)

Review and Herald

Sep 30, 1875

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 30, 1875

THE POWER FROM ON HIGH

By Joseph Harvey Waggoner

THE GIFTS AND OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.—NO. 1.

BY ELD. J. H. WAGGONER.

THE POWER FROM ON HIGH.

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49.

The time spoken of by our Saviour in his promise in John 14:16, 17, soon arrived. He had returned to his Father, leaving his disciples alone with their enemies. We can but faintly imagine how tedious were the hours of their tarrying at Jerusalem, and how many were the scoffs at their faith which they were compelled to hear. About ten days after his ascension came one of the Jewish solemnities—the feast of Pentecost. At this feast were gathered, according to the custom, Jews from every nation; for at their feasts they were all to “appear before the Lord.”

The disciples were in one place. Circumstances as well as choice separated them from the vast multitude then assembled. Their hearts were stricken; they were a despised people, and they could find but little to interest them outside of their own company. The chief priests and the rulers, the scribes and Pharisees, the first officers of the nation, and all the influence of the great city, were united against them. To these great men all looked for counsel, and the hosts of Israel could but be ready to echo their sentiments. The teachings and miracles of Jesus had been heard of by all; and the crucifixion, with the accompanying convulsions of nature followed by the report of his resurrection, and the well-known truth that Jesus was not found in the sepulcher though it had been surrounded by a trusty Roman guard, all together had created an intense interest and excitement. It was only to be expected that they who had led in the persecution of Jesus would endeavor to shield themselves by casting reproach upon his followers. It was unpleasant, if not even unsafe, for them to appear in the streets of Jerusalem.

But the declaration that that which is highly esteemed among men is not regarded of God, was true in this case. God was bringing confusion upon the great and the proud, and preparing to lift up the heads of those who were stricken and bowed down. This little company, frowned upon by the world, were watched over and guarded by Heaven.

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:2–4.

The report of this phenomenon soon brought together a wondering crowd, who were confounded or perplexed.

“They were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?” Verses 7, 8.

God had chosen this time to manifest this power; for it was well known that these were unlearned men, chosen from the humbler walks of life, and now they were speaking the various tongues spoken by the Jews who had come to Jerusalem “out of every nation under heaven.” To those who were thus gathered from the nations it was a wonder. But others, resident in Jerusalem and the country surrounding, were also gathered there, who did not understand the various tongues spoken. To them the scene presented a different appearance. They well knew that these humble Galileans had never been schooled in letters. To them it was but an unmeaning jargon of sounds, and it was but natural that, to all the follies which they had ascribed to the followers of Jesus, they should add the charge of drunkenness. But Peter repelled the charge, and thereupon opened the Scriptures to them as follows:—

“Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words; for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy; and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” Acts 2:14–20.

There is much of interest in these words; some of the points introduced we will notice.

The promise was that the Spirit should be poured out upon “all flesh.” This cannot be restricted to less than all the church. It certainly cannot be confined to the apostles. The effort made by many to find a complete fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy on the day of Pentecost is without even a show of reason. That Joel’s prophecy as here quoted by Peter covers the gospel dispensation is evident from his reference to daughters and handmaidens, of whom there were none among the apostles, as well as to the signs and wonders which reach down to the coming of “that great and notable day of the Lord.” If the reader will examine the following scriptures, Matt. 24:27–31; Rev. 6:12–17; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; 5:1–3; Isa. 2:10–21; 13:6–13, he will plainly see that that great and notable day of the Lord comes at the close of the gospel age, ushering in the terrible judgments of God and the second advent of the blessed Saviour.

But we have chiefly to do with Peter’s application of the prophecy. He takes up the history of Jesus, in his life and miracles, his death, burial, and resurrection, proving this last by the words of David, and then refers to his exaltation as follows:—

“Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Acts 2:33.

Peter here speaks of the promise of the Holy Ghost, which Jesus had received of the Father, and accordingly the Spirit is called the “Holy Spirit of promise;” Eph. 1:13; and its gift is called “the promise of the Father;” Acts 1:4.

When the people were assured that this was indeed the power of God upon the disciples, and thus became convinced that that same Jesus whom they had crucified was the Messiah, they were convicted of their sins and of their danger, and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer was in every respect applicable to the occasion; it answered their question and gave them definite information concerning the promise of the gift of the Spirit, to which he had referred, and which they had seen illustrated in the wonderful events of that day. He said:—

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For THE PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:38, 39.

It is not possible to mistake “the promise” to which reference is here made. It was “the promise of the Spirit,” as in verse 33; that is to say, that which was fulfilled to the apostles should also be fulfilled to them if they would accept, and follow, the crucified and risen Jesus of Nazareth. The words, “all that are afar off,” have reference to the Gentiles, as Paul shows in Eph. 2:11–18, in distinction from the Jews, who are addressed as “you and your children.” Thus the same promise of the Spirit is extended to the church at large; “even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

This whole instruction, as regards both duty and promise, is neutralized between two classes in the present age. The Friends (known as Quakers) reject baptism as being only an external ordinance. As this subject is quite foreign to the subject of the present argument I pass over the error of the Friends without examination. On the other hand, the Disciples, and those holding with them, ignore the promise, making baptism the only point of interest in the text. When I say they ignore the promise, I mean they do not accept it according to the evident meaning of the text; for there is no real difference between the utter rejection of a text and the denial of its evident meaning. The Jews did not deny the Scriptures directly; but they denied their plain and evident fulfillment, and thus they made them “of none effect.” That the promise of Acts 2:39 is identical with that of verse 33 is so clear that Disciple authors have been constrained to admit it, however strenuously they deny the conclusion logically deduced therefrom. Thus Alexander Campbell says:—

“The promise is expressly said by Peter to be ‘the promise of the Holy Spirit,’ which is extended to all that are near, and ‘afar off.’ . . . The gift of the Holy Ghost is the immediate antecedent to the promise, as any one may see from the slightest attention to the passage.”—Baptism, p. 383, ed. 1853.

And McGarvey in his “Commentary on Acts,” says of chap. 2:39:—

“That we are right in referring the word promise in this sentence to the promise of the Holy Ghost just made by Peter is evident from the fact that this is the only promise made in the immediate context.”

This is indeed evident, though it has been most strenuously denied by others of that body. Thus, Eld. Treat, associate editor of the Record, of Bedford, Ind., and highly recommended as an expounder and defender of their peculiar faith, persistently denied this fact, in Gosport, Ind., in Nov. 1871, when the subject of “the promise” was under consideration.

But Mr. McGarvey, while he admits the truth of the statement, robs it of all its force by making a distinction between “the gift of the Holy Spirit” and “the Holy Spirit’s gifts,” and affirming that the former, but not the latter, is the subject of the promise. If we allow that that distinction is just, the inquiry then arises, Which did the apostles receive on the day of Pentecost? Any answer which includes either to the exclusion of the other is only partial; it does not contain the whole truth. While all will acknowledge that they received the gift of the Holy Spirit, none can deny that they received the Holy Spirit’s gifts.

And then another inquiry may properly be raised: Were not all included under one and the same promise? Or, were there two distinct promises of the Spirit? Only one. The promise which Peter held out to his hearers, in verse 39, is identical with that of verse 33, as both Campbell and McGarvey admit. But Peter said that that which they saw and heard, even the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon the apostles, was given by virtue of that promise. There is but one “Holy Spirit of promise,” and concerning it Jesus received but one “promise of the Father.” And by virtue of that, but “one Spirit” was given. The facts here presented show that the pouring out of the Spirit upon the disciples was the cause of the wondering of the assembled multitude, and that drew out Peter’s discourse, which was aimed to correct their impression, and to teach them in regard to the promise and gift of the Spirit. He said the Spirit was poured out, as they then saw and heard, according to the promise which Jesus received of the Father, and that they also might receive it; for the promise was to them and to their children, and to as many as the Lord shall call.

Now if any can distinguish between the promise under which the disciples received the Holy Ghost on that day, and the promise under which the same Spirit was offered to the multitude, it will be by an exercise of ingenuity which we cannot comprehend. Nothing appears more evident than that all the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit of God are under one and the same promise; they are different parts of that promise; and to reject the parts is to reject the whole, and thus to annul the promise.

In regard to the distinction referred to above, it is asserted that the Spirit’s gifts include only the miraculous, or power conferred specially on a few, in distinction from the general gift of the Spirit to all the churches. But this is not satisfactory. Says Webster: “Miraculous, of the nature of a miracle; performed supernaturally; effected by the direct agency of almighty power, and not by natural causes.” It needs but little consideration to make it apparent to all that there is no such distinction as natural and supernatural gifts and operations of the Spirit in the church. Each and every one who receives the Spirit, in any manner or to any extent, receives it by the direct power of God. There is no natural reception or operation of the Spirit of God in any case. Hence the distinction is claimed without regard to the proper use of the words.

A more obvious distinction, apparently, is claimed between the ordinary and extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit. But again we ask, Are there two distinct promises for these methods of operations? or does not the promise include both? One promise includes all. There is no “promise of the Spirit” in the Bible which does not include the gifts or manifestations of divine power. This we shall claim as an established truth unless a separate and distinct promise is produced for a peculiar or distinct manifestation.

In confirmation of the view here taken we notice that the apostles, who received the gifts and power of the Spirit, did not all possess like power; the Spirit did not manifest itself through all alike. Therefore Paul says:—

“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” 1 Cor. 12:29, 30.

These questions are asked of the church at large, as well as of the apostles, which is an evidence that the same gifts were in the

church at large, as we shall hereafter show, but not in all alike. Each has his own peculiar office; or, to use the language of inspiration concerning these manifestations, “dividing to every man severally as he will.” Yet all were received under one promise; all were parts of one whole.

What a blessing, what a gracious privilege, is thus held out to us as members of the body of Christ—as called of God! And what a responsibility is thus placed upon us. May the Lord guide us that we never more quench the Spirit, but covet earnestly the best gifts, and so humble ourselves before God that we may be “endued with power from on high.”

“BE LIFTED UP,”

Be lifted up! O sad and weary heart, Though faint and very near to death thou art, Arise! Lest hope’s last lingering ray depart! Be lifted up!

Recall thy trust! Remember who has said, “A crown of thorns they placed upon my head.” His bleeding feet up Calvary’s steeps were led— Be lifted up!

Recall thy faith! Believe and doubt thou not; His promise cannot fail nor be forgot; His blessing consecrates the sufferer’s lot! Be lifted up!

Recall thy hopes! The future is not dead, Though midnight darkness gather overhead, On every side though rankling thorns be spread, Be lifted up!

Recall thy love! O grief-worn heart, and tried, That holy covert seek—His wounded side; Resign thyself to him—the Crucified; Be lifted up!

Thus shalt thou find repose and perfect rest, When thou canst know thyself most truly blest, In full submission to God’s wise behest; Be lifted up! —Sel.

“I Expect Great Things Then.”

The Lord Jesus has gone to receive a kingdom, and he intends to return. During his absence his people have to work in his vineyard, suffer in his cause, and watch for his appearing. Our work is often difficult, our sufferings severe; and watching so long becomes tedious. But as Jesus has promised to come, he assuredly will; as he has given us his word that he will not tarry, but come as soon as his work before the throne is done, we may depend upon his being here as soon as possible. As he is coming to bring us grace in a degree which we have never enjoyed, and glory such as we have no conception of, his coming should be the object of our hope, desire, and love. The thought of it should give us joy, the anticipation of it should fill us with delight. It did give comfort to a poor, afflicted, suffering believer of whom I have heard, and who, when asked why he looked forward to the coming of Jesus with so much joy, said, “I expect great things then!”

Beloved, we may not have much now. Our temporal supplies may be scant, and our outward comforts but few. Our sufferings may be great, and our trials painful. Without may be fightings, and within may be fears. But Jesus is coming. Jesus, who is our brother, husband, and friend. He is coming in glory. He is coming to reign. He is coming to render reward to his servants. He is coming to fulfil all his promises, and accomplish the glorious predictions of his holy word. His coming is the greatest event we can look forward to. It is the blessed hope of his church. It is the desire of all his saints. Our brightest prospects and sweetest anticipations depend on that. Our groaning world appears to long for it. The sorrowful church should daily pray for it. And every sigh that escapes from the tried believer’s heart, rightly interpreted, cries, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!” Well, cheer up, my poor, tried brother and sister; for “He that is to come will come, and will not tarry.” He is now engaged for us. His loving heart now beats with tenderest affection toward us. He would have us with him, or he would come and be with us, were it not that his Father’s glory and our best interests require it to be otherwise. He said once, and he is of the same mind still, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” This is the very thing we desire, and it is the very thing we shall enjoy: for he will soon come “the second time without sin unto salvation,” and “we expect great things then.”

What do we expect then? The sufferer expects to be free from disease and pain; for “there shall be no more pain” then. Every Christian will have a healthy body. The nerves, the muscles, the senses, will no more be the seats of disease nor the inlets of pain; but what was sown in corruption, will be raised in incorruption; what was sown in dishonor, will be raised in glory; what was sown in weakness will be raised in power; what was sown a natural body, will be raised a spiritual body. The mourner expects to be freed from the principal cause of his mourning—even sin. He will then be delivered, not only from its guilt, but from its very being; not only from its annoyance, but from its existence. As the body will be free from pain, so the soul will be free from sin; and body and soul will exactly resemble the glorified humanity of the Lord Jesus.

Every Christian expects to see him as he is; to gaze with rapture and delight on his glorified body, tracing the thorn-prints on his brow, and the nail-prints on his hands; to realize with ecstatic delight that Jesus is his own Saviour, his glorious Redeemer, his ever-living and ever-loving Lord. The sight of Christ will eclipse the glory of everything visible, and will leave impressions on the soul which will never be erased. It will exceed all that ever was seen, conceived, or anticipated. It will fire the soul with unutterable love, and fill it with inexpressible joy. The believer will then receive a glorious crown—“a crown of glory which fadeth not away,” “a diadem of beauty,” “a crown of life.” He will be clothed in white robes, and have the palm of victory put into his hand. A seat near to Jesus will be awarded to him. He will be introduced to the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God;” to the kingdom prepared for the saints “from the foundation of the world;” to the “inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.” He will be elevated above his fears, exalted above his foes, and enjoy absolute certainty forever. Every desire will be gratified, and his soul will be perfectly and forever satisfied. Are not these great things? But these and many more are the great things which the Christian may expect; for “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Well may it be called the “blessed hope.” Well may primitive saints be represented as “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Well may the saint “expect great things then.”

My Christian brother, is the coming of Jesus the object of your hope? Are you anxiously and prayerfully looking forward to that glorious event? Do you “expect great things then”? If so, you will not be so much affected as some professors are by the things which perish with the using. You will live above the world. You will cast your cares upon your God. You will look over many little annoyances and troubles. You will rejoice in hope when all around you is cold and dreary. You will not avenge yourself, but leave many things to be adjusted when Jesus comes. You will act as one that “must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ”—as one that must “give an account of himself to God.” The coming of Jesus will stimulate you to all holy obedience, and will be a preventive to your settling down into the world or indulging in sin. Expecting great things when Jesus comes, you will not be affected by little things now, but in your patience you will possess your soul. Expecting great things when Jesus comes, you will quietly carry your cross, manfully face your foes, and diligently employ your talents in your Master’s service. Expecting great things when Jesus comes, you will aim in all things to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering,” lovingly bearing with the imperfections of your brethren, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Expecting great things from Jesus when he comes, you will be desirous of doing great things for Jesus now he is away, and will be willing to suffer great things for Jesus if he may but be glorified thereby.

Beloved, if you are indeed a Christian you cannot expect too much when Jesus comes, but you may expect too little now. He has promised you many great and glorious things now; and he is quite willing to make good his largest and kindest promises. He waits to be gracious. He waits until you want, until you ask him, until you are earnest with him to bestow. The moment the fulfilment of the promise is necessary for you, and will bring glory to his holy and ever-blessed name, that moment will the promise be fulfilled. Expect much from Jesus now. Ask much from Jesus now. But yet when clouds gather, when dangers press, when foes collect, when difficulties increase, when causes of sorrow arise, look forward—anticipate the coming of your Redeemer, and rejoice. In all times of tribulation, in all seasons of conflict, and in all circumstances of discouragement, “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” for you may “expect great things then.” He has told us of “earthly things” in his word, and they have been so great that we have scarcely believed him; how astonished, how delighted, how inexpressibly joyful shall we be when he brings us to see, to receive, and to enjoy “heavenly things!” Then we shall have great peace, great joy, great glory. Our wealth will be immense, our satisfaction perfect, and our inheritance eternal. Happy believer! though thy lot be low, thy present resources small, thy conflicts severe, thy sufferings continued, and thy temptations painful; for Jesus is coming. “Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him,” and you may “expect great things then,” nor can your expectations possibly be cut off.

“In expectation sweet, We’ll wait, and sing, and pray, Till Christ’s triumphal car we meet, And see an endless day.” —Sel.

A Daily walk with God.

[THE following is an extract from the biography of a pious man, written by a friend who attended him during his last illness.]

One night when all had retired to bed, I was with him alone. When sitting with his hands clasped upon his knees, his eyes shut, and his head bent forward, he thus addressed me in short sentences, spoken under breath, uttered slowly, and very solemnly: “Humble yourself as a little child. Follow your Master, do not go before. Pray without ceasing; wrestle with God in prayer. Our natural temperament cannot be destroyed; it must be regulated. If any one will follow me, said our Lord, let him take up his cross daily. ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy!’ Oh, it is not easy to realize the life of God in us all the day.” “Have you been able to do it?” I asked. He nodded and smiled. “It was long with me a fearful battle,” he replied. “With every one it is a sore battle at first; but it must be done. And when done,” he added, opening his eyes with an expression of joy, “it is inexpressibly delightful.”

“We should have our house,” he continued after a pause, “well ordered before God. Everything in it should as much as possible reflect Heaven; for Heaven must in everything begin here. We should esteem in our house the Bible as the best, the sweetest book. I love the custom in pious families in Wurtemburg of reading it after dinner. We must daily live above carnal joys. The Spirit of God should pervade everything, that we may live holily, live solemnly,” and again opening his eyes and speaking emphatically, “live cheerfully.”

“When disposed to exceed in anything we should pause and ask such questions as these, Will this please God? Will it grieve the Spirit of God which dwelleth in me? Oh, the blessedness of the divine life!” “How think you it shall best be attained?” I asked.

“I should say, Begin early with prayer. Let your first thoughts be given to God. When you rise, kneel before God and humble yourself as a child, that he may lead you through the day. Think of him when you are dressing. Prayer should not be put off till after breakfast.” Then rising up in his chair, and looking with earnestness and speaking with energy, he said, “This I have found to be of inexpressible importance. If our devotions are deferred until after the interruptions of the forenoon, the devil may get upon our backs and ride us all day. I love to give God my first, my freshest, thoughts and hours.”

On asking him more particularly about his own method of devotion he said, “I commune with God through his word and Spirit. I do not on such occasions read critically. If difficulties present themselves I pass them by; in the meantime, when any verse occurs especially applicable to myself, I dwell upon it. As I read I ask God for his Spirit, afterward I pray at length. I have no prescribed time, but try to enjoy it as long as I can. Last winter I confined myself to the three gospels. I am now reading John’s gospel. I have been living and feeding on the life of Christ.”

Anecdote of Judah Touro.

The New Orleans Picayune tells the following story concerning one of the philanthropists of that city in bygone days:—

“It happened once that a wandering Oriental missionary visited our city with a view of obtaining subscriptions to erect a Christian chapel in Jerusalem. The subscription paper contained an appeal to all good Christians, setting forth the persecutions of the Christians by the Jews, and making serious charges against the latter.

“This paper was presented to a very prominent and liberal bank president of this city, who was also an elder deacon in one of our Christian churches. This gentleman, on reading the preamble of the paper, remarked that Mr. Judah Touro was the most liberal and philanthropic rich man in the city, and that the missionary had better take the paper to him first, and he would promise to contribute half as much as Mr. Touro would subscribe.

“Now, Mr. Touro was a very earnest Israelite, who was not likely to be much pleased with the charges against his own faith and people contained in the paper to which he was invited to affix his signature.

“Accordingly, when it was presented to him, the good old man read carefully this no doubt exaggerated picture of the misconduct of his own brethren, and then inquired in his mild way of the Christian: ‘Who sent you to me for this purpose?’ ‘It was Mr. P.;’ he said you were the most charitable gentleman in the city, and that he could only promise to subscribe half as much as you.”

“‘He made that promise, did he?’”

“‘Yes, sir!’ most emphatically.”

“Then the old Israelite without guile took down his check-book and slowly and deliberately filled up a check for fifteen hundred dollars, which he gave to the missionary on condition that his name should not appear on the subscription-paper, and that he would repair immediately to his friend P. and exact of him the fulfillment of his promise to subscribe half that sum. We believe that the missionary faithfully performed his engagement, and the facetious Christian elder was thus compelled to make the largest contribution he ever made for a Christian mission.

“This was another example of ‘the Jew’s revenge,’ and the only manifestation ever given, through his long life, of the existence of this passion in the breast of the noblest of New Orleans philanthropists.”—Sel.

Enormity of the Sin of Sabbath-Breaking.

By W. E. Dawson

To determine the enormity of any offense, it is necessary to consider the circumstances of the perpetrator, the opportunity he had to consider the consequences of his act, and the defiance of the authority of the law-giving power which that act manifests.

In other words, the degree of deliberation with which a man approaches the commission of a wrongful act affords a certain means of determining the degree of malice by which that act was inspired, and the contempt for law which it indicates.

Blinded by sudden passion, one may be driven to the commission of a deed from which he would have recoiled in horror if he had been given sufficient time to reflect on its enormity or on the allegiance he owes to the laws of God and society. Assailed by sudden and overpowering temptations, men of the strongest principle may for the moment, unless restrained by the grace of God, swerve from the path of rectitude, while if they had known the temptation to which they were to be exposed, they would have stood erect, and scorned to think that they could stoop to so base a crime. Sudden passion and temptation cannot justify a wrongful act, but its commission in the absence of these motives shows in the wrong-doer a degree of depravity which leaves him without excuse. In the administration of human law, the darkest crime that can be committed against the persons of individuals—the taking of human life—does not rise to its full height of enormity unless accompanied by that condition of mind known as “malice aforethought.”

Most of the commands of the decalogue are of such a nature that the one who breaks them may plead thoughtlessness or sudden temptation. For instance, no one can tell at what moment of great provocation he may so lose control of his passions as to seek the life of his enemy, nor at what period of his career he may become so absorbed in pursuing the object of his earthly ambition as to elevate it to a place in his esteem higher than that occupied by his Creator. Not so, however, with the sin of Sabbath-breaking. The duty enjoined by the fourth commandment, in this respect, stands on ground peculiarly its own. No one who has been once convinced of the duty of keeping holy the seventh day can ever plead in extenuation of his offense that he knew not when he would be called upon to obey that precept, and therefore was unprepared to do his duty. One cannot always tell when he will find his neighbor’s pocket-book and be tempted to appropriate its contents; but one can always tell when he will find God’s holy time and be tempted to appropriate it to his own unholy use. Six days we are given to consider our duty and decide whether we will obey God or not. On the seventh day we are called upon to render our decision. There is no escape.

There is no way of stepping from the working days of one week to those of the next except by the use of God’s holy time. There are but two ways of using that time. One is to make such use as the Creator has enjoined—keep it holy. This constitutes obedience. The other is to use this holy time for our unholy purposes. This is disobedience. There is no middle ground. There is no postponement of the question—no evasion. The lapse of each hour of the working days brings us nearer and nearer to the question, Shall I obey or disobey? And when the seventh day has at last been reached, and its hours have been kept holy or desecrated according to our decision to obey God or our own desires, still we are not released from responsibility. Six days more elapse and we are again called upon to render our decision; and again and again, as long as life shall continue, with the recurrence of each seventh day we are brought face to face with the precept, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”

What can be pleaded in extenuation of his guilt who has just broken one of God’s commandments, who through six days preceding that act intended to break it, and now enters upon a new week with the determination that at the end of six days he will break the same commandment again?

One whose conscience has once been aroused to the duty of keeping holy the Sabbath day, and who, notwithstanding, continues in a life of disobedience, can never truthfully plead in excuse the circumstances which are admitted in extenuation of crimes of a different character. He has ample time to reflect on the consequences

of his disobedience. The crime of which he is guilty is committed with full deliberation. The malice borne by him toward the law of God is “malice aforethought.” As it has accompanied every act of disobedience in this respect in the past, so it enters into all his calculations for the future, and causes him to turn every Sabbath he may spend into a monument of his deliberate and premeditated defiance of God and his authority.

W. E. DAWSON.

The Forbearance of God.

By Francis Gould

THE goodness and forbearance of God as manifested toward his erring creatures is truly great. After Adam had forfeited all right to the tree of life and was driven from the presence of God, a plan was devised by which himself and his posterity could recover what they had lost. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 5:16. Paul says, in speaking of Christ, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Rom. 3:25.

The Lord takes no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, nor is he “slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Pet. 3:9.

When the Lord has purposed to punish any nation or people for their sins, he has always given them warning and ample time to turn from their sins and to escape the righteous judgments of God. And it is evident that mankind often take the advantage of the long-suffering and forbearance of God, and thus are in danger of placing themselves beyond the reach of hope. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Eccl. 8:11. I will mention a few instances in which the forbearance of God is shown in the salvation of men.

The people who lived before the flood became very wicked. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Gen. 6:5. The Lord purposed to destroy them. He told them his Spirit should not always strive with man, yet his days should be an hundred and twenty years. This length of time Noah preached to them by precept and example. Peter says, “The long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,” and Christ preached to the spirits in prison; that is, Christ preached through Noah to those wicked persons who were shut up in the prison-house of sin. There was no hope for them only by obeying the truth that Noah preached to them. One hundred and twenty years in which to turn from their sins! Will they have any excuse in the day of Judgment?

There is also the case of the Ninevites. Their wickedness came up before the Lord; and he sent Jonah to proclaim: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” Their past course justly merited the displeasure of God and immediate destruction; but by repentance and contrition of soul they were spared.

Again the case of the Jews, and God’s dealings with them, is a striking instance of God’s love and forbearance. Notwithstanding they were God’s chosen people, they became a rebellious and stiff-necked people. “But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Rom. 10:21. God warned them by the prophets and apostles, and last of all “Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” Acts 13:46.

The present generation is exceedingly wicked and is rife with sin and crime. The last message of mercy and warning is sounding that the world will ever hear. All the honest, and those who have any desire for eternal life, will have an opportunity to escape the things that are coming on the earth. God loves those that love him and keep his commandments. He pities those who trample upon his righteous laws. He even bears long with them. The angels are holding the four winds until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Oh! may the people of God wake up to the duties of the present time, seek righteousness, seek meekness, that they may be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. And may sinners flee to the outstretched arms of Jesus ere they take up with the sad lamentation, “The harvest is past, the summer ended, and my soul is not saved.”

FRANCIS GOULD.

Bordoville, Vt.

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