Review and Herald, Vol. 33, No. 3. (1/12/1869)

Review and Herald

Jan 12, 1869

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 12, 1869

THE CAUSE OF SOLOMON'S RUIN.

By John Nevins Andrews

BY ELD. J. N. ANDREWS.

TEXT.—“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. x, 12.

This solemn admonition is drawn from the example of Israel in the wilderness. They were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They passed under the cloud and between the high walls of the divided sea. When they had emerged from this most solemn baptism “the sea returned to his strength,” and lay behind them an everlasting barrier to their return to that idolatrous land from which they had been delivered.

They sang a song of triumph emblematical of that song which the victors shall sing on the sea of glass. But unlike the situation of that company of immortal saints, there lay before them the “terrible wilderness,” filled with dangers that to most of them proved fatal. Deut. i, 19; Jer. ii, 6.

There was nothing in the wilderness, which in God's strength, they could not vanquish. But they utterly failed in the conflict with the difficulties which they encountered.

Soon after they had crossed the Red Sea they found themselves in the desert. The earth beneath their feet was burning sand. Over their heads was the fierce heat of the scorching sun. When weary from their journey they found themselves without food and without drink. They could perhaps have manifested some patience with hunger, but when suffering from burning thirst they gave way at once to murmuring against God. They did not say, God has delivered us out of Egypt, he has opened before us the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud is leading us by day, and the pillar of fire stands over us by night, and it is our duty to trust God and wait his helping hand. They did not consider that God, having done so much for them, was willing to give them a chance to manifest what was in their hearts before he interfered to provide for their wants. And so instead of opening their mouths in thanksgiving for past mercies, in humble confession of their own unworthiness, and in fervent supplication for the continuance of his lovingkindness, they opened them in words of murmuring against God.

For a time it seemed as though there was no limit to God's mercies and forbearance toward them. He sent them bread from Heaven; not merely twice or thrice, but a continual supply day by day. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out. They all did eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ.

At the foot of Sinai they witnessed the awful majesty of the Almighty as he descended in fire upon it; a scene that can only be paralleled when the Son of God shall descend in the glory of his Father, and with the sound of the same trump of God. Ex. xix; Heb. xii, 25, 26; Matt. xvi, 27.

Never were people so exalted. Never were mortal men so hedged in on every hand with signal and unnumbered mercies. The hand of God always appeared for them; yet that hand before revealing itself waited to see what the people would do and say. The people murmured again and again. Yet God interfered in their behalf. Even when the sight of God's glory upon the top of the mount was like devouring fire, the people made them a golden calf, and worshipped this as the God who had brought them out of Egypt. And yet God did not give them up to destruction. It seemed almost as though he was so interested to save them that he would do it in spite of themselves. But there was a limit to the forbearance of God. To them it probably seemed as though that limit could never be reached. They dared to rebel and vex his holy Spirit. Isa. lxiii, 10. And that forgiveness and tender mercy which seemed without limit was finally exceeded by the rebellion and obduracy of this stiff-necked people. When the spies brought back an evil report of the good land, then all the people lifted up their voices and wept. And notwithstanding all the signal displays of God's power, and the almost unlimited manifestations of his mercies toward them, they determined to go no further with the pillar of cloud and of fire, but under a leader of their own choosing, to return into Egypt. Num. xiv; Neh. ix, 17. Then the hand of God which had been so often extended in blessing this hard-hearted people was lifted up in solemn oath that they should perish in the wilderness. And this people, exalted to Heaven by the richest display of God's lovingkindness, miserably perished between Egypt and Canaan, a signal example for all coming time that God cannot be trifled with, and that when men presume upon his mercy and think themselves sure of the continuance of his favor, though they take no heed to walk with fear and trembling before him, they do thereby make their own ruin inevitable and swift.

Some 500 years after the sad overthrow in the wilderness, a monarch ascended the throne of Israel who was in many respects the most wonderful man that ever lived. When the Almighty bade him choose what gift should be granted him, he asked for wisdom. And God was so greatly delighted with the choice he made that he not only granted his request, but with it granted also every conceivable earthly blessing. 1 Kings iii.

It would seem that the providence of God designed to manifest the fact, and to place it beyond all possible dispute, that nothing permanently good can be made out of poor human nature by the utmost grant of earthly prosperity. At all events, we have in the reign of Solomon a period of time in which the people of God were exalted to the utmost height of earthly grandeur and triumph. We can judge from it whether anything of lasting value can be developed in men only as they are schooled in adversity and affliction.

Solomon came to the throne without the years of adversity and anguish which had prepared his father David for his high exaltation. The enemies of Israel were all subdued before them. There was peace on every hand. The time had come for the temple of God to be built. Solomon was called of God by name to do this work. His father David had promised immense means for this most costly undertaking. Besides this, such was Solomon's riches, in consequence of God's blessing, that he had the most ample resources for the great work he had to perform. When the temple was finished God honored the work of his hand by visibly taking possession of it as his dwelling place, and by sending fire from Heaven to consume the offerings there made.

Solomon also built, for the honor of his kingdom, other houses of wonderful magnificence, and of almost unlimited expense. Of his riches we learn that he made “silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones.” 2 Chron. i, 15; 1 Kings x, 27. He was wiser than all men. He spoke 3000 proverbs. His songs were 1005. He spoke of trees from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He had knowledge of all beasts, and fowls, and creeping things, and fishes, and was able to discourse respecting them. God gave him “wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shore.” His fame was in all nations round about. 1 Kings iv. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. 2 Chron. ix, 23. The visit of the Queen of Sheba is particularly described; and we are told that when she had communed with Solomon she was so astonished at the greatness of his wisdom, and the majesty of his power, that there was no more spirit in her. She said that it

was indeed a true report which she had heard in her own land, but that the one-half of the greatness of his wisdom had not been told her.

But what a sad transition the Bible presents in the case of his latter history. That sun which poured such a flood of golden rays upon mankind was hidden in disastrous eclipse. We cannot say that it did not thus set. Alas for human dignity and greatness. The wisest of men cannot bear unlimited prosperity. That man who had the most enlarged views of God's greatness, of the vanity of false gods, of the folly of vice, and of the excellence of piety and true virtue, did by and by become a miserable idolater and apostate from God. 1 Kings xi.

The book of Ecclesiastes is thought by many to have been written by Solomon on the occasion of his repentance from his grievous backsliding. There is some internal evidence favoring this idea. Let us hope that it is true; for it gives us the only ground for cherishing the thought that he did repent and return to God.

Can we ascertain the cause of Solomon's ruin? If so it is a lesson of infinite consequence for us to learn. Were I to state it in my own words I should say that he forgot the example of Israel in the wilderness. And he was very inexcusable in this forgetfulness, for it formed not only a part of the history of his ancestors with which he must have been very familiar, but it was also the burden of many of the Psalms of his father David. At all events, he did not draw from that sacred record the lesson which St. Paul has so impressively set forth from it: “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

But we are indebted to Solomon for a statement of the very thing which proved his ruin. And we shall find it substantially the same as that just given.

Eccl. ii, 3. “I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, TILL I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.”

Here is the key to the ruin of the wisest of men. And from it we may learn that Satan, who is said to be wiser than Daniel (Eze. xxviii, 3–17), was also wiser than Solomon. He was able to present a temptation capable of beguiling the wisest of men.

He reminded Solomon of the greatness of his wisdom. God had promised him that which should exceed the wisdom of every other man, and had fulfilled his promise. This unlimited gift of wisdom he reminded Solomon was evidently his. Now with such mental strength, such discernment, such judgment, such prudence, such discrimination, such wisdom, he, the possessor, might test every kind of human folly, going in it just far enough to taste what sweet there was in it, and to discover the breakers upon which all others dashed, but himself stopping short of the fatal rock.

That Solomon actually reasoned in this manner, see Eccl. i, 16, 17. “I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and HAVE GOTTEN MORE WISDOM THAN ALL THEY THAT HAVE BEEN BEFORE ME IN JERUSALEM; yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, AND TO KNOW MADNESS AND FOLLY.” Like Eve he was not contented with the knowledge of good alone; he must know good and evil both. Gen. iii. He found this to be vanity and vexation of spirit. And that wisdom thus obtained is filled with grief; and knowledge thus increased brings with it great increase of anguish and sorrow. Eccl. i, 17, 18.

He gave himself to wine, yet acquainted himself with wisdom. He did not mean to give up the pursuit of wisdom, not even the practice of it, but he meant to test the effects of wine; not to become a drunkard, but to see what it would do to him. He believed that he had power at any time to break it off. For others he had given excellent precepts not even to look on wine. Prov. xxiii, 31. He could look on it and taste it, so he thought, and yet not endanger himself to become a drunkard.

He deliberately laid “hold on folly,” not to permanently retain it, but only “TILL I might see what was that good for the sons of men.” And what a “TILL” that proved to be! He could drive nearer the precipice than any other man! Alas! he tried it, and driver, carriage, and team went over together.

He tested every species of folly. He tasted every kind of sinful pleasure. He put his foot on every forbidden spot. He forgot the existence of Satan, or else deemed himself wise enough to cope with this formidable foe. Never was man more deceived. When he put down his foot where God had never given him the right to do it, he put it into Satan's snare. Solomon was a fool the moment he gave himself to folly. He was no match for the wisdom of the Arch-deceiver. He was taken captive by the Devil at his will.

Solomon's error was just this: That he, the wisest of men, could do with safety that which other men must not touch at all. What a fatal mistake! If he had greater wisdom it was incumbent on him to keep further from folly than any other man. God, in the day of Judgment, will decide men's cases by this very principle. Solomon forgot the case of Moses. He should have learned the lesson from that, that God has no favorites. The nearer God has come to man by his presence, the greater the sin if they speak or act wrong in his sight. So it proved with Moses. Num. xx. How often men reverse this, and think that God will wink at sin in those who are dear to him. Never was there an idea further from the truth. In the presence of the burning bush Moses must remove his shoes from his feet. Other men, and elsewhere, might retain them. But how full of reverence, of self-abasement, and of godly fear, must those be who come nigh to the Judge of quick and dead.

Let us observe several steps in Solomon's departure from God.

The law forbade the king to “multiply horses to himself,” or to “cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply horses.” Deut. xvii, 16. But this law was for those who had not Solomon's strength and wisdom. Surely it was not for him. So the very thing which the law of God forbade he entered largely into. 1 Kings iv, 26; x, 26, 29. This very transgression, however, probably opened the way for another still greater. The law forbade marriages with the heathen nations. But there was no danger to Solomon in the transgression of this precept. Other men lacking his strength should take heed. With him there was no danger. So he married the daughter of Pharaoh. Deut. vii, 3; 1 Kings iii, 1. He was forbidden greatly to multiply silver and gold. But he did it even to the sore oppression of the people. Compare Deut. xvii, 17; 1 Kings x, 27; 2 Chron. i, 15; 1 Kings xii, 4; 2 Chron. x, 4. The law pertained to others, not to himself. His wisdom needed no such prohibition; and he regarded it not.

The law forbade the king to multiply wives to himself lest they turn away his heart from God. Deut. xvii, 17. But he was in no danger surely. This was an excellent precept for others, but wholly unnecessary in his case. So he took to himself 1000 wives, and most of them, if not all, were idolatresses. 1 Kings xi, 1–4.

The Lord commanded the destruction of the altars of all false gods. Num. xxxiii, 51, 52; Deut. vii, 5. But Solomon, to gratify his wives, could safely build altars to the obscene Ashteroth, the abominable Melcom, and Chemosh, and the cruel Molech. 1 Kings xi, 4–8.

In fact he was so mighty in his own strength, and so liberal in his views of worship, that at last he hesitated not to break the first commandment of the decalogue, and doubtless the second also. And now behold the wisest of men manifesting the most debasing folly! Solomon, the king of Israel, once the beloved of the Lord, now a base idolater. A second blind Samson grinding in the prison-house of the Philistines.

Solomon laid “hold on folly,” he tells us, “TILL he might see what was that good for the sons of men.” And did he not see, with bitter regret too, that “that good for the sons of men” is found not in tasting folly moderately, but in shunning it altogether.

What words of excellent instruction are these: “Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as far as light excelleth darkness.” Eccl. ii, 13. Who believes that could this man have recalled his life he would again have walked in the paths of folly? He had changed his mind relative to finding good in the ways of folly, and now saw that a little folly destroys the excellence of a virtuous life as a single dead fly ruins the most precious ointment. Eccl. x, 1.

The lesson from Solomon's life is exceedingly impressive. Let every one “that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” “That good for the sons of men” is found only in wisdom, and never in folly. “And unto man he said, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job xxviii, 28.

LORD, SAVE ME.

By Sarah E. Lindsley

LORD, save me, I perish! Oh! save, or I die! Like as Peter of old, even this is my cry; When from the deep waters my soul thou dost spare, Oh! let me not sink in the mire of despair.

I speak of despair on account of my sin; On account of my foes from without and within, Because I oft fail, am so often o'ercome, Can so seldom rejoice over victory won.

Lord, save me, I perish! so narrow the way, So oft I forget both to watch and to pray, Oh! help me to rouse, to get fully awake, The Judgment's impending, salvation's at stake.

Lord, save me, I perish! Oh! let me not fall In the pride of my heart, more deceitful than all; I'll strive to seek meekness and righteousness too; My soul longs to praise thee in the earth made anew.

My hope is in thee, and I will not distrust Thy love and thy care, though I am but dust. I'll hope in thy mercy and trust in thy grace, And more earnestly strive thy footsteps to trace.

Come, dear lonely pilgrim, let's be of good cheer, Work out our salvation with trembling and fear. If humble and earnest, in Jesus' dear name, We shall overcome, and victors shall reign.

SARAH E. LINDSLEY.

New Haven, N. Y.

"BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT YE RESIST NOT EVIL."

By Adolphus Smith

THE above is the language of our Lord in his memorable sermon on the mount. Dr. Clarke is of the opinion that the Greek words τῷ πονηρῷ, from which "evil" is translated should be rendered "the evil person," and this from the context appears to be correct. Certain specifications follow which we will notice in their order; the first of these is found in the latter part of the 29th verse. "But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." The meaning no doubt is, that rather than resist such persecutions we should suffer them to be repeated. And especially would this be true when we are persecuted for righteousness' sake. When we are thus abused we should not offer to submit to a repetition of the wrong in a daring manner, or one to excite hatred, or contempt, but meekly, and in the fear of God. To humbly suffer the repetition of a wrong rather than resent it, is frequently the duty of the Christian; but to offer or volunteer thus to suffer would not only be generally unnecessary, but wrong, as tending to excite the contempt and hatred of our persecutor.

The example of our Saviour when on mock trial before the Jewish Sanhedrim, is worthy of imitation by all his followers to the end of time. When blindfolded and spit upon, when mocked, when buffeted and scourged he answered not, nor resisted; thus fulfilling the pathetic prophecy of Isaiah: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." Isa. liii, 7.

And all this, and more, he suffered, because of our transgressions. O, heart of stone, relent! It is thy sin that hath crucified the son of God. But he lives again to wash away thy sin, if thou accept the terms of mercy.

But can man, in patience, and suffering affliction, follow in the footsteps of his Lord? A case to the point is before me. "You are a younger man than I am," said Jerrie Lee, a venerable preacher of the gospel, in the early days of Methodism, to a young man who had threatened to whip him. "You are strong and active, and I am old and feeble. I have no doubt but, if I were disposed to fight, you could whip me very easily; and it would be useless for me to resist; but as a man of God I must not strive. So as you are determined to whip me, if you will just wait, I will get out of my gig, and get down on my knees, and you may whip me as long as you please."

As the result his persecutor was convicted of sin, and sought and found peace in Christ.

Having noticed the first specification I pass to the second, which is found in the 40th verse: "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also."

It is generally wrong for the Christian to go to law at all. It were generally better to suffer considerable loss than to do so. From instances of which I have read, and others that have come under my own observation, I conclude that it is not only of moral and social, but of pecuniary advantage, to keep the faith of Jesus.

One example I will here give as illustrating this point: A minister to whom a farmer owed a debt which he agreed to pay in wheat, sent a note requesting the payment of the debt, as his family was in

want. The farmer sent a note to the minister in reply, saying he would never pay the debt unless sued at law on it. Whereupon the minister wrote a receipt in full for the debt, and sent it to the farmer, who, on receiving it, immediately paid the debt in wheat as he had agreed.

"But," says one, "suppose my neighbor, knowing my faith and practice, should seek by law to defraud me of all my property, should I never resist him?" I reply, Our property is the gift of God, and we are only stewards; we should defend it on all proper occasions; but in every case involving a suit at law we should move cautiously, and by advice of our brethren, and in the fear of God.

Perhaps in nearly every case it were a saving of cost to yield the point your opponent claims, and to pay his demands, unjust though they may be, rather than contend with him at law. And if you perceive that it will be for the glory of God, pay him more than he demands. Whatever loss you thus suffer for Christ's sake will be set to your account in Heaven, and at the resurrection of the just will be returned to you with usury.

The third specification is contained in the forty-first verse, and is of the same nature as that contained in the fortieth verse. The meaning no doubt is that when unjust demands are made upon us, and especially for Christ's sake, we should yield more than is claimed. What we are compelled to do, cannot of choice be avoided; but what we do more than is demanded is a free gift on our part, and the good thus returned for the evil we have suffered, may be as coals of fire upon our persecutor's head.

The last specification is found in the forty-second verse. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."

I believe that this command of Christ should in every point harmonize with the second great commandment, upon which, with the first, he declared, "hung all the law and the prophets," namely, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." It is not said that we are to love our neighbor more than ourself. The idea of asking alms supposes the existence of a necessity. Where no necessity exists no alms should be given.

"But," says one, "suppose necessity exists as the result of slothfulness, should I give in such a case?" Perhaps not, except to relieve present distress; for St. Paul says, "If any will not work neither shall he eat."

If we would have the blessing of God we must deal our bread to the hungry, bring the poor that are cast out to our houses, and cover the naked. There are objects enough of real distress to absorb all our means that it is proper to spare, and if we were to deal a share of our bounty to those who are too indolent to procure a subsistence for themselves it would be detrimental to those who are really in need, and hence wrong.

"Him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." "But," says one, "my neighbor wishes to borrow my plow which I want to use myself, should I unhitch my team and let him take it?" No; unless you can properly postpone your plowing. If you can, accomodate your neighbor, especially if he be a poor brother in Christ. "Says another, I am a mechanic, and one unskilled in the use of tools wishes to borrow of me." If you have no tools that you can safely trust him with, go, if possible, and do the work for him yourself, free of charge, or let him do some work for you in return. If the borrower has rights, so has also the lender. As a general rule no one has a right to borrow of another for the sake of saving expense to himself. And yet it is the duty of the Christian to lend, even though he be at times discommoded by so doing; and though he may never expect that his benevolence will be reciprocated. The Psalmist says of the righteous, "He is ever merciful, and lendeth;" "A good man showeth favor, and lendeth."

Our Saviour's language in Luke vi, 34, 35, is to the point: "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest."

There is a difference between borrowing and hiring, or exchanging articles. A farmer may have a team and no wagon; his neighbor may have a wagon and no team; they can agree together to use both team and wagon for their mutual benefit. Examples of such exchange might be greatly multiplied. The Christian, however, in all such cases, should carefully heed St. Paul's admonition in 2 Cor. vi, 14, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." The practice of habitual borrowing is a pernicious one, and should be avoided as much as possible by every Christian. The borrower often discommodes the lender; and few habitual borrowers are as careful of borrowed articles as of their own. The borrower, perhaps, cracks a spoke in a wheel of his neighbor's wagon, or loses a small bolt from some part of it; bends or cracks a hoe or spade; or does some other trifling damage. When the article is returned the damage is covered up as much as possible (the spoke perhaps is well covered with mud), and an "I'm much obliged to you" (?) is seemingly considered a full compensation for all damages. The lender is considered a very small man if he takes any notice of so slight damages, yet when these are often repeated by A B and C, the sum of such damages is an item of no small expense. Perhaps the first time he uses his wagon the wheel is crushed for want of the strength of the broken spoke.

To lend without hope of reward is thus far to keep the faith of Jesus; but to borrow without intending to pay, is to break the law of God, "Thou shalt not steal."

Let us who are striving to keep "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," see to it, that we fail not of the grace of God in this particular, that he may not be ashamed of us "when he shall come to be glorified in his saints." ADOLPHUS SMITH.

Lamont, Ottawa Co., Mich.

DEATH AND THE LAW.

By C. P. Whitford

From the Scriptures we learn two important facts: 1. That all must die, on account of Adam's transgression. 2. That all are to be made alive through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection. But says the objector, “Sin is the transgression of the law,” and the wages of sin is death,” or, “sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” If, as our objector would have it, the law holds us in death, and thus the wicked dead are never to have a resurrection from the grave, how can we avoid the conclusion that our actions in life, whether good or evil, have no bearing upon, or relation to, our existence hereafter? Our objector says the law holds us in the embrace of death, and we cannot escape from its dominion. The Saviour informs us that “all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John v, 28, 29. The objector admits the resurrection of those that “have done good;” but denies the resurrection of that class who “have done evil.” I think he cannot deny but that their first death is on account of Adam's transgression; and if such conclusion be legitimate and true, it necessarily follows that man is not a responsible, accountable being for his own actions, because the law holds him there, not for any evil on his part, but rather on account of the transgression of Adam. We think this view of the subject is incorrect, and conflicts with the plain declaration of the Scriptures where it expressly says “that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Acts xxiv, 15. “For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Christ] came also the resurrection of the dead.” 1 Cor. xv, 21. As death passed upon all on account of Adam's transgression, so life is given to all through the virtue of Christ's resurrection. How plain, simple, straightforward, and easy to be understood, is truth; while on the other hand, error is complicated, intricate and tortuous, leading us into confusion and folly; bewildering the intellect, and blinding the mind, so that we become unable readily to see and appreciate that which is true and good.

We would now call attention to the words of Jesus spoken to Martha. Hear them: “I am the resurrection, and the life.” John xi, 25. “For 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.” 1 Thess. iv, 16. “But the rest of the dead lived not again until.” Rev. xx, 5. We would stop here for a moment to inquire who constitute the “rest of the dead” spoken of in this text of Scripture. Is it possible that a part of the righteous dead are to be raised at the commencement of the thousand years, and the remainder at its expiration? Where is there evidence that such are the facts in the case? Would it not be a much surer, and more logical, conclusion to believe the apostle Paul, who says that there will be a resurrection both of the just and unjust, and that on such as come up in the first resurrection the second death shall have no power, “but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” At the expiration of the thousand years John says he “saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” In Rev. xx, 4, we read thus: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Here we have the testimony of John that all who had not received the mark of the beast, and those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, are with Christ one thousand years prior to the resurrection of those who had the mark of the beast, &c. These lived not again until the thousand years were finished. That class that were with Christ came up in the first resurrection, and on such, we learn, the second death shall have no power. If they have lived with Christ a thousand years, of course they have received their reward, and consequently no necessity of a judgment for them. “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished,” and this is the company that John saw before God, that were judged out of those things that were written in the books. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.” Rev. xx, 13. “This is the second death.” Rev. xx, 14. Here we find the ungodly dying the second death, not on account of Adam's transgression, but they have forfeited their right to eternal life on account of their own transgression of the law of God. The great truth is now experienced by them, that “The wages of sin is death.” Once they die on account of Adam's transgression. Again they live by virtue of Christ's death and resurrection. Then they die the second death on account of their own transgressions; while on the other hand the righteous receive the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

C. P. WHITFORD.

The Christian's Rewards.

Rejoice in God. Dry up those tears. Cast up those eyes that do now cast down look. Child of the dust, you are an heir of glory. There is a crown all burnished for you; there is a mansion all ready for you; there is a white robe prepared for you; there is eternal glory for you; angels are to be your servants, and you are to reign with the King of kings forever. But while you wait on earth be witnesses for God; attest the glory of your Master; rise in the greatness of his strength; bind sin captive to your chariot wheels; go onward in your heavenly career, and be as pure as your ascended Head is pure. Be active in works of mercy; be angels of light, be flames of fire; go on your mission of mercy. And may every one of you be able to say at last, “Here am I, and those which thou hast given me.”—Bishop Simpson.

Compassion for Afflicted Christians

THAT man who has no compassion for afflicted Christians may rest persuaded that God will have no compassion on him.

Continue reading: THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK OF DANIEL