Earlier text: Progress in RussiaThe Wicked Shall Not Prosper
“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. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
By Daniel H. Kress
To obtain the best definition of the word neighbor, we must appeal to the Bible. To the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.” After he had related this incident, Jesus inquired: “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?” The reply came, “He that showed mercy on him.” Then said Jesus, “Go, and do thou likewise.” To love our neighbor is to be compassionate and to show mercy; it is to put ourselves in his place, and then do for him just as we would like to be done by. This is the law and the prophets. The one who lives this, fulfils the requirements of the law, and he will hear the “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” To such it will be said: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” To no others but this class are the words addressed, “Come, ye blessed of my Father.” To all others, no matter what their profession may have been, or how high their official position, the words are spoken: “Depart from me, ye cursed: . . . for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” It is evident from this that only those who engage in personal ministry here on earth, have any assurance of the hereafter. Pure religion has not changed. For the believer it is still to visit the “fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” The work of Christ is in this incident represented by the work of the good Samaritan. He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. He went about ministering to the needs of mankind, helping those who had none to help. In his ministry he gave special attention to the most needy, those who were passed by by others as hopeless cases,—the leper; the palsied man; the man born blind; the woman who had a spirit of infirmity for many years, and had spent all she possessed upon physicians and remedies, only to grow worse; the helpless man at Bethesda, who said, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool.” These were the special objects of his compassion. He came to demonstrate what the grace of God could do. He delighted to bring hope to the hopeless. The Pharisees said of him, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” Because he went to the needy and the degraded, he was stigmatized as “a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” To this accusation Jesus replied, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” Among the professed people of God at that time, the general feeling prevailed that their special work was not to be in behalf of the outcasts and sinners. Their burden was to call the righteous and the worthy, out of other sects, and thus make up the subjects for God’s kingdom. In this work they were very active. They compassed land and sea to make a proselyte. But Jesus said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Where the greatest need existed, he found his work. “The work that I do shall ye do also,” Jesus said to his followers. For all time the work he did was to be the chief work of his church. It is the revival of this work in the church of Christ that will distinguish her in the world as a distinct church, as Christ’s church. It is for this reason so much has been said regarding the need of going not merely into the highways and among the better classes with the last message of mercy, but also into the hedges. All classes are to be reached and helped. This work we have failed in a great measure to do, and as a result the church is lacking in physical and spiritual life. “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?” God does not ask the members of his church to go about with heads bowed down like a bulrush, thus giving the impression to the world that the religion of Christ deprives of real joy and happiness. Ministering to others has a reviving and refining influence on the church. “Is it such a fast that I have chosen?” he asks. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?” “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.” Of the members of the church referred to in this chapter, it will sometime be said, “They love their neighbors as themselves.” The Gathering
By L. D. Santee
“Gather my saints together unto me.” Ps. 50:5. THEY are coming, the blood-washed millions,
From the north, the south, and the east;
And the west yields up its treasures,
As guests for the marriage feast,—
From the wash of the inland rivers,
From the shifting sands of the sea,
At the voice of the great Archangel
Their ashes shall gathered be. From many a grave neglected,
Where the weeds grow rank above;
From tombs, by their friends protected,
Where roses were strewn by love;
From lonely graves on the mountain,
And resting-place by the sea;
From mounds beneath the willow.
The saints shall gathered be. Whether but lately buried
Or sleepers for many years,
They will be by the angels carried
To a region unknown to tears.
They will rise from their dusty pillows,
Triumphant over death;
They will hail the joyful summons,
With love’s unquestioning faith. Their song of blest redemption
The angels can never sing;
And harps will throb with their praises
To the Prophet, Priest, and King.
All heaven will thrill with music
From those who will never die,
While their shouts shall render vocal
The gardens of the sky. When doubts the way would shadow,
And the “home of soul” looks dim,
We think how the Lord shall gather
The loved ones unto him;
We think how his hand shall banish
All grief and tears and pain,
And our faith in the coming kingdom
Grows strong and bright again. And while the world around us
Is toiling in paths of pain,
With vain and foolish fancies,
And hopes that are worse than vain,
We look for the coming glory
In the slowly lighting sky,
And we say, “Our King” is coming;
We shall see him by and by. The Prayer and Social Meeting
By Clarence Santee
It is impossible to have too much confidence in the power of earnest, heartfelt prayer. The most remarkable instances of the revealing of the power and nearness of God have been associated with the time of prayer. Peter and John went up into the temple to attend the regular prayer service, and the lame man was healed. Acts 3:1-8. While Christ was praying, the transfiguration took place, and Moses and Elijah appeared. Luke 9:28-30. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” Acts 4:31. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.” Acts 16:25, 26. The prison doors were opened, and all bands were loosed. There is a lesson in this, that all the bands of sin can be loosed through prayer. While Daniel prayed, the angel laid his hand upon him. After Christ was baptized, he kneeled upon the bank of the river and prayed. While praying, the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove descended upon him. Luke 3:21, 22. This was the anointing for his life-work. Acts 10:38. Of that wonderful prayer it is said, “Never before had angels listened to such a prayer as Christ offered at his baptism.”—Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. II, pages 60, 61. Prayer does not always bring deliverance; instead, it often brings grace to bear affliction. 2 Cor. 12:8, 9, is an instance of this. In the garden Christ prayed with an earnestness that brought drops of blood from the pores of his skin. The cup was not removed, but an angel from heaven brought the strength to drink the cup. The Lord has given us the privilege of prayer; and we should remember that when we join in the prayer service, we are in a special sense near to the power of God and heavenly beings. This being so, we should choose our words with great care. The Spirit says, “God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Eccl. 5:2. I find another caution in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IV, pages 70, 71: “Those who are most superficial generally have the most to say. Their prayers are long and mechanical. They weary the angels and the people who listen to them. Our prayers should be short and right to the point.” “When in the house of God, we should pray for a present blessing, and should expect God to hear and answer our prayers.”—Id., Vol. I, page 146. “If all moved as they should, no precious time would run to waste, and no reproofs would be needed for long prayers and exhortations; all the time would be occupied by short, pointed testimonies and prayers. Ask, believe, and receive.”—Early Writings, Supplement, page 29. Following the prayer service, we usually have a social service in which all can speak of the goodness of God, and their present blessings. We believe that a mistake is often made in the social meeting by many, in thinking that they must have a short lesson to add to the one given by the leader. Usually that given by the leader has been sufficiently long, and at times partakes of the nature of a sermon, which is not best for the meeting save in exceptional cases. One may give a short or a long talk in which are good thoughts and Bible truths, but the present experience of the individual is entirely, or in great measure, left out. Why? Is there no present Christian experience that could be given in the place of that subject chosen for a theme? Are there no blessings remembered that call for gratitude and acknowledgment? If there are, their recital will use all the time that should be used by one. Even then the recital should bring up only present blessings as sources of encouragement, and not old experiences carried in the memory from other days. Those are stored in our memories by the Lord, for our own encouragement, while the present experience is the one which gives courage to others. There are times when this may be varied, but I am speaking of the usual social meeting. I am persuaded that where there is a present experience of Christian growth, it will be the most encouraging topic for every listener. A student once said to me, “If I could only think of something interesting to say like ——, I would be willing to speak; but all I can say is my own experience, and no one would care to hear that.” I told him that his experience would be more interesting to others than all the truths he might put together in a talk, with that experience left out. As long as members give short testimonies of present experiences, whether of defeat or victories, longing to glorify God, all will be awake; but when two or three follow each other with a burden to teach others the way, a long step has been taken toward killing the spiritual power of the meeting. “That reminds me” is an old saying, and many a testimony is given upon some thought suggested by some other person, and with no reference to a present experience or an individual need. This is wearisome to men, and can not be less so to angels. The idea that a social meeting is intended for an instruction meeting, is a grave mistake. This part of the meeting is preeminently one for thanksgiving. It was so represented in ancient times among the offerings of the Lord. With this thought retained, the necessity for cautions in regard to long testimonies, which so often crowd out others that would be given, will not exist. How precious the service when each one present quickly acts a part, using the least time possible in which to tell of the present courage, hope, and joy, or, sometimes, it may be of clouds, then yielding the time to others, lest having used more than a just portion, others might be excluded from a part in the blessing. Persons who are of mature years, or who are becoming aged, may sometimes enjoy a long argument based upon some portion of Scripture, in the place of the short, direct testimony of present blessings, but the younger portion of the congregation is not fed, and the meeting has not accomplished that which the Lord intended; and even with the older ones, there may be a fostering of a spirit that does not need cultivation as much as does the spirit of warm, tender, present helpfulness and labor. The Meek
By H. E. Sawyer-Hopkins
“BLESSED are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” It was such a spirit, a willingness to be taught, that one of Christ’s chosen disciples possessed; every word that the Master imparted to the disciples was eagerly received and cherished by Matthew. Though a man of wealth, he was ready to make any sacrifice for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. He had a heart full of love for the Saviour, whose teachings had great attractions for him; and when Jesus said, “Follow me,” he willingly did so, although he felt it was an undeserved honor conferred upon him. To be in his presence was the disciple’s delight; he gladly listened to his words of wisdom and beheld his wonderful works. Is not this a lesson for the true child of God in this present age? While forming a character for a home in the new earth, we should not only willingly listen to words of wisdom to fit us for that future home, but carefully treasure them up in our hearts and carry them out in our daily lives, without murmuring or doubting, saying with the sweet singer of Israel, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” May these beautiful words find a ready response in the heart of every humble disciple of the meek and lowly Jesus: “If we possess the humility of the Master, we shall rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances to which we are daily exposed, and they will cease to cast a gloom over the spirit.” “Lowliness of heart is the strength that gives victory to the followers of Christ.” “WHEN thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” Tempted as We Are
By F. M. W.
The ground of our assurance in coming to the Lord Jesus is the fact that he took upon himself the nature of man, and in this human form conquered Satan, thus bridging the gulf which sin had made between God and humanity. Going through this experience in behalf of the lost race, he became a perfect Saviour. He became identified with man in all of his trials and temptations. “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” In consequence, the apostle concludes, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We may not fully understand in just what way Christ was “in all points tempted like as we are.” We may not be able to make application of this truth to the details of the various trials and temptations through which mankind passes. We may, however, accept through faith this statement of fact as a blessed truth. And believing it, we shall be drawn closer to the Saviour, and shall be able to experience much more of his keeping power in the trials that come to us. It is comforting indeed when passing through trying experiences to realize that there is a true and tried friend who has gone the way before us, who knows by his own experience how we feel. Are we tired and weary? He himself, through his earthly pilgrimage, experienced weariness in the extreme degree. Do we experience nerve tension, and feel sometimes that we have reached the breaking point, that we can not possibly endure more? Christ experienced all this. He knew what it was to be hungry and thirsty. He knew what it was to be deserted by his dearest friends, to be the object of ridicule and scorn, to have his name cast out as evil, to have imputed to him selfish and sinister motives. If we would only remember this when passing through similar trials, and come boldly to the throne of grace, there to find the needed help and strength, we should then realize the blessedness of this great truth of Christ’s temptation and sympathy of which the Scriptures assure us. Christ was sorely and severely tempted, to a degree and to an extent which no other human being ever experienced, yet he endured all this without sin. Not once did he yield to the tempter’s power. In every conflict he was victorious. With a mind stayed upon God, with trust in the love and power of his Heavenly Father, he resisted at every turn the attacks of the enemy. And in addition to the sympathy which he affords us in times of trial, he likewise bequeaths to us this heritage of victory over sin. As he took hold of divine power, it is our privilege to do the same. The resources open to his demand are open to our demand. It is comforting to a struggling child of God to learn, in reading the Bible story, that not only did Christ succeed in his conflict with the great adversary, but that in every age of the world’s history others also, through his help, have succeeded in that conflict. We have only to look back to such men as Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, and many others to find men who, though weak by nature like ourselves, through divine grace became mighty in behalf of righteousness, notwithstanding all the assaults of the adversary. And of such men the record is that they were “subject to like passions as we are.” James 5:17. While this is predicated of Elijah, it is likewise true of the men and women of God in every age. By God’s grace passions were subdued, sins were overcome, and character was developed that stood the test of Heaven. What assurance the record of these and other worthies gives us to-day! Do we sometimes fail? Do we have to retrace our steps, confess our wrongs? Men in the past who lived on this earth as we are now living to-day, who worshiped the same God, who fought the same enemy, had the same human frailties in their natures. They fought, and were sometimes vanquished in their struggles. They sometimes failed, but through the mercy of God and heavenly grace they came off victors in and through the blood of the same blessed Saviour who to-day is our faithful and merciful high priest. Victory in the Christian warfare is not dependent upon noble ancestry, good birth, or earthly station. It depends upon the operation of God’s marvelous grace in a subject willing to submit to him and to be molded by the Holy Spirit. Amos was a humble herdsman. David was a shepherd boy. The apostles were fishermen, men of humble calling, in their natural make-up possessing evil traits, bad dispositions, and many wrong tendencies. But by submission to God, by casting themselves upon his mercy and permitting his grace to rule and reign in their lives, they became the mighty agents of divine power for the accomplishment of a great work in the world. Dear reader, God is willing to accomplish all this for you. He may not, in his providence, call you or me to the kingship; we may never become great apostles; we may never speak with prophets’ tongues; but there may be seen in our experiences the working of the same divine power, the same miraculous transformation of divine grace, that10was seen in the lives of these men of old. Have we failed in the past? The failure has not been because God’s hand was shortened, or his ear heavy. The failure has been through lack of submission on our part, through resistance to the divine working. Let us renew our consecration, casting ourselves at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, asking him to change our hearts, and work in and through us according to his own good pleasure. Our appeal for divine succor will not be in vain. The cry of helplessness will be heard. Trusting faith will bring a response from him who has identified himself with us as our brother. Through his grace we may come off more than conquerors. Made Like Unto His Brethren
“For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me.” “Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to naught him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham.” “Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” “Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need.” Heb. 2:10-18; 4:14-16, A. R. V. To Our Speakers and Writers
By W. W. P.
WE desire to impress upon the minds of those who write and speak upon topics relating to the controversy with Rome, that it is very necessary to use only accurate quotations, and in every case to give such a reference as will make it possible to trace the quotation to its source and prove its reliability. There are many garbled citations that have been handed down from one writer to another, and other paragraphs purporting to be the utterances of various persons, or to be extracts from publications more or less well known, but all dates and places are omitted in the credits given. Such omissions render the quotations absolutely valueless as testimony concerning the doctrines or actions of the papal hierarchy. In our attempt to verify some such statements, we have found that quite a number of them can not be rightfully used, as they either do not fairly represent the Roman position, or are the views of Protestants based upon the declarations of Roman writers, rather than the exact words of the writers themselves. As a sample of this kind of quotation, we call attention to one which appears, with some variations, substantially as follows: “The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ.” This is sometimes credited to Pope Nicholas, and one reference is Decretal de Translat. Episcop. Cap. This abbreviated reference given in full would read, Decretal de Translatione Episcoporum, Caput, which may be rendered thus: “Decretal Concerning the Transference of Bishops, Chapter,” but the number of the chapter is omitted. It makes little difference which reference is given to this citation, as neither is correct, and the statement was made by a Protestant writer who based his view upon the general tenor of Roman Catholic documents. The controversy with Rome is rapidly growing more and more intense, and representatives of Roman Catholic interests are watching carefully for any errors committed by Protestant writers and speakers, and are quick to note them and to deal with them. A recent case will illustrate this: A correspondent of a Philadelphia paper wrote at some length on the opposition of the papal hierarchy to the public-school system, using a long list of quotations to establish his position. Immediately upon the appearance of this article a leading Roman Catholic paper took up the matter in the following fashion:— The reverend gentleman seems to be the possessor of a stock of childlike simplicity that would do credit to Ah Sin, the heathen Chinee, judging from the character of the “proofs” he now offers in the organ of his sort of wisdom. Here are a few specimens of his artlessness:— “The public-school system is a swindle on the people and an outrage on justice, a foul disgrace on the matter of morals, and should be abolished forthwith.—The Tablet, Freeman’s Journal.” “These public schools are a devouring fire and pits of destruction. They ought to go back to the devil from whence they came.—Freeman’s Journal.” “The public school is a national fraud; it must cease to exist, and the day will come when it will cease to exist.—Sermon by Father McCarthy, Dec. 23, 1887.” Father McCarthy of where? “The public schools have produced nothing but a godless generation of thieves and blackguards.—Priest Schauer.” Priest Schauer of where? Also date of speech wanted. “Unless you suppress the public-school system as at present conducted, it will prove the damnation of the country.—Father Walker.” Date and locality needed. “Catholic parents who send their children to the so-called public schools are guilty of mortal sin.—Rev. Dr. Frul.” Date and locality needed. Also, who is Rev. Dr. Frul? “When I see them drag from me the children, the poor little children, and give them an infidel education, it breaks my heart.—Pope Pius IX.” “The common-school system of the United States is the worst in the world.—Cardinal Manning.” Where was this said or printed? When these are the kind of proofs that the Rev. — coolly asks us to accept, we feel sorry that we have wasted our time in looking over them, but shall not repeat such a mistake. Instances have also come to our knowledge where some of our own workers have been brought into very embarrassing positions by having some quotations that they used in their arguments proved to be either garbled or without any foundation whatever; and we have noticed a goodly number of cases where this might have been done, if any one had taken it upon himself to challenge the citations used. Great care is exercised in verifying citations of this character which appear in the Protestant Magazine, and our intention is to make it a repository for reliable material of this kind. We shall, therefore, esteem it a favor if any one who detects any error of this kind will bring it to our attention. One who is sure that he is on the side of truth can afford to be fair, and even generous, in any controversy with those who differ from him, and Protestants who charge Rome with deception and with the perversion of the truth, ought not to give the least occasion for just criticism concerning their fairness or the absolute truthfulness and reliability of their statements. Building New Babels
By C. M. S.
The lesson of the Babel tower has gone unheeded as far as the larger portion of humanity is concerned. That was a human plan for salvation. In smiting the top of that tower and dispersing its builders, God taught the world that human plans for accomplishing a divine purpose are worse than useless. Every general, when he goes into battle, has his own plan of campaign. The plans of all others must conform to his; they must not be used unless they are a part of his plans. Anything else would bring confusion and disaster, and would not be tolerated for a moment. All men recognize the wisdom of this arrangement in earthly affairs, and expect to conform to that condition when working for another. In spiritual affairs, however, we find many and great departures from that principle. It certainly is not unreasonable to suppose that the Saviour of the world has his own plan of salvation; yet how many ways have been invented by human beings for obtaining salvation, all of which are worse than useless! If there is a plan of salvation, it is one plan; it is God’s plan, and not men’s. God will save men according to his plan, not theirs. That plan is revealed in God’s Word, and plainly revealed; and, foreseeing that men would invent ways of their own for seeking salvation, Christ declared, “Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” All human plans of salvation are such plants. They can accomplish nothing; they will be rooted up; they will carry to ruin those who have trusted in them in preference to the one plan of the Lord himself for saving men. Men are to-day ignoring the inspired plans of God, and are trusting in their own11in spite of his plain warning: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Ps. 146: 3. Some have even gone so far as to worship man; to pronounce him his own savior, encouraging him to look within himself for help and strength and salvation. Of this nature, too, are the cults and philosophies that are multiplying so rapidly at the present time. Under the glamour of human “knowledge” and “civilization,” men have gone farther and farther from God, turning to fables, philosophies, and traditions, and trusting in them. Everything that is outside the plan of God will perish. Human plans are outside the plans of God, and will perish when he brings again the harmony that sin has marred. The antediluvians trusted in themselves rather than in God, and the flood came and swept them all away. The postdiluvians built a tower to save themselves from future floods, forgetting the promise of God that he would not again destroy the earth by a flood. So their Bab-ilu—“gate of heaven”—God turned into Babel—“confusion,” and he scattered to the four corners of the earth those who trusted in that human plan for salvation. The Jews finally came to put their trust in the cold forms of their temple worship. They forsook Him to whom the temple and its services pointed, and crucified him, and then God declared, “Your house is left unto you desolate,” and he rent the temple veil, and permitted heathen hands to destroy the temple in which they trusted. Now the world is alive with human schemes for men to put their trust in, in preference to the God of our salvation. But they can not bring salvation; for there is no savior in them. They are simply Babels of modern make. We have condemned the heathen for trusting in their idols; but the inhabitants of enlightened and civilized lands are no better than the idol-worshiping heathen if they trust their souls’ eternal welfare to some human scheme, and turn their backs upon the plan of salvation that God himself has devised and guaranteed. Now, when the world is full of philosophies and substitutes for God’s plan, it is time for us to make known and make prominent God’s purpose and plan. With one great religious denomination, which numbers its adherents at over two hundred millions, denying the Word of God to its members, and with the leaven of the infidelity of Higher Criticism eating like a cancer at the vitals of many of the other denominations, we can not be too earnest or too industrious in proclaiming to the world God’s last message of warning and of mercy. That message sets God before the people as the Bible reveals him, makes known his plan, in which there is assurance of victory and certainty of salvation, as against every plan of the human, every Babel tower of unbelief, in which there is certainty of nothing but disappointment, disaster, and death. The one is a plain message, unadorned, but savoring of life unto life. The other is filled with all the intricacies of the mysteries of iniquity, gaudy with the trappings of ostentatious display, but, like the whitened sepulchers of old, filled with dead men’s bones, and savoring of death unto death. When the gates of the eternal city are about to swing open for the procession of the redeemed to enter in, it is well for the world that God declares his last message of warning and preparation in no uncertain language. That he has done in the third angel’s message; and with the responsibility for its proclamation we are charged. No such tremendous responsibility was ever placed upon any people in this world, and therefore none were ever so favored. While the people of this world are building Babel towers to be consumed—with their builders—in the fires of the last day, to us is given a message that will save not only those who give it, but those who receive it; in truth, an ark of safety that will save unto life eternal those who accept it. Soon the fires of God will wrap this world in their fierce embrace, and all that is mortal and earthly will be burned to ashes. Human plans will be forgotten, human glory will be seared like a charred leaf, human greed will pitch its hoardings to the moles and the bats, human strifes will vanish in the horror of impending judgment, human towers of hope will be forsaken, for “the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?” Thank God, he has made it possible for men to stand even in that time. The way of escape has been provided. Under the shadow of the wing of the Almighty there is safety. It is even the time of trouble that is drawing nigh; but God has promised that his faithful shall be saved out of it. And they will not only be standing loyally for God and his truth in that time, but will be sounding the warning broadcast to a doomed world. That is our work, and whether we are deemed worthy of a place among God’s people on that day will depend upon how faithfully we have performed it.