Signs of the Times, Vol. 6, No. 15. (4/15/1880)

Signs of the Times

Apr 15, 1880

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1880

General Articles.

By Mrs. E. G. White

JOURNEYINGS OF THE ISRAELITES.

BY MRS. E. G. WHITE.

WHILE wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel were preserved by a continual miracle of divine mercy in the falling of the manna. In the morning they were to go out and gather food for the day,—an omer for every person. They were commanded not to let any of this remain until the morning; nevertheless, some of them did attempt to keep a supply until the next day; but it bred worms and became offensive.

On the sixth day, it was found that a double quantity had been deposited, and the people gathered two omers for every person. When the rulers saw what they were doing, they hastened to acquaint Moses of this apparent violation of his directions; but his answer was, “This is that which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over, lay up for you, to be kept until the morning.” They did so, and found that it remained unchanged. And Moses said, “Eat that to-day, for to-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord. To-day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.”

The Lord is no less particular now in regard to his Sabbath, than when he gave the foregoing special directions to the children of Israel. He required them to bake that which they would bake, and seethe (that is, boil) that which they would seethe, on the sixth day, preparatory to the rest of the Sabbath. Those who neglect to make suitable preparation on the sixth day for the Sabbath, violate the fourth commandment, and are transgressors of God’s law. In his instructions to the Israelites, God forbade baking and boiling upon the Sabbath. That prohibition should be regarded by all Sabbath-keepers, as a solemn injunction from Jehovah to them. The Lord would guard his people from indulging in gluttony upon the Sabbath, which he has set apart for sacred meditation and worship.

The Sabbath of the Lord is a day of rest from labor, and the diet should then be more simple, and a less quantity should

be taken, than upon the six working days. Many have erred in failing to practice self-denial upon the Sabbath. They partake of full meals, as on the six laboring days, and as a consequence, their minds are beclouded, they are stupid and drowsy, and often suffer with headache. In this condition they can have no truly devotional feelings, and the blessing resting upon the Sabbath, does not prove a blessing to them. The sick and suffering require care and attention upon the Sabbath as well as upon other days of the week; and it may be necessary for their comfort to prepare warm food and drinks. In such instances, it is no violation of the fourth commandment to make them as comfortable as possible. The great Lawgiver is a God of compassion as well as of justice.

God manifested his great care and love for his people in sending them bread from heaven. “Man did eat angels’ food,” that is, food provided for them by the angels. The three-fold miracle of the manna—a double quantity on the sixth day, and none upon the seventh, and its keeping fresh through the Sabbath, while upon other days it would become unfit for use—was designed to impress the Israelites with the sacredness of the Sabbath. After they were abundantly supplied with food, they were ashamed of their unbelief and murmurings, and promised to trust the Lord for the future; but they soon forgot their promise, and failed at the first trial of their faith.

After leaving the wilderness of Sin, the children of Israel encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water. Again they distrusted the providence of God, and such was their blindness and presumption that they now came boldly up to Moses with the demand, “Give us water, that we may drink!” His patience failed not. “Why chide ye with me?” he said, “Wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?” “Wherefore is this,” they cried, “that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”

Thus they began again to reason from the promptings of their own natural heart. The pillar of cloud seemed to them a fearful mystery, and as to that man Moses, who was he, and what object had he in attempting to lead them out of Egypt? They even accused him of designing to kill them and their children with privations and hardships, and then enriching himself with their possessions. But Moses prayed earnestly, and the Lord directed him to take the elders of Israel, and the rod wherewith he smote the river, and to go on before the people. And “Behold,” says the Lord, “I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink.” He did so, and the water gushed out in such abundance as to satisfy their thirst.

The cloud of glory rested directly before the rock. Had that cloud been removed, the people would have been destroyed by the brightness of the glory. Christ would have been revealed in his glorious form standing by the rock. But as it was, the glory of the Lord was seen by all the congregation who stood at a distance.

Here we see the matchless mercy of Jesus Christ displayed. Instead of commanding Moses to lift up his rod and call down some terrible plague upon the wicked leaders in this murmuring, as he had done upon the Egyptian leaders, he was simply told to take some of the leading men of Israel to be eye-witnesses of a miracle which Christ himself would perform for their deliverance.

It was Moses who “clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths,” who “brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.” It was he who smote the rock, but it was Christ who stood beside him and caused the life-giving water to flow.

In their thirst, the people had tempted God, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?” If God has brought us here, why does he not give us water as well as bread? That if showed criminal unbelief, and Moses feared that the judgments of God would rest upon them for their sin. And he called the name of the place Massah, temptation, and Meribah, chiding, as a memorial of their wicked murmurings.

God directed the children of Israel to encamp in that place, where there was no water, to prove them, to see if they would look to him in their distress, or murmur as they had previously done. They should have known that he would not permit those to perish with thirst, whom he had promised to take unto himself as his people. But instead of humbly entreating the Lord to provide for their necessity, they murmured against Moses, and demanded of him, water. God had been continually manifesting his power before them in a wonderful manner, to make them understand that all the benefits which they received came from him; that he could give them, or remove them, according to his own will. At times they had a full sense of this, and humbled themselves greatly before the Lord; but when brought into straight places they charged all their troubles upon Moses, as though they had left Egypt to please him.

Had not the Lord been slow to anger, and mercifully considerate of the ignorance and weakness of the children of Israel, he would have destroyed them in his wrath. He exercises the same pitying tenderness toward modern Israel. But we are less excusable than was ancient Israel. We have had every opportunity to elevate and ennoble our characters, which they did not have. We also have their history, recorded that we may shun their example of unbelief and impatient murmuring and rebellion.

Had they reformed and become obedient to God’s commandments, he would have established them in the land of Canaan, a holy and happy people, without a feeble one in all their ranks. But their lack of faith called down upon them the just displeasure of God; and so it will upon us in these last days if we do not trust God any further than we can see. We should seek God in prayer; constant, earnest, heartfelt, prayer. He will reward all who diligently seek him, for he has told us that the fervent, effectual prayer of the righteous availeth much.

The children of Israel tarried some time in this pleasant spot where there was plenty of water. The Amalekites, a tribe inhabiting that part of the country through which they were passing, became greatly disturbed by this. They felt that their territory had been invaded by this immense number of people, and they now came out to make war against them. Moses therefore directed Joshua to choose out soldiers and take them on the morrow to give battle with the enemy, while he himself would stand upon an eminence near by, with the rod of God in his hand. Accordingly, the next day Moses and Aaron and Hur took their position on the top of an adjoining hill, while Joshua and his company attacked the foe.

As the battle progressed, it was found that while Moses held up his hands toward heaven, entreating help from God, Israel prevailed; but when, through weariness, they were lowered, the enemy was victorious. Aaron and Hur stayed up the arms of Moses, and so, through the rest of that day, success was with the Israelites, and at its close the enemy was put to flight.

This act of Moses, in reaching up his hands toward heaven, was to teach Israel that while they made God their trust, and exalted his throne, he would fight for them, and subdue their enemies. But when they should let go their hold upon his strength, and should trust to their own power, they would be even weaker than those who had not the knowledge of God, and their enemies would prevail against them. Then “Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi; for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” If the children of Israel had not murmured against the Lord, he would not have suffered their enemies to make war with them.

Before Moses reached Egypt on his mission to deliver the Israelites, he had, as we have seen, sent his wife Zipporah and her sons back to her father’s house. When Jethro heard of the deliverance of the Hebrews, he visited Moses in the wilderness, and brought to him his wife and children. On learning of their approach, the great leader went out to welcome them, and after the first greetings and salutations had been exchanged, he conducted them to his tent. Here he related all the wonderful dealings of God with Israel. Jethro rejoiced, and blessed the Lord in words that show the devoutness of his heart, and having offered sacrifices to God, he made a feast to the elders of Israel.

Jethro’s discerning eye soon saw that the burdens upon Moses were very great, as the people brought all their matters of difficulty to him, and he instructed them in regard to the statutes and law of God. He therefore counseled Moses to select proper persons and put them as rulers over thousands, also others over hundreds, and again others over tens. The men chosen for these important positions were to be “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.” The most difficult cases were to be brought before Moses, who was to be to the people, said Jethro, “to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God. And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.”

This advice was followed, and not only was Moses relieved of too heavy a burden, but more perfect order was established among the people. “And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.”

The leader of Israel was not above receiving instruction from his father-in-law. The Lord had greatly exalted Moses, and had wrought wonders by his hand; yet he did not conclude that because God had chosen him to instruct others, he needed not to be instructed. He gladly listened to the suggestions of Jethro, and adopted his plan as a wise arrangement.

THE COMING CONQUEROR.

By Bishop Heber

AND who is he, the vast, the awful form, Girt with the whirlwind, sandaled with the storm! A western cloud around his limbs is spread, His crown a rainbow, and the sun his head. To highest heaven he lifts his kingly hand, And treads at once the ocean and the land. And hark! his voice, amidst the thunder's roar, His dreadful voice, that time shall be no more. Lo! thrones are set, and every saint is there; Lo! cherub hands the golden courts prepare, Earth's utmost bounds confess their awful sway, The mountains worship, and the isles obey; Nor sun nor moon they need, nor day nor night, God is their temple, and the Lamb their light. And shall not Israel's sons exulting come, Hail the glad beam and claim their ancient Some? On David's throne shall David's offspring reign, And the dry bones be warmed with life again. Hark! white-robed crowds their deep hosannas raise, And the hoarse floods resound the sound of praise. Ten thousand harps attune the mystic song, Ten thousand thousand saints the strain prolong— Worthy the Lamb, omnipotent to save, Who died, who lives triumphant o'er the grave! —Bishop Heber.

UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.

By Elder U. Smith

BY ELDER U. SMITH.

THE MARK OF THE BEAST.

The principal acts ascribed to the two-horned beast, which seemed to be performed with special reference to the papal beast, are, the causing of men to worship that beast, causing them to make an image to that beast, and enforcing upon them the mark of the beast. The image, after it is created and endowed with life, undertakes to enforce the worship of itself. To avoid confusion, we must keep these parties distinct in our minds. There are three here brought before us: 1. The papal beast. This power is designated as “beast,” “the first beast,” “the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live,” and, the “beast whose deadly wound was healed.” These expressions all refer to the same power; and wherever they occur in this prophecy, they have exclusive reference to the papacy. 2. The two-horned beast. This power after its introduction in verse 11, is represented through the remainder of the prophecy by the pronoun “he;” and wherever this pronoun occurs, down to the 17th verse (with possibly the exception of the 16th verse, which perhaps may refer to the image), it refers invariably to the two-horned beast. 3. The image of the beast. This is, every time, with the exception just stated, called the image; so that there is no danger of confounding this with any other agent.

The acts ascribed to the image, are speaking, and enforcing the worship of itself under the penalty of death; and this is the only enactment which the prophecy mentions as enforced under the death penalty. Just what will constitute this worship, it will perhaps be impossible to determine till the image itself shall have an existence. It will evidently be some act or acts by which men will be required to acknowledge the authority of that image and yield obedience to its mandates.

The mark of the beast is enforced by the two-horned beast, either directly or through the image. The penalty attached to a refusal to receive this mark is a forfeiture of all social privileges, a deprivation of the right to buy and sell. The mark is the mark of the papal beast. Against this worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark, the third angel’s message of Rev. 14:9–12, is a most solemn and thrilling warning.

Here, then, is the issue before us. Human organizations, controlled and inspired by the spirit of the dragon, are to command men to do those acts which are in reality the worshiping of an apostate religious power, and the receiving of his mark, or lose the rights of citizenship and become outlaws in the land; and to do that which constitutes the worship of the image of the beast, or forfeit their lives. On the other hand, God says, by a message mercifully sent out a little before the fearful crisis is upon us, Do any of these things, and you “shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” He who refuses to comply with these demands of earthly powers, exposes himself to the severest penalties which human beings can inflict; and he who does comply, exposes himself to the most terrible threatening of divine wrath to be found in the word of God. The question whether we will obey God or man, is to be decided by the people of the present age, under the heaviest pressure, from either side, that has ever been brought to bear upon any generation.

The worship of the beast and his image, and the reception of his mark, must be something that involves the greatest offense that can be committed against God, to call down so severe a denunciation of wrath against it. This is a work, as has been already shown, which takes place in the last days; and as God has given us in his word most abundant evidence to show when we are in the last days, so that no one need to be overtaken by the day of the Lord as by a thief, so likewise it must be that he has given us the means whereby we may determine what this great latter-day sin is which he has so strongly condemned, that we may avoid the fearful penalty so sure to follow its commission. God does so trifle with human hopes and human destinies as to denounce a most fearful doom against a certain sin, and then place it out of our power to understand what that sin is, so that we have no means of guarding against it.

That we are now living in the last days, the volumes both of revelation and nature bear ample and harmonious testimony. Evidence on this point we need not here stop to introduce; for the testimony already presented in the foregoing articles of this series, showing that the two-horned beast is now on the stage of action, is in itself conclusive proof of this great fact, inasmuch as the power exists and performs its work in the very closing period of human history. All these things tell us that the time has now come for the proclamation of the third message of Rev. 14 to be given, and for men to understand the terms which it uses, and the warning it gives.

We therefore now call attention to the very important inquiry, What constitutes the mark of the beast? The figure of a mark is borrowed from an ancient custom. Says Bp. Newton, (Dissertations on the Prophecies, vol. 3, p. 241):—

“It was customary among the ancients for servants to receive the mark of their master, and soldiers of their general, and those who were devoted to any particular deity, of the particular deity to whom they were devoted. These marks were usually impressed on their right hand, or on their foreheads, and consisted of some hieroglyphic character, or of the name expressed in vulgar letters, or of the name disguised in numerical letters, according to the fancy of the imposer.”

Prideaux says that Ptolemy Philopater ordered all the Jews who applied to be enrolled as citizens of Alexandria, to have the form of an ivy leaf (the badge of his god, Bacchus) impressed upon them with a hot iron, under pain of death.—Connection, vol. 2, p. 78.

The word used for mark in this prophecy is haragma, and is defined to mean, “a graving, sculpture, a mark cut in or stamped.” It occurs nine times in the New Testament, and with the single exception of Acts 17:29, refers every time to the mark of the beast. We are not, of course, to understand in this symbolic prophecy, that a literal mark is intended; but the giving of the literal mark, as practiced in ancient times, is used as a figure to illustrate certain acts that will be performed in the fulfillment of this prophecy. And from the literal mark as formerly employed, we learn something of its meaning as used in the prophecy; for between the symbol and the thing symbolized, there must be some resemblance. The mark, as literally used, signified that the person receiving it was the servant of, acknowledged the authority of, or professed allegiance to, the person whose mark he bore. So the mark of the beast, or the papacy, must be some act or profession by which the authority of that power is acknowledged. What is it?

It would be naturally looked for in some of the special characteristics of the papal power. Daniel, describing that power under the symbol of a little horn, speaks of it as waging a special warfare against God, wearing out the saints of the Most High, and thinking to change times and laws. The prophet expressly specifies on this point: “He shall think to change times and laws.” These laws must certainly be the laws of the Most High. To apply it to human laws, and make the prophecy read, “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change human laws,” would be doing evident violence to the language of the prophet. But to apply it to the laws of God, and let it read, “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and laws of the Most High”—then all is consistent and forcible. The Septuagint reads, nomos, in the singular, “the law,” which more directly suggests the law of God. So far as human laws are concerned, the papacy has been able to do more than merely “think” to change them. It has been able to change them at pleasure. It has annulled the decrees of kings and emperors, and absolved subjects from allegiance to their rightful sovereigns. It has thrust its long arms into the affairs of nations, and brought rulers to its feet in the most abject humility. But the prophet beholds greater acts of presumption than these. He sees it endeavor to do what it was not able to do, but could only think to do; he sees it attempt an act which no man, nor any combination of men, can ever accomplish; and that is, to change the law of the Most High. Bear this in mind while we look at the testimony of another sacred writer on this very point.

Paul speaks of the same power in 2 Thess. 2; and he describes it in the person of the pope, as the man of sin, and as sitting as God in the temple of God (that is, the church), and as exalting himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped. According to this, the pope sets himself up as the one for all the church to look to for authority, in the place of God. And now we ask the reader to ponder carefully the question how he can exalt himself above God. Search through the whole range of human devices; go to the extent of human effort; by what plan, by what move, by what claim, could this usurper exalt himself above God? He might institute any number of ceremonies, he might prescribe any form of worship, be might exhibit any degree of power; but so long as God had requirements which the people felt bound to regard in preference to his own, so long he would not be above God. He might enact a law and teach the people that they were under as great obligations to that as to the law of God. Then he would only make himself equal with God. But he is to do more than this: he is to attempt to raise himself above him. Then he must promulgate a law which conflicts with the law of God, and demand obedience to his own in preference to God’s. There is no other possible way in which he could place himself in the position assigned in the prophecy. But this is simply to change the law of God; and if he can cause this change to be adopted by the people in place of the original enactment, then he, the law-changer, is above God, the law-maker. And this is the very work that Daniel said he should think to do.

(To be Continued.)

Sweet Experiences in Affliction

In times of affliction we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God.

THE TWO COVENANTS.

By John G. Matteson

BY ELD. J. G. MATTESON.

(Continued.)

1. Points wherein the new covenant is like and unlike the old. We can now compare the two covenants, and will present some points wherein they are alike, and some things wherein they differ from each other:-

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COVENANT.

THE OLD COVENANT.	THE NEW COVENANT.
The old covenant was established by the Lord.	The new covenant is also established by the great God.
It was made voluntarily, without compulsion.	It is a voluntary agreement.
It was made with the house of Israel.	It was also established with the house of Israel.
It was brought about by a mediator.	It cannot be entered into without a mediator.
It was founded upon obedience to the commandments of God.	It is also made on the condition of loving the law of the Lord.
It brought great advantages to all its members.	It brings great blessings to all who enter it.
It was sealed with blood, and was thenceforth of force, until the shadow reached the reality.	It was sealed with blood, and is of force ever since.
It could not be changed after it was sealed.	It cannot be changed, nor anything added thereto after it is confirmed. Gal. 3:15; Heb. 9:17.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COVENANT.

THE OLD COVENANT.	THE NEW COVENANT.
The old covenant was made with the believing and unbelieving Jews, without any distinction.	The new covenant is made with those alone out of the house of Israel who have the law of God written in their hearts, and know the Lord.
It demanded outward circumcision in the flesh and outward obedience.	It demands the circumcision of the heart, insomuch that the individual is made a new creature in Christ Jesus. Col. 2:11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15.
It gendered to bondage, and embraced only the old Jerusalem. Gal. 4:24, 25.	It begets a spirit of adoption, and embraces the heavenly Jerusalem with her children. Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:26.
It was brought about by a human mediator.	It has a divine Mediator, the only begotten Son of God. 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6.
It could never take away sins. Heb. 10:11.	It cleanses from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:7.
It was sealed with the blood of goats and calves. Heb. 9:12.	It is ratified by Christ's own blood. Heb. 9:12.
It had many priests. Heb. 7:23.	It has only one priest, Christ. Heb. 7:24; 8:1.

To the old covenant, and to that only, belonged a whole law of "commandments contained in ordinances" (Eph. 2:15) which contained nothing but a "shadow of good things to come." Heb. 10:1. In the place of the sacrifices and ministration which belonged to this law, we have obtained the more excellent sacrifice of Christ and his high-priestly ministration. "He taketh away the first that he may establish the second." Heb. 10:9.

We want to notice this closely, for it is a question which is continually agitated, What is it which is taken away? and what is established in the place of it? Let the word of God answer:-

THE FIRST, WHICH IS TAKEN AWAY.	THE SECOND, WHICH IS ESTABLISHED.
"Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law." Heb. 10:8.	"Then said he [Christ], Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." Heb. 10:9, 10.
"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." Verse 11.	"But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant." Heb. 8:6.

Thus we have in the new covenant a divine sacrifice which can take away sin, and "a high priest over the house of God" (Heb. 10:21), Jesus Christ. And he is the only true priest in the new covenant.

Then the old covenant, with its sacrifices, its priestly ministration, and that law which ordained all these services, is taken away, and the sacrifice and ministration of Christ has been established in the place of it.

The law of sacrifice, and offering, and burnt offerings, and offering for sin, and of the Levitical priesthood, was, consequently, the same as "the middle wall of partition," "the law of commandments contained in ordinances" (Eph. 2:14, 15), which was abolished. And to this belong also the annual sabbaths, which were appointed for days of offerings and atonement, and were "a shadow of things to come." Col. 2:16, 17; Lev. 23:24, 27, 28, 32.

But the Sabbath of the Lord, which is weekly, is no part of "the law of commandments contained in ordinances;" for it originated in Eden before the fall, and does not point to the sacrifice and ministration of Christ, but to God's creation and his holy rest. Gen. 2:2, 3. And it is a part of the law of God, which also in the new covenant convinces all men of sin. Rom. 3:19; Ex. 20:8-11.

The law regulating sacrifices and everything pertaining to the Levitical priesthood is "the first," which is taken away. The divine sacrifice of Christ and his heavenly priesthood is "the second," which is established in the place of it.

2. How the new covenant was made and ratified: Christ was made flesh, and dwelt among us. He is not the mediator of the old, but of the new covenant. Heb. 8:6. He confirmed the new covenant with many during one prophetic week. Dan. 9:27. Seven prophetic days symbolize seven years. Eze. 4:6, "I have appointed thee each day for a year." Christ established the new covenant with many of the house of Israel in Palestine, first by his own labor during the three years and a half in which he preached, and afterward by his apostles during the following three and a half years. After that time his disciples commenced to labor among the Gentiles, as they suffered "great persecution" and were "scattered abroad." Acts 8:1, 5, 14.

That night when Christ was betrayed, the new covenant was especially entered into in the most solemn manner by the apostles, who were present as representatives for all the believers of the house of Israel.

Jesus took bread, and gave it unto them saying, "This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19. All partook of this, and showed thereby that they were members of the new covenant and partakers of "the communion of the body of Christ." 1 Cor. 10:16. Then he gave the cup to them, saying, "This cup is the new testament [or covenant] in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke 22:20. They all partook of the cup, and thus entered into the new covenant.

On the next day the new covenant was ratified, or sealed, as Christ died on the cross, and poured out his own precious blood for the sins of men. And from that day the new covenant is of force, and it is not in the power of man to add anything or to change that covenant, or testament, which our Saviour thus sealed with his own blood. Heb. 9:16, 17; Gal. 3:15. Please notice that the words testament and covenant are translated from one word in the original (diatheke). They denote one and the same thing.

Ponder well this great truth. Those principles, laws, ordinances, and promises which our divine Mediator has introduced, or recognized in the new covenant, are necessary to salvation, and those only. When the covenant was sealed, it could not be moved or changed by the apostles, neither by any other man. It is therefore a great mistake to set aside the testimony of our Saviour, his example and ordinance, under the pretense that he lived under the old covenant. His ministration on earth did not have reference to the old, but to the new covenant. Our Saviour came to this earth as the mediator of the new covenant. Heb. 8:6. And he that tries to set aside this great truth, resists the word of God. Christ prepared the believing children of the house of Israel in three years and a half to become worthy members of the new covenant, and then he sealed it with his own blood at his death. And the third day he rose from the tomb, thus proving his divine mission.

After that the apostles gained more believers who entered into the covenant. This was done in the following manner: They preached the gospel of the death and resurrection of Christ; they exhorted the people to repent and believe on the Son of God. Those who believed and obeyed the good news, were baptized and added to the church. Afterward they were instructed in keeping all the commandments of God. And the power of God was with them. Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 36-39; 10:40-48.

(Concluded next week.)

The Motives Behind Brilliant Actions

WE should often have reason to be ashamed of our most brilliant actions if the world could see the motives from which they spring.—La Rochefoucauld.

Halfhearted Service and Final Separation

NONE will have such a dreadful parting with the Lord at the last day as those who went halfway with him and then left him.

Prayers That Expect No Answer

By A. S. Lawrence

MANY people offer their prayers just as poor, shipwrecked voyagers send off their messages. They never look for an answer. They are in great doubt whether they will ever be received. And it would seem a wonderful thing, indeed, if such prayers were answered.

R. J. LAWRENCE

By R. J. Lawrence

MARK 2:18-22.

"AND the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast; and they come unto him and say, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment; else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles, else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred; but new wine must be put into new bottles."

What is termed, "fast" here, in Matt. 9:15, is called mourn; so that abstinence from food, or the use of plain food, in times of affliction or mourning, and prayer, were practiced anciently. See 1 Sam. 1:8-17; 2 Sam. 12:16-23; Dan. 10:2, 3. From these quotations we learn that seasons of fasting were seasons of abstinence, at least from pleasant food, and of mourning, or humiliation, and prayer.

The question in the text is, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? This is the same as saying, We, the disciples of John and of the Pharisees, mourn and afflict ourselves, and pray, but yours are happy, yours are not afflicted. Now, why is this? Jesus says, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? They cannot now mourn, they cannot be afflicted; but when the bridegroom is taken away, then shall they mourn, or fast.

The Jewish system pointed to Christ or the bridegroom; so that as long as he remained away they fasted or mourned. John came, baptizing, and pointing the people to One yet to come. These fasted, or mourned, for the coming of One who had already come. Who are these referred to? The Pharisees and the disciples of John, and not the disciples of Christ. His disciples had received the bridegroom. Christ was with them. How, then, could they mourn, or fast? They could but rejoice. But the bridegroom shall be taken away, then shall they fast. This refers to the death, resurrection, and ascension, of Christ. He was taken from them; did they then fast? Acts 13:2. "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted [or mourned]," etc. So long, then, as the bridegroom remains away, the children of the bride-chamber mourn.

Now, the parables are introduced to make the point more plain. The new cloth on the old garment, and the new wine in the old bottles, are different figures to illustrate the same thing; viz., That for the disciples of Christ to mix their joy and rejoicing with the mourning and fasting of the Pharisees, for that to take place which had already taken place, would be like putting new cloth in an old, worn garment, or like putting new, unfermented wine into old, tender goatskin bottles. Could they unite in those fastings? Experience teaches us that to unite with those we have left, or to talk out the source of our joy, would be to wake up a terrible prejudice, or cause a terrible rent among them. Understand, the rent is in the old cloth and not in the new. The new remains whole. So in the parable. But new wine must be put into new bottles, and both are preserved; Luke 5:38; that is, the truth of the gospel must be put into honest and true hearts converted to God; for the old or carnal heart cannot retain it, though it be deposited there. "No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth the new; for he saith the old is better." Luke 5:38, 39. That is, the Pharisees held on to their system of types and ceremonies, saying, we are Moses' disciples, away with this man. Therefore they continue fasting, and are still mourning for the bridegroom to come.

R. J. LAWRENCE

Continue reading: THOUGHTS ON BAPTISM—NO. 2.