Earlier text: There They Crucified HimThe Sabbath
By E. L. Cardey
The Restoration of the Sabbath in Prophecy and in Fact
Previous to our Lord’s second advent, a gospel message is to go to every land, tribe, and family of the earth. Note carefully the language of Matt. 24:14 and Rev. 14:6, 7. The special burden of that message is a call to the worship of the true God: “And worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” The prophecies also teach that the seventh-day Sabbath shall occupy a prominent place in the last message. Let us examine some of these: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, . . . and from the islands of the sea.” Isa. 11:11. There is evidence of inspiration in this verse. When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, he knew nothing of the “islands of the sea.” It was left for a much later generation to discover the island world, and it was left for this generation to carry to the “islands of the sea” the gospel message. Two other points are of vital importance in the verse. First, “The Lord shall set His hand again the second time;” and second, “to recover the remnant of His people.” Here is outlined the work to be done—the second gathering of Israel; and the time when it will be accomplished—during the remnant of His people. Revelation uses the word “remnant” when referring to the last “seed” of the church to be found upon earth. Rev. 12:17. The second gathering of Israel, then, is to take place just before the Lord comes. “And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” “And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, . . . like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” Isa. 11:12, 16. Meaning of This Second Gathering
This second gathering of Israel is to be a deliverance from spiritual Egypt. The Lord will set up an “ensign” for all nations, and under its shadow the Israel of God will march this time to the heavenly Canaan. The message that is to prepare a people to be delivered from this world of sin when Jesus comes, is a parallel message with one that came to Israel in Egypt and delivered them. Israel of old was led out by a “highway,” and the promise is that the “remnant” shall be led by a highway. For four hundred years, the descendants of Jacob had dwelt in the land of idolatrous Egypt. The worship of the true God among them was well-nigh forgotten. Then, when the time arrived, the Lord called Moses to go to His people, and proclaim to them the name of the “I AM,” and by His power deliver them from their bondage. “And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor harken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers . . . hath appeared unto thee.” Ex. 4:1-5. That rod in the hand of Moses became his gospel of deliverance. By it the Lord worked to confound the wisdom of the magicians, and through the miracles thus wrought the children of Israel believed in God, and followed His servant Moses. Then came the great deliverance at the Red Sea. When every avenue of escape was cut off, and the Egyptian hosts pressed hard upon their slaves—when Israel’s doom seemed certain—then the Lord worked by the hand of Moses, and opened the waters of the sea so that Israel passed over dry-shod, delivered from their oppressors, while the armies of Pharaoh perished in the returning waters. Surely the Lord made a “highway” for Israel when they came up out of Egypt. By the hand of Moses they received unmistakable evidence that God was leading them; then at the Red Sea the “highway” was made so plain that none could fail to know the way of escape. Need of the Highway of Truth
In this day of “vain philosophy” and human speculation regarding God and “the life beyond the grave,” the world surely needs a “highway” of truth so plain, so clear, so definite, that when once found there is no longer any doubt regarding the “truth” and the life to come. We thank God that He has promised such a message to this last generation. Undoubtedly Inspiration uses the figure of the “highway” in Isaiah 11 to describe a message of truth that would be easy to find, and when found, easy to follow, having all the gaps and byways of error closed. Through the prophet Ezekiel the Lord brought the following charge against His professed teachers: “O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.” Eze. 13:4, 5. The “battle in the day of the Lord” will take place just before, and at the time of, the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. Joel 3:9-14; Rev. 16:14-16. It is during this “time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation,” that the Israel of God is to be prepared to stand. But because of the failure of His professed leaders to make up the “gaps” and “hedges,” the people will be unprepared for the crisis that awaits the world. The important work, then, for the people of God to-day is to take that stand whereby they can go up “into the gaps,” and make up “the hedge for the house of Israel to stand” in the day of the Lord’s coming. How can we make up the gap, or breach, and restore the hedge, that the path of truth may become indeed a highway? “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” Isa. 58:12, 13. To Be in the Days of His Coming
Taken together, these scriptures prove, first, that a highway of truth will be prepared for the church in the days of His coming; second, in that day, many of His professed leaders will not assist in making up the gaps that have evidently been made in the hedge along the highway; and third, it demands a return to the seventh-day Sabbath in order to make up the gaps to protect the highway of truth. That the reader may see that the Lord has given abundant proof that the remnant church is to return to the ancient Sabbath, we call attention to one other prophecy that says positively that the Sabbath is to be a part of the saving message in the last generation:6 “Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it.” Isa. 56:1, 2. Like all prophecies of the Bible, this one gives the time when it is to apply—the time when His salvation is near to come. This will be at the second appearing of Jesus. Heb. 9:28. When, as now, did the civilized world ever see so much teaching that does discredit to the personality of God, and relegates Him from the universe as a Creator? Evolution, and all philosophical thought, together with the many forms of occultism, leave men without the God of creation. If the world has ever needed the Sabbath institution to teach the true God, surely it needs it now. The Lord anticipated just this condition of things in the world in the time of the end, and designed to carry to all nations a message that would make prominent the seventh-day Sabbath as a memorial of His creative work. The Message Arrives on Schedule
When the hour arrived, and the last generation came upon the stage of action (see Matt. 24:29-34), the Lord raised up men in different parts of the world who began calling attention to the claims of the law of God, and especially to the fourth commandment, which says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath.” Foremost among these in America were Captain Joseph Bates and Elder James White. Joseph Bates, in earlier life a rough sea-captain, became in later years an earnest follower of the Lord, and a firm believer in the soon personal appearing of Jesus. In 1846 the claims of the seventh-day Sabbath were called to his attention. This led to his preaching and writing upon the subject. Elder James White soon saw and accepted the same truth, and began publishing the message to the world. Only sixty-five years ago, this unpopular Sabbath message began in weakness in the New England States; but now, behold what God hath wrought! That message is no longer confined to a few places in America. It is no longer published in one language only. Nearly every nation on the earth to-day is hearing to some extent the message of Sabbath reform. Published in seventy-one languages, the books and papers containing that message are scattered everywhere. Nearly two million dollars worth were sold last year. Many thousands of men and women are giving their all to carry to the ends of the earth that message of “the commandments of God” and “the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 12:17. On every side, dear reader, we behold the very work being done that the prophets foresaw in vision so many centuries ago. Thrice blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear the sound of that message to-day. It is the gathering call to Israel, preparatory to entering the heavenly Canaan. Hearts in every land and every clime are responding to that call, and are placing themselves under this standard. Choose this day to stand on the side of God, the Creator, and uphold the memorial of His creative power—the Sabbath of the commandments. Devil-Possession in Honan
By Eva Allum
DURING the past summer we witnessed some cases of genuine devil-possession and worship in Chowkiakow, as well as in the surrounding villages and cities we passed through or visited. We are told that this was the first time in ten or twelve years that the Chinese have had this particular ceremony. Very little rain had fallen all summer, and it was impossible to prepare the ground for the wheat crop; so at last the people decided to hurry their gods. Here in Chowkiakow, one tent was erected right in front of the compound where we have been conducting our girls' school, and where some of our workers live; but upon our request, it was moved a little to one side. This was only one of five or six similar places in this city. Men were hired to beat drums and bang great brass gongs in front of a table full of gods, with the hope that the spirit would soon leave one of the gods and possess some individual. This man was then a living god, and was supposed to have the power to make it rain. Some days a number of men would lie on benches in front of the gods and the men beating the drums, waiting for the spirits to control them. After seven days of drumming and banging, a spirit got possession of a man, and threw him down trembling, but the man was not wholly under its influence. Over a hundred gunshots were fired, and firecrackers were set off for over two hours, in the endeavor to get the man wholly under the influence of the spirit, but without success. After ten days, however, five men were completely controlled by the spirits. Great processions were made in their honor, large numbers of firecrackers were exploded, and incense was burned before them. The drums had to be continually beaten, or else the men would come out from under the influence of the spirit. The more noise there is, the more complete the possession. One Sabbath, just as we had completed our Sabbath-school lesson on the “Work of the Evil Angels,” the first of these possessed persons passed our door in a procession. Our lesson had been very opportune. There was no mistaking by whom he was possessed. The terrible expression of his face, the convulsive movements, the sound of his voice, all showed too plainly the influence of the evil one. We afterward witnessed a great many such processions, sometimes five or six men being possessed at a time. These men were carried through the street sitting in chairs supported on the shoulders of men. In some of these chairs great knives were arranged, such as the Chinese use to cut straw in preparing feed for their animals. The men sat on the sharp edges of two of these knives, with their bare feet resting on two more, and each arm resting on a knife. Every little while the procession paused, and the men would get down from the chairs, and perform various feats, such as walking barefooted on red-hot irons, handling red-hot iron bars, etc., without being hurt. We were told that some could wash their faces in boiling oil without feeling pain. Some stayed under this influence for about half an hour, while others would be possessed for several hours, great crowds gathering to watch them. When the spirit was about to leave them, the men would suddenly stiffen out. Some would vomit dreadfully, so that their lives would almost be despaired of. Once a person has been possessed, he is never so strong-minded as before, and it is easy to get him under the control of the spirits a second time. Previously, we had supposed that devil-possession and insanity were practically the same; but we are convinced they are altogether different. A mad person could not do the things those who are possessed of devils can do. These people are very persistent in calling on their gods to send their spirit into some of their number, sometimes spending a whole month beating their gongs before they succeed. What a lesson for us who need the Spirit’s power in our work so much! These people are willing to yield their bodies to the control of Satan in order that they may gain a few strings of cash. How much more willing should we be to yield ourselves completely to the control of the Spirit of God in order that we may gain a few souls for His kingdom! The Prophets and the Unclean Spirit
By Arthur L. Manous
“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.” Zech. 13:2. WITHOUT attempting to locate any specific time that may or may not be intended by the term, “in that day,” it is the writer’s desire to ascertain something, if possible, as to what we are to understand by the “prophets and the unclean spirit,” and especially the latter. Touching this interesting point, Henry Cowles, D.D. (1803-1881), says: “The ‘prophets’ named here in connection with idols before and ‘the unclean spirit’ after, must be false prophets, called prophets only because they falsely and foully assumed this name. . . . The reference to an ‘unclean spirit’ recognizes satanic agency.” (“The Minor Prophets, with Notes,” by Rev. Henry Cowles, New York, 1867.) Others translate that part of the verse containing the terms “prophets” and “unclean spirit” as follows: (a) “And the prophets also, and the impure spirit, will I cause to pass out of the land.” (“A New Translation of the Hebrew Prophets,” by George R. Noyes, D.D., Boston, 1890.) (b) “And I will remove their preachers, and their foul spirit, from the country.” (“The Holy Bible in Modern English,” by Ferrar Fenton, F.R.A.S., M.C.A.A., London, cir. 1903.) (c) “And I will cut off the false prophets and the evil spirit from the land.” (“The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament, with an English Translation,” London and New York, cir. 1844.) WHO IS THIS “UNCLEAN,” “IMPURE,” “FOUL,” AND “EVIL SPIRIT” SAID TO BE?
Adam Clarke, LL.D. (cir. 1762-1832), expresses his opinion as follows: “‘And the unclean spirit’—that which leads to impurity, the spirit of divination; the lust of the flesh, and of the eye, and the pride of life. Satan shall have neither a being in, nor power over, the hearts of sincere believers in Christ.” (“Commentary,” New York, 1858 edition.) Mr. Matthew Poole (1624-1679) expresses himself on this point thus:7 “‘The unclean spirit,’ that is, the devil, which sets the false prophets on work. Christ cast many out of persons possessed, and by His doctrine still doth cast out Satan.” (“Annotations upon the Holy Bible,” by Matthew Poole, New York, 1880 edition.) Mr. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) has given his opinion on this point thus: “‘I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit,’ that is, the prophets that are under the influence of the unclean spirit, to ‘pass out of the land.’ The devil is an unclean spirit; sin and uncleanness are from him; he hath his prophets, that serve his interest and receive their instructions from him.” (“A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments,” by Matthew Henry, Louisville, Kentucky, date not given.) Mr. Ebenezer Henderson, D.D. (1784-1858), gives his opinion in the following very interesting note: “By . . . the spirit of impurity, is meant a person pretending to inspiration, and in league with Satan, the god of this world, to whom in contradistinction to . . . the spirit of holiness, the designation may well be applied. Compare . . . Acts 16:16; . . . 1 John 4:6; . . . and especially . . . Rev. 16:13.” (“The Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, Translated from the Original Hebrew, with a Commentary,” by E. Henderson, D.D., London, 1845.) Now, dear reader, who do you think this “unclean,” “impure,” “foul,” and “evil spirit” of Zech. 13:2 is? Do you, too, think it is the devil? One of the texts referred to in the last quotation says: “And I saw,” says the revelator, “three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils [Greek, demons], working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Rev. 16:13, 14. May the dear Lord deliver both the reader and the writer from this satanic influence, and the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth,” is the writer’s humble prayer. When on the fragrant sandal-tree
The woodman's ax descends,
And she, who bloomed so beauteously,
Beneath the weapon bends,
E'en on the edge that wrought her death,
Dying, she breathes her sweetest breath,
As if to token, in her fall,
Peace to her foes, and love to all. How hardly man this lesson learns,—
To smile and bless the hand that spurns;
To see the blow, to feel the pain,
And render only love again!
One had it—but He came from heaven.
Reviled, rejected, and betrayed,
No curse He breathed, no plaint He made,
But when in death's dark pang He sighed,
Prayed for His murderers, and died.
— Edmonston. 1. What definite promise did the Master make concerning His coming? “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14: 1-3. 2. What is one of the numerous references that Paul makes to the coming of the Lord? “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb. 9: 28. 3. Will He be the same personal Jesus when He comes? “And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1: 9-11. 4. Will His coming be so literal and visible that the human eye will see Him? “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” Rev. 1: 7. 5. Will it be the Lord Himself who will come? “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. 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; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thess. 4: 15-18, A.R.V. 6. What other texts tell of the Master coming in the clouds and the inhabitants seeing Him as He thus literally comes? “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matt. 24: 30. “And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13: 26. NOTE.—When He comes, He will be “this same Jesus” that was here on earth before; He will be “the Lord Himself;” and “every eye shall see Him.” Christ’s Divine Method
By Edward Thomson
CHRIST'S method is divine. His words have the charm of antiquity with the freshness of yesterday; the simplicity of a child with the wisdom of God; the softness of kisses from the lip of love, and the force of the lightning rending the tower. His parables are like groups of matchless statuary; His prayers like an organ peal floating round the world and down the ages, echoed by the mountain peaks and plains into rich and varied melody, in which all devout hearts find their noblest feelings at once expressed, sustained, refined. His truths are self-evidencing. They fall into the soul as seed into the ground, to rest and germinate. He speaks, and all nature and life become vocal with theology.—Edward Thomson. Bring Children to the Saviour
By James Hamilton
Bring your little children to the Saviour. Place them in His arms. Devote them to His service. Born in His camp, let them wear from the first His colors. Taking advantage of timely opportunities, and with all tenderness of spirit, seek to endear them to the Friend of sinners, the Good Shepherd of the lambs, the loving Guardian of the little children. And not only teach them, but govern them. And in order to govern them, govern yourselves.—James Hamilton. The First Dead Autumn Leaf
By Delwin Res Buckner
O, such a sorrow, almost past belief,
Do sad, heart-heavy Eve and Adam feel,
As, sobbing, in the still, soft sand they kneel,
And gently lift the fallen autumn leaf,
Their souls big with unutterable grief
As they behold where death hath stamped his seal,
Aware that he from hill and vale must steal
Each living thing—an omnipresent thief.
More tears, that day, did our first parents shed
Than we weep now when gazing on a face
Of wax, 'mid many a wan, white floral wreath,
Asleep within its cushioned casket bed,
Till Michael's trump shall sound through starry space,
And bloodless, breathless clay once more will breathe. Spring
By Mrs. M. C. Sellers
Spring is here again, sweet springtime, Gladdest season of the year; In my heart there is a rapture Never felt till she is near. Bursting bud and peeping blossom,— How my heart with rapture thrills, As I pause to give you welcome, For the joy your sweetness fills. Pretty wanderers from Eden, Once your fair and happy home, Do you share the fate of mortals Over earthland doomed to roam? Springtime bird, I hear your greeting, And return your gay salute. Just as glad as in the old time Sounds your merry, sweet-toned flute. Spring, sweet springtime, much I love you, For you always speak to me Of that day, so fast approaching, When our loved ones we shall see. Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he, with a chuckle, replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in, with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried, he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it. Somebody scoffed, "O, you'll never do that—
At least, no one ever has done it."
But he took off his coat, and he took off his hat;
And the first thing we knew, he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin, and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it. There are thousands to tell you it can not be done;
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you;
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Then take off your coat and go to it.
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "can not be done," and you'll do it. Lot’s Departure from Sodom
By George W. Nind
Then rose the ancient patriarch, and passed Forth from the city, filled with awe and fear. And now the heavens, tho with no clouds o’ercast, A wild and terrible aspect seem to wear; And ever and anon a lurid glare Streams with a meteor-light athwart the sky; And, borne upon the hot and burdened air, From unseen spirits comes a fearful cry Of desolation, telling but too late To the blaspheming host their well-deserved fate. Looking for True Men and Women
By T.
THE greatest book that was ever written is authority for the statement that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9. What could place before the mind a greater incentive for honest and faithful action? The divine Father Himself is looking to and fro throughout the whole earth for men and women who are true; and as He finds them, it is with the purpose to “show Himself strong” in their behalf. The One who is looking in this way for men and women, is none other than the great Creator. Mighty systems of vast worlds are dependent upon His attention and power, yet He is able and willing to take time from9this great work to scan this earth for hearts that are true and pure. Such knowledge as this should fill us with earnest determination to have everything rooted out of our lives that would keep our hearts from being perfect toward Him. If we were assured that some of the mighty and renowned men of earth were searching for us in order that they might bestow honor and power upon us, we would be sure to leave nothing undone to please them and to meet their expectations. But all that men could do for us would be only for this time and for this world. What our Father is seeking to do for us will not only help us in this life, but it will prepare us for the immortal joys of eternity. What a great thing it would be for a young man or a young woman to keep in mind continually that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him”! What an incentive to the highest and noblest endeavor to work thus under the approving eye and the strengthening touch of the almighty Father! He is seeking us out to make us strong for noble and useful achievement. T. The World's Estimate of Greatness
TWO great men recently died, a great soldier and a great financier,—Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley of England, at the age of 80, and John Pierpont Morgan of America, at the age of 76. The first was great in the management of men to fight, the second in the management of men to acquire. The former was great in the achievement and establishment of empire, the latter in the achievement and control of wealth. Wolseley labored for glory, Morgan for gain. Yet the former's work, looking at it from the world view-point, was the more unselfish; for he risked his life again and again for his country, from his brave daring in the second Burmese war (1852-3), to the decisive battle of Tel-el-Kebir in Egypt in 1882, and his subsequent brave attempt to relieve General Gordon at Khartum two years later. It could be truly said of him that he gave the best of his life and service in his profession to his country. He was a tactful, brave fighter, and understood the art of killing men. We do not know how it could be said of Mr. Morgan that he gave his life, his skill, his power of manipulating stocks and bonds and banks, to his country; at least there would be far from a general recognition of this on the part of his countrymen. He exploited his country, and after lavishing millions upon millions for his own love of art, he left a fortune of unknown amount, while he controlled, at times during his career, through his power over men, literally billions of dollars. It is said that the banks he directly dominated had resources totaling $22,245,000,000; and that by interlocking directorates, these banks controlled 134 corporations, having a total capitalization of $25,625,000,000 — sums literally uncountable, more than four times the aggregate revenue of Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy, and more than twenty times the annual revenue of the United States. Great he was from this view, because in these days “money talks.” He died in the Episcopal Church, yet Cardinal Gibbons says of him, “I have lost a great friend.” Pius X says, “He was a great and good man.” Judge S. H. Gary says, “Mr. Morgan was a colossal figure; all in all he was the greatest man of the age.” He was the incarnation of the money spirit of the age; and conditions, laws, weaknesses of other men, and immense wealth to begin with may be in part responsible for the abnormal power he possessed — power which no one man or combination of men ought to exercise in this world. But death placed its cold finger upon warrior and financier alike, and both fell. Military skill on the one hand or wealth on the other could not turn aside the King of Terrors. Mr. Morgan's art collections will pass on to others. They are of interest to but few. His millions his son will attempt to control, but with only a part of the prestige of the father. A few adverse laws, a revolution, and all that Mr. Morgan wrought is gone. The world greatness of men, measured by permanent results, is small. The most lasting are the most strongly material and of little real worth. The great men, in God's sight, are those who are building characters of truth, integrity, loyalty to God. Men like Charles Spurgeon, or Alexander McLaren, or John Hall, or David Livingstone, or scores of others, dead or living, who have left and are leaving redeemed souls, gathered from the dark and slimy ways of sin and death — characters which will be to the praise of the glory of the grace of God in Christ Jesus forever. One soul saved from sin is worth more than the great fortune Mr. Morgan left, or all the wealth he controlled in whole or in part; and every son and daughter of Adam may not only himself or herself possess “the exceeding riches of His grace,” but may in Him win souls to His “riches in glory.” Covet not the riches which perish. Envy not the rich, for they die as others. But meet God's plan, and be rich in all that makes for eternal character. The Complete Fulness of Salvation
By T.
THROUGH the prophet Jeremiah the Lord gives to the children of men the assuring promise that “I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against Me.” Jer. 33:8. The Lord promises to do this great thing. It is not for us to try to figure out how the Lord may be able to do this. All we need to do is to accept the promise our never-failing Father has made, and be thankful that He is able to do all He has promised. The fulness and the completeness of this forgiveness and cleansing is summed up in the words, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:34. Think of what this text means to the repentant sinner. The Lord so completely cleanses away the sin, that He remembers it no more. In other words, the sin is destroyed. Expressing the matter in another form through His prophet Isaiah, the Lord tells us: “Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isa. 44:21, 22. The sins of the redeemed one are “blotted out;” they are entirely removed. And this work is done so completely that the Lord says their sin is not even remembered. What a full and complete salvation that brings! The soul is redeemed from his sin. The mind is freed from the remorse that sin had left; and then God Himself drives the sin that His redeemed one had committed, entirely from His own divine memory. Then no marvel that in this other text, He promises to His redeemed sons and daughters that “they shall see His face.” Rev. 22:4. The Lord proposes that His children shall be permitted to behold His face. And when the glad time for this arrives, there will not be a single tremor of shame, because all the sin has been blotted out, and even the memory of it is gone. The Father has gone so far as to put it all away from His own blessed memory; and instead of the sins they had committed, He has given His redeemed ones the robes of His own perfect righteousness. Then they stand in His presence in the confidence of holy joy, and in the assurances of perfect righteousness. His salvation is complete, and it brings indescribable joy to the heart. Then why not accept it in all its fulness? It would seem, in view of the plainness of the Sacred Record, that men professing godliness would not try to localize the Sabbath; but they do. It is ridiculed as of no account, or called “Jewish” Sabbath, by many who can not plead ignorance of the facts of Scripture. The term is used to cast contempt on the holy day. But what are the facts? The Sabbath was made 2,500 years before the Jews became a nation, and 3,200 years before we have the term “Jew” at all. It is never once called “Jewish” in the word of God; but it is called, “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” The Sabbath belongs to no one race, kindred, tribe, or nation. And certainly when Inspiration states so positively that the Sabbath was made at creation and enjoined upon man, no Christian who is honest and well informed, would ever strive to belittle it by attaching to it a title prejudicial to so many. To call the Sabbath of the Lord “Jewish,” is contrary to the plainest declarations of God’s word, casts dishonor upon a sacred institution, and contempt on one of His greatest blessings to man, and at the same time shows that he who uses the term “Jewish,” as applied to the Sabbath, is either grossly ignorant or else he wishes to prejudice some one whom he can not convince by either reason or scripture. Says the apostle: “God that made the world and all things therein, . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” Acts 17:24-26. The Sabbath is one of God’s appointed seasons, and is binding upon all nations of men.