The Three of Yesterday Grown to an Army — Representatives of Many Interesting Fields in Convention
THE Australasian Union Conference held its quadrennial session for 1914 on the St. Leonards camp ground during the month of September. St. Leonards is a suburban station of Sydney, New South Wales.
The conference was convened by the president, Pastor J. E. Fulton, Wednesday morning, September 3. After receiving the president’s report for the quadrennial period just closed, the delegates elected the usual standing committees, and decided to defer the consideration of all business features of the conference for two weeks. This was done because the executive committee had arranged to devote that part of the conference to a ministerial and workers’ institute.
THE ATTENDANCE SHOWED RAPID PROGRESS
When the institute opened, it was found that there were 200 in attendance—160 conference laborers, 15 students, and 25 laymen. The wives of some of the ministers are included in the number of conference laborers. The students were some of the oldest and most advanced young people in Avondale Missionary College. This number was doubled before the institute closed. The laymen were brethren and sisters who came from different parts of the union to attend the institute.
Of this large body, 19 represented the general work of the union, 39 were from New South Wales, 29 from Victoria-Tasmania, 20 from New Zealand, 15 from South Australia, 11 from Queensland, 10 from West Australia, and 17 from the island mission fields of the southern Pacific. The students and the laymen were from all these divisions of territory.
No one in that gathering could fully appreciate the feelings of Mrs. Daniels and me as we looked upon that large body of loyal, consecrated workers. The doxology is usually sung at the close; we wanted to sing it at the opening. We remembered the day of small things—when there were only three ministers in all this union, and not more than a hundred believers. And there were no others south of the equator. We could but exclaim, “Behold what God hath wrought.”
EAGER FOR THE OCCASION
The workers had been looking forward to this occasion for a long time and with deep interest. They felt the need of the study, counsel, and association together. They were expecting to receive great benefit, and entered most earnestly into the spirit and work of the institute.
Brother Fulton conducted a study on the need and the place of the Holy Spirit in the work of the gospel, and took the general oversight of the institute. Brother Johanson and Sister Hindson gave a series of lessons on home missionary work. I gave a continued study on the gospel ministry, and took charge of the question box hour. These regular studies, with the evening services and the special meetings of consecration, kept us all busy. The time was too short to compass all that we could see spread out before us.
Every institute I have attended has been different in some ways from every other, yet each one has seemed to be just what was needed by those in attendance. So it was on this occasion. It was not just what we had at either Philadelphia, College View, London, or South Lancaster; but for the field and the workers, it was just as inspiring and helpful as any of these mentioned.
A PRECIOUS SABBATH EXPERIENCE
The first Sabbath of the institute was a very precious day. At 8:30 in the morning, the workers crowded together in the young people’s tent for one of those special meetings we have so often had in our institutes. The Lord surely met with us. We were filled with the spirit of surrender and consecration and confession. As we were not ready to close this meeting when the hour came for the general meeting in the large tent, it was arranged that we should continue this special meeting in the afternoon. This was done. The second meeting continued to the close of the Sabbath. Then, instead of having the regular preaching service in the evening, we all gathered in the large tent to continue this earnest seeking of the Lord with all who were on the ground. The blessing of God rested upon us. All were calm, yet earnest and resolute. We felt that the time to finish the work of God had surely come, and that we must have a new vision of this great work, that we must make a new consecration of our lives to work, and that the Lord must ordain us anew by His divine Spirit for greater efficiency and power in the work. The Lord heard us, accepted us, and blessed us.
Group of Translators
THEY CAME FROM MANY FIELDS
It was a great pleasure to have the presence and association of our missionaries who are laboring in the island mission fields of this union and for the natives of Australia and New Zealand.
Brother and Sister C. H. Parker were down from the New Hebrides, where they have had such serious times the past393year. They were enjoying fairly good health, and were full of courage regarding their field.
Brother and Sister A. G. Stewart came in from Fiji. Their reports were most encouraging.
Brother and Sister S. W. Carr were present from New Guinea, where they have their mission fully launched and are now working for the heathen around them.
Brother F. E. Lyndon, who has been seven years at Tahiti without a break, came down for a change and a spiritual uplift.
Brother and Sister G. L. Sterling came in from the Cook Islands. This was their first meeting with the Australasian workers.
Brother and Sister George Stewart came from Tonga.
Brother A. H. Ferris from Norfolk Island, Brother T. A. Driver from Lord Howe Island, and Sister McCoy, a daughter of Brother J. R. McCoy of Pitcairn Island, were with us.
Brother and Sister P. B. Rudge, who are working for the aborigines of New South Wales, and Brother R. K. Piper, who has charge of the work for the natives of New Zealand, were also present.
Then Brother B. Judge, who is on a furlough from Sumatra, and Brother and Sister Harold Sharp, who had just returned from Singapore for a rest, were with us. We also had the presence of Brother and Sister Caldwell, who have been doing such good work with literature in the Asiatic Division.
Leaders in Australasian Book Work
I have given this long list of workers with the names of the fields they were from that the readers of the SIGNS may get some idea of the extensive missionary operations the Australasian Union Conference is carrying on in addition to the usual work of any one of our union conferences, and also to let it be known what excellent help the institute had to make it more than an ordinary meeting.
These missionaries brought to the meeting a freshness, a strong, active faith, and experience and courage, that were a distinct help to all. And their association with the brethren in the home land—the fresh assurances they received of brotherly love for them, and deep interest in their fields—was a real blessing and encouragement to them. They will return to their fields with new courage to continue the struggle. The general feeling expressed was that this meeting marked a new experience to many, and that it would prove to be the beginning of a new era to the work in the Australasian Union.
THE CONFERENCE SHOWED PROSPERITY
At the close of the institute, the conference resumed its regular work. Arrangement had been made with the New South Wales Conference that the last two weeks of the New South Wales camp meeting should be combined with the union conference. This proved to be the largest gathering of our people ever held south of the equator. 260 tents were erected, and many rooms in the vicinity of the camp ground were rented.
The attendance on the Sabbath must have been close to fifteen hundred. These were nearly all our own people. On Sundays, the attendance was still larger. The sermons preached by the different ministers during the camp meeting were timely and stirring. The Lord has raised up in this field loyal, strong men to proclaim His message.
The reports submitted by the presidents of conferences, superintendents of missions and heads of departments and institutions, were well prepared and very encouraging. The past four years have witnessed a decided advance all along the line.
The plans adopted and the various changes and adjustments made were all designed to press the work on with greater vigor and efficiency than ever. The field of operation is so large, and the lines of work are so numerous and heavy, that it was decided to have the vice president devote his entire time to the general work of the union. Pastor C. H. Watson was released from the presidency of the Queensland Conference to the vice presidency of the union. He has located at the headquarters, to be closely associated with Brother Fulton. By taking definite responsibility for certain lines of work, attending camp meetings in distant states, and visiting the island mission fields alternately, he will relieve the president of a heavy load he has been carrying the last four years.
CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION
Another step that will lighten the president’s burdens and at the same time increase the efficiency of the general administration, was that to center all the departments at the headquarters, and place in charge of them secretaries who will give their whole time to these interests. Pastor W. W. Fletcher, president of the South Australian Conference, was elected secretary of the Missionary Volunteer and Home Missionary departments. Brother F. G. Rampton, general colporteur for New Zealand, was elected assistant of the Home Missionary Department, and will give all his time to that work. Sister Rampton will assist Sister A. L. Hindson in her heavy work as secretary of the Sabbath School Department, and corresponding secretary of the Missionary Volunteer and Home Missionary departments. Brother James Gregory was elected assistant secretary of the Religious Liberty Department. In addition to this work, he will assist Sister Hindson in the editorial work of the Union Conference Record and the church missionary paper. Brother L. D. Lemke, who has charge of the subscription book department of the union, will locate at headquarters, with the heads of the other departments.
By this arrangement, the president will be able to give the work of the departments closer study and more intelligent coöperation. He will also be able to secure the counsel of all these leaders in their various lines of work when he finds it possible to spend time at his office. The union conference holds its sessions quadrennially. Four years is rather a long period in these times when everything moves so fast. Efficient administration requires that those in charge of the work be so situated that they can counsel frequently and work together with the most intelligent coöperation. This union has done excellent work in the past, but the adjustments here mentioned will, we feel sure, greatly strengthen the administration.
Well, the entire meeting was good—one for which we feel profoundly thankful to the Lord. More of interest could be written, but this report is already long. Let us pray the Lord to help the conference to make great strides ahead during the four years’ period upon which it has just entered. A. G. D.
The Character of Jesus
THE character of Jesus commands the admiration of all. No Pharisee could find any fault with the Redeemer’s perfect life. No skeptic has arisen who has not seen matchless charms in the life of the Nazarene. There was nothing but beauty, and goodness, and grace, and love, in their infinite perfections, in all that Jesus said or did. And when that perfect life is kept before the mind, the individual is drawn toward the same divine goodness.
Slow Coaches in God’s Service
“MANY Christians who are motor cars in their own work are very slow coaches in God’s service.”
THE GOSPEL, THE JUDGMENT, AND HIS COMING
By R. C. P.
The “Mystery of God” to Be Finished—A Message and a Disappointment—The Disappointment Foretold
This is the second of two articles by Mr. Porter in which he presents the theme of the messages that announce the near approach of the Judgment. Last week he gave the Bible text of the Judgment messages (Rev. 14:6-12); showed from the divine Book that the work of the Judgment precedes the second coming of Christ; told of the predicted opening of the sealed prophetic book; and gave a few of the facts concerning the universal character of the Judgment announcement that is sounding.
EDITOR.
THE declaration of the angel (see Rev. 10:7) that “the mystery of God” should be finished “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,” as He had declared to His servants the prophets, presents several important facts:
That the angel bases his preaching upon the authority of the prophets.
That the finishing of the mystery of God occupies days at the commencement of the voice of the seventh angel; and we understand the days of this angel to be years, as were those of the fifth and the sixth angel of chapter 9.
That it shall be finished in the days of the voice of the seventh angel in the manner that the prophets have declared. One of them, Daniel, as shown last week, has told how the mystery of God should be finished at the end of the 2,300 days; that is, the sanctuary should be cleansed, which event accomplishes the work of our great High Priest.
THE GOSPEL, THE JUDGMENT, AND HIS COMING
“The mystery of God,” which is to be finished under the sounding of the seventh angel, is the gospel offered to sinful men. When the seventh angel begins to sound, the gospel will have finished its mission, the Judgment will have completed its work, and the Lord will come. The movement that fulfills this prophecy must deal with all these questions. The advent movement of 1840-44 did deal in a very definite manner with all these questions.
Neither was that work done in a corner. In America, William Miller and about three hundred associate ministers traveled and proclaimed the message; while in England, Dr. Joseph Wolff and about seven hundred ministers of the Church of England proclaimed the same message. According to his journals, between the years 1821 and 1845 Joseph Wolff had proclaimed “the Lord’s speedy advent in Palestine, Egypt, on the shores of the Red Sea, Mesopotamia, the Crimea, Persia, Georgia, throughout the Ottoman empire, in Greece, Arabia, Turkestan, Bokhara, Afghanistan, Cashmere, Hindustan, Tibet, in Holland, Scotland, Ireland, at Constantinople, Jerusalem, St. Helena, also on shipboard in the Mediterranean, at New York City, to all denominations.” “He declares he has preached among Jews, Turks, Mohammedans, Parsis, Hindus, Chaldeans, Yescedes, Syrians, Sabeans, to pashas, sheiks, shahs, the kings of Organtsh and Bokhara, the queen of Greece, etc.”
IT WAS WORLD-WIDE
This movement was therefore world-wide. It proclaimed the very message given in the prophecies. It came at the right time, and did its work in the right manner. No other movement has ever arisen that has fulfilled the specifications of these prophecies. The men engaged in the advent movement of 1840-44 announced fearlessly that their work was in fulfilment of these prophecies. It is therefore very evident that the advent movement of 1840-44 was in fulfilment of the mighty Judgment message that is here called the first angel’s announcement.
The fact that in the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, beginning in 1844 A. D., the work of the Investigative Judgment was begun, confirms this view. Since that work began at that time, at no earlier or later period would the proclamation that “the hour of His Judgment is come” be due to the world.
In the type, the day of atonement, which was the day of judgment, and the day of cleansing the earthly sanctuary, was preceded ten days before by a day of blowing of trumpets announcing the coming of the typical day of judgment or atonement. The great advent movement of 1840-44 was the antitype of that day of blowing of trumpets. It sounded the warning that in 1844, on the tenth day of the seventh month, Christ would enter upon the work of cleansing the second apartment of the heavenly sanctuary by the work of judgment and atonement.
Here very explicitly the type met its antitype, both in the advent movement of 1840-44 and in the work of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary at the close of the 2,300 days, which ended in 1844.
THE DISAPPOINTMENT FORETOLD
Is it not a fact that those who gave this advent proclamation were disappointed in 1844?—Yes. Is that sufficient reason for rejecting that movement, as not being of God?—No. The Jewish people were disappointed when, at the close of the ministry of John the Baptist, Christ did not appear in glory and majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords. Was that sufficient reason for rejecting the work of John the Baptist, as being not of God? The disciples of Christ were disappointed when, after they had joined the Messiah in proclaiming the kingdom of God at hand, Christ did not at that time restore the kingdom to Israel. See Acts 1. Was that sufficient reason for rejecting the Messiahship of Christ?
If bitter disappointment had not followed the proclamation of the advent movement of 1840-44, that movement would not have fulfilled the prophecy. “And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in the mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.” Rev. 10:8-10.
To eat a book means mentally to feed upon its contents. See Eze. 3:1-3. The very fact that those who proclaimed that the hour of God’s Judgment had come, and that “there shall be time no longer,” were bitterly disappointed in 1844, is the climax of the evidence given in the prophecy, that that movement was of God. Their bitter disappointment, like that of the disciples in the days of Christ, lay in their expecting all to be fulfilled too soon. The time period ended, as they declared it did, in 1844. The longest prophetic period given in the little book of Daniel, upon which they based their utterance, ended there. In that they were correct. The work of cleansing the sanctuary there began by Christ’s entering upon the work of judgment and atonement. In all these essential features of the message they were correct. But they were in error in supposing that the work of investigative judgment would be performed in so short a time, and that the coming of Christ would take place on that day. This arose from their belief in the popular view that the earth was the sanctuary, and that its cleansing would be by fire on that day.
ANOTHER MESSAGE PREDICTED
A more thorough study of the sanctuary and its cleansing soon brought to light their error, and started another message, explaining the sanctuary and its cleansing, and proclaiming the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, as given in the third angel’s message of Rev. 14:9-12.
This was fully predicted in the very chapter upon which they based their proclamation, but they did not see it then. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.395Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:8-12.
“THOU MUST PROPHESY AGAIN”
This disappointment was therefore a part of the prophetic announcement that was to apply to the movement that should fulfill the prophecy, and it further announced another message to follow it.
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 10:11.
Thus the Lord, knowing the disappointment that would result from the proclamation that the hour of His Judgment was to begin in 1844, so ordered the prophecy that the very disappointment should be a strong evidence that the great advent movement of 1840-44 fulfilled the prophecy in declaring that definite prophetic time ceased in 1844, and that then the hour of God’s Judgment began in heaven.
The prophetic period presented under the first angel’s message was not to reach to the coming of the Lord, but to the Judgment. The Judgment began at that time. The first angel’s message was fulfilled in the great advent movement that gave the announcement to the world. “The hour of His Judgment is come” in the courts above. Reader, are you ready for the decision of your case? Soon all will be decided. “Prepare to meet thy God.” R. C. P.
QUESTION CORNER
By Milton C. Wilcox
CONDUCTED BY MILTON C. WILCOX, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA
NOTE.—This department is for the purpose of helping Bible students. Answers must of necessity be brief, often only suggestive, never exhaustive, never infallible only as they agree with the infallible Word. Such questions only will be answered as seem to the editors to minister to the mission of the paper. Questions of the same import cannot be answered repeatedly in the same volume. Name and address must be given, not for publication, but as evidence of good faith and to insure reply by letter if thought best. It is well always to inclose stamp, not stamped envelope, unless answer is desired by letter alone.
The difference between the first three texts and the last can be readily understood if we will remember this,—that not all the particulars are given in the Scriptures. Some of the writers give some events, and others give others. None of them may give all. When Jesus first started out, He bore His own cross. It was placed upon Him, but its weight was crushing; and as He fell under it, they laid it upon this Simon from Cyrene, and compelled him to bear it after Jesus. This would involve no contradiction, and is very reasonable.
Please state which translation of Gal. 2: 16 is the better. What is really meant to be conveyed? A. C.
The Revised Version reads: “Yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The Revised Version is perhaps a little more literal, but the meaning is the same in both. That is, no mortal man can be justified by the works of the law, because he falls short. The only way he can be justified is by faith in Christ. See Rom. 3:20-22. Then the apostle declares that “we,” that is, the believers, “believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law.” This is our only hope; for “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The thought is the same in each.
The English Revised Version has the same thought. “But by the faith of Jesus Christ” is the same as “save through faith in Jesus Christ,” or only “through faith in Jesus Christ.” We like the American Revised Version best.
None of the versions, however, would bear that which our correspondent places upon it, “Except as through the outgrowth of faith.” It is not an outgrowth. It does not wait for that. It is the immediate response of God to faith. The man who believes is justified, and he does not have to wait any length of time for it. It comes in immediate response to faith. But being justified is one thing, and living by faith is another. Justified pertains to the past; living, to the constant present. This the apostle makes clear in Romans 8. Justification is set forth in the first verse: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” God has forgiven all the sins of the past. But He does more than that. He gives us His Spirit, that “the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8: 4. See the American Revised Version. “Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” does not belong to verse 1, and it is not there in the best Greek copies. God takes away the condemnation of the past immediately; but He does that in order that we may keep His law. His righteousness for the sins of the past is imputed, but His life and righteousness for the future is imparted, and becomes a vital power in the Christian life. Therefore “faith without works is dead.” It is not a working for faith, or for life; but it is faith working, it is life fruiting.
The text reads, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” Read the three verses that follow. Verse 29 tells us what it means to sin willfully, or to continue so to sin. The man who does this, treads underfoot the Son of God; counts the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing; and does despite to the Spirit of grace.
The only means that God has of saving men are the blood of Christ—the sacrifice of our Lord—and the life power of the Holy Spirit. The man who sins willfully, turns against both of these divine agencies; and when he does this, there is nothing else by which God can save him. There is no more sacrifice for sins, no other sacrifice save that of Jesus, no other life power to overcome sin save that of the Spirit of God. Compare this with verses 19-22.
Notice that it is by the blood of Jesus that we enter into the holy place; that it is by the new and living way, which is given in the flesh of Jesus, in which lives the Spirit; and He Himself a great High Priest ministering that Spirit to God’s children. That is the way God saves us. Rejecting these things, there is nothing left for us but a certain fearful expectation of judgment.
The text does not mean, however, that the man who has sinned against God stubbornly, and even with a certain degree of willfulness, has no forgiveness. There are many men who become discouraged and fall after they have received more or less knowledge of the truth of God; but God pleads with them. They have not utterly rejected God’s plan of salvation. They still hope in Him in some way, and God even invites them back. There is always hope as long as the Spirit of God pleads with us.
Please explain Acts 15: 7, how or why God made choice; and is it the law of circumcision that is spoken of in this chapter? A. D. K.
The matter of choice was for some one first to preach the gospel to the gentiles. It does not mean that Peter was chosen to salvation, and somebody else rejected. God had to choose some one of His disciples to preach the gospel first; and for His own good reasons, He chose Peter. That is all. Peter preached this gospel to the gentiles, as recorded in Acts 10. God had to choose some one to bring about the restoration of Israel from the Babylonian captivity, as He had promised in Jeremiah; and He chose Cyrus. That does not mean that Cyrus was necessarily saved, or anybody else necessarily rejected. Our Lord simply chose him to do a work. God has work for every man; and every man who will yield to the Lord, will be chosen to do the work that God has for him to do.
The law referred to in Acts 15 doubtless is the whole Jewish law, including circumcision. The Jewish converts contended for certain ceremonial observances which God did not ask of the gentile Christians; but where essential morality was concerned, there was no difference.
Please answer what is meant by “to-day in Paradise” in Luke 23: 43. M. A. P.
This question was answered quite fully just recently. We will simply remark, on this, that it is not, “to-day in Paradise,” but, “I say to thee to-day.” Jesus did not say, “Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise this day,” but, “Verily I say unto thee to-day, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise” in the day of My coming. Of course it is given, “shalt thou be with Me in Paradise”—an old form of affirmation. We have the same in Rev. 2: 7, 26, “Will I give,” meaning, “I will give.” For fuller explanation, see the SIGNS of May 25.
Please explain 2 Cor. 7: 9, the last clause, “that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.” K.
The apostle did not want the blood of souls in Corinth to rest upon his garments. Therefore he sent the letter reproving them because of their sins, in order that he might be clear in the matter, and that they might understand all that God asked of them. Hence he rejoiced not simply that they were made sorry, but that they were made sorry after a godly sort. If they had simply been made sorry, and not after the godly sort, it would have done them no good—rather injury; and that is what the apostle did not want. He wanted his letter to do them good, and that was the effect it had.
144 — THE HEART
Why does the Scripture always mention the heart? Is it the mind that is meant? K.
By the term “heart” used in a moral sense in the Scriptures is not meant that particular organ in our body that is the center of the circulatory system. That is used as a figure for the affections, the emotions. The Lord uses “heart” instead of “mind,” because He wants the affections of mankind set upon Himself. Sometimes the word “mind” is used. That of course would include man’s intellectuality. But one may be ever so intellectual, yet if he does not love God, he will not truly serve God. The heart loves. The term is used in that sense in literature. It is love that God desires, for it is love that controls the moral individual.
